"You are quite the powerfully built fellow, Urga -- I shall be glad you are on our side! Is that a hint of Chelish I hear in your accent?"
My brother and I are masters of identifying accents.
"Oh yes, a briefing on what has come before. We have been keeping this on the down low as we would not wish to spark a panic. Our sources have hinted that there might be a move to awaken a Runelord."
" I can see from your blank looks that you are unfamiliar with the term. Unless you are a very serious student of history, I can understand you not knowing. Back in the days of the Azlantis, about 100 centuries ago, a group of powerful Azlanti wizards struck off on their own into the region called Varisia to form their own realm. They did not believe in the same virtues of the rest of the Azlantis and formed their empire upon a debased set. This was the empire of Thassilonia. It was also wiped out in Skyfall when the Azlanti empire fell. However it has been long rumored that the Runelors, the highest elite of the Thassilonian empire managed to escape the disaster, choosing to wait it out. "
"Of late, the Sihedron, a seven pointed star emblematic of the Runelords and casters of their special style of magic have been making appearances. Alkenstar being rather fearful of magic obviously thought that the return of malevolent magic users of the ability of the mythic Azlanti would not be a good thing. Hence our dispatching of an elite team to look into it. "
"The team initially went into Sandpoint, a small town north of here to look into the rumors and found a trail which lead back here. You are still working on that trail. The latest information appears to indicate that the trail continues at the Shadow Clock. "
"Hmm. Well it sounds like we have a cloak to go inspect.."
Bo fires too many guns. He said Clock not Cloak.
But Bandersnatch checks his gear and is ready to roll
"Clock, cloak.. Whatever.. Lets just get going.."
"Unless someone has further question, then I would suggest you get about with your investigations. Haste is for the best as we would rather the enemy not have time to react to your incursion at the Sawmill. "
and you head for the Shadowclock.
Hidden beneath the grimy, blackened goliath that is the Irespan, the lesser works of men huddle like weeds at the foot of the great trees that are the ruined bridge’s stone supports. Near one of these supports leans a decrepit and sagging clock tower, a dying structure of weathered stone, wood, and rusted metal supports that teeters to an unlikely height of over 180 feet. High above, near the tower’s roof and barely 5 feet from the Irespan’s stony belly, a tangle of scaffolding sits near a section of the structure that has fallen away. The tower’s clock face is frozen in time, defiantly (and falsely) proclaiming it to be 3 o’clock, while above, a stone statue of an angel, her wings crumbling, leans precariously, almost as if she were preparing a final leap from her decaying perch.
There is a set of good sized double doors on the south wall.
Map is up at the link.
at the conclusion of the briefing, Tirion comments:
"In fact, I'm rather studied on the subject of Thasillon -- I've even learned the language! A remarkable civilization, although not one I would like to see restored. I've always doubted the possibility of an actual Runelord of old returning, but we must be certain..."
upon arrival at the clock tower, Tirion will circle the building -- incidentally crossing within 10' of the front doors (Trap Spotter, GM rolls that check...) -- looking to see if there are any other entrances or things of note on the other sides of the building:
You detect no other doors, windows or passages on the ground level, and the doors do not appear to be trapped.
putting a finger to his lips to shush the rest of the party, Tirion presses his ear to the seam between the double doors:
You don't hear anything.
While his brother does that Bandy checks it for traps
then Disables the lock or trap
DD
You have no trouble opening the door. The lock was pretty simple.
The air inside the clock tower is dusty and dry. Swaths of rubble and mounds of plaster lie in heaps on the stone floor, particularly in the southwest corner. A single wagon sits to the northeast, and six partially collapsed offices line the northern and eastern walls, their doors hanging askew and their ceilings caved in. A wooden staircase winds up into the cavernous space above. High overhead, four immense bronze bells hang from sturdy crossbeams.
Bandy and tirion move into the room next to each other and they check out the wagon.
Stealth
Bo gives a glance around before entering the building..
Urga casts a wary eye at the stairwell before following the halflings up. he draws his great sword and attempts to move as quietly as possible.
The two halflings head for the walls to gain some concealment and stealth their way into the room, virtually disappearing.
Everyone else takes a look around the room seeing little but junk. The wagon is an old wreck.
"Well it appears we need to head up the stairs then.." He sheaths his rifle on his back and pulls a pistol and shield before moving up..
What is the marching order? Stairs are 5' wide of course.
Billy and Flik both take a glance around the room.
First in means first up the stairs! Tirion keeps his trained eye a step or two ahead as they ascend the stairs:
OK, as you proceed up the stairs, a strange looking figure -a jumbled mass of body parts incorporating as much cow and horse as man, the Scarecrow’s considerable girth is topped by an idiot head that leers and drools like a grotesque baby, emerges from hiding in the NE corner and moves to attack Flick with a scythe.
hits flat footed AC.
regular Speedy Gonzales here
Need initiative.
"Where the hell was that big bastard hiding.."
Bo aims his pistol at the creature and fires.. Using his bandolier to reload a steel cartridge as a swift..
Both shots hit and do damage.
init
Bandersnatch draws his blades and tumbles over the edge an lands on the ground, once there he readies an Attack for Urga to step into a flank.
T whips out his pistol as a free action, stealthily positions for a shot from above, and pops a round off:
if AC 18 hits, then points of damage...
plus, if this works the way I think, sneak attack damage -- for a total of 22 points!
then he tries to hide again, sniper style:
"Ouch..."
Flik stabs him with his bayonet.
Then he backs away.
Urga rages and power attacks the creature.
Bo shoots a couple of well placed hits into the revolting thing, Bandersnatch nicks it a bit, then Tirion lands another bullseye shot. Flik attempts to stab it it while gaining some distance, but misses.
Urga steps up and deals it a deathblow hewing it in twain.
Of course with that many shots ringing off the walls in hear, your ears are ringing as well right now and you can't very well imagine you have left anyone here unaware that there are intruders in the building.
While the others search the body Bandersnatch realizes that the jig is up. So once they are ready to move back up the stairs he uses his Shadow clone ability and more bandersnatches appear, then he takes the lead again, though this time he is armed with Snicker and his revolver.
Tirion hides once again, and covers any entrances to the 2nd-floor room he's in:
He'll just stay in cover until the others come upstairs...
Searching the body, and it certainly is an odd body seemingly stitched together from many odd parts of even different species (knowledge Arcana if you are curious what it was).
It has a scythe which seems preternaturally sharp, and a cloak which seems to blend in with its surroundings, even changing slightly in pattern, and hue.
Banderanatch would totally wear that!
I don't know if it was made clear (the bit from the module wasn't all that clear), but the interior of the clock tower is a large open space with bracing timbers throughout the middle and a set of stairs climbing all the way up which follows the walls. Your light does not reach far enough to show the top, but there is light streaming in at some point above illuminating a set of bells above, perhaps 150' up there.
If you search the bottom floor carefully, you find a moldy leather sack containing 300 gp, 309 sp, a tarnished silver ring worth 75 gp, and a silver mirror worth 50 gp
"Impressive sword play Urga.. Shall we continue up?" He reloads his pistols and waits for the others at the stairs..
Oh.
Well then, Tirion will keep his gun trained up the stairs, watching for a response from above whilst the party searches below:
You start proceeding up the stairs with the scout up front in stealth mode.
You get about halfway up the stairs (80' above the ground for the lead player).
At this point you notice someone screwing around amidst the bells up top (range penalties to perception are annoying aren't they?). It seems they are cutting the ropes to the bells.
By the time you notice this, the bells are on their way down.
As the bells go clanging down they hit of the PCs squares, the rest all bouncing off the walls away from you, and eventually smashing into the ground below.
marching order as I understand it:
Bandersnatch
Tirion
Urga
Bo
Billy
Flik
The player hit it Urga.
The bell comes smashing down right on top of him dealing points of damage, and Urga tries to grab onto the adjacent stairs as the flooring directly below him is smashed. but he misses and goes tumbling down after the bell.
Party is up. The stairs now have a 10' gap about 70' above the ground.
Give me a perception. If high enough, I'll give you a shot at it.
So the brothers are on the top side of the gap?
if good enough..
dice to the rescue
Bo is keened eyed enough to see the bell on the way down and grab ahold of his cloak right after the bell clocks Urga (ha ha).
Urga only takes the initial 22, without the falling damage.
Urga reels after the impact of the bell and comes dangerously close to falling over the edge of the stairs until Bo grabs him, "By Gorum, somebody is going to die for this! Thank you Bo. I owe you one."
Urga snarls and charges up the stairs.