Spoiler:
Yep, sorry for the holdup. Printing this to take to work with me, actually.
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The Sunrise guard releases Eldin and Terin without incident, reminding them of their defeasance to keep the peace and remain within city limits until notified otherwise. On your return to the Vanderboren estate, you both note the presence of a “tail.” Kora escorts Terin and Eldin into the assembled gathering, providing hasty introductions before heading back into the kitchen for additional appetizers. Looking ruffled following your rundown of your experience at the guardhouse, Lord Lidu excuses himself, allowing you to get down the particulars of your next moves.
The guard may be authoritative, but he’s also dishonest. Considering himself secure in the guardhouse, he’s willing to lie openly to you without reservation. You begin to wonder if he sent anyone at all to check out the guild.
"You have to add just the right amount o' wood alcohol."
The sergeant notices you, but there isn’t any glimmer of recognition. You do receive a silent plea for rescue in his glance, however. The woman continues to prattle on about something in the bushes sucking the insides out of her cat. Sounds like a real nutter. Leaning over without trying to put your face right up next to your portrait, you see the note reads: CLEARED in large block letters, apparently from a stamp of some kind.
Following introductions, Kora covers three chairs with white linen covers for the trio, and Lavinia thanks you again for your service, and requests an update on your progress, letting you know you may speak freely, Lord Lidu being a staunch ally of the family. The late middle-aged man in wizard’s robes offers you a silent smile, then leans back and resumes sipping a strong smelling, bitter tea. As you begin, Kora offers you more of the same.
Seann and Tyndal make a beeline for the new Vanderboren Manor with Marius in tow. Kora looks pleased to see you, but inquires after the whereabouts of the rest of your party with a concerned glance.
Eldin, Ardan, and Terin cross over a short, wooden bridge at the end of Monkey Street, take a quick shortcut between the shop of a sage and an unmarked residence at the edge of the Dawn Market, and arrive before the Sunrise Garrison. Two men in crisp watch uniforms flank an open doorway, while a drillmaster barks orders at a contingent of men to your right, putting them through their paces. One of the men nod in your general direction by way of greeting as you pass into the barracks. The afternoon sun streams through the barred windows, throwing stripped shadows across the floor, and you detect a low odor of oil, sweat, and leather that isn’t altogether unpleasant. A wooden gate sections off the back half of the room, and bisecting the gate is a tall, wooden desk behind which sits a long-suffering desk sergeant in a short sleeve shirt attempting (without success) to grab bites of a muffin between the irate screeches of a woman complaining about her dead cat and demanding to see the watch commander.
DC5 Spoiler:
A 4’ by 4’ cork board mounted behind the officer displays a number of notices. DC10 Spoiler:
Posted on the corkboard is a charcoal drawing bearing an uncanny likeness to Eldin, with a small note pinned to the corner. DC15 Spoiler:
The bottom portion of a tattoo pokes from beneath the sergeant’s casual uniform. DC20 Spoiler: You can’t be certain what the tattoo depicts, but the colors are definitely green and purple.
Now, he spends a few moments savouring his freedom before he moves on to contemplating where he goes from here. After taking in the fresh air and bright blue morning sky, Marius looks down, only to discover a note pinned to his chest he hadn’t noticed before. Sneaky thieves. “You are hereby placed on the Lotus Dragon extended roster, and relieved of normal guild duties, pending completion of one non-specified favor to be fulfilled at any time without prior warning. Contact us via the tattoo if you require assistance. Attempting to remove your guild marker will bring you undue harm.”
I don't understand how a magnificent creature such as you could stay in a underground lair like that. “The mistress has always been good to me, and there is much prey here you have not scented out yet.”
Contents:
Spoiler: Inside the envelope is a chicken scratched note written in haste on a square piece of parchment bearing the embossed letters L.V.. Reading and rereading, you make out: Unable to track ---, returned to the manor. ---ly frantic missives from D, heading to the docks --- investigate. Be back by ---“ - Anders”
“Well now, that should cover plausible deniability, don’t you think?,” he says, rubbing his mustache between his fingers. “Good day, gentle customers.,” he smiles, shooing you out the door.
Gut Tugger trots along, looking back every so often, circling around, and nudging the party in the proper direction sheepdog style before darting back to the front of the procession. He chatters nonstop about everything from the onset of fall weather to the tearing of flesh from still warm prey, the prattle stopping only as you pass Lotus Dragon guild members, at which times he lopes along glassy-eyed. Gut Tugger directs you up the ladder to the Taxidermists shop, waiting at the bottom until he is certain you are on your way. The hidden door closes behind you, and you hear the scrape of a bar from the inside. As you enter the disheveled taxidermists shop, you spot a familiar face.
“I speak,” “You are smarter than most that come to visit.”
Captured and carted across the desert by unknown, uncaring masters to a fate worse than death, a passing Tyr storm offers you a reprieve. Banding together out of necessity, you overpower your remaining captors and their mobile undead prison. Scavenging together what supplies you can, you fashion makeshift weapons and set off across the desert towards the nearest known good water supply, braving wilderness hazards and bizarre monsters (not to mention a nest of gophers). Even at the gates of Raam the dangers of the city manifest, but you are aided by a case of mistaken identity, and members of the local Veiled Alliance escort you to their safe house. Templars cut short your rest and resupply, and you narrowly escape the raid as your new allies sacrifice themselves to buy you time. Blindly running down the alleyways, you encounter an arrogant elf, who meets a quick and dirty fate at the business end of your weapons. Taking shelter in a local establishment targeted for a shakedown by the elf, you discover a friendly face, more or less. Returning to the scene of your crime, you discover the slain elf's head is nowhere to be found, although a sword more valuable than a thousand elves lies at the bottom of the well, a sword which makes contact that very evening, spinning tales of other powerful weapons close at hand. Branching out from your new home, you discover more than one supposed safe hideaway has become the target or recent raids, and the cities many factions are on the move in the wake of Dregoth's march to Urik. You decide to infiltrate an opposing faction’s safe house disguised as a spa in an attempt to acquire more of these ancient weapons of power, only to discover all is not as it seems. Breaking up the hallucinogenic orgy, one of your Halfling companions is cut down from behind as you fight your way to the back rooms just in time to recover the majority of the items, although each appears to have an agenda all their own. Fleeing superior firepower and invisible assailants, you return home only to discover your newfound resting place a melted mound of ruin, with your valiant gladiator friend inside. Deciding against fighting in the arena for the day, half the party stands guard at your new temporary loding, gleaning what rest and supplies as they might, while the rest of you head to a bar a few blocks away to meet with a potential new contact. Arriving too late due to exhaustion and oversleep, you miss your contact, but meet up with a former companion, intent unknown. As you attempt to decide a course of action, a massive and unnatural tornado laden with necromantic energy descends upon the city, draining the life from anyone foolish or unlucky enough to stand against its fury. As you emerge from shelter into the wreckage of the city, a horde of skeletons boils forth from every alleyway, intent on finishing the job.
At the behest of Lavinia, you visited the site of her boat, the Blue Nixie, to recover stolen property. When you arrived, you discovered the hijacked ship was in use ferrying exotic animals to the black market. After a tense fight in which the perpetrator traded your life for his freedom, you descended into the bowels of the ship to quell the beginnings of a ship-scuttling fire and rescue what animals you could. Turning one of the thieves into a stalwart ally, you sent him off with Tyndal's sorry excuse for a boat, to make amends by way of repairs. Returning to the mansion, you escorted your noble patron to the vaults beneath Castle Teraknian, defeating dangerous guardians and clever traps only to discover Lavinia's brother, Vanthus, had all but cleaned out the family fortune before disappearing. Hot on the trail of Vanthus, you followed the disturbed Shefton Rosk to a warehouse of questionable use. You bluffed your way passed two sets of guards, only to have the madman Rosk set fire to crates of whale oil during the course of your investigation. In order to escape certain death, you descended into an abandoned annex of the city sewers, making several curious discoveries in the process. Surviving room after hellish room, dragging a dazed and nonsensical rogue behind you, you discovered you were too late. Vanthus had come and gone, sacrificing his comrades to secure his own escape. After a harrowing battle with positive energy infused otyughs, you sacrificed one of your own eyes to glean the current whereabouts of your quarry. Emerging topside, your all-too-brief respite came to a jarring halt, marred by the death of your long time halfling compatriot, who had unknowingly become host to a giant insect. Hardened by your perils, you moved without delay to investigate the taxidermist shop used as a front by the thieves guild allied with Vanthus, but ill-timed words tipped your hand, and your quarry escaped yet again. Under the guidance of your infernally infused eyeball ally, you fought your way directly to the heart of the Lotus Guild complex, only to arrive at a quandary. Faced with a potential fight, the head of the thieves’ guild, a noble like your patron but not, offers you a commission to work for the guild instead. Turning down the lucrative but shady offer, you are again surprised when she offers to surrender to you.
MalaKi – Your devotion pushes you onward where others would hesitate. Spoiler: Mental Juggernaut [PSIONIC] As an immediate action, you can expend your psionic focus to ignore a failed save against a psionic or magical effect that would otherwise daze or stun you. You may decide to utilize this feat after you have rolled. If you choose not to expend your psionic focus, you gain +2 on your save against the effect that would daze or stun you. If you are not currently psionically focused, you still gain a +1 bonus on saves vs. a daze or stun effect.
Radik - Where the body is weak, your iron psyche compensates.
Spoiler: Mind over Body
Benefit: You heal ability damage and ability burn damage more quickly than normal. You heal a number of ability points per day equal to 1 + your Constitution bonus. Normal: You heal ability damage and ability burn damage at a rate of 1 point per day.
Shrenker – Necessity is the mother of invention. Spoiler: You teach yourself to summon a mind weapon in the form of a gauntlet or a dagger.
As a move action, you can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from your own mind. The weapon is identical in all ways (except visually) to a dagger or gauntlet of a size appropriate for its wielder. The wielder of a mind weapon gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus. The weapon can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, you can simply create another on your next move action. The moment you relinquishes your grip on his blade, it dissipates. A mind weapon is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. You can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the mind weapon just as if it were a normal weapon. You can also choose mind blade for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. Powers or spells that upgrade weapons can be used on a mind weapon. Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), you can attempt to sustain your mind weapon by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, you maintain your mind weapon for a number of rounds equal to his class level before you need to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, the mind weapon vanishes. As a move action on your turn, you can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize your mind weapon while you remains within the psionics negating effect.
Aso – Regular charges and countercharges have taught you to gain the upper hand on those who attempt to run you down.
Spoiler: Sidestep Charge [General]
Benefit: You get a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against charge attacks. If a charging opponent fails to make a successful attack against you, you gain an immediate attack of opportunity. This feat does not grant you more attacks of opportunity than you are normally allowed in a round. If you are flat-footed or otherwise denied your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, you do not gain the benefit of this feat.
Holdrus – Your body taps inner reserves you didn’t know existed.
Spoiler: Rapid Metabolism [General]
Benefit: You naturally heal a number of hit points per day equal to the standard healing rate + double your Constitution bonus. You heal even if you do not rest. This healing replaces your normal natural healing. If you are tended successfully by someone with the Heal skill, you instead regain double the normal amount of hit points + double your Constitution bonus.
Ka-Chik-Chik-Ka – You learn to augment your arrows with the force of your will. Spoiler: Psionic Shot [Psionic]
Benefit: To use this feat, you must expend your psionic focus. Your ranged attack deals +2d6 points of damage. You must decide whether or not to use this feat prior to making an attack. If your attack misses, you still expend your psionic focus.
Skarsnikt – Exposure to a non-kreen diet alters the composition of your saliva. Spoiler: Thri-Kreen Poison [PSIONIC, RACIAL] – You can now use your poison bite a total of three times per day.
Kirrish-Kreshk-Skiklik – Exposure to melee combat with the prey races has expanded your consciousness. Spoiler: [Thri-Kreen Claw] [PSIONIC, RACIAL] – You can now use your metaphysical claw ability a total of three times per day.
Faindrac – Your repeated use of cold missiles leads to increased specialization. Spoiler: Privileged Energy [PSIONIC] Any time you manifest a power that deals cold damage, that power deals one extra point of damage per die.
Zuko - The princes of elemental flame have taken note of you. An elemental envoy arrives to guide you. Spoiler: ELEMENTAL ENVOY [PSIONIC] - You acquire an elemental steward in the form of an emberling (CR2, fire). The envoy advances similarly to a psicrystal with the following differences:
Rofl. It be present time! Please list all feats as bonus feats unless otherwise specified. :)
It’s a little strange to level mid conversation, but with the break it made sense, so we’ll just assume that the leveling took place at some point before you entered the current room. In addition to your new level, you have earned the following bonuses: Eldin – The traveler graces you with Tumble as a class skill, and Skill Focus: Tumble, for getting into and out of combat to heal. Terin – The beatings you have received in melee have toughened the hide of your beast form. You receive Improved Natural Armor as a bonus feat. Marius – You no longer take penalties for firing your crossbow into combat, you gain Precise Shot as a bonus feat. Tyndal – Your flail and shield experience opens you to new maneuvers; you learn to use your shield more effectively. Spoiler: You gain Parrying Shield as a bonus feat.
PARRYING SHIELD You have studied advanced techniques for battling foes whose attacks normally bypass armor. You use your shield to block or deflect rays and other touch attacks.
Benefit: You gain your shield bonus (and the shield’s enhancement bonus, if any) as an addition to your touch AC. Seann – Your divine patron answers your prayers for usefulness, you gain the Lesser Eldritch Blast ability, as if you were a level 1 Warlock, although the blast does only 1d4 damage. Ardan – Thanks to your exposure to grease, you learn an Arcane Stunt. You may cast Spider Climb as a spell like ability once per day. Your caster level is your class level -1.
Oh hey! Question time: How do you all feel about a little retcon that moves the tavern across town so that the two groups are only a block apart?
Aso – Looted a journal and cash drawer from the bathhouse. Remained at the hotel, got into an argument with one of the three intelligent daggers. Defecated upon same and then took possession of. Convinced the hotel party to head into the storm, then sought shelter with Kha-Chik, breaking into a nearby building. Currently fighting regenerating undead out in the open with Radik. Faindrac – Still determining the risks involved with joining his familiar with the broken magic stave. Went to the bar as spokesperson to meet with Larcos, only to discover he had already left. Met up once again with Illyen. Once the undead attacked, he fled out the back with Zuko and the bartender, only to discover the way blocked. Snatched up the bartender’s cashbox and fled to meet up with the others. Given tokens by the templars to round up citizens as bait to trap the undead in an undesirable city section. Currently attempting to find a way to work the alternate plan one of the kreen suggested. Holdrus – Currently wielding an intelligent short sword, he remained with the hotel party in an attempt to keep the peace. Was helping Shenker lift a mysterious and potentially valuable chest until the skeleton attack. Backed off the regenerating undead, and is currently surveying the situation from a safe distance with Shenker. Illyen – On NPC, met with the party attempting to make contact, fled with same party into the storm. Issiki – Cut down inside the bathhouse. Possessions collected by party, body divvied up and eaten by same. Kha-Chik – Checked on both party statuses until the storm grounded her. Remained with the hotel party. Her essential skills allowed her and Aso to survive during the storm. Currently fought her way out of the ring of skeletons and retreated back within the building which provided storm shelter. Kirrish – Did much towards saving the bar party during the storm with his survival skills. Currently talking with a female Thor-kreen discovered working at the wall breech. Marada - On hiatus due to death of a friend. Running as NPC following the hotel party. Currently using bardic music ability. Malaki – Backed up Faindrac with muscle in the bar. Decided against helping a storm victim, but looted an interesting cylinder from the spot where she died. Is currently wearing an intelligent crown wrapped in a non-descript turban. Radik – Followed Shenker back to the hotel and retrieved two of the three daggers. During the storm, he killed the hotel attendant, along with Holdrus. Currently savaging any remaining undead as quickly as they reform. Shenker – Stayed behind at the hotel to purchase arrows and follow leads. Was searching for a better weapon to assault the undead when Holdrus called a retreat. Skarsnikt – Waited outside the bar with Kirrish until the storm hit. Was one of the first out, and managed to break a hole in the undead line, charging down the street to the templar work crew. Currently scrambled up the city’s protective wall hurling rocks down upon the skeletons. Zuko – Was inside the bar with Faindrac and MalaKi, watching and waiting. Trapped behind the bar following the storm, he blasted a hole in the undead and calmly rejoined the party. Currently waiting to see what course the party takes.
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