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

Game Master Baerlie

Iso slumps to the ground, rage over and exhaustion washing over his mighty form.

"Iso thanks you old man." he says to the prisoner who provided the healing potion.

The young barbarian stows his flail, and checks his greataxe for dents before turning his attention once more to the prisoners.

"Why did they want to push you over the cliff?"

He looks at the men to try and work out if any look like Yargos Gill.

Iso recognizes one of the prisoners as Yargos. The man steps forward and says "It's all my fault. I'm a military historian and I did some research about a invasion mission against Absalom called 'The Silent Tide' which was supposed to happen 800 years ago. This invasion should happen from within Absalom, cells were positioned throughout the city, waiting for a specific signal. One of the cells were called the Black Echelon. The leaders of this cell were discovered and killed before they could do anything. The signals were written down in a codebook which was lost after the assassination of the cells. I found this codebook and started to replicate it, which is not really an issue, but unfortunately all members of Black Echelon swore an oath called The Binding Word to fullfill their duties, no matter the barrier, no matter the cost. In this case, the power of the Binding Word compels these deadly saboteurs from beyond the pale. When I started to replicate the codebook the Black Echelon rose and startet do fulfill their tasks. I tried to alert the city and avert disaster. But before I could hurl the codebook into the sea to abort the Silent Tide once and for all, a young crime lord named Nessian intervened. He intends to manipulate the undead operatives and take Advantage of the disruption their sabotage wreaks. This is the reason why Nessian captured me. My friends were only at the wrong place at the wrong time. He took the book, he alone knows the lantern signal to abort! I remember there the book has a master abort code — a signal that will end the entire operation. But I can't remember precisely what color and pattern will reproduce the master abort code. I'm sure Nessian thinks that I know the master code and wanted me dead."

Iso sits.

Iso scratches his beard. As he does so a little jingel of bells is heard. Several small and very elegant onces are woven into his otherwise scraggy beard.

"So.."

he says slowly. "Bad men from 800 years ago are bound by an oath that was activated when you copied it out? The only way to stop them is to find a book that has some latern codes that will put them to rest. And the book is held by Nessian?"

He pauses, and then realises that the men are still chained. Getting up he searches the thugs until he finds a key and unlocks them. The he sits again.

"So, we find Mr Nessian. Iso asks him nicely for book. We flash lantern and wraiths stop bothering people? Oh and we keep code book too."

With a pop the barbarian starts to stretch his massive arms out behind him.

"Where do we find Nessian? And will lanterns put wraiths to sleep for ever, or will they wake again if the code is copied out again?"

A slow puzzled expression crosses his face. He turns once more to the old man

"Why Yargos throw book into sea? It has way to make wraiths stop. Why Yargos not flash lantern?"

"Sounds like you've got things about right Iso. Maybe you should tell us what this codebook looks like too Yargos. Unless you plan to go with us."

"I don't know where to find Nessian, maybe Grandmaster Torch knows where he's hiding." Yargos answers to the questions. "I think the master code puts them to sleep forever, the Black Echelon fulfilled their duties. It's too late now to throw the book into the sea, the undead are awake already and before I could do anything Nessian took the book." Yargos says in a sad voice.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

Staring off into nothing as he thinks, his eyes focus and his brow furrows. Pointing a finger back at the city, Tippy asks, "Did there happen to be a code for signaling the undead? Maybe a flashing red lantern?"

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
"There is a red lantern blinking in a pattern over there, in the city. Could that have anything to do with your book?"

Yargo looks at the flashing red light. “Nessian!” he shouts. “He’s signaling Black Echelon — the undead! Six flashes of red — I remember that signal… By the gods! That’s the granary! Nessian has sent those monsters to poison the granary! C’mon! I don’t know how, but we’ve got to stop them — we’re the only ones who know what’s happening.”

Yargos explains that Black Echelon intends to lace the city’s reserve grain supply with a foul and forgotten poison called Gut Wither. In the event of a siege, Absalom would be left without its granary and the city could face the threat of mass starvation in the coming months.

"Well, we'd better get to the granary then. Let's go. Can you show us the way?"
Anyone have UMD or cure light wounds on a spell list? Hoping to have someone that can use my wand of CLW.

"We should go to that tower instead. If we stop them at the granary then sure as Borrobol has fleas, they will flash another code. Iso likes to run, but chasing round Absalom all night after undead doesn't sound like Iso's mug of ale. Iso's axe wants to bite into living flesh, not undead."

"But there are only a limited number of undead, and if we go to the tower, the undead will still be able to poison the food before we can get there."

I'm still here, waiting for a decision ;)

Iso Shrugs.

"Iso's words are Wisdom incarnate. But Tippy almost gave life to save old men, so Iso happy to humour Tippy. Iso hopes that Tippy can keep up. Remember wise words of Iso at end of evening."

"I think we need to protect the food. I would hate to see people die."

On the way to the food depot you find an eerie cold fog has suddenly descended on the adjoining streets and alley ways.

When you arrive at the massive granary, you find the three guards posted to protect the food depot are already dead. The massive wooden door has been forced open.

Map updated

Iso strides up to the doors and looks in.

"What sort of creatures are these dead Black Echelon ? Iso knows that skeletons must be hit with his flail. Iso knows Zombies are cut by his axe. What weapon must Iso use against these undead? Does Yagoo know?" asks the young barbarian - his attention diverted to the old sage.

"They are skeletons I think. But who knows what foul curse protects them." Yargos says.

Iso Looks into the antechamber. This room is empty. On the other side of the room he can see two double doors leading further into the silo. One of them is slightly open.

Iso quickly looks at the dead guards, trying to work out what weapons may have been used to kill them.
perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Then, flail in hand, he stalks into the room.

In the antechamber he pauses, looking for tracks that may reveal how many of the Black Echelon there are.

survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Celentrai attempt to quietly followIso into the building.

Iso detects a faint trail of blood leading to the north east door.

Iso stalks towards the northeast door, flail in hand, and looks trough it.

There are two faint clicks as Tippy enters, and steel flashes in his hands.

Borrobol wades into the granary with his hammer ready, closely moving alongside Iso.

The southeast silo is one of four grain storage chambers on the lower level of the granary. Much of the floor is covered in a sea of grain. The 10-foot-high ceiling is covered with flow hatches. When opened, grain from the upper levels pours down to refill the grain supply on the lower level. The blood trail continues in this room leading to the door on the other side groing fainter.

If a PC can succeed on a DC 10 Str check, they may move across a single square as though it were normal terrain (permit one check per square). Leaping up to spring a hatch requires a DC10 Jump check and will draw an attack of opportunity from adjacent opponents. Alternatively, a hatch release can be triggered with a reach weapon or a ranged weapon with a successful attack roll against AC 20. If a hatch is opened, anyone in the space below risks being struck by a cascade of grain. A successful DC 12 Reflex save enables the potential victim to immediately dive into an adjacent square and avoid the spilling wheat. Anyone failing is struck, taking 2d4 points of damage and getting held in place. On their turn they can attempt to pull themselves free (DC 10 Strength check) as a move action, otherwise they take another 2d4 points of damage.

Iso stalks through the room, going slightly slower than normal. But only slightly.

I've moved Iso to the next door, but feel free to move him back if something happens before he gets there.

Celentrai attempts to follow Iso

Str: 1d20 ⇒ 7
Str: 1d20 ⇒ 2
and slowly stumbles across the grain.

I assume 1/2 speed because I failed and I am also auuming there is no grain outside of the room. You can move me back if I am wrong

No need to do any checks if you are just moving, you have plenty of time. Checks are necessary in combat ;) Forgot to mention: grain is only on the rubble-looking floor tiles. There is a path between the grain piles you can cross without problems.

Iso and Celentrai get to the door on the other side.

Tippy follows Iso, ready with the stabbity stuff.

Once the group is all together again, Iso will continue to follow the trail through the next doors.

In the next room Iso can see three Black Echolon Operatives. Two of them stand guard near the door while the third one unpacks ceramic vials of Gut Wither from an ancient rusted metal chest. The operatives attack.

Round 1
Celentrai
Iso
Tippy
Echolon green
Echolon blue
Echolon red
Burrobol

Iso steps forward and swings his mighty flail at the nearest black echolon ghost.
attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
damage: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Tippy dashes forward, stabbing at the blue guy.

Dagger, charging: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 2 = 15
Damage: 1d3 + 2 + 1d8 ⇒ (2) + 2 + (2) = 6

Unsure how much damage a magic missle would do to a ghost Celentrai attempts to hit it with frost first.

Ray of frost: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

With a mighty swing Iso kills the first Echolon he can see. Tippy stabs another one to death. Celentrai attacks the remaining Echolon with a ray of frost, but it does not harm the Echolon. Suddenly you can see mist appearing around the Echolon. Enshrouding Mist, 30-ft-radius means the whole room fills with mist, to reach the Echolon for melee attacks you have to cross the grain

Round 1
Celentrai
Iso
Tippy
Echolon green
Echolon blue - defeated
Echolon red - defeated
Burrobol

What kind of undead are these? Skeletons, like the old man thought?

According to the description in the appendix of the scenario they are a mixture of a skeleton and a ghost. They are "medium undead", have the DR of 5, except slashing and bludgeoning and are immune to cold and mind-affecting effects. Maybe also zombie is mixed in.

"These soundless cloaked assassins are shrouded in mist. Closeup, they appear to have no form of their own, as though the surrounding vapor animates their cloaks and weapons. There is, however, under the hood of each cloak, a floating human skull — a bleach-white, bony visage with empty eye sockets that somehow speak of the creature’s undying determination."

Celentrai will wait to see what the others do.

Not much I can do. It appears my spells wont get through his dr

ISo surges forwards, more or less ignoring the grain.
With his move even on dificult terrain he can make it, but just in case there are other penalties for being in the graint, here are two str chcks
str vs grain: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
str vs grain: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
He then swings at the operative
attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
damage: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
miss1-20: 1d100 ⇒ 24
I assume he can see the operative through the mist enough to close on him?

If you are adjacent to the Echolon, you can see him good enough. the 20% miss chance applies to ranged attacks only. But I'm waiting for Burrobol's turn before continuing with round 2.

oopse ,sorry, got ahead of myself. Looks like a miss for Iso anyway

Botting Burrobol in the first round, he did not post for several days now.

Burrobol moves closer to the Echolon double move, hoping to offer flanking for Iso next round. Suddenly you feel the grain moving and two more Echolons erupt in an explosion of grain. AoO for Iso against the orange Echolon

Round 2
Celentrai
Iso
Tippy
Echolon green
Burrobol
Echolon orange
Echolon pink

If Iso wants to do the 5-ft step north for flanking he can do that, 13 hits.

Iso swipes at the standing Echolon as it rises to its ghostly feet.
AOO on orange: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
damage: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

He takes a 5; step to benefit from Burrobol's position and then swipes at his initial target

attack Green: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
damage: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Tippy hurls a dagger at the pink undead.

Dagger: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Then Tippy draws his other MW dagger and takes a 5-foot step backwards.

Celentrai watches hoping to find a way to help.

Iso swings at the risen Echolon and smashes it into pieces. Also the Echolon on his other side does not have a chance. Tippy makes a deep cut into the remaining Echolon, you can see that it's already stumbling, but it does not fall.

Round 2
Celentrai
Iso
Tippy
Echolon green defeated
Burrobol
Echolon orange defeated
Echolon pink

Borrobol approaches the remaining Echolon and swings his warhammer.
Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

The Echolon attacks Borrobol with its claw.
Attack: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (10) + 0 = 10 Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Round 3
Celentrai
Iso
Tippy
Borrobol
Echolon pink

Tippy steps forward into the grain and stabs at the echelon.

Dagger; MW; flanking: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 2 = 10

Iso steps over to join in the fun, swinging his mighty flail.

attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
damage: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

He addresses the flail. "I name you BoneCrusher"

Tippy is not able to damage the Echolon, but Iso smashes it into the grain with his BoneCursher.

Combat over

Celentrai will carefully look over the bodies and pick up the poison.
Celetrai will take 20 for a 22 to find more information or stuff on these undead critters