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Jaxon comes over to see what Lindevaile found inside the body. He squints at it, but then sees the remaining guts of the corpse. As the others examine the metal, the thug proceeds to pull some of the stinking guts from the body. When everyone realizes what he's doing, he just looks at them. "What? I know a guy...he pays good money for this stuff." He stuffs the guts into a sack.
Jaxon tries to overturn the earth to help hide their scents, but the stink of the guts coming from his hands and bag don't help.
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Unsurprisingly, Lokaloka dousing herself in pickle brine washes away any and all other scents. And that of the party, the caravan, and all the horses, too. Two days later, Scratch notices markings in the trail that indicate a krooth had been following the caravan, likely planning to attack, but that it seemed to have lost the scent and left the caravan unmolested.
As you continue toward Torch, you later spot a herd of axe beaks in the distance. These wild birds avoid contact with humanoids; though you do notice that several of them breathe fire, spit acid, or change colors - behaviors not normally associated with axe beaks
Shortly thereafter, a few miles before reaching the town of Torch, you come across a large plain where a warm mist hangs over the muddy earth. These are the Steaming Fields on your map. You must find a safe route across them without getting scorched while simultaneously mapping the route for the caravan to follow. Alternately, you could choose to travel around the steaming fields, adding another 20 miles to the caravan’s path to the town of Torch.
To cross the steaming fields, you must move in a way to avoid releasing the high-pressured steam that lurks just underfoot.
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Lindevaile Tindome watches the axe beaks, but is equally interested in the normal ones: "That one is using its fire to get food, oh and look! That one is using its beak!"
When they arrive at the Steaming Fields, she quickly states: "Wind with water, I'll just fly over it". She starts to get ready, then remembers: "But the caravan can't fly? I guess I'll have to test where it feels sturdiest." She starts hopping with her long legs around where Jaxon shows. "Hop hop hop... I did something like this in Bhopan, there were a lot more plants there, I got my legs tangled."
Her foot sinks into a soft spot in the muddy ground. "Not sturdy here!" she declares, still in good spirits.
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Scratch's gaze lingers on the axebeaks for a bit but its hard to tell if he's hungry or curious. Either way he doesn't pipe in with any particularly useful information. "This place is pretty crazy, reminds me of home!" He continues the scouting mission.
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"Ahh the Steam Fields. Lotta potential here.. you'd be surprised how far along steam technology has come back home. Lemme show you guys a thing or three about steam and gunpowder..." As the group maps out the caravan route Scratch identifies a difficult area near the flat plains Jaxon and Zizarc point out.
"If we vent enough steam outta there it should be safe for the wagons to cross.. at least for a bit." He says with confidence, all the while pulling bundles of vials wrapped in powder from his belt. He scans the area and buries the charges in precise locations before clearing out and hollering "Fire in yer hole!"
Mud and rubble, followed by a big blast of steam flies up in the air, along with a toothy grin from Scratch. Damn that never gets old.
◆◆ Set Explosives: (concentrate) Requirements You have 1 or 2 bombs in hand; Effect You attach the bombs to an inanimate object within your reach, such as a door, wall, or column, and rig them to detonate at a set time. The bombs explode at a specific time you determine (such as after your next action or at the start of your next turn, to a maximum of 1 minute), dealing their damage and splash damage to the inanimate object. Combine this damage for the purpose of resistances and weaknesses, and this damage ignores an amount of the object's Hardness equal to your level. Any creatures adjacent to the hazard take the bombs' splash damage, also combined for the purpose of resistances and weaknesses. As a reminder, since you didn't throw the bombs, Calculated Splash and similar effects don't apply. Making sure your timing is correct requires concentration, so you can't Set Explosives again while you're waiting for a previously set bomb to detonate. *Uses my two Moderate Alchemist's Fires*
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Jaxon and Zizarc easily plot a safe course - this hazard isn’t so hard to get across for experienced and lucky Pathfinders. Lindevaile finds … a good spot for Scratch to set some explosives. As the mud and steam settle following the blast, it’s obvious that a perfectly safe route has been found!
A day later, you reach the large town of Torch, where you can take some time to rest and resupply, if needed. Here, you are able to shop for magical items and alchemical items Looking at your maps and notes, it seems that you are on track to make good time to the Gorum Pots if you spend the day here.
One of the locals suggests to the well-armed adventurers (that’d be you), that they check out the wares of a local smith, a human man named Khonnir Baine. Doing so, you discover that he has a single chunk of adamantine for sale. Though the price is an exorbitant 500 gp, he says such things are not quite as rare here as they are elsewhere. He assures you that if you return at some time in the future, he’s still likely to have some. While his crafting schedule is currently full, he offers to give any of you that are interested a lesson in how to craft adamantine bucklers and shields, for a special price of 50 gp per formula.
Anyone interested in taking some time to chat with the locals about current events can also do so.
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Lindevaile Tindome goes to see the town, and buy some more rations for herself. "I was prepared for the trip, but I gave some to Krooths as they were thirsty. One that had joined the earth had had a device with blue on it. We saw also a group of birds where fire, beak and acid versions ran together. And the steam field was exciting! It is so nice here, lots of open air and oneness with the nature", she chatters about her experiences on the trip to encourage the locals to open up.
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Scratch celebrates the explosion with hoots and hollers, even kicking his old feet up and clacking them together. "Ain't nothin' you can't fix with a bit of explosives and gunpowder I tell ya."
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Scratch oogles the adamantine but alas cannot afford such a treasure, he does ask to hold it, laying his head on the cold black ingot and offering a silent prayer.
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Scratch tours the town and pairs up with someone for their safety, pointing out any and every bar and tavern they pass by "Stop by for a little drink maybe? A bite to eat?"
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Raph hears from an apothecary that remnants of the Technic League have been seen in the area causing trouble. One gang, the Blue Streaks, was there a few days ago purchasing supplies and harassing the town’s citizens.
The guards don’t seem to want to talk much with Jaxon after one of them spots his prison tats.
Lindevaile hears from one of the random townsfolk that she peppers with random facts that a gnome with bright blue, lightning-shaped streaks in his hair was asking about caravans coming through this area, specifically about Pathfinders.
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One day after leaving Torch, you encounter a flatter section of land among the foothills where pools of liquid have gathered and stagnated. The road winds through the foothills before opening into a wide valley. Here pools of greenish liquid sit, stagnant, with rainbow colored swirls shimmering across the surface. The acrid smell of sulfur fills the air, leaving a tangy putrescence on the tongue. Spider-like metal sculptures covered in mold and rust emerge from the pools in a hideous mockery of flora.
As you round a bend and see a fallen tree laying across the path, Scratch and Raph spot something else more ominous just beyond. Atop a muddy rise lies a green camo sniper’s blind and several metallic tubes jut forth - aimed at you! They also note that the tree laying across the path is just high enough to provide cover for anyone on the east side of it.
The Acid Swamp
Conditions: none.
BOLD May Act
Raph
Scratch
Snipers
Jaxon
Zizarc
Lindevaile
Lokaloka
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"Umm, not good, heading to the log to get set up!"
Scratch whispers before ◆◆ pulling his hood over his head and... disappearing from view? His ◆ footprints in the muddy road head south towards the log.
Cloak of Illusions (Elvenkind): Item 7+: Invested Magical: Source GM Core pg. 287: Usage worn cloak; Bulk L
This cloak flows, covering and concealing the wearer's body. The cloak allows you to cast figment as an occult innate cantrip. Although naturally a dull gray, while invested the cloak picks up colors and patterns from its surroundings, granting a +1 item bonus to Stealth checks.
Activate—Draw Hood [two-actions] (manipulate); Frequency once per day; Effect You draw the hood up and gain the effects of invisibility, with the spell's normal duration or until you pull the hood back down, whichever comes first. While you are invisible, your figment innate cantrip gains the subtle trait, concealing the observable effects of your spellcasting.
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Raph discreetly relays the information and summons a zombie brute close to the edge of the pool of acid to give them cover from those snipers while the others make their move.
◆◆◆ Summon Undead, Zombie Brute
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Scratch fades from view leaving only footprints in the mud. Raph summons a friend to block fire from the snipers, who indeed begin shooting just after the zombie appears. Its leg begin to sizzle as the acid puddle eats away at the undead flesh.
Five shots are heard, though they sound more like “zhips” than the gunpowder-fueled gunshots you’ve heard before.
The first bullet head shots the rot(ten) melon of the zombie before a second round punches through its empty belly. But, hey, that’s what it’s here for. The snipers miss both Raph and Zizarc, but the last round finds Jaxon’s arm and puts a neat cut right through one of his arm tats.
Meanwhile, as he passes the bush to his right, Scratch notices something odd about it. It seems that this one is a bit different from most of the others. It’s as if it has been infused with a strange techno-organic virus and appears to be searching for something, as if waiting for someone or something to move. But it doesn’t seem to have sensed Scratch, and since the zombie didn’t actually move, it seems not to have triggered the bush’s reaction either.
The Acid Swamp
Conditions: none.
BOLD May Act
Raph
Brute
Scratch
Snipers
Jaxon
Zizarc
Lindelaile
Lokaloka
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BOLD May Act.
The Acid Swamp
Conditions: none.
BOLD May Act
Raph
Brute
Scratch
Snipers
Jaxon
Zizarc
Lindelaile
Lokaloka
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Lindevaile Tindome dances a gesture, pointing with both arms at the log and drawing a horizontal arc from there to the north, several times with increasing speed and calls her blood: "Sûlramba!".
"We should be safe here and just beyond the log now. Farthest log is for Scratch", she instructs her companions.
◆◆◆
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Lindevaile calls forth the winds to hamper the snipers. If she could hear them, she’d likely blush at the curses they’re muttering. Jaxon hustles forward, and as he does so the bush next to the invisible dwarf lashes out at him!
But it misses. The big man keeps moving, staying low and dropping into cover behind the log. He and Scratch hear several of the bushes make spitting sounds, but nothing further happens.
The Acid Swamp
Conditions: none.
BOLD May Act
Raph
Brute
Scratch
Snipers
Lindelaile
Jaxon
Hazard
Zizarc
Lokaloka
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A lot happened in front of Zaizarc's eyes in those few seconds. He nods to himself as Reacher runs forward and takes cover from the shooter. Before the half-drow can repeat this action, a barely noticeable wall of air appears between him and the shooter. Great. Zaizarc gets into the tiger's stance and rushes forward with soft, big leaps.
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Lokaloka and Zizarc maneuver forward through the mud. Scratch takes a quick glance at the bush that popped off at Jaxon. He realizes that it has a techno-organic pump and even a couple of gears linking fluid sacs and sprayers together. He’s pretty sure he could collapse the acid pump with a few seconds' work to disable it.
The Acid Swamp
Conditions: none.
BOLD May Act
Raph
Brute
Scratch
Snipers
Lindelaile
Jaxon
Bushes
Zizarc
Lokaloka
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Raph commands his zombie brute to move out of the acid pool. He also moves to go behind his zombie as his meat shield.
"Thanks for making yourself useful in this situation." he murmurs under his breath, but he is just talking to himself while awaiting plan from others, now that they have somewhat determined what they are dealing with.
◆ Sustain Spell
◆ Stride
◆ Stride
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Scratch tries severing the fluid sac from the pump before continuing towards the log.
Scratch sees the snipers as the primary threat (well duh, he's met himself..), and ◆◆ continues down the path to the log and ◆ draws out an alchemist's fire.
"Right next to you Jaxon, lighting that nest up in a jiffy."
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Scratch reaches into the bush’s interior and fiddles with the pump, but in the rush he can’t quite turn the thing off. Rather than waste any more time on it, he continues moving forward while looking down to confirm that yes, he is still invisible. Raph and the Brute move along the path, surely drawing the attention of the snipers.
The first three shots go into Lindevaile’s wall of wind, the bullets flying off into the sky or embedding themselves in trees and bushes. The last two snipers fire from the southern end of their blind with line of sight at their targets.
The fourth sniper’s bullet goes straight through the soft head of the zombie, exploding it like an overripe melon. The second manages to not only hit Jaxon, but put a through-and-through wound in his arm!
The Acid Swamp
Conditions: none.
BOLD May Act
Raph
Brute
Scratch
Snipers
Lindelaile
Jaxon
Bushes
Zizarc
Lokaloka
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The Mistress of Air begins flying and rises gracefully above the toxic acid swamp. Jaxon lets loose a blue streak before pulping the acid pump in the nearest bush.
The two bushes that remain close enough to any of the adventurers suddenly spit acid.
The bushes spray both Zizarc and Lokaloka with burning fluids, just barely hitting the little bard even in spite of her shield spell. Just to the south, you notice another bush angling its thorny spines at you, but it appears that it is too far away to be able to hit anyone.
The Acid Swamp
Conditions: none.
BOLD May Act
Raph
Brute
Scratch
Snipers
Lindelaile
Jaxon
Bushes
Zizarc
Lokaloka
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Zizarc snips off the bush’s acid pump without a second thought. Easy peasy.
The Acid Swamp
Conditions: none.
BOLD May Act
Raph
Brute
Scratch
Snipers
Lindelaile
Jaxon
Bushes
Zizarc
Lokaloka
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Scratch finally ◆ hustles down into position next to the log, his feet covered in mud that he barely notices. He ◆ pulls out a 'not so patented' firebomb from his belt and heaves it grenade style at the camo hut housing the snipers. Its kind of a long shot but he hopes his aim is fair enough to light it up.
He hollers as he lets it fly.
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Raph runs toward the log. He then links his life to Jaxon, giving him some vitality. He then drops prone to the ground.
◆ Stride
◆ Life Link, HP to Jaxon
◆ Drop Prone
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Scratch certainly puts a fire in their hole! The tarp they were hiding under begins to burn, and is quickly tossed aside to reveal the 5 snipers hiding on a raised mound of earth.
Raph runs up to take some of Jaxon’s pain away and ward him in the fight to come before he drops down to the ground.
Now recognizing that their shots are spoiled by the wind wall, two of the snipers (Red and Blue) leave their strange rifles in the dirt as they stand, draw falchions, and move forwards to the edge of the acid swamp. The remaining three have nice lines so they continue shooting.
Green’s shot thumps harmlessly into the fallen tree, and Zizarc easily dodges the bullet. Black thought he had a line on Jaxon, but they didn’t know about the bend in the wall, and his round goes flying out into the sky.
The Acid Swamp
Conditions: none.
BOLD May Act
Raph
Scratch
Red Sniper
Blue Sniper
Green Sniper
Yellow Sniper
Black Sniper
Lindelaile
Jaxon
Bushes
Zizarc
Lokaloka
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Jaxon waves to the other Pathfinders. "Rally up!" The thugs takes a moment to wrap the bullet wound on his arm. He winces as he pulls it tight and moves up to the edge of the wind wall. Seeing the pair of snipers preparing to move forward, he cracks one of his knuckles and a pale green protective shield snaps up.
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Lindevaile hits the afterburners and jets across the swamp while Jaxon patches himself up.
As the snipers move forward, you notice another bush to the south activate, but the spray can’t quite reach the snipers’ nest. Likewise when Lindevaile flies towards her wall, she spots one more bush tracking her. It sprays acid but it’s just as effective as a man spitting tobacco juice in a gale.
The Acid Swamp
Conditions: none.
BOLD May Act
Raph
Scratch
Red Sniper
Blue Sniper
Green Sniper
Yellow Sniper
Black Sniper
Lindelaile
Jaxon
Bushes
Zizarc
Lokaloka