GM Anthorg's Rise of the Runelords - everyone's a cleric! - Table 2

Game Master Anthorg

Mashaka steps forward towards the little demon thing and it is so scared that it flies right into Brand's grasp. He manages to grab it.

Elan and Ribitta can act

The little demon looks scared at Elan and Ribitta as they're about to act on it being held by the mean dwarf.

Elan says "Pin it down then we can stab it at will and I will pour this holy water on it.! It's the only chance we have."

Ribitta steps forward and attacks it as it is held by Brand.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Damage: 2d4 + 6 ⇒ (2, 4) + 6 = 12

Sadly, she misses trying to avoid hitting Brand. The little creature, on the other hand, tries freeing itself.

It frees itself from his grip and flies back up.

Ribitta AoO: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Damage: 2d4 + 6 ⇒ (3, 3) + 6 = 12

Party's up again. Demon provoked as it flew away.

Brand steps into the hallway, "Let's head on out, this thing's not worth it."

Elan looks at the thing and says "I'm fine with that Brand but if it keeps following us we are going to have to try something. We can't let it loose in town."

I feel as if the bread is burning, and we're in a jungle of carrots. - says Mashaka, bringing up an important point.

"I say lock it up in here. Depending on how the doors open we can either tie a rope around the handles to keep them from opening in or we can jam the door with pitons to keep it from opening out.

Brand closes the door with the tiny demon still inside and ties a rope around the doorknobs. It's very tight, it doesn't look like someone would be able to open the door from the inside.

I'm sure he's very likely to escape, but to be honest... We're clearly not equipped to properly deal with it. I think we would eventually complete it, but this will take us weeks in a PbP lol even with the GM "dummying" him down

This bugger is so annoying.

Sorry for my absence! I haven't been receiving notifications for this game for whatever reason, and with life as busy as it has been, my mind has been elsewhere.

"Iiiii do not like that thing," says Ribitta, licking a wound.

Check to see if you hid the game. I did that by accident to one of my other games.

"We'll need to get more appropriate gear for dealing with this thing and come back. Even at best it is only locked away until the ropes rot. Perhaps we could come down with some masons and brick this thing in. Shall we head back and check that other tunnel? If I remember correctly we stepped off the main tunnel to check this place out. Or do you want to just backtrack and notify the sheriff about what is down here?"

The entirety of these catacombs is again silent, as if it is expecting the group's next move. From beyond the door the little creature makes no effort to open the door.

Ribitta taps her polearm against the door. "It'll hold. Let's keep looking around."

After a few rounds, the group realizes that there is nothing more to explore in this place. Only the tiny demon remains. Its intentions with respect to Sandpoint are unclear, and the townsfolk seem to have no idea about its presence.

I believe when we came into this complex, we stepped off a main cave. "Let's head back up, report what we found and then decide what to do with this thing and the other cave." Brand suggests and in his typically stoic manner heads off to do as he just said unless someone requests to do otherwise.

I'll wait if someone wants to discuss something different until tomorrow.

Despite not clearly speaking, Mashaka seemed very much aligned with Brand, as she just started hopping behind him as if nothing was happening moments ago.

Elan says "We should go up and try to see if we can identify that creature and buy any needed supplies to kill it. It might help if we had some of our magical abilities available as well."

"Amen to that, brother." Brand says in response to Elan.

The group makes their way back to the surface and they see the sun again. After adjusting their eyes for a bit, they realize they have been in the tunnels for quite a while. The sun has begun setting.

Just as they breathe in the fresh air, they notice Ameiko, the owner of the Rusty Dragon, walking over to one of the building's entrances. What called the attention to her is the fact that she has a cloak on, covering part of her face, but the weather is a little too warm for that.

"Oi! Don't go in there, it's not safe." Brand says to the lady. Seeing that all of the wounded have been moved he heads off for city hall to report.

Ribitta hesitates as Brand calls after Ameiko. "You three go, Iii will stay here, make sure no goblinss eat our inkeeper."

For some reason I thought we were waiting on someone else's post. I'm sorry.

Ameiko is very startled by Brand's warning. She asks naively "What... are you doing here? Are you... working with my brother?"

"What? No, if anything we're working for the mayor. The old man that owns this place, is that your father?, got himself killed by a horde of goblins led by his brat. That the brother ye be talking about? Anyway, I"m off to the mayor, Betty can fill you in." Not concerned with how his words are taken, Brand stomps off toward town hall.

Mashaka comes trotting, adding her take on the happenings.

These boots are made for walking! - she starts - Howling to the seas, as any good elk would do. A fork, perhaps.

Her expert and complete description of the events is impressive. Her depictions are truly lively.

"We need to interrogate that half-elf" Brand says as he walks with the others. "Maybe have Betty do it. She's pretty intimidating with those eyes of hers." Brand remarks.

Ameiko is very confused by what Brand says. As he tells her that her father died, she adjusts her posture, but doesn't display any visible emotion. However, she does seem worried as he talks about her brother. She turns to Ribitta for an explanation.

One teenager girl, however, hears Mashaka talk and asks her "So, uhm... do these boots do anything else besides getting walked in?"

Ribitta hurries over to Ameiko, opening the door and jerking her head, gesturing for her to follow.

"Goblinsss did what goblinss do," she croaks as she escorts the other woman through the hall. "He is in the room beyond, murdered and horribly mutilated. They encased your faather in molten glass. I will not stop you from looking."

The tiefling does not open the door for Ameiko, leaving her to make the decision.

Ameiko reacts by not entering the building. She says "I believe you. There is nothing to see. But my brother?"

I'll let this scene finish before getting Brand to the town hall. Or... the barracks if he wishes to interrogate the half-elf.

Report first, interrogate second.

Mashaka stops. She stays frozen for moments, and slowly, slowly, turns on her heels towards the teenager. Steps ahead, eyes wide open - one brown, the other a light blue, looking almost blind - she approaches. Still in complete silence, for instants it's really tough to understand what's going to happen - until the changeling starts smiling.

The skinny, dusty, messy hair cleric of madness stays there, and her smile keeps opening revealing teeth pointy, broken and yellow as if they had constantly chewed at rocks. The whole thing is as scary as the smile of an evil and playful fey. Her hands stay in her own hips, revealing nails sharp as long like claws - and while they're obviously piercing the clothes and skin their owner, Mashaka doesn't seem minimally bothered by it.

Pastry! - she finally yells from the top of her lungs, immediately laughing out loud, until finally crumbing into a whisper to the teenager - Like a robin in the deep bottom of a muddy lake. Tee-hee!

Dangerously dressed in madness!

Ribbitta steps back, leaving room for Ameiko to leave. "He fought us and we subdued him. He is being held in the barracks."

OMG that image is perfect!

The teenager pees herself and runs away from Mashaka. It causes some comotion, but people keep their distances.

Ameiko replies to Ribitta "Thank you, I'll see him right away." and marches off towards the barracks, which is actually very close to the Town Hall, so you start walking in the same direction.

Getting to the town hall, the mayor receives you right away. She drops all formality and just asks "So, what happened? Are you ok?"

"We're generally ok but we are going to need more supplies or a couple of masons." Brand begins. "We found some sort of old complex under the town. There was a tunnel leading out of the glassworks basement. Part of the way down there was an older section that looked as if it had been walled off. We checked that area and fought all sorts of monstrosities and then ran into a small creature from the fiendish realms. We were unable to destroy it but we did manage to lock it in one of the rooms. I was thinking with some masons and laborers, we could get a double wall laid in front of the door and keep that thing in there. Or, we could try to get better supplies and try to kill it again. Sadly, none of us are very good shots and the thing flies." Brand finishes and waits to see how the mayor responds.

The mayor replies "Well, the sheriff is still in his quest in Magnimar. I suppose you can bring some of the city guard with you, you'll have to coordinate them, they're still a little green. I hope that can help."

Ooh, I like Magnimar! She was a nice lady. - says Mashaka, "surprisingly" a little lost in regards to the city of Magnimar.

Elan says "We can't leave that beast down there. I intend to rest tonight and head down there tomorrow so we can defeat it once we have our spellcasting abilities back."

Back when we identified it, did we recall any weaknesses? If not, we need to research that to see if we can bypass her DR. Was the ceiling too tall for reach weapons?

"I'm all for killing the thing but we need to be prepared. Perhaps Father Zantus can help us out a little. And I know you like your heavy hitter, Elan, but you may want to take a light crossbow to get in more shots."

Brand recalls this information about it.

This is a quasit, a fairly weak demon. Their primary function is being familiars to wizard as they are created as such, although if any escapes the servitude, it becomes more dangerous. Their weaknesses are cold iron and good aligned weapons. Other types of weapons have difficulty penetrating its skin. Like other demons, it is usually a bad idea to attack it with electricity, poison, acid, cold or fire.

"Mayor, I think we will need some special equipment. Although small the creature is nearly immune to normal weapons. If we could get some cold iron bolts and perhaps a couple of cold iron weapons, maybe maces or spears."

I mentioned maces and spears since all of us should be able to use those unless your archetype forbids it.

The mayor says "Well, I'm sure you can find some of these weapons in Savah's shop or in the Feathered Serpent by the wharf. Father Zantus may have something to help, I'm not an expert on fighting creatures..."

"Actually, I was hoping the town may cover the cost. Any chance of that?" Brand asks.

Roll diplomacy, please

Ribitta bends low across the table, balancing uneasily on her polearm. Her disjointed eyes turn slowly to both look the mayor in her face, and she breathes wet and heavy. A flake of skin sloughs off her damp face and onto the desk. After a moment, she speaks aloud, in gravelly, cracking tones, croaking, "ddoo not underestimate this demon. If wee do nott kiill itt, and it esscapess? Whhoo will be your chhampionss? Hhelp usss help eachh otheerrr."

Intimidate: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

The mayor poops a little tries backing away from the tiefling but her chair won't let her. She says "Of course, of course, take what you need from Savah's shop." She quickly runs to the window which is open due to the heat, puts her head out and says with her voice cracking "Sid, go tell Savah that the Sandpoint heroes are to take whatever they need from her shop at the town's expense. She can talk to me later."

She pulls her head back in and says quickly "There, it's done. I believe you have somewhere to be, no?"

This is going to work great until they form a mob and lynch us. Ha!!!

With that, Brand excuses himself and heads for Savah's armory.

Shopping list: cold iron bolts, any cold iron weapons we as clerics can use.

Savah has...

2d4 + 1 ⇒ (1, 1) + 1 = 3
stacks of 10 cold iron crossbow bolts,

1d2 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
cold iron longspear,

1d3 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2
cold iron shortspear,

1d2 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
cold iron warhammer and

1d2 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
cold iron longsword.

Despite asking for no money, Savah is quite happy to let the group take them. She says "Off to fight some demons, are we?", trying to make a conversation and sound cool.