"Ah, regrettable. Well, you'll understand that I needed to check. Tell me about your definition of a room Lord Halwer. If I were to find a magical decanter there, would it count?"
survival.
1
2
3
Perception
1
2
3
He carries his crossbow loaded in one hand and has his sword across his back his other hand ready to hex or spell. He uses no light but instead relies on scent and darkvision. I sometimes having a nose like mine is horrific. He shakes his head at the smells drifting to him.
Salus flicks his hand back and forth while speaking in abyssal.
"Flying, that could be tricky..."
He traverses it for a little ways, knowing that he will have to go deep in order to find what he is looking for. The coridor is dank and dark, outside his light, with walls that, were he paying attention he would realize were dug out, and not natural.
As he pauses to gather his bearings,
A small dart flies out of the darkness behind him burying itself in Varin's neck, Varin feels something coursing through his veins from the prick of the bolt.
Varin focuses his rage and pain at all his recent misfortune into his mask and it devours both it and the poison.
Varin hears another click as another bolt slams into his back
Once again Varin is able to shrug off the poison. He roars and prepares his counter attack.
.
Fires his readied Mw light crossbow at the foe dmg
Then he moves for cover away from the foe.
"Flying, that could be tricky..."
Though his eyes show concern, Ehad smiles back to Salus, "Yes it could, however it wont be an issue if we never let the beast get off the ground."
Renthler guides Salus and Ehad to either side of the circle in the center 20 feet from each.
Alright I will be summoning what is known as an Incubus. It resists damage not done by holy or Cold Iron and is resistant to Fire, Acid, Cold and Magic and immune to Electricity and Poison.It flies and has the ability to cast limited spells. I am summoning it into the circle so it will be weekend. Are we ready?
Behind him in the dark a dark-skinned elf stands in a battle-ready pose, her hair silver and eyes white and pupilless. It prepares to reload as the crossbow bolt flies wide above his head.
Varin looks for cover but finds none in the open corridor, the elf follows reloading and firing again.
for
The bolt slams into Varin but skitters off his masses of scar tissue, completely ineffective
Grunts and waves his hand growling gutteral words in orcish.
Casts hold person Dc 17.
Afterwards he drops the bow and pulls his sword as advances toward his foe. Stupid Drow I would leave you be if you had left me. I don't have time for your interference..... Why do you shorten your long seasons this way? Intimidate
The drow freezes in place. It replies in under common, though it does seen shaken
Slave. Know who you serve.
I'm sorry but I don't have time to teach you a better way.....
Shakes his head sadly as he takes his sword puts it to the drows chest and shoves hard. coup de grace
The drow sprays blood from its mouth as it expires.
Varin looks through the Drow's belongings, finding a Chain shirt, a MW Hand crossbow (you only know it is masterwork with an appraise of 10) 7 bolts, a vial of a black paste (Heal or alchemy 13 to determine it is drow poison) and a rapier, and 17 gp
Varin continues down into the darkness.
You fool. Now I must shoulder the cost of your lost years. For my family....
Shudders in pain. And takes off his mask staring deep into its eyes. Feeling his patrons disappointment. I know. I know. You don't like the taking of life except in the service of life and the land. But I have to save my family. And if I had left him alive, he would have brought others and more would have died. Sighs and puts his mask back on. Wipes his sword off on the drows clothes and searches him and the area retrieves his crossbow. He slips the drows possessions into his pack. He sets off into the darklands once again.
Survival
Perception
Boneyard makes his way back over to the liquor cabinet. He first turns his attention to the vials again, particularly the one that radiated illusion magic.
Next, he turns his attention back to the decanters. He examines each in more detail, opening them and turning them over in his hands. He looks for any false surrounds or shielding.
Calondrel speaks in a stern reproaching voice.
This is why you fail at the rapier. You grasp the big picture but not the fine details. The best attack often is the simplest.
The decanters are all almost identical. As Boneyard places them on the table and lines them up Halwer stops him. Taking the moment to refill his wine.
The design of all are just slightly different as if made by the same hand over the course of a career. They weigh the same, with the exception of the one filled with wine, which is obviously heavier.
Varin continues down into the darkness slipping by several tripwires and the odd pressure plate.
He comes to a fork in the tunnel. The path to the right will take him deeper towards the depth he needs, but he hears muffled voices. They speak in undercommon but he can not make out what they say.
The other direction does not descend but seems to be uninhabited.
He slips in a bit closer sticking to the walls and staying behind things when he can. He only gets close enough to make out the voices and what they are saying.
Why are their so many drow near my people old home? He thinks as he listens.
Varin manages to creep down the corridor more or less silently. As he gets closer he heres at least 3 different voices, all of them berating, what sounds to be slaves. Things to the effect of Hurry up slime. Move faster or we will remove your eyes...
The reply comes, but it is in a language that Varin does not speak.
Then there is the sound of a lash and a cry of pain.
At the sounds of pain he growls softly. He readies his crossbow and pulls his sword in his other hand. I have seen too many others in chains if I can I must free them.
Creeps a little closer seeking cover as best he can. Stealth He then kicks over a pile of rocks making quite a but of noise. He gives up and just steps out in view shooting his crossbow at the first target that's in the clear.
Whips around the corner and shoots the first available foe. Damit. Drops his crossbow and grips his sword with both hands.
The drow dropping the ship says
slaves...attack.
the kobolds stand and close to within 10 feet of Varin.
the four drow move out wide to gain clear shots at Varin and all loose their bolts. One cries out mistress! We are being attacked!
bolts pincushion Varin, and poison begins to course through him
2
3
Varin feels the poison begin to take hold of him, he knows poison and knows that he will be asleep within a minute.
10 feet infront of him are 3 kobolds charing with claws, spread to the sides of them are 4 grow preparing to reload their crossbows, and there seems to be movement coming from the tent.
Just before Renthler summons the demon, Casus pops into the room.
Renthler cut it out. Halwer is ready to see everyone. Apparently tests are over.
Renthler smiles sheepisly and leads everyone back to the sitting room.
Move action to postion lightning bolt dc17 as many drow as he can get and include the tent.
Kolbolds help me throw off your chains and be free. From those who oppress you help me save you and return to your tribes...
Two Drow on the right side of the open space drop like sacks of potatoes, teeth chattering.
The Kobolds ignore Varins pleas. As they crowd around the front of Varin
The two remaining Drow draw their rapiers and move around behind Varin, boxing him in.
From out of the tent emerges a Drow Cleric. She wiggles her hands and casts a spell, a sickening greeen ray flies from her hand at Varin
5 foot step back out of melee then MA for +4 ac. Then uses one min of his natural armor buff for another +2
You side with your accursed slavers. Do you not wish to be free to see your people again. If not so be it I tried to help you but if I have to I will kill you too....
Shakes his head and readies for the fight.
Varin Steps out of flanked position, and casts his spell, then all hell lets loose on him. All the melee combatants await the spell by the priestess
A second sickening ray flies from her hands touching Varin on the chest
for of nonlethal damage
The Kobolds attack first
for
for
for
then the Drow cut with their Rapiers
for
for
surrender slave!
Salus follows Renthler back to the sitting room, his face somewhere between relief and disappointment.
Boneyard stops and looks slowly over the decanters. Perhaps we are not dealing with the traditional definition of magical...
Boneyard remembers that Halwer recently, withint the past few months was known to be looking for someone to cast a permanency and particularly potent altered Magic Aura Spell.
Seeing Boneyard return again to the decanter with the wine he smiles. OK enough. He picks it up and upends it on the table, and holds it upside down for a good 6 seconds, then places down a perfectly full decanter. One of my favorite toys. Constant Create Water and Enhance Water. Shall we?
He rises
Now that everyone has returned to the sitting room Halwer enters.
Well done everyone. You have all passed the test, here you go.
He tosses a pouch of gold in front of everyone, containing 150 gp. This is your monthly retainer. Then he follows this with another pouch, each with 200 gold in it.
And due to Mr. Pyke’s performance here is a little bonus.
Something has been happening in the city. There was a well planned hit on the nobility recently where a massive amount of jewlery was taken. My good friends Trinfulard, Bobreth and Kracow, who will be joining us shortly,tracked down something stolen from my wife, and retrieved it.
However, what they uncovered was much deeper. Drow are under the city, and up to no good. Before I go to the city powers I want to know more. Kracow has more information for you about what has happened recently, and I will leave it to him to brief you all. Basically I want you all to get to the bottom of this.
At that moment Fizzy returns to the room. All done, Halwer
Halwer nods and says. Kracow will inform you shortly about a magic room he discovered. I want you all to set it up as your base of operations. Fizzy what do they need to know[/b]
Fizzy nods I adjusted the trap at the door, and Casus hid it better. Before you can enter you have to say “SnickerSnack, FlickerFlack. If your not a friend of Fizzwiddle you be better on the rack.”
Halwer slaps his forehead Of all the inane...what does that even mean?! You know what I don’t want to know. Hope you guys got that, because I do not want him to say it again.
The last thing for all of you to know is this. I offer to you the services of my enchanters. You may pick one item, be it armor or weapon, or ring, or amulet and my people will upgrade it for you as long as you are in my service for cost only. Ah, here is Kracow. Gentlemen, listen close.
Fizzy pipes up again. Also I figured out what is going on with this statuette, that Kracow found. It contains the soul of the cleric he saw slain. As long as you are using it to heal the good and save the world and blah de blah de blah it will work for you. Halwer here told me to figure it out and send it with you, so here it is He sets it on the table next to a small box containing other items.
4 Anti-toxins
1 Wand of Cure Light Wounds 20 charges
1 Potion of Cure Serious Wounds
Scroll with 4 charges of Resist Energy
Iometreth Statuette
The small marble statue appears to be of a young elven woman, dressed in armor, with a glaive in hand. Obviously a cleric of Shelyn. It is about 6 inches high and weighs 3 pounds.
The statue is really all that remains of the Cleric Iometreth. In a battle to stop an evil Wizard she was slain when she struck on of his experiments and it exploded, turning her into the statue seen. Her spirit lives on in the statuette, and it can be used to heal.
Abilities
Int 10 Wis 16 Cha 14 Ego=13
Empathy-emanates a strong desire to preserve life and beauty.
CL 4
NG
Delay Poison once per day
Channel 3 per day 2d6
Defend and heal Neutral and Good Creatures
If you attempt to act against alignment or to defend and heal Neutral and Good a DC 13 Will must be made
Ehad stifles what appears to be a laugh with an expression of muted stone, "Fizzy, if you dont mind me asking, what was the trick to getting in before you came up with that little phrase of yours?"
As he waits for a an answer, Ehad examines the box and its content. clearly confused with how to use most of its content, he closes the box and puts it back on the table.
Boneyard smiles at Halwer's question. "I got it." He leans forward to listen to Kracow, "I'll definitely be interested in hearing the tale of what connects the drow with a jewelry heist. Strange bedfellows."
Salus raises an eyebrow at the mention of drow, "Drow, my elven companions led me to believe they were a myth. I've only heard of that incident in Varisia and that was only hearsay."
Fizzy smiles. It was a very nasty trap...well it still is a very nasty trap...in fact it is as nasty as the trap that we found when we snuck into a Green Dragon's lair back in the days of yore...do you know why they are called the days of yore?...well that is a rather long story...You see once there was this Sorcerer King of great power and his name was Dollifor. Now this is important to understand because...
Casus interjects Any non human or elf that stepped over the threshold would be hit with a blast of acid, electricity fire and ice. A very powerful blast that resets itself after every charge. Now you know. Never ask Fizzy a question.
Before long the priests comes out of her tent, and approaches him, she carries his mask.
How fascinating. Your connection to your God in a mask. I am your god now. Now suffer for me.
She drops the mask and pulls out a cat-o-nine tails, mutters a word and it begins to crackle with electricity. She then strikes Varin in the face, in the groin and in the throat with it.
Varin's last thought before going under again due to the pain is that, she never even asked him a question.
Kracow enters and takes a seat, looking a bit more disheveled and worst for wear than the last time this group saw him. He has a bit of fresh sewer dirt and blood in his clothes and his dark hair a bit more greasy than usually kept. He seems mildly distracted as if he is tracking time in his mind.
Greetings and thank you for the introduction M’Lord.
It has been a strange path thus far. What started as a simple heist from some fenses has lead to the inner bowels of Absalom. And I thought this place stank on the outside!
Kracow takes a drink from the serving table and continues.
What myself and the Captain of the Guards found beneath an innocuous warehouse was a trapdoor that lead to the sewer, which in turn lead to a makeshift entry up from the caverns below Absalom’s sewers.
While we ventured into the sewer we were jumped, several times. And the traps were most annoying but easily bypassed. Be prepared for everything down there armed and deadly. Even the walls.
Before we could get too far underground we found a secret room as our small friend Fizzle has reworked for us. It t’was a wizard’s study, with library and work table to craft arcane items. But most interest of all is the scrying pool in the center of this secret room.
This magic scrying pool may prove useful again but what it does is reveal the last two days of activities of an items owner. IF the item used in the pool is personal enough to the owner, then one get a clear revelation, at a cost of course. For to see what happens over two days, one also lives for those two days within a moments time and the scryer is left weakened and exhausted.
So let us prepare to head under ground and we will start from the last vision I saw from some drow matriarch working over her flunkies.
Before we get started is there questions you need me to fill in? We should eat, share bread and drink, to get to know one other if we are to trust each other with our lives
Closes his eyes again knowing there is no use fighting......yet...
If the drow bother him he simply does as they wish hoping in time they will stop watching Ap closely.
Varin feels a gentle hand caressing him, working some of the knots out of his neck and back. It feels divine. He opens his eyes to see it is the Priestess.
I can be gentle or cause pain. Are you prepared to worship me? I do hope you say no...though by the look of you, perhaps if you are prepared that could be almost as fun. Renounce this, and watch me destroy it then perhaps we will see what happens next.
Pleasure and pain you offer me two lies that do not really exist outside of the mind. In truth there is but life and death. And death begets more life whilst life begets more death in an ever moving cycle. I will serve you because you have strength over me for now. If I will not bow before you. As for Yggdrasil I worship it not I merely follow its path....