Sneaking ahead of the rest of the party, Mersiel follows the tracks.
The stairs end in a damp room with several deteriorating doors, each decorated with the winged eye of Aroden. A once-imposing set of double doors stands slightly ajar across from the stairs. Another staircase on the western wall once led deeper below the city, but its ceiling has collapsed, blocking further passage.
The chittering echoes of conversation stop as the PCs reach the base of the stairs. The tracks you have been following lead strait to the double doors.
Quinn decides to come along with Merisiel. While he is quiet enough, his sword cane taps on the stone floor.
Kyra will still back, and allow those more capable the chance to sneak up on the thieves.
She does her best to stay quiet back there.
Hakon will hold off.
Jirelle attempts to be sneaky behind Merisiel.
Seelah, knowing that she can't be stealthy, hangs back.
Just as Merisiel approaches the double doors, they burst open and three humanoid creatures with features of a rat stand behind it.
Map has been updated.
Combat Round 1
Order: Bold May Act
Quinn
Jirelle
Blue
Merisiel
Jean
Red
Remaio
Kyra
White
Hakon
Three mystical rat beasts! Another magical story in the making.
These might not be ordinary ratfolk....something odd...
"Ratfolk! Watch out!" Quinn slips forward, brandishing his sword cane and thrust it at the closest one.
Jirelle is quick to dart forward, coming up beside Quinn to jab at one of the ratfolk.
@Quinn: Swarming: Ratfolk are used to living and fighting communally, and are adept at swarming foes for their own gain and their foes' detriment. Up to two ratfolk can share the same square at the same time. If two ratfolk in the same square attack the same foe, they are considered to be flanking that foe as if they were in two opposite squares.
Quinn walks up and skewers with his sword cane.
Jirelle matches Quinn with one of her thrust.
Both targets drop at the end of the respective blades.
Combat Round 1
Order: Bold May Act
Quinn
Jirelle
Merisiel
Jean
Remaio
Kyra
White
Hakon
Remaio will start telling a story of his families history.
Mersiel darts forward and tries to run the last ratfolk through with her rapier.
Seelah hustles forward.
Kyra moves forward as well, along with Seelah.
Merisiel moves up and leaves a nice deep puncture wound in the gut of the rat creature.
Kyra and Seelah play catch up.
The remaining enemy lashes out with a dagger towards merisiel.
and merisiel is able to dodge it.
Combat Round 1/ 2
Order: Everyone may act
Quinn
Jirelle
Merisiel
Jean
Remaio
Kyra
White
Hakon: Round 1
Quinn steps forward again and jabs the ratfolk with his sword cane.
Merisiel steps forward and slashes at thh
e ratfolk again.
Hakon starts an Inspired Rage and approaches. You all may accept the rage or not as you so choose.
Raging Song (Su): A skald is trained to use music, oration, and similar performances to inspire his allies to feats of strength and ferocity. At 1st level, a skald can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. For each level beyond 1st, he can use raging song for 2 additional rounds per day.
Starting a raging song is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. A raging song cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the skald is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action each round to maintain it. A raging song counts as the bard's bardic performance special ability for any effect that affects bardic performances. A skald may learn bard masterpieces.
A raging song has audible components, but not visual components. Allies must be able to hear the skald for the song to have any effect on them. A deaf skald has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use a raging song. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit.
When the skald begins a raging song and then on each ally's turn, if the ally can hear the raging song, that ally must decide whether to accept or refuse its effects. This is not an action. Unconscious allies automatically accept the song. If accepted, the raging song's effects on that ally last for that ally's turn or until the song ends, whichever comes first.
Inspired Rage (Su) At 1st level, affected allies gain a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a –1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of inspired rage, allies other than the skald cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the song's bonuses on Will saves increase by 1; the penalty to AC doesn't change. At 8th and 16th levels, the song's bonuses to Strength and Constitution increase by 2. (Unlike the barbarian's rage ability, those affected are not fatigued after the song ends.) If an ally has her own rage class ability (such as barbarian's rage, bloodrager's bloodrage, or skald's inspired rage), she may use the Strength, Constitution, and Will saving throw bonuses, as well as AC penalties, based on her own ability and level instead of those from the skald (still suffering no fatigue afterward). However, inspired rage does not allow the ally to activate abilities dependent on other rage class abilities, such as rage powers, blood casting, or bloodrager bloodlines; the ally must activate her own rage class ability in order to use these features.
With nothing to do that won't interfere with those more capable, Kyra will stand back, and be ready in case she is needed.
Seelah steps forward, and takes a swing at the rat.
Jirelle attempts to slip past the remaining ratfolk behind the line of her allies. She jabs it again with her rapier.
Hakon inspires the rage inside of you.
Quinn misses with his sword cane.
Jirelle lunges, and just misses the the target.
Merisiel's strike take the target down.
The white ratfolk carries the shiny bust in a backpack. Her allies carry the other stolen relics, which include a set of embossed bronze offering bowls, a string of prayer beads made of silver, and collection of holy symbols of Aroden from different regions of Golarion.
After the PCs defeat the ratfolk, Remaio has all the evidence he needs toconvince the Arodenites that Honaria’s bust wasn’t safe in the basilica, and Brother Valicus allows Remaio to take it without protest. Remaio thanks the PCs and takes them out to a fine dinner if they let him.
Valicus does not press the PCs about the remaining relics. However, if they choose to hand them over, the man who presides over the basilica, Father Basri, grants them an audience, and gladly accepts the relics, blessing the party in the name of Aroden. This blessing no longer carries any magical weight, but Basri is predisposed to support the PCs in the final quest of this series.
Hakon welcomes heartily the offer of a fine meal, and shows the stereotypical manners of someone from the barbarian lands.
Quinn agrees to hand over the remaining relics, though he rolls his eyes at the idea of a blessing. The dapper man smirks at Hakon's manners while sipping wine.
Jirelle is also in favor of handing over the remaining relics.
Trusted associates,
Ah, Qadira, our fiery neighbor! I need you to travel to its desert and visit the Ghazali family. They’ve acquired Honaria’s lost sword, an item that’s appeared in my research into her life. This is no common blade, but a powerful weapon given to Honaria by the Church of Aroden. Its existence alone might prove the Alcastis’s worth. I’ve included the original record of the sword’s transfer to Honaria as a reward for her services to the Church and the Empire. Show this record to the Ghazali matriarch, Arajida. She should be reasonable.
Safe travels,
Remaio Alcasti
The PCs enjoy an uneventful trip to Omash. The guards at the city’s main gates help the PCs find the Ghazali family manor. The luxurious estate lies on the outskirts of Omash, outside of the fortress-city’s towering walls.
A sandstone wall decorated with geometric mosaics surrounds the opulent Ghazali manor. Through the brass front gates, white cobblestone paths wind through a garden of flowering cacti and acacia trees to the manor’s entrance. A pair of guards clad in polished armor flanks the heavy wooden door to the residence.
A guard stationed at the door intercepts the PCs and leads the group to Lady Ghazali’s study.
The domed ceiling of this grand room soars above red and white tiles whose pattern resembles roses in bloom. Between the mahogany bookshelves that line the chamber, suits of armor stand at attention. An empty weapon rack faces the doorway.
Arajida al-Fakhiri, Lady Ghazali, a middle-aged Keleshite woman, sits alone with her head in her hands. She greets the PCs, but her pleasantries fall flat, and her eyes are slightly bloodshot.
"Greetings, and welcome to my humble abode."
Seelah bows.
"Greetings, and well met, Lady Ghazali. We have come on behalf of a gentleman who is tracking down a relic of one of his ancestors - a sword belonging to a Taldan hero by the name of Honaria. However, I cannot help but notice that you seem to be in a state of distress; is there something that we can do to help you?"
"My son Ayef, he has been missing since the morning and has yet to return. I am filled with worry over him." She pauses slightly before starting again speaking of the sword. "I’ll gladly give you the sword if you bring my son home. Otherwise, I cannot give it to you, even if I wanted to.”
"Why not, Lady Ghazali? Is your son somehow tied to the sword or is it a political matter?" Quinn taps his cane on the stone floor.
"We may be able to help. Do you know where your son was last or what he may have been doing?"
Perhaps we can canvas some people who might have seen him?
The others seem to have asked the important questions, so Kyra merely gives the woman a respectful nod, and offers a typical Kelish greeting.
Hakon is also waiting for responses to the questions already asked.
"I can not give you the sword due to my son taking it. He barely even knows how to use it. The sword was supposed to go to my eldest daughter."
When asked where he might go, she responds,"Aayef has big dreams. He begged to be allowed to train at one of the war academies in the city, but I couldn’t bear the thought. I’m afraid he ran off on his own to slay some imaginary dragon—and found himself a real one."
Seelah winces.
"Well, hopefully, that didn't actually happen..."
Bidding the noble farewell, she goes to try and discover whether anyone has seen Aayef.
As you search the property for clues.
Survival Check
"How would he have left the manor grounds?" Kyra asks. "I assume he must have snuck out, if none of your servants or guards saw him leave? Where is the sword usually kept?"
There....he tried to bury something....
Merisiel digs up the shirt. Well, it's a start....
Quinn examines the ripped shirt. "Lady Ghazali, would he have gone to seek enrollment in one of the academies? Or is there another way for him to have made his name?"
to aid Jean-Pierre de Suis.
The mention of dragon piques Hakon's interest.
At last! Something to make a grand saga from.
[b]"Dragon? What do you know about a dragon, imaginary or not?"[/dice]
"Well, he went out here I guess." Kyra says. "Though he could have gone anywhere once out. The desert is nothing if not large in Qadira... and always shifting."
Jirelle stays back, keeping an eye out for more obvious threats while the others look for tracks and clues.
After a while a guard comes forward and speaks to the group,"Quick, we found a trail, it looks to be that of Ayef"
The guard leads you to the tracks, which can easily be followed in the days light.
Aayef ’s trail leads three miles east to the sand blasted ruins of a circular building. Chunks of wall and broken pillars stand as the last testament to what was once a shrine.
A chunk of twisted deadwood rests atop a pile of ashes in the lee of a fallen stone column. Cinders surrounding the driftwood suggest a recent fire.
As you move deeper into the shrine steps ascend the wreckage to a smooth stone dais. A cracked stone shrine stands before the eastern wall. Bones and other detritus litter the floor around the altar.
As you approach the shrine, you see a giant creature with pincers and claws cornering a young male against the wall.
Combat Order:Round 1
Bold May Act
Merisiel
Jirelle
Jean
Quinn
Kyra
Creature
Hakon
Young Male
Creature
Knowledge Nature
"Oh my. That's not fair at all." She says, at the sight of the large creature.
She utters a prayer to Sarenrae, and touches Seelah beside her.
Then moves a little closer to the fray.
Before they see the young man being attacked, Quinn spots a bag in the in the corner, hidden by rubble. He snatches it up before the group's attention is turned to the dangerous creature.
"Aayef, is that you?!" He draws an extract and drinks it, then moves forward, twisting his cane as he goes, revealing the sword.
Merisiel darts forward even though the sand slows her pace.