The trees become sparse as you climb into the Numerian foothills. A series of switchbacks rises to a low summit. The view is phenomenal at the crest of this hill, where Ulisha’s map indicates a crash site. Vast plains extend to the north, where clouds gather on the horizon. To the south, the Sellen River cuts a definitive border between the River Kingdoms and Numeria.
The soil along the slope of the hill here is looser than it should be, as if a recent rockslide had covered it. It only takes a few minutes of digging to uncover a solid metal surface buried below. It´s an ovoid thing, just over 10 feet in length and 5 feet in diameter at its widest point made of an strange and unfamiliar metal.
The entire wreck appears to be relatively undamaged. Its surface is scratched and dented but unbroken, and a 3-by-5-foot section of the side appears as though it could be opened on a hinge. Opening the escape pod requires a Strength check.
The metal it as an alloy of iron and adamantine
"Guys? Look here - there is a wreck of some kind partially buried here... I think it might be possible to get inside, with a bit of work..."
After some digging, Merisiel attempts to lever open the entrance.
Zadim has a try at opening it, as well.
Seelah stows her shield and stretches to loosen up her muscles.
"Inheritor, grant me Your strength."
Between Zadim and Seelah, with a little help of The Inheritor, your able to open the "door".
The inside of the wreck is cramped. A single chair made out of the same strange metal faces the hatch, dozens of straps hang inside the device, and an array of levers and buttons lines the interior on one side. Several dozen palm-sized metallic discs and an unadorned silvery bracer lie scattered across the interior.
The discs are numerian “silverdisks,” a form of currency which worth about 10 gp each.
"What a strange place," Zadim says.
"These numerian silverdisks are valuable...we should gather them."
"Sounds good to me. Let's gather it all up, and get out of here."
Enora scans all the inside, but nothing seem to be magical. YOu gather all the silverdisks and the bracelet,which is valuable for being a device from the Rain of Starts, and go out. As the group start to descend the summit and work their way down the switchbacks, some Kellids step out from the surrounding brush and block the path.
Stop there, demands a Kellid woman who hefts a massive blade. You’re are not from here, and those things are not yours. Give us the silverdisks, all the gold you have, and anything else you found there. Then you may live
Zadim looks the interlopers over with a critical eye, hoping to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but ready for anything.
Seelah eyes the kellids warily. She sheathes her sword, but her hand hovers the handle.
"I would like to have words with you before this turns to violence. I have no interest in fighting you, but I am afraid that we acquired these silverdisks on our own. By what right do you claim them?"
I´m claiming the silverdisks and all your gold by this right, says the kellid woman unseathing her sword. But if you prefer to die for your belongings, so it be
Combat round one
Bold can act
Zadim
Kellid warriors (green and blue)
Enora
Merisiel
Seelah
Kellid woman (red)
Zadim studies the nearest warrior carefully.
"You have made a poor decision," he says. "One you will not live long to regret."
Seeing they are ready to attack, he prepares a counter-strike.
The nearest kellid warrior charges Zadim, who conter-strikes as he come. But both are more concerned in self defense an no one can hit the other.
Combat round one
Bold can act
Zadim studies the green warrior
Kellid warriors (green and blue) moves towerd near the group, with the green warrior failing an attack over Zadim
Enora
Merisiel
Seelah
Kellid woman (red)
Merisiel steps forward, and stabs at the closest Kellid!
Without a second thought, Seelah surges forward to the other side of the closest kellid and into a flank with Zadim.
Merisiel tries to stab one of the kellid warriors, but his weapon is stopped with the warrior wooden shield. Enora don´t have better luck, being more concerned in not bieng attacked, his concentration on the spell falls.
Seelah makes a bold move near one of the warriors to flank the other warrior, and is rewarded with a hard hit in the head . Being slightly stunned by the hit, she´s unable to land and attack.
The kellid woman charges to Seelah, the only viable target, but in his path she´s hampered by his companion body and can´t score a hit to finish Seelah.
Combat round two[/b]
Bold can act
Zadim
Kellid warriors (green and blue)
Enora
Merisiel
Seelah
Kellid woman (red)
Waiting for a moment when the warrior's back is turned, Zadin stabs into him with his kukri.
[spoiler=crunch]
The warrior turned her back to Zadim, but never let him be out of sight so in the moment Zadim attcks, he rises his shield to stop it. Then, he turns back ostensibely to attack Zadim, but his attack goes short.
The other warrior startsmumbling an apology to the kellid woman for "messing with her pray" and moves away from her before making a half hearted attack toward Seelsh.
Combat round two
Bold can act
Zadim
Kellid warriors (green studied and blue) tries to make clear they´re not willfully attacking to the point of failing their attacks
Enora
Merisiel
Seelah
Kellid woman (red)
Merisiel gamely takes a swing at the kellid warrior that she can reach.
With her indomitable will, the kellid woman resists Enra´s spell. The green warrior is not so fortunate in avoiding harm, and Merisiel thrust through his leg, leaving an ugly wound.
Combat round two
Bold can act
Zadim
Kellid warriors (green studied and blue) tries to make clear they´re not willfully attacking to the point of failing their attacks
Enora
Merisiel
Seelah
Kellid woman (red)
Seelah, exhausted from the mighty blow she sustained, strikes at the foe she has flanked.
Seeing how Sele takes down one of his mates, the kellid woman continues his attacks over Seelah, but Seelah dodge swiftly the incoming attack.
Combat round three
Bold can act
Zadim
Kellid warrior (blue)
Enora
Merisiel
Seelah
Kellid woman (red)
Zadim attempts to move into a more advantageous position, but exposes himself to an attack as he passes by the warrior. He then tries to stab the man with his kukri.
Zadim clumsily moves to a advantageous position, he avoids the first attack, but doing it open his defenses to a second attack from the Kellid warrior who wounds him deeply.
Combat round three
Bold can act
Zadim moves to a better place and attacks.
Kellid warrior (blue)moves to attack Zadim
Enora
Merisiel
Seelah
Kellid woman (red)
Merisiel tumbles around to a flanking position on the Kellid woman...
...but is left a little dizzy from her cartwheeling, and misses spectacularly.
Seelah resets her stance, the tide of battle turning once more in the favor of her and her allies.
"Your bravery is laudable, but your tactics and your cause are lacking, so you will fall this day."
A swing of her sword accompanies her words.
Merisiel tumbless around the Kellid woman and misses spectacularly
Seelah taunts the kellid woman and remarks her words slashing her in the abdomen
Enora, seeing a momento when she can cast before Merisiel jumps in cast as quickly as she can her colorspray making both kellids sleep where they are.
Having defeated the Kellid warriors, the party now faces the decision of what to do with them before leaving Numeria.
"Well, here's a to do. They aren't exactly friendly to us... The grunt could probably be persuaded to leave us alone, especially if we take all of his equipment... The leader on the other hand..."
Unless given a compelling reason why not to, Merisiel will take the opportunity to finish-off the leader.
With her leader dead, the kellid tough is in no mood of fighting. When he realizes he´s going to live, he begs for his weapons, to be able to defend himself, offering everything else he´s carrying and swearing to not attack any of you anymore.
Excerpts from Ulisha’s Journal (Webs)
That the Riverfolk of Daggermark haven’t wiped themselves off the map with their wanton assassinations and poisonings is a fact that will never cease to amaze me. Still, where such dealings occur, coin is always involved, and one knowledgeable in the ways of commerce can always earn a good wage. Daggermark’s economy runs on poisoned blades, but those blades would be dry were in not for a constant influx of alchemical goods. Such goods wax and wane, though, and if one watches diligently, these market shifts can be predicted.
The next ingredient the markets will want is an adhesive produced by spiders and left in their webs. Of course more potent chemicals would be found in the glands of the dreadful beasts, but I am a scholar, not some vagabond sellsword slaying vermin for ale money. I have mapped a route to a newer nest that should be sparsely defended. My buyer, one Johannes Vox (an Iobarian of curious temperament) has not been as forthright in our latest dealing as I’d like. Perhaps it is time I sold elsewhere.
You travel to Daggermark to follow the map from there and, having to spend some hours in the city before going to the spiders next, you make the most of it an try to learn somthing of the city and your next foe.
Daggermark is one of the River Kingdoms. It is an exercise in anarchy, as anyone can hire assassins at affordable rates.
These hires come from an Assassins’ Guild, which has found a particularly deadly partner in a Poisoners’ Guild that also operates out of Daggermark.
Because anyone can hire an assassin, everyone in Daggermark tends to be overly polite. Most leaders don’t last very long, as anyone taking exception to their policies can hire deadly force rather easily.
Cs know enough about the day-to-day politics of Daggermark to receive a +2 circumstance bonus on checks to find another merchant.
Giant spiders are known for their venom, which is known to weaken their prey.
Spider webs contain a strong adhesive that is used as a stabilizer in volatile poisons. This adhesive is most valuable when it is fresh; the silk glands of a freshly killed spider are the best source.
You know exactly where the silk glands are located. This provides a +2 bonus on any check to harvest the glands.
Merisiel is happy for the man to keep his weapon, but makes it very clear that she never wants to see him again.
"Well, this is certainly an interesting place to visit! Daggermark is one of the River Kingdoms. It is an exercise in anarchy, as anyone can hire assassins at affordable rates. These hires come from an Assassins’ Guild, which has found a particularly deadly partner in a Poisoners’ Guild that also operates out of Daggermark. Because anyone can hire an assassin, everyone in Daggermark tends to be overly polite. Most leaders don’t last very long, as anyone taking exception to their policies can hire deadly force rather easily."
"Jethryk speaks true...this is a vile and dangerous place, where a life is like rubbish to toss aside at will." Zadim agrees.
"An anarchy in which poison and murder are common? This sounds like a true den of scum and villainy."
Seelah shakes her head.
"We shall have to tread lightly."
Merisiel nudges Seelah, and winks.
"Awww... I am sure that it will be fun!"
Seelah shoves away Merisiel's hand.
"I had fun once and it was awful."
Merisiel waggles a finger at Seelah.
"Now, now, young lady - there is no need to be such a grump; life is too short for that."
She then becomes momentarily serious.
"I have seen too many friends die over the years, and realised that one should not dwell in the past; what is important is this moment, enjoying what we have now, before it is gone..."
A smile flashes across Merisiel's face, and she continues:
"Come on, let's see what we can find!"
Before going to a place as fun as Daggermark, the group needs to harvest adhesive, so they follow Ulisha´s map. It leads you from the outskirts of Daggermark into the Shroudwood to the city’s southeast. As the you approach their quarry, signs of obvious spider habitation increase, and especially large cobwebs link some of the higher branches. None of these are fresh enough to harvest adhesive.
The webs are thicker in this clearing than they have been thus far, appearing newer and white, rather than the dingy gray of those seen earlier. These webs crisscross the canopy above, most strands meeting near the center to support a large globe of webbing the size of a large pumpkin.
As you walk toward the large globe, Zadim see some movement. There are two giant spiders wich are trying to ambush you. He prepares for combat, but the spiders are quickier. The giggest spider moves to protect the other, and the youngest and spites his web toward Zadim, entangling him.
Combat round one
Zadim can act in the surprise round
Merisiel can act in the turn one
Merisiel
Spiders
Seelah
Enora
Zadim is entangled
"Gah! What manner of treachery is this!?"
Zadim struggles to free himself from the web, cutting at it with his kukri.
Merisiel draws, and throws, a dagger at the bigger spider...
...then steps adjacent to Zadim.
Merisiel´s dagger thrust deeply on the giant spider torax wounding it. Then, both spiders continue spitting webs, the bigger one entangles Merisiel for having wounded it, and the smaller seems to think in eating Zadim, because it spites again against him.
Combat
All can act before the spiders
Seelah
Enora
Zadim is entangled again
Merisiel is entangled in return
Spiders
Merisiel easily wriggles free of the webbing, and draws another dagger.
"A clever solution!" Zadim yells to Ehm as he tries to break free again.
With the aid of the grease between himself and the webs, he shrugs off the entangling strands and moves closer to the spiders.
Combat
Seelah can act before the spiders
Seelah
Enora uses her magic to help Zadim break free
Zadim breaks free and closes distance with the spiders
Merisiel slips out of the web and retrieves a dagger
Spiders
Steely-eyed, Seelah charges at the closest spider without a word.
Seelah charges at the wounded spider, slashing away one of it´s legs. The spiders surrounds Seelah trying to take her down with their poison, but the bigger´s bite is stopped by Seelah shield, and the younger don´t have enough strengh to pass Seelah armor.
Combat
All can act before the spiders
Seelah
Enora
Zadim
Merisiel
Spiders