Leaping over the closest troll, the elven woman draws her rapier and tries to skewer it through the leg.
for and
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Farryn backs off, then immolates the tougher-looking troll, who barely seems to notice.
Red, however, looks like it didn't enjoy that.
Merisiel tumbles between Purple's legs, then skewers it.
Hannah delivers a solid blow to the tougher-looking troll, who still doesn't look particularly injured...
Dranald slowly, but carefully, backs away.
Jasariel skewers Purple, then tries to cast a spell...
...provoking four AoOs. Fortunately, only one hits, but it causes her to lose the spell.
Ukh then throws a bomb at the tougher troll, which is starting to look a little scorched...
The big troll Steps forward, and tries to hack Dranald apart...
...but misses.
The other four trolls focus upon Jasariel...
Red and Yellow hack her up pretty badly...
Purple then drops Merisiel with a pair of well-placed hits...
...then Cyan strides forward, taking a hit from Hannah, and buries a hatchet in Dranald, dropping him.
Meanwhile, the big troll (much to its relief) stops burning.
FTH (-87)
FT (-14, -, -19, -17)
Farryn (-15)
Hannah (-)
Ukh (-)
Jasariel (-58; Unconscious; Dying 1)
Merisiel (-33; Unconscious; Dying 1)
Dranald (-64; Unconscious; Dying 1)
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Trying to do his best to get an ally up and somehow also do damage, Farryn moves over near a downed ally. He quickly bandages Jasariel before lobbing another explosive flask towards a couple trolls.
for on a hit and adds 2 Persistent Fire. A miss does 4 Fire Splash. Red also takes 4 Fire Splash on a hit or miss.
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Hannah attempts to incapacitate the black-skinned troll...
+1 Striking Ghost Touch Halberd :
... before taking a Guarded Step next to Dranald and touching him with her gloves:
And if an AoO presents itself:
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(The tougher-looking troll completely ignores the sound-burst, whilst the other two in the blast take full damage.)
Farryn Strides over to assist Jasariel, provoking AoOs from half the trolls...
...and is promptly dropped.
Hannah takes a weak swing at the tougher-looking troll (missing), then Steps across, and pumps healing energy into Dranald, who is then able to retreat.
FTH (-87)
FT (-36, -7, -19, -17)
Hannah (-)
Ukh (-)
Jasariel (-58; Unconscious; Dying 1)
Merisiel (-33; Unconscious; Dying 1)
Dranald (-48; Wounded 1)
Farryn (-42; Unconscious; Dying 2)
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Ukh throws a flurry of bombs, hitting the tougher troll once, and splashing it once.
Consequently, both the unbordered troll, and Red, and starting to look beaten-up.
Jasariel stabilises.
Merisiel slips closer to death.
The Unbordered troll, starting to get a little desperate, goes to town on Hannah...
...hitting once.
The others then swarm forward (Yellow taking a hit from Hannah in the process, although its wounds continue to heal)...
Red and Yellow each get in an extremely painful-looking hit...
Purple, capitalising upon its flank, then slices and dices her, leaving her barely conscious...
...and then Cyan drops her, but is unable to follow-up with a hit upon Ukh.
Meanwhile, once again, the Unbordered troll's flames go out.
FTH (-122)
FT (-60, -17, -4, -2)
Ukh (-)
Jasariel (-58; Unconscious; Wounded 1)
Merisiel (-33; Unconscious; Dying 2)
Dranald (-48; Wounded 1)
Farryn (-42; Unconscious; Dying 2)
Hannah (-92; Unconscious; Dying 1)
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When Ukh starts throwing bombs, he is slashed by four coordinated hatchet attacks, dropping him (thanks to flanks).
Dranald frantically pours healing energy into Hannah, waking her up.
FTH (-122)
FT (-60, -17, -4, -2)
Jasariel (-58; Unconscious; Wounded 1)
Merisiel (-33; Unconscious; Dying 2)
Dranald (-48; Wounded 1)
Farryn (-42; Unconscious; Dying 2)
Hannah (-50; Wounded 1)
Ukh (-65; Unconscious; Dying 1)
Shakily climbing to her feet, Merisiel tugs out a potion and downs it.
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Hannah's words filter slowly into Jasariel's brain as she regains consciousness, until a sudden realization of her predicament firmly restores her awareness. After a moment's hesitation she decides to follow Hannah's command, at least until she's out of the trolls' reach.
Raising her shield against a potential strike from the troll who didn't contribute to Ukh's fall, Jasariel staggers to her feet and then retreats.
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Farryn lays there looking up at the towering form above him, ”Frack they hit hard. So... you want us to stand up and run, letting them hit us again? Yeah no thanks commander, I’m going out in a blaze of glory not running away.”
He focuses his mind and zaps two of the Ogres, if reprisal doesn’t come, he staggers to his feet, ”Bring It!”
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Jasariel raises her shield, then tries to stand and stagger away...
...but is immediately dropped by the AoO from Red, after it carves through her shield.
Merisiel stands, draws a potion, and hurriedly downs it; she feels much better afterwards.
Farryn zaps Unbordered and Red, then stands...
Seeing that the fire-thrower is conscious again, the tougher-looking troll goes to town on Ukh...
...who manages to dodge all but the last swing.
Red drops Farryn again, then turns its attention to Hannah, but she manages to dodge both swings.
Yellow only manages to get in a single hit...
Thanks to the flank from the tougher troll, Purple gets in two strikes on Hannah, leaving her barely conscious...
Cyan the viciously hacks away at her with a hatchet, dropping her in a bloody heap, before Striding over, and nearly eviscerating Dranald.
FTH (-105)
FT (-47, -, -, -)
Merisiel (-11; Wounded 1)
Jasariel (-58; Unconscious; Dying 2; Wounded 1; Shield -6)
Dranald (-46; Unconscious; Dying 3; Wounded 1)
Farryn (-42; Unconscious; Dying 2; Wounded 1)
Hannah (-92; Unconscious; Dying 2; Wounded 1)
Ukh (-65; Unconscious; Dying 2; Wounded 1)
Nodding to Farryn, the woman prepares to charge in...but seeing her companions each drop, she changes tactics.
Pulling another lesser healing vial from her pack, she moves to Jasariel's side and feeds it to her.
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Unfortunately, although Jasariel's attempt to play possum fools the 'regular' trolls, the tougher-looking one sees right through her.
It then moves over, and starts swinging...
...incredibly, she dodges its first swing, but the second drops her back into unconsciousness.
Red and Yellow Step to threaten Merisiel, whilst Purple strides twice in order to do the same.
...however, the first swing is enough to drop her, leaving her severely wounded.
With all of their current targets down, the trolls move on, looking for fresh meat in the giant swirling melee that is going on within the town.
The party is woken up be medics after the battle is over; you have, apparently, been amid the lucky ones; the death toll has been catastrophic. Nevertheless, the people of Port Valen have ultimately emerged victorious!
You catch a glimpse of Sveinn Blood-Eagle and his men charging toward the forested horizon. A lumbering frost giant swings it’s massive hammer at Sveinn, and the former Linnorm King of Kalsgard interposes his shield. The steel-shod timber cracks with a sound that rolls across the battlefield, and without missing a beat, the century-old Ulfen casts the shards aside, hurls his axe at the giant’s groin, and whips the mighty hand-and-a-half sword strapped to his back free of its scabbard just in time to deflect a claw slash from a vicious frost troll. As the mighty king disappears from sight, the echoes of his song, a funeral dirge for himself and his men sung in ancient Skald, the echoes drowning out the last feeble gasps of the monsters he and his men have slain.
Rahahksenwe and Mayor Bloodfang approach you. Though they each show the signs of battle with their broken weapons and blood-stained clothes, the pair thank you for your assistance, noting that the death-toll would undoubtedly have been even higher without your self-sacrifice.
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Ambrus Valsin leans forward, carefully placing his elbows between papers piled atop the desk. “For an organization as far-reaching as the Pathfinder Society, alliances are common, but true allies are rare. Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng asserts that a kobold tribe known as the Sewer Dragons are among our greatest allies. He inducted a number of them into the Lodge as Pathfinders and sponsored the training of a great deal more.
A few weeks ago, a clockwork drill dug its way deep underground from the city streets, passing right through the Sewer Dragons’ territory and releasing beasts from below. There were casualties, but with our help, the Sewer Dragons survived intact. Their home didn’t.
Dreng’s been helping the Sewer Dragons relocate. He was scheduled to meet with them this morning, but he never showed. While the Sewer Dragons were waiting, they witnessed a battle between two figures. Apparently, the combatants were so powerful, the kobolds just stared in shock. The fight ended with the figures merging into one cloaked being with a gleaming red eye. Then the merged figure vanished.
Dreng hasn’t turned up, the kobolds are spooked, and this merged figure makes me nervous. I’m sending you to meet with the Sewer Dragons. They’ll guide you to the meeting site where the figures fought. Investigate the site and follow up on any leads you uncover. Find out everything you can about this merged figure—and speaking of leads, the figure dropped this bag as they fled. What do you make of its contents?”
Ambrus shoves aside a pile of papers he was sifting through and passes a small leather bag containing a coin and a badge. The coin is heavy and unevenly minted. One side depicts a lightning bolt piercing a storm cloud, while the other depicts an angular rune. The badge is easily recognizable as a badge of Absalom’s city guard, with the words Sleepless Suns engraved in the side.
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The gnome idly weaves a new string of colorful beads into his fantastic beard.
"A clockwork drill, you say? Sounds like a gnomish invention. And this one admits, kobolds are usually no friends to gnomes. Still. If this Dreng trusts them, they must be trustworthy. What do we know about this Dreng? Where does he want to relocate the ugly little lizards?"
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Papa recognises the storm cloud and rune as symbols of Urxehl, demon lord of catastrophe and natural disasters and creator of the first trolls.
He doesn't know anything about the badge.
Regarding the badge, Ambrus fills in some details:
“The Sleepless Suns are the guard force of the Foreign Quarter, led by Shristi Melipdra. They embrace cultural diversity and personal individuality and number among the most respected and prestigious precincts in Absalom. Many members compete in the Irorium, a famous combat arena in the Foreign Quarter.
When you’re done in the sewers, come back to the Foreign Quarter and visit Shristi Melipdra of the Sleepless Suns. See if he can offer you some insight. Understood?”
Ambrus then nods to Papa.
“Drandle is the liaison between the Sewer Dragons and the Society, so I doubt he’d intentionally cause them trouble. That said, it’s not unheard of for him to vanish for a time or get lost in an investigation.” Ambrus gestures at the papers he’d earlier shoved aside. “I’m combing through his office for any signs that what he was digging into might be dangerous, and other Pathfinders are checking places he might turn up. We’re not sure a rescue mission’s a necessity, but if it is, it’ll be a job for more experienced agents. You’re not ready to face the kind of threats that could take down Drandle Dreng.”
To reach the Sewer Dragons, you descend into Absalom’s sewers through a well-used sewer grate outside the Grand Lodge. From here, it’s a 15-minute journey to Sewer Dragons territory.
The sewers are crisscrossed by abandoned catacombs, handmade tunnels, and smuggler’s caches, making Absalom’s underground a twisting maze. Navigating this complex network typically requires great skill or an experienced guide, but the route from the Grand Lodge to the Sewer Dragons is well-labeled and free of danger.
The entire area is dark, illuminated by only rare slivers of light creeping in via sewer grates and drainage channels. Most tunnels are 10 feet tall, with 5-footwide walkways on both sides of the 5-foot-wide central sewage channel, though the path is interspersed with narrow, rough-hewn passages cut through the walls. The stench of sewage is overwhelming.
As you enter Sewer Dragon territory, a drill-bored tunnel pierces the ceiling and floor, funneling sewage deep underground. Heaps of rubble from recent collapses partially block the path, and newly erected wooden supports in weakened sections prevent further cave-ins. Despite the mess, it’s obvious the kobolds have worked to clear a path through the rubble. From here, it takes only a few minutes to reach the Sewer Dragons’ base of operations.
Kobolds bustle by, clearing away rocks and hauling debris and broken belongings into a pile. Some kobolds pick through this refuse, repurposing and repairing what they can, while others erect wooden supports and scaffolding. A blue-scaled kobold, Dragon-Speaker Engashez, stands onstage, surrounded by kobold youths. Engashez beats a drum and regales the children with tales of the hardships the Sewer Dragons have faced and their triumphs over such adversity.
As you enter the Sewer Dragons’ home, kobolds point and chatter. A moment later, the blue-scaled kobold pounds their drum, proclaiming in draconic “Pathfinders! Alert Chief Yiddlepode!” Drawn by the commotion, a trio of kobolds arrive from a side tunnel. These kobolds are Chief Yiddlepode, a green-scaled kobold with a fine blue cloak; Trapmaster Tok, a copper-scaled alchemist and brother of Chief Yiddlepode; and Pethjun, a white-scaled kobold with a gem-encrusted metal circlet, gleaming rapier, and bombastic attitude. As the trio approach you, the surrounding kobolds return to their duties.
“Greetings, Pathfinders,” Chief Yiddlepode remarks with an incline of her head and a flourish of her fine cloak. “You see our sorrow? The glorious lair of the Sewer Dragons is no more.”
Trapmaster Tok nods. “We could rebuild, but that cursed drill rendered this entire region unstable. We must start fresh elsewhere.”
“Plans are already in motion, brother. One of many reasons why Drandle’s disappearance is so disheartening,” Chief Yiddlepode replies, before turning to you. “But you’ve come to see the meeting site, yes? Ambrus said he would send a team to investigate. I’ll guide you to the place we were to meet Drandle Dreng. Perhaps you’ll find clues that we missed.”
Turning to the assembled kobolds, Chief Yiddlepode announces, “Pethjun, with me—bring a platoon of your warriors. Trapmaster Tok, you’re in charge until I return. Be safe, brother.”
A dozen kobold warriors eagerly gather behind Pethjun, regarding her with awe. At her command, the kobolds lead the way through the sewer. It’s a 10-minute walk from here to the meeting site, through dark, stinky tunnels. Halfway through the journey, the destruction wreaked by the clockwork drill subsides and signs of collapse and instability grow rarer.
Chief Yiddlepode asks Papa:
“I suspect Ambrus is more worried over a new enemy than the disappearance of our mutual friend. Tell me, what is your mission?”
A little later, Pethjun has her own question:
“Many of our tribe’s young ones have joined the Pathfinder Society. It’s Chief Yiddlepode’s hope that they’ll benefit from a surface education, as she and her brother have done. Have you seen my kin in your Lodge? Have you worked with them? How do they fare in the field?”
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A half-orc stands quietly in the corner of the room as the briefing starts. They stare daggers at each pathfinder that enters, but don't speak other than with a simple neutral introduction of themselves, "Fairmount is my name."
They activate a wayfinder when entering the darkness of the sewers, bringing forth a light source to navigate the path. A simple 'this way' at each intersection is about all you get.
Answering the second question, "I trained with two kobolds, though I do not know how they have done on the job."
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"Have you worked with them? How do they fare in the field?”
"This one has worked with a chatty kobold. Always strategizing. As though the world were a completed puzzle that needed to be dismantled. Very useful in dismantling a creature with a bounty on its head."
"Tell me, what is your mission?”
Papa Svirf grumbles a bit, but answers directly, "Your tribe is our ally, and this one has no reason to lie. We are to see your new home, since the Dreng is not to be found. And we are curious about a recent fight you observed. Tell us about it. The one between shapeshifters."
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Upon hearing that you aren't here to find Dreng, Yiddlepode grimaces.
“As I suspected.”
“I wondered when you’d ask about that,” Chief Yiddlepode replies to Papa's question.
“Drandle Dreng is helping us relocate to a new territory in the sewers. We waited at the appointed meeting place, as scheduled, but he never arrived. Drandle wouldn’t miss a meeting. And yet....” She lets out a low hiss. “While we waited—Pethjun, Trapmaster Tok, and I—we witnessed a strange pinpoint of black energy. It lasted a moment, then flared with an eldritch pulse that cast a pair of battling figures into the room. The figures fought furiously; had we interfered, we would’ve been killed. Of this I have no doubt.
The figures grappled, then merged. They became one form—a form with a hooded cloak and a gleaming red eye visible within. They retreated in another swirl of black energy, but as they fled, they dropped a small bag. We gave that bag over to Ambrus Valsin.”
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"Pleasure." replies Gedrim to the half-orc. "I am called Gedrim."
As they travel the sewers, he glances towards the newcomer a few times. 'Talkative one he is...curious. Curious indeed. I do hope he proves useful in a fight.'
"The bag was supplied to us at the briefing." states the half-elf dismissively. "Any inkling as to what type of creatures you saw doing battle."
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Yiddlepode shrugs.
“I wish I could tell you. The encounter lasted a few seconds and none of us got a clear view of the combatants or the merged figure. All three were humanoid and cloaked. One of the combatants and the merged figure were the size of a human. The second combatant was the size of an otyugh. The merged figure had a single glowing red eye in the center of its head and a powerful presence that made it feel.... more, somehow. The combatants brought with them the scent of fire and flesh. More, I can’t say.”
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Upon hearing that you aren't here to find Dreng, Yiddlepode grimaces.“As I suspected.”
The gnome grumbles dourly again, "This one has never met the Dreng. We are told he is capable, in case these inky figures accosted him. We are to proceed helping our allies, as the matter of your new home is the imperative."
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The dwarf strokes his beard. A lot was already said when he begins to think about the new mission. The good point was that they are going underground in his favorite terrain. But the mystery about what happened stay almost intact for now.
Once they reach the meeting point where Dreng was supposed to come he tries to find out some clues.
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The human sorcerer in studded leather armor follows the party to the sewers. Sometimes he talks a bit with the kobolds. So he can show them that he can speak their language.
And what can you say about what happened before the scene you described? Is there something what occurred? And what did you do right after the scene? You simply took the bag and left?
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"As I said - we were simply waiting for Dreng. Until that happened, nothing unusual occurred. Once they disappeared, we waited a little longer, then left."
When the conversation winds down, Pethjun announces the group’s arrival at the meeting site. The kobolds wait in the sewer tunnel, which is 15 feet wide, roughly hewn, and flooded with one foot of sewage. Three passages branch off this tunnel, but the kobolds direct the party to its end, where a large hole in the wall set two feet above the sewage acts as an entrance into a raised stone chamber.
The chamber is dark and dry, with coarse masonry walls, a 15-foot-tall ceiling and a filthy fitted stone floor. Two wide and two narrow hallways exit this chamber, one of each in both the southeast and southwest corners of the room. A few crumbling stone pillars carved to depict flames still stand in the northern corners. Whatever the ancient room’s original purpose, it’s long fallen to disuse.
“Undead!” Pethjun yips from the sewer tunnels. “Weapons up, Sewer Dragons!” The daring kobold brandishes her rapier and dashes down a side tunnel.
“Follow her,” Chief Yiddlepode commands her kobold warriors. As she speaks, two charred humanoid corpses nearly ten feet tall shambles into the meeting site from the southwest hall. Their large central eyes are completely aflame, casting flickering red light and the sizzling sound of burning flesh throughout the chamber. The corpses lurches forward, large spiked clubs clutched in their hands.
“We’ve enemies of our own out here, Pathfinders!” Chief Yiddlepode exclaims. “You handle those brutes and we’ll tackle the creatures out here. Be safe.”
Both undead lurch forward slowly, moving to engage the party's front rank!
FCZ (-, -)
Dran'Thil (-)
Gedrim (-)
Papa (-)
Garad (-)
Fairmount (-)
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Dran'Thil draws his bastard sword, and delivers a solid hit to Red, discovering that his slashing weapon is remarkably effective.
Gedrim isn't sure precisely what these undead are, but suspects that they are some variant of zombie .
Nevertheless, he still tries to electrocute them...
...and is rewarded with the smell of sizzling flesh.
Papa prepares to be hit.
Garad fires off a blast of cold, flash-freezing Red.
Fairmount then moves around, and tosses a flask of holy water, which damages both undead, as expected, although they are clearly not weak to it.
Red starts swinging at Papa...
...but misses.
Cyan then takes a clumsy swipe at Garad, which is easily dodged.
FCZ (-35, -10)
Dran'Thil (-)
Gedrim (-)
Papa (-)
Garad (-)
Fairmount (-)