HP 54/54
AC 20 (22 with shield raised)
Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +10
Hero points: 2
Focus Points: 0/1
Effects:
Furious that she's being ignored (again! Will they never learn!), Mithralline tries to grab hold of the hag, but is frustrated as the awful creature keeps moving. Hissing she lashes out with her scythe instead before raising her shield.
Caraid swears as he watches Ceceka take a bullet to the chest at close range. He knows all too well how damaging those weapons can be but any attempt to heal the man is going to reveal far too much about his own abilities. The best he can do is hurry behind the fighter and inject him with a numbing draught - but even that doesn't do much good.
Ceceka slashes Decrosia while Telvir blasts her with magic missiles. The hag is badly wounded, so rather than risk opening herself up to another attack from Ceceka, she steps towards him and lashes out with her claws. They tear open his chest, causing Ceceka to go down! She cackles and whirls on Mithralline, slashing the vampiric sprite as well.
Caraid curses again and pours a powder between Ceceka's lips. This one is something that should never be used except in dire emergencies - but this counts!
Then from his crouched position he blasts the hag at point blank range!
The rending defeat of a powerful enemy makes the hag cackle and swell with confidence. And leaves herself open to the ineffectual maid behind her. A perfectly sound tactical decision, especially when presented with the potential of shutting up a yapping flea with a scythe.
Telvir lashes out with darts of force again, and Smoke takes a snap at the wounded hag.
for
Caraid's searing light goes wide, and while Smoke misses the hag, Telvir blasts Decrosia with more magic missiles. Aily capitalizes on the undead hound's flanking position and finally makes good with her blade, driving it deep into Decrosia's back! She shrieks and staggers, then falls forward on her face, blood pooling beneath her.
You've little time to celebrate your victory, however, as the rusty minotaur construct emerges from the factory! Snorting with fury, it begins to charge towards you!
GET OUT OF TOWN (Final Obstacle!)
Infiltration Points 4 (group); Overcome DC 22 Athletics, Deception, Society, or Stealth
As the minotaur chases the group through the factory, Telvir turns for a moment and topples a large column of oil drums into the path of the minotaur.
Caraid fades into the background and, covered in blood as he is, adopts a shambling gait as he heads out of town. Given that he looks grievously wounded he easily passes muster as an undead and the minotaur ignores him in favour of other targets.
Mithralline sighs as Allura tries batting her eyes at the minotaur in an effort to distract it.
"That's not going to work!" she says, grabbing her maid by the ear and dragging her out of the street. Pulling her upward, she quickly tries climbing a wall to a roof, hoping to get out of sight.
The wounded warrior tries to use his talent for physicality to get him the Hell away from the minotaur, but every fiber in his body protests when Ceceka asks his feet to carry him away from here. With legs like jelly, he stumbles forward and it's clear for all to see that without help, Ceceka won't be going anywhere.
You barely manage to stay ahead of the minotaur construct as you flee through the streets of Pagked. You are not quite fast enough to avoid being caught in a blast of its rusting exhalations, though!
Finally, you manage to lose the construct and make it across the bridge out of town! You pause to catch your breath on the outskirts of Pagked. Decrosia is dead, which means two members of the Graveclaw coven have now been defeated. And you've learned that the rust hag was making shipments to somebody in Yled.
"I wondered what trouble you lot might be up to in town," comes a voice from behind a nearby bush. A tall virulak in fancy clothes steps out and gives you a grim smile. "Taking out Decrosia is no mean feat. Well done. I am the Shroud, an agent of the Carters Consortium. The Great Factions have forsaken this dying town, but I remain."
He looks at Aily. "Aily Yor, yes? I know you've done some work for the Consortium in the past. With Decrosia gone, now is the perfect opportunity for us to take control of Pagked. Who knows? Perhaps in time, we can reverse its fortunes. In the meantime, I am happy to reward you for your efforts here."
Most would preen at being recognized by a powerful organization, but those who would probably haven't spent a lifetime attempting to reside to the side of recognition.
The maid doesn't let her sudden spike of irritation show on her once again pretty face (as soon as they were out of town she shed her drag features with a quick magical readjusting and got back into her typical clothes).
Grasping her black skirts, she bobs low, giving the man the proper respect she feels his station would require. "You honor me past need, master Shroud, for remembering my interactions for the Consortium, which was all accomplished for my Lady, Mithralline Cort." she deflects a little, but also adds as she straightens, folding her hands behind her again "The Consortium, I believe, will be the perfect organization to make order out of Pagked, and raise it to new heights of production and profit. In this I am glad we were able to be of service."
The Shroud grins. "I'm glad you see things as I do. There are a few things you should know about Decrosia's operations. She'd been importing firearms from Alkenstar, both to arm her followers and resell as products from her factories—a sure way to financial ruin. It shows Decrosia’s desperation to keep her floundering finances afloat. More strangely, Decrosia also was shipping large quantities of inert alchemical components to someone in Axan Wood, a lawyer in Sallowshore, and a woman named Nathnelma at the Twilight Castrum, a necromancy school in Yled. I don't know much about these shipments, but I know Nathnelma pays the bills for all of them. Therefore, I assume she’s in charge of the operation.
"I'll take care of Pagked from here. I wish you luck on your future endeavors."
"Thank you for the information, sir. Once you are settled, we would be delighted for you to visit Lady Cort's manor. My staff would delight in testing their hospitality on such an esteemed guest." she bobs again quickly then is ready to go.
Telvir pats Smoke on the head and rustles his ears. "Fine work all around. How foolish was Decrosia? She'd have the north of the country overrun with dwarves and shield marshals."
Thinking over the information that Shroud revealed, the elf adds, "How many are drawn into this web? Now we have to deal with a necromancer in Yled itself? I suppose we should take care of the other hag first, then tend to business in our backyard."
"Yes, the other hag first," Mithralline agrees, blood already up by the attention this Shroud paid to her maidservant and only slightly mollified by Avaricious' deflection of attention back to her.
A smile tugs at the side of the maid's lips. Not at the attention, but because her mistress was annoyed, which always delighted her. "A good suggestion, Mr. Stanton." a small pause then "And my lady of course"
You return to Graydirge to recover and resupply, then journey east until you reach the town of Sallowshore along the coast of Geb. All told, it's about two weeks after defeating Decrosia when you arrive in Sallowshore.
The bright light of a full moon illuminates the port town of Sallowshore, a curious old settlement that looks partially slid into the sea. Half the town consists of sunken buildings with a few floors poking from the water and connected by rickety wooden bridges. A wooden boardwalk leads from the water to a bustling fish market. Humans, lizardfolk, and long-eared ghouls go about their business in the town, the ghouls and lizardfolk slipping easily in and out of the water. About a hundred yards from the tide rises a short but steep cliff lined with humble homes and a few handsome estates. This, it appears, is where Sallowshore’s air-breathing population lives, while others inhabit the sunken town below.
There are several inns and hotels in Sallowshore, some of which cater exclusively to patrons who can breathe underwater or don’t need to breathe at all. Eel House is one such inn, whose infamous manager, Lougash the Eel, lures guests in with low prices and promises of air-filled rooms, but then betrays them with many hidden fees when they try to leave. The Fishmonger is a more egalitarian place to stay; this old brick building situated on the water’s edge has many dry rooms and a few submerged basement rooms for aquatic guests. The Fishmonger is run by Old Maeve, who stays out of her guest’s business and directs her staff of grandchildren with a forceful voice and swiftly swung broomstick.
Wherever you decide to lodge, once you are ready to begin investigating, the obvious place to begin is Rola’s Fish Market, the town’s social center. Stalls face both the water and dry land, with many customers swimming up to a stall to transact their business. Everyone who works at the market knows its rules: theft and assault are punished harshly as determined by the victims, so these crimes are rare. Workers at each stall shout to passersby, hawking their latest catch. Dockhands seek work along the wharf, looking for signs a merchant vessel might need strong backs to load or unload cargo.
It's easy enough to learn about the movers and shakers of Sallowshore at the Fish Market. A half-dozen wealthy individuals and their families mostly do as they wish in Sallowshore. Three of these individuals with ties to Geb’s Great Factions are Gishkar the Fishmonger, a member of the Export Guild; Tobias Highridge, a representative of the Tax Collectors Union; and Stana Keystone, a member of the Builders League. The sea hag Sahni Bride-of-the-Sea is the town’s most noteworthy resident without ties to any faction. She’s perceived to be wholly independent of any interests. This arrangement of influential, yet self-interested, individuals isn’t common in Geb, where many dignitaries have political aspirations, but it works for Sallowshore. As long as the town pays its taxes to Geb’s royal coffers, it’s left to its own devices.
Aily has been humming here and there around camp as she sets up her mistress's tent, cooks dinner, and the regular 'scouting' missions with Caraid. She doesn't realize she's doing it, and stops immediately when it is mentioned. It is rather pleasant though, for those that enjoy music.
Aily begins her inquires with the Fishmonger, in the fish market, thinking knowing the powers around the city is a good start, before seeking knowledge about the hag herself. If she came to her mistress with a firm location of the hag's whereabouts, there would be orders for the group to Go Now.
Aily learns that Gishkar the Fishmonger is the town’s duty-minded
iruxi customs officer. He’s with the Export Guild, and he knows about all valuable commodities that enter or leave town.
She also learns that s Sahni the sea hag claims to be the town’s lawyer;
those who seek justice go to her and bargain for her services. She has taken over a long-submerged temple to Urgathoa, making it into her own lair.
"So, Aily, 'long submerged'? I don't like the sound of that. Though if she is the lawyer, perhaps she will be more reasonable than her coven-mates."
As Addledina is off doing who knows what in the market -- probably buying some useless bit of frippery -- Mithralline gets down to work, asking about Stana. She has plenty of experience with the Builders League, so maybe she'll be of use. She certainly couldn't be less useful than her current minions...
Mithralline learns some juicy gossip about Stana Keystone. Blavket Keystone made a bargain with Sahni for a prosperous business, but it cost him his health. His mother, Stana, local Grand Master in the Builders League, is trying to recover family medicines that might prevent his death.
Caraid flits around the fish market being his usual charming self and wheedling out all the gossip he can about Tobias Highridge.
Tobias Highridge, tax collector and vampire, mourns the death of his wife, a night hag named Nepenthe. Nepenthe used to belong to a coven called Graveclaw, along with Sahni. Tobias blames Sahni for Nepenthe’s death, although the details of this intra-coven rivalry is unclear, and he wants revenge.
"We could call on Mr. Highbridge. A courtesy among Lady Cort's kind. Introducting oneself when entering another's domain." Aily explains the etiquette of her mistress, though she is mostly reminding her mistress about it more than telling the others.
It is also obvious she is suggesting doing so to explore further his desire for revenge.
Caraid passes on the news, but suppresses the name, and (to Aily at least) appears distinctly... off colour. Something about what he has found out is troubling him deeply.
He doesn't even take his usual opportunity to needle Mithralline!
"A wise practice. I try to stay out of squabbles of retribution, but in this case it may be useful to us."
Or we'll just make another powerful enemy.
"Yes, this is good. We should indeed make our presence known," Mithralline agrees . "Make the arrangements, Ahgree."
Anybody in town can point out the Highridge Estate, perched on the cliffs that overlook Sallowshore's Fish Market. When you approach the estate and knock on the door, you are greeting by a severe, pale-skinned woman in a black coat and trousers embroidered with images of blood drops.
"Good evening. I am Lixl. What business do you have with my employer, Master Highridge?"
The maid in her heavy black dress and white apron gives what she assumes is her fellow servant a dip of her head. "My lords and lady of Cort Manor would like to arrange an audience with Master Highridge at his earliest convenience.
The exact nature of their business together can be discussed in private."
The woman looks you over, taking your measure. "Of course. Won’t you please come this way?” Lixl asks. “You can wait in the garden while I see if Master Highridge can see you. I’m sure he won’t be long.”
She leads the way through the ground floor of the large house, past grim furnishings like a wall tapestry depicting Zon-Kuthon, a bone chandelier bearing six severed hands, and a carpet made from tiny, interlaced bones. She reaches a stout door of black wood, which she opens to reveal a garden. Open to the sky, the garden blooms with large, flowering plants in black iron pots, providing shade to a sitting bench. Nearby, a small green marble fountain beneath a clay statue of a succubus burbles with blood.
Lixl gives an easy bow and says, “Please wait here,” before shutting the door behind her.
Aily keeps a sharp eye out as the group walked through the house, trailing behind her mistress as one would expect from a servant. When they get to the garden, she does the same, mentally mapping exits, secrets, and anything else of interest.
Telvir gently urges Smoke to stop lapping at the blood fountain and takes a seat in the bower while the dog continues to nose around the garden.
Caraid paces, obviously ill at ease about something and barely seems to notice as the flowers bloom in his wake.
After several minutes, the shutter on an upper story flies open, and from the darkness of the estate interior, a single pale hand grips the window frame. “Now we shall see if you can be of use to me,” says a deep voice.
The clay statue of the succubus suddenly lurches to life, moving towards you! At the same time, one of the vines lurking among the greenery on the garden's back wall slithers menacingly in your direction!
"Vine first, statue second!" Whether the others care to listen to his command, Ceceka acts on it nonetheless. He strides towards the vine and uses the reach of the polearm to harass the vine during its advance, showcasing quick footwork as he darts back in an attempt to keep the vine at bay.
Whether she agrees with the warrior or she simply wishes to maintain her guise of a Dutiful servant, Aily obeys "Y-Yes sir" she stumbles out, feigning fear.
Her knife comes out, looking pathetic in comparison to Ceceka's massive polearm. Despite looking like all she knows is which end to stab someone with, she managed to cut into the vine with knowledge and precision completely eradicating her attempt at deception.
Telvir whistles Smoke into action, and the dog plays fetch the stick with the vine.
for
Meanwhile, the elf tries to rob the statue of some of its animation.
Caraid retreats and waves a hand, causing a familiar bow and arrow to appear and shoot the statue in the face!
Aily moves in to slash at the vine with her dagger. Fortunately, the animate plant is weak to slashing damage. Mithralline flies up and slices it with her scythe as well. Ceceka delivers a critical hit that completely bisects the writhing vine, slaying it before it can attack! The fighter then moves up to prepare to strike the statue.
Telvir temporarily slows the statue, and Caraid's spiritual weapon lands a hit. The statue moves slowly towards Ceceka, who slashes it as it draws near. The fighter then narrowly avoids its claws!
Knowing her deception was beyond bad, Aily simply gives into the battle, dashing over behind the statue, to slice it. Her features frowning at the thought of her blade's edge blunting against it.
Ceceka avoids the statue's claws but knows it was more luck than skill. He roars his anger at the animated object, knowing well that it cares not for his anger, yet he can't help but feel angry. Like a red tide, the anger washes over him and guides his strikes.
Smoke wheels around to advance on the gargoyle, while Telvir hefts a nearby urn with his mind and hurls it at the animated creature.
for
Caraid keeps shooting the creature, although most of his mind is occupied by their viewer.
Aily moves to flank the statue with Ceceka, stabbing it twice in its vulnerable joints. Mithralline moves in to menace it, dodging its claws and landing a hit. Telvir and Caraid miss the statue with their spells, but Ceceka strikes it twice, shoving it away from him.
Instead of moving back up to pursue the fighter, the statue turns towards Aily and attacks her! She nimbly dodges one attack, but still takes a hit from the statue's claws.
Aily notices Caraid's distraction (she finds herself making sure where he is doing battles), and that distraction distracts her, rewarding her with tearing pain.
The pain focuses her, ducking under an arm she stabs her dagger in every weakened breaking point.
Aily lands a critical hit, following up with a second strike that causes the clay statue to crumble to pieces! The figure in the window claps slowly, then the pale hand beckons you. "I’m impressed. Enter; we have much to dicuss." He retreats from the window and closes the shutter.
Lixl opens the door to the house and leads you inside and up a grand staircase to a reception room on the second floor. A bald man with pale skin wears a long black gown over a high-collar tunic pinned with a large diamond. He stands near a fireplace. Above him is a large portrait of a hideous but somehow elegant night hag, with long curling horns, black hair woven into an elaborate braid, and a gleaming diamond ring on her bony finger.
“I’m not in the habit of wishing visitors a good day,” the man says, “but in your case, I will make an exception. I am, of course, Tobias Highridge. I represent the Tax Collectors Union in Sallowshore. More importantly, I want something. And you, my intrepid guests, are going to deliver that thing to me.”