Need more advice as things are getting a little tricky.
Party just returned from Occipitus. They were feeling cocky, of course, and happy to be back, so they were binge drinking in the taverns every night. Even Alek Tercival (who is now a PC) joined the party. They had amazing success in Occipitus (the lich was a one hit kill from a cleric's searing light, which critted), though they fled from Kaurophon after his first Cone of Cold almost killed EVERYONE using a Plane Shift scroll (he'll be out for revenge, though).
So, only five present for the session tonight (1 warmage, 1 tempest, 1 cleric, Alek, and the "ruler" of Occipitus). The assassins ate them up. Two well placed Cone of Colds in as many rounds knocked Alek (who is now half paladin/half cleric-war priest) out for the fight, and then the half-orc beat the Ranger/Tempest down in just a few rounds. The poor cleric dived for cover behind the bar to avoid Cone of Colds, only to be pelted with an Ice Storm from the still invisible sorcerer. Fallia, the Ranger/Bard/Pathfinder Smoking Eye recipient (a self-sacrifice thing since she thought she was useless after the 7 levels drained from the "bonfire of evil" before the lich bit it), tried singing bard song, tried casting some bard spells, and tried to stay in the fight but ended up running out the back, only to be shot in the back with a Lightning Bolt (which killed the cleric as well) from the very efficient assassin sorcerer. The poor Warmage was casting Evard's Black Tentacles, tried Wall of Fires, and generally tried to do some crowd control, but none of it worked, and he barely made it out of a side door to disappear into the gathering crowd, the only survivor of the encounter. He's now hiding in the Temple of Saint Cuthbert casting light spells into any corner that has a hint of shadow, he's that scared.
In related news, the same warmage, through clever forgery and bluff skills, managed to procure the deed to the Lucky Monkey and has set up his sister as the caretaker of the establishment until he tires of adventuring. Who does own that now? How much can he make off of it in a month's time? Should the real owner show up sometime soon? Is there another owner? Right now I'm giving him about a 300 GP profit a month off the place, after upkeep and paying the staff. Little high, maybe, but he spent a lot of time on the thing.
I plan on all the bodies of the party (minus Fallia's) to be in the Temple of Wee Jas, with the Ranger/Tempest, who stabalized, behind bars. Should I have them roll up temp characters, or... just the ranger roll up a temp character? I had Fallia raised by Sureaya (or whatever that raven winged angel's name was) on Occipitus using a scroll of Raise Dead that the angel happened to have found. How should I handle his return to the material plane and his exploits on Occipitus now?
oh great master of dungeons,
first of all don't forget that fallia is a she not a he or him. also thanks for letting me know that beck, alec, and fletcher are all alive and where i can find them when i get back, that will save me a lot of time tracking down some deviner to answer those questions. i am curious about how i will be returning to the material plane and the kind of "exploits" i will behaving there. don't forget that we talked about bringing in the newest party member as a half celestial native of occipitus. also i should remind you if i haven't already that given my recent brush with death fallia will be changing her name to the lady nightshade.
good luck ever finding out how much fletcher will be raking in with the lucky monkey.
--fallia stormrunner
pathwarden and queen of
occipitus
My suggestion is to have the surviving PCs meet up at the Church of St. Cuthbert, along with any allied NPCs that have survived to this point. The players with PCs dead at the Cathedral or imprisoned should be given stats for the NPCs, such as Jenya, Fario and Fellian, Shensen and/or anyone else that has struck a chord with the party and would want to help them out. They should all be of the appropriate level for the adventure, of course. From there, it's a matter of gathering info on the wherabouts of these DOA and MIA characters. The new ad-hoc party would then hatch a plan of their own to recover their allies and comrades. Jenya would probably hesitate to directly assault the Cathedral, but as long as it became clear that Embril and Ike have discarded the true path of law, direct intervention may be easier for her to stomach. From there, she is the person to raise dead and/or resurrect party members.
This is what I would do at least; more interesting and fun for the players than rolling up new PCs or just having the surviving characters hatch a rescue. Keep everyone involved and show them through these rescuing NPCs just how grateful Cauldron is for their assistance.
And, honestly, if the warmage got the tavern through forgery, you've GOT to have the real owner show up to discount his claim in court.