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Visna moves in and snags Algon with her axe, the silver blade slicing deeply into vulnerable flesh. Belmont fires his gun, scoring a critical hit as the bullet buries itself in the former paladin's chest. Pen's disintegrate beam severely wounds the fiend as Briar transforms into a hulking hyena and moves in. Algon swingsh his flail at Visna, bashing her twice!
Enemy Status: -169
Seeing Sakura badly wounded, Jing-De uses metamagic to extend the reach of his healing spell and cure her injuries. Sakura dispatches the wounded bandit with a critical slice, but misses with her follow-up. Pagma only barely splashes the other bandits with her first bomb. Kamo scores a critical hit with his blade but it's not enough to slow down his opponent. The bandits attack. Both Sakura and Kamo do an admirable job at defending themselves, but one hit each slips past their defenses.
Enemy Status: -5, -5, -5, -43
"I am no hero, and I bow to no queen," Lickweed says with a sneer. "I serve the vast and mysterious and frightening Nargloom of the Three Eyes!" Nok-Nok gasps in surprise. "You work for Nargloom? I’ll stamp your head and wear your vines when I kill your leader! Nok-Nok’s gonna be the best goblin hero ever! Lamashtu can’t help but notice Nok-Nok then!” The goblin rogue grins as he brandishes his kukris. Lickweed snarls. "Attack!" he commands his minions. Initiative:
"I'm afraid I can't do that. If you will not leave, then you will be destroyed," the ifrit snarls. Initiative:
The graveknights exchange a glance, then they finally step aside. "Very well. But Warmaster Pokmit will hear about this later." The entry door leads into a rounded room with austere ivory walls. Several large feasting tables are arranged haphazardly in the area, their wooden slats deeply stained by blood. Streaks of dried filth and gore crisscross the tile floor while stripes of clean sections stand in sharp contrast. The smell of decay fills the room. Two zombies are mindlessly working here, cleaning the room with mops crusty with dried blood. A door leads into an adjoining kitchen. Piles of half-prepared corpses of humanoid creatures are stacked along the northern walls alongside heaps of decomposing vegetables. Cleavers and knives, their blades rusted and chipped, are strewn about the various counters and cutting boards. A short set of stairs in the west end of the kitchen leads down to an underground room filled with Urgathoan feast ingredients. The meats and vegetables are in surprisingly good shape, since ritually spoiling them is part of the preparation. Finding nothing of interest here, you proceed to the other part of the Pallid Pinnacle's ground floor. The soaring circular ceiling of this room is covered in a detailed mural, in the center of which is the depiction of Urgathoa. She holds a scythe in her hands, raised threateningly as if ready to strike down those in the room below her. All around the figure kneel, a crowd of both living and undead, their heads bowed in supplication. Two undead humanoids stand guard here. The first is a human woman wearing a tabard of Urgathoa over her armor, while the other is an ifrit holding a big axe. Both have pale lavender aeon stones embedded deep in their foreheads and surrounded by ugly bruises. The ifrit steps forward. "You are intruding upon sacred ground. You must leave. I will escort you out of the temple."
"We have our orders," the other graveknight says. "We can let you onto the grounds of the Pallid Pinnacle, but not into the building itself."
"Nothing to report as of yet, my fellow feathered friend," Glitterbeak says to Wispil. "But you'll be the first to know!" He cocks his head at Alessandria. "Vandalya is here, yes, though she seems to be a bit out of her element. Perhaps she still feels the sting of her sister's betrayal!" He then looks at Gentle Storm. "Indeed! This tree is quite suitable for our roosting!" *** Strenbrow emerges from beneath the Grand Oak to speak to Kiltisi. "Eh? Who's there? Another one you Rootweft folk, is you? I'll tell you what I told the others. Respect the trees here and my ilk and I will mind our own business. Mistreat our home, though, and you won't like the consequences. You understand?"
Tralginfad gives you a smirk. "Of course. My work here is second to none in the city. Let me show you." As the artist shows off his wares, he lets slip that Narsiegus was indeed one of his recent clients. However, he offers no more help in your investigation. However, once Tralginfad returns to his attention to his students, the earth genie subtly catches your eye and gestures for you to follow him into a small side chamber. The towering man is seemingly carved from obsidian, with red crystals making up his beard. "I can tell you more about Narsiegus, in exchange for your help securing my freedom," he says. He gives his name as Jhebek before emotionally relaying the tale of his recent captivity. Like many jabalis, or earth genies, he adores games of chance. However, a reckless bet against a hryngar gambler bankrupted him, and he exchanged years of service to pay off the debt. The gambler, Quolko, has rented Jhebek out to others in Hagegraf since, stealing most of the jabali’s earnings as interest and trapping him in an unjust cycle of servitude. The current assignment is the most galling. Jhebek’s role at the Infinite Quarry isn’t to create beautiful statues; it’s recycling students’ crude projects back into pristine blocks with stone shape, ready to be carved again. Yet not only is Jhebek honor-bound to fulfill his debt, Quolko also possesses the genie’s bracelet, which serves as a focus for keeping Jhebek bound to this plane. If you can secure Jhebek’s bracelet and freedom, his information will be yours.
The graveknights look up as Deregar approaches. "Turn back. None are allowed to enter or exit, by the orders of Warmaster Pokmit Bloody-Pike," one intones.
"I do not know if the nightmare can be destroyed," Seshu says gravely. "But I commend you for your desire to set things right. Once you reach the Nameless Spires, Ruun will reveal to you what must be done. "I can offer you one more benefit before you depart. I can infuse your gear with the magical power of this dreamscape."
"Whether you desire it or not, it's going to happen," Zeral insists with a serene smile. "The end of the world is coming, and now is the time to seek salvation."
Esirelle's spirits pester the shanty callers as she quickens the spinosaurus. Kharya batters the fey as she runs past them, ending with a critical hit on the lead singer. Timdok gets it in a headlock and delivers a stunning blow, setting up the dinosaur to finish it off with a mighty snap of its jaws. The beast quickly strides forward to get at the other four fey, snatching one up in its jaws and restraining it between its sharp teeth!
The grabbed fey struggles in vain to escape, Esirelle's foretelling causing it to hurt itself more in the effort!
The remaining three continue the shanty, moving 25 feet further away down the path and zapping the spinosaurus with more electricity. The beast is barely fazed!
Status: -76 restrained, -33, -3, -3; Spinosaurus 139/220
Alzarius conjures a burst of ice and snow that blasts the demons, though they avoid the worst of it. Raneshi's needle darts miss the demons. Blooms's holy blast wounds and sickens the burning fiend but the other one completely resists it. Blooms hits it with a fiery blast, though. Alkabah cleanses the toxic cloud from the air. Idari dashes forward and slashes the badly wounded demon. Takarias shoots it, then urges Idari to slice again. The barbarian's grip on his blade is lessened as the demon's sticky slime tugs at it.
Presented with a target in melee once more, the demons attack Idari, pummeling him with tendrils of acidic slime. The wounded demon continues to burn, but its bleeding stops.
Enemy Status: -239, 6d4 persistent fire, sickened 1; -35
Kaz detects only a single source of magic in the room. Perhaps one of the halfling's weapons is giving off the aura? The halfling nods to Jeni. "My name is Asmerelli. I assure you, I have no trap set for you. I merely wish to have a conversation about what makes you think you have the right to break in to our place of worship, or to kill and capture the followers of our faith."
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you," Seshu says with a warm smile. She gratefully accepts Zienvus's gift, placing it with reverence on the table. "We're dreaming, Grandmother," Snowy Owl says once introductions are over. "We're close to the Nameless Spires, and it's time for you to tell me what I must do." Seshu smirks playfully in response. "Of course I know we’re dreaming. Come with me!" She invites you into a small shrine in her home and asks you to be seated. Her demeanor turns more serious as she prepares to speak. "A nightmare not of this world lies frozen in the ice below us, where it has remained imprisoned through the sacrifice and vigilance of a people known as saumen kar. Today, only one yet lives. His name is Ainamuuren, and when he is no more, the nightmare will be freed. He knows this, knows he is the last of the saumen kar, and so he shared with me his people’s legacy and showed me what must be done should the nightmare stir once more. "And now it does more than stir, it quickens in the ice. It uses portals and promises of power to trick others into engineering its freedom. And now Ainamuuren has been taken, bound to the very temple in the heart of the Nameless Spires his people once built as a tomb over the nightmare’s grave. A tomb they bolstered with the sacrifice of their own god. “This is your destiny, Snowy Owl. The god you carry in your soul must become the new lock to the nightmare’s cell once Ainamuuren is no more. Those you travel with can be trusted to escort you to the First and Last Temple of Aqakaru, the Snow Mother of the saumen kar, where the nightmare must once more be contained. They know the route well. They were all there, after all, when Ainamuuren was taken." And then, with a sudden rush, all of your lost memories from the Missing Moment come rushing back. Immediately upon stepping through the aiudara and arriving in Icegate, Osoyo took control of your minds, rendering you little more than witless thralls. The alien infused you with its strength, allowing you to overpower the Ilverani sentries. Then it ordered you to locate and capture Ainamuuren, the last saumen kar. You overwhelmed the furry white humanoid, who you now can identify as the subject of all the drawings and diagrams in Doctor Ritalson's labs, dragging him to the Nameless Spires, where you left him with agents of the Blackfrost Whale. What has become of the last saumen kar, you do not know. Seeing you reeling, Seshu pauses to give you time to come to grips with your restored memories...
Cerulean identifies the creatures as shanty callers, vain fey who adore music. They particular adore sea shanties, and when singing them, they move quickly and with greater vigor. Besides their natural weapons, they can use magic to control winds and storms and to charm creatures. As Cerulean takes cover behind the gazebo and Kharya kicks her armor into overdrive, Timdok stumbles forward to attack the nearest fey. He feints and punches it once, following up with a critical combo blow! The spinosaurus stomps over and snaps its jaws shut around the injured shanty caller. It then rips out its guts with its jagged claws!
The remaining five fey begin to sing a catchy sea shanty. One starts, and the other join in until all five are singing in unison. The other four who didn't start the song scurry back, then use their magic to fire bolts of lightning at the terrifying spinosaurus! The dinosaur roars angrily as the electricity burns it, but it is still standing strong!
Status: Spinosaurus 148/220 HP
Alkabah identifies the beings as omoxes, also known as slime demons. While scholars once believed these foul demons to be a pure, concentrated form of the corruption that suffuses the Outer Rifts and its inhabitants, in truth these demons arise from the souls of those who routinely befouled and polluted their surroundings in life. Attacking them in melee is risky, as your weapons might get stuck in their slimy bodies! Takarias also knows they are immune to acid and precision damage and can hurl their sticky slime to trap their opponents. Blooms' whispers tell the leshy that they are weak-willed, and they have a weakness to cold iron and holy damage. Blooms' battle cry demoralizes one of the creatures. Raneshi teleports Idari out of the demon's grasp. Idari's demon mask has little further effect on them. Blooms hurls fire at the demoralized omox, setting it ablaze. Takarias shoots the same demon twice, his holy arrows exploiting its weakness and setting up the next attacker as he calls for everybody to form up around him. The burning demon hurls slime balls at Takarias, but the commander manages to dodge them all. The other one casts a spell, conjuring a cloud of toxic gas to envelop you all!
Enemy Status: -70, 6d4 persistent fire
You quickly calm the panicking people and press forward! Finally, you reach the outskirts of the rocky outcropping that you can shelter you from the storm. You managed to make it to safety quickly enough that the caravan did not suffer serious damage. You huddle together for an hour or so as the storm continues to rage, spirits flying within its thundering clouds wailing threats and pleas. Eventually, the storm moves on, and the sky clears again. Relieved, you continue the journey. The caravan continues on its southeasterly route, and the hills to the south grow steadily closer as the day wears on. By late afternoon, the caravan rattles along next to those tall hills. As it passes, near a stone outcropping, though, a band of at least twenty orcs step out. They look down on the caravan, their bows ready. Several of them bear crude holy symbols of Zagresh the Destroyer, the god Grask Uldeth slew during his Crucible to become a god himself. The symbols resemble stacks of severed heads and are cobbled together from scrap or carved into piecemeal armor. A tall, armored figure in a frayed brown tabard steps forward and calls out to the caravan below. “Greetings, fellow sufferers of the tribulations!” she shouts, a fanatical gleam in her eyes. “I am Zeral of all the holds and none, here to enlighten you of the truth: our world is near conclusion, and only Zagresh will lead us to salvation in the journey beyond this life. You look to have experienced the glory of the end. Have you passed through the storms? Have you walked with the spirits of the land? I have!” Zeral bares her arms, revealing fractal scars spread across her skin in fern-like patterns. “I have felt the lightning in my bones and the winds on my flesh. I have heard our ancestors speak of horror, and they speak true, that we stand before the very ending of our world! But I promise you, there is an endless comfort that awaits us if you surrender your souls to the Destroyer. Now, abandon your physical possessions and join the Stormchasers in spreading the glorious new gospel of Zagresh!”
The stench of sewers under Xer may have been unpleasant outside by the docks, but here within the sewers it’s nearly overwhelming. Glowing strings of mold exude enough dim light to suggest that this tunnel has seen far more traffic than one would expect from a place so foul. Boot prints can clearly be seen in the muck, and the fungal growth on the walls seems almost cultivated. The sounds of the riverfront fade, only to be replaced by the skittering of rodents and the slow drip and gurgle of the sewer’s old pipes. Idari moves carefully down the tunnel, but unfortunately, he fails to spot the pressure plate on the floor before he steps on it. A metal plate in the ceiling above gives way, unleashing a torrent of filth and flesh-eating worms!
Sewer Pipe Trap:
Critical Success: The creature is unaffected.
Success: The creature becomes sickened 1 and takes 2d12 piercing damage. Failure: The creature is sickened 2 and takes 4d12 piercing damage. Critical Failure: The creature is sickened 4 and takes 4d12 piercing damage plus 2d12 persistent piercing damage. A moment later, two roughly humanoid creatures made from living, animated filth rise up from the tunnel ahead to block your progress down the 10-foot-wide tunnel! Their sludge gathers into heavy tendrils as they prepare to attack! Initiative:
Before you can react, they lash out at Idari. The first one misses the elf, but the second one hits, grabbing a hold and flowing all over him in an attempt to smother him!
The wooden gazebo at area contains a blown-over wicker chair, but apparently little else at first glance. The spinosaurus stalks past the gazebo around the path to the back of the manor house. As it gets near a patch of dense undergrowth, it stops lets out a challenging roar. The roar is answered by squawks as a half-dozen creatures who had been hiding there emerge! These creatures have humanoid torsos and seagull heads, wings, and feet, and they stand about 5 feet tall. The angry dinosaur moves to attack them! Initiative:
Softly glowing patches of pale-blue fungus and mold grow in strips along the walls and ceiling of this large cavern, giving the entire place the illusion of being underwater. To the north, a five-foot-wide ledge descends, switching back on itself before reaching a lower area overlooking a large lake of dark, rippling water. Across the water, a stone balcony looks out over the lake. On the opposite side of the lake, a sphere of glowing orange crystal the size of a human head sits atop a low mound of gravel and mold. The pool of water in this room is stagnant, cold, and thick with dark flecks of algae that give it a murky, almost black coloration. Now and then, ripples disturb the water surface. And every so often, you hear gasping sounds and strange ululations coming from the water as something below skims the surface... Occultism DC 20:
There is at least one gibbering mouther within the lake. Possibly more.
When Esirelle heals its injuries, the immense spinosaurus roars with relief. It rises up to its full towering height, then begins to stalk around towards the back of the estate, tail lashing behind it...
The Infinite Quarry is primarily an art school. Its proprietor, Tralginfad the Lesser, earns a handsome wage by commanding a percentage of each student’s future earnings. When you arrive, you find the man lazily patrolling the main studio, scowling and critiquing the work of several dozen exhausted students. A towering earth genie stands nearby, observing the class. On realizing he has visitors, he pompously strides over to introduce himself. "Greetings. I am Tralginfad, proprietor of this establishment. Have you come to sign up for classes? Or to commission a statue, perhaps?"
"I'll take a foul stench over a corruption of the living any day," Alzarius remarks. The eastern side of the piers is where the city’s sewer outflow tunnels empty filth into the river (a deliberate architectural choice so that the raw sewage doesn’t foul the waters that flow along the city’s riverfront, but instead are carried away downriver). The smell near the sewer outflows is reminiscent of the stink on the boots, and you spot blue water hyacinths in the area as well. After an hour or so, you are able to narrow your search down to a particular 15-foot-wide outflow tunnel—one closed by an old iron portcullis. The water hyacinths bloom most profusely here, and you spot muddy footprints leading to and from the gate.
Melor and Njinga guide the caravan out of the sandstorm. PANICKING CARAVAN
Panicked members of the caravan begin to swerve in the wrong direction. You must calm and distract the caravan members to keep them on track.
Jing-De's intimidation falls flat, and the bandit resists his command. But Kamo is able to knock him down onto his back, hard! Meanwhile, Sakura slashes the nearest archer twice, leaving him badly wounded. Pagma manages to splash him with a bomb. The prone bandit gets back on his feet as both he and his companion attack Kamo again. Across the gorge, the archers drop their bows and draw axes, suddenly charging up to Sakura to attack!
Enemy Status: -5, -70
Though Deregar and Tyr miss, the rest of you land solid blows against Vordakai. Tandri burns him with holy fire, Floare zaps him with lightning, and Sariana lands a critical hit with her fist! "No! No!" Vordakai roars, the tide of battle turning against him. He steps back and casts a spell, firing a crackling green beam at Sariana, attempting to disintegrate the monk!
Enemy Status: -118
Once you are ready to depart, you head out of town with Nok-Nok leading the way. However, you don't get more than a mile or two from Safehaven before you come upon a band of goblins! There are eight altogether, along with a pair of goblin dogs. Their leader is a goblin in a suit of makeshift armor cobbled together from blackberry vines, weeds, and twisted roots. The leader narrows his eyes and raises his scythe. “Hello, longshanks! I am Lickweed, of the Tanglethorns! We have come for your town! You drop your weapons now and be our prisoners!"
Once you have made your purchases, you make your way back to the Pit for more exploration. You descend back to the second level and go through the only doors you've yet to explore, the ones pained to resemble the leering face of the Sandpoint Devil. The rough stone walls of this chamber are painted with fiery patterns that drift up into clouds of gray smoke near the ceiling and emerge from painstakingly detailed trampled human bodies near the floor. Black stone platforms adorned with the image of a seven pointed star sit in alcoves to the north and south. To the west, an unnerving statue of the bat-winged horse monster carved from a collection of tree burls that have been lashed together with cords looms over a blood-stained stone altar. Two smaller stone statues of the monster stand to either side of the altar. A dozen or so thin reed mats lie scattered across the floor. The chamber is apparently empty save for a single well-dressed halfling woman. Clad in attire one might find more appropriate at high court, she turns and gives you an appraising look. "Hmm. Hello there. Would you be so kind to have a seat on the mats? We need to discuss what's to be done about your invasion of this sacred space."
The next day, you prepare to visit the Pallid Pinnacle. However, before you get there, you hear new rumors swirling around the city. The Warmaster Council has apparently declared the temple off limits to anyone the council hasn't specifically allowed inside. They've set up a perimeter and a pair of graveknight twins are guarding the door. The council seems out to capture or destroy Pesabnet for unclear reasons, but if you want to get to him first, you'll have to hurry! Indeed, the city block containing the Pallid Pinnacle is surrounded by armed soldiers who stand with weapons bared, gesturing away passersby who get too close. In the center of an unusually bountiful garden is a tall, withered-looking bone-white tower. Its surface is covered in carved images of skeletal figures feasting on spoiled food and gorging on chunks of flesh. The twin graveknights guard the gates to the temple, wary for danger. Acid drips from their blades and armor.
Once Helmut has finished his research, you head west from the room where you fought the dero leader. The doors open into a cavern that once featured several stalagmites, but now all that remains are dozens of shattered stumps—someone has smashed them all apart, only to heap the chunks of stone in a mound to the east. Stairs to the north lead down to another chamber, while a tunnel to the west seems to extend for quite some distance. Something deeper along a passage to the south shimmers with an unpleasant orange light.
After eating and drinking your fill, Idari asks around about Vintalax. It takes about 2 hours, but the dandy is able to learn quite a bit! A topic that many people in Xer seem to be worried about is a rash of missing person cases that have been cropping up lately. Dozens of people have gone missing in the past few weeks alone, all of them down in the Low District. It seems that Vintalax is one of those who has gone missing. Before his disappearance, Vintalax had been spending most of his time down on the riverfront. Indeed, most of those missing were last seen down at the river docks, near where the faith barges are often deployed at the easternmost end of the piers near where the city’s main sewer outflows are located.
Both Ximble and his goat miss with their attacks. Herok's arrows both narrowly miss as well, whizzing past inches away from their mark. Tekmin fares better, managing to stab the nearest cultist with his starknife. Four of the cultists move in to attack Tekmin while the other four circle Ximble and his goat.
Hooli peppers the closest undead with needle darts as Xiung-Lau conjures a spiritual dagger to stab it. Kwan Tai strides in, demoralizing his foe before knocking it down with a critical blow from his hammer! Lie Jie pounces on the fallen enemy, destroying it with a swift bite. The three remaining enemies close in on Kwan Tai and Lie Jie, letting loose eerie howls that set the pair ablaze!
You settle down close to one another as you fall asleep to the night. Shortly thereafter, you find yourselves "awakening" together on an unknown
Snowy Owl leads you into the village, her hometown of Aaminiuit. You head to a larger building near the village center, a partially raised structure consisting of three 40-foot-diameter domes merged into a vaguely clover-shaped hill. Inside, the rooms are dug 10 feet into the frozen earth and insulated with animal furs. The central living and eating room contains a small fire pit; a hole in the roof above the pit releases the smoke. Snowy Owl's grandmother, Seshu is here, and she greets her granddaughter with open arms and tears of joy. "Sakuachi! At last, you have come home," she cries. Snowy Owl gently corrects her. "I'm Snowy Owl now, grandmother." Seshu smiles. "Of course you are, my Snowy Owl! Now, tell me about your friends!" Snowy Owl introduces you, giving you all a chance to perform your own introductions as well.
Part 2: Severed at the Root Chapter 4: Remnants of the Past Several days have passes since the Wildwood Lodge elected Ruzadoya Swiftmane as its next leader. She swiftly nullified the Wildwood Treaty and declared war on Andoran and Taldor, causing many to flee the area and retreat into the forest’s deepest sanctuaries. Emorga All-Seer and several of her influential moderate colleagues have gathered, standing in solidarity against this new regime to create a rival lodge-in-exile at Tern Hill—the Rootweft Lodge. Due to your recent exploits during the Greenwood Gala and subsequent conflicts, you have been invited to act as influential Rootweft agents in the growing conflict against Ruzadoya. The landmark known as Tern Hill is a partially collapsed cavern, creating a massive, verdant hollow open to the sky. Three massive trees grow around the hollow’s perimeter, topping the hill like a crown. The tips of their boughs and roots intertwine, with some roots emerging from the earth in tall arches. Given the only routes into the hollow involve traversing the winding tunnels, rappelling down from the summit, or flight, Emorga believes this unique site will shelter the Rootweft Lodge as it gathers strength. You've arrived just a day after the Rootweft Lodge has moved into Tern Hill. Emorga encourages you to explore the area and speak with those who have joined the cause. She hopes your presence will settle nerves and soothe spirits. *** The three massive trees crowning Tern Hill are the Grand Oak to the north, the Grand Cypress to the southeast, and the Grand Sycamore to the southwest. Two dozen leshies, led by the cantankerous and canny leaf leshy Sternbrow, live beneath Grand Oak. Glitterbeak and his mighty corvid entourage have taken up residence in the boughs of the Grand Cypress. The shimmering bird squawks a greeting to you. "Hello there! Glad you could make it! We're here to help, of course. We stand ready to perform any deliveries you might need to make, and we're scouting the woods for any signs of danger or shiny trinkets!"
Skaytar calms the lightning storm enough for you to proceed, but a sandstorm whips up to stymie further progress. Njinga makes good progress through the sand, but Qisik struggles to find the way.
You work diligently and expertly, completing all of the tasks beyond what was expected. An exhausted Rorbek trudges over to review your work. Her eyes light up with genuine pleasure at the quality of your craftsmanship, even when she nearly loses a finger to a gremlin trap. "Very good work. I'm impressed." She wipes sweat from her brow. "So, you want to know about Narsiegus? Phah! He’s lived in Hagegraf for years, far as I can tell, but he was an inconsequential scholar. He only recently snagged the king’s ear, apparently had something sweet to say, and became the king’s top advisor in record time. About that time, I started receiving weapons orders—way more than usual, and my neighbors received similar work orders. That already says ‘we’re raising an army,’ but half the weapons either weren’t sized for hryngars or were designs not often wielded around here. My guess is Hagegraf’s equipping mercenaries, client tribes, or the like—and a lot of them! "It’s good money, at least," Rorbek acknowledges, "but Narseigus apparently needed smiths for other projects. As soon as the weapons were ready, he posted lucrative openings that lured all my apprentices away, and they’ve just… disappeared!" She slaps an anvil angrily, adding "Those were my investment, blast it, and I want them back!" Though she doesn’t know exactly where he lives or operates, Rorbek knows that Narseigus now resides in the Clock Quarter. She can’t get revenge directly, but if you want to pursue him soon, she can get you into the Clock Quarter with less scrutiny by sending you as delivery personnel, complete with official paperwork. As she wraps up, Rorbek drops a runestone with a resilient armor rune onto the floor. "Oops, must have fallen out of a crate," she says, then she deliberately turns her back so you can take it.
Kamo stabs Lo Kuon twice and Pagma blasts him with bombs. He groans as he goes limp on the ground. Jing-De grants Sakura the power of flight, and she uses it to cross the gorge and get to within a few feet of the archers. The axe-wielding bandits attack Kamo again, one circling to flank the investigator. He manages to duck and dodge, avoiding all of their attacks!
The archers shift their aim to Sakura, firing more explosive arrows at her. One misses, but the others find their mark, one even landing a critical hit. The three that hit Sakura detonate in explosive bursts!
Does anybody want to do anything else now or move forward to after the rest?
Using teleportation magic, you soon find yourselves near the shoreline on the island of Petrel's Perch. It is raining rather heavily, fat raindrops pattering against the ground and your clothes and armor and making the already hot air of the Shackles even more humid. Most of the island’s shoreline consist of jagged cliffsides, but an idyllic lagoon inside of the “C” shaped island features a lovely beach on which Oriole has seen to the construction of a single pier that can accommodate most sailing ships. Much of the island is covered by subtropical forest with thick, trackless undergrowth, but a trail leads up to the island's highest peak. Through the rain and lush foliage, a wrought-iron fence with an open front gate comes into view. Beyond it stands an elegant two-story mansion, its brick walls adorned with vines and roses that twine up its sides. A sheen of rippling energy covers the building’s many windows, as well as a skylight visible on the second story. As you get closer, you see that the iron gate is fashioned to look like a page of sheet music. It hangs open in front of the house, swinging crookedly on broken hinges. Past the gate, pathways extend to the east and west, as well as to the house’s front door, which also hangs slightly open but is covered with a faint shimmer of energy—as are the building’s shuttered windows. Farther to the northeast of the manor stands a gazebo, its trellised sides adorned with vines. Patches of wildflowers grow here and there alongside the path amid several taller trees. On the path to the gazebo, an enormous dinosaur with a large, sail-like fin running along its spine hunkers down. It lets loose a low, rumbling growl. Perception DC 30: The dinosaur seems wounded and wary as it lurks motionless, almost as if it were waiting for something to happen.
Shortly after you settle into your shelter—a modest wooden structure open on one side facing the center of the barge—the captain comes aboard with all the paperwork necessary to depart. Within 20 minutes the Sunken Sea Cat leaves the port of Greengold and makes way heading east toward Xer. During the journey to Xer, Alzarius is happy to tell you about the town. Like most cities in Razmiran, it is divided into two major sections, one part for the faithful and the true believers, and the rest of the city for those who have not yet seen the glory of Razmir. If there is a plot against him, Alzarius does not wish anyone to know that he has returned and won’t be donning his mask or reaching out to any other priests until he is sure of who he can trust. In general, he recommends avoiding contact with the faith, at least until the truth of this conspiracy, as he calls it, is made clear. To that end, Alzarius suggests that you claim to be merchants coming to the city to enter into trade talks with a number of local artisans and makers. This is a common enough occurrence in Xer that it will likely go unnoticed. He goes on to say that they will undoubtedly meet clergy of Razmir at the port, as it is their duty to question visitors and collect tithes from all those wishing to do business in one of Razmir’s cities. Alzarius suggests that you complain about such fees but pay them without haggling. Again, this is all to avoid suspicion, and most travelers are taken aback by this practice but ultimately end up paying the price. After about 10 hours on the water, the town of Xer comes into view. Even from the distance, it’s obvious that Xer is a divided city. Atop a hill in the center of town, the heart of Xer is a gleaming city of pale marble, flowing silks, towering statues, and gold-plated ornaments. Surrounding this gem is a ring of squalor. Run-down, dirty wooden structures, some built roughly atop one another, are the rule here, all choked by smoke and fumes from the industry that creates so much wealth for the priests of the Living God. The Sunken Sea Cat arrives at the riverfront docks about an hour later. The captain wishes you well on your journey and mentions that she’ll be heading back to Greengold in about four days after conducting some business here, but if you miss out, you can always find any number of other boats and barges heading back that way. Leaving the Sunken Sea Cat behind, you are hailed by a trio of Razmiri priests waiting for you at the end of the dock, checking in all visitors and collecting tithes. This is a modest fee of 1 gp per visitor, and anyone who tries to talk their way out of it is threatened with imprisonment or exile. After paying, you are free to enter the city. Alzarius suggests that you make your way to an inn called Benevolent Bounty, a riverfront establishment frequented by merchants and visitors. While the clergy of Razmir keep an eye on it, they tend to give it less attention than some of the other establishments. The inn is a busy place with many merchants and travelers coming and going at all times of the day and night, and its exceptionally crowded common room makes it simple to have a conversation without being overheard in all the din. Once you are checked into the inn, Alzarius suggests asking around for Vintalax.
Snar seems ready to hand the boot over for 2 gold, but his eyes light up when Takarias gives him the full 10. "Here you are! Pleasure doing business with you!" he says, scampering off before Takarias changes his mind. The boot is relatively unremarkable, made from common leather, but its sole is caked with a rather foul-smelling mud that reeks of sour fruit. After cleaning the boots for several minutes, you discover a small, blue, crushed flower caked in the mud wedged into the boot’s tread. Nature DC 25: You identify this flower as a water hyacinth, a plant that grows along rivers and lakeshores.
Vandalya nods solemnly and moves to help you release the prisoners. They thank you quietly yet profusely. They report that they saw the wood giant Xivaga ushering a small group of other friendly dissidents out of the area, and there are likely several other groups evacuating by various routes. The best plan remains reuniting with Alyce Quinley near the riverbank to escape by boat. You carefully make your way back across the grounds and into the forest. Vandalya goes with the others as they sail off into the night to safety. You then escort Emorga All-Seer to the nearby Elder Oak so that she can use her ritual magic to transport you all back to the Viridian Nexus. After requesting that Corazal close the gateway behind you to ensure you won’t be followed, Emorga retires to her shelter in the cloister and, following a fitful sleep, enters a state of communion with the great conrasu the following morning to discuss recent events. With luck, she'll be able to come up with a good plan soon, because you have no doubt that Ruzadoya is already taking steps to enact her new tyrannical pogrom...
Uhe focuses on the gremlin traps, making great progress. With Gig coaxing her along, Rorbek has time to help finish off the traps. Brijetta struggles to rework the jewelry on the chains, though Mal convinces Rorbek to pace herself, thus giving you more time to get the work done.
The ghostly lightning continues to wreak havoc, but you've almost finished redirecting the energy.
SANDSTORM
Sand and dirt are whipped up by the oppressive wind, obscuring the path toward safety.
Valerie scoffs. "Hardly. We can round up a small contingent of militia members, maybe, but we've still a long way to go for an actual organized army."
Floare's vine wraps around Vordakai, grabbing him tightly. Tandri blasts him with holy light, but neither Deregar, Sariana, nor Tyr are able to get a good hit in past his defenses.
Vordakai quickly bursts free of the vine. His eye flashes red with anger as he casts a defensive spell, surrounding himself with a swirling cloak of colors.
Enemy Status: -29
Alzarius is grateful to be released from the holding cell, and he is eager to accompany you. "Thank you, my friends. Now, let us root out this conspiracy." *** As it turns out, the easiest way to reach Xer is aboard the Sunken Sea Cat, the same ship the assassins used to travel here to Greengold. Captain Heliana Ironeye is happy to have you aboard for only a modest fee of 2 gp per passenger, which the pouch of gold Dalamian gave you covers. The barge is scheduled to depart an hour after dawn the following day and will arrive in Xer by midafternoon—assuming fair weather. When you arrive the next morning, Alzarius is there waiting for you. He has chosen not to put on his mask and robes, preferring to keep a low profile for the journey. The ship's first mate, a goblin named Snar, greets you and and brings you aboard, showing you to a small shelter toward the back of the barge where you can settle in for the journey. Once you are settled, the goblin gives you a sly grin. "Heard you were asking around about those merchants from our previous trip. I didn't trust them from the moment they came on board. Their boots were covered with mud and stank something fierce! Captain Ironeye demanded they take them off and toss them overboard before she gave them new shoes. But I kept one of those stinky boots! 10 gold, and it's yours!"
Both Sakura and Kamo land hits on Lo Kuon, wounding the bandit leader. Then Jing-De demoralizes him and commands him to kneel. Lo Kuon immediately drops prone, the compulsion preventing him from doing anything else! The other two bandits become enraged as they step up and attack Kamo with their axes!
On the far side of the bridge, four more bandits emerge from their hiding spots in the dense forest on the far side of the gorge. They nock arrows which begin to glow with bright red runes, then fire them at the bridge supports!
Two of them hit, bursting into balls of fire that damage the structure. The other two arrows explode harmlessly on the lower west bank of the river. The detonations blow apart the planks crossing the bridge, preventing easy access to the other side.
Enemy Status: -43
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