The Forgotten God (Table 2) (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

Reflex: 1d20 ⇒ 19

1200 XP.

The derro had 73 GP in one of its pockets - there didn't seem to be any noteworthy magic items within the hoard. Moving down, around one corner you can see a number of corpses floating in the water, as well as two open sewer passages leading further into the area, one heading opposite the corpses and the other going straight from the way you entered.

Map updated.

She pitied the floating bodies in the sewer, if she could she'd prefer to do something about them - but she was in no position down here to dispose of them properly.

Scanning them with Detect Evil Sevia approached the bodies, then switching to Detect Magic, she scanned the area before leaving them where they floated - it didn't really feel right to search them any further than that if they didn't have anything she could detect.

Sevia will then head down the opposite tunnel to the corpses.

Map updated.

The entrance to the next chamber is about 50 feet down from the intersection - within easy moving distance for you as long as you're hustling. There seemed to be neither evil nor magic within the room.

Meanwhile, the newer room (A2) appears to have once been the basement of the building above, the wall seperating the basement from the sewer long ago smashed in and repaired, giving it the appearance of a natural part of the sewer system. The ceiling here is 30 feet high and the room is lit by torches in the north and south walls. Stacks of crates and barrels line the north wall, and a set of finely carved stone stairs start on the south wall and make their way up and around the west wall to a door high above the room in the northwest corner.

Perhaps more relevantly, this room is inhabited - one human and four small, odd-looking creatures. (Knowledge [Nature] to identify. One of them caught you looking in and shrieked in Undercommon - the others whirled to face you, grabbing for their weapons...

Initiative (Enemy): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Initiative (You): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

...but, as was often the case, your lightning-fast reflexes put you well ahead of their ability to strike.

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12 I do speak undercommon

'Some sort of storage room?' Sevia thought as she looked into the basement, figuring this might be a way station of some kind to use for sending things deeper into the locker. She checked the number of torches on the wall, figuring she might snuff them out with cantrips - until one of the small little creatures, which she had a hard time recognizing, actually spotted her.

Acting quickly, she darted into the room at the human before he'd even had a chance to figure out what was going on - stabbing him in the back and lashing out at anything else within reach.

Attack the human first and a creature with the second, unless the first misses in which case I attack the human again

Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 9 ⇒ (2, 1, 6, 4) + 9 = 22 +3 Bleed
Ki Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 9 ⇒ (3, 6, 3, 1) + 9 = 22 +3 Bleed

The smaller creatures seem to be Mites - small blue fey of the world beneath. They're known mostly for being very peaceful creatures... until they go on insane rampages that tend to end fatally for them. In short, a lot like goblins - except even uglier.

The first strike failed to actually hit the man - it took the second to do that, which landed solidly and dug out a fair bit of his vitality. With a shout, he stepped five feet backwards, then pointed a holy symbol at you... one that matched that of the cleric you'd fought before. Negative energy surged forth, targeted solely on you...

Channel Negative Energy: 4d6 ⇒ (3, 3, 5, 2) = 13 Will Halves: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (14) + 18 = 32 6 total damage.

...though your powerful will was enough to thwart most of the power that Groetus sent forth. The mites actually backed away from you, throwing a hail of darts through the air.

Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Absurd agility certainly had its uses, and two of the darts were easily parried out of the air - the others went far too wide to be dangerous.

When the Cleric steps back, Sevia steps up as an immediate action. No AoO against channeling though

Mites, she wondered what they were doing here, but they weren't actual threats. No, she recognized the human as the real threat when she stepped up to the human who tried to backpedal from her; shrugging off the burst of negative energy he'd directed at her. Another cleric - wonderful. This one apparently wasn't as evil as his cohort had been, but probably as deranged.

She attacked.

Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 12 - 2 = 28 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Confirm: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (11) + 12 - 2 = 21 Damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 12 - 2 = 18 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Spend a swift to recover the LP if I confirm, otherwise Lay on Hands

LoH: 1d6 ⇒ 4

The critical blow sunk in and indeed confirmed, though the second strike failed to get through the man's armor - and he looked extremely irate as you kept up with his attempts to get away.

Oh, yes - an agile, accurate assassin who loved sneak attacks and could essentially stalk every foe so they couldn't even step away from her? While being incredibly difficult to hit through normal methods? Just a bit dangerous, that, and bad news for any normal foe...

It did, however, result in the cleric whipping out his flail and arcing it through the air. "Stop lazing about and take her down!" he shouted to his minions.

Melee Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Their response was to send another hail of darts your way.

Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25 for Damage: 1d3 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2
Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

One of them even managed to hit you. Well, throw weapons often enough and something was likely to strike, if only by accident...

Frustrated? Good. He was probably too angry to see that he was going to lose this fight - and badly, a smart person would've at least tried to run by now; at least then he'd have a chance.

His flail was easy enough to avoid, but one of the mites was behind her and it just so happened she'd not noticed him precisely as he threw; though the dart didn't hurt very much.

Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 12 - 2 = 17 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 12 - 2 = 22 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

She pressed her assault.

If he's still up, Sevia will turn invisible. HP:99-6-2=91 HP

Only the second strike managed to deal damage to the cleric, and he hissed slightly.

Defensive Casting: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35

He concentrated for a moment, then held up his divine focus, and a surge of energy burst through the air, negating your invisibility and all the advantages that went with it. It seemed to be the same spell that the other cleric had used (though this one was clearly less powerful overall), and it might just be a standard power that clerics of Groetus prepared. Goodness knew they dealt enough with beings that didn't like to be seen.

The Mite bodyguards rushed in a moment later, hacking away with flashing daggers.

Melee Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Melee Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26 for Damage: 1d3 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
Melee Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Melee Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26 for Damage: 1d3 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Crit COnfirm: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

The little beasts didn't do much damage - which was just poor luck on their part, though they weren't very powerful to begin with - but they seemed fanatically determined to obey their leader. What kind of cult was so good at making people suicidal in their willingness to fight for it...? That definitely wasn't normal, especially for individuals who were clearly intelligent enough to escape and survive.

Sevia grit her teeth in frustration as she tried to find an opening to counter his spell - but the cleric was able to skillfully weave a spell cautiously enough to avoid leaving a weakspot open. A second later she rematerialized as the force of the spell revealed her.

The mites were instantly on her, but their attacks did little good. One barely even managed to scratch her. "<Scurry away you annoyances!>" Sevia shouted threateningly in undercommon as she focused back on the cleric. They were more pitiful than anything else, and she almost felt bad about killing such obviously weak creatures - even if they were trying to kill her. Never the less, she had to wonder who could seriously rally beings like mites to their cause, and well enough to make them fight so suicidally.

Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 12 - 2 = 13 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 12 - 2 = 20 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

LoH: 1d6 ⇒ 4

91-1+4=94HP

The second attack, as before, sunk into the cleric - and he winced, but shouted a prayer to Groetus even as blood poured out of his wounds.

Melee Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29 Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 2d6 ⇒ (9) + 3 + (5, 6) = 23
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20 No crit.

His faith was rewarded as his flail crashed against you, likely the last strike he would ever make... but it was a very solid blow indeed, and you could feel it as its power ate away at you, thirsting to rip you apart.

<"You're the one who came after us!"> one of the small, ugly fey answered. <"This world's never cared about us, so let the whole thing burn!">

Melee Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Melee Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Melee Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Melee Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Try as they might, though, the little pests didn't seem able to hit you the way their leader had.

Sevia grunted as the mace slammed into her with a heavy hit - another anarchic weapon? It seemed likely with the way the weapon itself seemed to radiate malice in her direction.

"<Then die with him.>" she replied coolly as she continued attacking the badly wounded cleric. She wondered how much more punishment he could possibly take, especially glancing at that bleeding wound.

Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 12 - 2 = 15 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 12 - 2 = 20 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Ki Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 12 - 2 = 22 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

The correct answer was "not long", and he fell beneath your blades after that series of attacks. He was bleeding out - probably going to die shortly, barring intervention - and the fey let out screams of rage before... turning to run away, heading back towards the sewers you had come from.

They do provoke Attacks of Opportunity, should you wish to try striking them as they run. Of course, there are four of them, and I don't believe you have Combat Expertise or an equivalent, so you may not be able to hit all of them... still, it's your call.

AoO(Trip): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23 vs CMD He goes down

"<Where do you think you're going?>" Sevia whirled on the mites as they ran back into the sewers, lashing out with the flat of her blade at the feet of one of them. With a yelp, he tumbled forward and slammed into the cold floor of the cellar they were in. She was tired of this, and going to get some damned answers - and luckily she knew mites were cowardly enough to intimidate into talking.

Grapple(Provoke AoO): 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 5 + 4 = 27 vs CMD

Sheathing her swords, Sevia leaned down and grabbed the little thing, keeping him down on the floor. He'd get a chance to hit back but that wasn't going to stop her. "<Start talking fast you little bug, before I decide to squash you. What the hell are you doing down here, where are your little friends going, and who the hell is that?!>" Sevia shouted as she shook him up a little, pointing to the man bleeding out right next to them.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

She only had about half a minute she figured, maybe less, to decide whether she was going to staunch his bleeding or let him pass on. That all depending on how useful she thought he'd be.

The tiny little creature screamed, too frightened to even try lashing out at someone so much larger - and stronger - than it was. He'd seen the way so many darts (from so many directions!) had been dodged, and that was just flat-out insane. <"We were just moving supplies! He b-bought us as slaves, said he'd kill us if we didn't obey! You d-don't try to fight against the servants of evil gods! You j-just don't!">

Sevia's expression softened as he talked, these mites were just as much victims of the cultists as the others. He didn't really deserve her ire. "<I am sorry, you do not deserve that.>" Sevia said as she pulled him to his feet, handling him with a degree of care.

"<I am trying to free those enslaved by this cult. Including you. But...before I let you leave, it's imperative that you tell me everything you can about them so that I can defeat the servants of the evil gods.>" Sevia explained to the little mite, not sure if she was getting through to him. For a moment she turned to look back at the fallen man, deciding it was better to just let him die - she'd get nothing out of him.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

Sevia ends the grapple

<"They're b-bad news."> the ugly blue creature whimpered. <"I stayed as f-far away from them as I could. Derros are c-crazy!"> ...Coming from a species of tiny blue spirits known for bloodthirsty rampages, that might have actually been saying something, though it was also true that each race had its own quirks...

It seemed like the little mite didn't really know much at all, and he might just be too hysterical to even say anything useful. "<Nothing I can't handle. Go then little mite, your fate is your own.>" Sevia said, gesturing towards the way his companions had fled. She wondered which they would find more implausible, that he'd escaped on his own or that she'd let him go.

Turning back to the now dead cleric, Sevia rifled through his corpse in search of anything valuable, or perhaps at least a clue. She was careful only to handle the mace with Mage Hand. Afterwards, decided to check the contents of some of the crates. Additionally she expended two uses of Infernal Healing and one Lay on Hands.

Perception 23

Afterwards, Sevia left behind the body of the cleric and proceeded further into the tunnel.

LOH: 1d6 ⇒ 6

94-23+20+6=97HP. 1/8 1st spells 6/8 ki 5/7 LoH

The dead priest's body was holding a pouch with 1,424 GP in it - a nice, tidy sum overall. The mace was the real problem. Unlike the one found before, this mace radiated an aura of pure malice... outright evil, as opposed to the mere chaotic nature of the other weapon. It was doubtless valuable in its own right, but primarily so to those who would use such a weapon against beings of good... and personally profiting from the spread and use of evil relics would be morally questionable at best.

The crates seem to be filled with fairly basic supplies - tools and construction materials, mainly, along with various bits of miscellaneous gear. None of it seems to be particularly valuable.

Heading south, you eventually see an interesting-looking chamber. Someone constructed a large dam here made of wood scraps, ship beams, broken crates, and rocks. Beyond the dam is a room that once functioned as a catch basin for the sewers but now has dry, clean floors. In the northwest corner of the room, a sewer grate is set in the floor, and a huge chalk drawing of a rat about to pounce is sketched on the floor near the dam.

Three men can be seen within the well-lit chamber, but the light doesn't extend deep into the sewers where you currently, are, and they don't seem to have noticed you yet.

Sevia pondered how to approach this situation, stealth would as usual be the best approach - but the light posed a problem. She could cast a spell of Darkness to eliminate any light sources, but that would probably tip them off to the fact they were about to be attacked.

Instead, she cast Invisibility, followed by Detect Magic, and silently entered the chamber unseen by her opponents as she swept them and the room for magic. If possible it would be nice to determine what kind of gear they had before she fought them. Afterwhich Sevia used Detect Evil on them. She also took special attention to check the sources of light.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
Knowledge: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23 Nature?

Each of the men was wearing only one magical item - a small magical amulet of some kind, hidden beneath their clothes. The items had faint auras of abjuration - but the strongest magical aura in the room came from the area around the trapdoor heading downwards... and your time spent studying that aura made it fairly clear that it was a magical trap that would launch at least one Fireball spell. The lights themselves seem fairly normal - just lamps, carefully designed to avoid causing problems here in the sewer.

Finally, the three men each have a faint aura of evil.

Using her Detect Magic spell to guide her, Sevia walked up to one of the men and made an attempt to steal the amulet hidden in his clothing.

Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24 vs DC 20 Success. Opposed Perception check to notice

It was tricky, but she managed to deftly extract the item with some effort, though she could only be so careful - he might've noticed the attempt. Either way, Sevia examined the small item to determine its function before pocketing it and drawing her swords - heading to a different man.

Briefly she contemplated standing there and extinguishing all of the lights in the room, but even if the other man noticed her pickpocket attempt, they would definitely be alerted by their light going out. She'd rather take this opportunity to inflict maximum damage.

Surprise Round. If the one guy makes his perception check, he's not surprised.

Attack: 1d20 + 12 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 12 + 2 - 2 = 26 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 9 ⇒ (4, 3, 3, 4) + 9 = 23 +3 Bleed
Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (11) + 12 - 2 = 21 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 8 ⇒ (6, 1, 1, 4) + 8 = 20

Initiative: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30 I think I won Initiative here. If there is one other guy within 10ft to this guy, I'll 5ft step towards him in the surprise round and then on my next turn. If not I'll just move to him.

In the blink of an eye, Sevia was on them. Both her swords cut deeply into her first victim, her invisibility fading as both blades plunged into her victim's body. A second later she was advancing on the third guard, slicing into him as well before they'd even realized what was happening.

Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 12 - 2 = 19 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 9 ⇒ (5, 6, 3, 3) + 9 = 26 +3Bleed
Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 12 - 2 = 22 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 8 ⇒ (4, 1, 6, 4) + 8 = 23

If I had to move before I attacked, one of those is a Ki attack and both are +2 to hit, and +1 damage for the second attack

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

The man didn't seem to have noticed the theft of the item - though your Paladin powers do twinge slightly. Theft isn't technically against your code - not without an incredibly loose interpretation of your tenet against "harming" "innocents", anyway, though there's also no proof these men are any worse than common thugs who hadn't even earned the death penalty under local law. On the bright side, the evidence of the cult's activities have helped to cover your objection to killing solely for personal gain...

And both of your blows landed solidly against the first of the guards, ripping into him and dealing quite a lot of damage. He barely had time to cry out before your weapons stabbed out and you darted away from him, and the third guard dropped instantly under your ferocious assault. The second guard - unharmed as of yet - simply stepped towards the trapdoor... and as he entered the area, a flash of light and heat almost lifted you off of your feet. Almost.

Fire Damage: 6d6 ⇒ (5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1) = 17
Reflex (DC 14) Halves: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (14) + 22 = 36

The man raised his weapons in a defensive posture a moment later, clearly somewhat terrified.

Two down, one to go. She wheeled toward her remaining target and narrowed her eyes. She had no mercy for these cultists, or anyone affiliated with them - and no qualms about sending their souls to be judged. Slavery was bad enough, but dabbling in the evil necromantic arts was totally unforgivable. While her methods might offend the sensibilities of some, she'd certainly rest easier knowing this shadow wouldn't be looming over Cassomir much longer.

Sevia hissed as she felt some of the scorching heat of that blast burn her. Those spells were getting awfully annoying, but on the bright side she was getting better at avoiding them. With a little more practice she'd be able to dodge them entirely.

Casting Darkness on her blade, the room plunged into shadow as the torches on the walls were snuffed out by her magic. Sevia stalked forward towards the cornered man, able to see him quite clearly.

Light level is dark

Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 12 - 2 = 11 vs FF /miss
Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 12 - 2 = 19 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 8 ⇒ (4, 5, 2, 3) + 8 = 22

Sevia will just attack him until he's dead, since she's got total concealment from him. Afterwards she'll search the three. And what do the amulets do?

300 XP.

An examination of the magical items - after slaughtering the third guard - reveals that they were probably tied to both the magical trap and the guards somehow, intended to help them survive the blast. Unfortunately for them, it didn't actually do much to save them, and the trinkets themselves don't seem to have any worthwhile abilities now... though they are nicely made, and could sell for about 50 GP each, on top of the 48 GP held within their pockets.

The way forward seems clear enough - the trap door down in the floor up ahead was quite clearly the object being guarded here.

Wait, so shouldn't I have been immune to the trap if I stole one?

Well, she hadn't expected them using a trap...offensively, perhaps she should've disarmed it before attacking, but that was in the past. Grabbing the trinkets and pocketing them to sell off later, Sevia opened the trap door - sticking her head down and looking around for any enemies.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27

Luckily the darkness spell cast on her sword would hide her approach as she dropped down the ladder.

Quote, "Tied to both the magical traps and the guards somehow." In summary: No, the trinkets do not protect others. See also: Paranoid, secretive cult of evil.

As you head down the ladder, you can hear a squeaking sound... and as you move, you can see two swarms of rats waiting on the ground below. They may have been alerted by the sound of the fireball going off up above, or been charmed somehow to stay and protect this area... but either way, they're here now and looking mighty hungry.

You can make a Climb check to grab the ladder and stay on it, or drop right into one of the swarms of rats.

Climb: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Seeing the swarm of rats just waiting at the base of the latter, Sevia reached out and grabbed onto the latter - rather more apt to avoid the pests then end up knee deep in them. Instead, looking for some space to jump away, Sevia vaulted off the wooden handlebars and clear away from the swarms, hoping to avoid them.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 12 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 12 + 15 = 43 Sevia jumps up to 40ft away from the rats if there's room to

Landing on the ground, she quickly darted away from them, looking for a spot to hide.

I'm going to call that a success. XD As for the room you have, check the map!

Moving away from the ladder, you're able to soar directly over a pile of boxes and barrels, landing safely on the other side. To your north, there's an alleyway between a pair of buildings that you can dart into, away from the swarm of rats - and it doesn't seem like they have any hope at all of keeping up with you. Outright hiding could be difficult - rats are known to have keen senses of smell, and might notice you just by getting close - but you're easily fast enough to get out of both their movement and scent ranges, and should be able to evade them if you keep moving.

Instead of continuing to move, Sevia stopped for a second and looked at the bunched up swarm of rats following her. It's not like she couldn't kill them, but she didn't want to deal with them either. However, they could bleed just like anything else, and that gave her an idea.

Using some of her mythic power, she conjured up a Summon Swarm spell and dumped a flight of bats onto the rats. She doubted the bats would last long, but the injuries they inflicted would last longer.

Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2 +1 Bleed Three fort saves DC 11 or be nauseated

Sevia took a moment to concentrate on the spell, before deciding the bats had inflicted enough damage and let go of the spell. The bats would either die or vanish after a few more seconds, but plenty enough time to let her get away. The rats of course would simply bleed out after a minute or two and would no longer be her problem.

The bats will last 3 rounds, doing the above damage each time.

Instead, she made her way towards B2, making sure to keep stealthy as she looked around the corner there, sheathing her spell to suppress the darkness spell that would wink out any lights and possibly give her away.

97-8=89 HP. 1/8 1st spells 4/6 2nd spells 6/8 ki 5/7 LoH 6/7 MP Take 10 on stealth for 29

100 XP.

One of the groups of rats was definitely bleeding out, though the other one was intact, having gone around the other way instead of joining its companions. Still, it was further away and seemed to have lost sight of you.

Up ahead and around the corner, you can see four more of the ugly blue mites, quietly talking to each other in Undercommon as they stack supplies. They're working together to lift things - being both small and physically weak - and the conversations mostly seem to be about pranks they can play on people living in the city above.

'More mite slaves?' Sevia thought, watching the four from a distance while they worked. She wasn't too keen on finding out after they were dead, though more importantly if she tried to kill them they'd sound off an alarm.

Pointing a finger at each mite, she cast Message - hoping to handle the situation diplomatically. While she considered trying to convince one alone to leave, she doubted he'd be able to get his fellows to believe him, necessitating that she address all of them. It would spoil her surprise, but with any luck she wouldn't need it.

"<Listen well mites, I speak to you from the shadows. I am here to free all those the derros would call slaves, flee now - the way is clear. Stay and I will be forced to slay you.>" Sevia whispered to them, hoping she was intimidating enough to get the cowards to flee.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

That rat swarm she didn't get would be a problem though. Speaking to Epyon, she asked the raven to fly back towards the latter and lead the rats away for a few minutes. Enough at least for the mites to flee if they chose.

The small creatures weren't known for their bravery, and it was clear they were intimidated by the speech. After a few moments of hurried, whispered discussion, the mites vanished among the ruined buildings of this underground area, leaving the way forward open.

Proceeding to the door to B3, Sevia will cast Shield and Mirror Image, expecting a fight inside.

Images: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Drawing her sword, the light around her was suppressed, allowing her to more easily hide while she carefully opened the door, standing next to the open entrance rather than in front of it as she peered inside.

Take 10 on stealth and perception

This 15-foot-by-30 foot room is clean and dust-free. A stack of barrels in the southeast corner are the only furnishings. There are a number of figures within... what look to be three derros, as well as two larger humans armed with clubs. More problematic, however, are the two large rats within the room, who raise their noses as the door is opened, then start squeaking loudly. Even the best stealth isn't so useful against creatures with a powerful sense of smell, and all five of the intelligent beings within the room break off what they're doing and turn to face the entrance, readying their weapons to strike at anyone who shows themselves... though they don't seem to have pinpointed your exact location just yet, merely your presence.

'Well, looks like the jig is up.' Sevia thought with a frown. Damned rats were constantly giving her away, but it wasn't like there was much she could do about that. Still, most of her enemies could not even see in the dark - which meant at the moment the only ones she had to deal with were the derros.

Initiative: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Fleet Charge: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 12 + 2 = 27 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 9 ⇒ (4, 3, 4, 5) + 9 = 25 +3 Bleed
Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 12 - 2 = 29 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 9 ⇒ (5, 4, 2, 3) + 9 = 23 +3 Bleed
Confirm: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 12 - 2 = 24 Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Attack: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 12 - 2 = 11 vs FF /miss

Wakizashis at the ready, she sprinted inside - the light going out the moment she stepped into the room. riding on her mythic power as she sliced into one derro, turning and attacking the next right after, landing a powerful blow on him. Her last attack against the third went nowhere close though.

The two derros struck by your weapons were slaughtered in moments, and while the warriors may not have been able to see much, they certainly weren't just waiting around. They - and the remaining derro - ran straight for the door, aiming to get out of the close confines of the room and spread out so that you couldn't kill all of them quite so easily. Two of the warriors (and the rats with them) were closer to the door than you were after your charge, and had no trouble moving... but the other two had to at least go past you.

Unfortunately for them, even at their best, their acrobatics skill wasn't enough to avoid provoking attacks of opportunity...

Can they even see the door to get to it?

Attack of Opportunity: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15 vs FF/AC? Damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 SA: 3d6 + 1 ⇒ (5, 3, 6) + 1 = 15 +3 Bleed

The moment her opponents tried to move past her, Sevia darted out to intercept them, striking out from pure darkness at one that moved past her. The other unfortunately moved away unmolested as she dealt with his compatriot.

I'm not sure if it's my turn at this point...or if I'm hitting FF here

Sevia smirked as her enemies flet the building, foolishly breaking a line of sight with her and allowing her to blend back into the shadows emanating from her sword as she stalked back out the door.

Stealth: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (13) + 19 = 32

As she emerged from the building, she locked onto the remaining derro, singling him out and moving towards him. The rats would know she was coming, but he'd have no warning until she suddenly appeared before him - her sword slicing at his face.

Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 9 ⇒ (5, 6, 5, 4) + 9 = 29 +3 Bleed

It's not a very large room, and they've extremely familiar with its layout - enough to know where the door is with or without sight.

The attack of opportunity didn't quite manage to land on the target as it fled, and the three foes managed to get out of the room and into the area outside. That was definitely of limited help, however, as the last of the derro went down... leaving only the two warriors, neither of whom could see particularly well in the dark. Killing them would be quite simply (By which I mean "Don't even worry about rolling - you're gonna win"), but they didn't seem to be detecting as evil...

With the last derro dead, Sevia wheeled on her last adversaries - yet, blinded by darkness, posed little threat to her. And they probably knew that - with their partners dead and staring death quite literally in the face, they might buckle.

"You've got thirty seconds to spill everything you know about this little operation. How many more of you are there, who's in charge of this cult, where's the jet rat and the rest of the slaves?...Maybe I let you live and turn you over to the guard. If you don't give me something useful then I'll just execute you on the spot like the slaver scum you are." Sevia said quite menacingly as she stalked through the shadows around them, letting the rats squeak out her location just to keep them scared.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16

"F***, can't you even tell the difference between slavers and slaves!?" one of them yelped, doing his best to stay around corners and out of your sight. The other one seemed to be doing the same. "We weren't helping those psychopaths because we wanted to! That priest of Groetus is the one who's in charge!"

Sevia's eyes widened in realization, she'd almost cut those poor two sods down. Granted she'd merely thought...well, good thing she spoke up first. Sheathing her swords, the darkness peeled away as the spell was suppressed. "Then you have my condolences. Perhaps if you'd said something sooner I'd not have mistaken you for most worshipers of Groetus." Sevia explained coolly, her familiar finally returning to her. "I have killed two of his priests, name the location of a third, and their head shall be mine as well."

"They didn't tell us anything." the second slave said, peeking out from behind one of the corners. "At least, not more than they really had to. They were so obsessed with the black statue in there, and were too busy killing everyone else to really care about what else was going on..." They seemed like they'd gladly (albeit nervously) reveal anything they knew, but that required actually knowing things to begin with...

"Then I suppose I'll simply have to rely on the resources of the Pathfinders to direct me at my next targets. And end this abominable operation." Sevia said heading back towards the room she'd just cleared, stopping at the door and turning back a moment to them. "You're free to go, but please look around and see if there are any others before you leave." she added, before proceeding inside to search the room, using Detect Magic to search for the artifact.

If you bothered to add this event to the chronicles of your history, finding the statue would go down as one of the easier bits - within the warehouse was a black statue of a rat that was giving off an aura of moderate transmutation, and the rats in the cages closest to the statue were already looking a bit larger... though not enough to become a real danger. There are a few other items of interest within the room - including a ledger written in Undercommon, detailing the way the derro have increased the slave trade recently (with a surge in recent weeks), as well as a footnote on a human woman who escaped and the mite slave who was beaten to death for allowing it to happen. A large chest towards the back of the chamber holds 3000 GP - presumably the current profits from the sale of slaves.

Picking up the black statue, she turned it over in her hands a little before pocketing it. It seemed unassuming enough, though she figured the Pathfinders would get more out of it. Looking through the ledger, she pocketed that as well, maybe they'd be able to glean some information from it.

After taking everything of value, Sevia searched the bodies of the derro, looking for anything else before heading back out into the streets and beginning a search of the other buildings, her sword drawn - looking for enemies or more captives.

Unless Sevia finds any more enemies, she'll clear out the rats that were left over and find any other captives in the area

The rest of the area seemed like it had been deserted. Aside from that one other rat swarm that was still moving around (which you don't need to fight unless you really want to), there didn't seem to be any other slavers or captives in the area. Most of those had probably been at the warehouse from before, and shipped out that way, rather than being brought to what seemed to be a supply depot of sorts. For now, at least, this place appeared to be free of problems.

Huh, guess the worst fight was against the spider :/

Avoiding the rat swarm, Sevia headed up back into the sewer and used the basement entrance to head back up to street level. Jet Rat safely secured she cast Identify on both it and the mace she was carrying to get a better idea of what she was dealing with before heading back towards the Pathfinder Lodge, returning to the Venture-Captain upon her return.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 11 + 10 = 40

"I've secured the Jet Rat." Sevia stated bluntly, taking it out and placing it down for the Captain to examine. Frankly, as far as artifacts went, she could think of much more powerful things that could've been in the wrong hands. If anything, this cult itself was more dangerous. Which of course led her to retrieving the ledger she'd obtained. "I've also found this ledger. I don't know if you can read Undercommon, but it seems to detail the...cult's slave trading operations. They're a lot bigger than I expected, and it seems doubtful they've been finished for good..." Sevia trailed off, implying she wanted to do more.

I did promise that not every fight would be brutal. XD Even when the point is just to get you to burn resources.

The Jet Rat is an odd item (which has no item listing, actually), but it seems to be able to change rats (and only rats) into their most primitive state when magical energies are channeled through it and a rat is nearby. It may have been a religious icon sometime, perhaps for a cult worshiping a deity of rodents - or something a wizard used to get animals to experiment on. There's no way to be entirely certain.

The weapon - an Unholy +2 Heavy Flail - was the real problem. Its profane power sought nothing but the destruction of any good it might come across, and most merchants wouldn't even consider buying it. Churches often had bounties on such items - for a quarter of their value - and would reliably see to the destruction of such a thing.

Speaking of value, however, the rest of your payment was delivered as soon as the Jet Rat was given to the Venture-Captain and she spent a few moments thoroughly examining it. "Excellent work." she eventually pronounced, pulling the ledger over and flipping through it. It took almost five minutes - of very awkward silence - before she looked up again and exhaled unhappily.

"I am perplexed." she admitted. "We received some reports while you were gone - a new kidnapping spree plagues my beloved city, and what you did before clearly hadn't put a stop to it. It seems our citizens make easy prey to those who profit from such exploits. While this disturbs me, I am more troubled by reports that some of those who were kidnapped weeks ago have returned to the city as undead monsters who accompany this Cult of Nature’s Cataclysm plague, a plague that I can’t seem to excise from my beloved city."

She slammed a hand onto the table.

"This ends now! For a third time we battle Groetus-worshiping dogs and there will not be a fourth!" Taking several deep breaths, Hestia regains her composure. "I need you to go to Swift Prison to interrogate a cultist we captured who was trying to kidnap a local engineer. Meet my man Garver out front — he’ll take you in to see the Nature’s Cataclysm fool. Find out where the other cultists hide, where they’ve taken their recent victims, and how they’re turning them into skeletons. Free as many Cassomir citizens as you can — the good publicity never hurts. Any questions?"

The flail was problematic, handing it in to a church would be a good option, though she considered that the weapon itself...could be redeemed in the hands of a competent crafter with some time and money. And she certainly wasn't in any dire need of funds.

Getting back to the current situation though,

Captain Themis certainly seemed like an odd type, she hadn't seemed to bat an eye earlier at the months of kidnappings preceding her little justice spree earlier. Now she was up in arms? Well, the undead seemed like a recent development, and most mortals tended to get a lot more worried at the prospect of facing necromancers than slavers.

"I only ask if you want him alive Venture Captain; as a Paladin dedicated to the eradication of undead, I don't take kindly to those who create them." Sevia said darkly, tapping the blade sheathed to her waist. She imagined that would probably give Hestia a little to think about learning she'd been employing a rather holy agent. She tended not to explain herself too much to those she interacted with. "But I do find it encouraging you're beginning to take the well being of this city more fervently. Rest assured I'll track down these <Blasphemers.>" she assured the Captain, using the Celestial version of the word.

Departing the lodge, Sevia headed down the steps of the building to find her guide. "Graver?" she asked to the man waiting for her. "Take me to this cultist." She said, falling in behind him.