"Aye, anyone who needs to be brought back here or taught a lesson?"
Memnosyne snickers. "Aspiring kidnapper, eh?" She gives Oster a friendly punch on the arm.
"Well, Natalya made fine practice!"
"Any idea why these shards have decided to make an appearance now after being lost for so long?" Devlin has a worried look on his face as he asks his question.
Sheila continues,
"I'm not aware of anyone who needs to be taught a lesson as you put it, the Pathfinder society is more about exploration and finding lost or forgotten knowledge or artefacts. That said there are those rumours of slavers and of people going missing. Also I heard that the Princess of the Souk is trying to find out what happened to her father who stated when he went missing about 15 years ago that he was going to investigate the Crow.
I do not think that the Shards decided to make an appearance. My research has shown that they have been known about for years but no one knew where they were. One being located in one Irespan makes sense when you think about it as the Irespan is the remains of an ancient bridge dating from the times of Thasillon. If there is a dungeon from the time of Thasillon in that structure then it is not unreasonable that the shards may have been hidden away there."
Natalaya pipes up at this point.
"The Crow is where the Tower Girls have their lair, in the first part of the Crow. As Lady Heidmarch probably told you I grew disillusioned with them and agreed to spy on them for the Pathfinders. While doing this I found a secret door where I found this shard. I don't really remember much from that point until I woke up here. The tower girls are led by a woman called Ayala who is a wererat and she has infected some of the other women. There are some strange doors made of an unusual material covered in runes which we couldn't get through. It's possible that more ancient dungeons lie beyond the doors."
It is now starting to get dark outside.
Oster listens well.
"Certainly, Lady Sheila. We'll keep an eye out for the princess's dad while we're in there. And wererats? How dangerous are those?"
"We may wish to finish cleaning up, perhaps rest, before we head to the Crow."
She gives Devlin a nudge, hoping he'll realize he's the only one clean and perhaps help out.
Oster you recall that wererats have damage reduction against anything except silver weapons and they have the ability to give the curse of lycanthropy with their bite.
Sheila arranges baths and rooms for you for the night and will allow you to use a Pathfinder rowboat to get out to the Crow in the morning as the piling is out in the harbour
====================================================================
The next morning both Xango and Devlin feel ill.
You both lose 1 point of Dex and 1 point of Con.
Xango starts to vomit and has a fever. "I fear I need a healer!"
Memnosyne does what she can to help her diseased allies.
"I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say it's probably from wading through the sewage. Although those goblins had those bags of sewage as well. As long as we keep the wounds clean and watch for infection, you'll most likely be alright. It may take a few days to run its course."
She hopes she sounded optimistic. Bedside manner isn't her specialty. If I'm wrong, I can use a spell tomorrow for better results.
After feeling the nudge. "What?! We are in a manor. I am sure that there are ways to get a bath here and clean clothes. Besides with the gallivanting we have already done today I think it would behoove us to get some sleep before we go out again."
With a half-hearted gesture Devlin casts Prestidigitation and lets it begin cleaning Memnosyne.
"Ma'am would you be willing to provide us with some accommodation for the night?
Sheila provides you with rooms and a bath.
Memnosyne you are able to heal Xango and Devlin so they feel better (although the Con and Dex damage remain)
"Thank you ma'am." Devlin follows the servant to his assigned room, strips down to his small clothes, and climbs between the clean bed linens for a peaceful nights rest after today's unexpected adventure.
His rest is fitful marked by half formed visions within his dreams of the never ending vastness of space and the fearful forces that control the cosmos.
"Silver weapons will be most effective against wererats, my companions. Mithril will also do the job well, as would a nice coat of silversheen. And I will gratefully accept a warm bath and washing of clothes, my lady."
Oster smiles but it is a genuinely thankful one.
He doesn't always get to sleep in manors, so he enjoys the opportunity as it arises.
"Conveniently, I have a silver dagger. But we'd best look into some additional weapons or blanches." She approaches Sheila before they leave. "I hate to be rude, but you mentioned a reward. And it seems we need some additional equipment that said reward would be useful for acquiring."
Sheila gives you the reward of 1000gp and will provide you with a silver dagger each.
Memnosyne thanks Sheila. "We can run by the market," she says to the others. "Not sure if it will help, but I'm also going to buy some wolfsbane on our way over," she adds. "Better safe than sorry."
Of all the lycanthropes I can imagine, RAT has got to be the worst.
That's fine you can go to the market.
What do you want to do afterwards?
So each of us has 250 gold pieces to go shopping?
Xango will take the silver dagger with a smile and nods.
"Any other open jobs we can do?"
At the market Xango will buy a four mirror armor (trading in his old one so 95 gp and 2 flasks of Acid, for swarms. (20)
Oster flips his silver dagger in his hand for balance, then tucks it away in his belt.
"My thanks, my lady."
*****************
Oster will pick up a few things, including a pair of spring-loaded wrist sheaths.
*****************
Afterwards, he will contact the others.
"Who fancies a trip into the Crow today? Or are ye still feeling under the weather from that sewage?"
After waking, Devlin grabs a meal, and then joins his fellows for their trip to the market. Devlin does not purchase anything during the trip but does point out various interesting items as they pass from stall to store and back again.
Upon finishing the shopping spree the group begins to make their way through the city towards The Crow. "Remember we have a boat already made available to us for this trip. So don't let anyone try to talk you into renting one or paying for passage on their boat."
After a quick trip to an apothecary, Memnosyne is ready to go. "To the Crow then."
Oster swings by a chymist and picks up a vial of antiplague.
"Oh, very well. If I must then I must." Devlin swings into the same shop as Oster and buys a vial of antiplague.
You all head off in a rowboat, towards the Crow. You head towards the boat dock that Natalaya mentioned as it appears to be the only way in.
A tall lancet arch at water level leads into a chamber at sea level within the Crow. Inside is what was once a small, stepped terrace, now filled with sea water to the level of its top step. Three rowboats are tied off to heavy stones, placed on this step. Above, the ceiling rises almost all the way up to the top of the monument-an opening leads off this shaft to the west. At the west end of this room lies a small alcove whose floor shows the stains of countless campfires-the back wall of this alcove has broken through, revealing a passageway beyond.
Oster puts a finger to his lips as he quietly moves to the mouth of the passage to check beyond.
Devlin takes a look around the former stepped terrace as Oster moves to the passage.
Memnosyne is happy to let the others lead. She concentrates on keeping her eyes and ears open.
You can see that there is guano on the walls and floor, it is clear that at some point bats have made use of this chamber.
The boat yard opens out into another room (room 2 on the map). Rubble from the collapsed wall has been pushed out into the chamber. Traces of recent habitation-bits of trash and rubbish and the odd piece of clothing or equipment-are scattered here and there, although the room now appears to be unused. Passages lead north and south.
Sniffing the air, Xango draws his earthbreaker and leads the company north.
Xango leads you northwards. Between two curving stairwells lies a small landing. Three stone boxes, their lids raised, stand lined up against the east wall. A fine yellow powder surrounds them on the floor.
"Hold up everyone. Lets make sure that stuff won't kill us. Devlin casts Detect Magic at the boxes.
Nothing shows as magical.
Oster cautiously approaches the boxes, trying to work out what the yellow substance is.
If he doesn't notice a threat from the powder, he will get close enough to examine the stone boxes.
If he does, he will try to disable any traps before opening the lids, one by one.
Oster you are able to identify the dust as spoiled ungol dust. It also looks like this was once part of a trap that has now been disabled. The chests have been thoroughly looted.
"There *was* a trap here. That's spoiled ungol dust. The chest, well, someone had the same idea and cleared them out already. Let's move on. How about that left stairwell?"
Left is just as good as right. Memnosyne gives Oster the thumbs up.
"What is ungol dust and how dangerous is it to us? Just in case we happen to encounter it in a non-spoiled state." Devlin says as he positions himself at the base of the left staircase.
Oster you know that Ungol dust is an inhaled poison which does Charisma damage.
As you go up the stairs it comes into another room. Pillars line the centre of this long hall. At the far end is a low rostrum, the dusty stumps of ancient votive candles lining its outer edge. Two of these have been knocked over. Colourful murals of Thassilon pilgrims and giants marching over an intact Irespan cover the walls. You all see a dire rat in one corner who realises you see it and it starts to run up the next set of stairs.
Initiative order:
Oster 21
Devlin:15
Rat: 15
Memnosyne: 12
Xango: 7
"You are not getting away that easily." Devlin extends his hand and points at the rat. Two arrows of pure force shoot forth to impale the rat. Devlin's eyes light up with a bit of gleeful joy at what just happened.
Oster grins, and moves in a blur towards the fleeing rat, rapier point first.
Hit by both Devlin's magic and Oster's rapier the rat is severely wounded. Hounded into a corner it tries to attack its way out by trying to bite Oster
Bite attack (1d20 = 16 -1) =15 which is a miss.
Memnsoyne you are next.
Memnosyne whips a dagger out of her bandolier and hurls it at the rat.
With Memonsyne's attack with the dagger the rat crumples to the floor. As it dies its body reverts to a young female human. On the body is a pouch containing 18gp.
The stairs lead up to a series of looted rooms. Bits and pieces of old rubble, fragments of furniture and broken weapons and armour clutter the floor. From ahead you can hear the sound of a fire crackling and the smell of unwholesome roasting meat.
"This stinks. We should move up and rush them!"
"I'll sneak into position, get a rapier between their ribs when you all surprise them."
And with that, Oster starts moving ahead very quietly.
A small cook fire has been built into the centre of the floor with spits holding the sizzling carcasses of two donkey rats. The broken scraps of a crate now serving as fuel are stacked nearby, and blankets have been pushed together into a large bedroll.
You see two Tower Girls who don't appear to have seen you.
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Oster grins, draws his sap, and sneaks up behind the nearest tower girl, and gives her a solid thump with it on the right shoulder while whispering in a soft but sinister voice:
"Get down on the floor, or things will go *very* badly for you."
You are skilled at causing fear in those you brutalize.
Prerequisite: Intimidate 1 rank.
Benefit: Whenever you deal nonlethal damage with a melee weapon, you can make an Intimidate check to demoralize your target as a free action. If you are successful, the target is shaken for a number of rounds equal to the damage dealt. If your attack was a critical hit, your target is frightened for 1 round with a successful Intimidate check, as well as being shaken for a number of rounds equal to the damage dealt.
Memnosyne grabs her dagger from the crumpled corpse and wipes it off on a piece of cloth. So sad that her life was wasted like that. She traces the spiral of Pharasma on her forehead as they pass by and follows the others, sticking toward the back.