While the others are beautifying themselves, Miraji walks over to the corner. Before she does anything, she casts Detect Magic to make sure that there is nothing dangerous, or whether there is something valuable.
Once done, she will pick up the backpack and take it to the others.
Looks like someone forgot this. No need to leave it here for the vermin.
Miraji detects a minor aura of evocation, and a minor aura of conjuration. Inside the pack, she finds 100 feet of silk rope, four vials of holy water, two flasks of alchemical fire, a leather coin purse holding 36 sp and 13 gp, and a leather scroll case holding two scrolls.
Rulgha grins, "Great some profit! If we didn't have to chase down that evil cleric I'd suggest going back for another drink!"
Miraji looks at the others.
Nice that the rats just left this stuff here. Most of it looks like it could be quite useful.
She then glances at the scrolls.
Anyone know what these are? I spend most of my time focusing on my bow and not enough on learning the inter-workings of magic.
Naraj says, "Sure, I'll take a look at them...", and casts his own Detect Magic and begins examining the items.
"This one appears to be a scroll of consecrate", he says, and then turns his attention to the other, moving it around for careful study before shrugging, [b]"While this one eludes me. Anyone else want to try it out? I'll offer my observations."
"Good catch. Let us keep on following this map."
On the way, Katie looks at the last scroll.
Shortly after your arrival in Maer-Varza, your chosen in was attacked at approximately midnight by cultists of the Scythe Mother in an attempt to infect as many folk as possible with a terrible disease. You managed to defeat most of the attackers, but the leader escaped into the sewers beneath the city. Giving chase and following a crude map found on one of the bodies of a slain cultist, you've been attacked several times as you make your way through the sewers.
Gathering up the loot from underneath the tentacles, slime-covered, and putrid-smelling corpse in the corner, you hasten to evacuate that particular area and get on with your self-assigned mission of dealing with the cultist leader once and for all.
Over muck and filth, you've made your way through the sewers for another half hour toward your barely-known final destination.
You have entered another large cistern chamber. The landing above the cistern basin borders the chamber’s south and east walls, and is littered with garbage and other refuse that form a collection of garbage mounds that are each taller than a man’s head. The cistern’s water-filled basin is dominated by a bewildering array of mechanical stone gears, grinding brass machinery, and loud water-pumps that are attached to the cistern’s floor and ceiling. This machinery appears to be a complicated sewage pumping system.
Surprise Round
Perhaps due to their constant, running battles with rats, Miraji is automatically suspicious of another attack upon entering this large, noisy room. Her fear proves wise, as she spots an enormous rat-man hiding in the back of the room and another vicious pack of rats - all of which are coming right at Katie and her!
Round 1
The rats, having moved into biting-range, try to take a piece out of Katie.
From the back of the room, the mysterious assailant shoots an arrow at Miraji,
but it clatters harmlessly off the stone walls behind her.
Initiative Order: Monsters, the party
Dire Rats AC 14 Flat 14 Touch 11
? AC ? Flat ? Touch ?
Party up!
Rhulgha will put away his melee weapon and draw his longbow while entering his stance, ready to shoot the ratman. "Alright more rats and a rat-man! Target rich environment!"
Katie's dog takes a bite out of the rat.
Katie then reacts by throwing an acid flask at the second rat in the line
"Crap!"
The flask hits the wall to the immediate left of the second rat in line.
Katie and her mount then move to the back of the line.
Surprise Round
Attack: <-- extra +1 PBS
Damage:
Having expected more of these vermin would appear, Miraji is prepared and begins to immediately fire at the rats.
The first shot hits the front rat, but does little damage.
Round 1
She then continues to unload arrows at the rodents hoping to take as many down as possible before her companions are bitten.
Attack-FoB: <-- extra +1 PBS
Damage:
Attack-FoB:
Damage:
None of her shots are particularly accurate, but a few do hit home.
Everyone back up, let the infantry move forward.
She will also 5' step back if possible to allow Naraj or Rulgha to move forward.
Surprise Round
Naraj starts to recite the tale of The Battle of Tar'agnat, letting his powerful voice inspire himself and his companions.
Round 1
Seeing Miraji making him a path, Naraj pushes forward, drawing his longsword as he does, putting himself into position to attack one of the rats, pushing some of his magic into his blade as he does.
for
Unsurprisingly, Katie's bomb does more damage to the rats than the rest of the party combined.
As the grim-faced and battle-tested adventurers handily slaughter the dire rats attempting to swarm over them, the rat-man in back screeches with insane hate, drops his bow, and charges toward Naraj! The rat bites at the fiery man.
Go, go, Gadget-party!
Once more the fishy archer draws back her bow and fires away.
Attack-FoB:
Damage:
Attack-FoB:
Damage:
Both shots fly over the ratman's head and disappear into the darkness behind.
Katie urges the reptilian force of destruction forward. "They are softened up. Go get 'em!"
Naraj stands in place, keeping a wary eye on the rat-man that approaches him, while swinging his blade at the remaining dire rat and missing wide, causing him to wince. Need to pay a little more attention to the thing you're trying to hit and not just the humanoid thing..
Rulgha double moves to the frontline while drawing his weapon!
Rulgha successfully navigates the crowded sewer passage as the "battle" remains undecided.
Rat
Rat-man
The rat and its master both try to bite Rulgha - failing miserably as their teeth chip on the lizardman's steel armor.
The party swiftly slaughter their would-be attackers. A search of the rat-man yields mostly trash but a few quality items that might defray some of the cost of having entered the sewers.
Loot: 19 arrows, Dagger, Mwk Shortsword, Shortbow, Mwk Thief's Tools
Gathering themselves, the party departs the cistern in search of the cultists' safehouse - confident they were nearing the end of this midnight journey through rat infestations and endless depths of urban "after-effects" as the map seemed to be coming to an end.
A short ways down the passage, Miraji, Naraj, and Rulgha all notice a natural cave passing out of the masonry walls of the sewers.
"Finally! Feels like we have been stuck in these sewers forever. Shall we check out this cave? I bet we can find something fun!"
"Yes, let's go into this cave. I'll lead."
Naraj looks carefully for a moment and says, "As much as I love the idea of leaving the stench behind, are we sure she went thattaway?", though his desire to leave is so strong that he starts tracing the patterns of prestidigitation with his left hand in order to remove the sewer-smell from his gear even before anyone responds.
Survival:
Miraji attempts to determine which way the woman's tracks might lead.
Miraji is unable to identify any footprints that may be the lone survivor of the cult.
The party decides to investigate the cave.
You are forced to crawl along to navigate this cramped, rat-dug tunnel. After winding through the earth for about 20 feet, the tunnel finally opens into a small kidney-shaped cave with a low ceiling. The floor is littered with reeking garbage and all manner of useless junk.
Rhulgha finds a small wooden box among the refuse and hands it over to Miraj to check it over.
Naraj pulls the wand out of the boot and says, "This might be useful..."
The boots may come in handy too!
Spellcraft rolls to identify? I assume that's Katie's purview? (on phone, cooking Valentines dinner)
Lol - I have no spellcraft at this point.
Katie will look at the items.
The boots are Boots of Elvenkind, and the wand is a Wand of Magic Missile (CL 1st, 16 charges).
Moving on!
You at last reach the end of the map, having endured hours of trudging through the wastes of the city above, numerous attacks by rats, and even a deranged wererat. Before you yawns the portal into what appears to be a building.
Looking through the "doorway", you see what appears to be a neglected store room with a very low ceiling. The entire room is packed with piles of broken and damaged furniture, the remnants of shattered barrels and crates, jagged pieces of scrap metal, and miscellaneous other debris, some of which is piled all the way to the ceiling.
What do you do?
Naraj asks quietly, "Now which one of us wants to go find a bunch of traps? Shall we draw straws?"
Miraji growns, Let me see if anything is here.
She looks at the others:
You do realize that I hate searching for an having to disable traps.
She then carefully make her way into the cavern checking carefully for traps.
Perception:
She also speaks a prayer to Sarenrae, and a moment later is surrounded by a pale bluish fiery glow which dissipates a moment later.
Cast Mage Armor <-- not sure if I did this earlier or not.
AC22
"You can wear the sneaky boots and hold the wand!"
Katie follows behind.
Miraji, although not Detect Magic-ing, observes the faintest aura of magical light about the entryway into the building.
Miragi points out the magical light.
I have spent most of my time in more martial arts. I was never very good with magic. Perhaps it is something I should learn.
Disable Device:
Miraji messes around with the magical glow, and finally thinks that she has managed to evade its magic.
The mystical Web fades away, leaving you free to enter the room.
Katie expects to see action soon and mixes her cognatogen to make here smarter. Then she consumes the elixir as she rides into the room.
The ceiling here is only five feet high, and the entire room counts as difficult terrain. As a result of this and the densely-packed debris, everyone moving through the room has to make a Reflex DC 10 save or suffer damage.
Now what?
"Let' see what is in here!"
Reflex:
Perception:
Miraji also enters the room looking carefully for more traps or other hidden items of note. Unfortunately do to all the stored crap, she does not look very well.