Absalom’s boulevards and alleyways run thick with intrigue—with rival powers jockeying for influence, wealth, and control, and all too often ignorant of anything below their feet. Just below the great city’s flagstones run a vast network of sewers, ancient tunnels, and places unmapped and unknown to those above.
You have been asked to assemble upon one such flagstone, which lies not far outside of the Pathfinder Society’s Grand Lodge.
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In walks a gnome with dark ashen skin wearing an all white ensemble. She's wearing long, white, silken gloves. And in her hands is a delicate violin. She stares ahead, almost unnervingly and bows before everyone. "Pleasure to meet everyone. My name is Landitho. Or Lan.". She turns to everyone. "It's interesting being back in Absalom. I forgot how impressive and imposing this city can be."
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A medium-height Mwangi man walks down the street. He is wearing dark clothes and carries a flute in his hands which he plays at as he walks. On his back, he carries a drum that looks way better quality than the other instrument.
His feet are slightly longer and his skin has some green color in it, his yellow eyes leave no doubts that this one is a half-orc.
He looks at Lan and returns the bow
"Xun Saburo at your service, have you been away for a long time Lan? I myself was first at worldwound, wrapped in some sort of investigation and exorcism at the same time. Then I spent some time in Mwangi negotiating with Iruxis. Plenty of fun, but good to be back into a city with a healthy amount of taverns where one can perform."
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Rounding the corner comes a solidly build dwarven woman with sharp blue eyes, armed and armored. Her martial mien is softened by a friendly small, and she stops and parade rest while introductions are made.
"Birgid Sapphiresong, pleased to make your acquaintance, both of you." At Lan's remark on the city she turns and surveys the block thoughtfully. "It is...larger than life, in many ways. I'm still getting used to it myself." She raises one eyebrow at Xun, impressed. "Service in Sarkoris is a noble calling, Master Xun. A diplomat, and a well-traveled one at that, always makes good company. Welcome."
Glancing around expectantly, Birgid sighs good-naturedly. "Erryn is late again, I see. Not to worry, she's good in a pinch and well worth waiting for."
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A human woman comes tearing around the corner, one hand holding a scabbard in place on her hip as her cloak billows out behind her. She comes to a skidding halt next to Birgid, and immediately sets about getting her medium length brown hair back into some semblance of order. Only once the worst wrinkles have been smoothed out of her clothing does she actually say anything.
"Birgid, Lan," Erryn says, giving each a nod of her head. "Good to see you again." She then turns to the half-orc, the only one she doesn't know already, and favors him with a bow.
"Erryn Canmore, formerly of Lastwall. With luck, you'll have no need of my skills. Luck being rather hard to come by these days, I'm sure you'll be glad to have me along."
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Xun looks at Birgid and Erryn, he takes out his hat and bows, he puts his right foot in front of the other and lowered his torso towards the front leg like so of the actors would do.
"It is pleasure to meet you."
He turns to Birgid
"My work as a storyteller frequently makes me travel into some dangerous places. However, usually, there are others in the heat of battle. Regardless your words are kind, thank you!" He bows again
He turns towards Erryn
"Lucky or not I am glad that you are here. Lastwall? Before the Sarkosis I was trying to evacuate whatever was left in Goldenflame. Unfortunately, we mostly found bodies and relics. We did save one druid. I am sorry for what has happened there." he says in sadness in his voice
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Your introductions and discussions of the nature of talismans join with the sounds of sounds of bustling conversation and commerce outside of the Pathfinder Society’s Grand Lodge. The busy nature of the city makes it feel as it it were a living, breathing creature.
Suddenly, you notice the presence of an older, human man just off of the street. With a shock of white hair and a slight paunch, Drandle Dreng, stands smiling and with perception indicative of a Pathfinder, he waves a beckoning hand.
“Pathfinders!” He says, motioning to follow. “Your timing is perfect, but let me get straight on to the matter at hand, and also add that I certainly hope that you’re all wearing a good set of boots.”He swiftly walks off, leading you into the city’s back alleys.
“As you may well be aware, the Pathfinder Society has many allies hailing from across Avistan, Garund, and beyond. Some of our allies are much closer, and indeed right below our feet.” He comes to a stop and motions down at a thick bronze plate in the road covering an entry into Absalom’s sewers.
“Perhaps you’ve heard of the Sewer Dragons?" he asks, yet provides no pause for any response. "They’re a resourceful kobold tribe claiming a major portion of Absalom’s underground. The Society has understanding with them, and I’ve regularly met with their representative, one Dragonspeaker Engashez, a blue-scaled bard with a penchant for drums. While she can occasionally be yappy, she is prompt, and earlier today she failed to appear at our scheduled meeting. I suspect that something has happened, and I want to find out what.”
Dreng leads the way below ground, into a subterranean chamber strewn with the carnage of a recent fight. Two ragged, giant holes are punched through the walls at the room’s opposite ends though both tunnels subsequently collapsed. More startling are the dozen kobold corpses dead and partially submerged in the room’s standing water.
“Oh no no…” Dreng mutters in disbelief before he raises his head at the echoing, distorted sounds of nearby fighting. “Trouble ahead. Whatever caused this must still be close by!” He points down one of the passageways out of the room and wades across the room towards the other exit.
“I’ll go this way and you go that way! Quickly now!” With this, Dreng dashes off down the western passage!
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"Lucky or not I am glad that you are here. Lastwall? Before the Sarkosis I was trying to evacuate whatever was left in Goldenflame. Unfortunately, we mostly found bodies and relics. We did save one druid. I am sorry for what has happened there." he says in sadness in his voice.
Erryn dips her head again in gratitude. "Thank you for doing what you could. When Lastwall called for aid, many of our so-called allies abandoned us to our fate. I will always remember those who came to our aid at Renchurch," she says, her eyes looking beyond Xun and into the past. Her jaw sets and her fists clench in response to what she finds there. "Just as I will remember those who did not."
"We just got out of the bloody sewers with those damned goblins," Erryn mutters as their destination becomes clear. When they come across the corpses of the kobolds they've come to meet, however, she draws her rapier and gives Birgid a serious nod.
"Lives are in the balance. Let us hurry."
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Landitho shouts at Dreng. "Good to see you, old friend!". She smiles at the man and bows deeply, though she's unsure if he remembers her.
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Upon seeing the dead kobolds, Landitho gasps. "Oh no. Poor creatures. We need to get to the bottom of this.". She does a quick glance around, attempting to sense any magic coming from here. She holds up her violin and plays a quick few notes.
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"Does it do anything that I should be aware of?"
"Orcs believe that this may protect you from magical curses or haunts. From where I come, storytellers deal with spirits and fey. Making charms is part of what I did there." says the bard smiling
"Thank you for doing what you could. When Lastwall called for aid, many of our so-called allies abandoned us to our fate. I will always remember those who came to our aid at Renchurch," she says, her eyes looking beyond Xun and into the past. Her jaw sets and her fists clench in response to what she finds there. "Just as I will remember those who did not."
Xun nods, he shall not pretend that he understands since he is not. His homeland is not completely destroyed. He left because he wished to and not because he was forced to.
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"So the kobold did not show up to a meeting. If you would do that, what are the most likely reasons, and where would you go? Maybe Dragonspeaker Engashez did just that."
As they spot the bodies Xun grabs at his sword, a short but wide blade is covered with runes. The half-orc grabs at one of his lucky charms and speaks few words in orcish.
"Maybe someone is still alive, we should go and check"
"So the kobold did not show up to a meeting. If you would do that, what are the most likely reasons, and where would you go? Maybe Dragonspeaker Engashez did just that."
"As I said, Dragonspeaker Engashez is known to be quite prompt. It is not like her to miss a scheduled meeting. If she did not show for the meeting, I suspect it most likely because she could not show for the meeting." Dreng explains hastily. "What could have placed her in such a state is what I intend to find out--with your help, of course."
"As for where she would go? If she were in danger, she would almost certainly seek the greatest protection available to her, the safety of these tunnels within the Sewer Dragon's territory!"
Dreng leaves you to explore the eastern passage.
The tunnels in which you now find yourselves make up a massive network of sewage drains, abandoned catacombs, and handmade tunnels.
There are no reliable light sources, making the entire area dark. The rank smell of sewage clings to the air.
Map of the sewer tunnel is now on Slides.
"Maybe someone is still alive, we should go and check"
None of the kobolds strewn about the room or floating in the sewage are still alive. The signs of battle are intense, though it’s clear that the kobolds were taken by surprise. Many still have their weapons sheathed at their sides, and an equal number of kobolds seem to have been crushed by debris or with bodies twisted as though smashed down by some powerful creature.
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With the totally unsurprising lack of light in the sewers, Erryn turns her rapier into an impromptu torch and holds it high as they march deeper into the gloom.
"This one died first, crushed when whatever attacked them came through the wall," Erryn says, gesturing to the kobold in question. "The others were mauled or burned with...acid, looks like. Whatever we're dealing with is quite big."
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Skidding to a halt a bare few steps behind the others, Birgid surveys the scene grimly and begins a futile check for survivors. When Erryn warns the group about the attack's perpetrator the paladin's jaw tightens, even as the Venture Captain sprints away even into the darkness.
"It can't be that big, if it can move around down here. Stay behind me, all, and let's go find the survivors."
Landitho will continue her violin playing, inspiring her companions!
Progressing down the passage, you quickly notice a pile of broken stones and glass in the tunnel’s center.
Tokens of party members now advanced on Map.
More signs of struggles are evident within this passage, suggesting the tunnel has seen the aftereffects of a recent combat and the passage of a large creature.
You recognize the signs of otyugh spoor.
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"Look, the debris is a sprung trap from above, triggered by a deactivated trap in the floor. " says Xun to others, his eyes adapt to the low-light in the tunnels as he steps forwards
Xun takes out a small figurine, that resembles a dog. He puts it on the ground and speaks few words. The figurine transforms into a hound with onyx eyes
"Onyx, there is a creature here that I need you to track"
The onyx dog moves ahead through the brackish, foul-smelling water when, suddenly, Xun spots a trapdoor near the creature's feet! Hidden near the center of this passage, underneath a foot-deep river of slow-moving sewage, lies a carefully disguised trap--a wooden trapdoor covering 10 feet square--untouched by the conflict that passed through this area.
You notice that the tracks of the otyughs seem to have veered to the sides of this passage, likely chasing kobold victims based on the bloody marks along the walls.
Location of pit trap (oted by an yellow outline) and more of the tunnel now revealed on the Map.
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"Birgid, did you already forget your wrestling match with the alligator in these very sewers? Things down here can get plenty big."
"They weren't that large for death lizards. My point is anything small enough to move down these tunnels is small enough for us to kill."
She carefully stops short of the trap when Xun spots it. "Good eye! Do one of you wish to handle it? If not, a bit of debris should less us trigger it from a safe distance."
The party readily makes its way forward, noting that this stretch of the sewers curves back toward the west.
Location of party updated on Map.
Near the curve, you notice another sprung trap: a broken trip wire and a hanging scythe blade.
You discern that the trap struck a large creature, and that two such creatures passed. There is blood on the deployed scythe.
Moving deeper into the confined space ahead, you find that debris, blood, and carnage fill this hallway. Blood is splattered around the room, and a sewage-soaked bag of tools sits abandoned on the southern walkway.
Fortunately, the sharp-eyed Erryn just barely notices before any of her allies enter the area that the floor is covered in a series of pressure panels; the panels connect to a barrel of debris hidden in the hallway’s ceiling.
Location of panels now indicated on map in yellow-outline.
With his fourth attempt, Xun manages to strike the barrel with sufficient force to bring it harmlessly crashing down.
Moving along, the tunnel takes a turn southward. Here lies the rubble of an impromptu deadfall trap.
Location provided on new Map on Slides.
You spot an unconscious and badly injured kobold, almost certainly a Sewer Dragon. The lean and milky-scaled kobold barely clings to life and bears gruesome wounds.
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"Hold this up for me, plase," Erryn says, handing her glowing rapier to Birgid before kneeling next to the injured kobold. "Bite wounds, what look to be acid burns, even ligature marks. Seems consistent with an otyugh."
She's quiet for the next several minutes as she works to save the poor creature's life, save for occasional instructions to Birgid to move her light or to hold something.
With the human treating her wounds, the kobold regains consciousness. Blinking her orange eyes and squinting in pain, she instinctively reaches for her weapon, a gleaming rapier, but pauses and relaxes as she recognizes you as members of the Pathfinder Society.
Picture of kobold now on Slides.
“Pathfinders?” She glances about, wincing at the distant sounds of continued combat, "I am Pethjun. I am grateful for your help. My tribal kin and I were taken by surprise. Stupidly so! A machine with a great drill at the front, broke through into our territory. Don’t know what it was.”
She snarls, “It ignored us, but before its tunnel collapsed, otyughs and hungry oozes followed behind it. Chief Yiddlepode was injured from falling debris! Sent her and others off ahead and tried to fight; slow them down so she could escape.”
Frustrated and in pain, Pethjun screams in anger at her perceived failure, even if against overwhelming odds. “Can still hear fighting though! Pathfinders, we have an arrangement yes? Please help! Will tell you the way, will tell you the traps!”
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"Yes Pethjun, we are here to help. Let's ensure that Chief Yiddlepode survives the day." As she helps the kobold to her feet, Birgid frowns back in the direction they had come from.
"You said the wall was broken by a drilling machine of some sort? Who in the blazes would be crashing around down here with such a device-and seemingly no one aware of it up above?"