Ka's wave of positive energy ripples out from the cleric, crumbling one of the skeletons to bones. The one bearing a moldering veil seems harmed, but less so. Dalirio, however, does not seem effected.
Odo clambers onto the top of the desk, demanding the monsters attention with a wounding strike of his scimitar. Grimaldus fails to throw off the clerics magic and stands paralyzed and helpless. While Tresca moves into the fray, growing small.
The skeleton scrabbles at Odo's armor uselessly. Dalirio slashes at the halfling as well, but finds him difficult to strike. Finally his grey-skinned head darts in, biting into the side of his neck.
Initiative Order - Round 1
-----------------------------------
Odo - runs in, activates smite
Grimaldus - hustles in
Maedhros - begins casting
Tresca - throws bomb, overshoots
Enemies:
Skeletons - attack Odo for 6 damage
DT - casts Hold Person on Grim
Tanselle - holsters pistol, draws scimitar
Ka - channels positive energy 5
----------------------------------Round 2
Odo - climbs onto desk
Grimaldus - is paralyzed for round 2 and 3
Maedhros - completes casting of?
Tresca - shrinking
Enemies:
__
__
Tanselle
Ka
----------------------------------Round 3
Odo
Grimaldus - is paralyzed for round 2 and 3
Maedhros
Tresca
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Maedhros completes his spell and a gleaming eagle appears in the air, swooping over the heads of the pathfinders and slashing at Dalirio with righteousness empowering its attack.
The creature screeches in frustration as the foul undead evades its attacks.
Maedhros hustles forward into the room, stepping to the side onto the rubble to get closer to their foes.
Tanselle is correct, the narrow room is lined with cages with cowering people in some of them. Have to move down the middle.
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Odo takes a quick moment to heal some of his injuries.
Then he presses his attack on the defiled and deviouis Dalirio. "Let us see how you fare against someone who can bite back!"
Seeing that the fortunes have chosen to hamper his offense, Odo takes a step back to set up for another assault (and provide his companions a shot at the evil bastard).
----
Swift action - Lay on hands (self)
Standard action - Attack Dalirio
5' step back off the desk
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Tresca reaches into her bag to pull out another bomb, but hesitates a moment. If she missed, she'd risk hitting Odo, and it didn't look like he could take too many more hits. Sliding her hand back out, she flicks her wrist, and catches her wand of cure light wounds as it springs out of its sheath. Gripping it tightly, she waits for an opportunity to get close enough to Odo to heal him.
Initiative Order - Round 1
-----------------------------------
Odo - runs in, activates smite
Grimaldus - hustles in
Maedhros - begins casting
Tresca - throws bomb, overshoots
Enemies:
Skeletons - attack Odo for 6 damage
DT - casts Hold Person on Grim
Tanselle - holsters pistol, draws scimitar
Ka - channels positive energy 5
----------------------------------Round 2
Odo - climbs onto desk
Grimaldus - is paralyzed for round 2
Maedhros - completes casting of?
Tresca - shrinking
Enemies:
S2 - attacks and misses
DT - bites Odo for 5 damage
Tanselle - swaps weapons again
Ka - casts BoL on Grim
----------------------------------Round 3
Odo - misses and steps off desk
Grimaldus
Maedhros - double moves
Tresca - heals Odo 9 hp
Initiative Order - Round 1
-----------------------------------
Odo - runs in, activates smite
Grimaldus - hustles in
Maedhros - begins casting
Tresca - throws bomb, overshoots
Enemies:
Skeletons - attack Odo for 6 damage
DT - casts Hold Person on Grim
Tanselle - holsters pistol, draws scimitar
Ka - channels positive energy 5
----------------------------------Round 2
Odo - climbs onto desk
Grimaldus - is paralyzed for round 2
Maedhros - double moves, Eagle misses
Tresca - shrinking
Enemies:
S2 - attacks and misses
DT - bites Odo for 5 damage
Tanselle - swaps weapons again
Ka - casts BoL on Grim
----------------------------------Round 3
Odo - misses and steps off desk
Grimaldus - leans over desk and strikes DT for 20 damage
Maedhros - casts grease, Eagle strikes for 13 damage
Tresca - heals Odo 9 hp
S2 -
DT -
__1)
__2)
__3)
__4)
__5)
__6)
Tanselle
Ka .
----------------------------------Round 4
Odo
Grimaldus
Maedhros
Tresca - crossbow hits for 10 damage
Grimaldus' towering form leans over the desk and he strikes the ghoulish cleric with a heavy blow. Maedros spell fails to take effect as Dalirio tightly grips the beaded unholy symbol in his clawed hand. Celestial Eagle slashes at the monster with beak and talons. The veiled skeleton scrabbles uselessly at Grim's armor as Dalirio channels negative energy to harm the Pathfinders.
Tanselle blasts Dalirio and the ghoulish cleric rebounds against the curved wall behind his desk. The light of intelligence fades from his eyes, but not before Ka's channel sends his skeleton bride crumpling to the stones in a pile of bones.
"No! I am the champion of prophecy! Groetus will feast on your souls Pathfinders. The boneyard awaits us all..."
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Tresca trades her crossbow for a her cure light wounds extract, uncorking it and downing it to get rid of the effects of Dalirio's attack.
Approaching the desk, she joins Odo in taking a peek. It would be best if evidence of Dalirio's plans never left this room.
Actually, now that she thought of it, there would be something else that should also probably never leave the room. Clearing her throat, she mentions to the others "We should burn the body. I don't want him coming back a third time. Two times was twice too many for my likings."
As the dust from the battle clears, the occupants of the cages stand and peer out tentatively. They thank the Pathfinders for their timely rescue and babble with relief and joy over their ordeal.
A thorough search reveals a chest under the desk contains several
Cassomir trade bars worth 2,500 gp.
Odo pours through the desk and discovers a false bottom in the top drawer. Inside the compartment, manuscripts describe two sinister plans: the first details Dalirio’s desire to create small bands of skeletons to assault Cassomir, and the second talks of a derro plan to use secret tunnels to infiltrate a major Cassomir building and kidnap everyone inside.
Tanselle discovers a small switch on the floor near the desk that respond to pressure, although she is uncertain as to what it does...
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Odo reads the bit about the derro kidnapping a bit closer to see if a particular building is identified. When he is satisfied that there is a list of likely targets, he will memorize them, or if he is satisfied that there is not, he will crumple the manuscripts to use as kindling in the burning of Dalirio's body.
Tanselle presses the switch and you all experience a disorienting sensation as you feel as if the floor moves beneath your feet, leaving you swaying to find your balance. But your vision doesn't detect the change... until you look back at the doorway through which you entered. Now the portal reveals a dark tunnel passage that leads to the south. Another experimental press of the switch and the room rotates back into it's former place.
The journey back to the surface seems to stretch on far longer than it should as you plod along at the pace of the weakened captives, ever upward toward the open air and freedom. Tiny scrabbles in the distant darkness set the captives clutching at each other for comfort with wide, frightened eyes. Fortunately nothing challenges your parade of exhausted, bedraggled bodies through the narrow tomb halls and sewer-ways. The sun has risen over the city-scape by the time you spill out of the underground and stand blinking in the light of day. Garver startles from his long wait and rushes to help you get your rescues to a healer.
The surviving engineers and other kidnapping victims praise the Pathfinders for their timely intervention and speak well of your names to all who will listen. Hestia becomes worried about the uncovered plot to infiltrate a Cassomir building and make off with all of its inhabitants. She warns Cassomir’s officials about the tunnel system but is unable to provoke any satisfying responses from them. It seems the authorities either think the claims are false or exaggerated, or perhaps they simply can’t cut though the bureaucracy to make anything happen about the matter in a timely fashion. Whatever the reason, the Venture Captain is clearly frustrated with a lack of response and asks that you delay your travel plans yet again as you all anxiously wait for the danger to make itself known.
The next day passes slowly as storm clouds roll in off the water, casting a dreary pall over the city of Cassomir. No word comes from the Venture-Captain and any inquiries you make are turned away with a glum report from her assistant, Cestis... "No news yet, sorry."
A heavy fog moves in that night and you rest uneasily, troubled by the lack of response from the local authorities. You rise early the next day, and even though no overt alarm sounds, you know something is amiss. People outside on the street move too quickly and watch their surroundings more than usual and the common room of the Inn buzzes with the combined sounds of lowered voices speaking to each other with much fervor. You need not strain to overhear a particularly boisterous pair of old gents as they argue over steaming cups.
"'Tis a plot, I tell ya! They plotted to escape, an' now they have. Tha whole lot 'o them! It's no wonder with how they let them stroll around like they please!"
"Bah! You're not lis'nin again... There's guards missin' too! You think the swift guard would be tromping into the sewers of their own free will too? Knowing the thief takers would soon be at their backs?"
"They might! If'n tha price was right!"
"Nah, I'm not fer believin' that. Somethin' happened to those folks. Somethin' bad."
Your breakfast is still cooling when Cestis bursts through the door, a bundle of nervous energy. "I'll... um, need you to gather up your gear as soon as you've finished breaking your fast, Pathfinders. Meet us at the Pathfinder Lodge, Venture-Captain Themis needs to speak with you all right away."
...........................................................................
Once you arrive, Cestis waves you on to Hestia's office where the petite woman rifles through a stack of papers in front of her on her enormous blackwood desk.
Venture-Captain Hestia Themis, a woman of small stature, but great importance within Cassomir, sweeps locks of thick, raven hair away from her face. As she starts to speak, shrill horns bellow an alarm. Hestia pauses for the signal to quiet with an annoyed look on her face, and as the trumpeting ring fades, her booming voice continues.
“Colleagues, the city of Cassomir declared a state of emergency this morning. They failed to heed our warnings and late last night, a swarm of rats poured into Cassomir’s streets, spilling from every sewer grate within the Old Cassomir district. As the city guards dealt with this infestation, a large assault force of derros penetrated Swift Prison. Within a few hours, the derros emptied the Swift, and marched their new slaves into the Darklands. Normally we defer incidents like this to the authorities, but I offered our assistance and they have wisely chosen to accept it." She allowed herself a smug smile as she says this and refers again to the papers in front of her.
She lowers her voice as she speaks her next words. "There’s an item of interest, a church bell called the 'bell of obedience', that may reside in Swift Prison’s chapel. We want to catalogue it and may never have another opportunity to explore the Swift unsupervised. While investigating the derro invasion, head to the chapel and inspect the bell. If possible, I want you to determine whether the Chapel’s bell is in fact the legendary 'bell of obedience' without taking it from the prison. Cassomir’s constabulary is as of this moment fighting Cult of Nature’s Cataclysm devotees at the south entrance to the prison. The constabulary agreed to distract the cultists there so that you might approach the Swift from its north side and enter the prison from the south gate behind the cultists.”
She raps sharply on the desk and a moment later, Cestis opens the office door and a familiar teenage boy enters and approaches at Hestia's gesture.
“This is Nefti — I believe some of you may know him already. Though he works with the Aspis Consortium, he helped us rescue my assistant, Cestis, when this derro business began. It seems Nefti happened to be serving a debtor’s term inside the Swift when the abductions took place. For his testimony to last night’s events we secured his release. He agreed to escort you to a spot north of the Swift where he will tell you all he knows. Any questions before you set off?”
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Tresca had little packing to do. She was not expecting things to stay calm for long, so her equipment was already in its bag, ready to go. The only other bit of preparation was to slip on her newly purchased armor. Despite being mithral, the half-elf noted with a frown that it still felt heavy. After removing her wrist sheaths and stashing them in her bag, she moved her arms around and determined that she'd still be able to throw as normal. It would have to do for now.
Arriving at the office, Tresca was pleased to see that Odo, Tanselle and Grim also were summoned. She'd trust those three at her back any day. The other two, she gave a quick look over. The elf had more weapons and armor than Tresca thought she could possibly carry. Good company for Grim and Odo at the front, she imagined. As for the woman, Tresca caught herself thinking that this is what she would look like if she were fully human. She gave those two a smile and a polite nod. There would be time for introductions momentarily.
Once the Venture Captain finished speaking, Tresca turned her attention to the newly arrived Nefti. "What sort of numbers can we expect at the Swift? How many cultists are we talking here? Dozens? More?" She didn't want to encounter cultists. But it would be good to know how many there were if they needed to make a quick escape.
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Adjusting her new lenses, Oronia nods to the Venture-Captain. "It seems that you are asking quite a task of us, not to mention us working with an Aspis member. Do you know how we are to identify this bell?"
She sits, a book in her lap as she begins to jot down notes of information for each and everything that the group gives. A huge, very full backpack sits next to the bookish woman, leathers and a billowy shirt. She has her brown hair pulled back and neatly plaited, her glasses look new, but suit her as if they have always been a part of her face.
"Well dear lady, besides taking a gander at the church bell, what else are we supposed to do there? Just kill every derro we find? Or are there some secondary objectives?" Logain asks while twisting his mustache.
Hestia Themis looks somewhat befuddled as she turns a blank look on the elf for a moment and then barks a sardonic laugh.
"You'll have to forgive my oversight, your companions are somewhat more experienced on this subject. I suppose it was naive of me to expect you to understand that when Cassomirites have been kidnapped... we do our best to retrieve them. But yes, killing every derro you find would serve as a good secondary objective." She smiles at the newcomer, but it is without real warmth.Adjusting her new lenses, Oronia nods to the Venture-Captain. "It seems that you are asking quite a task of us, not to mention us working with an Aspis member. Do you know how we are to identify this bell?"
"As we have yet to catalog it, I cannot be sure as to the details. Certainly it will be an ancient bell of master craftsmanship and it's likely to bear a magical aura. I believe your team has the means to detect such auras? Good, I look forward to your report. The Swift's bell is rumored to have a soothing effect on prisoners, this is why we suspect it may be this 'bell of obedience' mentioned in various lore."
"Nefti will tell you what he saw and where he saw the prisoners taken. Once you've seen to the artifact we discussed, follow the derro's trail and recover our citizens if you possibly can. Bring them home, Pathfinders."
...........................................................................
Cestis has dutifully laid out your missives out in a neat row for you to pick up on your way out. He gives you all a grim, but encouraging smile. "Be careful down there... and good luck!"
Faction Missions for The Devil We Know Part IV: The Rules of the Swift
Andoran Faction Mission, optional (Alternate for Silver Crusade)
Osirion Faction Mission, optional (Alternate for Grand Lodge)
Taldan Faction Mission, optional (Alternate for Sczarni)
Qadiran Faction Mission, optional
Once the Venture Captain finished speaking, Tresca turned her attention to the newly arrived Nefti. "What sort of numbers can we expect at the Swift? How many cultists are we talking here? Dozens? More?" She didn't want to encounter cultists. But it would be good to know how many there were if they needed to make a quick escape.
Nefti, a lad of no more than 15 years, you'd guess, nods seriously, picking up on Tresca's anxious tone.
"There were many, yes. Dozens of derro and nearly as many cultists. But I think I can show you a way past most of the cultists guarding the way, if luck is on our side." He offers her a reassuring smile."Are we ready to be on our way, then?"