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"Looks like some Svirfneblin are fighting with RedCaps,I hope everyone can figure out which creature is which." he pauses glancing at each party member looking for signs of confusion before continuing. "The RedCaps are probably the aggressors seeings as their only goal in life is to make things bleed."
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"Me granny used to tell me stories about the faerie folk. I 'member her telling me and the other kids about these mean ole' buggers who wore hats they dipped in tha blooda der victims. I don't know if them gnome fellas are any good, but I got a feeling them fey folk ain't gonna wanna parley honest with us."
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Light Condition: Dim Light, Party Light (60ft)
Active Buffs: None
Active Penalties: None
Blue Red Cap(-0,Fine)
Red Red Cap(-0,Fine)
Gordy Grimes(-0,Fine)
Kipp(-0,Fine)
Witz(-0,Fine)
Rorik(-0,Fine)
Malsuza(-0,Fine)
Archer(-0,Fine)
Green Svirfneblin Ranger(-41,Unconcious, Dying)
Orange Svirfneblin Ranger(-20,Fine)
Purple Svirfneblin Ranger(-20,Fine)
Redcap
NE Small Fey
Like some miniscule, wicked old man, this snarling little humanoid wears metal boots and a blood-red pointed cap.
The Redcaps hear Kipp calling out a challenge to them, so they turn and face the Pathfinders. In spite of their iron boots, they are incredibly fast and move up to the party with ease. They swing their scythes at such great arcs that they intend to hit both of the kitsune with wide cleaves! Only Rorik gets hit, however.
What Happened
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Light Condition: Dim Light, Party Light (60ft)
Active Buffs: None
Active Penalties: None
Blue Red Cap(-15,Fine)
Red Red Cap(-0,Fine)
Gordy Grimes(-0,Fine)
Kipp(-0,Fine)
Witz(-0,Fine)
Rorik(-21,Fine)
Malsuza(-0,Fine)
Archer(-0,Fine)
Green Svirfneblin Ranger(-41,Unconcious, Dying)
Orange Svirfneblin Ranger(-20,Fine)
Purple Svirfneblin Ranger(-20,Fine)
The blue Red Cap swings at Gordy but misses entirely.
The Pathfinders notice their weaponry seem less efficient at hurting these creatures.
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Light Condition: Dim Light, Party Light (60ft)
Active Buffs: Bardic Performance Round 1
Active Penalties: None
Blue Red Cap(-15,Fine)
Red Red Cap(-22,Fine)
Gordy Grimes(-0,Fine)
Kipp(-0,Fine)
Witz(-0,Fine)
Rorik(-21,Fine)
Malsuza(-0,Fine)
Archer(-0,Fine)
Green Svirfneblin Ranger(-41,Unconcious, Dying)
Orange Svirfneblin Ranger(-20,Fine)
Purple Svirfneblin Ranger(-20,Fine)
Redcap
NE Small Fey
Like some miniscule, wicked old man, this snarling little humanoid wears metal boots and a blood-red pointed cap.
Archer's cold iron arrow seems to be particularly devastating to the red cap. It moves to make an attack against archer as part of a cleave, but the svirnefblin step up to help their new allies. They cast spells at the evil fey. Unfortunately for them, the redcap resist the effects and continue their assault.
The blue one swings his scythe into Gordy, while the red one attacks Kipp and cleaved towards Archer. Kipp takes.
You all notice it appears the redcaps are recovering from their wounds.
What Happened
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Light Condition: Dim Light, Party Light (60ft)
Active Buffs: Bardic Performance Round 1
Active Penalties: None
Blue Red Cap(-12,Fine)
Red Red Cap(-19,Fine)
Gordy Grimes(-0,Fine)
Kipp(-24,Fine)
Witz(-0,Fine)
Rorik(-21,Fine)
Malsuza(-0,Fine)
Archer(-0,Fine)
Green Svirfneblin Ranger(-41,Unconcious, Dying)
Orange Svirfneblin Ranger(-20,Fine)
Purple Svirfneblin Ranger(-20,Fine)
Both of the Svirfneblin tried to use Blindness on the redcaps.
Redcap
NE Small Fey
Like some miniscule, wicked old man, this snarling little humanoid wears metal boots and a blood-red pointed cap.
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Rorik secures the kill by impaling the blue red cap with his spear. It limply falls off Rorik's weapon, and the Svirfneblin rangers go back to their dying ally to try to resuscitate him, pouring potions of healing into the dying ally.
One of them returns to you and speaks in multiple languages, trying to see what you may know.
"Without your help, we would have surely been slaughtered. Thank you, but what brings you upworlders to the Darklands?"
"Bork!"
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Conversing with the Svirnefblin, you learn a few things of interest. Firstly they know of the dwarves who were taken away were taken by none other than the dread Zohir Totek of Karexin Tower. They offer to take you back to their village, Oremont, to rest and recoup for your journey. They will not, however, venture into Karexin Tower with you.
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Oremont is a small and well-hidden village that is home to the svirfneblin clan. The village is not easy to find, by design. Without a map or a guide, it blends in with the surrounding tunnels and caverns. Even with the knowledge of its existence, the village is hidden at the end of a maze of tunnels that seem to double back on themselves or lead back to the main tunnel.
Base Value 500 gp; Purchase Limit 2,500 gp; Spellcasting 3rd
It appears word of your heroic deeds has reached the village long before your arrival, as mutters of the band of adventurers who slew the foul redcaps is the most talked subject. They also appear to be cautious and leave wide open paths for you, but do not hide away.
You are taken to the home of an elderly deep gnome who goes by the name of Patamot. He has to be at least a century old, as his wrinkled face and long beard indicate years of wisdom and experience. Fortunately for you all, he appears to know common.
"I thank you for the rescue of my people on the outskirts. The dark fey folk that follow Zohir are a dangerous force to be reckoned with."
"That being said, I wish to tell you all of the foe you plan to face. I do not plan on stopping you, but you should know what you are getting yourself in. Long ago there was a struggle with the dark armies of undead when Karexin first arrived to the region, and our clan would have been wiped out if not for the exploits of some courageous Dwarves. Zohir Totek was his apprentice, and was spared during the first battle out of mercy."
"Unfortunately, mercy can lead to dark ambitions. Zohir returned fifty years ago, and when she did I ordered my clan to be more aggressive to prevent the same massacre of long ago. As such, we keep watch on her activity, and can confirm that she left the tower and has returned only several days ago. She currently has two apprentices; a vicious forlarren woman and a sycophantic pech. To her army is also a circle of dark fey and a horde of undead servants."
"We will trade with you and provide you with some provisions, but we cannot offer much beyond that. Our village is small and can only maintain itself for the harvest months. We will grant you a cave to rest in until you are ready to face Zohir and her forces."
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Dark stone monoliths hang from above, concealing small forms darting between the stalactites. Carrying the smell of molds and fungi, the air is cool and dry as it blows through the great rift in the stone. Spores from the phosphorescent molds swirl in the air before falling deeper into the crevasse.
The Karexin Tower juts from the ceiling of the cavern, over a thousand feet above the twisting affair of broken hills and deep bogs of waste. There are a few options to reaching the tower.
The Maw’s rough walls require successful DC 15 Climb checks to traverse, but hanging from or traveling along its ceiling 100 feet overhead requires successful DC 30 Climb checks. The ceiling is covered with large stalactites that may be navigated as if they were the cavern walls, and may even offer alcoves or flat surfaces where climbers may rest. Characters with climb speeds may traverse the walls and ceiling with little difficulty.
Creatures that can fly may navigate much of the Maw easily, and many of the creatures who call the cavern home can indeed fly. The larger stalactites— many the size of trees or small buildings—may present hazards for flying creatures traveling too close to the ceiling.
Your allies in the village let you know that many of Zohir’s visitors reach her tower via flying mounts, and the orphne maintains a stable of trained mobats at the northeastern edge of the Maw’s ledge.
The villagers of Oremont, the svirfneblin, wholly endorse this option for reaching the Tower as the safest and easiest, as the mobats’ blindsense allows them to navigate in the dim light of the cave even at high speeds.
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The svirfneblin let you know the location of the stables for where you will find the mobat mounts. They advice caution, as Zohir has recently added more guards to that location due to the svirfneblin raiding it. They lead you as far as they are willing without crossing into dangerous territory.
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A round structure of stacked logs and piled stone leads right up to the cliff’s edge, and extends several thick spars twenty feet out into the darkness. A trivial bit of red bunting decorates the exterior. The air reeks of ammonia. A heavy, bronze gong rests near the cliff’s edge.
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Gordy sneaks up ahead, and gets a head count on most visible enemies.
Three strange fey creatures that are small in height carry around weapons and tools meant for repairing equipment. A pack of flying riders on the back of stirges fly in every now and then to stock up on random objects and then return for another flight out. It seems the stirge riders are on a patrol that returns back to the stables frequently.
Quickling
CE Small Fey
This creature resembles a short and slight elf wearing drab clothes and a wicked grin. In a blink, the thing darts from sight.
Sprite Fighter
CN Diminutive Fey
This lithe, diminutive creature looks like a humanoid with wispy, mothlike wings and long, thin ears.
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Gordy carefully crawls back to the group to report.
"They're a couple a' wee little beasts there. I barely got a good look at em. I think they be more fey creatures, but not ones that I be familiar with. Some be flying on stirges, if that gives ye' idea of how little they be. The others are carrying around tools back n' forth. So I counted about six of them, excluding their mounts."
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Malsuza idly glopped around the deep gnome village as the party took their moment to rest. Doggoth had been getting really antsy since their arrival, and ran off out of the blue. Not wanting to let her companion get into trouble, Malsuza took the form of a half orc and began to search in earnest.
"Doggoth! Doooooggoth!" she called, but to no avail. Thankfully, it wasn't long before she found heavy paw prints in the ground, and she followed the trail with an exasperated sigh. She was prepared to find him gnawing on some poor gnome's lunch, or playing around with some frightened locals, or some other such mischief.
She was caught by surprise when she turned a corner to find a large, fleshy chrysalis wedged between two buildings. It was flexing and pulsing, anchored in place with a few tendrils of blackened ooze, with something inside pressing against the surface.
"D-doggoth....?" she trailed off, taking a cautious step forward. "Is that you in there?"
Malsuza pressed her cheek to the surface, listening for signs of her companion. As if sensing the outside presence, the creature within stirred and pressed back. She could feel something like Doggoth's nose press back against her, but something was off. This was much too large to be her companion.
Then, the chrysalis began to quiver as the beast inside struggled against it. The membrane stretched out as massive paw prints pressed against it from the inside, again and again, until it eventually gave way. Dripping wet and covered with eyes, the black, furry head of Doggoth broke through, the breach widening as he wriggled free of the now collapsing encasement.
Malsuza had to crane her head up to look at her companion. The aberrant wolf stood as tall as a horse, his powerful form flexing and twisting as he shook himself free of the excess mutagenic slime of his metamorphosis. His fur, black and oily, shifted and writhed from the muscles moving beneath his skin. Over a dozen eyes across his head all fixated on his mistress, blinking out of sync from one another.
"BORK!"
Malsuza cried out in joy and embraced her companion. The next time the party would see her, it would be proudly riding atop the towering canine.
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Gordy blinks in surprise when he sees the suddenly embiggened Doggoth.
"Hmmmm... Can't say I'm surprised. No good is gonna come outta being underground so long. I been going through some changes me self."
Gordy gestures to a pile of pebbles near his feet. The pebbles begin to shake, slowly drifting towards towards him.
"I can't go anywhere without rocks following me and dirt sticking to me. It ain't natural," Gordy mutters, clearly perturbed.
"So, seems safe enough, I guess."
"The fey are little, but I wouldn't underestimate 'em. Wee folk can be nasty. The ones on the stirges be sprites; but the others doing the work be called quicklings. Don't know much about them, except they're known for fer moving faster n' the eye can see. Why folks call dem quicklings, I bet."
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Gordy realizes that these sprites are actually stronger than a standard kind. The typical sprite already has abilities to cast Detect Evil, Detect Good, Dancing Lights, Daze, and Color spray. They also have resistance to damage that is not from Cold Iron. These sprites, however, look somewhat skilled and ready for combat.
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"Gordy, Erastil often guides my shots, with his divine favor, if that is what you mean." explains Archer. "Additionally, he does grant me several spells, though I typically don't pray for the spell bless, though I have been granted a casting of invisibility purge, which will be of use if such creatures attack us.
"However, we are here to hire flying steeds, so I would not expect a fight."
Archer looks again to see where the merchant that would rent them flying steeds is.
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In response to Gordys question Rorik says "Bless is the best your gonna get from me."
He then looks to Archer"Basically, just pretend they're Duergar you had no problem slaughtering them."
Then Rorik takes hold of one of the three femurs tied securely to the armor along his left leg. He murmurs a quiet prayer causing the bone to begin shaking fiercely until it burst free from its bonds to hover protectively near his left shoulder
"Now unless anyone needs to prepare, We've spent enough time chatting. lets get down to business."