You're right, thank you for the correction, his name is Verik. I was too much in a rush to post. :)
In response to Elric's question, Lord Arkona points directly down with a smile. "I can show you how to access it." He then turns his head to Audria, bursting into laughter. "Meliya has many, many lovers, my dear. I have lost track, to be honest."
True to his word, Glorio leads them out of the lounge and down the wide, carpeted corridor. They pass by a fourteen-foot-tall marble statue of a six-armed woman with four faces on her head - one looking to each of the four cardinal directions - standing under a dome of colored glass. The statue wields numerous weapons in its six hands, and a small kneeler at its base gives a place to pay respects to whatever deity the statue represents. Each of the statue's eight eyes is a sparkling bright green orb.
Knowledge religion DC 30:
The statue is of the Vudrani goddess Chamidu, a deity with an affinity for the beasts of the world.
They turn left through a shorter corridor with double doors at either end, and enter the manor's interior garden. Well, 'garden' might be a stretch, since this space looks more like a clearing at the heart of a vast jungle, teeming with life. The sky above is a deep, cloudless blue, while in the distance, hazy towers rise above the verdant canopy. Exotic bird calls fill the air, the scent of dozens of unfamiliar flowers and plants assault the nose, and everywhere a riot of color demands the eye, whether it's the wing of a tropical bird, the petals of a brightly hued flower, or the glittering multicolored tiles that make up a round fountain to the north. The fountain's central plume is a stone pillar around which entwine two cobra statues that clutch green gems in their fanged maws. To the south of the fountain stands an immense, life-sized jade statue of an elephant, a howdah perched on its back, its tusks and trunk raised high in greeting to the southeast doors. From inside the room, the doors look more like gates set into a wrought-iron fence that encircles the garden. Other gates set in this fence doubtless lead to other parts of the palace, and after a bit more observation, the somewhat static nature of the jungle and landscape becomes apparent - the walls of this garden are in fact an incredibly realistic and clever painting of a Vudrani junglescape. The heat and humidity in here are very much real, however, and everyone quickly finds themselves perspiring a little.
Glorio Arkona stops inside the garden, letting everyone take in the sights with a slight smile on his full lips. "Now, I must warn you that the Vivified Labyrinth is quite dangerous, although I will endeavour to prepare you. So if you are quite certain that you want to proceed, please pay attention to what I am about to tell you." He pauses to allow for questions or last-minute doubts.
Audria and Agnar intuit that things are not as simple as they seem. Behind Glorio Arkona's affable and nonchalant façade there are threads of concern running deep - about the queen, and about his sister. While he tries to present the situation in a light that favours him, there is a hint of keenness underneath, the desire to fulfill the group's ask battling with the fear of appearing weak if he simply gives in to the request.
Those who were present for the infamous case of the All the World's Meat remember that Varrin Vancaskerkin was rumoured to be involved with Meliya Arkona, Glorio's sister - romantically involved, that is.
"Meliya is... a little eccentric. She enjoys toying with whomever currently holds her interest. While I run the business side of the family, she is in charge of the more... persuasive side. I am told that most people find her extremely irresistible." There is the slightest inflexion on the word 'toying' that suggests rather unpleasant experiences for the object of such attentions.
"You and I both want what is best for Korvosa, and I think you will agree that the current state of things is less than ideal. We can all hope that it will all return to normal soon enough, but I have a strong suspicion that there is more than meets the eye about the current... situation." He scratches absent-mindedly at his right temple, the exact spot where Queen Ileosa was struck by Commander Endrin's arrow.
"Whyever for would he want to leave, my dear? Outside the protection of the Arkonas there are all sorts of distasteful insects, I'm sure you have encountered them..."
Interrupted by Elric, Lord Arkona gives the marine a faintly pained smile. "I would love nothing more than to arrange for such a meeting, especially since I sense that our goals may be more aligned than you imagine." He exhales softly, not quite a sigh. "However, things are a trifle... complicated at the moment. My dear sister has taken a particular liking to the seneschal, and I am afraid that she would not bear to be parted from him. I will not go against her wishes, although you are welcome to try and persuade her. Both the seneschal and my sister are presently in the Vivified Labyrinth, but I will make things easy for you and explain how the mechanisms work, so you do not encounter any trouble."
Knowledge Local DC 25:
The Vivified Labyrinth is a notorious dungeon, a place rumoured to be used by the Arkonas to torment and test prisoners and agents alike.
Glorio Arkona smiles somewhat ruefully. "Directly to the point, I like it. The esteemed seneschal did indeed seek my help in sheltering from certain death, and I have sent him to a location that is shielded from divination."
Lord Arkona gazes at the rod, then nods to Agnar and Elric. "Thank you for humouring me. You would be surprised the lengths people go to in order to obtain undeserved rewards..." He sighs, then straightens his posture a little. "People of your caliber and means are rarely after mere treasure, although of course you will be well-compensated for your efforts." He glances at Carnochan, who finishes setting down a plate of finger food before discreetly retreating. "Carnochan tells me you had some questions, so please ask away and I shall do my utmost to help you."
I re-emerge! Apologies for the silence, but my partner's resident visa JUST got renewed after waiting for almost a year, which means that we can now travel outside of the country, which means...
that I spent the last three days feverishly researching and planning a 4-week trip to China, down to which restaurants to eat at on which day. Oops. I'll try to post tomorrow.
Carnochan inclines his head in acknowledgment. "Please follow me." He leads everyone a short way down the corridor, into a well-appointed lounge. The comfortable room is furnished with sofas and cozy-looking armchairs, the thick carpets on the floor muffling the sound of footsteps. An unlit fireplace stands in one wall, its marble sides and mantle carved into a parade of capering monkeys and tigers.
"Please make yourselves comfortable. I shall go inform Lord Arkona of your arrival and desire to speak with him."
With a final bow, the majordomo makes himself scarce. Five minutes later, he reappears followed by a man who can be none other than Glorio Arkona, resplendent in embroidered silk and sporting a meticulously groomed moustache and goatee.
"Carnochan! Why have you not served the guests refreshments yet?" the lord of the house admonishes, before sweeping everyone with a dazzling smile. "Please pardon the lapse, sit, sit, make yourselves at home." He takes a seat himself on one of the sofas, throwing an arm atop the backrest. "I was overjoyed when my agents told me of the demise of the so-called Emperor of Old Korvosa. Now, pardon the rudeness, but might you have proof of your claims?"
I think the timelines may have gotten a bit tangled, so to move things along you are now all inside Arkona Palace talking to the majordomo. Salvator was too scared to accompany you, but Jessica and Madam Ioana have promised to keep him safe while you're away.
Let me know if you want to attempt scrying or other divination before heading to Arkona Palace.
Veeeery interesting. Thank you. I can take Salvator somewhere safe, I promise not to hurt him. I imagine you are still busy on the island.
As the group approaches Arkona Palace, the six guards stationed at the front gate stand in their way, asking politely but firmly why they are here. Hearing that they seek an audience with Lord and Lady Arkona, two of them escort everyone through he immaculately landscaped grounds to the main entrance of the palace.
Passing through a great ebony door framed by a black marble arch depicting dozens of elephants standing one atop the other, they enter the grand residence of the Arkonas. Above the door, an elephant looks out over the hall, its single eye a glittering bloodstone the size of an apple. Tall windows grant a commanding view of the palace grounds, and a rich red carpet, ten feet wide and luxuriously thick, provides a pathway between doors to the west and north, and around a corner to the east. Each of these doors, as well as three smaller ones to the west of the northern pair, are decorated with images of a six-armed, four-faced woman who rides a tiger with human hands for feet.
A tall, pleasant man wearing an eyepatch greets them at the entrance, bowing. "Good morning, esteemed guests. My name is Carnochan, and I have the great honour of serving as majordomo for the Arkona family. How may I be of service?"
We'll say the Dockside Doxies have some supplies for sale, items up to 250 gp in value (each, not total).
Shrike's stakeout:
Finding a taller building on Garrison Hill with a direct line of sight to Arkona Palace, Shrike settles in for a few hours of careful observation.
In the dark, the palace is almost invisible, with its exterior cradted of Janderhoff black marble. Treble-headed elephants, peacocks with sabers, and tigers with carven eyes gaze from the walls of the palace and over the gardens beyond. A massive black-marble and wrought-iron wall surrounds the property, and guards patrol the yards and perimeter. They are clearly professional, not slacking in their duties and carefully monitoring the palace surroundings. They do not seem to ever go inside the palace itself, instead patrolling the grounds in three groups of four, with six other standing guard in front of the compound gate.
Through the tall windows of the palace, glimpses of the lavish interior can be seen, illuminated by the soft glow of lamps. The ground floor seems to consist mostly of grand halls, lounges and entertainment areas, while the upper floor seems to be reserved for bedrooms and other private spaces, with the view inside obscured by lush curtains or frosted glass. Shrike can glimpse a few silhouettes inside, but at this distance it is difficult to make out exactly who it is. However, there seem to be no guards inside the palace or in the inner garden.
Still recovering from my trip, but I can save Agnar that Sending since I've been waiting for a chance to bring Laori back on stage. She will most likely show up at the Dockside Doxies.
Although an old family that predates even the founding of the empire, by 4458 AR House Arkona had sunk into poverty and faced the very real threat of extinction. In desperation, Lord Garath Arkona of Korvosa took out a loan from House Jeggare and purchased a lightly armed caravel he named Reprieve. Garath hired the smallest crew he could and, in the late spring, the Reprieve set sail for distant and exotic Vudra. After many trials and setbacks, the Reprieve finally docked in the Vudra port city of Sihadriman in late summer, 4460. Lord Arkona, with his sociable brother and advisor Jenkson, explored Sihadriman for several weeks, trying desperately to fill the ship's hold with spices, silks, and other Vudran luxuries. At long last, Garath found a seller and negotiated enough wares to fill the holds. The Reprieve set sail shortly thereafter and returned to Korvosa in half the time it took to get to Vudra.
Historians suspect Garath and Jenkson encountered some kind of monumental event on their voyage, for they seemed much changed upon their return to Korvosa. The shipment they brought back nearly sank the Reprieve, but it more than returned House Arkona to a place of prominence in the nobility. Overnight, the much-derided house went from among the poorest noble families to second only to House Jeggare in wealth. Lord Garath and Jenkson Arkona indulged in nearly every vice available, from drugs to cruelty to pleasures of the flesh. Rather than bankrupt the family again, they used their influence to acquire control over the trades in which they showed the most enjoyment. Over the course of the next 20 years, they took control of almost every tavern and brothel on Endrin Isle and allegedly founded at least two drug dens.
For the past two centuries, House Arkona has only increased its wealth and influence in the city. Apparently based on the tradition long ago established by Lord Garath and his brother, the house always answers to two leaders: The Lord Arkona (never a Lady Arkona) continues in some capacity to maintain the reputation for cruelty and coldness earned by Garath so long ago, while a close relative of the current lord acts as his right-hand man (or woman) and is the face of the family at gatherings of nobles. Nothing occurs in the back alleys or stinking vaults of Old Korvosa without House Arkona knowing about it. It is a poorly kept secret that the family controls or has influence over every major (and most minor) criminal enterprise in the city, from watered-down mead to murder.
The current lord of the house, Glorio Arkona, attempts at every opportunity to lift up the poor and provide them with enough sustenance to survive. To that end, he has leveled several buildings the family owns, including a tavern and a brothel, to make room for massive low-rent tenement apartments. These actions have made Glorio the most popular nobleman among the city's many poor and destitute and has caused no end of anxiousness and worry from his family members.
Since the quarantine, the Arkonas have managed to retain control over their manor, but the majority of Endrin Isle has fallen to the mob. There are rumours that the withdrawal of Arkona influence from most of Old Korvosa is intentional, and that the noble family has abandoned the common people to anarchy, but these are fiercely disputed by those who benefited from Glorio Arkona's generosity in the past.
Arkona Palace:
Arkona Palace is perched at the highest point atop Endrin Isle in Old Korvosa. The palace is home to the Arkona family alone; servants and guards dwell nearby in one of two outbuildings. The grounds are mostly open, decorated here and there with tiny copses of trees, exotic topiary animals (elephants, cobras, and tigers being the most common), beautiful flower gardens, and exquisite fountains. The palace is a breathtaking structure built in the Vudrani style, with golden pillars, high windows that rise to tapered points, minarets, and domes decorated with slender spires.
Visitors:
Those seeking an audience with the Lord and Lady of the house are first scrutinized and vetted by a half-dozen house guards stations outside the entrance to the palace compound. These days it is rumoured that Glorio Arkona is seeking assistance in getting things under control again in Old Korvosa, and many hopefuls attracted by the prospect of rich rewards have been lining the streets outside the palace, but only a few are granted audience each week. Of Seneschal Kalepopolis or Vencarlo Orsini there is no trace nor whisper.
Everyone can read the spoilers, I just formatted things like this to avoid walls of text.
"You... are friends of Vencarlo? Oh, I hope he's not still angry with me. I thought... I thought I was doing the right thing. I couldn't keep him at my house, it wasn't safe, and my patrons- I thought they could be trusted... Vencarlo thinks otherwise though. Oh! I'm afraid I doomed my friend!"
It takes a lot of patience and back and forth to coax the whole story out of him and piece it together in a way that makes sense.
Born Salvator Bevery, the struggling young artist was kicked out of his home by his father, a devout Abadaran who found his son's gruesome paintings to be sadistic and unpalatable. Seeking shelter with several of his artist friends who dwelled in a flat in Old Korvosa, Salvator swiftly found regular work creating backdrops and other paintings for Pilts Swastel, purveyor of all things grisly and vile. It was at Pilts's suggestion that Salvator changed his surname to "Scream", since that helped Pilts market the man's violent art even better. Salvator Scream's work drew many admiring eyes, and not just among the regulars at Exemplary Execrables. His work became a favorite of noble families and other prominent citizens, who found his subjects shocking but safely scandalous.
Among these patrons was the seneschal of Castle Korvosa, Neolandus Kalepopolis. Neolandus was more interested in the artist than the art, and after attending a showing of "Tears of Abendego" at Exemplary Execrables (a performance he found distasteful at best), he met the young artist. The two formed a fast friendship, one of the few in Salvator's life, and their meetings at various eateries to discuss art, history, and religion became a weekly event—an event that Kalepopolis, always a private man, kept very secret.
Early on the morning after King Eodred II died, the seneschal showed up on Salvator's doorstep - desperate, bloodied, and poisoned. Neolandus was delirious, but managed to convey to Salvator that he needed a place to hide. Salvator nursed him back to health, whereupon Neolandus confided in him that Queen Ileosa had murdered her husband, and that she'd entered into an alliance with the Red Mantis. They were the ones who tried to assassinate Neolandus, and his escape was as much luck as anything. Worse, Neolandus said there was something about Queen Ileosa that wasn't quite right, that she'd changed recently. Grown "worse"... whatever that meant. Neolandus refused to divulge more to Salvator, saying that "the less he knew, the safer he’d be", and that the seneschal needed more time to think things through and do some research before he decided on the proper course of action.
Yet an artist's simple home was not a secure hideout, which both Neolandus and Salvator knew. Salvator had connections with the Arkonas (they were among his greatest patrons), and when he suggested that Neolandus seek them out for asylum, the seneschal grudgingly agreed. Salvator escorted his friend up to Arkona Palace late one night, just a few days before the quarantine occurred, and hasn’t seen his friend since. Salvator says the Arkonas seemed friendly enough, and at the time he felt they could be trusted to hide Neolandus from the queen. After his recent meetings with Vencarlo, wherein the man convinced Salvator that the Arkonas were more criminal-minded than the artist suspected, Salvator has come to believe he might have just traded his friend's danger for a different one.
The room beyond the door is nothing more than a storage space for art supplies, along with several barrels and crates. Stacked on some are many blank canvases and what appear to be ceramic containers. A stack of paintings leans against the eastern wall, stretched on wooden frames and covered with sheets. These appear to be Salvator's newer work, characterized by the same lackluster and lifeless qualities as the painting in his cell.
With the building thoroughly investigated, the group chivvies the shaken painter along to the Dockside Doxies. Madam Ioana is very relieved to hear of Pilts Swastel's demise, and gladly accepts sheltering Salvator for a few days.
"I don't..." Salvator begins, but then stops, turning to look at Audria with a frown. "Who are you, though? I mean, thank you very much for getting rid of Pilts and setting me free, but... why? Who, um... you know."
Curiosity and cautiousness battle in his tone and expression. With the terror and desperation of earlier moments diminished, a wariness now infuses the painter, making him pull away from Audria and look searchingly at her and her companions.
His sobs now quieted, Salvator shakes his head at Shrike's question. "I'm- not a religious person. I've had enough of those." there is some bitterness in his tone that hints at painful history.
Shane detects nothing magical about the paintings, the pigments and brushes, or the person of Salvator Scream himself.
The painter lets himself be guided out of his prison. "I dreamed... blue, such intense, brilliant blue, burning but also colder than ice... And pain. So many ways to feel pain, to cause pain."
Salvator slowly shakes his head at Agnar's first question. "Not anymore. I feel so empty and miserable!" The painter starts sobbing, all the pain and fear of the past few weeks coming out in gasping, shuddering wails.
"In dreams? I- I suppose... It's hard to explain. No-one spoke to me, but there was this..." Salvator's hands flutter through the air as he is trying to express his creative process. The man may be a talented painter, but words are clearly not his strong suit. "The images in my head, and the feelings- it was powerful." He looks at the floor, forlorn. "But it's gone now."
As Salvator talks, Shrike examines his work. Comparing the three finished paintings - all of them well-known works of Salvator's Scream from before the death of King Eodred II - with the unfinished one it is obvious that the latter lacks some quality that the artist's previous work contained, seeming muddled and pedestrian compared to the uniqueness of his previous work. In particular, the use of blue pigment, a trademark in Salvator's work, seems sloppy and poor.
In the bedroom, the first depicts a full portrait of a thin humanoid wearing shadows as he stands framed by a dolmen of great size. The figure's brilliant blue eyes are the only true points of color in the piece, and they seem to almost glow with anger.
Knowledge Religion DC 25:
This painting is a depiction of Zon-Kuthon stepping through a portal into ancient Nidal.
The second painting depicts a rugged mountain range above a desert under a harsh blue sky. In the foreground, a quartet of Vudrani tusked camels ridden by N'darr tribespeople race across dunes that, upon closer examination, consist of tiny skulls.
Knowledge Religion DC 30:
The subject is a minor but haunting scene from Umbral Leaves, the unholy text of Zon-Kuthon.
The final portrait is the most disturbing, for it depicts a handsome man in the process of peeling away the flesh of his arms as if he were taking off a pair of gloves. Underneath, his arms are muscular and covered with glittering blue scales. The man's expression is one of delight, yet his eyes are empty pits of blackness. Half seen in the shadows beyond him are thousands of humans impaled on towering wooden poles erected in the shadow of an indistinct shape looming on the horizon - perhaps a castle, maybe a mountain.
Knowledge Geography DC 30:
The distorted shape on the horizon is definitely a castle.
Salvator Scream shudders as Shrike mentions his home. "J-just get me out of Old Korvosa," he mutters, not looking at her. At the mention of Orsini and Kalepopolis, his eyes go wide and he puts a finger to his lips. "Shhh! Not here, it's not safe!" the painter whispers hoarsely.
He shudders again as Audria asks about Pilts. "He- he wanted me to paint for him. But it's been so hard, the- the things that came into my mind before are gone and he was never satisfied with what I painted. I did painting after painting and every time he would scream at me and beat me." A few tears make tracks through the layer of grime and smudges of paint on his face. "I don't understand..." His expression is genuine grief and agonizing bewilderment. "I used to..." he gestures a bit wildly at the easel. "It was so easy, the images would just flow into my mind and they were so beautiful..."
Apologies for the slow updates. Work is being [redacted] again and draining me of all mental energy. Hoping to recharge over the weekend and come back at it next week.
"G-gone? R-really?" The scrawny artist doesn't take Audria's hand, but his posture uncurls a little. "Are- um, are they coming back?" Suddenly frantic, he yanks the ratty blanket from the equally ratty bed and wraps it around himself like a cape. "We need to go! We need to go now, before they come back!"
Shrike can make out some noise behind the previously barred door, what sounds like a man whimpering. The door opens into a small room where the air in this room is an unpleasant mix of body odor and paint. A lumpy straw mattress lies on the floor in one corner of the room, partially covered by a few blankets, while in the other stands a large easel on which rests a nearly completed painting of immense fiends attacking a village. Pressed against the wall opposite from the door, a plain-looking man dressed in paint-stained clothes and covered in flea bites is watching the door, eyes wide with fear.
"N-no no no no, it's almost ready, it's..." He pauses upon seeing Shrike, then screams and falls to his knees, throwing his arms over his head and trembling.
As Shrike prepares the deterrent declaration for anyone who might think to become another little tyrant to the people of Old Korvosa, some of the others begin to thoroughly search the so-called palace. Backtracking a little, they examine the two rooms accessible from the corridor leading to the balcony.
Searching the storage room to the south yields a magical ring forgotten in a box of costume jewellery. The dining room to the north sports a splendid silverware set. Further north, they encounter what must have been Pilts Swastel's bedroom, an extravagantly decorated chamber that would seem to belong in the richest of noble villas or monarchs' castles - at least, until one looks a little more closely at the sheets on the four-poster bed and notes how stained and frayed they are, or examines the tapestries and bed curtains and sees the patches of mold and threadbare edges. A tall, well-stocked bookcase to the south turns out to be leaning against the wall for support; the contents of its sagging shelves are poorly produced books with violent or erotic names on their mildewed spines. Everything is slightly musty, stained with age, and well beyond its prime. Only the three paintings hanging on the wall hold up to closer examination, but their grisly subject matter might make them difficult to show in most public venues. To the north, a simple wooden door is secured with a lock and a heavy wooden bar.
Loot: ring of chameleon power, silverware set worth 500 gp, a platinum and crystal decanter worth 750 gp.
Shane can tell that this is no true Final Blade, and probably not even made in Galt. While most likely an imitation, it seems to be very much functional, as evidenced by the dark reddish stains on the reinforced wooden platform it stands on.
Both Pilts Swastel and his one-eyed executioner are well and truly dead once Shrike is done with them. This fact, together with the terrifying display of force before them, has the remaining thugs scatter like cockroaches into the cracks and crevices of the neighbourhood's dilapidated buildings.
Loot: Pilts: potion of barkskin +4 (2), rod of wonder, +1 glamered chain shirt, mwk light crossbow with 10 bolts, mwk war razor, cloak of resistance +2, headband of alluring charisma +2, 291 gp. Jabbyr: +1 leather armor, +1 greataxe, amulet of natural armor +1, belt of giant strength +2. Thugs (x4): mwk studded leather, mwk heavy wooden shield, mwk battleaxe, throwing axes (5).
The cluster of half-burned buildings that used to be Pilts Swastel's lair of horrors can now be investigated freely.
The so-called Emperor of Old Korvosa and his cowardly thugs never stood a chance. Agnar is a powerful juggernaut, his greatsword carving bloody swaths. Shrike is a silent, deadly wraith whose spearpoint unerringly finds her enemies' vital spots. Pava's devastating blows could fell an auroch, and their aura of quiet menace is terrifying to those they choose to make their target. Elric's arrows sink deep, Galewing's presence alone is enough to unnerve, and his claws are a threat to life and limb. Audria's mercy and Shane's calculating nature temper the others, but they too can be just as deadly.
Pilts was already unconscious before Shrike's attack, your choice if you want to coup-de-grace him or if you want to take out one of the thugs instead. Since there's only mooks left, combat over, you can easily mop them up.
Despite her fresh wound, Shrike launches herself over the hooded gnome, stabbing him twice. The leaf-shaped blade goes deep each time, and the executioner sees his own blood for a change - bright red sprays that stain the floor.
Audria's voice gets lost in the noise, and she can't tell if Pilts even heard her. Elric casts a protective spell on the paladin.
Pava lands two blows with bone-shattering force, and is winding up for a third when Jabbyr collapses; the blood dribbling from the gnome's mouth hints at grievous internal injuries. Enforcer triggered after the first attack.
Agnar's strike almost cuts the thug in two, but somehow the man remains standing, open mouth wide in shock as he tries to hold in his spilling guts. At 0 HP, staggered.
Elric's arrow finds the Emperor himself, and Pilts screams as the point embeds itself in his shoulder. He tumbles off his throne in fear, narrowly avoiding Galewing's outstretched claws.
Pilts Swastel shouts "You insolent curs, traitors one and all! You will feed the Tall Knife and your heads will join my collection!" There is something ominous about the way he says it, and those who can hear him cannot help but feel a shiver down their spines. Dirge of Doom, everyone except Audria and Shane are shaken.
Then he twirls the scepter he's holding, speaking an unintelligible word.
1d100 ⇒ 13 1d100 ⇒ 87
"Leaves?! I don't need you to grow leaves, you cursed thing! I need you to KILL THEM!" Pilts shouts at the scepter, although the rod hasn't changed.
Pilts' guards seem terrified out of their wits by the sudden appearance of heavily armed intruders and the presence of Galewing; they try to scatter as best as they can, fleeing from the balcony to the rooftop just below. Agnar gets an AoO against orange and yellow.
The air in this room smells sickly sweet - a combination of flowers and vinegar. The unpleasant smell likely comes from the fourteen poorly preserved heads mounted on the walls of this grisly trophy hall. Most of the heads are human, although two are those of elves and one is from a dwarf with a beard roughly sheered off to match the cut to the neck. To the north, a small, child-sized bed sits against the wall opposite a wooden table decorated with a magnificent set of silverware.
Southern room
Crates, boxes, and barrels fill this long storeroom, making it difficult to judge the room's actual dimensions.
Eastern door
This open-air balcony is shielded from rain and sun by a brightly colored canvas roof that extends up over the area like a half-dome, held in place by a wooden framework. The inside of the canvas has been decorated with scenes of gruesome debauchery; battlefields, executions, torture chambers, and human-eating monsters all vie for space. The balcony contains two major features of note. The first is a high-backed throne that looks like a poor man's version of the Crimson Throne, a thing of blood-red cushions and silks and spikes. Directly west of the throne stands an intimidating device: a tall guillotine of carved wood and bone, its base depicting grasping demonic feet and the housing of its glittering blade a leering demonic face.
This balcony is where the Emperor of Old Korvosa holds court, overlooking a large open rooftop where some sort of game is currently unfolding. A very short, hooded person stands to the right and slightly behind the throne, holding a greataxe upright. Four thugs are guarding the august personage, who is currently halfway out of his seat and screaming taunts at the players. The desperate squeals of a pig, the shouts of the participants and the hollering of the audience spread around the edges of the rooftop add to the cacophony. Pilts Swastel is wearing what he must think is royal attire - clearly a mishmash of costumes from past plays, complete with a gaudy crown.
Their reaction alerts the guards, who shout and take defensive positions around Pilts, while the hooded gnome leaps with surprising speed and agility towards the door, greataxe raised. The blade comes down in an unforgiving arc, slicing deep. Shrike can feel a sluggishness suddenly overtake her. 3 points of Dex damage to Shrike.
Shrike listens at the doors, hearing nothing of concern. The easternmost door is not locked, and beyond it the shouts and cries swell as if something particularly exciting just happened.
Audria likewise sees and hears nothing that might threaten them; it seems the Emperor of Old Korvosa feels secure in his lair, and everyone is gathered outside.
The chokers are not much of a threat when one knows how to deal with them, and soon the half dozen creatures lie dead on the dusty attic floor. Shrike uses her elven spear to unhook the leather bag hanging from a nail, then proceeds to check the door for traps.
Up here, the noise of whatever is going on the nearby roof is louder, and those who went to even one of the Exemplary Execrables shows recognize the voice of Pits Swastel rising above the noises of the crowd - his smooth baritone at odds with his ratty, acne-ridden appearance.
Once the door is unlocked, Shrike can see an L-shaped corridor behind it. One side of it lies directly east, with two doors across from each other a few steps away, while the other side branches north and descends into a stairwell filled with rubble that looks fairly impassable. two more doors stand at the end of each branch, one leading north and one leading further east.
The rafters are about 10 feet from the floor, so you can reach them with the spear or Audria's glaive. I didn't intend to run the choker fight in rounds, so I didn't add them to the map. We can handwave it like we did with the thugs at Halvara's, since these are even lower CR.
The chokers are in the attic with you. The room underneath is collapsed and inaccessible. Apologies if that was unclear - I will allow Shrike to retcon the action of taking the bag, since that might alarm the chokers as well as opening the door. If you don't want to retcon, read below.
Bag contents, LOOT:
The bag contains 3 pp, 44 gp, a single silk glove inset with tiny pearls on the back of the hand (worth 250 gp), a masterwork hand crossbow, and a wand of slow (13 charges).
With take 10 and Aid Another, Shane can make it up the pile.
Once in the attic room, a few things become apparent. One is a leather bag hanging from a nail driven into one of the rafters, out of reach from someone standing on the floor, but a spear or halberd could easily unhook it. The other is a closed door leading east.
Getting closer to the cluster of burned-out buildings, they can all hear hooting and hollering coming from one of the rooftops, out of view from street level. As they begin to climb, Shane's foot slips and he sends down a cascade of rubble. The noise seems to disturb a nest of half a dozen chokers, who rush to investigate.
1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
Not seeing the source of the noise, the creatures amble around for a bit, poking at the bits of broken masonry and charred timber before returning to their lair in the rafters.
In the southwestern section of the "palace", the lower floors have collapsed, leaving a mound of rubble that leads to a large attic room partially open to the elements. This might have been at some point a storage room, but now the space under the open rafters lies empty.
You need to make a DC 15 Climb or Acrobatics check to get up to the attic room without causing the unstable rubble to collapse further.
The streets surrounding the former Exemplary Execrables are littered with bodies, rubble, and refuse; feral dogs, stirges, drain spiders, and other vermin scuttle around with a bravery not seen in the city before the quarantine. The farther one ventures into Old Dock and the closer one draws to the so-called palace, the fewer citizens appear behind boarded windows, and the more signs of Pilts Swastel's mob grow. Vandalism, brutalized bodies hung up on display, remnants of fires, and other evidence of public violence are everywhere.
The lower floors of the former performance hall and the surrounding buildings have been gutted by fire; only some of the upper floors seem mostly intact, while other buildings are hollow shells with makeshift roofs.
Map updated. It's very big. Let me know how you want to approach.
Light
Source Core Rulebook pg. 633 2.0
Light effects overcome non-magical darkness in the area, and can counteract magical darkness. You must usually target darkness magic with your light magic directly to counteract the darkness, but some light spells automatically attempt to counteract darkness.
But how actually does this operate.
1. How does the Target mean?
2. It is said light magic not light spell. How does non-spell magic operate?
3. What is the range the light magic can counteract.
4. What is the range that darkness magic counteracted?
For example, can the spell Light counteract Darkness?
I think it can't. Because Light can only target an object. But my friend thinks that it act like Dispel Magic. Once used 2 single action and touched Darkness. Then operated as the Counteract rule.
My character is a Monk with the feat EFFORTLESS REACH. EFFORTLESS REACH: Focusing the powers of your ki to augment your blows, you stretch and lengthen your body in ways that defy logic. Your unarmed attacks gain the reach trait. And in Core Rulebook pg. 446 2.0, Your reach is how far you can physically extend a part of your body to make an unarmed attack, or the farthest distance you can reach with a melee weapon. Can I trip a target within 10ft?
Hi folks,
My PC is an inventor. I make ELECTROMUSCULAR STIMULATOR and install it on a ranger. Using his own AA to activate ELECTROMUSCULAR STIMULATOR seems not good.
Activating Items says: If the item requires you to Interact with it, you must be wielding it (if it’s a held item) or touching it with a free hand (if it’s another type of item).So can I stand by an ally, then activate the item?
