[PFS, Outpost II] 10-8: What Prestige is Worth (Inactive)

Game Master Blake's Tiger

The executioner is momentarily stunned by Rocky's first blow, and his follow-up smash to the devil's neck with his elbow knocks it unconscious. It tumbles away into the fiery hypogeum before he can finish his kata.

The arena erupts in equal parts cheers and boos.

The gates out of the arena for challengers opens and two erinyes in black armor descend to usher you out. Artylget is waiting for you on the outside. He mutters something about a lost bet.

The erinyes in charge says, "Congratulations, mortals, and our thanks for sifting the chaff from the rows upon rows of applicants. You fared quite well, at that. I am impressed. You have permision and Eiseth's blessing to select two prizes from the cages."

A reminder of the other items. "There is a powerful sword that can cut through the most powerful of Hell's enemies, a magical cloak of flying, a soul within an onyx soul gem, and a diamond. Diamonds are useful for powerful magic." So the sword is presumably an Unholy sword, The cloak is presumably not also a Cloak of Resistance, The diamond might effect or final gold total, The soul could either be a bargaining chip or be freed if you are into that kind of thing.

Appraise re Sword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Appraise re Magic Cloak: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Appraise re Onyx Soul Gem: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Appraise re Diamond: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"We'll take the imp, of course. As for the rest? What do you guys think? No need for an unholy sword in this town, I reckon. The flying cloak sounds cool, and the diamond looks valuable. Whose soul is in the onyx gem? Anybody we've heard of?"

Mack scratches his chin. "I'd be inclined to take the diamond. Easy to transport, currency as good as gold in most places."

"What do you think, Artylget?"

While he waits for an answer, Mack greets their prize. "Hi, Tholvinus. My name's Mack. We're looking for somebody you're familiar with. Gellius Thrune. Got himself in a bit of jam. We mean to get him out of it."

He looks to the emcee, holding his hand out, waiting to be given a lock to the imp's cage.

Artylget shrugs and asks, "You offering me a cut?"

The chief erinyes snaps her fingers and Tholvinus' cage pops open.

Milo ID'd the cloak. Diamond is worth 10,000 gp. Cloak is worth 27,000 gp. The sword is unimaginably priceless. The onyx is worth 250 gp.

10k plus the info we got on the hellknights, would get us the soul (contract?) we were after in the Market... from the hag's shop.
If that matters.

Fek slides around the outside of the group, trying not to stare at the diamond.

We should probably take the onyx and free the soul, no?

we can get the cloak and sell it to get the money for soul and the diamond

Davina channels to heal the party.

channel: 6d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 2, 5, 3, 4) = 20

Let's vote. I vote imp and captured soul.

Mack waits for the others to decide. "The diamond is enough to free a soul pertinent to our investigation," he points out. "And I'm not sure we can purchase prizes we don't claim."

"I hear what you're thinking (ooc), Fek and Rocky," Mack observes, "But most souls here, like the one in that piece of onyx, arrived in Hell exercising their own free will, as a consequence of their own damnable actions. But we have reason to believe Leventi is condemning undeserving souls through deception and shady legal technicalities."

imp and cloak

"Hello there, Artylget," the imp says with a wave.

Artylget waves back, "Tholvinis."

"So... what did a bunch of mortals like you choose me as your prize for?" he asks, suspiciously.

Carry on with your vote on the second prize.

Hey, Milo appraised the diamond at a quarter million! =) Now they're saying only 10k? How disapointing...

It takes Milo a little while to stop swearing at the devils and the crowd and anyone else that he sees, and for the small traces of flame dancing in his hands to finally fade away... but eventually he manages to get his anger under control... though you can see it seething just beneath the small gnome surface.

The diamond is cash on the barrel... the cloak would need to be sold... for at best half, at worst... not enough. Assuming someone willing to pay for it now. The soul's value completely arbitrary depending on who's in it. I'm still for the diamond.

He can only nod emphatically at Mack's words, clearly fully in agreement with the varisian.

"Cark the rest a that swag." He growls. "Let's push the bloody hag, flash this prig what jiggered all this, and rub outta this slum hole before things gets more knackered."

He clearly just wants to finish the mission and get the hell out of... well... Hell.

We're basically in OT, time-wise, right? ie: its been more than 8 hours at this point? Zarta went to the market, so seems the place to go next, if we're trying to buy the last piece we're aware of.
And she mentioned something about accommodations? Not sure I like the idea of sleeping in this place.

When it is time to move on: Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 17 - 6 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 17 - 6 + 5 = 32

Zarta went to the market to look for accomodations in case you need a second day to gather evidence. Or rest up before whatever happens after you present your case.

We don't have too much more to follow at present.
Question the imp.
Purchase Ophelia's soul from the hag in the Market.
Talk to the queen lady at the palace.
Then present our case (to whoever?0
That's about it at present?

So Milo: Diamond, Keos: Cloak, Mack: Diamond, Fek: Soul, Rocky: Soul, Davina: Undeclared. So Davina can be the tiebreaker if she picks Soul or Diamond. Or create a 3 way tie if she wants Cloak.

If you pick the soul, someone's going to have to cough up 10k!

You dn't have to. You could skip that lead or take a bargain.

Unable to control himself any longer, Fek begins edging toward the diamond, claws opening and closing repeatedly.

Vote for the diamond

That's 3 for diamond.

The erinyes snaps her fingers again and the cage with the diamond in it pops open.

"No one gonna speak up?" Tholvinis says. "Mysterious purposes? No stranger to those, I guess." He crosses his arms and pouts where he hovers.

Meanwhile, Mack receives a sending from Zarta: "I have secured lodging at the Market of Breaths if needed. Where should we meet to discuss our next steps?"

Questioning anyone, is not really Milo's forte... for obvious reasons. =)

Someone else will have to grill the imp

diamond is my vote

OK, fine... Milo will start the ball rolling =)

Milo glares at the latest imp in their collection, with just as much contempt as the first one. His subconscious telling him to toast both of them... though he keeps those urges in check.

"And what 'bout this git here?" He asks, glancing back at the others, as he hitches one thumb towards Tholvinus. "Little prig sharped for that Thrune scurf ages back, and then for that Leventi bludger what snagged his soul. He's gotta granny something useful. Sure he'll blow. We just gotta apply the pins proper."

He's bound to know something pertinent, either about Leventi (who took possession of him from Thrune) ... or Gellius Thrune himself, who's imp it was before.

"Sharped for Leventi?" Tholvinis says indignantly. "Never!"

"you must know SOMETHING?"

"Like I said, we're investigating Leventi and his suspect dealings. You and your buddy Gellius Thrune know him as well as anyone. Help us help the both of you."

"Oh? You're investigating Leventi?" the imp asks with an arch of his eyebrow. "What's your beef with him? Trying to weasel out of a deal? Trying to secure a better hand in negotiations?"

"Cark that," Milo exclaims. "Lookin' to cooper that slum roller. Crack his whole operation. Let this bloody place do down on him."

"This bloody place is probably flush with nobblers what would love to put glim to his goolies, for a few lifetimes." He adds with a mean little grin.

"Good, good. That's a good plan," Tholvinis says. "But you know what would be better? Killing the cheating bastard. He's so slippery with his contracts that he'll get you good, but he's too slippery for his own good and sloppy loopholes get through too. He's so careless sometimes that Gellius opened a Hellmouth and almost got through before Leventi noticed what was going on. Not that you probably care about that. But he's stolen so many souls for his own purposes, stolen people from their own rightful afterlives. Definitely worth killing, I think. Don't you?"

"It's better we have EVIDENCE of his cheating to show the infernal authorities of his crimes. We as mortals are on a slim edge in the Hells"

Mack nods. "Davina's right. We need to gather evidence, so when we confront Leventi, we can defeat him, without also drawing Dispater's ire upon ourselves. If we can prove he violated Hell's tenets, we all win. I, for one, would be happy to slay the devil. Can you help us in any way?"

"Oh, yeah, I've got plenty of dirt on Leventi," Tholvinis says. "I can even tell you a little about what his lair looks like."

He flutters closer to Mack and says in a stage whisper, "But if you get the chance, I would seriously consider killing him. He's likely to weasel his way out of any trial."

"He won't get any mercy from me, Tholvini. You can bank on it. Care to tag along?" Mack invites yet another imp to join their posse.

I'm not a murderer! He really wants us to kill his enemy.

Sense Motive (T10): 10 + 15 = 25

"If you want our collaboration, first give us all the dirty rags you know and where we can collect those evidences, because your word will not be enough if we go against him"

Huh? Mack raises an eyebrow. Dirty rags?

"Keos has a point. Physical evidence would be very helpful. But your testimony against Leventi would also help make a case against him. Do you have any specific leads we can pursue or any other information that will help?"

"No," the imp whines. "The physical evidence is in Leventi's scriptorium. You'd have to go in there to get it, but I can describe some of its layout."

Before you have time to question the imp further, Zarta appears before Davina and says, "We need to move against Leventi immediately! He has discovered our investigation! Hurry to the Fallen Fastness."

Deciding that your Venture-Captain probably has a better finger on the pulse of what is happening than you, you agree to head there promptly. As usual, you ignore Artylget's directions and follow Milo's.

Everyone except for Milo--probably because he's short and arguing with Artylget on directions--and Davina--probably because of the painful buzzing in her ears--notices that a cloaked woman in a finely crafted breastplate and a well crafted bow slung over her shoulder has been stalking you for the past minute. When you turn your attention toward her, she disappears and no amount of searching can find a trace of her. However, the experience does make you wary moving forward so that you are not quite as surprised when Milo leads you right into an ambush.

You spy the same woman hiding in an alley. She rests a greatsword on its point in one hand and holds a potion in the other hand. Those of yo with sharp eyes note that she has no shadow (do souls have shadows?).

Combat! Round 1. Bold may act.

For the sake of expediency, I will tell you that there is one NPC who will appear during this encounter that you can spend a standard action to negotiate with. I'll make sure you know which one it is when it arrives.

Fek (darkvision)
Davina (-7 hp)
RS
Y
Mack (-33 hp)
Keos (-2 hp; resist fire 20)
Mordiskitos (-20 hp)
B
R
Rocky (-12 hp; barkskin,mage armor)
Milo (-36 hp)

Can we assume that after Zarta's warning some of us were wise enough to heal? Also, How long has it been since the arena fight? Lastly, Is Zarta with us?

Based on a glance is she a devil? Human? Undead etc? Knowledge planes to ID as devil?

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

since mack and milo are still hurt I'll channel

channel: 6d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 3, 6, 4, 3) = 21

No, you had a week after the last battle--in Hell--and only Davina made any effort to heal during that time. Fortunately, your life oracle rolled well on initiative.
No, Zarta is not with you currently.
Davina: Human (so Local). You recognize that she is a soul rather than an extra planar visitor like you guys.

Davina's life restoring powers are a sweet relief.

Is Fek's darkvision a typo?

Fek rushes out of sight, then downs the potion already in his hand and draws a small crossbow.

Fek: Unless your use of darkvision in the previous fight was not supposed to have occurred, it is still running with 30 minutes left on duration.

Davina restores everyone to full or nearly full vitality as she channels life-giving energy. Fek runs to hide and shrinks.

A shadow resembling the silhouette of the woman you saw stalking you emerges through the nearby wall and flies toward Mack. She/it swings an ephemeral greatsword that chills Mack to the bone as it passes through his body.

Rocky, Mack, and Fek hear someone moving in armor down the street but they see nothing but the occasional displaced patch of dust (yellow square).

Combat! Round 1. Bold may act.

Fek (darkvision)
Davina
Shadow
Y (invisible)
Mack (-13 hp; -1 STR [no effect yet])
Keos (resist fire 20)
Mordiskitos
B
R
Rocky (barkskin,mage armor)
Milo (-16 hp)

Mordiskitos moves towards purple enem to flank it with his mate and attack.

bite attack+power attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
damage: 2d6 + 13 ⇒ (6, 6) + 13 = 25
anyone of enemies are human or undead?
Keos makea 5´step and makes a full attack vs purple helped by mordiskitos.
pbs+rapid+deadly aim+flank: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 25
pbs+rapid+deadly aim+flank: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29
pbs+deadly aim+flank: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16
damage1: 2d6 + 10 ⇒ (6, 4) + 10 = 20
damage2: 2d6 + 10 ⇒ (4, 2) + 10 = 16
damage3: 2d6 + 10 ⇒ (3, 5) + 10 = 18

The shadow is undead. The souls count as human despite being souls.

Wow, I had no idea I'd been hanging out in Hell for a whole week now. And all these wounds? How did I not even notice? Man, this town sucks!

"Thanks, Davina, for the power of your positive energy." Note to self: blood equals wounds. If it hasn't healed after a week, do something about it, Mack. Sheesh! Are you blind as well as stupid?

Uh-oh, ambush coming! Foreknowledge is forewarned. Or not, it seems.

Eventually, Mack is roused from his internal musings by an attack from a shadow. F%+~ing Peter Pan!

(So did the attacks of Keos and Mordiskitos have any effect on the purple creature? That will inform Mack's course of action.)

ok add +4 to hit and dmg for human and +2/+2if is undead

See discussion for disambiguation.

Mordiskitos bites through the incorporeal shadow to frustratingly little effect.

Keos' arrows pass through the shadow. The enchantment seems to rip some of the shadow's form away.

Combat! Round 1. Bold may act.

Fek (darkvision)
Davina
Shadow (-30 hp)
Y (invisible)
Mack (-13 hp; -1 STR [no effect yet])
Keos (resist fire 20)
Mordiskitos
B
R
Rocky (barkskin,mage armor)
Milo (-16 hp)

planar penalty, Knowledge (religion) vs shadow: 1d20 + 13 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 13 - 4 = 22
planar penalty, Knowledge (local) vs humans: 1d20 + 19 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 19 - 4 = 24
(If that's enough to reveal any information, I'll trust the GM to reveal something useful.)

Mack clicks the heels of his boots of speed and attacks the incorporeal shadow as best he can. (Rolls below assume flank and sneak attack don't work. Happy to roll them, if they do.)
Haste, +1 Keen Mithral Kukri; Damage: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (1) + 19 = 201d4 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Haste, +1 Keen Mithral Kukri; Damage: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (17) + 19 = 361d4 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Haste, +1 Keen Mithral Kukri; Damage: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 331d4 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13
Haste, +1 Keen Adamantine Kukri; Damage: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (12) + 19 = 311d4 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Haste, +1 Keen Adamantine Kukri; Damage: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (3) + 19 = 221d4 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Haste, +1 Keen Adamantine Kukri; Damage: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 151d4 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

"Davina, can you channel to harm this shadow?"

Between the shadow and what you can see of your stalker, Mack believes that she is what is sometimes referred to as a shadow dancer. They are capable of disappearing in plain sight and reappearing to deliver deadly blows (and they can summon a shadow doppelganger). Shadows are incorporeal undead, and those that are summoned by shadow dancers are particularly resistant to the usual means of dealing with undead.

Mack clicks his heels and furiously slashes away at the shadow in front of him. His magical blades tear away at the shadow's essence. It seems like it will stay in the battle, but as the last of the blows strikes, the shadow unravels into nothingness.

A human woman wearing archaic Hellknight armor in the fashion of the old Order of the Pike (HINT!) crests the roof of a near building and fires an arrow at Keos, striking painfully.

The shadow dancer disappears and then emerges from the shadows next to the wall of the building beside Mordiskitos. Her greatsword crackles with energy as it falls and nearly beheads the great wolf, but Mordiskitos twists away and avoids what may have been a fatal blow.

Combat! Round 1/2. Bold may act.

Fek (darkvision)
Davina
Y (invisible)
--Surprise Guest--
Mack (-13 hp; -1 STR [no effect yet])
Keos (-10 hp; resist fire 20)
Mordiskitos (-50 hp)
B
R
Rocky (barkskin,mage armor)
Milo (-16 hp)