Crashing water and the occasional bit of flotsam from the sewers flows into this large, broad pool that fills the entire cavern and extends to the northwest. A small cove stretches to the southeast where a barnacle-covered boat is moored. The craft is mostly filled with water, and the rope securing it to the shore is saturated and beginning to rot.
The boat looks serviceable to explore further, if the water is dumped out.
Before the Pathfinders can investigate the boat further, though, they should probably address the woman here with her shortsword raised. She's one of the mercenaries they saw upstairs, and a couple of her cronies are with her. The others are likely nearby.
"No matter what the stupid goblin 'king' says, we were here first. We're under orders to explore, and you're gonna go back up and leave us to it. Yeah?"
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She walks to the front, and stands before the woman.
"This is one of those situations that can end badly all round. Nether of us will roll over here. We both know that, so we fight, one wins and one loses. But in the process we hurt each other in a place that needs us all in best shape. Becouse what else is down here, it will think us fore being so foolish to each other. So I have a counter offer. We as pathfinders just need to clear this place out, thats all, make safe and out. So my offer is this, If you work with us what we find down here, you guys can keep, all of it. You can event take any coin the king up there offers in payment. We just want this place cleared of dangers and the king all happy come chummy with us pathfinders for doing it. So you want to go toe to toe and risk not getting out at all. Or you want to team up and get this thing done?"
"Time and tides wait for no one after all"
"Hey, we're already being paid. We were hired by Olansa Terimor, but we're supposed to keep you out."
She looks over the Pathfinders and hesitates. "I got two more waiting outside. Sorry kid. You're nice and all, but boss's orders. We got 10 silver riding on this. Each. You wanna avoid needless bloodshed? All you gotta do is leave."
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Hearing those prices, and Alya's offer, Relia grins with an idea. She lets one hand trail over her scantily clad body while another runs through her red hair, while speaking to them in sultry tones.
"Plus, maybe I could offer you an...incentive...to let us do our thing. Name the tavern, and I'll meet you there later for a...rendezvous." Relia doesn't seem fazed by the fact that there are multiple mercenaries here - if anything, that only seems to be more thrilling for her.
"Surely that prospect is worth 10 silver apiece, hm?"
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Seeing the mercs appear, Alanossë was just about to shoot ‘em…but seeing Alya artfully talk them down a bit, he slightly lowers his bow…before nearly swallowing his tongue as a passionate Relia follows that up with talk in a distinctly seductive manner…
The Elf arches an eyebrow, hiding a grin while keeping a hold on his bow, as he awaits to see how the mercs react…
The mercenaries stare at Relia, turning different colors--some red, some white.
"Um, Tess?" one of them says, "I think these guys killed those giant alligators."
"Maybe... maybe you're right. Maybe 10 silver isn't worth fighting you." Tess shakes her head and sheathes her sword. "But we're only here because the boss said so. If she's not paying us, we got no interest in being in this swamp anyway. See ya... some other time."
the mercenaries stow their weapons and trudge out, grumbling and shooting assorted looks at Relia, making their way back to the stairs back to the surface and leaving the party alone with the boat.
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If any of the mercs look interested, Relia will whisper the name of a nearby seedy tavern in the Puddles district and give them a suggestive wink before they depart.
And if any of her fellow Pathfinders stare at her afterwards, she'll just shrug and grin. "I've got a lot of energy to work out, so what?"
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Alanossë returns Relia’s grin, murmuring, ”I can think of worse ways to work out energy…”
Nodding to the girls, he adds, ”Good job, ladies, you handled the mercs well enough…I was just gonna shoot ‘em…now let’s check out the boat…”
”Hmm…the boat has been moored here for at least 20 years, perhaps longer…serviceable though…”
He leans the boat to one side to empty the boat of any water…
”Shall we see where this boat can carry us?”
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She walks up to Relia wagging a finger.
"You... are a very..very nighty elf"
She says with a big cheecky grin on her face.
"But it did the trick Relia"
She then laps her backside,
"Come on lets follow Alanossë"
She turns to Gorog.
"Gorog can you follow them out so they don't sneak back in and jump is. We will meet you back at base after"
There are no oars, which makes paddling the boat a bit of a chore. But it seems relatively seaworthy (and the water only looks to be a few feet deep in any case at the moment).
A rocky beach covered in bits of assorted refuse meets the water to the southeast. To the northwest, what once must have been a natural cavern wall partially collapsed some time ago by the settling ground on the water side, revealing an area beyond of worked stone. The chamber within is large and constructed of a pale green stone. Multiple rounded passages worm their way to the northeast and southwest, while a grand staircase rises to the northwest.
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Alanossë carefully exits the boat, drawing his bow as he warily eyes the chamber…
Nodding to his companions, he murmurs, ”Hmm…looks like that earthquake of twenty years ago had its way with this area…the wall here was weakened and erosion did the rest. I’d estimate this wall buckled sometime in the last couple of weeks or so…”
There have long been rumors that those with means have disposed of rivals, enemies, and people who simply knew too much by burying them alive somewhere deep under Absalom. Whether this was a common practice or a rare occurrence is certainly debatable, as records of such events are likely nonexistent. It is quickly clear to the Pathfinders that this method of disposal did occur in these catacombs.
The whole place has a feeling of distant foreboding.
The long hallways to the north lead to several smaller rooms. There's water on the floor everywhere, ranging from an inch to a foot deep. In a few places the halls lead up stairways, to rooms that are drier but have deep pits carved into their floors--these pits are not dry. In a few places, stairs lead down. Water runs down these stairs, and the small lower chambers are starting to flood.
In the largest of these rooms, bits of saturated parchment, fragments of wood, and other detritus float on the surface of the two-foot-deep water. Small niches are carved up and down the walls, each space only a few inches square but nearly a foot deep. The niches to the north are mostly destroyed by the partial collapse of the surrounding wall, and a deep crack runs at an angle across it.
To the east, a statue of a hippocampus rears up and its eyes roll back as if in pain. A trident made of a corroded metal protrudes from a wound in its side. Behind the statue on the wall are carved the words “Ex Prothex.
It is becoming clear that these ruins have been rediscovered, perhaps several time, over the many years since they were first built. Still a long time ago at this point, but more recently--decades, perhaps.
Alanossë finds an airtight bone scroll tube bobbing in the water. Inside is a remarkable document: the deed to the playhouse and even some of the surrounding neighborhood. This document in and of itself does not grant rights to the property, but it can be used to make a strong case for ownership for the goblins, given the lack of current owner.
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The Elf shows the document to his companions; he nods at the information that Alya passes on concerning the meaning of the carved words. "Hmm...interesting. And King Zusgut might be able to use this document to help solidify his ownership of the playhouse..."
As nothing else stands out about this chamber, Alanossë moves on, counterclockwise, and quietly moves up the stairs...
The bits of paper in here seem diverse in purpose and age, but paper does not take water damage well. It's impossible to be sure of anything.
The party makes their way to the central area, climbing the stairs. This wide gallery is lined with a colorful mural depicting a figure performing some sort of magical ritual over an expanse of ocean. His arms raised, he beckons to something beneath the waves, and is answered by a frothing, foaming section of the water that hints at a massive shape rising. To the northwest, stairs rise to another large room. An elegantly carved figure towers over the room, combining the body of an eel with the visage of a horrifying deep-sea fish and four grasping tentacles.
The mural and the statue are probably very interesting things that the Pathfinders might want to take a moment to examine--but the massive, water-bloated corpses that start shambling towards them from the top of the stairs are probably more pressing.
They don't seem to have noticed Relia... maybe not even Alanossë.
Relia's turn.
Initiative:
Relia (24/24, sneaky)
Green Zombie Brute (Slowed)
Red Zombie Brute (Slowed)
Tieri (26/26)
Alanossë (28/28, sneaky)
Alya (22/22)
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Relia indicates the zombies to the others then strides (◆) into position along the wall closer to the green one, and throws her first dagger! (◆)
vs. off-guard
She then draws her second dagger (◆) as she sighs, watching her first dagger probably clang harmlessly to the ground?
While surprisingly quick to react to the party, the walking corpses are large, slow, and caught off-guard by Relia. But not that large and slow.
They see her now, though. The one with green pants lurches forward and swings a large fist, which it wields in its other hand. It lurches forward again as it knocks Relia back on the stairs.
The other one also lumbers towards Relia on the stairs. Alas, if only she had dodged so nimbly, as the first time, this time it would have worked. But it's hard to do that every time, and this one also connects.
She stumbles on the stairs again, although at least it didn't hit as hard as the first one.
All PCs' turns.
Initiative:
Relia (7/24)
Green Zombie Brute (Slowed)
Red Zombie Brute (Slowed)
Tieri (26/26)
Alanossë (28/28, sneaky)
Alya (22/22)
This encounter as a baseline has two plague zombies, which are weaker. For 10 or 11 CP, you replace one with a brute. For 12 or 13, where this party is, you replace both with brutes. For 14 or 15, where you would have been, you keep both plague zombies and add a brute.
This adventure has no listed adjustment for 16-18 CP in the low tier. I guess some of the earliest PFS2 adventures were published before the CP system was finalized. There are rules on Lorespire for what to do to fill those gaps in some of the season 1 scenarios. I checked it, but it didn't apply to your party so I didn't read what the corrections are.
The zombie now has two arrows sticking out of it. One of them is pretty deep. Water leaks out of the hole and pools on the ground next to it.
Tieri, Alya, and Relia's turns.
Initiative:
Relia (7/24)
Green Zombie Brute (Slowed)
Red Zombie Brute (-31, Slowed)
Tieri (26/26)
Alanossë (28/28, sneaky)
Alya (22/22)
Zombies are not fast. The one that's already leaking a bit starts steaming as well, though it doesn't seem to particularly care.
Tieri (?) and Alya's turns.
Initiative:
Relia (7/24)
Green Zombie Brute (-10, Slowed)
Red Zombie Brute (-48, bloodied, Slowed)
Tieri (26/26)
Alanossë (28/28)
Alya (22/22)
Alya casts a spell before moving to a position with better cover.
The magic bolt thuds into the corpse's chest. It's not enough to bring it down.
The brute swings at Tieri, giving him one good thump.
The second brute does something completely different. It swings at Eieri--from a different angle! At first it misses, but then gives him a solid wallop on the backswing.
All PCs' turns.
Initiative:
Relia (7/24)
Green Zombie Brute (-10, Slowed)
Red Zombie Brute (-55, bloodied, Slowed)
Tieri (5/26)
Alanossë (28/28)
Alya (22/22)
Leaking more foul-smelling seawater under the hail of arrows, the walking corpse slumps back to the ground.
Tieri's razor slices easily through the dead flesh, although the water flowing out of the gashes is not a very pleasant reward.
Alya and Relia's turns.
Initiative:
Relia (7/24)
Green Zombie Brute (-38, bloodied, Slowed, Off-Guard, Grabbed by Tieri)
Tieri (5/26, Grabbing Green)
Alanossë (28/28)
Alya (22/22)
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Seeing Tieri get hurt so badly, Relia puts herself at risk and runs back up to the green zombie, striding once (◆).
Because the zombie is off-guard thanks to Tieri's actions, she will strike twice, giving Tieri a wink as thanks for his good work setting her up for the attacks (◆◆).
vs. Off-guard
(10 slashing on critical)
vs. Off-guard
Relia slices deep into the zombie, though Tieri twists it in a direction she doesn't expect and her second strike narrowly misses.
Alya's turn.
Initiative:
Relia (7/24)
Green Zombie Brute (-58, bloodied, Slowed, Off-Guard, Grabbed by Tieri)
Tieri (5/26, Grabbing Green)
Alanossë (28/28)
Alya (22/22)
The zombie pushes back, and forces Tieri away enough to break his grip. But, for a moment, its too busy doing that to hurt anyone. It's also starting to fall apart.
All PCs' turns.
Initiative:
Relia (7/24)
Green Zombie Brute (-67, bloodied, Slowed, Off-Guard)
Tieri (5/26)
Alanossë (28/28)
Alya (22/22)