Am I right to think the deep water would count as deep bog? 4 squares of movement walking, or you swim? Small characters are forced to swim. How is movement handled through the shallower water?
May i assume the cave is high enough to put vertical space between me and the ghouls?
Locke puts together a firebomb and lobs it at the creature.
The targeted ghoul goes up in fire, its flaming body collapsing in the water with a loud hissing gout of steam. The undead to the left artfully uses the nearby rock to its side to block much of the blast, taking part of the explosive damage.
After Kegan, Melisande, and Aryxis maneuver in the room the ghouls attempt to advance forward. The ghouls appear disoriented in their apparent starvation of human flesh, as they flounder about uselessly in the water for several seconds before one of them finally advances forward out of the deeper water. It clambers up to the shallower waters and darts behind one of the stone walls.
Initiative Order:
Round 1:
Tetsudo
Tereze
Round 2:
Kegan
Locke
Aryxis
Melisande
Ghouls (Red -9)
Tetsudo
Tereze
Roshi happily splashes into the water and begins paddling around to flank on the ghoul remaining in the water. His eventual target though doesn't remain long, as Locke fires off a head shot in the air that pierces the undead's skull; causing it to float motionless face down in the water.
The remaining ghoul is smacked by a magic missile, but advances forward hungrily at Kegan. The swashbuckler is well-prepared, however, and simply skewers the creature artfully with a mortal blow. The sounds of it hitting the ground is a prelude to the silence of stillness that follows after the combat.
Out of Initative
With the imminent danger out of the way, the group quickly takes stock of the cavern. Towards the back beyond the iron fence, it becomes obvious that a pile of crates and barrels were stacked hastily to barricade an alcove from the ghouls. Moving it aside after minutes of work reveals a dry alcove with multiple shelves along the periphery of the area. The shelves seem to contain small crates of rotting wine corks and bottle labels. Amidst the junk crates is one that appears more solidly built, seeming to require a bit of effort to work open if desired. Next to the shelves is a small, rectangular area on the ground near that wall that seems conspicuously free of dirt and debris; as if something that had been resting there was recently removed.
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Kegan cleans his blade, careful not to touch the ghoul. Sheathing his blade, he checks that everyone is alright and then joins the search of the cavern.
As he is shifting through the junk, he peeks through an iron door concealed at the back of the room. “Looks like we have another way out of here, no idea where it goes. No sign of the man we came here to find though.”
Tapping the crate that is still intact, he asks “Shall we open it?”
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After the items are gathered from the Crate Tereze looks up the exit.
Well I guess zat way is ze only reasonable way to go.
She looks back at the body and says. Although, I suppose if zat is a magic backpack like mine, we might be able to fit the body in zere. Zen we could easily carry it until we get it to someplace we can give it ze burial he deserves.
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Kegan asks “Mind if I use the ring?”
He then looks at the body of the dead Pathfinder and then the opening on the haversack. “I don’t think the body will fit through the opening. Could put it on Yoshi with no problem, otherwise Aryxis, Testudo or I will have to carry it.”
“Ready to explore the tunnel!?!?”
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Tereze, we might be able to put the whole body into the backpack, but there's no way it's fitting through the opening without us cutting it up, which seems a bit macabre and not any more respectful than removing it's head. I'd prefer to transport it whole, please.
She considers the ring, then hands it to Kegan. By all means, have at it.
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Kegan puts on the ring, then practices a few times creating and dismissing the force shield. He then does a quick series of swings with his rapier, just to make sure the ring doesn’t interfere.
Satisfied, he says “Thanks!” and sheaths his rapier again.
Looking to Testudo, he asks “Any problem putting it on Yoshi?” pointing to the dead Pathfinder body. Looking to Aryxis he says “Given how things go in the society, I prefer to not assume I will have time to go recover anything after the mission.”
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Looking to Testudo, he asks “Any problem putting it on Yoshi?” pointing to the dead Pathfinder body.
Tetsudo rumbles as he grunts whilst lifting the dead Pathfinder body onto the turtle's shell; securing it with several loose straps dangling off of the saddle. he 'says' before engaging in the incredibly difficult task of navigating a large-sized turtle down a ladder (which involves a large amount of irritated side-eye glances from Roshi).
The tunnel at the base of the ladder leads onwards for what feels like forever, about 2 to 3 miles if one were to estimate it. The tracks in the dust of the tunnel continue the entire length, however, terminating in a stone cellar with a set of stone steps that ascend upwards. At the base of these stairs is a bedraggled middle-aged man clutching a small chest attempting weakly to go upwards, his body riddled with bite and claw marks. His rasping breath echoes loudly in the cellar as the man turns his head backwards to the approaching group of Pathfinders.
"...Who goes there? Jessup? Is that you?" the man calls out with a hacking cough.
Sir are you hurt?
The man actively coughs up a hacking spurt of blood onto the stairs in response.
“Jessup is back at the brewery. He made it to town and warned us about the ghouls. We are with the Pathfinder Society.” He pauses before asking “Are you Becher or Walmont?”
The man seems slightly relieved at knowledge of Jessup's fate, though he doesn't relax due to his dire circumstances.
"I am Becher, alright," he says between gasping coughs while struggling up another step or two. "And I don't have time to..." Becher spurts up more blood as he falters briefly. "...have to get back..."
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Just before Melisande took off to heal the poor man,
The signs of a stubborn individual pushing themselves was not a new sight.
To the others, "This man will kill himself from overexertion. He seems focused on something more important to him than self preservation. He is at the point of near collapse."
"He looks like he contracted the ghoul fever as well. I think it reasonable to say that, if we want answers from him, we will have to escort him to town, or at least patch him up enough for him to make the journey."
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Post healing,
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Now to see if he has answers about this situation.
Becher appears relieved as much of the open wounds close, though his coughing (now bloodless at the moment) continues unabated.
"Thank you for that," he tells Melisande as the man now stands fully on his own two feet. "We must get back to town. Grald will tear the place apart looking for..." Becher pauses momentarily with a glance down at the small chest he has clasped in an iron grip in his hands. "Anyways, he must be stopped. This town is ours, and not his for the taking. Will you help me stop him?" he asks before relentlessly continuing to ascend the stairs.
a man's voice can be heard shouting from beyond the walls of the building. Becher visibly flinches, pauses for three seconds, then responds with a shout of his own through a slightly cracked window.
he yells back. There is silence after Becher's response, during which the crashing noises from the other buildings momentarily cease. The man quickly steps back from the window and turns to the Pathfinders.
"They are coming and are circling the building," he warns the group as loud pounding begins at the front door of the building to the south.
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“May we help you?” Kegan asks. “I could lend a shoulder for you to lean on or carry something for you if that would help.”
Kegan will provide what help Becher is willing to accept and start moving up the stairs with him.
Once up the stairs, he let’s Becher and his box down softly as he grabs the vial of Haste that Locke gave him and quickly quaffs it.
“This could get exciting!” he says with a wide grin on his face.
“May we help you?” Kegan asks. “I could lend a shoulder for you to lean on or carry something for you if that would help.”
The man waves the swashbuckler off, looking more steady on his feet from the magical healing, and ascends the stairs upwards.
What's in the box Becher? I think it best if you tell us before you find yourself at Grald's mercy.
Becher is extremely startled by Melisande's vanishing act, almost dropping the chest (but not quite). It's the deed to the distillery left by my father," he hisses softly in a random direction that he thinks Melisande is hiding invisibly. "Grald will try to take it to lay claim to the town."
As the group begins finishes their first set of preparations, the southern set of doors bursts open as a burly man clad in a Taldan officer's uniform swaggers into the room accompanied by one of the phalanx soldiers. He cracks his knuckles loudly as he scans the room confidently. "Got some hired muscle, Becher? Won't do you any good...give up the deed and there won't be more trouble!" Becher does the brave thing and immediately wedges himself between two casks to the west, clutching the small chest as he does so.
Initiative Order:
Round 1
Melisande
Grald
Soldiers
Tereze
Aryxis
Kegan
Locke
Tetsudo
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“No trouble at all! I like helping people, especially when it means fighting arrogant, greedy thugs like you.” Kegan tells Grald as his rapier appears in his hand.
He smiles in anticipation, then frowns slightly as Melisandre attempts to blind the enemies. Not quite fair play, but I guess it isn’t totally out of line. He seems about to say something to her, then shrugs and smiles again.
The soldier with the bow gets blasted in the face with the glitter and is blinded, while Grald shields his face with one of his muscular arms and avoids the blindness. The man abruptly charges forward, unsheathing a longsword as he does so, and attempts to slash at Tetsudo with his weapon...but is unable to pierce through the turtle-knight's impressive defenses. The soldier previously at Grald's side blindly fires an arrow in Kegan's general direction, but it is nowhere close to its target as the projectile strikes a wooden wall nearby. After his shot, the soldier manages to clear the glitter out his eyes to remove the effect blinding him.
Initiative Order:
Round 1
Tereze
Aryxis
Kegan
Locke
Tetsudo
Round 2
Melisande
Grald
Soldiers
Tereze
Aryxis
Kegan
Locke
Tetsudo
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To Grald, Kegan gives a shrug and says "I guess he finds you unworthy of consideration."
Then he steps forward and his blade slices at the man twice. "Tell me of yourself. I'm curious what brought you to this swamp seeking a brewery. Surely there are better prospects out there!"
Crit 15-20
6 is precision damage
Crit 15-20
6 is precision damage
Tereze reaches out and tries to freeze Grald in Place.
Grald stiffens briefly, but manages to barely resist Tereze's magic!
Aryxis brings his sword whistling towards his unsuspecting enemy and whispers a loud “Boo” just before contact.
Aryxis' enemy startles just before his sword leaves a heavily damaging blow on the target!
Then he steps forward and his blade slices at the man twice. "Tell me of yourself. I'm curious what brought you to this swamp seeking a brewery. Surely there are better prospects out there!"
Kegan's adversary is unable to answer the swashbuckler's query, as the man is almost staggered on the first strike...then dies instantly on the second!
Locke flies a bit closer and hurls a frost bomb at Grald.
Seeing his target now not-living, Locke adjusts his target to the remaining soldier in view; his bomb striking the target despite the distance and causing the soldier to instantly shatter into tiny icicles as his gear clatters to the ground!
FOUL FIENDS, BRIGAND BANDITS! YOU SHALL TASTE THE COLD STEEL OF KNIGHTLY VALOR!
Tetsudo begins to prepare his charge...before he finds himself devoid of targets to challenge and attack!
Several seconds pass before another wave of soldiers burst into the distillery from all directions, rearing to avenge their fallen officer!
Initiative Order:
Round 2
Tetsudo (Readied or delaying in from Round 1)
Melisande (Readied or acting normally from Round 2)
Tereze
Aryxis
Kegan
Locke
Round 3
Soldiers
Tetsudo
Melisande
Grald
Soldiers
Tereze
Aryxis
Kegan
Locke