"She stays in Hinji, but she moves around a bit. The last time we met she was in the sewers." The woman calms down a bit.
"Some of my friends have been telling me to get out of Hinji, they own a ship and offered me free passage. I think it's time for me to get out of here."
"I've heard Tian Xia is wonderful this time of year." The woman quickly gets to her feet and flees.
Following the information from the Snake Tails patrons, you make your way to the sewers, near the docks.
Near the docks you see see a the slightly bloated and heavily bruised corpse of an elven woman, saltwater coursing through her lifeless body. Her physical description matches Selia, one of the missing Pathfinders. You see her ruined spell book as well as a journal titled My Search for Cheliax’s Truth. Her face is twisted in pure horror.
Medicine DC 18:
Cause of death: internal trauma due to bludgeoning. She was bludgeoned to death.
Footprints in the sand lead to a nearby sewer grate, unlocked and swinging slightly against the wind.
male human rogue 6 | HP 80/80| AC 24 (25 w/shield) | F +11 R +12 W +11 | Perc +11 | Stealth +12 | speed 25 | ◆ | ◇ | ↺
Medicine:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Jaxon stares at the dead elf. "Look what they did to her. Gotta be pirates, amirite?! Or that one we let go said she had a friend with a ship! I knew we shouldn't have let her loose!"
M Skilled Human | Paladin 5 | ◆◇↺ | HP 37/73 | AC 24 (26 with shield raised) | F +12 R +8 W +10 | Perception +8 | hero points 0 | Focus Points 1 |
medicine:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
Simon frowns as he examines the corpse. "Maybe. I can't tell." The champion gestures to Zhao to cast the spell to preserve the corpse. He then kneels by the corpse and begins to pray to Iomedae to protect her on her trip to the boneyard. When he finishes he reverently places the body into the the magical bag.
I didn't mention refocusing after the fight. I'll do that now.
You carefully prepare Selia's body and preserve it for a proper burial. Fresh on the trail, you press on into the sewers.
Most of the sewer passages are too narrow to make a reasonable path—the sewers weren’t built for creatures to traverse them. You have a few possible paths to choose from, but you must figure out the path that was likely used by the killers.
Each Player can attempt one skill check from the following list.:
- Ascertain the most likely path for creatures to take through the sewers with a Survival check or an easier Architecture Lore or Scouting Lore check.
- Safely and efficiently open locked and rusted sewer gates with Athletics or Thievery check or an easier Engineering Lore check.
- Find ways to travel on pipes and platforms elevated away from the sewage with Acrobatics check or an easier Sewer Lore or Underground Lore check.
Unbreakable Goblin Champion of Cayden Cailean 6|CG | AC 25 | HP 54/80 | Fort +12 Reflex +11 Will +11 | Perception +9 Champion 6 (Liberator)
Grog has no Medicine training either but in case the results can be obtained untrained... medicine , untrained:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21 lol
On the path he uses his strength and low center of balance to acheive levels of torque an Ogre would be proud of..
Athletics:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32
male human rogue 6 | HP 80/80| AC 24 (25 w/shield) | F +11 R +12 W +11 | Perc +11 | Stealth +12 | speed 25 | ◆ | ◇ | ↺
Underground Lore:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Jaxon nods at Grog as the brawny goblin as he takes on the grate. The thug looks down into the sewers to figure out how to traverse the underground without wading through the filth.
Lokaloka and Jaxon evade most of the muck and find a few planks to help the rest of the team cross. Don Jurri is glad for the assistance and quickly makes his way through, noticing the trail is still fresh.
A grate blocks the path, and Kang quickly unlocks it. The second grate is too rusty for a lockpick, but Grog demands freedom and smashes through it. Simon takes a break and lets the youngins waste their energy.
Eventually, you ascend a steep incline of rusted pipes and rubble. Just past the top of the incline is a body that matches the description of Tanno, one of the missing Pathfinders. Severe burns cover Tanno’s body.
DC 17 Medicine:
Tanno died of electrical burns and brine-soaked bite wounds. Perhaps a sea dragon?
You and the rest of the team can try to ascertain the cause of these wounds. An Arcana check would work, and maybe a draconic lore check. If you reach DC 22, open the spoiler below.
Spoiler:
A Sea Drake was responsible for these wounds. They are intelligent draconic creatures who swim more than they fly. They breathe electricity and are immune to its effects. Their saliva is so salty their bites can instantly sicken their foes. They can also attack rapidly, striking with their jaws and tail three times in the time it would take you to swing twice.
On Tanno’s body are four clearly labeled lesser >bravo’s brews<. Attached to them is a note in Common that reads, “When you can’t face a problem before considering every angle. –H.”
Jaxon rushes to check on Tanno, even though he can see he's not breathing. Now the thug is angry. "The f+!&ing cowards picked our crew off one by one. Looks like electrical burns and bite wounds with brine in them. Maybe a sea dragon could do that?"
"Anyone know stuff about dragons? The prison library didn't really cover that. Where the hell is that little kobold devil when you need him, huh?"
"Maybe would be smart to just drink some of those brews now."
Jaxon takes a look and realizes the cause of death. Definitely not human, probably a dragon.
An Arcana check would work, and maybe a draconic lore check. DC is 22.
Arcana or Draconic Lore DC 22:
A Sea Drake was responsible for these wounds. They are intelligent draconic creatures who swim more than they fly. They breathe electricity and are immune to its effects. Their saliva is so salty their bites can instantly sicken their foes. They can also attack rapidly, striking with their jaws and tail three times in the time it would take you to swing twice.
M Skilled Human | Paladin 5 | ◆◇↺ | HP 37/73 | AC 24 (26 with shield raised) | F +12 R +8 W +10 | Perception +8 | hero points 0 | Focus Points 1 |
Jaxon Richter wrote:
"Maybe would be smart to just drink some of those brews now."
"Not a bad idea. There's only 4 brews though. I'll let the Inheritor protect me. We need one more to bow out so the others can drink. Zhao. The spell if you please." Simon says a few quick prayers to Iomedae while Zhao uses one of the scrolls then places the body in the bag.
Simon's marshal aura provides a +1 status bonus to saves vs fear within 15 feet. It will stack with the +2 item bonus from the brew.
"Did somebody say 'swashbuckler'?" Don Jurri waltzes onto the scene just in time to save the day.
Perception (Expert) vs DC 22:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26 Untrained Improvisation w/ Survival vs DC 17:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
"Follow me, and do be quiet!" he indicates up with his rapier, his face a scolding look, and leads the party exit stage left, tip-toeing in his un-s&~+-stained high-heeled boots...
Don Jurri recalls one of his trips through the city in the middle of the night. Underground you didn't have the stars to guide you- merely glimpses of the moon peeking through grates and holes.
What did that woman tell him? Something about a drake in a nearby drug den? Hmm, the directions do line up... Don Jurri quickly finds an entrance to the street and emerges across a bridge from a guarded building. This must be the spot.
Four women stand outside the door to an old building. Perhaps it was once a bath house, but now?
"I told him, he shouldn't have mouthed off like that. And tossed him into the sea!" The woman in red leathers laughs while the lady in blue supresses a chuckle. "Come on, we're supposed to be serious. Mother told us to keep watch. Someone's been snooping around." The woman in blue elbow nudges her teammate before stifling a yawn. "This is so boring. Wish I could hit the streets and start selling again."
The women don't seem to notice you yet. You may be able to Sneak past them and into the building.
Gingerly, Don Jurri prowls like a cat, toes touching the ground, and with paced footwork, files into the den.
Stealth (Trained) vs Four Women (Perception DC):1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30
Once through, he waves his hand for the others to join him, and grabbing a small item, tosses it the other direction, attempting to draw the attention of the guards away from the path he took inside!
"What was that?" One of the guards looks up from her game of dice and glances down an alleyway. "Shoot, they must be here! Come on, Mother will have our heads if we don't find them!" The women run away from the bath house and deeper into the city. The rest of you quickly follow after Don Jurri.
It has been several years since this building was used for its intended purpose—as a bathhouse—and it shows. The furnishings are moldy, the doors hang from their hinges, and the scent of sewage and brine is heavy.
A blue skinned, draconic creature lies in one of the pools. A second draconic creature with an orange hue lies in the pool opposite him.
The creatures seem to lie in the pool, dreaming lazily. How long will his dreams last?
Does anyone speak Draconic? You may be able to talk to them and make diplomatic gestures. If not, what will you do?
Goblins. With much the stature but not color of halflings, and only servile with greater danger given their proclivities for mayhem. One, however, sometimes must make do with what has on hand... Don Jurri muses a moment, then points to Grog "Translate for me, little one!" and he approaches the dragon, drinking his bravo brew for courage!
Diplomacy (Trained) w/ High Fashion Clothes (+1 to Make Impression):1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 11 + 1 = 24
"Beast of burden, Arise! For I am Master Donatellus Jurrious Orwellious, and these here are my Merry Men" he gestures around, curtsies, and "We are in business of sorts with Mother Forsythe and her Allies, and if you would be so kind as to point us into her direction, I would much oblige you!"
Hoping to give diplomacy a chance - indeed the knights of old romantic literature more-often-than-not talked their way out of trouble - he keeps his gleaming sword sheathed.
The dragons open their eyes for but a moment, licking their lips before rousing awake. Large creatures with fins for arms, both of them lurch towards Don Jurri before a 15 ft chain holds them back.
He then informs Grog to translate and then introduces himself. The blue toned dragon seems to be a mix of gurgles and rumbling. They both carry the scent of the sea: brine and saltwater.
Grog begins translating as they speak.
"Gods, I am SO HUNGRY!" The drake snarls. "Hey Reej, they brought another one in." He looks to the opposite pool as the orange toned dragon scans the group. "Naldun, can we eat them? Or do they have a key?"
"Yeah yeah, I think one of them is making lots of noise and the small one is telling us what he's thinking." Naldun pays attention to Grog. "Uh-huh, uh-huh... you want to know about... Listen. I'm not saying anything unless I'm fed or free. Reej and I are starving we swam into a snare trap and that woman tied us up here. We can't leave! You have anything to eat? Small or Mediumish in size would be fine."
Diplomacy, Deception or a difficult Intimidate check might convince him to avoid violence.
You can also offer a sapient Small or larger living creature as a snack but... that's Infamous.
