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Ylosani is still not pleased that there is an enemy combatant that he can't see. But at least she hasn't attacked anyone. Perhaps she has actually fled. He's not so bloodthirsty that that would disappoint him. Winning the field is good enough for him, he doesn't need to slaughter all his opponents.
Unfortunately, his heavy armor keeps him from being able to reach the snake and attack it. But he manages to get it between him and one of his fellows, setting it up for when he can strike.
Conditions:
Romulus - 1 dmg; 10 WIS dmg; Inspire Courage (began rd 1); guidance;
Blue (Jaris Phenogian)- 28 dmg; unconscious; prone; stable;
Yellow- 21 dmg; unconscious; prone; dying;
Yanda - 1 dmg; mutagen (2:35); shield (2:04);
Altovin - dmg; 1 DEX dmg; 3 WIS dmg; life link (Dasus); weapon dropped in square; guidance;
Courage - 1 dmg; 9 WIS dmg;
Ylosani - 10 dmg; 1 non-lethal, 4 CON dmg; 4 WIS dmg; challenge vs Cyan (snake);
Red (Tarrin Dars) - 25 dmg; Bless; location unknown;
Green- 19 dmg; unconscious; prone; dying;
Cyan (Iron Cobra) - 9 dmg; on fire (1d6);
Dasus - 1 dmg; stunned (5/5); weapon dropped in square;
Purple- 31 dmg; dead;
Orange- 19 dmg; unconscious; prone; stable;
Yanda plasters the metal snake with a bomb but does not see Tarrin Dars anywhere.
Ylosani hurries to engage the cobra with more conventional arms.
Altovin and Romulus are up!
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"We're OK. I've been tossing a lot of bombs and all the henchmen are dead or passed out. The leader is invisible and we can't find him."
Which I'm down to my last three on. Might have to save a couple for an emergency.
Yanda feels for the backup vials of acid and alchemist fire and makes a mental count of them too.
Conditions:
Romulus - 1 dmg; 10 WIS dmg; Inspire Courage (began rd 1); guidance; begin summoning spell;
Blue (Jaris Phenogian)- 28 dmg; unconscious; prone; stable;
Yellow- 21 dmg; unconscious; prone; stable;
Yanda - 1 dmg; mutagen (2:35); shield (2:04);
Altovin - 5 dmg; 1 DEX dmg; 3 WIS dmg; life link (Dasus); weapon dropped in square; guidance; total defense +4 to AC;
Courage - 1 dmg; 9 WIS dmg;
Ylosani - 10 dmg; 1 non-lethal, 4 CON dmg; 4 WIS dmg; challenge vs Cyan (snake);
Red (Tarrin Dars) - 25 dmg; Bless;
Green- 19 dmg; unconscious; prone; stable;
Cyan (Iron Cobra) - 11 dmg; on fire (1d6);
Dasus - 4 dmg; weapon dropped in square;
Purple- 31 dmg; dead;
Orange- 19 dmg; unconscious; prone; stable;
Altovin adopts a defensive posture against the snake while Romulus begins to summon some reinforcements.
With the other pathfinders out of the room, Dasus is almost back to normal. But not quite. So he is unable to defend himself against the stab of a rapier. Tarrin Dars reappears standing next to her foe, no longer on fire.
Her weapon strikes home, but the thickness of his armor protects Dasus from losing his gall bladder.
The metal snake continues to burn.
The snake continues its pursuit of the brave gnome.
... but this is not its day.
Dasus finally awakens from his stupor and finds himself eye to eye with his foe, her rapier sticking out of him, just above his gall bladder!
Altovin's lifelink once again provides healing to the wounded Dasus.
All pathfinders (including Dasus! welcome back!) may act!
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Dasus shakes his head to clear it from the last of the cobwebs, then looks up into the face of his enemy. "Well, that makes it easier," he says, completely unfazed by the weapon sticking into him. Rather than crouching to pick up his weapon, he instead reaches for his backup weapon, drawing his battleaxe. Making a swift prayer to Apsu to heal his wounds, he grips his weapon with both hands and rears back to make a sweeping swing at his enemy's side.
Conditions:
Romulus - 1 dmg; 10 WIS dmg; Inspire Courage (began rd 1); guidance; begin summoning spell;
Blue (Jaris Phenogian)- 28 dmg; unconscious; prone; stable;
Yellow- 21 dmg; unconscious; prone; stable;
Yanda - 1 dmg; mutagen (2:35); shield (2:04);
Altovin - 5 dmg; 1 DEX dmg; 3 WIS dmg; life link (Dasus); weapon dropped in square; guidance; total defense +4 to AC;
Courage - 1 dmg; 9 WIS dmg;
Ylosani - 10 dmg; 1 non-lethal, 4 CON dmg; 4 WIS dmg; challenge vs Cyan (snake);
Red (Tarrin Dars)- 39 dmg; Bless; unconscious; prone; dying;
Green- 19 dmg; unconscious; prone; stable;
Cyan (Iron Cobra)- 29 dmg; on fire (1d6); destroyed;
Dasus - dmg; weapon dropped in square;
Purple- 31 dmg; dead;
Orange- 19 dmg; unconscious; prone; stable;
Dasus heals himself and then, with a single blow, perhaps making up for lost time, knocks the leader of the Splinters unconscious. As she falls she cries out, "Norgorber, why have you forsaken your faithful?!?"
Meanwhile, Ylosani delivers a vicious blow to the Iron Cobra, smashing it into many many useless and inanimate pieces.
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"I seem to have escaped unscathed! That mutagen is amazing, is it not! All those opportunities to injure me and everything either bounced off my armor or missed me entirely. Amazing! When you are done with those that need aid, let us explore the remaining rooms, though I don't think these fellows will be giving us any trouble any longer."
With the final battle over, the pathfinders are able to bind their wounds, interrogate their prisoners, and investigate more thoroughly the various rooms of this complex.
The bandits - for that is what they are - call themselves the "Splinters of the Echo Wood" - and esteem themselves an ancient and honored thieves' guild - though it doesn't take much investigation to realize that much of this is a fanciful fiction concocted by Tarrin Dars, a priestess of Norgorber who was formerly expelled from the Gray Master's church for heresy (and one can only imagine what sorts of things cannot be countenanced by the church of thieves and murder!), and had made a new home for herself among the Splinters, swiftly rising to become their leader.
Under her leadership, the Splinters carved out a new lair for themselves within the Emerald Spire itself - certain that this would provide them some respite from the eyes of the Hellknights of Fort Inevitable. They repurposed a series of natural caves which had - long ago - been set to use as the tomb of an evil nobleman. In order to keep their lair safe from the Hellknights, adventurers such as yourselves, or the odd wandering monster , they established not only fortified doorways and secret doors, but also the synesthesia poison gas traps , which they avoided by knowing the pattern of flagstones to tread when passing, as well as by carrying antidotes in their face masks.
The artificer behind these poisons, Jaris Phenogian, is also the hand behind the monstrous iron cobra that so recently troubled you. It would have troubled you even more if it had ever managed to bite any of you, as its metal body contains a reservoir of potent poison.
Next to the chapel, where you have just concluded the final battle, stands Tarrin Dars' personal quarters, which you previously briefly investigated. Now, closer examination reveals, first, that the wardrobe contains some valuable treasure - no doubt the choicest pieces from the Splinters' depredations - and a Spire transport token, but also a hidden sliding panel, which opens to reveal the final room of the complex , the secret library.
The room is guarded by a clockwork servant, but the pathfinders barely raise their heart rates destroying it. . Interestingly, it doesn't look like anything else you have seen in Splinterden - nothing like the iron cobra - and you have not seen anything that would make you think that Jaris Phenogian, or anyone else among the Splinters, would be capable to creating such a construct.
This secret room is filled, floor to ceiling, with shelves and pigeonholes. The air holds the dusty aroma of ancient parchment. Most of the records kept here are stolen genealogies, ledgers, and historical accounts. It appears that by studying them, Tarrin Dars discovered evidence of misdeeds, blackmail, or old family embarrassments, which she had copied into a black ledger. This collection of secrets includes material suitable for blackmailing nobles and merchants in Thornkeep, Fort Inevitable, and Daggermark. It would certainly be worth something to the right buyer.
Dars' other passion was apparently collecting fragmentary versions of Norgorber’s holy text, Words Behind the Mask. It seems that she’s writing her own definitive translation. She believes passages of the standard text were added by Norgorber’s enemies, and hopes to restore the “original” text.
Her collection of Norgorberite holy texts would likely have value to a sage or book collector.
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"No, the mechanical snake wasn't able to quell its own fear to hit me! That or Courage scared him with his...continuous...support!" Altovin reassures the others while scratching his companions head.
"I hope everyone else is doing well though. I believe my connection was able to absorb most of your wounds, Dasus." he then offers the connection for any others that may want it.
Seeing the vial texts and works of a Norgorber cultist puts even the newly devoted paladin in a dour mood.
"I am ready to put this terrible place behind us and let the officials know."
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Ylosani examines the materials found after helping to vanquish the clockwork entity.
They hold little interest to him, though he would prefer the blackmail material be destroyed rather than used.
Once he determines there is nothing else to vanquish to clear this place, he takes his leave, giving the group a respectful bow as he departs.
When you return to Fort Inevitable the Hellknight guards at the gate seem to smirk as they see how bedraggled and worn some of you look. "Well, I'm sure the Lady Commander will be eager to hear this report! Best get to it - no, you can't have a rest first! - procedures is procedures, y'know!"
Ushered back into her office in the citadel, you are greeted - that may not be the correct word - once again by Paralictor Audara Drovust. "Well?" She is, as always, succinct.
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Yanda, a newcomer to the scene, is unprepared for the challenge.
"Well... What?"
It's obvious she is not being disrespectful or cocky, just confused. Though if she wasn't so dang tired she might have had the common sense to wait for one of the others to answer.
I do hope they are not going to ping us for some customs infraction or something. I'm OK with rules but these guys are over the top.
The Lady Commander slowly takes her feet off her desk, removes her cigar from her mouth, and glares at Firewarden Yanda for a long moment, before bellowing, "Corporal Radish!" A skinny and rather beleaguered looking Hellknight comes rushing in to attend to her, but before he has a chance to get a sentence out she snarls, "Get these "adventurers" a fresh copy of the Spire exploration regulations and make sure they're briefed on how to be debriefed."
Corporal Radish leads you into a small clerk's office down the hall, crammed with files and folders.
He rather apologetically hands Yanda a thick ream of forms, a clipboard, and a quill. "You'll need to fill all of these out. In quintuplicate. Yes, sorry, they're all required. Must follow proper procedures, you know."
....
A few hours later the paperwork is complete and you are ready to receive the Spire exploration regulations. But Corporal Radish simply smiles sadistically. "So sorry, but you'll need to get your letter of warrant first before I can issue you your own copy of the regulations." Unsurprisingly, such letters are not issued by his office and you have to walk to the opposite end of the citadel to find the appropriate clerk. She is just leaving when you arrive and informs you in no uncertain terms that she "... absolutely cannot issue any letters after closing time! We will open at 9 bells in the morn. Good day, ma'am. I said, good day, ma'am!" And with that she brusquely pushes past the poor Firewarden.
....
The next day, however, Yanda is finally able to have her letter of warrant issued (more paperwork is required, of course), for the very modest price of ONLY 50 gp. A letter of warrant is a license from the lady commander authorizing the bearer and her company to “act in the interest of good order and keep the lady commander’s laws.” Adventurers operating from Fort Inevitable purchase a letter of warrant for 50 gp per year, and agree to turn over 30 percent of the coin, goods, and property they confiscate to the Citadel . The lady commander’s agents also require reports of just what actions were taken with a letter of warrant.
With the letter of warrant - finally - in hand, Corporal Radish duly issues a copy of the Spire exploration regulations to Firewarden Yanda. "We recommend you make a book jacket to protect its appearance and of course we will expect it back in the condition it was issued to you."
The exploration regulations themselves turn out to be pretty dull, and can be generally construed as doing most of the things adventuring parties typically do—attacking outlaws, hunting monsters, surveying dangerous ruins, and investigating mysteries. And filing reports on all of the above, of course. In quintuplicate.
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While Yanda is taken off to deal with the paperwork, Dasus gives the report, doing his best to keep up a diplomatic demeanour. "A group of thieves who worshipped Norgorber had taken over that level of the spire, which originally was meant as a place of burial for a rich nobleman. We met him as well, as an undead creature, but I vanquished him." He also goes into detail in what treasure they found.
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An old salt-beard of a Dwarf grumbles as he fills out yet another form "Was ya saying this one in duplicate or triplicate?"
Dressed slightly more like a pirate than a Pathfinder Otto with a breastplate and a curious lack of weapons Otto eventually introduces himself to his fellow Pathfinders once away from the office. "Oi, name's Otto, Otto Boulderspine, my friends call me 'Crabby' though."
Taking an almost imperceptible moment to focus Otto draws a ghostly cutlass from nowhere that looks almost more like a quill than a sword. "This be no ordinary sword, this be Roidira's Final Quill."
Otto sheathes it back into nothingness, a faint trail of stardust the only thing left in it's wake.
"FIVE NOT FOUR! OR SHE YELLS AGAIN." Courage corrects Altovin...loudly.
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When she returns, an exhausted Yanda looks bleakly at the others, wincing when she sees the quintupleted forms being managed by the newcomer.
"You know, I would be willing to give up a chunk of my share of the loot if you will just take over that job. You joining us?" I hope!
In a whisper she adds, "These guys are bloody nuts. I'm surprised they have any trees at all around here. They better hope I don't hatch a terminal disease because paper burns. It burns REEEEAAAL good."
In horror she adds, "Do you think they have a magical paperwork producer? They would, wouldn't they? I bet they do. We should find out. Just in case I catch that disease."
Romulus - dmg; sickened;
Otto - dmg;
Dasus - dmg;
Altovin - dmg;
Courage - dmg;
Yanda - dmg;
The Lady Commander seems mollified by Dasus' report, and even downright pleased when she realizes that you have apprehended a gang of thieves. "Not bad, not bad. We almost just might make Hellknights out of you... Or at least some of you... But for now, get out! I'm busy!"
...
Once again, the group needs to convalesce for some time to allow everyone to heal from their wounds. Romulus, in particular, seems nearly animalistic in his temperament, and until he slowly returns to normal, his normally pleasant evening songs seem more like the baying of wolves at the moon. Still, eventually, with time and rest, everyone recovers and the added time lingering about the bar of the tavern is enough to get to know another adventurer, Otto Boulderspine, who agrees to join the next exploration of the Spire.
...
Eventually, the day arrives for the group to depart the well-swept streets of Fort Inevitable, and they make their way back to the Spire, and down the now-familiar stairs, without incident.
As the group nears the next level of the Spire, an acrid, nauseating reek fills the air at the bottom of the stairs—a musky, reptilian stench.
All of the Pathfinders manage to fight off the horrible smell, except Romulus, who is sickened by the stench.
The stairs descend to a small chamber of smooth, hewn stone lit by a dim greenish light from two strange, torchlike devices - about 2 feet long with a glowing sheath of metal at one end - on the walls.
A copper-colored metal door with a simple latch mechanism glows with a dim green light in the middle of the north wall. Two large hinge pins are part of the casting, and they rest within sockets anchored into the stone doorways.
The walls and ceiling are made of hewn stone, and decorated with pictographs and writings in bright colors. The depictions are abstract but somehow alien and disturbing. The inscriptions are in primitive Draconic.
A strange creature awaits you all at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a colorful leather garment and carrying a walking stick. This humanoid’s scaly hide is dull gray. Its frame resembles that of a cave lizard, with a long tail and crests on its head and back. He smiles and greets you in heavily accented Taldane: “We welcome you to Godhome. You wish to make sacrifice now, or visit? Take holy grub maybe?"
The troglodyte is one of the oldest of intelligent races, and ruins found in some remote caverns testify to the fact that their empire was once among the largest in the world. At the dawn of time, the troglodyte civilization was generations ahead of other humanoid races—while those races hid in caves and worshiped fire, the troglodytes raised vast cities of stone ziggurats and twisting canals, kept other races as slaves, and worshiped ancient and inhuman gods and demons. Yet as the other races evolved and grew increasingly civilized, they outstripped their onetime troglodyte oppressors. Today, the roles have changed—now it is the troglodyte that hides in caves and lives the life of a feral savage.
A typical troglodyte stands about 5 feet tall and weighs 150 pounds.
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Otto grumbles a bit at the stench "Oi, ya'll smell that mess, it's worse than a wereshark's bunk after a fortnight at sea."
Otto takes his bandana off and uses it to cover his mouth to do his best to avoid the stench.
Otto squints a bit at the creature, almost drawing out his swordquill by reflex but instead holds his blade, not wanting to mess up the style his companions with more experience in the Spire must have developed by now.
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Altovin groans at the smell.
"Oh I think whatever is on this level is already dead...long dead. Should we go report?" he half jokes and is half serious with worry.
Courage pecks him whenever he begins to doubt himself.
When the creature speaks and the others seem to have missed the mention of sacrifice he meekly speaks up.
"S-s-sacrifice? What do you mean by that? Something small like a gold coin right? Aren't you guys interested in that?" he asks.
Romulus - dmg; sickened;
Otto - dmg;
Dasus - dmg;
Altovin - dmg;
Courage - dmg;
Yanda - dmg;
The troglodyte smiles and attempts to answer the pathfinders' many questions. Turning to Dasus, he replies to his question about the divine, "Skraa-orm thagh, the god in the box. It is very powerful!"
To Yanda's question about holy grub, he answers, "Things to eat, things to drink. The god gives them to us! I can take you."
To Altovin's question about sacrifice he says, "Give the god some iron-metal, and it will bless you and send you on your way! All good visitors make gifts of iron-metal to the god!"
Turning to the group as a whole, he says simply, "Ok? You hungry for holy grub now? Then sacrifice? Or sacrifice then holy grub? Ok?"
The stench continues, unabated.
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"Each level seems to have it's own community and its own rules. There is no normal."
"You think if we can negotiate with these guys, the powers that be will consider the job done? This one seems friendly enough, though I don't know how long I can take the smell, and eating grubs is not high on my bucket list. Still..."
Turning his attention back to the troglodyte, she asks, "Say, are you a priest? Tell us about this god of yours. Why, for example, does it live in a box? How does it treat its worshippers? It is a he or a she or neither? Lay it all on us."
He listens to Yanda attentively, but with an expression of puzzlement. "Priest? I am Slaagh. My clan-people are Servants of Thagh." When he says "Slaagh" he pronounces it with a growl at the end. "Why does God live in Godbox...? So strange question... Why you breathe air?" He pauses for a moment before reaching what seems like a happy conclusion. "Maybe you make gift to the Godbox and God will answer your question!"
Regarding Yanda's other questions, Slaagh is very happy to explain how well the God treats him and all its worshippers. He seems to be particularly fond of the holy grub that it provides, and he describes the many meals he has had with great gusto. When it comes to the question of the God's gender, he seems completely baffled by the question itself.
Altovin does not detect an aura of evil around Slaagh.
The troglodyte smiles cheerfully. "You ready go make sacrifice to Godbox now?"
Slaagh smiles and leads the group through the strange metal door. "This way, if you please. I show you around."
Two light-sticks are mounted on the walls of the first chamber, and every surface is adorned with crudely rendered paintings. Passages lead north and east. A short corridor in the north wall leads to a larger room. In the middle of the south wall, there is a large door made of a copper-colored metal . It glows like the light-sticks.
From this antechamber, Slaagh leads you slightly to the north . This room contains a large stone vat in the middle of the eastern wall. It seems to be filled with a pasty, pink substance. Just north of the tub, a tall door made of lustrous, coppery metal leads east, and passages exit the chamber to the north and south. Three torch-like devices in the wall glow with a soft green light, as does the metal door.
Two more troglodytes are here. They seem to be working on touching up a wall painting. Like Slaagh, they reek almost unbearably.
These two troglodytes barely glance up from their work when you enter and seem quite indifferent to your presence.
Slaagh gestures to the vat. "Before you make offerings, you maybe hungry. Take holy grub?"