A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–5.
While many Pathfinders meet unfortunate fates in their ongoing explorations of the dangerous world of Golarion, some retire with decades' worth of treasure in their coffers, and their lives still intact. When one such Pathfinder approaches the Grand Lodge with the hidden location of her treasure vault, it falls upon a new generation of Pathfinders to retrieve from within a valuable keepsake. That they can keep anything other than the ex-Pathfinder's locket makes the assignment all the sweeter.
Written by Savannah Broadway.
Private CORE game by invite only.
For your next assignment, you find yourselves summoned to a ramshackle tenement outside of Korvosa. Looking around you notice Wrofyx is not present but there is a new face in your midst.
Light rain is falling as Venture-Captain Sir Canayven Heidmarch begins his briefing.
“For this mission, you will have to venture into the sewers beneath Korvosa. Sascha Antif-Arah, requires access to a particular vault. The society is going to help her.” he announces, gesturing to a haggard human woman who is past her prime but whose posture expresses confidence and experience.
Sascha eyes each Pathfinder in turn then nods to herself with some satisfaction and steps forward gracefully.
“Some years ago my friends and I had made quite a name for ourselves around Korvosa, and our adventures earned us a considerable amount of gold. We stashed most of it in one of the Vaults after evicting the cult that had already claimed it.”
Sascha pauses for a moment, smiles, and shakes her head as if recalling particularly amusing details of the raid.
“Anyway, I retired from the business after that, started up a shop, and lived peacefully until I got into trouble with the Hellknights. I can’t show my face in Korvosa because I don’t fancy spending my retirement in shackles, but I’m willing to cede my share of the loot in that Vault to you. It’s no dragon’s hoard, but it should be more than worth your time. The only thing I want from there is an old locket—nothing magical or worth fencing, but it means a lot to me. Once I have it, I’m getting out of this place and off to somewhere the Order of the Nail has no sway. The entrance shouldn’t be too hard to find, assuming you know what to look for,” she remarks as she fishes several folded papers from her haversack.
“There’s an old service entrance into the sewers about a quarter-mile north of my old shop in Midland; I wrote down directions that should lead you to the vault. There’s a big room inside, and I stashed my share under the flagstones in one of the small chambers nearby.”
She extracts a few more items from her bag and holds them out. “I hope you don’t need these, but you never know. I certainly won’t be using them in my retirement. Good luck to you, Pathfinders.”
She will let you know the items are:
three +1 aberration bane arrows, two antitoxins, a vial of antiplague, and an alkali flask.
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Lugrok and Urk share a piece of raw meat, chunks of it being gently tossed one way or the other, as they listen to the old human speak. With a light grunt, he speaks.
"So we gonna be crawlin' in muck and crap for some coin?" He looks over to Urk, who continues eating his lunch with all the enthusiasm he can muster. Lugrok nods at the boar, then looks back. "Urk says long as he don't have to smell the place, he's fine with this."
"Was there somethin' we should be lookin' out for down there? Never been in the sewers in a city before, not knowin' what to expect." He rips another piece of meat off with his teeth, chewing and listening.
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Oh man, this is some good food! Why can't we be fed like this all the time?
Urk chews happily at his little piece of meat as some other two legger talks. He knows it means they are going someplace else. He just hopes it isn't like the last time; too many two leggers with stuffy clothing, the smell of the building was so clean. But the food was great!
Sascha looks at Lugrok and chuckles slightly, "I suppose that is one way to describe it. As for things to look out for, Korvosa’s sewers have lots of blackboil alligators, so I wouldn’t go for a swim unless you really have to. My group ran into some other strange creatures years ago, but our scholar usually identified them for us; I don’t remember what they were.”
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The big ork looks over at Ringo, still chewing on the meat which slightly hangs off his tusk.
"I can try to talk to the rats. Maybe they wont attack if we just leave them alone. The oozes though, well.." the ork shrugs, "...we may just have to deal with them the hard way. Speaking of.. what is the hard way?"
Sascha hands over the directions to the sewers and wishes you luck.
"If you have no furthers questions you should be going." Venture-Captain Heidmarch says obviously dismissing you.
After stopping to make any purchases the group arrives at the location Sascha's directions had indicated. There they find a rusty, slime-encrusted steel ladder descending into the sewers.
Looking around from the bottom of the ladder there are tunnels that stretch to the north, east and south like roads in an underground city. Curtains of fungus and mould hang from the ceilings roughly ten feet above the tunnels’ walkways, which run along either side of the sewage channels. Occasional dim patches of light can be seen filtering down from the streets above. The sewers are oddly free of garbage, waste, and the other by-products of Korvosan life although the sickening smell of decay hangs in the air.
After looking around you notice movement from a tunnel to the north. As it approaches you see it is an odd-looking creature with a large central body that is mostly mouth, three stumpy legs and three tentacles—two with barbs, and one with numerous eyes. As soon as it sees you it roars and whips its toothed tentacles across the walls and ceiling before addressing you in common.
"Give something good to Togg. I am Togg. Give Togg good food with good taste."
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Blinks at the creature in front of them. He puts a hand down to hold Urk back from charging in rashly, looking to see if he can figure out what this is.
Unsure at all, he puts his hand into one of his pouches, pulling out a piece of well chewed but aged meat, and tosses it to the mouthy creature.
"Togg? What Togg like?"
The creature moves forward and investigates the tossed food.
"This ok food but Togg want better food. Food from above! Tasty drinks!" it points at Urk, "That small thing, it look good"
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While he doesnt understand the words being said, it is obvious to Urk that something is not right. The big mouth thing, while seeming to have three legs, is not any friendlier than most two-legs. When its.. arm? Leg? Second eye?... points in his direction, and he sees his ork friend tense up and shake his head, Urk definitely knew something was night right at all.
I dont know what that thing is, but I bet I could eat it.
Urk was hungry. He forgot to eat at the meeting. At least, he thinks he forgot. Urk isnt having a good day being lowered into a sewer then having some massive mouthy three legger pointing at him.
His hackles raised on his back, light grunts echoing in the sewer, and he stood his ground.
Bring it, weird chicken!
"Yes, want tasty beverage!!! But how Togg know this not be trick. Why should Togg trust, big one has hand on weapon and small thing growl?" The creature sounds both angry & intriged.
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"I can see this is going well. Togg - Pharasma shines upon you as we are here looking for shiny treasure. With shiny treasure comes a feast to be had. A feast I say - one more tasty that this pig would be and far less deadly to earn. Doesn't that sound nice?"
Pharasma... send me a sign if you wish this creature's time to be over.
"You get Togg feast, what is feast? Is feast tasty food? If Togg show you shiny, you feed Togg?
The creature starts moving around in what you can only assume is bouncing with excitement.
"Togg want good food, new food. Not old, used food." Togg waves a tentacle at Ringo & Ver'Yanion, "You get Togg feast. Togg show others shinys"
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Hears his friend give the order to stand down, and although Urk is ready to rip a weird chicken a new hole (as if the one where its mouth is wasnt big enough), he does so.
With a shake of his body, he rests into a comfortable position on the ground. A quick sniff of the area tells him this place is.. well, ripe.
I bet weird chicken there didnt know we would surprise it in its toilet, of all places! I guess now it realizes it is better to talk than let us eat it! HA! Take that, weird chicken talking thing!
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Ver'Yanion goes up the ladder, with whomever is coming with. He will make his way to the market, and see what he can get his hands in the way of food for as little cash as he can make happen.
While the creature said ' good food, new food', he is not too concerned about the quality of the food that he is searching for. He looks for the cheapest of meats and other things, figuring as long as the look palatable to a creature such as that, it would be good enough.
Togg looks at Gronak, "Togg is...Togg? Other above things call Togg otyugh, is Togg otyugh?
"This good food, tasty food. Togg like. You bring good food, come Togg show shiny.
With that Togg moves slightly into an opening in the sewer wall that she was standing beside. When (if) you follow her you find a natural cave that used to be sealed off but the bricks have long since been removed. It appears this is where Togg stores things she considers interesting. Unfortunately what otyughs consider interesting is not the same as what you do. There are shiny things but they are just broken bits of glass and old buttons.