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"Good evening gentlemen. How can I be of service?"
Krux speaks barely above a whisper. The pale half-drow wears mithril armor, buckler and cestus. He bows deeply in your direction. His long blonde hair whips around a slender frame that accentuate his almond-shaped emerald eyes. As he speaks, you notice a pinkish forked tongue.
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A tall and massive half-orc steps in. He wears a Guisarme and a four-mirror armor. He looks at group with a bizarre grin and says "I like... fight. I be Marduk! MAR-DUK. Mardukkkkk. I will enjoy killing with you. Hello!!" The half-orc's voice has a ridiculously high pitch, you must resist not to laugh.
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A tall and slender elf walks in reading a book and barely paying much attention to where he's going, almost bumping in to a huge Orc. "Pardon me" He says to the orc in a seemingly rude manner. He makes his way to a chair, never looking up from his book. Serpentfang is a typical elf, always been into magic and enjoys using bows, however much of his background is a bit of a mystery. He never really knew his parents, and has lived kind of a nomadic life. He recently joined the pathfinders in hopes of uncovering some information about his past and further developing his abilities as a spellcaster.
After a hurried summons to the Grand Lodge in Absalom, a quick conversation with Venture-Captain Alissa Moldreserva, and a wet, stormy trip across the Inner Sea to Andoran, the small, warm Pathfinder Lodge in Augustana is a welcome break from travel. “I can’t believe we are wasting our time on this matter,” says Caudron Wallace, the venture-captain of Augustana as he paces the main hall. “Frankly, I want as little to do with it as possible, so I’m passing it on to you.”
Wallace nods toward a door at the back of the room. “The vagrant through there was found collapsed on our front steps gripping a wayfinder of all things. We still don’t know who he is. Talk to him, for the tale he tells is amazing if true, and then come back here.”
As you enter the adjoining room, a grizzled old man with long, matted hair awakes from his slumber. The stench emanating from him is quite offensive. Yet, as he address you, he holds himself as if he were your superior in every way.
“My loyal subjects, welcome! I know that some of you might not recognize me in my current state, but it is truly me, Gandros, the long-lost Prince of Augustana. I have been in hiding since the untimely death of my father, the Emperor, preparing for my return to glory. Unfortunately, I bear ill news. The army I have been gathering in the otherworld has been infiltrated by agents of our enemies. When last I called my forces together for inspection, dark assassins attacked me and I barely escaped with my life.”
The old man pauses to roll up the sleeve of his arm to show off the scars on his right arm. He then continues, ignoring all attempts at interruption.
“I fled back through the magic portal to this realm. Grievously wounded, and with the assassins in close pursuit, I leapt into the dark river. I floated past the Almsman’s Sanctuary, but couldn’t climb out of the water. I did manage to grab one of the bridges, but a plank fell in with me. I held on for dear life and continued to drift downstream. I went over a waterfall and then emerged in the lake of ships and crawled to shore. Augustana has changed since I last walked my city’s bright streets, but I managed to find this house, bearing the symbol of my father’s empire.” He holds up the wayfinder hanging from a chain around his neck. “I knew I would find help here! If you remove the threat from my kingdom below and help restore me to my rightful place as Emperor of Andoran, I will grant you any boon within my power!”
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Serpentfang listens patiently as the so called Prince tells his story all the while trying to recall what he knows about the Emperor of Augustana, and its history. "I do believe you were attacked, so what can you tell me of these Dark Assassins?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
"I do believe you were attacked, so what can you tell me of these Dark Assassins?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
"You phrase 'dark assassins' as if it were a name of an organization, or gang. I merely claim that these men had the demeanor of assassins that crept in the dark."
Serpentfang is able to recall that the Steel Wyverns were once the most powerful criminal organization in the city, but they have been in decline for decades. Now they are a rag-tag gang of thugs and petty crooks. The wyverns prefer to fight with spiked chains, which they call “Wyvern stings.”
At Marduk's outburst, Gandros clams up and refuses to speak anymore.
VC Wallace calls you back. “My diviners say that there is some truth to his story. There has never been a Prince of Augustana, nor an Emperor in Andoran, but the old fellow has a surprising amount of knowledge of the pre-revolution noble families of the city. He may be the lost scion of some noble line. If so, he’s fallen far. From the filth and stink on him when we found him, we’re fairly certain he’s been living in or near a sewer. The wayfinder is also a mystery, but for now, it makes him one of ours. However, I’m more interested in his supposed gate to the otherworld. If it exists, I want to know about it. Implausible as it may seem, I’m certain that his injuries were caused by otherworldly beings. We must take the possibility of a portal seriously. I don’t want to dirty my hands with this, but you don’t have that choice. Retrace the old man’s path through the sewers. The Almsman, whom he repeatedly mentions, is rumored to be an eccentric priest who runs some sort of hidden beggar’s sanctuary in the sewers. He may know where our prince’s portal is, if you can find him. But be warned; a local gang calling themselves the Steel Wyverns claims the sewers near the Almsman’s
Sanctuary as their own territory.”
Uthred recalls that the Steel Wyverns were once the most powerful criminal organization in the city, but they have been in decline for decades. Now they are a rag-tag gang of thugs and petty crooks. The wyverns prefer to fight with spiked chains, which they call “Wyvern stings.”
Krux is unable to recall any information about arcane portals located beneath the city.
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Serpentfang recalls hearing about the steel wyverns and cautions the group. "They aren't as bad as they used to be, but should not take them lightly" he then tries to recall any info about the Almsman. but fails to remember.
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Uther recalls that the Almsman has recently started providing sanctuary and assistance to the city’s beggars. He is a mysterious figure who wears a mask, but most folk believe he is a priest. Most of the city’s poor do not know where his sanctuary is — those who do know won’t tell.
The group of brave Pathfinders easily discover the entrance to the sewers - via the drainage pipes leading into the harbor. The foul stench of the draining sewage provides enough motivation to stay out of it as much as possible, though it is mostly impossible to avoid slogging through the muck.
The smell of waste and rot is strong in this large chamber where filthy water flows in a series of cascades between tiered stone tanks. A raised platform along the east wall is connected to the passage’s walkways by several thick wooden planks creating a makeshift bridge. On that platform is what looks to be a makeshift alchemy lab on a rough-hewn table—beakers, glass vials, dirty bottles, and moldy buckets cover the entire surface of the table. A man in a leather smock stands at the so-called lab. Upon hearing your approach, he shouts an alarm. The two thugs near the bridge break their conversation and notice you.
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"Your eyes are getting very heavy. You should lie down and take a nap."
Krux begins casting Sleep (Will DC 18) at Firedrake.
Jessique fires her crossbow and is just able to catch Firedrake, who was unprepared for such an attack. Serpenfang's arcane arrow also strikes true, killing the wizard.
Krux's words have their intended effect on one of the thugs. Who lies down to sleep.
The thug watches his partner fall asleep. You can see that he thinking, considering whether to fight or flee. He makes the decision to strike back.
"You'll never defeat the Steel Wyverns!"
He steps forward and draws out a spiked chain, swinging it at Marduk.
However, the thug's balance is off and the chain scrapes against the stone floor that Marduk stands on.
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"Your arms are tired from swinging that HEAVY chain. Stop attacking and conserve your energy."
Krux confidently strides 30 feet closer along the sewer's stone floor and casts Forbid Action (Will DC 19) at thug.
At Krux's suggestion, the thug stands still, unable to act.