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Fate and fortune have brought you to the edge of the nation of Andoran, just outside of an Eagle Knight encampment. You recall the note from Ventrue Captain Brackett that led you here...
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Upon your arrival, a Steel Falcons ensign directs the group to meet Lieutenant Pratt on a pavilion overlooking an entrance to the Candlestone Caverns.
There, you find the striking warrior standing in front of a map, coordinating tactics with other Eagle Knights. All around, you can see several soldiers building sturdy wooden barricades, which they bring to the tunnels below. At your approach, he recognizes your purpose immediately. “Ah! I see the Pathfinders have arrived.”
The Eagle Knight officer steps aside from the ranks, doffing his hat jovially. “Pleased to meet you all! Lieutenant Evanno Pratt, at your service. But you can call me Evanno, or Ev.” He smiles as he waves your group over to a table bearing several incomplete maps, labeled as depicting nearby sections of the Candlestone Caverns. “We’ve been dealing with a problem these past few weeks that a bit of collaboration should be able to solve. A group of duergars from the Candlestone Caverns have emerged, raiding the nearby lands for slaves and supplies. We’re not sure if they’re a scouting party, colonists, or something else; frankly, it doesn’t matter to us. They’re abducting Andoren citizens, and that’s not something we can allow to stand.” Evanno’s expression darkens slightly. “We’ve been setting up some barricades in Candlestone, blocking off several passageways."
“Our plan is to force the duergars into this cavern right here, forming a two-pronged assault to wipe those filthy slavers
out before they can escape deeper into the Darklands. The second prong," he gestures to your group, “is right here in front of me. When my platoon found that journal on a duergar body, I knew that good ol’ Brackett would send some of his finest in exchange for it—and you all certainly seem capable."
“The placement of barricades is nearly done, and we want you to meet us there through the fastest means necessary; once they realize our trap, we need to act quickly. This map’s incomplete, so feel free to depart from it if you find a faster route. Any questions?”
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Landitho nods. "Slavers.... disgusting.". The gnome looks around, violin in her hands. She wears long, white robes stained from traveling, but is otherwise in fairly good condition. Though from Druma originally, she has spent the last few years in Oprak dealing with the new hobgoblin nation.
"I am a spellcaster, yes." She looks at Morrin. "The name is Landitho." She does not reach out for a handshake, but instead bows. "What do we know about these duergar?"
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Asketell is a large Ulfen man with a thick red beard. Despite his large pot belly he also appears to be surprisingly fit, with thickly muscled arms that end in big meaty fists. And despite his rough appearance, their is a glimmer of intellect in his icy blue eyes. He cracks his knuckles and loudly says, "Aye! So a little rumble with the dark dwarves under the earth! Tis a lucky day to have such a straight forward mission for once!"
"Greetings! I'm Asketell Bonecauldron. Not a magic user myself, although it does run in the family. Just a humble brewer and a bit of barroom brawler, I suppose. Magic must of skipped my generation. Supposedly there were a lot of witches on my pa's side. They say they used to brew potions and such in pots made out of frost giant skulls, but I don't believe the stories myself. I've seen a frost giant and despite their size, I don't think their heads would have enough room to boil my morning porridge."
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What can best be described as a mushroom with arms, legs, and a face shuffles ahead and nods approvingly at each person in turn, taking a few extra moments in contemplation (or some such) as they do so before speaking in a slow, squeaky voice "I am Eddie, of. the. Bo..leetus's." They bow to all assembled and then settle in to review the maps.
"Darklands... sound very pleasant place to live. Much moisture and shelter from bright sun..." A calm look settles into their face, streaked wooden staff pokes the ground, always eyeing up the soil.
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A quite young man, in his early twenties and good looking, was listening the briefing
Wearing an hide armor, he holds a glaive near his body. But his smile is peaceful and calm
Hello all, my name is Cassimon Dolh, and I am a servant of Sheylin. This will be my first mission for the Pathfinder, so don't expect me to lead the way. In fact, I do not know much about many things, but I hope my ignorance won't hinder the mission. We learn everyday, and there are so many beautiful things to discover in the vast world.
He considers his glaive
Do you think I should buy another kind of weapon, something more useful in close quarters?
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"Oh, excuse me. I didn't introduce myself. Name's Morrin and I know very little of Duergar folk even though I was born in Darkland. They weren't that common under Belkzen" she laughs and fiddles with amulets hanging from sleeve of her tunic "By the way, caverns below ground are full of sinister magic so ya need this amulet." +1 circumstance bonus to first saving throw against a spell or haunt
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"Not sure what to expect to tell the truth. It is an unforgiving place full of dangers."
At the mention of Duergar, Evanno grimaces dourly. “They’re a bunch of dwarves who went rogue — I don’t know the whole story about how they became the monsters they are now, but they enslave other creatures above and below the surface without a care. Those scum work people to death — the sooner we’re rid of them, the better. As to the hazards down there or what weapons to bring you might consider asking around with my men who have been down there for a while.”
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"Bad magic under ground? Why?" Eddie seems a bit confused about the connection between the two. You can almost smell the brown butter as his soft mushroom brain takes extra time to process things.
"All weapons useful. I send fey magic to do the work, or tenderize with my staff." They churn around some particularly dark soil then shuffled over it and smile. Yum
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Asketell laughs and boasts, "I have punched a raging bear right in it's snout and I doubt that these dark dwarves are tougher than the beats we have in the Land of Linorm Kings. All I need to know is whereto find 'em!"
"A little liquid courage, my friend," he says laughing as he claps him in the back.
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After spending a bit of time with the battle-hardened troops (who alternately extol and disregard the use of long-hafted weapons underground), Cassimon and Landitho concur with Eddie's thought that the Candlestone Caverns are a primary gateway between the Darklands and Andoran. Its tunnels can be treacherous, and many an adventurer has either gotten lost in the caves or fallen victim to an unexpected plunge.
"If you're ready," Lieutenant Brackett cheerfully calls out "the entrance is this way!" and directs you to a tunnel leading to the cavern where the duergars are to be cornered.
"Now, the way there is long, but time is of the essence to catch the duergars in the pincer maneuver." He reminds you before wishing you luck.
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After about an hour’s travel down the caverns following the map given, you come across a cave-in blocking the main path forward, but also find a side tunnel that was not marked on Evanno’s map. Those trained in survival, engineering, or geography realize that this is a shorter and faster, but potentially more treacherous path.
The first challenge before you is quite evident. The tunnel plunges into a steep decline too tall and uneven to simply walk down.
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Cassimo nods at the big Ulfen man
Thank you for your generosity. I'll do my best to repay it, if not in gold, at least in service in this mission.
Later, the champion of Sheylin, despite saying he was just a novice, unfit to lead the way, just make that, trying to show the safest way to descend the treacherous slope
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Before they embark into the luscious, moist darkness below Eddie scours the area around the cavern entrance and outside of the camp for hidden goodies. Most appear to be lichens, mosses, and assorted fungus. "Do not struggle if I force these on you when hurt, they will help."
Natural Medicine: You can apply natural cures to heal your allies. You can use Nature instead of Medicine to Treat Wounds. If you’re in the wilderness, you might have easier access to fresh ingredients, allowing you to gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your check to Treat Wounds using Nature, subject to the GM’s determination.
Eddie draws out his beautiful spalted rock maple shield as the group descends into the caverns, black eyes keeping a close eye on the surroundings.
"We should go this way, less walking, faster trip." They suggest at the crossroads near the cave-in.
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With a bit of quick aid from the bard, the group begins their descent. Cassimon begins well and leads the way. But Morrin's sprint turns into a harsh tumble --- dragging Landitho and the others to the bottom in a tangled heap, the sharp rocks introducing themselves nicely along the way.
Increase the attack modifiers, attack damage, spell damage, saving throw modifiers, skill modifiers, Perception modifiers, and AC of the PC by 1.
Increase the Hit Point totals of the PC by 10 or by 10%, whichever is higher.
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The group regains their footing and find that the sharp slope ends in a wandering cavern. As you make your way around its perimeter, you find a metallic grate securing the only apparent exit from the room. The grate appears to be completely sealed, with no knob, lock, or other mechanism to open it. Near the grate, an inscription glows faintly on the wall.
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Eddie stands on the edge of the slope looking down for signs of wildlife passage when Morrin crashes through, dragging the whole crew down into a bruised and bloody heap. "Ow. That nearly severed my stipe."
After checking an inside pocket they draw out a scroll with the glyph of the open road stamped into the sealing wax "I was told to use this in case of emergencies. I think almost falling to our death immediately is just that." Eddie breaks the wax seal and starts reading the words, summoning in a faint mist that dampens the group, but also heals up some of their wounds.
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Once the group does some healing Eddie pulls their wooden shield back out and continues on, stopping to give the steel grate an annoyed look before asking the fungal spirits for guidance.
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Landitho screams out in pain as she tumbles. "Ow, ow, ow, ow. I think I broke my wrist. Please help me up.". But she stands up before anyone can help her.
She starts playing her violin and hums a quick tune. Both her and Morrin's wounds stitch up slowly. "Ah. Much better!"
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Approaching the gate, Landitho squints. "Ah, yes. I can read that."
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As the group tends their wounds, several of you study the inscription closely. Landitho is certain that the text draws heavily on Successful Methods for the Enslavement of Lesser Races - the Duergar foundational text, but between quotations, the inscription alludes to two hidden switches near the grate that, if pushed at the same time, cause it to open.
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A low rumble can be heard nearby. Moving to investigate, you find a a spider the size of a halfling blown against the wall, reeking of corrosive stench and clearly dead. The duergars must have placed some bombs nearby as a makeshift trap, and now you'll have to make their way past them to reach your goal.
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With the aid of the elixir and Cassimon's last-second vigilance, Landitho spots a nasty contraption of acid flasks and tripwires that would have severely harmed the unwary. Luckily, the trap can be easily avoided once found and two of the said flasks can even be retrieved for future use without danger.
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As you traverse farther into the tunnels, the tunnels become a tangled mess of dead ends and loops. Trying to reason your way through them - you suddenly hear the sounds of pitched battle far in the distance.
Have the Eagle Knights and the duergars found each other too soon?
You are at a risk of becoming lost if you charge forward too hastily... but with time pressure bearing down, one of you must take the lead to reach your Andoran allies!