|
Two years ago, the Pathfinder Society concluded its extended campaign to find, reclaim, and explore the lost sky citadel Jormurdun. After ousting the vile demons and duergar within, the Society turned over control to their dwarven allies, who have defended the ancient fortress ever since. A recent raid by duergar slavers has captured some of Jormurdun's dwarves, who have disappeared into the Darklands and bound for the cruel capitol of Hagegraf. Only the Pathfinder Society is equipped and able to launch a daring rescue into the lightless depths, intercept the slaver convoy, and save these dwarves from a grisly fate.
|
|
You have received a letter from Sir Jorsal of Lauterbury asking your help to rescue dwarves captured by duergar slavers. Each of you receive smallcloth pouch containing 100 gold pieces labeled "for tolls" with the letter.
When you reach Janderhoff’s surface entrance —a pair of massive iron gates emblazoned with the hammer of Torag— the guards are expecting you, gruffly welcoming you to the city. Janderhoff’s people—mostly dwarves but some humans, halflings, and gnomes—bustle about the prosperous mountainside citadel, tending its many forges and bringing in carts of copper, iron, silver, and black marble from the nearby mines. The tall chimneys of its forges let forth a constant stream of gray smoke into the blue sky.
|
A very tall and thin half-elf (almost two meters), jet-black hair and green eyes observes carefully everything around him. He wears plain traveller clothes: black leather boots, red trousers and brown shirt. Under his traveller cloak one can see that he is no a mere commoner: the sheath of a large sword and the metallic shine of an armor show it. He also carries a big metallic shield that he seems to use well when needed.
Well, dealing with the duergar is not pleasant. But they have attacked these dwarves in this city, and Abadar does not accept when people in their city are endangered. Let us go and save them. The sooner, the better.
|
|
Seltyel reads the first missive and is even more furious when he reads the second one.
We should make haste and help the dwarves. These duergar are evil creatures. Even worse, possibly they have broken the mind a dwarven paladin, who now fights for them against his will. Let us try to save him with no harm to him.
He then addresses Sandricaan.
What are the main dangers? I have never had a mission in the dark regions before the surface. Also, how can we help Dornarnus? He is a fierce fighter. It will not be easy to approach him with causing him harm.
|
|
" Could we summon some help for the mission if we do need to ? "
“If my calculations are correct, you should be able to intercept the slavers somewhere near the duergar stronghold of Fellstrok. The duergar there have waged constant war against the mongrelmen in that area. Mongrelmen are a peculiar people, but also the most friendly—well, least unfriendly—folk you are likely to find in all of Nar-Voth. You should be able to come to an enemy-of-my-enemy agreement with them, one way or another.” Sandricaan pauses and then answers to Seltyiel
“Nar-Voth’s threats are too many to enumerate. I’ll advise you to bring plenty of food, fresh water, and light, as well as any other supplies you expect to need on the journey. Don’t expect to be able to buy anything else once you have departed from Janderhoff. I don't have any clue what might have happened to this paladin, but one possibility is that he is under magical coercion.”
|
A man joins you who appears both heavy and solid. His chiseled angular features make him look almost like a statue brought to life. He wears no armor and his movements seem considered. He wears both kama and Nunchaku thrust through a sash belting his robes. A holy symbol of Irori adorns his neck. I am called Dolomite and would stand with you on this noble quest.
|
|
"Any more questions? You have everything you need for long and dangerous trip? If you do, then its time to begin the journey." Sandricaan says and leads the way through Janderhoff’s interconnected rooms, stairways, and tunnels, following a complex route that boasts increasing numbers of surly dwarven guards as the path descends toward Nar-Voth. Eventually, he stops at a massive gate bearing the same hammer symbol as all of the city’s entrances. He speaks briefly with the captain on duty, and the heavily armed dwarf pauses before giving a slow nod and reluctantly commanding the guards to open the gates.
|
"Any more questions? You have everything you need for long and dangerous trip? If you do, then its time to begin the journey."
"Such a velocious a visit to your vault, I am already vexed by vertigo before we even venture forth!" Interrupts the silky, uncannily-resonant voice of the fashionably-latest arrival as he staggers through Sandricaan's door: He is built very much like Seltyiel, but the resemblance does not go much farther: Expensive-looking blue robes, including long gloves, cover him from head to toe, and while his blazing fuschia eyes and what appears to be burnished brass in place of normal skin would usually be quite the attention-grabbers, in this gentleman's case they are outdone by his most prominent feature: A jewel-encrusted full-face mask, its mouth frozen in a haunting, cheeky grin.
Some may recognize him as "The Amazing" Julian Leroux Vanzetti, renowned Andoran actor and magician.
"Very very sorry to be late, my dealings with the local vox populi has revealed a most vital divulgence: If our villains have captured a vast volume of victims, their being viewed in the major villes of Nar-Voth, such as Fellstrok or Hagegraf, would be verboten! Therefore, these slavers of ours may be vicious vigilantes even among their own volk...or their true aim is nothing so vulgar, but veiled in darker intrigue."
He whips out his copy of the note from Major Maldris, gives a cryptic shake of his head, and turns to Sandricaan:
"How long should we expect this voyage to take? Should we provision victuals for the victims should we prove victorious? How best may we locate these 'Mongrelmen'? What of the victims, do you know who was captured? How many? Might any of them - aside from this viking-of-Virtue Malris speaks of - have valuable skills or assets to offer us, or their captors?"
|
|
Jens talks with duergar guards so eloquently and convincingly that you pass without any delays or toll payments.
Sandricaan's directions lead you to a large cavern that arches to a height of forty feet at its center. It extends about sixty feet from east to west and one hundred feet from north to south. The floor consists of tightly packed dirt and gravel, and strange furrows in the eaeth crisscross the room. Patches of luminescent fungi cling to the dloor, walls, and ceilings, and the sound of water dripping into several shallow pools echoes through the chamber. A ten-foot-wide tunnel leads off to the south, and broad roughlt hewn steps lead to a similar passage heading to the northeast.
|
|
Jens recognizes that the furrows were made by the dorsal fin of a bulette. You know that these creatures, often called landsharks, typically patrol hilly terrain near the surface. Bulettes are intensely territorial, and each bulette commands up to 30 square miles. They often burrow deep underground, especially to breed.
If you wish to avoid them, you must find alternative route, which lengthens their journey by multiple days; you need to succeed DC 24 Knowledge (dungeoneering) or Survival check.
|
|
Bulette is seriously burned by Jens, but managed to avoid some of flames even though its near death now. The Amazing Vanzetti's magical scream ends its suffering.
After several miles, the twisting tunnels converge into a single, wider tunnel that leads upward toward the sound of running water. As the passage levels out, a crude barricade comes into view ahead: sharp spears, broken blades, and stakes of petrified wood jut at all angles across the twenty-foot width of the tunnel floor.
Six mongrelmen guards currently oversee this outpost. The guard captain Dwalla does not have the authority to make an alliance with the Pathfinders; you must convince him to allow them to meet with the tribe’s leader (DC 24 Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check).
|
|
The mongrelmen show them to a side passage that bypasses the barricade and escort the Pathfinders to their chieftain. Past the barricade, the tunnel follows the path of a subterranean stream. After several miles, it opens onto a wide cavern. The stream flows into a small lake at the center of a grove of petrified, deformed trees. Many dwellings constructed from varying materials rest at the base of these trees, and some even sit among the branches. On the far side of the lake sits a single massive petrified tree, its uppermost branches reaching almost to the roof of the cavern. The tree is decorated with furs, vines, and patches of glowing fungus, and at its base strands of pebble, bones, and shells hang over the entrance of a tunnel leading between two massive roots.
The tribe’s chieftain, Felgriss, is an old mongrelfolk druid. She welcomes you into her home, which she has decorated with furs from a wide assortment of creatures. "Please explain why you wanted to meet me."
|
|
“I know of the group that you seek. Most of the gray dwarves stay close to their roads and fortresses, but about three years ago a group traveled past Fellstrok. They came from the north, and looked as if they had traveled for many days. Recently, they passed by our territory again, returning north. They appeared even more bedraggled than the first time. We fought with the duergar, but only long enough to drive them away from our tunnels. We managed to capture one of their scouts in the battle. He said that he followed a disgraced leader, but he believed in her. He said that she would lead him and his fellows to glory and help them regain the respect of their fellow duergar. Now it seems that this great leader and her followers are returning south once more.” she states
“We can help you to defeat the duergar —we have long awaited an opportunity to prove our strength to them. However, before we go to battle, there is one other who may join our cause. The great beast Old Ironfin ranges not far from here. Long have I tried to befriend him, to no avail. Perhaps you can help me to impress the creature. He has great reason to hate the duergar, and would be a powerful ally.”
|
|
"Yes, he infact is a bulette, though very unique among his kind. Maybe I'll introduce you to him right away."
The ground in these tunnels is particularly uneven, and deep claw marks mar the rough stone walls. Deep furrows in the stone floor lead to a dark cave that smells of rust and blood. When you approach Felgriss turns to you "Is any of you skilled at the language of beasts? If not, then I shall lead the effort to convince him myself, but I'll need your aid." she asks
|
|
"Not as such, I fear," V replies, seemingly a bit embarrassed by the fact, as though he's admitting failure to meet a perfectly normal expectation.
"However, I applaud your verve in offering to be our voice for this voracious varmint," He says as he approaches Felgriss, his mask momentarily rippling with a mysterious silvery sheen as he chants a long benediction over her.
"Break a leg!" He adds with a wink behind his mask.
|
|
The bulette hisses and emerges from his cave. Scars cover the fierce creature’s hide and face. Thick plates of adamantine are bolted to his face, jaw, and back, and ancient bloodstains stain his hide where they were attached. His claws have been replaced with clawshaped adamantine blades. Old Ironfin bellows, claws at the ground, and lowers his head as if he is about to charge—but he hesitates.
|
|
Dolamite examines the mods to the beast and thinks he sees a spot where the armor needlessly pinches the creature.
Arms out and hands empty he approaches the beast and using at Strength Surge to boost his strength to 27 for a round he attempts to adjust the fit of the armor to cause less pain before healing the creature with an empowered cure Cure Serious.
[
for 37 healing.