The Devil We Know Series (Part IV: The Rules of the Swift) (Inactive)

Game Master Baerlie

There is no difference between the crates with the X and the ones without.

You open the doors to the cells. They are occupied with people of all ages. They thank you profusely for helping them and tell tales of dark- or gray-skinned humanoids with enormous gray eyes who came frequently to negotiate with Dalirio before buying a handful of captives and taking them from the rooms. Where these creatures took them, the captives don’t know.

"Can't figure out a damn thing about these boxes, but I guess it doesn't matter. Not sure what those funny big eyed creatures are either. Let's get these people out of here."

Feeling a little better Iso goes over to the grubby people and gives them a friendly Iso-hug!

"You are all Free Now. Freed by Iso Soturi and Friends!"

He looks confused for a moment.

"Friend Borrobol. Which one were we looking for again?"

Having done his greeting he retakes a seat on top of one of the crates.

"Friend Tippy. Every warrior knows gods of luck have a part to play. But Gods of Luck favour Iso Soturi! Iso sure witch woman put curse on him. But maybe Friend Tippy's cure takes time to work." he looks at the handy-work his axe accomplished and sighs.

"Iso hopes that curse was limited to only fighting."

With the adrenalin of the fight having left him, Iso can be seen to be working a little...awkwardly.

A single man, who stayed silent while the other slaves hug and thank you, finally approaches you and says "My name is Cestis. If I'm not mistaken you are Pathfinders of the Society. Is this correct? Please take me with you, back to the Lodge. My wayfinder got stolen so I can't proof that I'm a Pathfinder myself, but Venture-Captain Themis can."

"We've been looking for you everywhere Cestis. We'll take you back to the Lodge." Borrobol sees no reason not to take him at his word and unless someone objects, will help to escort him back to the Lodge.

Iso nods.

"That Iso can do! "

He scratches his beard and then his rear, finally ending up scratching his head.

"There is also one Kafar we are looking for. Is he here?"

"No, Kafar was still in the Unlucky Sailor when we were taken away. I'm sorry." Cestis answers.

Actually, you already found and rescued Kafar. He was the guy unconscious and almost beaten to death in the inn. Celentrai took him to a temple.

You take Cestis with you to the Lodge where he receives medical treatment to heal his wounds. You meet him again the next day and he looks much better, his pale, gray skin changed to a healthy pink. He thanks you again. Also Venture-Captain Themis thanks you and even Nefti shakes your hands.

"Don't tell anybody I'm here. I wanted to thank you personally for saving my mentor." Nefti says nervously.

"Good job, Pathfinders. You saved many lives last night." Themis says. "Please see the quartermaster to receive your rewards, but before you do that I want to ask you if you want to investigate further in this case. The kidnapping is stopped for now, but nobody knows for how long. Your next task would be to find an artifact called the 'jet rat'. I have information that it was seen in the sewers under Cassomir. Do you want to help?"

Defeating Dalirio doesn’t end the derro threat to Cassomir — in fact, Dalirio, despite all his blustering to the contrary, was a rather small player in the plots that unfold deep beneath Cassomir. For now, the more brazen kidnappings stop and you have restored some semblance of peace to the city. How long that peace will last is unknown.

The end of part 1

"I hate to leave something partly finished. What does this Jet Rat look like?"

"I'll help with this rat too. What does it do and do you have a specific location in the sewers where it was last seen?"

"More Rats!" Iso licks his lips.

"Iso thinks mission sounds tasty!"

Thinking of the conversation about his armour, and the yucky feeling the cleric gave him, Iso continues to scratch at his beard.

"Iso is thinking that his Armour of Attraction may need extra enhancement. To keep away priestly vermin."

Iso has sufficient Fame to purchase items up to 5250gp. I think that means he should be able to get a +2 effective bonus to his chain shirt. I'm currently thinking +1 enhancement and the Deathless effect to protect against some negative energy effects. I've not got non-chronicle special items or effects before, so it that a legitimate thing to do?

Actually, as I understand it, you can purchase the +1 enhancement first (1,000 gp) as an always available item and then you can add the deathless enhancement as an incremental 3,000 gp. So that would be well within your Fame limit. No problem.

"Come back tomorrow and I you will get a proper briefing. You look tired and hungry, take a rest and have a bath." Themis says.

On the next day in the morning

Venture-Captain Hestia Themis sits behind her enormous blackwood desk in the Pathfinder lodge in Cassomir and clears her throat. "Pathfinders, I have bad news. My friend, the Countess Arieta Patrizia, is dead. She escaped her capture by the fiends who operate beneath Cassomir only to succumb to disease and wounds incured in Cassomir’s disgusting sewers. Ordinarily, this would be a matter for the Taldan authorities, but Arieta came to me directly after escaping and recounted a story that leads me to the natural conclusion that only the Pathfinder Society can resolve this issue."

Venture-Captain Themis rises and paces back and forth behind her desk.

"Arieta told me of an artifact she saw while in captivity below Cassomir. This artifact, called the jet rat, is known to us, but we must confirm that what she saw is indeed true. She claims to have seen it transform normal rats into something bigger, more vile and mean. If that’s true, the artifact she saw down there is old, evil, and should be stored safely in the vaults beneath the Grand Lodge in Absalom where we can study, catalog, and examine it. Worse, she claims to have seen this object in the hands of the derros, vile Darklands creatures that we have long suspected are responsible for the Cassomir kidnappings. I have a map here that shows the location of the sewer grate Arieta was dropped through when she was kidnapped. She could not, due to her illness, recall much about how she got to the location where they kept her in captivity, but she knows where they dropped her into the sewers and you’ll find that location on this map."

Venture-Captain Themis stops pacing and eyes you across her desk.

"Bring me back this artifact — if you happen to free a few captured Taldans along the way, that’s good news, but the artifact is your mission. Any questions?"

Iso scratches his beard. It seems the new enchantment on his armour hasn't got rid of whatever else was living in there.

"Iso wants to know what else Captain Themis knows about Jet Rat. Is it safe to touch? Will Iso become Jet-Iso if he picks it up? How big is Jet Rat? And who are Derro? What powers do they have?"

He can't help but glance down as his spiffy chain shirt, which looks pretty much as it always has, with perhaps a little extra food from last nights meal (or maybe it was this mornings breakfast) added to it.

Celentrai steps forward.
"Can you tell us what this artifact looks like. Also did Arieta have any idea of how many of these derros there are or what they can do?"

Borrobol shows up, his enhanced armor looking a little shinier than Iso's. "Good questions about the derro. Had to tussle with them back when the Pathfinders sent me into the Gallery of Wonders between Cheliax and Andoran. She mention anything other than rats and derro? Last time I fought them, there were a bunch of fey too."

Iso eyes up Borrobol's spikes.

"Friend Borrobol looks like hedgehog. Even Iso will think twice before giving manly hug of affection."

Themis answers them patiently, carefully, and spends a great deal of time thinking about an answer before she gives it. "No surprise, the jet rat artifact is a small, shiny black rat statue. I don't know how the artifact is working, but if only rats are affected it should be safe for you to touch it. But maybe it's a good idea to put it in a bag or wrap it in clothes for transportation. Countess Arieta Patrizia never saw more than a handful together. And she mentioned mites although she did not tell us if they were friend or foe. Derros are small humanoids with whit hair, grey skin and big eyes. They are evil, but usually fight with weapons, but they also have magic abilities. Take care, they use poison."

further questions/answers in the script
Was her kidnapping associated with the Cult of Nature’s Cataclysm?
While we’re not going to discount that, she didn’t describe any human involvement. She saw only derros, rats, mites and a few creatures she could not name and I could not identify.

How many other Cassomir citizens did she see?
She claims to have seen dozens, some of whom she recognized as fellow prominent citizens of the empire. This goes beyond the recent kidnappings in the Imperial Naval Shipyards — it even goes beyond Cassomir’s normal and storied disappearances. This is another level of madness and I can’t help but think that the jet rat might have something to do with that.

Aren’t the derros dangerous?
Yes, but she never saw more than a handful together. Pathfinders of your stature should be able to easily dispatch them and recover the artifact.

Once in the sewers, how are we going to know the way to where Arieta was held?
You’re Pathfinders, not stumbling fool adventurers. I’m sure you’ll use your wits, skills, and brains to figure that out for yourself.

"Well unless anyone else has a question, I think we should go."

Iso shakes his head and gives Celentrai a friendly leer.

"Iso Soturi is always Ready To Go!" he proclaims loudly.

He heads towards the door.

"Which sewer does Iso need to fit into again? Iso hopes it is not too small."

You leave the lodge and head to the sewer entrance at the location given to you. The sewer gate is closed, but Iso can open it easily.

Murky puddles dot the tile floor below, which gently slopes toward the room’s center where some of the puddles are very slowly draining into a large, 10-foot-by-10-foot drain. Thick, sticky webs cover most of the corners of the room, and several large vermin appear to be caught in the webs. The sound of running water can be heard to the north. The sewers are dark and unlit.

Iso takes out his axe and starts to clear away the webs.

"Iso thinks we should explore over there before going downwards." he says, gesturing to the north.

Taking his time, he works his way along the edge of the sewer looking for anything unusual.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Celentrai carefully looks at the ceiling and in the webs searching for something.
[b]"The spider that made these webs must be very large to capture such large vermin. It must be around here somewhere.
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

"We can have a look over there Iso, but the only path I see through here is the other way." Borrobol moves up behind Iso.

As Iso starts to remove the spider webs with his axe he spots the creature which created the webs.

Surprise
Iso

Round 1
Tippy
---------
Spider
---------
Borrobol
Iso
Celentrai

Iso, axe always ready, swings at the big eight legged monstrosity.

attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
damage: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Faster than the eye can see, Tippy whips daggers out of his sleeves and sends them hurtling at the spider, both catching it square in the abdomen.

Dagger: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 8 - 2 = 22
Damage: 1d3 + 2 + 2d8 ⇒ (1) + 2 + (6, 8) = 17

Dagger: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 8 - 2 = 25
Dagger Confirm: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 8 - 2 = 13
Damage: 1d3 + 2 + 2d8 ⇒ (2) + 2 + (1, 3) = 8
Extra damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Iso swings his axe at the large spider and cuts a leg away. Tippy hurls two daggers at the spider which pierce the spider's neck and kill it.

combat over

Among several dire rat corpses in the webs you also find a bloodless corpse of a derro. The grate in this room has decayed and its bolts are rusted through, the latches that once held them in place long ago rotted away.

The derro still carries two potions, leather armor, a short sword, and a repeating light crossbow with 10 poisoned bolts.

Iso looks at the crossbow with concern.

"Look at stuff on bolts. Iso thinks that Derro fight without honour."

He hefts one of the potion bottles.

"Iso also wonders if this is magical liquid of feeling good. Or another bottle of poison for Derro's bolts."

"Iso can I look at that for a moment?" She then begins waving her hand in an intricate pattern and studies the potions and carefully looks around the room.
Casting Detect Magic. If Iso hands me the potion I will try to determine what the potion is.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

"Let's let Celentrai have her shot at it before you and I drink some to figure it out Iso. We should probably take these back and sell them after we're done here."

Iso hands over the bottle and then goes to poke around the sewer a bit more with his axe.

"Iso wonders strongly if this might be a .." and here he shudders dramatically ".. a bath month this month."

The potions are potions of cure moderate wounds.

Iso proceeds into the sewer tunnels. It gets darker the further he walks away from the entrance. The tunnel to the north right on the map ends in front of a gate which cannot be opened. A longer tunnel continues to the east. You see several planks which can be used as bridges. On the next 100 ft. you see three tunnel intersections.

which way?

"These are healing potions! They may come in very handy since we don't have a healer with us. Here Iso why don't you carry one and Borrobol the other. I believe you are the ones most likely to need them." She says as she holds out the potions.

"Thanks Celentrai. Since that gate doesn't look like it can be opened, shall we just go right at the first tunnel intersection? Then we can cross over, check the other side and proceed to the next one."

Relieved not to be the one who has to do the thinking, Iso grabs a spare plank, just in case it is needed later.

"Iso thinks plank bridges look like maze. Better to take bridge with us."

But he follows Borrobol's directions, heading down the passage and looking to the right.

"Friend Celentrai, can you.." here he wiggles his large fingers in the air in a 'mystic' gesture. "Make it easier to see" he finishes limply.

Celentrai carefully follows behind slightly lifting her dress to avoid as much of the grime as possible as she scoots along the ledge of the sludge.

"Where did you ever find such a wonderful smell Iso. I think it actually smells stronger than your chain mail."

Iso looks encouraged.
"Friend Celentrai has distinguished nose. Even Iso not sure this scent quite counts as wonderful. Celentrai would be most welcome to tour north with Iso and experience full range of fragrant beauty there."

After Celentrai creates light Iso leads the way into the sewer tunnels, then he turns right. The tunnel continues for about 25 feet before ending in a room. The sewer water flows in from the north and swirls about this room, drawing larger pieces of garbage and refuse into a floating pool of trash at the center. In the middle of trash floats three well-dressed, bloated corpses, their skin purple and splotchy and their bodies floating face down.

The corpses have nothing on them of any value and their corpses are badly decomposed. Their clothes reveal that they were once members of Taldor’s high society, but nothing else.

"Well we need to remember what these fellow looked like. I am sure their families are looking for them!"

Borrobol pokes around briefly in the bodies, but disgusted with the advancing decomposition quickly moves on. "No sign of that rat here. Back the other way?"
Heal (untrained): 1d20 ⇒ 3

heal: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Iso shrugs. "Dead is dead. Iso thinks leave them here, but if friend Borrobol wants to give them to family, Iso thinks bodies should be taken out of sewer. Iso does wonder why men with nice clothes end up down here."

He doesn't wonder too long, and continues to work his way down the sewer. Looking at the creaking plank, he opts to walk around the outside of the room, rather than trust his bulk to the wood unnecessarily.

"I agree. Dead is dead. Leave 'em here. Just seeing if there were any clues to the rat."

"Perhaps they were abductees who outlived their usefulness. If they had been dumped into the sewer and floated here, from what direction would they have started?"

Tippy tries to discern the currents and guess a direction the bodies must have floated.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Tippy thinks the floating bodies came from the east.

Iso continues along the sidewalk, up to the next room and looks inside. The room a dead end for pedestrians, only water can continue through the gate at the other side of the room.

Celentrai lifts her dress about the filth and hurries to catch up to Iso.
"We had better hurry! We don't want to leave Iso alone!"

Borrobol joins Iso outside the dead end room. "Want to have a quick look around before we go to the next one?"
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

Iso waits for the others to catch up.

He tries the plank, tentatively.

With a sigh he suggests "Iso may be too much man for plank."

Once they are assembled, Iso steps back a couple of paces and leaps over the sewer.

Takes ten on acrobatics for 17, that should be enough to clear the 10' sewer!

Celentrai hurries to catch up to Iso.

Borrobol is happier to take the long way around the room. He catches up with the more daring Iso before long.

Tippy used the planks. Taking 10, his Acrobatics skill should be good enough.