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"Before we go out, lets figure how we are going to get back in? The simplest way I can think of is if one person is invisible and walks right in with the rest of us causing a distraction. Another is to climb over the wall, but there is more risk by being seen. Anyone else have an idea?" He says as he leans on his greataxe.
"I have some gold to pitch in if we need to buy something."
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Khargrom shrugs, "well we could disguise it or hide it really good. Or lie or smoothtalk or bribe our way through. I can't afford a potion of that magnitude and frankly I don't think the guards care enough that a bribe wouldn't be a lot cheaper. Not my favorite thing to do to work for this Torch guy, but we gotta do the mission or I expect he'll end up selling the information to someone a lot worse. I'd just vote that we take our time and hide the stuff."
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Khargrom waits for the dwarf to get to the bottom, then slowly and carefully follows her down the rope. At the bottom, he tries to quietly scout a bit forward (10-15 ft) to leave space for their allies to get down as well. He watches for traps and other dangers while moving as quietly as possible.
(Traps +1, Stonework +2, Stonetraps +3)
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With no real plan to get back in Bossk shrugs his shoulders. He knows if things get in to too much trouble he does not have to out run the trouble just the dwarfs, and they got stubby legs.
Look down the well he watches as others make there way down before he fallows.
At the bottom he takes a good look around and gets quietly gets behind Khargeom.
You all are able to climb down the rope put out by Shukara which makes the 30' descent into the water fairly easy. Those of you with darkvision are able to see that the water leads into a hole in the wall that you can follow. If you don't have Darkvision, please post how you are dealing with the dark (i.e. light spell or torch).
About 2 feet of sediment-laden water occupies the bottom of the well, obscuring a submerged horizontal shaft large enough for a Medium creature to crawl through.
The bottom of the well is very cramped at 5' so you have to move into the hole and follow the water a bit just so everyone else can squeeze in. You see that the hole leads to an underground room with a leaking pool of water.
A dark pool fills the center of this vast chamber spilling out of its cracked basin. The trickle of water flows west through a short tunnel of rough-hewn stone and pools at the bottom of a collapsed well. Alcoves set in the walls give the illusion of staring at the flared hood of a cobra. Two altars face each other across the pool in the chamber’s northwest andsoutheast corners. A statue of a robed human male stands in the northeast corner, and what must have been its twin lies toppled in the southwest corner.
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Anthony nods towards Ray after he conjures a light source. "Much appreciated, friend."
Then, he nods to Shukara. "It's good to travel with well-learned Pathfinders. We should share stories after this little endeavor. Compare teachings. Stances. Maybe learn a thing or two."
The martial artist reaches into his robes and draws a oak wood wand, tapping himself on the chest with its glowing tip. An aura of visible magic shimmers on him for half of a second before fading from sight.
"For example," he says with a grin, "enhancing your defensive stance with a magical aura. Care to partake?"
After you all descended the well and crawled through the water and muck to enter the underground path, you notice that it is really dark. Ray your dancing lights hardly seem to work in here. They are on the map, move them around where you want.
You move further into the room.
(darkvision, scent when raging)
(darkvision, +1 traps, +2 stonework, +3 stonetraps)
(darkvision)
Nobody does anything, stunned into silence listening to the trickling water in the dark, feeling like they are in a sensory deprivation chamber. Thus you are all surprised except Ray.
Round 0 SurpriseKhargrom - dmg;
Ray - dmg;
Shukara - dmg;
Anthony - dmg; Mage Armor
GM
Bossk - dmg;
Ephram - dmg;Bold may act.
Ray decides to do nothing and delays.
GM 1 red moves out from behind the alter and moves right up to Shukara and lashes out.
miss
GM 2 green those of you with darkvision see something emerge from behind the far alter and comes right for you.
Round 1Khargrom - dmg;
Ray - dmg;
Shukara - dmg;
Anthony - dmg; Mage Armor
GM 1 red - dmg;
GM 2 green - dmg;
Bossk - dmg;
Ephram - dmg;Bold may act.
Khargrom lands a solid hit with his hammer as the "animal" hisses at him in irritation.
Round 1Khargrom - dmg;
Ray - dmg;
Shukara - dmg;
Anthony - dmg; Mage Armor
GM 1 red 9 dmg;
GM 2 green - dmg;
Bossk - dmg;
Ephram - dmg;Bold may act.
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Ray directs his lights to get closer to the animal, to see if even the limited light can give anyone a clue. Then he points a finger at the green one and shouts "Pzzzt!"
A coruscating ray springs from your hand. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target. The subject takes a penalty to Strength equal to 1d6+1 per two caster levels (maximum 1d6+5). The subject’s Strength score cannot drop below 1. A successful Fortitude save reduces this penalty by half. This penalty does not stack with itself. Apply the highest penalty instead.
Ray moves his lights into place as the "animals" hiss irritably. Everyone can clearly see them now. As he casts a spell at the "animal" it attempts to shrug off the influence successfully and only takes half the damage.
Shukara flails about while trying to maintain eye contact with the "animal's" eyes.
Anthony Delays
"animal" red annoyed at getting whacked by Khargrom hammer, lashes out at him.
miss
"animal" green moves closer to annoying snack sized light controller and spell flinger and tries to bite Ray.
miss
Round 1Khargrom - dmg;
Ray - dmg;
Shukara - dmg;
Anthony - dmg; Mage Armor Delayed
"animal" red 9 dmg;
"animal" green - dmg; Strength damage -2;
Bossk - dmg;
Ephram - dmg;Bold may act.
Bossk gets angry and cleaves the "animal" so hard it splits in multiple pieces and blood and guts go flying everywhere covering him. Ray and Anthony are also covered in a fine red mist of "animal" blood which barely misses Ephram. He made a pretty big mess on the floor, the walls, the ceiling, and in the pool. Even the dancing lights seemed like they got a little bit more redish.
Round 1Anthony - dmg; Mage Armor Delayed
Ephram - dmg;Round 2
Khargrom - dmg;
Ray - dmg;
Shukara - dmg;
Anthony - dmg; Mage Armor Delayed
"animal" red 9 dmg;
"animal" green14 dmg; Strength damage -2;Bold may act.
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Anthony frowns at the red mist covering his body. It was such a surprisingly gory display, it threw him off balance!
But he gets his head back in the game soon enough. Catching sight of the other creature, he rushes over to engage it in melee. Brushing past Shukara, he tumbles along the enemy's side to line up a strike!
Anthony moves and tumbles around to the other side of the pool while leaving bloody footprints everywhere he goes just to get close to the "animal" and gives is a little tap which connects.
Ray fires into combat with soft cover and barely hits his mark but manages to take down the "animal" as it lets out a final hiss in frustration.
Combat over.
(darkvision, scent when raging)
(darkvision, +1 traps, +2 stonework, +3 stonetraps)
(darkvision)
Feel free to roll for all of the above (except the perception which is done already).
The abnormal darkness continues to shroud the area but none of you know how to deal with it.
What do you do next?
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Ray is too distracted by the blood on his clothes to pay too much attention to what is going on around him. But once everyone starts taking interest in what was found, he joins in to offer his "expert" opinions. He does, at least, know how to read magic, so he does describe the clay tablet.
"Not exactly the easiest way to carry a spell, but this tablet has spells for deathwatch and false life. I am not really sure what they are, but I think I can cast them off this tablet if you like."
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Khargrom searches the room after the snakes have been dispatched. At about the same time as Shukara and Ephram, he locates the hidden cache of items. Making sure they aren't trapped, he removes each and shows them to the group.
(+2 from Greed)
He shrugs as he does so, "Ah good, at least you know what some of it is. Anyone have clues as to the mask and snake? I'm guessing the wooden snake is the 'rod' our temporary boss wants."
Nobody is able to correctly identity the mask or stick, thus you don't think they are anything special.
You gather up your things and head back out through the well using the rope you placed earlier. Your travel back to Eto is uneventful and you join the familiar queue of travelers entering the city and awaiting their inspections. In the distance in you see your friendly customs agent Mahu.
You have a couple of minutes to prepare for your inspection while you wait in the queue.
What do you do?
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Anthony lets out a sigh and uses prestidigitation to clean himself off, offering the same service to his companions. He also takes a moment to reflect on their previous discoveries.
"Is there a way around them, perhaps?" Anthony shrugs, attempting to speak discreetly. "Over a wall, or even though it if we can find some sort of smuggler's tunnel?"
Khargrom there is no taking a 20 on something that can fail so spectacularly.
You've all had a chance to figure out your strategy. You see the high walls but don't really know how to get over them without being noticed. You don't recall any kind of smuggler tunnels in the area. You do see Mahu on duty and checking the travelers in the group ahead of you. As you approach the check point, Khargrom hides away the items in his fantastic beard that he has untied just for this occasion.
As Mahu approaches your group, you greet him and ask him for a favor that might get him in trouble, "don't bother checking our things we were just here earlier".
That doesn't seem to work but he does attempt to expedite your check with cursory glance at your things because he did just check you earlier in the day.
He doesn't find them and thanks you and ushers you on your way through the Sunrise Gate.
Now that you are back in the city of Eto, you can continue with your task list.
You can choose task: 1, 3, or 4. First one to three votes wins.
You head to the Eto Bazaar.
The sprawling bazaar at the heart of Eto is a riot of colorful tents, ramshackle stalls, and haphazardly parked carts and wagons surrounding the only permanent structure, the tall stone Government House home of the governor Asep Ma. With an influx of foreign explorers fueling economic growth, the city’s merchants, laborers, and artisans can provide nearly everything an adventurer could need for exploring lost ruins and tombs. Nothing in the bazaar comes without a price, though, and the Eto’s inhabitants are renowned for their ability to haggle. During the day, buyers and sellers pack this busy public area, crowding the narrow pathways between shops.
You can purchase any mundane equipment here but as you browse you also pick up some rumors.
You continue through the Bazaar over to the Caravanserai.
More than a dozen camels are tethered outside a large pavilion tent while a score of porters pack supplies for what looks to be a grand archeological expedition. Crates of tools, coils of rope, and sacks of dried food lie in piles waiting to divided up among the beasts of burden. Within the sumptuously appointed pavilion, stacks of scrolls and hand-drawn maps lie strewn across a canopied bed. A tall, dark haired northerner with a thick eastern accent and persistent scowl supervises the storm of activity while checking over an inventory scrawled in a well-worn ledger. “Where are those amphorae of water? This expedition won’t last a week in the Pillars of the Sun without water!”
What do you do?
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Khargrom shares his knowledge, "I don't know much about our current mark, but I doubt it is as easy as just putting a book on a cart. Maybe we'll have to convince the guy to take the book? He's an academic, so should be smart. But if lucky maybe he won't have common sense and we can just sell the book to him."
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Walking to the bazaar. "Khargrom, if we keep this Lozar ocupied. Do you think you can slip the book onboard? I don't think it's a book he wants or Master Torch would have just send flunkies to drop it off."
Asking around about the Bazaar and Lozar. "It appears that Lozar has a dislike for elves, and the normal thieves are not around as norma.l"
At the caravan’s marshaling area.
"You seem to have problems with your hired help. You need a hand?"
As Bossk leads the group to the marshaling area, you see a man brimming with nervous energy that rarely steps away from the tent that shelters his supplies. Bossk distracts Lozar while Khargrom attempts to sneak around the back using the distraction to his advantage.
Bossk breaks the ice and asks if he can help.
He seems unfriendly and declines your offer while asking you to leave him alone and get away from his caravan.
Meanwhile Khargrom successfully sneaks around the tent without anyone noticing (DC20) and attempts to place the book among the belongings.
vs. Success.
With some teamwork you are able to complete the current task and you can continue with your task list.
You can choose task: 3 or 4. First one to three votes wins.