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

Game Master Baerlie

Iso pats Bonecrusher with a smile.

"Do we look for more down here, or go upstairs?"

He has a look through the grain to see if there is more disturbed that would give a clue as to whether any other black echelon went.

survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

"Yargos! Keep watch on that tower, in case there are more signals!" Tippy calls out while they secure the granary.

Thanks for botting me. Hoping to up the consistency in coming days.
"Good thought Tippy." growls Borrobol. "Let's check this level for more and then check upstairs."
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

No problem, glad you are back, Borrobol :)

Celentrai picks up ten vials with poison. At the defeated Echolons she finds an ancient rusted sickle and a mist-soaked cloak each.

Iso can see that the blood trail starts in this room. It seems that one of the guards was injured in this room and tried to get help from the city but died outside.

Just like the eastern silos, these two silos contain a grain swamp and flow hatches. No Echolons are waiting here.

"We need to check the other silos"

I think we did from the GM post above. Assuming that is the case
Iso, BoneCrusher in hand, stalks quietly up the stairs, looking for trouble.

Not that is probably matters, but takes ten on stealth (11) and perception (15)

I interpreted Burrobol's post as searching the other two silos in the lower floor.

You climb upstairs. All you can see is four silos filled with grain.

"It looks like that was all of them. Iso says look at Tower. Is light still blinking. Do we run elsewhere. Iso still thinks run to Tower is right." utters Iso, ready for a bit more exercise.

"I am ready to go when you are" Celentrai says

Desperate to find Nessian, Yargos takes you into the sewer maze of the Puddle District, a waterlogged labyrinth of dangerously flooded tunnels known as the Siphons. There you find the receiving room of Grandmaster Torch, one of Absalom’s most notorious information brokers. Yargos warns you that Grandmaster Torch has powerful friends and bodyguards and that they would be wise to keep their weapons sheathed.

After requesting an audience, you are brought before the Grandmaster, a charming, soft-spoken man, but one whose entire body is covered in horrible burn scars. Grandmaster Torch lounges in a shallow pool nursing his scars while two servants gently recycle the water over his charred form.

His two heavily armored, half-orc bodyguards remain close at hand. After a brief introduction, Grandmaster Torch concedes he does in fact know where the upstart Nessian has carved out his new base of operations. Torch is reluctant to sell the information, and the price to rat out a potential future underworld leader of Absalom is steep indeed: 6,000 gp.

Iso looks confused.

"Master Torch. You must eat, these men try to kill you. Iso no have 6000 gold. If Torch wants man to kill him, Iso thinks there better ways than having Nessian undead slaves poison him."

Iso scratches his beard, letting the silver bells ring for a moment. Trying to remember what he knows of Torch.

"Maybe Torch has a job to do in exchange for information?"

Borrobol does his best to keep a straight face when Torch mentions the 6,000 gold. Is this man insane? 6,000 gold. There must be another way. When Iso suggests a favor Borrobol nods, Yes, a favor. Dangerous with one like this, but it seems to be the only option. He speaks, his low voice rumbling like stone. "I would help with such a job if a job needs doing. A favor for a favor. The Pathfinders would be helpful allies too and our numbers are greater than this Nessian."

"Um...why don't we just go to the tower we saw the flashing lights come from? Mightn't there be clues there that could help us, instead of indebting ourselves to this...specimen?"

After thinking a few seconds Torch answers "There is something you can do for me. I’ve recently come into possession of a series of safes. Unfortunately, the safecracker I employed has turned out to be quite useless. If you can coax even three of the five safes open, I could be persuaded to disclose Nessian’s location and dispense with my regular fee entirely. These chests are remarkably unique and I have the foreboding suspicion that, in this case, the receptacles just might be worth more than their contents, so I’d rather you didn’t smash them open. Oh! One more thing: if my diviner warns me you have crossed me and stolen the contents, there will be repercussions."

A deep, rolling laugh erupts from Borrobol's belly. "Tippy, it sounds like this one might know you all too well. Just as you're trying to lure us away, he comes up with the perfect thing to tempt you. Look out, you'll be deep in is service before you know it."

Tippy growls. "Let's just get on with it then, shall we?"

Once he gets taken in to see these chests, he insists that there be only 1 chest in the room at any one time. He also makes sure that his companions are free and clear.

He will take 20 on his Perception checks, giving him 27s to look for traps.

Assuming there are no traps (that he can find) he will also take 20 on his Disable Device checks to open them (30).

If he is able to get them open, he stops after 3. If the man seems to want the rest of his chests open, Tippy says he's willing...for 500gp each.

I will let you take 20 on all the chests to find traps or hints. But taking 20 on opening the locks is not possible, because that means that you try as often as you want which includes failing and maybe triggering a mechanism (unless there is no trigger, then you can take 20 of course).

You are directed to a side room where you can attempt to tackle Grandmaster Torch’s safes in any order you like.

Box 1: "The Devil Dial"
The lock of this iron cask contains a laughing devil’s head. Tippy reveals that the devil’s head can be turned in both directions, like a combination lock, but without numbers to act as a guide. Take 20 on disabling device, no trigger on this one Tippy slowly twists the metal head back and forth in the correct combination of seven separate positions, forcing the devil’s head to release the lock. The cask contains a lost treatise entitled “The Inward Facing Circle” written by Coganaris the Wracker, a famed Chelish devil-binder, along with two scrolls.

Box 2: The Box of Golden Faces
This red box has been inset with a trio of golden faces: the first appears stern, the second angry, and the third fumes with hatred. There is no visible lock on this box.

"Nice faces. Nice work on the last one, but where's the lock on this one Tippy?"
Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 3

Iso looks on in wonder.
"Iso's approach is more direct."
sense motive: 1d20 ⇒ 9

He looks hard at the second box, imaging it being tied to the chain of men who were being pushed over the cliff. And then Iso being too late, or (even worse!) not strong enough to hold the chain of men and them all toppling over...

"Arrghhh" splutters Iso, barely avoiding going into a rage of frustration.

sense motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
"It reacts to negative emotions." Celentrai says

Tippy summons up his feelings about this crime lord and hurls them at the chest.

Will save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

Tippy smiles as the chest opens and he removes the miniatures, then moves on to the third chest.

The lid of this stone chest is covered with a relief of carved ivy. This one also doesn't have a visible lock.

Iso looks at the chest
I assume we are allowed to take ten here?

"Word games. Wraiths stalk the city and we play word games."

He thinks for a moment.

"Doves and Egret are both white."

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Celentria looks over the box carefully.

"Hey there is a riddle written on this box. Look there are individual letters as well. The riddle is
"Though different now sounds my name, the spelling still remains the same. Once prior leap of might, now becomes bird of White."

"Dove sounds like dohve when it's a leap, and duhve when it's a bird."

Leaning close to the chest, Tippy intones, "Dove."

After Tippy says Dove the chest opens. It contains a collection of over 40 rare incenses along with a book of instruction. If burned in the proper combination, the incense collection can replicate a single use of incense of meditation.

"You opened three boxes. 500 gp is too much, but if you are able to open the remaining two safes I'm going to pay 10 gp to each of you." Torch says.

Iso stomps his foot, but gold is gold.
"If it is quick." he says, looking at the 4th box.

This sealed stone chest has no visible lock or hinges. No decoration or writing of any kind can be found.

Iso sits on the chest to have a think about it as he runs his fingers along the sides of the box.
perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"How generous of you!" Tippy replies. "I've opened three. Now the information."

"If you hand over the chest's contents I'll give you the information. If you open the last two, I'll tip 100gp to each of you. But this is my last offer." Torch answers.

Celentrai will look over the chest.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

"We can at least try to open them cant we?" as she smiles sweetly at Tippy.

Tippy is quite willing to hand over the contents. He may be a thief, but he's an honest one.

"That's a fair deal," Tippy says, grinning at the man.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Celentrai cast detect magic on the box.

Will: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

"There is some kind of spell on this box. I see something underneath the spell."

Iso quickly stands up from the chest and turns around, looking at it with deep suspicion.

will: 1d20 ⇒ 1
"Are you sure? It just looks like a chest to me."

Will: 1d20 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 1 + 4 = 12 (bonus for being told there's an illusion there)

Celentrai laughs as she tells them,

"There is no lock just open it. Now that is not an indication if it is trapped or not of course"

Then she carefully moves away from the chest as a percaution.

Will save: 1d20 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 2 + 4 = 14 Includes bonus for spells and for being told it is an illusion.

"Still looks like stone block to me too Iso. Wait. Now I see it. Do you see that slight shimmer there? It is very clever. Now that I can see the trick, I can look on the real chest for traps." Borrobol examines the chest within the "chest." But with his eyes still trying to deal with the illusion, he finds it very difficult to look it over well and adds uncertainly, "I don't think there are any traps, but with that illusion masking things, it is difficult to tell."
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Iso closes his eyes and lets his fingers range over the box. Once he locates the lid, he tries to open it.

Will save if required

will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Iso still thinks the lid is closed, but Borrobol and Celentrai can see the lid open. The box contains a collection of material components for a wealth of spells (value 500 gp but 70 lbs. of weight).

The last box has a strange stylized writing wrapping around the whole of this rectangular chest. Stranger still are the ten small pores that run along the box’s lid.

Iso looks on with interest as the contents of the fourth chest are eventually revealed.

Finally he looks at the last chest.
perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

"Lots of holes. Like Flue that Friend of Iso played."

Iso leans over and blows in one.

Ooh, untrained perform by a barbarian, gimmie a 20 dice!
perform-wind: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (17) - 2 = 15

The sound is unusual, but not unpleasant. Probably. Iso jingles his beard to make the silver bells in it chime while the odd chest is played.

"This writing is probably the music that should be played to open the chest. Can anybody read it?"

Celentrai takes a look

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

She looks carefully at the box trying to understand the writings.

I speak Celestial, Draconic, Giant, Goblin. Do I understand the writing?

Borrobol also looks at the writing through he only speaks Common, Dwarven and Undercommon.

Celentrai can see that the writing is not a text, but an instruction how to play a melody.

-Posted with Wayfinder

"This appears to be instructions on how to play a melody" She says. Then Celentrai reads the instructions for everyone to hear.