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After a hurried summons to the Grand Lodge in Absalom, a quick conversation with Venture-Captain Alissa Moldreserva, and a wet, stormy trip across the Inner Sea to Andoran, the small, warm Pathfinder Lodge in Augustana is a welcome break from travel. “I can’t believe we are wasting our time on this matter,” says Caudron Wallace, the venture-captain of Augustana, as he paces the main hall. “Frankly, I want as little to do with it as possible, so I’m passing it on to you.”
Wallace nods toward a door at the back of the room. “The vagrant through there was found collapsed on our front steps gripping a wayfinder of all things. We still don’t know who he is. Talk to him, for the tale he tells is amazing if true, and then come back here.”
As you enter the adjoining room, a grizzled old man with long, matted hair awakes from his slumber. The stench emanating from him is quite offensive. Yet, as he address you, he holds himself as if he were your superior in every way.
“My loyal subjects, welcome! I know that some of you might not recognize me in my current state, but it is truly me, Gandros, the long-lost Prince of Augustana. I have been in hiding since the untimely death of my father, the Emperor, preparing for my return to glory. Unfortunately, I bear ill news. The army I have been gathering in the otherworld has been infiltrated by agents of our enemies. When last I called my forces together for inspection, dark assassins attacked me and I barely escaped with my life.”
The old man pauses to roll up the sleeve of his arm to show off the scars on his right arm. He then continues, ignoring all attempts at interruption.
“I fled back through the magic portal to this realm. Grievously wounded, and with the assassins in close pursuit, I leapt into the dark river. I floated past the Almsman’s Sanctuary, but couldn’t climb out of the water. I did manage to grab one of the bridges, but a plank fell in with me. I held on for dear life and continued to drift downstream. I went over a waterfall and then emerged in the lake of ships and crawled to shore. Augustana has changed since I last walked my city’s bright streets, but I managed to find this house, bearing the symbol of my father’s empire.” He holds up the wayfinder hanging from a chain around his neck. “I knew I would find help here! If you remove the threat from my kingdom below and help restore me to my rightful place as Emperor of Andoran, I will grant you any boon within my power!”
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The man in the hat who was sleeping for half of the introduction quickly wakes up. He takes a swig of something strong from his hip flask, which brings back some colour back to his face. He sounds confidents and calm about this whole situations as he joins the conversation. "Ehhhh, what time of day is it... Eeeeeeh, is Bernard 'ere. Joost checking in." He tilts his hat towards the group.
"Any boon, ye say?" Smiling at Grandos. "How aboot ye joost owe pe a pint, after all 'is is finished. And a new pair of booties for swigging around in the sewers. Cause that's where we going? Can yo draw oos a map?"
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A rather pale elf with long blonde hair raises one eyebrow in surprise at hearing what the old man had to say.
Pardonne moi, monsieu, but can zou please tell me how zis Augustana ees connected to Andoran? I do not zee a connection."
The elf looks over at Bernard and smiles.
"Mon ami Bernard, we meet again. Eet ees good to see zou. Alas, I fear we weel be getting wet yet again. Maybe one day ze Society will assign uz to a meession een a warmer and drier climate, oui?"
He pulls out a wine bottle and a goblet from somewhere in his dark green robe, then pours the wine into the goblet. After drinking from the goblet he remarks, "Once again, ze finest Zangria een all ze Eenner Zea."
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A diminutive gnome comes charging out on a fine looking dog. He barely manages to hold on to his bright blue cap while his pet gets some well needed exercise.
"Whoa, Shaggy. We have work to do now."
He turns his attention to the assembled pathfinders and the prince of course.
"Sure. I guess we can do that. I have checked my schedule and I am not too busy today. So where do we start?"
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"Johann Aurikson, ranger of Losthome." came the short introduction of the big, blond-haired, blue eyed Ulfen man in dark clothes. He turns to the old man, a frown on his face. "Now what nonsense are you rambling about?"
He listens as the old man spins his absurd tale. "This man is out of his mind." he says to the others before turning back to the old man. "I know of no place called Augustana, nor of any prince by your name. Now where did you get the wayfinder?"
He tries to sense if the old man is lying.
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Sylvester simply giggles at Johann's comments.
"This is Golorian. If a disheveled man appears on your doorstep and claims that he is a dethroned emperor it is likely to be the truth. This is hardly the strangest thing I have heard even this week."
The small gnome pauses a moment for effect.
"You should visit your local tavern from time to time. Strange tales I tell you. Very strange indeed."
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Sylvester simply grimaces in mock disbelief at Johann.
"What are you talking about. The tavern is the place to overhear all sorts of gossip. Not to mention I get to practice entertaining the town folk. It is the ideal spot to practice all sorts of skills."
"Of course if you want to be all alone wandering in the woods like some sort of hermit I guess it would not be the right place for you."
The little gnome realizes that they are waiting on someone and begins to play period appropriate interlude music on his horn to help pass the time.
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The elven wizard addresses the others. "I do not recall having met zou before. Bernard here, he ees mon ami from previous adventures. We just resolved a flooding problem in ze Society's archives wheech zeems to have taken forever to do. I had to buy zese new robes to replace my older ones which were completely ruined by ze floodwaters." He waves his hand at his elaborately stitched silk robes.
He winks at Bernard and slyly says, "Eet ees a shame zat Yangrit ees not here weeth us. I zink she was, zhall we zay, zlightly upset weeth everyone by ze end of zat adventure."
He laughs and takes another drink from his goblet.
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He winks at Bernard and slyly says, "Eet ees a shame zat Yangrit ees not here weeth us. I zink she was, zhall we zay, zlightly upset weeth everyone by ze end of zat adventure."
The half awake man takes a swig from his own flask to join in on the drinking, before having a laugh with the young wizard, "Ahah! Yangrit will be 'ight, lad. Thoose dwarven wimen, yoo knoo how 'ey are? Besides, that flooding proble'm was noo joke. Good times, good times..."
"I don't have time to waste on such frivolous matters. It is better to spend that time practicing my skills." Johann lets out a sigh.
"Ahhhh, another man oof skill and practice! I too loove to train in my spare time, with my s'word." The man drunkinly takes out his rapier and shows it off to everyone, thin and skinny like he is, flicks it around in the air like he just don't care, barely missing from nicking someone. "Boot, between the trainin', it's back to the hoose of Caiden i goo. You shoold loosen' up, lad. Yoor shoulders ar' a litt'le stiff."
He winks at Sylvester's quips about the local tavern.
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A tall woman with well-defined muscles enters the room, wearing a breastplate with a variety of weapons on her person. "Thank you for waiting," she says in a tone that suggests she expected as much. "My name is Iladora. So," she says to the stranger, sitting down in front of him, "I hear you claim to be a prince. I'm afraid I've never heard of your kingdom of Augustana, or of the enemies you're facing. Can you tell us more about them?"
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"Any boon, ye say?" Smiling at Grandos. "How aboot ye joost owe pe a pint, after all 'is is finished. And a new pair of booties for swigging around in the sewers. Cause that's where we going? Can yo draw oos a map?"
Gandros stiffens and writes down a crude map while stating "A new pair of boots and a pint! You WILL get them."
"...can zou please tell me how zis Augustana ees connected to Andoran?"
Gandros stops his drawing and sighs heavily. "LET ME FINISH!"
"Now what nonsense are you rambling about?"
Gandros looks utterly shocked and wounded by Johann's comment. He sits on the ground and sulks.
"I hear you claim to be a prince. I'm afraid I've never heard of your kingdom of Augustana, or of the enemies you're facing. Can you tell us more about them?"
Gandros sighs once more and gets back to work on his drawing, silent. After a few moments, he hands out a map, smiling from ear to ear.
"And... VOILA!"While he looks very proud of himself, you hear the Venture Captain Wallace slowly face-palming in the background.
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Grunting, the Venture Captain asks for your attention and calls you back in the office.
"My diviners say that there is some truth to his story. There has never been a Prince of Augustana, nor an Emperor in Andoran, but the old fellow has a surprising amount of knowledge of the pre-revolution noble families of the city. He may be the lost scion of some noble line. If so, he’s fallen far. From the filth and stink on him when we found him, we’re fairly certain he’s been living in or near a sewer. The wayfinder is also a mystery, but for now, it makes him one of ours. However, I’m more interested in his supposed gate to the otherworld. If it exists, I want to know about it."
The Venture Captain pauses, unsure where to go with this.
"Implausible as it may seem, I’m certain that his injuries were caused by otherworldly beings. We must take the possibility of a portal seriously. I don’t want to dirty my hands with this, but you don’t have that choice. Retrace the old man’s path through the sewers. The Almsman, whom he repeatedly mentions, is rumored to be an eccentric priest who runs some sort of hidden beggar’s sanctuary in the sewers. He may know where our prince’s portal is, if you can find him. But be warned; a local gang calling themselves the Steel Wyverns claims the sewers near the Almsman’s Sanctuary as their own territory."
The Steel Wyverns were once the most powerful criminal organization in the city, but they have been in decline for decades. Now they are a rag-tag gang of thugs and petty crooks. The wyverns prefer to fight with spiked chains, which they call “Wyvern stings.”
The Almsman has recently started providing sanctuary and assistance to the city’s beggars. He is a mysterious figure who wears a mask, but most folk believe he is a priest. Most of the city’s poor do not know where his sanctuary is, yet those who do know won’t tell.
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"The Steel Wyverns. Let me think for a moment. I think I heard someone talking about them the other day at the bar."
"Sorry I must be confusing them with the Steel Riders. What a group. A traveling band of four dwarfs. All percussion. Now they could play!"
Sylvester looks around.
"Of course that does not help us a lick. Now does it?"
The little gnome turns to the others.
"Does anyone have any rope? That is a good thing to have in a sewer."
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The group of brave Pathfinders easily discover the entrance to the sewers - via the drainage pipes leading into the harbor. The foul stench of the draining sewage provides enough motivation to stay out of it as much as possible, though it is mostly impossible to avoid slogging through the muck.
The smell of waste and rot is strong in this large chamber where filthy water flows in a series of cascades between tiered stone tanks. A raised platform along the east wall is connected to the passage’s walkways by several thick wooden planks creating a makeshift bridge. On that platform is what looks to be a makeshift alchemy lab on a rough-hewn table—beakers, glass vials, dirty bottles, and moldy buckets cover the entire surface of the table. A man in a leather smock stands at the so-called lab. Upon hearing your approach, he shouts an alarm. The two thugs near the bridge break their conversation and notice you.
Buffs: None.
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Xusius [16/16] : ?
Bernard [27/27] : ?
Iladora [28/28] : slays the greenish thug!
Sylvester [30/30] & Shaggy [13/13] : casts hideous laughter on the alchemist!
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FD [RED@ ; ROFL]
SWT [BLUE@ ; GREEN@dead]
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Johann [13/13] : ?
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Sylvester had cast Mage Armor on himself and Shaggy right before entering the sewers. He is riding his dog and Shaggy's saddle is glowing courtesy of a Light spell.
The little gnome points a finger and speaks a word of power at the female Alchemist(Red).
(Hideous Laughter, DC 18 Will save or be prone and helpless for up to 3 rounds.)
@GM Zinou - Shaggy is a standard Riding Dog. He currently has 13 hit points and his AC is 17 with Mage Armor up.
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Foreshadowing just a bit, Xusius sought information on the local situation based on what he knew.
"Mon amis, I believe zere ees a gang of ruffians we may face called ze Steel Wyverns. Zou can tell zem by ze style of fighting zey engage een. Zey use spiked chains. Alzo, zere ees a mysterious man called ze Almzman who haz been aiding ze city's beggars. He wears a mazk. Some zay he ees a priest. Which god, no one knows."
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Bernard and Xusius both hit the blueish man and manage to knock him out.
The alchemist tries to regain composure... but fails!
Buffs: None.
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Johann [13/13] : ?
Xusius [16/16] : ?
Bernard [27/27] : ?
Iladora [28/28] : ?
Sylvester [30/30] & Shaggy [13/13] : ?
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FD [RED@ ; ROFL]
SWT [BLUE@dead ; GREEN@dead]
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(Coming off Delay)
Sylvester rides his dog closer to the fallen Alchemist.
(Shaggy double moves)
"People please hurry. This spell will not last forever."
Sylvester skillfully steers his faithful dog using only his knees. He draws a wand of Magic Missile in a free hand and fires off two bolts at the laughing Alchemist.
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@GM Zinou - We can have the Alchemist live if you like but he really should be laughing for another two rounds (it is cast at Caster Level 3 due to Magical Knack). Hideous Laughter allows for one additional save on the person's first turn of the spell but then it will stick for the duration of the spell if that save is failed. I do want all of his loot of course. :)
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Indeed, laughing his pants off, which is still not a good idea in sewers, the alchemist tries to choke the words indicating his surrender in between laughs.
Between the thugs and him, you find leather armors, spiked chains and an alchemist's fire.
When the alchemist recovers (if you let him), he tries to answer your question with the best of his abilities, even if Johann seems to squeak when he asks the question.
"What? My name is drake and I'm a member of the Steel Wyverns. I can give you information about our gang! Those are my terms!"
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The alchemist seems panicked.
"No-nothing!" he stutters.
After looking around, he whimpers and eventually gives up.
"We... the wyverns plan an attack on the Alsman's sanctuary."
Beside his workbench is a rack of alchemical substances containing 2 acid flasks, 4 alchemist’s fire, 2 smokesticks, 2 tanglefoot bags, 2 thunderstones, and 4 vials of filth fever tonic. Sitting open on the workbench is a large tome titled Toxins and Countermeasures, written by Giacomo d’Enzinas.
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The only visible weapon the man carries, beside an alchemist's fire that shattered on the ground when he was struck by Sylvester's spell, is a component pouch similar to the one Xusius carries.
To answer Xusius' question, Drake just points at the sewers going further and spits on the ground.
"Continue, then turn left, then follow the stench of hobos and, tada, you're at the Alsman's sanctuary."
He then shakes his head.
"I'm not at the head of the Wyverns. Just following orders and maintaining the guards at a fair distance of the sewers. I don't know more about all of this."
He tells the truth.
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Ahead is a junction where a smaller sewer line once joined the main passage. The ceiling of the smaller passage has partially collapsed, filling most of that tunnel with rubble. The surface of the rubble pile seems to shift strangely and closer examination reveals thousands of tiny vermin fleeing into cracks and shadows.
You can see that the ceiling is stable and will not collapse.
The hollow point above the rubble poses a danger, as it has collected flammable sewer gas.
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Sylvester just winks at the man. He is simply happy that he was able to use some of his magic and now they have all of his loot. He looks around trying to make sense of what he is seeing and shrugs.
"I have no idea but I don't like vermin. What are the vials that we found exactly from the Alchemist? Filth Fever Tonic?"
After seeing the vermin Sylvester suggests that everyone have some of the Alchemist's gear and grabs an Alchemist's Fire for himself.
"Damn bugs. Fire kills them good."
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As the party moves forward and Johann enters the sewer intersection, two swarms of tiny spiders crawl out from the rubble and approach!
Buffs: None.
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Johann [13/13] : ?
Xusius [16/16] : ?
Bernard [27/27] : ?
Iladora [28/28] : ?
Sylvester [30/30] & Shaggy [13/13] : ?
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SoS [RED@ ; GREEN@]
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