"We might want to try finding the clock tower sooner rather than later," Loth muses. "Once the cult finds out one of their spots was compromised, they might abandon their safehouses to lay low for a bit."
So, to Underbridge.
As you all move away from the Bazaar of Sails, heading along the waterfront, merchant docks turn into fishing docks. Those give way to dilapidated piers fronted by shoddy warehouses. Close to noon, you pass into the shadow of the bridge, where no one keeps their goods stored. Industry gives way to poverty, ramshackle houses and teetering tenements. Not a building goes by that doesn't have at least one hole in a wall, roof, or both. The people here are lean, quiet, and eye you with suspicion. More than one obvious pick-pocket starts to approach before getting wise that you're as heavily armed as a city watch patrol.
Zenaida and Quinn both know of the clock tower in question, but Loth knows where it is. You continue to move swiftly through the slums of the city, the streets realitevly empty and quiet. You pass an old church of Sarenrae, the roof completely caved in, and a few drug dens disguised as taverns. Right in the center of this section of the city, furthest from any potential sunlight, lies the clock tower know to the locals as "The Shadow Clock".
The area around the clock tower is open, a town square of sorts, and the buildings closest to the tower are abandonded, likely in fear that the tower will collapse and crush them.
What do you do?
Loth looks the place over and narrows his eyes. "Gods, this place is a lot taller than I expected. And crumbling." He frowns. "If the cult really has been using this as a hideout, then it should be safe to enter, I suppose. Though I hope it'll be able to withstand it if a fight breaks out..."
If it's their base then they'll have defenses. it likely won't be safe Alain Comments from a military perspective, expect Magical traps or worse
The kobold looks at the building and shrugs, trying to appear disinterested, "Tarphrex think bad idea to stand and look at falling-down tall-building. Know we watch if stand we in the open. We move to another falling-down building to watch, see bad men come and go before make plan."
"A good idea, Tarphrex. If we can see what entrance the cultists are using, it may lead us to a safe path." Zenaida has already experienced the dubious pleasure of falling through a rotten floor. She's not eager to go through that again.
how old is the tower? Is it possible it has a sewer or underground entrance of sorts?
Sherman looks up at the clock face. "At least it's correct twice a day..." he shrugs.
He considers what is being discussed. "While it's true we might not want to stay out here for too long, I wonder what we will gain by watching the entrance. We might see someone going in, or if they use another entrance then we don't."
After all, they spent the last day on a stakeout on the sawmill, and did they gain anything particularly useful from that.
”Watch, not watch, but not stare in street like bored mule. We can plan with watch, we can plan with not-watch.”
You all find a near-by abandonded building to watch the entrance, rotting furniture and creaky floors covered in dust. It is difficult to keep track of time in the perpetual twilight of Underbridge. The lack of residents doesn't even give clues like "lots of people going home, must be quitting time".
Loth sneaks out to circle the plaza sneakily; there is another "entrance", a hole in the wall where a door once was lets out onto a scaffolding and a crude set of stairs that goes up to another hole in the wall at the top of the tower. Reaching the first hole would mean climbing up some 150+ feet, on the side of a rickety stone wall.
Eventually, hunger lets you know it is close to supper (around 7 pm), and not only was there no movement from the tower, there was practically no passers-by. Seems the tower is seen as to shody for even Underbridge.
Well, this was a bust. Zenaida sighs. "So much for that idea. How about we go find some food, then come back and investigate after nightfall? If there are any cultists inside, they might be asleep by then."
"Yeah, that sounds like a plan." Loth says, stomach rumbling.
"Considering how high up the other entrance are, I fear our only real choice is to take the front door."
Food comes from the least rundown looking tavern around, a quick spell tells you that the food isn't so far gone as to be poisonous.
Asking around while you're there, Alain determines that Underbridge has no sewer system to speak of.
Waiting patiently, night begins to fall. You all get to see the time when Underbridge is at its best. Right as the sun hits the horizon, the rays light up the impoverished district in tones of red and gold. The hour before dark is the best time to be here, ironically, and you get to witness it before the area is plunged into the sort of darkness you only get on moonless nights.
Windows of taverns and bars (mostly bars) give small pools of light in the otherwise deep sable air. If something were to happen here, a witness would need to be nearly on top of the doings in order to see it.
"Tarphrex move quiet in dark....?"
"A dark night indeed. Most appropriate for sneaking around."
Sherman listens through Loth's scouting report, and nods. "Yes, sounds very much like we'll go through the front door."
If everyone's ready, Loth'll take point and see if he can spot anything near/through the front door. Stealthily.
Tarphrex will slip out the door a minute after Loth to be nearby if he gets into trouble, but not close enough to draw attention to the sneaky fellow.
The pair of you easily make it up to the door. It is a sturdy, wooden affair. The archway of the doorframe has settled and bent, so it looks like the door will have to be given a bit of oomph to get it opne. Looking around, you notice nothing of note. No footsteps in the dirt, bits of torn fabric, the hinges are uniformly rusty.
If anything is in this tower, it's not using the front door to get in and out of this place.
"Well, quite the disappointment..." Sherman notes, looking about.
"Do you think the other entrance up there would be any different?"
But reaching it, is another matter of course...
Loth shrugs, staying optimistic. "Considering we haven't seen any movement at all, maybe it's not a hideout we're looking at. Maybe whatever's in here hasn't left, like some sort of secret cache."
He looks up the wall. "If you fancy climbing up over a hundred feet, be my guest, but I think climbing up through here should be fine."
Loth very slowly and carefully (or as carefully as he can while still applying the prerequisite amount of oomph) opens the door.
As Loth opens the door, it does squeal slightly as the rusted hinges move, flacking the oxidized metal onto the stone at your feet. The room inside is unlit, and with the sun down, completely dark. It gives off the general feeling of a large space.
Tarphrex peeks in and up, then tugs Loth back out to tell him what he saw.
”Much falldown, old wagon, rooms and broken doors. But stairs of wood up to big bells. That way dangerous, but that way only way, Tarphrex thinks.”
"Buying some magic could get us up the wall. But let us see this route first." Sherman notes, and waits for Loth to open the door.
Then he peers in. "A lot of rubble. But there is a way up here, too." he reports, unconsciously lowering his voice.
"Oh, it's dark in there. Would you need some light?" he asks, and casts a light spell if asked to.
"Some light would be great, thank you."
Upon seeing the place is as empty and dilapidated inside as it looked from the outside, Loth relaxes a little. Whatever is here, it's starting to look like it isn't a stronghold. But he's certain there's gotta be something.
Once Tarphrex and Loth give her the go-ahead, Zenaida follows them in, pausing at the entrance to cast a light spell on her shield. "I hope those stairs are more sound than they look. Falling through a rotten floor is not my idea of a good time." She tilts her shield to illuminate the room, looking for anything of interest.
As Zenaida steps into the room, light illuminating the dilapidated space, the mound of rubble and junk in the southwest corner rises up to greet her. Humanoid, clothed in rags and tattered tarps, the scythe in its hands shines in the magical light. The straw hat it wears is has enough holes to show its face, covered over with a cloth bag, the eyes hard glints as it swings...
...When the blade goes wide, it pouts and whines, "No fair!"
And we're off to Initiative!
Alright, Loth, Tarphrex, Alain, and Zenaida get to go before the creature.
"Damn it!" Loth grumbles, frustrated he didn't catch this beast when he looked in.
He then rushes to attack.
But fumbles entirely.
As Loth moves in, this creature takes an Attack of Opportunity...
...But Loth ducks low, the scythe blade whooshing past his head.
”Ah! Sneaky thing!”
Tarphrex jumps away from the creature and realizes he hasn’t cast any defenses. He casts a spell and a green mist with black streaks bursts forth and settles over his tiny frame.
Zenaida steps up to take a swing at the weird, pouting creature...
...contact is made, but the blade rebounds without much of an impact.
Alain moves into the chamber, strategically making his way out and around for later positioning.
The creature is still pouting, but keeps its attention on Zenaida, especially since she is the only one to have made any contact so far...
...It cuts deep in Zenaida, and then capers quickly in glee, making a sort of high pitched whine as well.
___________
Quinn and Sherman, you're up, then back to the others. No one has identified the creature as of yet, but it hits hard whatever it is.
Sherman maneuvers into the back ranks, keeping his allies between himself and the creature - whatever it is. He conjures a ball of fires and sends it rolling past Loth and Zenaida, into the creature.
As the ball of fire rolls towards the creature, it looks down at it, the flames leaving a path of burning dust. This being's sack covered face somehow still conveying a sense of happiness as it tries to boot this orb of flames like a kickball. The large foot passes straight through, the wind fanning the flames, and its shoulders slump in dissapointment.
The spell does nothing.
Rushing into the room, Quinn eyes the beast before slapping a sticky mass to an arrow and firing.
for
Squinting at the creature, he tries to glean what he can.
The arrow swooshes past it, missing the creature.
You pass the K(Arcana) check; you can read the spoiler above and ask 3 questions.
"I've read about these things...I believe the are called Flesh Golems." announces Quinn. "It's been a while but as I recall, they..."
Alain will try to move in and attack
"I've read about these things...I believe the are called Flesh Golems." announces Quinn. "It's been a while but as I recall, they..."
Q1: Berserk (Ex) When a flesh golem enters combat, there is a cumulative 1% chance each round that its elemental spirit breaks free and the golem goes berserk. The uncontrolled golem goes on a rampage, attacking the nearest living creature or smashing some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, then moving on to spread more destruction. The golem’s creator, if within 60 feet, can try to regain control by speaking firmly and persuasively to the golem, which requires a DC 19 Charisma check. It takes 1 minute of inactivity by the golem to reset the golem’s berserk chance to 0%.
Q2: DR 5/Adamantine
Q3: IMMUNNITIES: Standard construct traits, immune to magic
***A magical attack that deals cold or fire damage slows a flesh golem (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds (no save).
****A magical attack that deals electricity damage breaks any slow effect on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. A flesh golem gets no saving throw against attacks that deal electricity damage.
_____________
I will once again say that these are the standard traits, but (in addition to being able to speak) that the flaming sphere should have done slowed the golem and did not.
So clearly this is not the usual type of flesh golem.
@Alain: You move around the golem, getting ready to set up all sorts of flanking and strike at it, scoring its flesh for some damage.
It whimpers some at the strike, and turns itself towards to you strike.
Loth
Tarphrex
Zenaida
All are up before it gets another turn.
While Alain draws the golem's attention, Loth moves in to strike with all his might!
For each of these that hits, I inflict one stack of Disoriented
@Loth: You (clearly) miss with the shortsword, but due to Alain's positioning, you do strike with the dagger.
Sneak attack applies.
The creature bellows as you stab it in the back. Turning to face you, its sack covered face still conveys anger.
”No magic? Quinn sure?”
Nope.
Zenaida steps to stand shoulder to shoulder with Loth and then strikes out with her might and mind set on bringing down this monstrosity...
____
Tarphrex gets a turn before it tries to kill again. If you have acid splash, this is the sort of enemy it is designed for.
@Tarphrex: Precise shot is a factor, but this thing is large and cumbersome. You hit it square in the face, it roars in protest to the sizzling pain it feels.
It begins by swinging at Loth, who stabbed it the hardest...
... missing hard, it stomps its foot in rage and slides to the side, its eyes on the casters in the back.
_________
Everyone is up. I'm going to be checking per usual for most of the week, but I'm not going to bot since it is so close to the holidays. Everyone just post as you can. After this week, I won't be on much as I'll be on vacation.
"No magic, eh? Well, that's a bummer." Sherman takes a quick look at the dagger by his size, then at the huge scarecrow flailing about, and finally shakes his head.
But...
It talks, and even shows emotions. So maybe it's mind can be reached...
Sherman taps into the unthinkable void between the stars, and shares the maddening visions with the enemy.
Smirking at the initial results, Loth pushes his attack.
Sidestepping around Sherman, Quinn mumbles "Fire didn't do what it should...but what about cold?"
Mixing a few chemicals into a vial, he toss a cloudy fluid towards the beast.
for
@Tarphrex: IF you head north, around all your allies, you could. It's still in combat, of course, and you'd leave yourself open to attack.
@Sherman:
So that is an obvious failure. It is unlikely to matter, but we will see.
@Loth: A hit.
The creature HOWLS, but still stands.
@Quinn: Mashing it with the frost bomb, it deals the damage. But the creature is not slowed.
________
Just Zenaida and Alain to go and then the creature's turn again.