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The medics come into the room now that the fighting is done, helping to patch up the party.
Bolstering the containment field around the Dispatch’s aiudara, itself made from pieces of other gates stolen from Kyonin by Rowan and tied together by blood magic and Nexian rituals, requires 10 minutes of work.
Dealing with potential new undead requires the Pathfinderss to cleanse components kept by Sotroz in this area, including canopic jars with organs and severed heads of long-dead warriors. These must be ritually cleansed and quickly buried, requiring 10 minutes of work.
Dinardin protects Tieri. He has trouble hitting the gang leader, though. And then he connects--Cole's dulled reflexes from Lokoloko's alchemy may have been a factor.
Ephesian notes the gang leader's weakness, that for all of his skill he still seems in over his head. His attack doesn't connect, though.
The burglar in red stabs at Dinardin repeatedly. This is mostly ineffective, but with her flurry of attacks one does eventually get past his defenses.
The criminal who said he was surrendering keeps his word. He drops his sword and makes his way out of the way, pushing through the bystanders near the fountain.
The remaining criminal swings the sap in her off-hand at Dinardin, who falls for the trick and dodges into her sword. She also takes a stab as Sunshine, to less effect (none at all).
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Jared is unconscious but seems stable. Rowan the Whispering is down and unconscious and not at all stable, if the Pathfinders still want to attempt Viore's request to capture her alive.
Once all of that is resolved, one way or another, Rowan is defeated and the more experienced agents are handling Sotroz.
The Pathfinders might want to focus on securing the faux-aiudara from melting down due to unstable magical energies, or they can attempt to prevent more undead from arising by quieting their spirits.
Rowan doesn't seem to have much fight left in her, but she refuses to go down.
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The phony Pathfinder in the green mask doesn't topple, but he sags a lot and his weapon seems loose in his grip. "Surrender," he mutters.
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Nebulous's offensive spell has no visible effect, though his healing works better. A bit.
Lokoloko hits the gang leader directly with a bottle of lightning. And indirectly with a flaming fluid.
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This time, Zuza's arrows do not strike home. The first one is... way off.
Agate and Clides have much more success. Rowan staggers as the bullet hits her, looking a little dazed.
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Only two mirrors have been successfully broken, in different rooms. If anyone wants to make downtime checks in this thread, you can go ahead and do that now.
Tieri's razor doesn't cut into any of his foes.
The gang leader is a little surrounded, and lashes out around him. "As the Adventure-Captain commands!" he shouts. He manages one more hit on Tieri, though not so nasty as last time.
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Peat and Zisiro attack mirrors, but find them a little sturdier than expected. They might have scratched the surface, but didn't do any damage to them.
Rowan runs past Jared and dives into the mirror behind him. She steps out of the other one next to him, surrounding him with herself. She sticks him twice with her green-tinged dagger, and Jared falls.
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If Zuza RKs:
She really is quick.
If Peat RKs: She doesn't seem that hardy.
It's Rowan's special ability, though it's related to the aiudara fragments they've been talking about. Though Thaumaturges can get a mirror duplicate ability.
"Ugh," says Rowan, who now stands alone, "Useless."
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If Zuza RKs:
Rowan's aggressive and obstinate nature shows how willful she is.
If Peat RKs: Rowan's aggressive and obstinate nature shows how easy to push around she really is.
Ephesian attempts to direct the panicking bystanders. Nobody seems to notice him, too distracted by the fire. The first of the attackers slips easily past Dinardin, attacking him from behind. He manages to deflect her second strike.
The next one, who is equipped a bit different from the other two--a dagger in his off-hand and several more about his person, but no armor--hurries away from the fire. He swings wide at Sunshine, putting him on the back foot, but then actually stabs at Tieri. The dentist's luck is better this time; he rolls to the side and blade pokes only the dirt.
The last one seems more affected by the fire, but doesn't have a lot of room to maneuver. She squeezes past and stabs at Dinardin--then turns the blade and attacks from a different direction, a devastating blow.
[ooc]Terrain: Space within 10 feet of the fountain is difficult terrain due to the panicking bystancers. DC 20 Diplomacy to direct the crowd, eliminating the difficult terrain for one round; critical success disperses them entirely. Anyone starting their turn adjacent to the burning building or the cart takes 3d6 fire damage.
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Zisiro smashes the mirrored globe. The only remaining disciple moves closer to the Pathfinders. He raises his cloak defensively and throws a dagger at Clides. It's a little too far to the right.
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If Zuza RKs re Disciple:
Zuza doesn't see anything else immediately actionable. If Zuza RKs re Rowan: Zuza doesn't see anything else immediately actionable.
Agate isn't able to fool Rowan. If anything, Rowan seems to be tracking exactly what she's up to. She does manage to grab her, though.
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"No, she's a wizard. I think." Gideon scratches his head. "What's the difference between a wizard and a sorcerer?" All present know that a wizard wouldn't be an occultist, except apparently Gideon who may have reached the limits of his magical knowledge. The party can probably safely take that as "spellcaster," though.
I rolled two 4s. Zuza rolled two 5s in a row (and two max dice in her post).
While not quite as dramatic, he never knew what hit him either.
Peat determines that Rowan's mirror afterimage is largely harmless, although they're also very easy to destroy. Destroying the mirrors would also prevent her from using them to teleport.
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The arrow passes cleanly through the disciple, who never knew what hit her.
"Hm." The Dispatch leader turns and moves away from the Pathfinders, running directly into one of her mirrors. A hazy, translucent image of her remains behind as she dives into it, reemerging from another mirror. She steps forward, and returns the favor, throwing a dagger with a green tint at Zuza. There's a cord attached to the hilt, and with a practiced tug she yanks the dagger back out of its victim and into her hand.
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I just missed updating that on the tracker.
Nebulous and Dinardin heal Tieri. The kobold is just as good as new, mostly. Lokoloko hits the criminal directly with the crystal shards. He manages, though to just barely deflect the fiery vial, though the contents still splatter.
As Sunshine strikes, the thief dodges in an unexpected direction and he just misses her. It looks like she has some of the same tricks as her boss.
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The leader reacts surprisingly quickly to Tieri's attack, darting back. But it's not enough. He does avoid the second swing, even snagged.
"For the Society!" he retorts, stabbing back at the kobold with his shortsword. He's quite good at attacking from an angle that makes it hard for Tieri to watch both him and his ally. The first attack is a glancing blow, but the next is brutal. As Tieri falls, he points the bloody dagger at Sunshine and whispers, "You're next." This, at least, is comical.
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When Marine comments on his nerves, Gideon smiles weakly. He sighs and then says, “I guess a slice of humble pie now and then is good for the soul.” He admits that overall, the Dragonfly Society is considered a small player in Vyre, bit-part “actors” who play cat-and-mouse with the other gangs and guilds. The fact that Lady Wormwood managed to effortlessly snatch away the cargo without any repercussion means she’s grown more powerful, more dangerous, and more resourceful since last they clashed. Frankly, Gideon worries that she has powerful backers or hidden supporters. He also admits that despite all this time, Lady Wormwood frightens him, and that in a stand-up fight against her, he wouldn’t stand a chance. “But the same probably goes for me and you, yes? Surely, you’ll not have a problem dealing with her! Best to make sure you don’t get caught by her anyway, though!
"Oh, take your time. I'd like this resolved within a week, if at all possible, but no need to rush off." Gideon nods at Jayma. "Though if that's your preference, don't let me stop you, either!" The list he provides is a list of magical items. A crooner’s cravat, a herald’s ring, a mocker’s swazzle, a scene stealer’s tunic, a pair of spectacles of discernment, a stage magician’s cloak, and a tumbler’s belt. "Now, I know you're doing this on behalf of Fallenta and I've already promised her something in exchange, but it's only fair there's something in it for you as well, hm? Do bring me all of the items first, but if there's anything on that list that strikes your fancy, perhaps I can part with it as a reward for you. So then you won't be volunteers at all! I know I won't get any of it back at all without you, so giving you a bit of it is still worth it to me.
Nebulous is quicker to react than it appears at first blush.
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Shoppers in the crowd bristle with annoyance as a small cart forces it way through. Two figures dressed in plain robes push the cart from behind. As the cart passes the fountain, the bearers give it a shove and send it hurtling toward Murdut’s home with a shout. Additional figures jump out of the back in a coordinated maneuver, brandishing wicked blades and wearing wayfinders. At first, the house only creaks from the impact. After a quiet pause, a roar comes from the wagon as flames lick out of its sides. The building catches on fire soon after. It's only just starting to burn and there's no danger yet of the fire spreading, but it's still dangerously hot up close. The attackers seem a little surprised when they realize they're facing armed opposition, but one of them shouts, "Explore, Report, Cooperate!" as though it were a battle cry, and they attack.
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GM Dice: Initiative:
The two leaders bicker with each other as the Pathfinders approach, each blaming the other for the day's failures. Seeing the crimson-clad Rowan the Whispering and her last acolytes surrounding her, Giovana allows herself a predatory smile. “Not so much a predator now, are we? This is it, Pathfinders—time to prove if you’re really worth all the praise that Eando’s given me in private. Turn that false mantis Rowan into a blood stain on the rocks, and all will be right with the world for at least a few minutes, hm?” Viore pales for a moment, then suddenly blurts out, “Please... try to take her in alive, though... she’s my daughter.” He looks down as Giovana tilts her head in surprise. The aiuvarin venture-captain continues under his breath, “That’s how she got access to Kyonin’s aiudara in the first place, because of me... and I want to bring her to justice.” He looks back up. “I’ll understand if it’s not possible, but please?” At this point, Giovana just rolls her eyes and motions ahead, where the Dispatch forces are already drawing weapons and moving to attack. Some of the more experienced agents move to engage Sotroz from the north. The party can probably rely on them to keep the ghoul busy, if they can do the same with Rowan.
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If Zuza RKs re the Trainees:
You've fought these guys before, and you know all about them. They're good at ganging up on targets and can disarm attackers using their cloaks .
If Zuza RKs re Rowan the Whispering: Zuza can see Rowan is exceptionally skilled at targeting distracted opponents.
At the back of the candy shop is a storeroom. Through another door, the Pathfinders find an entrance to an underground tunnel. Here, in a corner, they find a pile of humanoid bones, largely stripped of their flesh and bearing marks made by sharp teeth. The remains of the ghouls' final victims. Spirits linger here, and there's faint wailing a lament at their fate. But with the undead who killed them destroyed, the souls are ready to rest.
GM Dice: Initiative: Just getting this done before the forum goes down, so I can get prepped.
Perception (Sense Motive) DC 25:
While Gideon continues to present himself to the party as a confident, self‑assured man, you can read the underlying nervousness he’s hiding. Gideon dramatically pantomimes a strike to his heart. "Ah... tough crowd. Very well!" As he goes on, Gideon lowers his voice, explaining that the Dragonfly Society has a problem with a competitor. Recently, a valuable payment they were expecting for “services rendered to a woman of power whose identity doesn’t matter to the problem at hand” was stolen from the cargo of the Misbegotten Albatross within minutes of the ship’s arrival in port. Gideon was put in charge of tracking down the stolen payment (which he describes as a “collection of magical curiosities and trinkets”). It took him some time, but eventually, he tracked the theft to an old rival named Lady Augusta Wormwood, and there he hit a complication. Gideon explains that Lady Wormwood is no stranger to him—she’s been a thorn in his side for many years, ever since he exposed her corruption and had her removed from her position in the Dragonfly Society. Gideon, as it happens, inherited her position. Since then, he’s had to deal with her initially petty but increasingly disruptive retaliations. The complication, Gideon explains, is that his one-time supervisor appears to have settled into an abandoned warehouse along Vyre River in Westwatch—a neighborhood that the Dragonfly Society has been forbidden from directly operating in by the city government after a long-ago gang war spiraled out of control and resulted in the burning of several buildings. "She chose her hideout well, lurking in Westwatch, where we Dragonflies aren’t allowed. But you all aren’t Dragonflies. You can head into her warehouse and snatch up the stolen shipment, and if anyone spots you coming and going, well, no big deal. As long as you keep your mission within the walls behind closed doors, what happens in that old warehouse is just the business of yourself and Wormwood. She knows that theft breaks one of the promises and can’t rely on the city for protection, and anything stolen from her in turn is thus fair game. I’ll leave the logistics of the retrieval to you, but here’s a list of the items she stole from us that we need back. As for Lady Wormwood... what happens to her I leave to you as well, but I, for one, would not miss her if she were to... go away.”
The Pathfinders don't find any additional information, but they do have a night to rest. The next day, Gloriana comes to their lodging. Thanks to their warning about the attack on a retired Pathfinder and the evidence they've gathered, she was able to direct her network in the right direction, and they have identified the target. She has learned that a group embedded in Taldor’s military—likely the Ninth Army—means to attack a retired Pathfinder named Murdut Sentillio. She gives the Pathfinders the address of his pottery studio in a market in Lionsgate and urges them to go there immediately, as noon is fast approaching! Murdut is a half-orc man who was once a Pathfinder field agent before he retired to Oppara to be near his family after a near-death experience on a mission. While he doesn’t need to work due to the savings he built up in the Society, he’s started perfecting his pottery and selling pieces at local markets. His studio is in Lionsgate, near a pavilion used for open air markets. The hustle of merchants setting up for a local market energizes the area. The wider alleys are blocked off to prevent horses and large carts from wandering into the pedestrian space. Across from the fountain is a large house with a sign shaped like a mug, reading “Ceramics by Murdut.” The Pathfinders arrive in plenty of time to warn Murdut, and their evidence immediately convinces him. He willingly vacates the area and leaves them to it, and he's long gone before trouble inevitably arrives.
Khione continues to rattle off a blow-by-blow as the Pathfinder team fights. Agate blows a hole through the injured ghoul, which collapses in a heap.
"But what is making that spooooky sound from behind the shop?" Khione wonders allowed as the moaning continues.
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: (aura, olfactory) A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the area must succeed at a DC 14 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it's sickened on a critical failure). A creature that succeeds at its save or recovers from being sickened is temporarily immune to all stench auras for 1 minute.
He isn't quite able to put an end to it, but Zisiro does make considerable progress towards that goal.
The ghoul in purple ignores Clanky, running past to get to a target with flesh and blood and then leaping part of the way. It tries to bite Jared, but stumbles over a chair leg as it lands.
The injured one seems glad to have a target close to it already. It claws at Zisiro with both hands, but as he evades both attacks it suddenly leaps away from, jumping 10 feet backwards.
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(aura, olfactory) A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the area must succeed at a DC 14 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it's sickened on a critical failure). A creature that succeeds at its save or recovers from being sickened is temporarily immune to all stench auras for 1 minute. If Zuza Recalls Knowledge:
These ghouls look the same as the ones the party fought before. They're not very hardy. [/ooc](Worst defense is Fortitude)[/ooc] If Peat Recalls Knowledge: Peat can't think of any other useful information about this type of monster.
It was Oathday, so Fireday was tomorrow. There would be time to ask around, but with all of the crime scenes investigated it was time for the meeting with Lady Gloriana. The noble listens closely to their report and then directs them to get some rest while she shares their findings with her agents. After examining Muesello's note and hearing the Pathfinders' report, Gloriana says, "My top priority is to determine the target of the upcoming attack listed on Muesello’s note. You've had more success than my network investigating, but I think you can leave this part to us." She shakes her head. [b]"We already have some records that we can compare with the results of your investigation, so I think we'll be able to determine the target in time. I'll let you know, of course--I think we may have to count on you to repel the attack. You have time before then, so I suggest you use it to rest up and prepare." Gloriana opens her bag and fishes for something. "Here, since I'm now asking you to do something dangerous, I should at least give you these."
If the wall wasn't in Clides's way, that probably would have hit.
Peat manages to startle the ghoul, and manages to hit it. It leaks a thick, dark substance that may at one point have been blood.
Agate manages to get her gear in, uh, gear, but neither she nor Clanky manage to injure the ghoul.
Clides knocks the undead head off its shoulders, though.
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: (aura, olfactory) A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the area must succeed at a DC 14 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it's sickened on a critical failure). A creature that succeeds at its save or recovers from being sickened is temporarily immune to all stench auras for 1 minute.
When the Short Skip condition is in effect, each PCs regains one Focus Point and also one use of their highest-level spell slot. PCs who do not benefit from either of these may instead recharge a single already expended talisman that lasts until the end of the adventure. This is due to Zarta Dralneen using an artifact she brought with her from the Grand Lodge’s archives.
Jared's first throw isn't a direct hit, but the second one is.
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: (aura, olfactory) A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the area must succeed at a DC 14 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it's sickened on a critical failure). A creature that succeeds at its save or recovers from being sickened is temporarily immune to all stench auras for 1 minute.
GM Dice: Enemy Initiative:
The party enters the old candy shop to find that it doesn't smell so sweet at all. More foul-smelling ghouls lurk here--and it seems most of them heard the party coming and immediately launch themselves at the Pathfinders. The quickest is, perhaps fortunately, also the furthest away, behind the counter in the lower area of the shop. It sprints around the counter and up the stairs towards the Pathfinders.
The next one hurries around the corner, cutting close to Clides as it slides past a table in its way. It tries to claw at Jared and Zisiro, but they're both just a bit too quick.
From behind the back of the shop, somewhere past the storeroom door in the lower area, there comes a horrible moaning sound, a gurgling gasp of multiple voices.
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10-foot Aura:
(aura, olfactory) A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the area must succeed at a DC 14 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it's sickened on a critical failure). A creature that succeeds at its save or recovers from being sickened is temporarily immune to all stench auras for 1 minute. If Peat Recalls Knowledge:
These ghouls are the same type as the party fought before. They can inflict a horrible curse by whispering to those they've grabbed. They're quite fast. If Zuza Recalls Knowledge: These ghouls look the same as the ones the party fought before. They're not very hardy.
Tieri thinks he's found something, but Lokoloko distracts him and he loses sight of it. It doesn't turn up again--probably just a glint of light on a dropped coin anyway.
The Pathfinders almost give up on Orchita remembering any more useful details, but then Dinardin mentions the date the Pathfinders arrived in town. "That's exactly when it happened!" she says. Those coinciding incidents might be coincidence, but it does make this crime the most recent one they've investigated.
Eando indicates a building tucked away in a corner, far from the rest of the action. “Our scouts saw some undead retreating that way. Get in there quickly and press the advantage we’ve got going here. Let’s keep the enemy on their heels so they don’t get any time to recover!” This building, an abandoned candy shop, is made of wood and has thin paper-covered windows, preventing anyone from seeing in or out.
With Jared leading the way and Agate quickly tending minor injuries, the Pathfinders make their escape without suffering any significant damage. They do well enough that, before this part of the underground complex becomes unstable with arcane electricity forcing friend and foe alike out of the area, they have a little time to poke around and find a magic item: a +1 striking dagger. By this time the Society has established supply lines and has noncombatant medical personnel on standby, so the party will no longer need to worry about treating their own wounds.
Once the party has arrived in Vyre, locating The Seven Apples nearby is not difficult. It is owned by Molly Mayapple, an elderly halfling who manages a network of guides and advisors who provide affordable aid to guests. Gideon Shanklett arrives soon after the party does, grinning broadly and giving Molly a flirtatious wink and wave (that she responds to with an eye roll and a dismissive scoff) before he swaggers over to sit at the adventurers’ table. All big smiles, good looks, and sporting a very fashionable wide-brimmed hat adorned with peacock feathers, he certainly doesn’t look the part of a surreptitious smuggler. He shakes or kisses hands with little care to the gender of those he’s greeting. With a snap of his fingers, the two smugglers who accompanied him here as guards take their seats a few tables away. “And here you are, mighty minions of my old friend Fallenta—or should I say, ‘Imogena,’ since that’s the name I knew her best as back in the day. She seems awfully confident in your abilities, enough to put control of her latest work on the line. You do understand that if you fail to perform my little task for you, your boss belongs to the Dragonfly Society more than ever? Of course you do. Imogena wouldn’t hire fools. Now then... let’s talk about what you’ll be doing for the Dragonflies, hmm?”
The Pathfinders successfully dissipate the magical energy.
Obstacle 4: Deadbolt But then, the energy cascade caused by the conflict between systems being activated by Rowan and then deactivated so shortly afterwards by the Pathfinders creates a negative feedback loop of energies that cannot be disabled—only survived.
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The party keeps at it. Obstacle 3: Energy Influx Magical power, tied to pieces of stolen aiudara fragments from all around Kyonin and bound together here, flare to life, causing a cascade effect that must be cautiously and safely dissipated.
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The Pathfinder find this stage of the operation more challenging, though Zisiro makes some progress.
Obstacle 3: Energy Influx Magical power, tied to pieces of stolen aiudara fragments from all around Kyonin and bound together here, flare to life, causing a cascade effect that must be cautiously and safely dissipated.
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The Pathfinders are all moderately successful in their work, and between the four of them they manage to get all the switches set how they want them. Obstacle 3: Energy Influx Magical power, tied to pieces of stolen aiudara fragments from all around Kyonin and bound together here, flare to life, causing a cascade effect that must be cautiously and safely dissipated.
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The halfling sitting outside the salon bursts into tears. After a moment to gather herself, she identifies herself, but not as Adamina. "I'm Orchita, Adamina is my wife." Orchita has slightly ashen, medium-deep skin and wears comfortable, flowing clothes. She explains that she was present that morning when a group of four men burst into a discussion group and demanded Adamina leave with them. Adamina left without a struggle and Orchita hesitantly called for the authorities to help. She’s pessimistic that she’ll see her wife again. She describes what happened to the best of her ability. However, her memory seems patchy, likely due to the stress that she’s under. The guard at the door bars Nebulous's way. "This is an active crime scene," she says, ignoring his question, "Nobody is permitted to answer." "Oh, you'll probably be better at finding Adamina than the cops will," Orchita mutters. Given that they're spending their time carefully combing the inside of the house that, per Orchita's description, seems very unlikely to have any useful evidence, that's probably true.
Fallenta nods. "Yes, of course. He's a human man, slight build, though quite strong. And rather, well, attractive. Fair skin, medium-length light brown hair. Blue eyes, and he likes to wear blue as well. He usually wears a very impressive, large hat decorated with peacock feathers." She shrugs. "He likes to stand out, but I suppose that's the trick, isn't it?" Fallenta gives the party 10 gold, which proves more than enough to pay their fair. Marine finds she has no trouble getting a cabin equipped for her--Vyre is, after all, a particularly diverse place. The party is able to make any final preparations and board by late afternoon, with the ship scheduled to travel overnight and arrive at her destination in the morning.
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