Keynala taps Theron with her cure stick, doing just enough to bring him barely conscious.
Round 6:
Bolded may act.
Iluvia Thorn (red) 29 damage flying 25’ up off ground, entangled until round 11
Theron 31 damage of 31 hp Conscious, prone, this really hurts!
Korgaar 15 damage of 15 hp (17 hp raging) only conscious because he is raging
Thug 1 (brown)
Red Reverend 5 NL
Desynthia 9 damage of 22 hp
Earth elemental
Colleen 5 damage of 20 hp
Keynala 16 damage of 30 hp
Red Reverend hits again with the spiritual weapon. Thorn looks relieved when it blinks out.
Round 6:
Bolded may act.
Iluvia Thorn (red) 34 damage flying 25’ up off ground, entangled until round 11
Theron 31 damage of 31 hp conscious, prone
Korgaar 15 damage of 15 hp (17 hp raging) only conscious because he is raging
Thug 1 (brown)
Red Reverend 5 NL
Desynthia 9 damage of 22 hp
Colleen 5 damage of 20 hp
Keynala 16 damage of 30 hp
Colleen isn’t able to get a full running start to her jump and falls short of grabbing Thorn.
Rules
——
Finally, you can use the Acrobatics skill to make jumps or to soften a fall. The base DC to make a jump is equal to the distance to be crossed (if horizontal) or four times the height to be reached (if vertical). These DCs double if you do not have at least 10 feet of space to get a running start.
——
Colleen only had a 5’ running start. She leaps up 4.5 rather than 9’, so even rounding it that puts her 15’ off the ground. It was a cool idea, but I don’t think it works.
I would also need to dig up how far you move on a long jump. I vaguely remember that getting defined somewhere, but I can’t find it at the moment. Maybe once I wake up more.
If you want to discuss this, please do so in the Discussion area.
Desynthia begins casting her spell.
Thorn shakes her finger at Desynthia and goes “Tut! Tut! Tut! There will be none of that!”
She then pulls out a rod and then tries to cast a spell. She glares at Korgaar and says “Miserable vermin! That would have worked if not for your interference!”
Round 7:
Bolded may act.
Iluvia Thorn (red) 34 damage flying 25’ up off ground, entangled until round 11
Theron 31 damage of 31 hp conscious, prone, staggered, disabled
Korgaar 15 damage of 15 hp (17 hp raging) only conscious because he is raging
Thug 1 (brown)
Red Reverend 5 NL
Desynthia 9 damage of 22 hp
Colleen 5 damage of 20 hp
Keynala 16 damage of 30 hp
This time Korgaar makes a perfect throw with his hammer, crushing Thorn’s skull. She starts to float down but it is clear she is already dead.
Before she hits the ground, you hear a bow clatter to the ground. Thug 1 has dropped their bow and raised their arms in surrender. “Live and let live?” they ask. “My buddy got me voluntold for this, but if there is no one reporting me…”
Korgaar losses consciousness after the hammer hit but before the body makes it to the floor.
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Nala eyes the warrior, "Yes. That is quite logical. Crawling away from the one person actively attempting to heal you. Makes a lot of sense."
She steps over and taps the wizard on the shoulder with her wand, "There now, see? That wasn't so hard. It didn't even hurt."
The half-elf takes another step and pokes Theron in the injured leg with her wand... assuming the warrior hasn't decided to keep moving away.
The group starts searching the bodies.
Each of the two Hellknights has a potion of bull's strength, potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of enlarge person (CL 3rd). They also have masterwork breastplate with appropriate heraldic symbols, a masterwork greataxe, and some javelins.
Each of the two thugs has a potion of cure light wounds, masterwork arrows (5), tanglefoot bags (2), and thunderstone (2). Their leather armor and longbows are normal quality.
Signifier Thorn has brooch of shielding, magical pearl, potion of cure moderate wounds, magical rod, magical wand, mwk sickle, magical cloak, spell component pouch, Sisters of the Golden Erinyes gold pendant (worth 50 gp), 28 gp.
She also has an official letter.
By the authority vested in the Imperial Ministry of Historical Accuracy by Her Infernal Majestrix, Queen Abrogail II of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune, Signifer Iluvia Thorn is hereby authorized to apprehend the suspected traitor Zefiro Balinger, to question his known associates, and to confiscate any unlawful items found within the Museum of History in Corentyn. Zefiro Balinger and any evidence are to be delivered into the custody of the Sirmium bureau of the Imperial Ministry of Historical Accuracy.
– Inspector Lusarious Deckland
The letter has a wax seal of a red five-pointed star after the signature.
There are sounds of concern and alarm from outside the museum. The noise of your battle did not go unnoticed, and it would be best to quickly search the museum and leave before any guards show up.
Thug 1 mentions “If we don’t leave soon, I fear everyone here will need rescuing. The guards generally arrest everyone and then let someone else sort it out later.”
He points down at Thorn’s body. “Given who they are, the guards aren’t going to be gentle.”
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As the loot is collected, Nala agrees with the thug, "We need to leave quickly. Grab anything useful and let us make like a fish and get the hell out of this boiling pot."
She picks up her trident and strides over to the thug. Looking him up and down she shrugs, "You seem like a smart fellow. And I expect you won't do well if found here. Why don't you come with us?"
As he thinks, Nala walks around the library and into the room behind the doors looking for anything out of the ordinary.
She also picks up her tossed javelins and cleans the blood off the one that hit.
“Nothing against you, but I would like to just leave. I didn’t have much choice getting into this, at least allow me to choose how to leave.”
Going through the double doors, Keynala finds an office.
Bookshelves and display cases stand in the corners of this large office. An oaken desk sits in the middle of the room with large windows set in the wall on either side of it. Doors to the south open to a raised terrace, and a large painting of Abrogail II hangs on the north wall.
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"Is it too late for Zefiro?" Korgaar asks as he recovers from his exertion.
He quaffs a found potion or two.
"My thanks, Nala."
The wizard recovers his weapons. He briefly considers the hellknight greataxes, but decides they're too bulky. He doesn't hesitate to loot the signifer of her magical gear.
"Anything of note back there?"
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Nala pokes her head out, "A large office. Some sort of sturdy wood desk, not sure the type. It's not one that grows near water. Big window in the middle of the room. Doors exit to a raised terrace, and a large painting of some fancy lady on the north wall."
She glances behind the painting, just in case a safe is there or something. Then searches through the desk.
She taps herself twice with her wand, just in case they run across any further issues.
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This time Korgaar makes a perfect throw with his hammer, crushing Thorn’s skull. She starts to float down but it is clear she is already dead.
"Don't just sit there! Hop to it!"
Leaving the revived wizard to identify any magical items, Colleen bounds up atop bookshelves and over the rail on a direct course of the upper rooms. Aiming toward the northern most as Nala deals with healing and looking at old Queen Abrogail's picture. She looks inside any rooms Nala hasn't gotten to yet searching for "Zefiro!?"
“I don’t know any Zefiro.” the thug says. He doesn’t look the type to spend lots of time in a museum. “The hellknights grabbed me and my buddy, telling us we were coming with them. Came here and were told to search books before you came here. No one else here.”
In a slightly cranky voice, he adds “Didn’t get asked if I wanted to help, didn’t get paid, and really want to leave before my night becomes even worse.”
When Keynala tries to move the painting she finds it seems to be affixed to the wall. It is a big painting!
She doesn’t find anything of immediate interest in the desk. Just the expected paperwork.
Colleen bounds up to the higher balcony and finds another room of bookshelves. No signs of Zefiro nor anything else that looks interesting.
Theron finds a latch concealed in the frame of the painting. He moves it and the painting shifts to the side.
Several bookshelves, a desk, and a display case crowd this cramped room. To the left stands a statue of Aroden.
As you hurriedly sort through the items in this room, you realize they are historical texts and items. There is a lot to sort through. Some of the things you find include an Aspis Consortium cargo manifest for a shipment from Taldor to Khari, an early diary filled with tales of infernal war crimes committed by Thrune and some holy Arodenite scriptures.
Theron finds some key records that he believes would be of particular interest to the Pathfinder Society.
You gather up what you can of the records.
The thug doesn’t need to be told twice, he grabs his bow and runs.
Having found the records, you quickly make your way out of the museum. You board a ship out of Corentyn before authorities are able to connect you to the museum incident.
Zefiro Balinger's arrest and imprisonment casts a dark shadow over Cheliax's new relationship with the Pathfinder Society, especially as the you have brought to light new ways in which the infernal empire hoped to reshape their national narrative by falsifying its past. If Taldor ever founded a colony so deep into Rahadoum, Ibhir is not it.
Back in Absalom, Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus can barely restrain his fury at Cheliax's duplicity and use of the Society as a cat's paw to validate Chelish lies. He sends for Ianareth Alazario, the new liaison from Cheliax, only to find that she has slipped away from the Grand Lodge to “attend to pressing business abroad.” Farabellus assures you that although Cheliax may be more powerful than their organization, the Society won't suffer this indignity with a smile.
He cryptically advises all of you to remain in Absalom and await further word about a daring mission he has only just begun to plan—one to save the Society's ally who has paid the greatest price for Cheliax's villainy: Zefiro Balinger.
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Nala frowns through the after-mission briefing, "I may not have liked the guy. But he was about the only decent person in that whole country. I'm in for a rescue too."
Then she spends the next day completing a detailed map of the desert to submit to her faction as a possible trade route to consider. She hates paperwork, but having allies all over the world is worth it.
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"Not 'Raven' singular, Des. 'Ravens' plural. You can't trust them. Spies, all of them, and for who-knows-what eh? Thorn's bird Inverness was spying on us, she knew we were coming. Any raven you meet is bound to be a spy for someone or something, mark my words!"
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The captain's quarters aboard the Hornet's Nest sits in uncomfortable silence. The normally composed Zarta Dralneen awkwardly shifts in her chair, repeatedly glancing across the room at a stocky halfling with short salt-and-pepper hair and practical black clothing. Between them stands Venture-Captain Dennel Hamshanks, the ship's captain, who seems relieved to have other visitors.
“Welcome, agents,” Hamshanks announces. “My other guests have already skipped the social niceties, so I don't see why we need to start now. Zefiro Balinger, a Corentyn museum curator and ally of the Society, has been abducted by agents of House Thrune on charges of ‘treasonous misinformation'—which is to say the heretical preservation of unedited Chelish histories. The Decemvirate cannot afford to lose such a valuable asset, nor can it allow these documents to be thrown onto a ‘clarity pyre,' but Cheliax would love nothing more than to do exactly that.”
Hamshanks pauses as if waiting for someone else to pick up the conversation, then clears his throat at the distracted Zarta.
Zarta snaps to attention. “Pathfinders discovered that Zefiro has been taken to Ostenso. His prison is called the Bloody Nail, a facility where political enemies disappear for interrogation and punishment. Trying to spring a captive from a high-profile prison in the heart of a major Chelish city would normally be suicide, yet that is our only remaining option.” Zarta's expression sours slightly, and she glances at the halfling again before muttering, “Fortunately, I know someone who specializes in such suicide missions, yet curiously always seems to come back alive.”
The halfling smirks at Zarta, hopping to his feet. “Please, Zarta, the pleasure is all mine. The name's Tamrin Credence, longtime Bellflower and master of coming back alive. The lovely paracountess laid out your situation for me. Luckily enough, liberating Chelish prisoners is a favorite hobby of mine, so it looks like we'll be working together on this project.”
“Infiltrating the Bloody Nail won't be a picnic, but it seems my luck hasn't deserted me yet. Turns out tomorrow is Loyalty Day, a national holiday celebrating House Thrune's oppressive regime and those who willingly agree to be oppressed by it. Citizens are required to attend the festivities, and since Ostensons aren't exactly known for their docility, that means lots of guards in the streets keeping order. Those extra guards have to come from somewhere, meaning we're looking at a short-staffed prison detail stuck working a holiday.”
“So here's the plan: we march up to the Bloody Nail looking all intimidating. I've still got some clout with Ostenso's guards from back when I worked for the Consortium, so I'll convince the lead interrogator to bring some of his guards with me to deal with a Loyalty Day ‘emergency.' Fortunately for him, I've brought some of my own agents—that's you—to cover for him and his soldiers while we're away.”
“Knowing Chelish prison administration, he'll agree as long as one of his lackeys can supervise you. I'll keep the interrogator distracted long enough for you to get the lay of the land, ditch your babysitter, break in, get what we came for, and get out before anyone smells a rat.”
“We'll meet back at the southernmost docks of the Custodisce Break and sail for Andoran.”
“Easy enough?”
Smiling, Tamrin says “Not exactly. Chelish prefer black and red, so you might be able to work with that. The weapon could probably be explained away as you grew up in a farming community.”
Tamrin looks thoughtfully at Red Reverend for a moment. “You were connected to one of the gods that wasn’t on the banned list. Sorry, I don’t recall which one. Is that the reason for the clothing?”