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Iso steps past the skeletons and attacks Dalirio, but misses. Hix axe hits the altar. Borrobol charges the ghoul and hits. Tippy moves forward as well while Celentrai shoots a ray of frost at the ghould, but misses.
Dalirio suddenly mumbles a few words and you feel a wave of doubt and fear filling your mind.
The skeletons try to hit Borrobol with their claws, but they both miss.
Iso
Tippy
Celentrai
Borrobol
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Dalirio green -19HP
Skeleton red
Skeleton blue
Bane fills your enemies with fear and doubt. Each affected creature takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls and a –1 penalty on saving throws against fear effects.
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Suddenly realising the threat he was facing, Iso's guts began to ache.
Undead, spell casters? What was a good Khelid boy doing facing these? Knees turning to jelly he thought about running, but his friends needed him. So, weak with fear Iso turns to his inner rage.
"You DNo Make Iso Feel Bad. Take Curse Off Iso Now"
Unfortunately the quaking barbarian almost certainly misses, again.
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Tippy climbs the cage and moves up the the skeleton in the corner. Celetrai shoots a magic missile at Dalirio and hits. The ghoul falls over. Borrobol shakes off the effect of the spell, but is still distracted so he misses the skeleton which just appeared. Is is less lucky and the fear fills his body, finally causing a rage. The barbarian attacks the spell casting ghoul on the floor and hits.
The remaining skeletons continue to attack all nearby living creatures, but don't succeed.
Iso
Tippy
Celentrai
Borrobol
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Dalirio green -41HP defeated
Skeleton red
Skeleton blue
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"Coming!" Tippy says as he drops down from the cage, flanking the skellie still covered in red blood.
Hopefully, the skeletons aren't armoured. If it hits...
Tippy manages to slice his dagger right through the skeleton's lower spine, hopefully splitting the creature into two inanimate parts.
Otherwise, oh well.
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Iso steps over the ghoul's body to reach the red skeleton, but ghoul goo seems to be very slippery so he misses the target. Tippy hears Iso's screams and comes to help, but also the halfling misses the target.
Iso
Tippy
Celentrai
Borrobol
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Dalirio green -41HP defeated
Skeleton red
Skeleton blue
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Celentrai shoots a ray of frost at the red skeleton, many bones scatter, but it's not defeated. Borrobol's attack finally dispatches the red skeleton with his hammer.
The remaining skeleton steps out of the cage and swings its arms at Iso, but misses again.
Iso
Tippy
Celentrai
Borrobol
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Skeleton blue
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Tippy's first dagger hits the target and it falls apart, littering the floor with dusty bones.
You find a false bottom in the top drawer of the desk at the south end of the room. Inside the compartment, manuscripts describe two sinister plans: the first details Dalirio’s desire to create small bands of skeletons to assault Cassomir, and the second talks of a derro plan to use secret tunnels to infiltrate a major Cassomir building and kidnap everyone inside.
You find a hidden switch beneath the floor under Dalirio’s desk.
A chest under the desk contains several Cassomir trade bars worth 5,500 gp.
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Iso sits on the desk, shaken from the battle with the undead. As he does so, he idly toys with the draw, putting his big fist through the bottom.
"Oopse." he mutters, before adding "Iso has found more papers."
As he reaches down to get them his eye is drawn to a switch on the floor.
"Iso has also seen an odd button thingy. Iso wonders what it does."
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Iso switches the switch and suddenly the room seems to move. Once it stops you see a new door appeared at the end where you entered the room.
Opening the new door in the east wall that leads into the Ismacco tunnel system.
With Dalirio defeated, you thwart his plans to send bands of skeletons to assault Cassomir. The surviving engineers and other kidnapping victims praise you for their timely intervention. Hestia becomes worried about the uncovered plot to infiltrate a Cassomir building and make off with all of its inhabitants. She warns Cassomir’s officials about the tunnel system but is unable to provoke any satisfying responses from them. The authorities, in essence, either think the claims are false or simply can’t cut though the bureaucracy to make anything happen about the matter.
Deep under Cassomir, within the maze-like town of Corgunbier, the derros plot their next move. Thanks to Dalirio, they now have a map detailing the intricate Ismacco tunnel system that hides under Old Cassomir. Quietly, the derros explore these tunnels, biding their time until they are ready to hatch their final plan.
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Venture-Captain Hestia Themis, a woman of small stature, but great importance within Cassomir, sweeps locks of thick, raven hair away from her face. As she starts to speak, shrill horns bellow an alarm. Hestia pauses for the signal to quiet, and as the trumpeting ring fades, her booming voice continues.
"Colleagues, the city of Cassomir declared a state of emergency this morning. Late last night, a swarm of rats poured into Cassomir’s streets, spilling from every sewer grate within the Old Cassomir district. As the city guards dealt with this infestation, a large assault force of derros penetrated Swift Prison. Within a few hours, the derros emptied the Swift, and marched their new slaves into the Darklands. Normally we defer incidents like this to the authorities, but I offered our assistance. There’s an item of interest, a church bell called the bell of obedience, that may reside in Swift Prison’s chapel. We want to catalogue it and may never have another opportunity to explore the Swift unsupervised. While investigating the derro invasion, head to the chapel and inspect the bell. If possible, I want you to determine whether the Chapel’s bell is in fact the legendary bell of obedience without taking it from the prison. Cassomir’s constabulary is as of this moment fighting Cult of Nature’s Cataclysm devotees at the south entrance to the prison. The constabulary agreed to distract the cultists there so that you might approach the Swift from its north side and enter the prison from the south gate behind the cultists."
At that moment, a teenage boy enters through the Cassomir Lodge’s front door and Themis gestures him over.
"This is Nefti — I believe some of you may know him already. Though he works with the Aspis Consortium, he helped us rescue a fellow Pathfinder when this derro business began. It seems Nefti happened to be serving a debtor’s term inside the Swift when the abductions took place. For his testimony to last night’s events we secured his release. He agreed to escort you to a spot north of the Swift where he will tell you all he knows. Any questions?"
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Iso scratches at his beard, sending a small tingling through the room.. It would appear there are more fleas in there than his latest encounter with a bath was able to deal with.
"How will Iso know if prison bell is bell of obedience? What is known of bell of obedience? "
He stops scratching his beard for a moment to redirect his attention to his rear end. Looks like there is live stock down there too.
"Iso wonders if Hestia has a map of The Swift, and how constables will know that Iso is not an escaped prisoner. "
His trousers hang lose after the scratch, and wonder of wonder, Iso notices this.
"Iso needs new belt. Will need to go past market. Iso saw nice belt with head of Bear on it. Iso Will Wear this. Iso thinks it will go well with his own bells. Iso wonders if Bell of Obedience sounds as good as his own."
He gives his head a mighty shake and sends the small silver bells entwined in it tingling.
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"Yes, only a very good description. Please don't take it from the prison's chapel. Prisoners skilled in magic swear the bell strongly radiates arcane power from the school of enchantment. I think that's the major hint to identify the bell is the one we are looking for. A bell dating back to the time of old Azlant is rumored to make those who hear its clear ring susceptible to suggestion and some whisper that human hands did not construct the bell, but rather that the aberrant masters of a once mighty empire crafted it. Former prisoners tell tales of the bell’s soothing ring." Themis answers the questions regarding the bell.
"Just tell the governor you are the Pathfinders I promised to send, if one of you has a wayfinder, show it. You should not have a problem, prisoners usually don't carry weapons or belts with bear heads." she answers the questions regarding the governor.
The rat plague came from the sewers under Cassomir. Some folks say Nature’s Cataclysm druids sent the rats as the city’s punishment for greedily taking too much blackwood for their shipbuilding industries.
A decayed, smelly undead creature ordered several mangy humans to stay behind and harass any who attempted to enter the keep.
After the derros abandoned the Swift, two humans who weren’t prisoners or guards were seen skulking about the Swift’s chapel.
The derros rounded up the entire population of Swift Prison, but after meeting with a wealthy-looking human they released one individual into his custody.
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Nefti leads you to within a block of the Swift Prison on the north side, which bypasses the skirmishes with cultists that you can hear ringing out from the southern side of the prison.
Nefti gestures at the towering walls of Swift Prison and the ramshackle buildings that make up the rest of the prison’s grounds. "This is as far as I go. Beyond the Swift’s thick gates, the Ismacco tunnels await. Deep below the keep, within the sewers, the derros are marching the guards and prisoners into the depths of Golarion. Be careful, several of those Nature’s Cataclysm freaks still roam the Swift’s grounds."
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"I saw dozens of derros. That's all I know of." the boy answers.
Two large buildings dominate the Swift’s northern half. The northernmost building, just west of a shadowy backstreet called “Miscreant Alley,” is a combination of an apartment complex and factory. To the south, across a street labeled “Debtor’s Lane,” lies another apartment complex, its lower floors a mix of ever-changing shops. To the east is an open-air bazaar dubbed “Convict’s Market,” complete with stalls and a central well, and to the west more dwellings litter the grounds. To the south, across “Beggar’s Lane,” stands the north wall of the central keep. To the keep’s east, and the market’s south, several larger homes reserved for the Swift’s more wealthy criminals exist, and touch lush gardens creating a barrier between these dwellings and the keep’s stone walls. To the south of the keep at the Swift’s southernmost border rests the prison’s largest building — the Greedy Narses. Herein the indoor market, mess hall, Swift chapel, and beggar’s boxes reside. Outside this building stands the gilded statue of the golden lady who stares dispassionately at those who fill the beggar’s boxes with spare coins.
On the south end of Swift Prison the constabulary of Cassomir currently battles roving bands of cultists, keeping most of the remaining Cult of Nature’s Cataclysm druids occupied there.
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"We're supposed to enter at the South Gate. Looks like we could go down Miscreant Alley, cut across the Convict Market, skirt the edge of the walls surrounding the keep and slip in the South Gate from there. Or we don't listen to instructions and scale the wall at the corner of Beggar's Lane. I'm not the best climber in all this armor though."
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You follow the directions, stomp down Miscreant Alley to cross Deptor's Lane to reach the market, but just in the second you enter the market a cultist patrol enters the market from Beggar's Lane. You see eight rats and four cultists coming your way.
While the rats are waiting for a comand to attack the druid with the yellow robe casts a spell while rushing towards the market.
druid yellow
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Tippy
Iso
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druid green
rat yellow ac
druid blue
rat teal
rat pink
druid red
rat green ac
rat red ac
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Celentrai
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rat blue ac
rat purple
rat black
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Borrobol
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While Tippy climbs up to the well Iso attacks the closest cultist and the man drops.
The rest of the cultists and several rats, one after the other, move to the marketplace.
Tippy
Iso
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druid green
rat yellow ac
druid blue
rat teal
rat pink
druid red
rat green ac
rat red ac
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Celentrai
--------------
rat blue ac
rat purple
rat black
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Borrobol
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Celentrai covers the floor below two rats and a druid with grease and the rats fall prone while the druid barely manages to stand. Three more rats spread out and look for opponents to attack. One approaches Tippy on the well wall, crosses the slippery area and falls prone while the two others approach Celentrai and Iso.
Tippy
Iso
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druid green
rat yellow ac
druid blue
rat teal
rat pink prone
druid red
rat green ac
rat red ac prone
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Celentrai
--------------
rat blue ac prone
rat purple
rat black
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Borrobol
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Borrobol moves over to Celentrai and smashes the rat in front of her. You barely see that it was a rat before, the floor is covered with a sticky mixture of blood and sand. Tippy stabs at the druid who tries to balance on the grease and hits, the man drops into the well. Iso swings his axe at the rats in front of him, but the big weapon cuts only fur.
The druid in green swings his club at Tippy while the rat with yellow fur bites Iso.
The druid with the blue hat also swings at Tippy, while another rat bites Iso.
The prone rats stand up and the rat with the red fur tries to bite Tippy while the other one moves closer.
Tippy
Iso
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druid green
rat yellow ac
druid blue
rat teal
rat pink
rat green ac
rat red ac
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Celentrai
--------------
rat blue ac prone
rat purple
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Borrobol