[PFS]Season 4: Year of the Risen Rune by DM DoctorEvil

Game Master DM DoctorEvil

Feel free to dot in here, for continuing adventures from the Magnimar lodge at Heidmarch Manor.

dot

After successfully stopping attacks on the Cyphermages of Riddleport, you earned a week of R&R from Venture Captain Sheila Heidmarch of the Magnimar Lodge. Exactly one week later, you are summoned to her office where a portfolio of travel documents lies on a table before you.

"Here are tickets and letter of entry to the Varisian city-state of Korvosa. You are booked for travel on the Sublime Ileosa leaving first thing tomorrow. Once in Korvosa, you will rendezvous with my husband Canayven Heidmarch in the tenements of Midlands. There, he will introduce you to a friend of the Society who you will help to recover long lost items. Any questions? Good. You can ask Canayven, when you meet him, for more particulars. Prepare yourselves and bon voyage!"

True to her word, the portfolio contains tickets and travel documents for you to take the assigned craft from Magnimar to Korvosa.

You have some time to prepare and gear up anything you might need before leaving the city, so act appropriately.

Wilen gives the VC slight side-eye at the vague description of the assignment.

This is an official society mission yes? Not odd-jobs for your husband? All the same, I quite like that region, Absalom in particular. Beer sells well there.

Marianna starts twitching a little once the ship is mentioned. "Only one question, but I'm sure you had nothing to do with it: Who in their right mind named a ship after that vain, psychopathic b&#!@ of a queen?" she spits out in a low growl, rubbing the scarring on her cheek.

Nylthe gives a small smile behind Marianna's back, "Who better to chase away spirits of ill luck that might assail you at sea."

Juis chuckles at Marianna's response. "I do believe that a lot of sailors believe giving their ship's disagreeable names actually wards off bad luck."

Marianna starts twitching a little once the ship is mentioned. "Only one question, but I'm sure you had nothing to do with it: Who in their right mind named a ship after that vain, psychopathic b###~ of a queen?" she spits out in a low growl, rubbing the scarring on her cheek.

Heidmarch smiles a bit at the outburst. "You can keep your politics to yourself, but i tend to agree with you. Either way, you shouldn't be in Korvosa long enough to get mixed up in those affairs, but keep an eye out. Since your incursion in the Chelish embassy, the Hellknights are on the prowl everywhere, especially Korvosa."

Will give you some time to get anything else needed, and push off for my favorite Varisian city tomorrow.

Maybe I can find a dapper knight! he says.

The ship leaves precisely on time the next day, carrying you and several other passengers east towards Korvosa. The trip is mainly uneventful for well-traveled Pathfinders like yourselves, and it's not long before you find yourselves in the Jewel of Varisia, Korvosa.

It's only a short cab ride from the docks to the tenement area of Midlands where your instructions led you to meet Venture Captain Canayven Heidmarch, husband to the well-known Lady Sheila.

The ramshackle tenement softly echoes with the sound of light rain as Venture-Captain Sir Canayven Heidmarch begins his briefing.

"For this mission you will have to venture into the sewers beneath Korvosa. Sascha Antif-Arah," he announces, gesturing to a haggard human woman who is past her prime but whose posture expresses confidence and experience, "requires access to a particular vault. The Society is going to help her."Sascha eyes each Pathfinder in turn then nods to herself with some satisfaction and steps forward gracefully.

"Some years ago my friends and I had made quite a name for ourselves around Korvosa, and our adventures earned us a considerable amount of gold. We stashed most of it in one of the Vaults after evicting the cult that had already claimed it." Sascha pauses for a moment, smiles, and shakes her head as if recalling particularly amusing details of the raid. "Anyway, I retired from the business after that, started up a shop, and lived peacefully until I got into trouble with the Hellknights."

"Now, I can’t show my face in Korvosa because I don’t fancy spending my retirement in shackles, but I’m willing to cede my share of the loot in that Vault to you. It’s no dragon’s hoard, but it should be more than worth your time. The only thing I want from there is an old locket -- nothing magical or worth fencing, but it means a lot to me. Once I have it, I’m getting out of this place and off to somewhere the Order of the Nail has no sway."

"The entrance shouldn’t be too hard to find, assuming you know what to look for," she remarks as she fishes several folded papers from her haversack. "There’s an old service entrance into the sewers about a quarter mile north of my old shop in Midland; I wrote down directions that should lead you to the vault. There’s a big room inside, and I stashed my share under the flagstones in one of the small chambers nearby."

She extracts a few more items from her bag and holds them out. "I hope you don’t need these, but you never know. I certainly won’t be using them in my retirement. Good luck to you, Pathfinders."

What she has handed you is: three +1 aberration bane arrows, two antitoxins, a vial of antiplague, and an alkali flask.

You may have several questions for Sascha Antif-Arah or Venture Captain Heidmarch (the masculine version). Ask away...

Regardless of question asked, knowledgeable Pathfinders might know about the likely dangers in Korvosa’s sewers.

Further, other knowledgeable Pathfinders may know something of the history of Korvosa's sewers.

Juis takes one of the antitoxins and the vial of antiplague.

Knowledge (Dungeoneering): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

"Since we are going into the sewers. We'll need to watch out for swarms of rats and dire rats. We might also run into goblins, wererats, and otyughs."

"We should also be on the look out for carnivorous fungy and plants that will be in the sewer."

Knowledge (History): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

After warning about some of the creatures they might encounter in the sewers, Juis suddenly starts spouting out lore of the sewers.

"The Korvosan engineers of old used construction that was there already to build the sewer system. Using Shoanti burial mounds and unknown passageways. Not all the tunnels will be constructed though. Some will be made my marine creatures."

"When we reach the Vault, it will most likely be a mixture of natural caves and built structures."

Marianna looks at the pair, still a little peeved about the bloody boat. After a moment, she asks, "Do you remember anything about what was in the sewers around that area, and in particular, if there was anything about this Vault that we should be aware of? Like traps your associates set up."

Oy, earlier there I totally confused Korvosa with the Isle of Kortos, momentarily when Wilen offhand-mentioned Absalom

Wilen adds on to Marianna's questions... Right, and none of you kept a key to this vault? Or what else kept others from raiding it?

Were rats? he says as he growls a bit.

The older adventurer's eyes grow fuzzy, as she tries to recall what she can of the vault. "I myself set a trap on the door. The door has horse and riders on it, as I recall. A spear spring trap, if my memory serves. Might want to watch out for that, and keep the antitoxin handy if you run into it."

As far as if the vault would still be there and full of the loot she claims, "The vault is pretty out of the way and should still be a secret. Only my friends and I know of its existence, I believe. My comrades were a loyal bunch, and while they’ve no doubt claimed their own shares over the years, they know well enough to avoid taking any of mine. I expect my things to still be there, even now."

"Aye, lad, wererats, and other meaner and stranger beasts besides. Can't be too careful under a city like this one, especially one that sits on old Shoanti burial grounds like Korvosa does."

If the questions are done, Sascha explains where her shop in Midlands is, and how to get from there to the sewer entrance. "Once your underground, go north, and then just follow the tunnels." she says with a shrug as if indicating how easy that should be.

Need anything else from the quest givers?

As traps are described Wilen has his masterwork thieves tools out, thumbing them unconsciously as he thinks about the things he'll have to disarm.

Ready to go

"Let us hope no one stumbled across the place."

Ready to go.

I hate were rats he says.

Ready to go

The Midland district, packed with markets and banks, bustles with commercial activity despite the drizzling rain, and you have no trouble following Sascha’s directions, eventually finding the concealed sewer entrance in the secluded alley.

The entrance is under a great iron grate, which with enough force busts the oxidied metal from it hinges and swings open, revealing a slimy steel later underneath which descends into darkness. From the grate, a fetid smell of waste, rot, and dampness fills your noses.

Your normal vision eyes can't see what is at bottom of the ladder, but you can hear the rush and gurgle of running water from down below quite clearly.

You'll likely need some form of illumination. Who is descending and in what order? What will marching order be once down below?

Wilen waits to see if someone else will go down first...

So... anybody got a torch or a Light spell?

Nylthe rolls her eyes and sets Marianna's sword aglow.

"If we wish someone to scout ahead, Aconite should suffice, but if we move in force, I think Marianna should take the lead."

"I was planning on buying an Ioun Torch after this excursion. Apparently, that was a poor choice," Marianna admits as Nylthe makes her blade glow. "If push comes to shove, I have a stack of torches in my bag as well."

As for marching order, Aconite for scouting is fine. Then Marianna, Wilen, Okuru, Nylthe and Juis in order. I dislike having Juis so far from me, but he's the best choice to bring up the rear.

A rusty, slime-encrusted steel ladder descends into the Korvosan sewers, whose tunnels stretch to the north, east, and south like roads in an underground city. Curtains of fungus and mold hang from the ceiling, which rise roughly ten feet above the tunnels’ walkways, which run along either side of the sewage channels. Occasional dim patches of light filter in from the streets above providing minimal illumination. Despite the sickening smell of decay, the tunnels are surprisingly free of garbage, waste, and the other byproducts of Korvosan life.

Holding the magically-illuminated sword carefully, Marianna drops off the stained ladder to the more sure footing below. She notes a half-dozen or so normal rats scurry off toward the south, alarmed at her intrusion.

Eventually, all the Pathfinders make the descent. You recall that Sascha indicated the vault was to the north when you enter the underground system. As you stand there, you hear a loud splashing noise coming from the east. Bursting into your area of illumination is a three-legged freak which is mostly mouth. Tentacles tipped with barbs extend from its sides, and it roars and whips its tentacles around in an intimidating gesture.

Sewer Entry - Round 1

25 Nylthe
21 Okuru
15 Marianna
11 Juis
9 Wilen
2 Togg

The Pathfinders have the initiative.

Back to the shadows tentacle beast!

Bomb attack vs Togg touch AC: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
Fire damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
if it misses it lands...: 1d8 ⇒ 7 south, but thats through the wall, so still in the toggs square and splash damage?
splash fire damage: 1 + 3 = 4

I didn't call it out, but Aconite should have Mage Armor up

Nylthe steps forward and launches a small bolt of acid at the sewer monster.

Acid Splash: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Acid: 1d3 ⇒ 2

Aconite splashes through the water before closing on the beast with jaws spread wide!

Bite: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 4 - 1 = 23
Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 = 8
Confirm?: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (11) + 4 - 1 = 14
Extra Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5

Knowledge (Dungeoneering): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

Juis yells out, "It is an Otyugh. An intelligent aberration often used as a guard by anything willing to feed it. Careful of the tentacles, it will grab you and pull you in so it can bite you. It's bite is disease-ridden."

Juis this starts prayers as he moves further into the sewers and everyone feels a boost of divine blessings fall upon them.

Moved 15'
Cast Bless: +1 to hit, vs Fear for 20 rounds

He has dancing lights

he will try to frost up the monster
1d20 + 4 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 - 4 = 5 rta

Marianna moves forward to cover Aconite, keeping her glowing sword low, and her shield up in bewteen her and the Otyugh for now.

Okay, I moved Marianna under the assumption that there's sewage in the center of the tunnel. If there isn't sewage, then she would be in the center of the tunnel(marked by the red dot), in order to prevent the beast from reaching her allies.

Move 20'
Total defense for the round - +4AC

Sorry, forgot to mention, the water in the channel is flowing, not purely sewage, but rain water runoff etc. Still ucky....Requires a DC 10 Swim check to cross unless you have other means. I will roll them for you, and will only hold you up, not worry about drowning etc this round.

Sewer Entry - Round 1 - continued

Nylthe steps forward to the edge of the flowing water and conjures a glob of magical acid that she flings at the large aberration, striking it and hearing a satisfying little sizzle.

Aconite plunges across the water stream and up the other side, biting the otyugh hard through its thick, leathery hide.

Marianna's heavy armor is such a burden she cannot lower herself into the water successfully, and is held up on the far bank still.

Straining to the see the big beast, Juis can at least hear its noisy display and to aid his allies, he prays for a blessing for them all in the fight to come.

Happy to toss more bombs despite the confined space and distance since he can't get across the flowign sewage, Wilen makes a direct hit on the otyugh anyway, covering it with burning fluid that starts to sear its outer skin.

"Why you hurt Togg?!?" cries the otyugh in loud but clear Common. "Togg will make you pay!" Belying his words, the attacks by the otyugh, both with tentacle and toothy maw, fail to hit the nearest target, which is Aconite.

End of Round 1

Aconite DC 10 Swim: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Marianna DC 10 Swim: 1d20 + 3 - 6 ⇒ (5) + 3 - 6 = 2
Juis DC 10 SWim: 1d20 ⇒ 2
Wilen DC 10 Swim: 1d20 ⇒ 13
Otyugh Tentacle 1: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Otyugh Tentacle 2: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Otyugh Bite: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Wilen draws and loads his crossbow...

draw weapon move action, reload crossbow move action

Sewer Entry - Round 2

Bless is active. +1 to hit and save vs fear

25 Nylthe
21 Okuru
15 Marianna
11 Juis
9 Wilen
2 Togg (10hp dmg)

Nylthe and the rest of the crew are up now.

Juis tries to get across the sewage water but is unable to completely make it.

Swim DC10: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (10) - 2 = 8

He shoots a javelin at the garbage beast
1d20 + 1 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 1 + 4 - 4 = 20
1d6 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

Nylthe continues her magical barrages...

Acid Splash: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (8) + 2 - 4 = 6
Acid Damage: 1d3 ⇒ 2

...while Aconite continues his vicious assault, untroubled by the ravings of the monster in the dark.

Bite: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 - 1 = 4
Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 = 7
Claw: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 - 1 = 4
Damage: 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 = 7
Claw: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (17) + 4 - 1 = 20
Damage: 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 = 7

Wilen concentrates, aims and fires his loaded bolt...

light crossbow at point-blank: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
cold iron bolt P damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
confirm?: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
critical P damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

It seems to hit the Togg square in the head just above its mouth.

Reload crossbow, move action

That is a nice hit, Wilen

Swim, DC 10: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (14) - 3 = 11

Marianna makes a couple coughing noises as she pushes herself across the path by shear physical strength.

Assuming that crossing is a move, correct? Is so, then moving to where I am should be my whole turn.

Sewer Entry - Round 2 - concluded

Nylthe's acid splash falls short of the target, missing, and Aconite's feral attacks all fail to get through the thick hide of the otyugh.

Okuru lobs a javelin at the horrid beast, hurting it, albeit slightly.

Marianna crosses the swift moving stream of effluence and closes to nearly within reach of the many-legged horror.

Juis cannot get any traction in the stream and remains stuck there by the current.

Sharp-eyed, Wilen threads a crossbow bolt around his Pathfinder allies, and hits the otyugh with a critical blow hurting it badly.

"Ouch! That hurts!" cries the child-like otyugh. It strikes out with both tentacles and its tooth maw at Aconite. Thanks to his magical warding, all of those attacks miss the eidolon who remains unscathed.

End of Round 2

Otyugh tentacle 1: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Otyugh Tentacle 2: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Otyugh Bite: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Again Juis can't get across the sewage stream.

Swim DC10: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (6) - 2 = 4

Hmm, that worked well. Maybe another?

Feeling good about his newfound crossbow skills Wilen tries again.

light crossbow at point-blank: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
cold iron bolt P damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Reload crossbow, move action

Does the Otyugh have a higher AC against melee than ranged? Okuru hit and Aconite missed with the same result.

Nylthe cracked her whip savagely. "Crawl back into your hole, scum. You cannot stand against our might!"

Intimidate to demoralize: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

Rather than chomp through the thick body of the beast, Aconite tried to get his jaws on one of its tentacles, hoping to worry it to uselessness. Purely descriptive

Bite (PA, Bless): 1d20 + 4 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 4 - 1 + 1 = 9
Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 2 = 9
Claw (PA, Bless): 1d20 + 4 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 4 - 1 + 1 = 24
Damage: 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 = 7
Claw (PA, Bless): 1d20 + 4 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 4 - 1 + 1 = 24
Damage: 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5

Confirm?: 1d20 + 4 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 4 - 1 + 1 = 22
Extra Damage: 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 2 = 6
Confirm?: 1d20 + 4 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 4 - 1 + 1 = 14
Extra Damage: 1d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 2 = 6

Does the Otyugh have a higher AC against melee than ranged? Okuru hit and Aconite missed with the same result.

That was just my fault for mis-reading. I read the first three numbers as attacks, instead of using the description provided. I will add the 7 damage to the monster..

Sewer Entry - Round 3 - concluded

Bless is active. +1 to hit and save vs fear

25 Nylthe
21 Okuru
15 Marianna
11 Juis
9 Wilen
2 Togg (24hp dmg)

Nylthe shouts mean things at the otyugh, making it demoralized. Aconite hits the big ugly a couple more times, really ripping and tearing this time. When the dust settles on those attacks, the otyugh lies dead half in and half out of the flowing water.

End of Combat

With the immediate threat dealt with, you have time to more careful get established in the sewers. You can see that tunnels lead to the north, south, and east. Remembering the directions from Sascha to turn north, you head that way.

Ahead about 20' an opening appears on the east side. The bricks that once sealed off this area appear to have been removed long ago, leading to a natural cavern beyond. Garbage litters the cave floor, and the knee-deep pile writhes with worms, beetles, and other vermin. Fresher pieces of refuse lie on the top, largely untouched by the resident decomposers.

Ahead the sewer tunnel turns to the east, if you choose to continue in that direction.

Map is updated should you care to look at your environs. You can cross the stream out of rounds without needing a roll. Just assume you keep trying until you make it, so you can take positions on whichever side of the water suits you.

Wilen pauses at the opening at the east of the tunnel.

Eh? What's waiting in here to jump out at us?

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21