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

Game Master Baerlie

Iso looks at the sewer with disgust.
"You call this civilisation? Iso thinks s#%&ting in woods is more pleasing."

He looks around for pages to follow, and sniffs.

"Never mind about not smelling Iso. Iso's scent is meant for Women anyway. But Iso is sure you will once again enjoy fragrance of True Man when Tippy and Borrobol's noses emerge from civilisation."

He pats them reassuringly on the back.

He takes out a glowy stone and puts it above his head. The ioun-torch starts to circle and provides illumination for the Heroic Barbarian(tm) to see by.

Celentrai follows behind attempting to smell as little as possible.

You are now in the sewers, the stream blocks your way to the door on the other side. The water is 5 feet deep and every child in Cassomir knows that touching sewer water is very risky.

To get to the other side you may try to jump or balance across the stones.

Iso, unfortunately familiar with sewers, does the jumpy thing.
Takes ten for 17 on acrobatics

Tippy carefully picks his way across the stones. Take 10 for 22.

Celentrai carefully raises her dress and tip toes across the stones.
Taking ten for a 12, If possible I will take 20

In his usual reckless style, Borrobol barrels haphazardly across the sewer.
Acrobatics: 1d20 ⇒ 8
probably plopping in with a huge splash!

Iso extends a hand to help Borrobol out of the sewer.

"I tell you again Friend Borrobol, water is bad for you. You will get Sick if you do not listen to wise words of Iso Soturi. Bathing makes out unwell, this simple truth is known by all men of the north.

"Hrrrumph! Maybe next time I'll have you throw me across." He spits the disgusting water out of his mouth.
Fort save: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

While Iso, Celentrai and Tippy don't have a problem to cross the sewer stream, Borrobol hits the water with a belly flopper. Iso helps his friend out of the water. The dwarf's body luckily shakes off the effect of the sewer germ poison.

Behind the door to the north is a small room, the next door opens into a big chamber. A purple radiance washes over this cold chamber from a variety of lichens and fungi that grow on the walls and ceiling creating an otherworldly sheen. Straw-filled cages line the north and south walls. In the room’s center, a strange pedestal, carved in the likeness of dozens of grasping tentacles, sits fixed into the stone floor.

Marching order, please :) Who wants to go in first?

Looks like it is single file. Iso-Borrobol-Tippy-Celentrai?

Iso strides manfully into the room, peering around for signs of hidden dangers.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Iso strides into the room and looks around. Behind the corner next to the door he spots an undead creature. The derros left a guardian behind, but Iso seems to be surprised.

Round 1
Tippy
Borrobol
-----
Ghast
-----
Celentrai
Iso

Tippy dashes 20 feet forwards, then turns to stab the creature in the gut, giving it a quick twist.

Stab SA: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Damage: 1d3 + 2 + 2d8 ⇒ (1) + 2 + (2, 1) = 6

Seeing Iso temporarily caught flat on his feet by the creature, Borrobol rumbles into the room, turns to the right and tries to slam the creature with his warhammer.
Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Damage: 2d6 + 12 ⇒ (5, 3) + 12 = 20

Tippy moves into the room and stabs the ghast in the guts. Borrobol's powerful attack fells the creature without further discussions.

combat over

Iso, having noticed nothing eventually turns around.

"Look !" he says.

"Yucky dead body next to you."

Iso waves his finger at the others.

"Friends must be careful. IF body jumped up, Iso is nowhere near to protect you."

He turn turns back to the pedestal.

"Iso thinks this looks odd. He wonders if it is magical. Or maybe moves like other things Friends and Iso found in city."

He prods some of the tentacles.

"What's in the cages?" While Iso goes to the pedestal, Borrobol goes to have a look in the cages against the walls.

Iso scans the statue, but it remains immobile on its pedestal. Borrobol looks into the cages and sees six human bodies. They are still breathing, but are barely alive.

and I completely forgot about the ghast's stench aura :D

Celentrai enters the room with a look of surprise.
"That was fast! Does anyone know how bad they are? Should we take the time to bring them back up for help or should we move on and help them when we are done?"

Borrobol takes a look at the barely alive humans. "This isn't good. I think that creature back by the entrance was a ghoul or a ghast and it has bitten these humans. If we don't get them help, they will turn into ghouls too. But, I think we should push on and come back to help them later. It may take us quite some time to get them to safety."
Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

you have about 48h before they turn into ghouls

"Let's come back for them. It should still take a couple of days before they turn. Things might be more urgent ahead of us."

Iso nods.

"Iso will chop any ghoul in two!"

He looks at the folk in cages. Are they dressed as prisoners?

"Iso will return. Rest assured!"

He heads towards the other door and looks at it.
perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

However he is rather distracted by a flee from his bear. A quick munch later and he is back at the door - someone oblivious.

actually you can't see the other door at the moment ;) I marked the walls around the room you are currently in with a red line

The men in the cells do not look like prisoners. according to the script they are thief-takers

Moving past the prisoners, Borrobol has a look around the rest of the room. "Look here. Some loose floor tiles." The dwarf kicks them aside. "And a switch. Might activate a door or something. Want to have a look Tippy?" Something in one of the empty cells catches his eye, "Ah, and over there someone left a chest. Maybe we should have a look at that too."
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

Tippy has a look see.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Oopse, sorry

Iso looks at the bow, but passes over it - and gives his axe an affectionate pat as he does so.

"Celentrai want pretty bracelets?" he asks in a generous manner.

Sooner or later you find out that the switch under the floor tiles makes the room turn counter-clockwise.

After collecting a splitting up the items, Borrobol flips the switch and crosses the chamber to the new door. "Same plan? Tippy check the door, Iso first to open it and then me?"
Perception on the door: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Borrobol flips the switch and with a very loud grinding noise the room starts to rotate. The door disappears and after a few minutes another one appears. Small scraps of papers are in front of the door.

Borrobol does not find anything unusual.

Borrobol picks up one of the scraps of paper and looks at its front and back to see if there is any writing.

Iso looks at the scraps too.

"Iso good with scraps of paper! he says remembering the map parts from earlier.

He also appraoches the new door.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Celentrai smiles at the beautiful bracers.
"Yes they will go very nicely with my outfit" and she quickly places them on her wrist admiring how they look.

"Oh the room has moved! Shall we follow the trail left for us?"

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

Tippy checks out the new door for nasty surprises. He nearly calls out a warning about the poison gas trap until he realizes it's just Iso collecting the bits of paper.

The scraps of paper do not have anything written on them, it seems to be a trail to be followed. like the breadcrumbs of Hänsel You follow the trail which leads you out of the Ismacco tunnel system and deeper into the caverns beneath Cassomir.

The cavern ceilings reach an average height of 40 feet, and stalactites and stalagmites litter the chambers. Salt deposits line the cavern ahead and several side passages branch east and west and run rich with blue crystals before ending at cave-ins. Eight smoldering torches illuminate a small tunnel ahead — beyond all is pitch black, though the sound of running water echoes out from the darkness.

Takes ten on survival

"Iso sees sign of a battle. More dead fey." - he points out the various bodies and equipment to the group.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

But he is too busy to see a note, and if he did, probably thought it was another bit of the trail.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

"What's this?" Tippy asks, spotting some paper under a rock. He reads the note.

"Oh, lovely!" he exclaims and passes the note for others to read.

"Did you find something?" Celentrai wonders

"If we want to have anyone to save, it sounds like we'd better get moving. Something about a bubbling pool that the captives were being forced into." Borrobol hefts his longhammer and moves to the mouth of the tunnel to the north.
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Iso scratches his head. "Why Mites make house for Chickens?"

He follows Borrobol.

Borrobol and Iso advance into the tunnel and past it. Behind the tunnel is another chamber with a pool on the other side. Its green waters bathing the high ceilings in an eerie green light. The pool is open to the cavern on the south and east sides, but borders the cavern walls to the north and west. On the north side of the cavern, a small alcove sits above the water line, inside of which rests a small stone table. Dozens of corpses float serenely on the surface of the pool.

Hundreds of prisoners, both human and mite, fill the caverns to the west of the pool. A line of prisoners, herded by injured derros and mites, marches from the western caverns into the pool. Each time a body dips beneath the water, the stone table in the alcove north of the pool flashes in a near-blinding green brilliance, filling the entire cavern with near daylight brightness.

There are several dozen injured derros here and a handful of their remaining mite slaves. Once they see you, the derros ready themselves to attack, but are then swarmed by several brave prisoners and the captive mites who attempted the coup the night before. Completely overwhelmed, the derros try to beat back their attackers, although a small group of three derros finally reaches you and attack.

One of the derros casts a spell and suddenly you hear an extremely loud noise, almost deafening you. sound burst, DC15 Fort or stunned
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 4

Round 1
Derro green
-----
Tippy
Iso
Borrobol
-----
Derro blue
Derro red
-----
Celentrai

fort: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Iso reels from the sound.

Borrobol cheers on the prisoners and girds himself for the oncoming derro, but fails to steel himself for their spell. Ears ringing, he drops his longhammer to the ground.
Stunned sucks...at least I have more weapons.
Fort: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 2 = 11
hp 40/44

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Already used to loud noises from Iso's nightly flatulence, Tippy ignores most of the spell.

He enjoys being upstairs from Iso and able to fling daggers at green derro.

Dagger: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Dagger: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

While Iso and Borrobol's ears start to bleed form the noise Tippy flings two daggers at the derro in green pants. Both daggers hit.

The other two derros move closer, one of them steps up to Borrobol while the other one casts a spell on Tippy. daze, DC13 will

Round 1
Derro green -9HP
-----
Tippy
Iso
Borrobol
-----
Derro blue
Derro red
-----
Celentrai

Will: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Tippy, ready to fight, finds himself completely distracted by the concept of a derro wearing a cherry red ascot, and stands there stupefied by the fashion violation.

Will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Celenetrai shakes her head to rid the ringing in her ears.
"I don't think so."

She then throws a ball of grease at Derro Blue's weapon.
Casting grease at Derro blue's weapon. DC14

Tippy is distracted by the derro fashion violation while Celentrai somehow manages to resist the noise to cast a spell at the weapon of one of the derros. The derro almost drops the item, but with a firm grip he keeps it in his hands.
Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

The derro with green boots gets closer to Iso and swings his short sword.
green vs. Iso: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

all daze/bleeding ears effects are gone

Round 1
Derro green -9HP
-----
Tippy
Iso
Borrobol
-----
Derro blue
Derro red
-----
Celentrai

Tippy flings daggers at red ascot guy.

Dagger: 1d20 + 7 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 7 - 2 = 20
Damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Dagger: 1d20 + 7 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 7 - 2 = 13

I just realized I forgot the -2 for TWF in his previous attack, but I'm hoping the rolls were so good it wouldn't matter.