Zoomba's City of Strangers

Game Master Zoomba

“Wand me please Traber or Big D!”

Shadow Lodge CLW wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Shadow Lodge CLW wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Shadow Lodge CLW wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

The young fighter then hangs a potion of cure serious and cure light wounds from her belt, beside the wooden toy horse the kindly stranger gave ‘preggers’ Eadie.

“I reckon there’s some serious fighting ahead.”

- an iron key, with the symbol of a kneeling man with arms outstretched to the sun imprinted on it

Eadie picks up the key and examines it, before passing it onto one of the casters. “Didn’t the potion vials we found on Pratt in the Naderi Theatre and on the Halflight Path goblins have this sunny, kneeling guy on them too?”

“Maybe we should ask our captives what that’s all about.”

She returns to her unwitting customer, lathering both sides of his pate, before drawing her dagger to give him … “An Ambrus Valsin-style Mohawk! It’ll look so rad with yellow and purple stripes!”

Crowe feels the rush of divine power and charges after the archer, snarling and growling as he streaks a blur across the streets of Kear Maga.

If Crowe catches the gnome, he will pick him up by the neck and carry him back to the group and dump him unceremoniously on top of those left alive of the attack party.

Crowe returns to the group and quirks a brow as Traber uses the wand of curative magics on Eadie. Crow taps Traber on the shoulder and points to the various wounds suffered fight. Crowe nods to Traber to use the wand on him.

CLW Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
CLW Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
CLW Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

With Dvalin's unexpected boost Crowe manages to catch the unsuspecting gnome and grab him by the proverbial collar.

With the only still-conscious agent dropped before them, the gnome looks up at you through a furrowed brow. "So, the standard Pathfinder courtesy then?" He looks next to him at the bodies laying in the street. "They dead?"

Dvalin takes a turn with the CLW wand to patch up what remains of his wounds ...
CLW Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

... before checking on the condition of their captives ...
Heal: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

When the gnome joins the lot, he begins his questions ...
"We'll do what we can for them ...
... but we need to understand this. Why turn against your brothers and sisters in the Society? Surely what ever grievance you have is better talked through in the open than skulking about in the shadows. Clearly your machinations have been unwelcome here."

"So well done, Crowe-Meister General!"

With her tongue protruding from the side of her mouth, Eadie looks up from the mage with comb and scissors poised above his head.

She spares the gnome a chilling glance.

"They dead?"

"You're a Pathfinder, so hopefully I only need to say this once."

She slams her scissors point-first into the ground, inches from the gnome's hand.

"WE ASK THE QUESTIONS!"

"NOW WHERE IS THE SHADOW LODGE HIDEOUT?"

"... but we need to understand this. Why turn against your brothers and sisters in the Society? Surely what ever grievance you have is better talked through in the open than skulking about in the shadows. Clearly your machinations have been unwelcome here."

"You're saying talk could have solved every problem? Just file a grievance with the Society, fill out some forms, wait days for a response?" The gnome quips to Dvalin. "Please, me and my mates have been doing this for years. Fetching rugs and covering up familial indiscretions of faction leaders. risking life and limb to get artifacts that are just filed away and never used, for our good or anyone's The Decimverate doesn't even trust you enough to announce their own names!" He spits on the ground. "So why not start a little internal revolution. Make sure that we get ours after all we've done for them."

"Still, life's still better than any cause. you let me go, with Bega and Todor, and I'll tell you everything you need. Swear it." He glances over at Eadie. "I'll even make sure Todor doesn't come after you for that shave."

Eadie half-closes an eye as she scrunches up the left side of her face. "You obviously weren't paying attention while you were running away from Crowe."

"I kicked HODOR'S butt."

☠£☠£

She sighs. "Actually there are lots of reasons to maintain a non-evil leadership body. The main one being stability. We are relatively free to do whatever we like outside of work. Not all masked overlords offer that benefit, you know."

"Nobody made you to sign up to be a Pathfinder." She *shrugs* "It's a paramilitary job - better than lots of others."

"So NEWS FLASH, dude! Fighting, sewers, monsters, risk of death for little recognition are all part of the game. It pays pretty well though."

She cocks her head to the side again in reflection. "The Ten basically leave us alone outside of work. Can you guarantee life would be better if say, The Traber Lodge took over?"

"We've done deals in Kaer Maga releasing innocent-ish parties in return for good information. Let's hear what you've got to say. Also what are your future plans if we let you go and do you know what happened to the Pathfinder, Wymund Pratt?"

I am not happy about having to kill fellow Pathfinders. If you agree to go on your way and stop acting as representatives of our Society here and besmirching the name of our company, I am willing to let you all live. I am in fact sorry about the death of the your cleric, it was not my intent to cause any of you permanent harm.

Crowe twists his neck and stretches as the divine healing energies heal his many wounds. He swings his large arm in a circle as Eadie and Davlin question the prisoners. The imposing Shaonti smirks as Yakima relents about the carnage wrought. He stands over Eadie's shoulder. "I do not suffer the same regrets. I would have it done and continue our search."

The gnome turns his head back and forth between Yakima and Crowe. His expression is a poker face for a moment before sighing. "Well, as close as I'll get then. Yeah we'll leave the city and be on our way. There's always something out there for a party to get involved with."

"Me and my pals are part of the Shadow Lodge sure. Can't tell you much about the greater group of course: everything's based on 'cells', keeping cards close to the vest for now. Out here it's a bit ironic though: we're based out of a place called "The Temple" down by the Bottoms. It's a prison - well used to be anyway, back when Kaer Maga bothered with those. We just got regular updates and orders from the boss there, some fighter goes by Kormiggon. It's been locked up for years but Muminah had a key to the place." He nods towards the slain woman. "Something tells me she wouldn't mind if you made use of it."

At Eadie's question he shrugs. "The Pratt fellow? Name fit if you asked me. Yeah we saw him around the place sometimes but he's not the time pleasant to hang out with. Haven't seen hide nor hair of the man for a few days. He do something to rile you?"

"You could say that - but it's not important anymore."

Eadie's tone is much friendlier now. "I'm starting to wonder if one of the city's crime lords has prat-napped him."

"I'm more interested in whether we'll have to fight the Pratt again. Was he mates with Kormiggon? Was goblin training going on in the Temple?"

She scratches her nose. "'Temple' to what exactly? Does it have anything to do with the image on Muminah's key? Anything you can tell us about getting in, layout, traps and guards would be helpful."

"If the others agree, I'm happy to let you go. But I suggest you leave Kaer Maga before one of the city's factions scrag you."

"But before you do ..." Eadie holds up her open scissors. "Haircut?"

Pratt pulled a disappearing act again? This is getting old fast

"Seems like we have the information we need. Somebody else can track 'em down if they get into trouble else where I'm thinking."

”The ‘Temple’’s just the name of the prison. Isn’t hard to find: they’ve got that praying symbol splashed right on the side. Yeah, that one on the key. Should get you inside too.”

The gnome snorts at the mention of goblins. ”Ugh, don’t get me started on those green gremlins. Some Osirian agent convinced Kormiggon they’d be useful pets if trained. He seems happy enough with them but always seemed a lot of fuss for little gain if you ask me.”

”There, that good enough? Trust me: I’m as fine getting out of this city as you are.”

While you wouldn’t necessarily know this in character, just to prevent you from focusing too much on him don’t mind telling you that Dakar’s men ‘picked up’ Pratt from the then-empty house while you were otherwise being brought the long way around to meet him. He has been taken care of.

Eadie unties the multi-colored Mohawk mage, tosses her grooming items casually into their case and eventually hefts her pack onto her back.

In a minor snit because the gnome didn't want a haircut, she nevertheless removes her spiked gauntlet and offers the rogue her hand.

"Hey good luck, man. I'm glad Crowe didn't cut off your fingers and feed them to you. It would have made shaking hands a bit awkward."

"These Shadow Lodge bosses seem way worse than Venture Captains - even Aram Zey. Maybe think about returning to the fold? The Ten may be aloof jousters, but at least they're consistent."

Eadie then waits for the others as she ponders breaking into jail.

I'll hold onto the wand and the Potions of Invisibility for now. Let me know if any of you need succor or stealth.

Once we decide to move on, I'll tap each of the downed Pathfinders with the wand once (or more if it takes more to make them barely conscious).

Sorry for my absence. This thread stopped showing up on my list.
"No, Yakima. We are being watched. Healing them will only prolong their pain. This way they will never feel the axe fall."

Seeing your group seem preparing to move on the rest of the Sahdow Lodge, the gnome quickly takes advantage of his good fortune. Flagging down a nearby merchant for a cart and lugs his two unconscious comrades away as fast as his short legs can carry him.

It takes the six of you a few hours to reach your target, on almost the opposite end of the city. As you approach the builing, you can see that the Temple is exactly as described — a trash heap. It may once have been a model of beautiful prison architecture, but its facade is faded and cracked, piles of windblown trash hug its walls in drifts, and what may have once been manicured landscaping has since devolved into a tangled, swampy mess.

A single path of cracked, wet bricks links the street to the entrance of the Temple, which appears to be a brand new, iron-braced wooden door. Above the door is a decayed carving of a human man on his knees, his arms raised toward a rising sun.

I have added a new map to the Slides at the top of the page.

"I think we're smarter than kicking in the door and walking into a trap."

Eadie takes off her pack and stashes it under a pile of rubble near the entrance. With her enchanted falchion drawn, she sets an ioun torch in orbit above her head.

"Let's see if there's another way in. Yakima, will you be able to breach the door and disable any traps?"

If the others agree, Eadie will do a circumnavigation of the complex, looking for ways in, traps and sentries. If they find something promising, she will stand over Yakima guarding her.

Take 10 Perception: 10 + 13 = 23

Circling the building, Eadie unfortunately finds that the front entrance is the only visible door.

The Temple's walls are ten feet high in general, though a section to the east has a roof that rises higher above the rest. From her walkabout, Eadie notices that one stretch on the building's west side does not seem to have a visible roof from the ground.

Blue 'X' by part you can't see a roof over.

Upon returning to the others, Eadie extracts a silken rope from her hidden pack, knots it at 5' intervals and attaches it to a grappling hook.

"I've found another way in, which will hopefully allow us to surprise those inside. If I can grapple the top of a roofless section of the western wall, it should be an easy 10' climb over the walls and into the Temple."

She sheathes her falchion, holding a thick coil of rope in one hand and the attached hook in the other.

Is it dark yet, GM Zoomba?

"I think we need to hustle before Sarenrae goes to bed. Goblins will likely be waaay more active at night."

Take 10 Perception for traps and threats: 10 + 13 = 23

Seeing your group seem preparing to move on the rest of the Sahdow Lodge, the gnome quickly takes advantage of his good fortune. Flagging down a nearby merchant for a cart and lugs his two unconscious comrades away as fast as his short legs can carry him.

"Leave them. They will pay the price for the continuation of your life. I pray you do them justice."

"I am not one for climbing. Can we send someone over the wall to open the door?"

Eadie lets out an exasperated *sigh* "Traber, it's a pretty easy climb."

DC 0 climb check assuming nothing unusual about the wall.

"I've heard of expectant mummies that are 'too posh to push.'"

"But never of Asmodean Mummys that are 'too cool to climb.'"

I could fly up and recon if you wish.

"Yeah, I'm good with that compromise, Yakima."

Eadie gives the alchemist a clap on the shoulder. "I don't want the darn wall to be something that delays us from getting into the fight inside."

Her face is a serious mask under her helm. "But I wanna climb with you if you fly, so you're not alone."

The warrior looks at the others. "We ready to do this thing?"

Take 10 Climb: 10 + 5 = 15
Take 10 Perception for traps & threats: 10 + 13 = 23

Yakima activates her wings after downing her mutagen.

She will wait until Eadie nears the top of the wall and then fly up and take a look.

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

Eadie manages to scale the wall, looking carefully at the stonework for and traps as she goes. Cresting the top, she (and a taking-flight Yakima) sees an exercise yard for inmates. Or what was once one anyway: it is now a choked yard filled with dead grass, animal nests, and trash. The yard is open to the sky and at the north end the ruins of a gallows can be seen. In the northwest corner of the yard a small, rickety wooden platform leads up to a single, heavy door. A set of thick double doors can been seen in the south and east walls. Beyond the yard, the rest of the building is covered by a series of roofs, mostly flat but with the area to the east having a sloped incline.

Far more urgent a matter than the state of the yard however is the enormous scorpion-like creature currently skittering about it. Seeing Eadie crest the edge of the wall, it clicks its claws together and moves towards the fighter.

Initiative

Eadie
Yakima
Scorpion
Dvalin
Crowe
Traber
Ali

Appropriately enough, Eadie and Yakima are up first. Eadie is at the top of the ten-foot wall, Yakima is flying a bot above it. The rest of the party is still down at the foot of the wall.

Watch out Eadie! Let me take care of this!

Yakima flies to about 30' over the top of the creature and bombs it.

explosive bomb, point blank, ranged touch: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32
confirmation: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17
damage: 3d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 2, 2) + 6 = 13
critical damage: 3d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 4, 2) + 6 = 18

BOOM!!

"You've totally got it, girlfriend!"

Eadie draws her Lucerne hammer as she rushes 30' to the south.

"Guys, it looks safe at the moment to climb up onto the wall."

The warrior braces her polearm into the top of the wall, spike out as she looks and listens for further threats. Readied action to strike a foe that comes within lunging range (15')

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17

The scorpion writhes in flame as Yakima's bomb continues to burn.

More fire: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Clicking madly, the creature moves down to the corner of the yard and grabs at Eadie. She lunges at the monster, but her hammer bounces harmlessly off it's carapace.

Eadie's AoO: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17 for damage: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29 for damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Grab: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (19) + 22 = 41
Constrict: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

It's pincer clamps hard around Eadie's armor, crushing her even as it drags her back towards it.

Initiative

Eadie, 54/81 hp grappled
Yakima
Scorpion -38 hp
Dvalin
Crowe
Traber
Ali

Traber shakes his head. "Impossible to find good help."
"Do you require any assistance up there?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

Round #1: 30’ movement ; Lucerne hammer readied ; AC 24 for lunge

Round #2: grappled ; AC 23 ; -4 to dex (doesn’t affect CMB) ; CMD 24 (lost dex + dodge bonus)

Eadie drops her hammer (free) and attempts to break the grapple. (standard, does not provoke)

CMB to break grapple: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Hardcopy Character Re-roll CMB to break grapple: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31 YESSSSSS!!

Almost unable to believe her luck, Eadie takes no further risks.

She takes a 5’ step off the wall (not an action - does not provoke) onto the Pathfinders’ side.

Acrobatics DC 15: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4
Non-lethal for a deliberate 10' fall: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Eadie swan dives like a boat anchor, her chin SLAMMING into the ground, rattling her teeth and skull. She then rises gingerly to her feet (move) using a forefinger to check she hasn't bitten off her tongue, before calling up to Yakima.

"NUKE THAT THING FROM ORBIT! IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO BE SURE!"

on cell phone can't adjust map.

Yakima moves over the Scorpion and bombs it again keeping her height as she doesn't like her chances if she gets grabbed.

explosive bomb, ranged touch, point blank: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15
damage: 3d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 2, 2) + 6 = 13

"Fine then." Traber reaches into his pack and pulls out a flask. "Here, Dvalin. Drink this and fly up and help those two. When you are done killing whatever it is, open the door for me."

Hearing the sounds of battle, Crowe races to join the fray! He stores his earthbreaker on his back and follows Eadie's path, attempting to scale the wall.

Climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Round 1 Flying
Dvalin drinks the offered potion and flies up with Yakima to line up his bow on the scorpion

Eadie manages to break free and plummet - ungracefully - to the ground below, while Crowe scales the wall to hoist himself up at the top and Dvalin flies above to join Yakima, who throws another bomb hitting the giant scorpion.

Initiative

Eadie, 52/81 hp, prone
Yakima
Scorpion -51 hp, on fire
Dvalin
Crowe
Traber
Ali

“Guys, good news!”

Eadie finishes inspecting inside her mouth and extracts her finger. “A few teeth are loose but my tongue’s OK.”

“So I’ll be fine to keep talking!”

Putting Ali on delay

The scorpion's carapace continues to crackles and snap from the lingering flames from Yakima's bombs.

Fire damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Seeing Crowe reach the top of the wall, it lashes out at the bloodrager with it's claws, then strikes with its stinger.

Claw 1: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33 for damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
Grab: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (3) + 22 = 25
Constrict: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

Claw 2: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17 for damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
Stinger: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34 for damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
Stinger confirm: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31 for damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

The first claw grabs onto Crowe and crushes him, while the stonger hits home to pierce the Shoanti through the chest

Crowe need to make a DC 19 Fort save vs poison, or take Strength damage: 1d2 ⇒ 1

Initiative

Eadie, 52/81 hp, prone
Yakima
Scorpion -57 hp, on fire
Dvalin
Crowe 19/74 hp, grappled, need Fort save v poison
Traber
Ali

Round 2 Flying
Dvalin fires his bow at the big bug ...
Mk Bow: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19 for Piercing: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Crowe howls as he is nearly torn asunder by the giant vermin. Screaming as no human should, he unleashes his full fury to break the grip of the deadly beast.

Crowe will enter a rage and attempt to break the scorpion's grapple. Crowe gains 21 hp when he enters the rage.

FORT Save: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31
CMB to Break Grapple: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

Dvalin's arrow look like ti will bounce off the scorpion's shell, but it manages to slip through as the scorpion's grip on Crowe makes it unable to fully move out of the way.

Meanwhile Crowe unleashes a primal scream and tries to force his way out of the creature's claw, but its grip holds tight. He does shake off the poison trying to spread through his body.

Initiative

Eadie, 52/81 hp, prone
Yakima
Scorpion -63 hp, on fire
Dvalin
Crowe 40/95 hp, grappled
Traber
Ali

Traber is holding action while waiting for the door to be opened.

Unless someone calls for my aid or it sounds like the fight is going poorly for the group, I am probably our of this fight.

Round #3

“Traber, would you mind healing Crowe and I please? If you move 20’ W-S-W, you’ll be able to channel to heal us without healing the scorpion.”

square marked on the map

Eadie stands while drawing her potion of fly. She drinks it and takes a 5’ step to the west.

“CROWE, HANG ON! I’M EITHER GETTING BACK INTO THE FIGHT OR BRINGING YOU A HEALING POTION NEXT TIME!”

Isn't there a wall between us? Channel is a burst effect. It doesn't go through walls.

Eadie, standing from prone would be a move action, and drawing the potion another move action, unless you have something I'm missing. You'll still need to actually drink the potion next round.

Also Traber, I posted this in the other thread, but while you're right burst effects won't go through the wall, luckily for Crowe he's just on top of it for now :)

In that case.

Traber moves a little closer.
Channel Positive Energy: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 3, 2) = 6 DC 19
(That sucked)
"Now get that door open."

Why do you all keep on throwing yourselves at this monster?

Yakima throws another bomb, excluding the impaled Crowe from the blast.

explosive bomb, ranged touch, point blank: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18
damage: 3d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 3, 6) + 6 = 17

“Uuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh …”

Eadie blinks twice with her mouth hanging open.

Eadie, standing from prone would be a move action, and drawing the potion another move action ... You'll still need to actually drink the potion next round.

Bum. OK, can I please make a small change to my actions?

Ali runs to the wall and attempts to climb over it.

Hang in there, I'm coming

Climb Check: 1d20 - 5 ⇒ (16) - 5 = 11

Meanwhile he sends Archimedes over the wall the perch on the shoulder of Crowe to heal him.

Lay on Paws: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 4) = 14