f N human Wizard 5 | HP 32/32 | AC 16 T 12 FF 14 | CMD 14 | F+3 R+3 W+4 | Init +2
Magic:
Color Spray 3, Feather Fall 1, Ray of Enfeeblement 1, Shield 1 | Blindness/Deafness 0, Ghoul Touch 1, Mirror Image 0 | Fireball 0, Halt Undead 0 || A-Bond -
Yes... YES! I can cast... FRIENDSHIP! My friend, find the one who conjured the darkness and then cover with his dead torn body the object on which he conjured the darkness. Ashtoret is smiling insanely. She's finished speaking, but her lips are still moving, as if she's communicating with someone else inside her head... Meanwhile, the ghoul rushes into the zone of darkness to a new victim.
Fighting continues all around you, derro and mite alike fall to the others' steel and poison. It appears, though that the mites are gaining the upper hand.
Secret GM Roll:
?:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
The derro's very bad day will almost certainly be his last.
The remaining derro stays put.
SHOWDOWN IN THE GROTTO OF GROETUS! - Round Three Cont'd/Round Four Begins!
PCs in bold may act
Derro (red) -24 HP (blinded, paralyzed, sickened; darkness'd) Ashtoret (and "friend") Seebonickk Merida(readied action) Round Three Theron -2 HP (Delay) Nightkit -3 HP
The ghast dines voraciously, chewing and ripping into its meal and bringing about the "end" foretold in "friend".
The derro, however, never feels the full extent of the attack. He died with the first bite.
OUT OF COMBAT
Completely overwhelmed, the last of the derros falls to their mite attackers.
The surviving mites turn to the party. The leader of the coup, wounded and bloodied, holds up his wrists, still held firmly within manacles, in a gesture suggesting peace.
Disable Device to unlock the manacles or attack rolls to damage them.
Derro corpses litter the cavern.
If you search the derro corpses:
You find that most of their weapons and gear have been irreparably damaged or been buried within their victims.
On one of the derro corpses, you find two letters. The first confirms that the Aspis Consortium agent Kafar funded the smugglers who in turn supplied the cult. The second letter details plans to penetrate other Cassomir buildings, including the Admiralty Citadel and Harbor Watch, with designs to perform additional mass abductions in the near future.
Any PC may now attempt a Perception check (DC 12); if succesful, you may open the spoiler below:
Spoiler:
You locate a missive inside a hidden pocket. It provides proof that the Aspis have been funding a band of Andoran smugglers, who have been supplying the Cult of Nature's Cataclysm.
The surviving Swift inmates and guards stand dazed in the grotto. The stone table in northern alcove is a shrine. The pool is filled with dozens of corpses of prisoners, guards, mites, and a variety of recently kidnapped Cassomir citizens.
Knowledge (religion)(DC 10):
The stone table in the northern alcove is a shrine to Groetus, the skull-like God of the End Times.
If the result of the roll exceeds DC 15, you may open the spoiler below:
Spoiler:
Should the corpses in the pool not be removed and destroyed, they will eventually rise as ghouls and plague the city of Cassomir.
Nightkit is still looking a bit ill. Whether or not it is due to the initial sickness, or the sight of the ghast tearing into that last derro, it's hard to say.
male human fighter 5, HP 50, AC 21; T 13; FF 18; F +6, R +5, W +4, Init. +8, Perc. +7
Good...off to the depths with you, mutt! Theron says as he sees the last derro get munched on.
Everyone good? Kit...free those...oh...you're on it...good.
He starts rifling through the derros' stuff.
perc:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Found something... he sas as he holds up his discovery.
Maybe we should get those bodies out of the water...and send the authorities down here...might be some people looking for loved ones. At least they can find out for sure...start the grieving...
"Oooh, Kit, let me try my new(thieves')tools first! I'll show you what I learned from you!"
Merida rushes forward and tries her luck at the manacles.
Merida gets to work.
Seebonickk Core character wrote:
"Need help?"
She does!
So, he does!
The lock is disabled and the manacles slip off of the leader of the mite coup. Once freed, he gives a nod of appreciation to his rescuers. He then signs a crude eagle symbol with his hands to Seebonickk. He then turns and immediately flees into one of the smaller tunnels attached to the chamber. The few surviving mites join him.
With the derros defeated, the Pathfinders have thwarted the dark experimentations fated for most of the Swift’s inhabitants and employees, and uncover plans for additional mass abductions.
If reported, perhaps this time, the authorities will be able to quickly plant guards and traps to spoil the derros’ advances.
Anything else the PCs wish to do underground before returning back to Venture-Captain Hestia Themis?
f N human Wizard 5 | HP 32/32 | AC 16 T 12 FF 14 | CMD 14 | F+3 R+3 W+4 | Init +2
Magic:
Color Spray 3, Feather Fall 1, Ray of Enfeeblement 1, Shield 1 | Blindness/Deafness 0, Ghoul Touch 1, Mirror Image 0 | Fireball 0, Halt Undead 0 || A-Bond -
Religion:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
Ashtoret struggles with herself for a while, looking for an excuse for her next act. Eventually (after I've been thinking as a player for a day), she finds it. The undead should be created for the glory of the Pale Princess. Those who do this on the altars of other deities are blasphemers, and blasphemy must be suppressed.Pull the bodies out of the water and destroy, otherwise they will rise up as ghouls. Sighing, she turns away from the pool.
male human fighter 5, HP 50, AC 21; T 13; FF 18; F +6, R +5, W +4, Init. +8, Perc. +7
If your...friend can just get the bodies to the edge, I can drag them out. Be ready in case one of them has already turned...better safe than sorry. right? Theron says, wishing he had a thick pair of gloves like the fishermen wear.
The rescued Swift guards, wary of Ashtoret's "friend" give the party considerable distance and seem eager to get themselves to the surface and to usher the surviving prisoners back up to Swift Prison.
Anything else underground before heading topside? Do you wish to visit Hestia first or to help usher the surviving prisoners back to Swift Prison?
f N human Wizard 5 | HP 32/32 | AC 16 T 12 FF 14 | CMD 14 | F+3 R+3 W+4 | Init +2
Magic:
Color Spray 3, Feather Fall 1, Ray of Enfeeblement 1, Shield 1 | Blindness/Deafness 0, Ghoul Touch 1, Mirror Image 0 | Fireball 0, Halt Undead 0 || A-Bond -
When we get to the surface, Ashtoret will give her friend one last task - to get as deep into the Darklands as possible. Let him go down to the very bottom all those days while Ashtoret's control will act on him...
Nightkit will make sure the those that need healing and medical care get it before reporting to the Venture Captain. After that, she plans to head for a Desnian Temple.
"Let's get these people out of here and back to the prison"
The {athfinders arrive at the surface along with the rescued Swift guards and prisoners. Once at Swift Prison, several fresh guards assist with ushering the prisoners to new, hastily-refurbished cells.
A member of the Cassomir constabulary, pulls the Pathfinders aside. A concerned look is on his face. "What might you know about the stolen chapel bell? Thebell of obedience?"
f N human Wizard 5 | HP 32/32 | AC 16 T 12 FF 14 | CMD 14 | F+3 R+3 W+4 | Init +2
Magic:
Color Spray 3, Feather Fall 1, Ray of Enfeeblement 1, Shield 1 | Blindness/Deafness 0, Ghoul Touch 1, Mirror Image 0 | Fireball 0, Halt Undead 0 || A-Bond -
Btw really, what did we do with it? I reread the posts - Ashtoret rang the bell, then slapped Merida in the face and we moved on. Did we just leave it there? GM Valen, how big it was, I forgot / don't know this.
"What do you mean with 'The bell was stolen.' ? That heavy thing was still there when we left the room it was in..."
Merida looks a bit confused.
"Indeed." The constable reached into his pocket and retrieves a piece of paper. "A fellow constable found this note nailed to the front door of the Greedy Narses." he explains as he hands it to Merida.
Ashtoret wrote:
Btw really, what did we do with it? I reread the posts - Ashtoret rang the bell, then slapped Merida in the face and we moved on. Did we just leave it there? GM Valen, how big it was, I forgot / don't know this.
The party left the bell in place after ringing it, which is consistent with Hestia's instructions.
Back at the Pathfinder lodge within the city of Cassomir, Venture-Captain Hestia Themis summons you into her office. The petite woman of Taldan extraction runs her fingers through her thick raven-black tresses as she closes her eyes and releases a sigh.
After a moment, her distinctive black eyes flash open and she addresses you all. "I understand that you have had quite the night? Care to explain?"
male human fighter 5, HP 50, AC 21; T 13; FF 18; F +6, R +5, W +4, Init. +8, Perc. +7
What!! That little snake...I should have known not to trust him...once a Snake, always a Snake! Argh! Theron starts to swear and punches the nearest wall, leaving a fair sized hole.
Can't say which I hate more...stinking derro or slimy Snakes...he says as he tries to rein in his anger
Just say the word, I'll go find them and gut them like fishes fresh from the net...just point me in the right direction...
"Yes," Hestia sighs looking at the note and shaking her head. "From what you have told me and from information provided by my other contacts in the city, Kafar hoped that by having Nefti tell meabout the derros’ plot, he and Nefti could reenter the emptied prison, and steal the bell while I sent the nearest Pathfinders trudging through the Darklands below. I fear I acted predictably, especially in light of the claim that Dalirio lived again, in sending you after the prisoners of the Swift taken by the derros."
"While you were all down below the streets, Nefti and Kafar reentered the Swift and finished their plot to steal the bell. The bell’s theft and the documents found on the derro corpses confirm the Aspis Consortium’s involvement in the kidnapping plots, which will likely renew local animosities and hostilities between the Pathfinder Society and the Aspis." Hestia concedes.
"With the derros defeated, you have managed to thwart the dark experimentations fated for most of the Swift’s inhabitants and employees, and uncover plans for additional mass abductions." The Venture-Captain continues. "This time, I will do all I can to see to it that the authorities quickly plant guards and traps to spoil the derros’ advances. I trust that such will be enough to get the subterranean dwellers to promptly abandon their organized abductions in Cassomir—at least for a while."
"Now, go and get some rest for now. It could be weeks, several seasons, or even years before we are fortunate enough to catch up with Nefti or Kafar again."
Freel free to roleplay a bit further. I will get the chronicle sheets out in the next day or two.
Yes ma'am Nightkit replies. I'm gonna head off to the Desnian Temple ... then maybe go find that swimming spot again - unless it's late. Don't suppose you know of any interesting nightlife or shows Venture Captain? Or maybe I could put one on before heading back to Absalom.
Oh gosh, when I GMed the Destiny of Sands trilogy about 7 years ago, I didn't even know who these two - Nefti & Kafar - were.
There is a second arc? :-O *makes puppy eyes and looks at potential GMs* O.O
"I will write each name of these two snakes on one of my arrows! May Desna make their path cross with ours soon. I think I will join you in her temple, Kit - and afterwards, too..."
