What we learned during 'The Sawmill':
Aerodus- His bombs are deadly- to foes and friends alike...just ask Lugo.
Baelgren- His true colors are starting to 'bleed through'...just ask his enemies (oh wait, we can't, they've had their throats slit).
Lucien- This poor guy just can't catch a break...unless it's in the literal sense.
Lugo- He might make a pretty good thief after all...keep your eyes on your stuff.
The second morning after their infiltration of the Seven's Sawmill, Lugo and Lucien are recovering from their wounds at Leftovers- an inn in the Eastshore district. Though not the lap of luxury, the inn is likely the best fare that either has had in months. Unfortunately, their stay is cut short by a nosy squad of the Korvosan Guard. They are able to escape through a window into an alley without being seen.
The jaunt through the city proves uneventful, though both are nervous; if anyone were to recognize their faces, things might get a little hairy. Meeting up with Aerodus and Baelgren, the group contemplates their options. Finding Skeener seems to be the main priority. They visit the the Pantheon of the Many in hopes of gaining clues at the shrine of Norborger, to no avail. Despite Lugo's apprehensiveness, the next place on the list is Skeener's former residence- the townhouse in the Heights district.
The group gains entry by picking the front door lock, which Aerodus believes they had previously left unlocked. They search most of the house, starting with the upper levels. Though nothing seems amiss, the party gets the feeling that somebody has been here since their last visit. They find nothing of value, unless one counts an exotic zebra-skin rug, which they roll up and leave by the front door. Entering the main floor lounge area, Lugo is surprised by a pair of Skinsaw cultists. Luckily, he escapes injury, and the PCs spring into action. Lucien boosts the team's morale with song, as Aerodus 'bombs away', Baelgren 'blasts away', and Lucien 'swings away'. The fight is over in mere seconds.
Expecting more opposition in the cellar, Lucien and Baelgren disguise themselves as cultists, hoping to fool their enemies and gain the upper hand. The plan works perfectly, until one of the cultists climbs the stairs and sees one of his slain (and now naked) companions lying in plain view. He raises the alarm, and a second cultist appears to attack Aerodus, Baelgren, and Lucien in the cellar, while Lugo ambushes the first. Though Baelgren and Lugo sustain injuries, the group is again able to dispatch their adversaries with relative ease.
Across the 'flesh curtain', Lucien and Baelgren hear, "So you've found me once again, you are a persistent bunch...". Skeener! Lucien rushes into the next room to find the murderer escaping into the cramped tunnels that lead to the sewers. Throwing caution to the wind, Lucien enters the tunnels. Halfway through, he hears Skeener mumbling something incoherent...a spell! Lucien feels his body stiffen, he can't move. Skeener laughs and runs away. Baelgren comes barreling behind Lucien, and, unable to move past his petrified companion, he decides to shove him forward. The resulting scrapes and bumps hurt so much that Lucien is able to regain control of his limbs. They reach the sewers to see Skeener's light in the distance. With Lugo and Aerodus joining them, they give chase...
Navigating through sewers is tricky business at the best of times; doing so on the run while chasing a foe is another thing completely. Despite this, the group proves successful. Baelgren uses his magic, slamming bolt after bolt of magical energy into Skeener's backside, while Lugo uses his acrobatic skills to close the distance. Three times Lugo manages to get his hands on the cultist, but each time Skeener breaks free, leaving Lugo with handfuls of torn clothing. On the fourth attempt, Lugo will not be denied, he wrestles the priest to the ground, pinning his arms. The rest of the group converges on the downed opponent, each eager to dish out punishment. Seconds before going unconscious, Skeener squeaks, "I surrender". In an act that some would call cold-blooded murder, though others might call merciful, Baelgren draws a blade and slits Skeener's throat from ear to ear.
The hunt for Skeener ends just as it began; a bloody mess...
-Every party member gains 950XP from the 'Hunt for Skeener' adventure. I believe this should bring everybody to 2nd level.
ReplyDelete-Did somebody mark down the coins taken from the first 2 cultists?
-The second 2 cultists have the following gear(combined): 8 pinch, 3 shields, 7 daggers, 2 war razors, 2 sets of leather armor, 2 skinsaw masks. Divvy as you see fit.
-Skinsaw Masks: When worn, these hideous masks fill the wearer's mind with hideous whispers and images of murder and violence. It heightens the ability to sense fear. The wearer can smell the cold sweat brought on by terror and hear the thundering beating of a frightened heart. Further, fresh blood glows brightly, to the extent that it can be seen circulating in the bodies of nearby creatures. These masks grant:
+2 competence bonus on Perception checks made against creatures that aren't immune to fear.
+1 profane bonus on damage with slashing weapons made against living creatures.
-1 penalty to Charisma.
-Skeener has the following gear: 25 shields, 19 sails, 2 holy symbols(Zon-Kuthon, Norborger), leather armor, ring(city of Korvosa), scourge, war razor, medallion, bag of meat(unknown origins).
Please post any questions you have for me(I assumed you would search Skeener and the remaining 2 cultists).
ReplyDeleteWhat are you doing from here?
The Scourge of Pain (pictured at beginning of blog post): The black leather lashes of this terrible scourge are covered in lengths of rusted wire, bits of broken red glass, and tiny fangs.
ReplyDeleteBaelgren suggests:
ReplyDeleteDivision of ALL funds by four and equal distribution. That's 11 silver sails each. The other 2 sails, 8 pinch should be donated to the two gods that Skeener worshiped as an apology for killing the priest. That's 1 Sail and 4 pinch each for Zon Kuthon and Norborger.
That Lucien and Lugo pay what they owe Aerodus for the inn. He also offers to sell the Longsword to Lucien at half market price - a good deal.
The immediate abandonment of the skinsaw masks and bag of meat. The leather armour, the ring and the medallion, on the other hand, might bring some coin. Baelgren offers to appraise said goods. Maybe Lugo can fence them if the party doesn't want to keep them.
Packaging of Skeener's head, scourge and holy symbols for delivery to Lowri. Delivery should be accomplished as quickly as possible by Lugo and Baelgren.
I should clarify that silver pieces are shields and gold pieces are sails. So, not counting the money from the 2 first cultists (I can't remember what I rolled at the game table), there is a total of 8 copper pinch, 28 silver shields, and 19 gold sails.
ReplyDeleteAerodus balks at the idea of "donating" funds to cults of evil gods- we don't need to fund these thugs. He offers to make change if it's needed, to ensyre an even split of the money.
ReplyDeleteHe is also quick to request a quick detect magic from Baelgren, to check Skeener's gear especially. No sense in selling it if it's good stuff (stop assuming this is Midnight- odds are the villains have gear on Golarion...).
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ReplyDeleteDetect magic is part of the 'Appraise' process, of course. I wish I had Identify Item...
ReplyDeleteAs for Aerodus' balking, Baelgren points out that Skeener was a card carrying priest for at least one of the two Gods. Whether Aerodus approves of the religions in question is less important than the matter of the religions approval of them.
"So... If you approve of a deity then they have a Priesthood, but if you don't then they have a Cult? In my book, if a God is represented in the Temple of the Many then they are worthy of respect, and if respect doesn't float your boat then they are certainly worthy of fear."
(Curse you Blogspot and your lack of EDIT)
What? Lugo owes Aerodus for the inn? Wasn't it a gift, an act of kindness from a wealthier friend requiring no reimbursement?
ReplyDeleteI did not write down the coins obtained from the first two fallen cultists, as I don't believe I was the one that searched them... I think bloodthirsty Baelgren beat me to it.
Lugo is intrigued by the ring Skeener had in his possession... is it the same as the tax collector's ring the party previously found? Does it belong to another victim (the man that was killed in the sawmill?)... or did Skeener previously work for the City of Korvosa? Why was Skeener so intent on murdering city workers? Thanks to Baelgren's unilateral decision to dispatch the freak, they might never know...
He can't believe how many people they've killed over the past few days. Even if those they killed deserved to die, Lugo can't help but feel unsettled, nervous...
But truth be told, the skittish man who was raised among the Shingles does feel much safer with Skeener dead rather than alive. One less tormentor to worry about...
[Metagaming: aside from the scourge, I'm guessing that the medallion and maybe the leather armour Skeener wore might be enchanted.]
I'm assuming it is still afternoon. Should we wait until dark to return to the Temple of the Many with Skeener's head and the scourge and hope we'll find Laori there... and that we won't be busted for violating curfew? Or do we go in broad daylight? Or... try to find a way there through the sewers???
For once, Lugo seems remarkably unconcerned about coins... He just wants to get this over with...
Baelgren exhaled a sigh at the sight of the dead priest. Skeener had been a formidable foe, one who might easily have bested them all and one who they had greatly irked. It felt as if a knife pressed against his own throat had suddenly been removed.
ReplyDeleteLooking around at the others he saw that few of them seemed able to meet his gaze. Why did so many interpret pragmatism as ruthlessness? Then again, Baelgren wondered, what was wrong with ruthlessness in such a grim situation?
"You wanted to bring him alive, did you? Did you imagine for a second how we would neutralize such a threat, let alone bear him through the streets? We would have had to blindfold, gag and bind him to feel even a little safe - and even then it is possible he could have brought some mischief down upon us! Do you not remember how short of patience Lowri was becoming? How he escaped from us last time? How he kept acquiring new minions to fight for him? How close to death he has brought us all? The murders he has implicated us in?"
Unshipping a waterskin, the mage began to wash the fresh blood from his hands, weapon and clothes.
"Lugo, take his head. You and I will carry it to Lowri, along with everything else we promised her. This death buys you that ritual you need, so don't mourn for Skeener.
Aerodus and Lucien should carry to Aerodus' lab all the spoils of our little war. They can be appraised and assessed for enchantment there when Lugo and I return. After we decide what we have found, we can divide it up as we see fit. I'll let the pair of you decide what to do with the surviving murder cultist, upstairs. Maybe you think it's more merciful to tie him up and leave him down here for the Otyughs and rats like the rest of this carrion. Out of mercy I'd kill him, but that's me."
Aerodus speaks up-"No, we won't throw him to the otyughs. When night falls, we leave him, dressed back in his evil garb, in an alley with his dead friends. And we leave a (metaphorical) message- this city has teeth, and you do not murder it's citizens..."
ReplyDeleteBaelgren ponders. "Fine. You should probably dispose of the bodies after you get home. However you plan to do it."
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWith the adrenaline rush starting to fade, Lugo feels rather weak, shaky and exhausted. His breathing is hoarse. As Baelgren rationalizes his actions, Lugo shrugs. "Yes, you are right... I've just never had so much blood on my hands, and always thought that these kinds of deeds were performed by the gangs, abusers, orcs beyond the city walls, or the authorities when necessary... I'm just having difficulty accepting my role and responsibility in all this... But I agree, what we did was for the best..."
ReplyDeleteLugo rises from the ground, his clothes and armour streaked with filth. He tries to dust himself off and inspects his eounds in the faint light of Baelgren's spell. Fortunately for the rogue, the cultist's war razor--so close to being a fatal slash--was but a surface wound, his armour and reflexes having turned away the worst of the blow. Still, the rogue remains a little unsteady.
"I agree with Aerodus's proposed method of disposal... and perhaps we should leave the list of victims and tax collector's ring on the surviving cultist?"
In afterthought, Lugo adds: "Perhaps we should wait until Baelgren and I have completed our transaction with Laori before we leave the bodies in the alley... just in case the prisoner should mention something about our connection with Laori, and the authorities turn up before we have had a chance to obtain what we need from that heartless bitch? I don't know if the survivor is aware of the connection, but one never knows..."
ReplyDeleteBaelgren frowns. "He has seen us, hasn't he? Unmasked. Are you sure letting him live is the best course of action - as soon as he realises he can deflect the blame onto us you can be sure he'll take it."
ReplyDelete"Right again... I'm not thinking straight... Then it's settled, we leave them all dead in the alley come night, with a note, the tax collector's ring, and the list of victims..."
ReplyDeleteA roguish smile creeps across Lugo's face. "Shall we sign our note with a nom de plume? Do we wish the authorities to have a name for the group of vigilantes that dealt justice to these creeps... and perhaps to other miscreants who might cross our path? It could be fun..."
Another frown from the Wizard. "You act like this will become a habit. Our objectives are Lugo's ritual, clearing our name and the slow and gruesome death of Gaedrann Lamm."
ReplyDelete"You never know," responds Lugo. "I still don't think I have it in me to confront... him," says the nervous rogue, as he avoids speaking the name of Gaedran Lamm. "But if this ritual does somehow give me the strength I need to do so, then this also might be the beginning of something bigger. I have good reason to seek revenge against other members of Korvosa's criminal underground, as well... But first things first..."
ReplyDeleteMitch, I have levelled Lugo up and rolled "8" for new hit points... I shit you not. I should have checked before... did you want everyone to roll hit points in front of you?
ReplyDeleteI'm not against rolling hps by yourselves, but it's probably best if we have some sort of protocol. For this level gain, feel free to roll at home (please be honest!). In future level gains, let's do so in front of the group. Does that sound fair?
ReplyDeleteI'm also going to rule that the minimum hp gain is the average roll for your hit die: 3 for d6, 4 for d8, 5 for d10. If you roll less than the average, disregard the roll and use the average instead.
From your posts, I gather that:
ReplyDelete-Lugo and Baelgren want to kill the surviving cultist, while Aerodus does not. What does Lucien want? If Lucien sides with Aerodus, then what?
-After Lugo cuts Skeener's head off, he and Baelgren are to visit Laori, while Aerodus and Lucien dispose of the bodies.
-Inspections of the plundered gear shall be done at a later time (at Aerodus' apartment).
At the moment I have not decided where the adventure will begin, so do not assume you have escaped the sewers yet. :) (I must say I am enjoying the banter between the charaters. Chris, even though you were not present at the last session, please feel free to chime in)
That's pretty much a summary of Baelgren's idea of what's happening. If Aerodus seems to disagree then Baelgren will nod as if agreeing, suggest he and Lugo get a headstart to Lowri's and leave the other two collecting the gear.
ReplyDeleteHe'll cut the guys throat on the way out the door.
Lugo has lived on the streets all his life, and he knows that ugly deeds are sometimes necessary for survival. He is reluctant to kill anyone, but will turn a blind eye if/when Baelgren slits the last surviving cultist's throat.
ReplyDeleteBefore that fateful moment comes, however, Lugo asks: "should we not question him first? Perhaps he knows something about Skeener's broader plans that could be used as a bargaining chip with Laori... or that could help us get out of trouble with the authorities? What if there are more of them, planning other murders or kidnappings--maybe we would be able to stop them? What if he was bewitched and compelled to serve Skeener against his will?"
To his credit, Baelgren will definitely sit back on his haunches and consider everything Lugo says. Then he'll sigh and say:
ReplyDelete"I agree with you, my compassionate friend. The events of the past week make it easy to see how someone could come by a reputation such as this man's and not deserve it."
Then he'll frown again.
"I would advocate interrogation - but fear drives me. We do not want to be associated with this man or his ilk. I do not see an easy way to move him from this place or a good place to move him to.
As for this mansion? The sooner we are gone from here the better. Skeener may have arranged to occupy it, but I cannot believe this is actually his own place of residence. Whatever deals he had in place to safeguard its use will soon fall through now that he is dead."
He looks down at the unconscious man again.
"Fear drives me to cut this man's throat. I want to sever all our ties with Skeener and move on, as quickly as possible."
Lucien speaks up and says "I agree with Baelgren, we cannot leave this man alive, he has seen our faces."
ReplyDelete"Lugo had a good idea, about leaving the list of victims and evidence on the bodies. It may also be a good idea to drop an anonymous note to the authorities when Skeener's head is delivered to Laori. If they find his head in her possession, then hopefully they will assume that she murdered the cultists."
"But Laori will certainly point the authorities back to us, if they go sniffing her way..."
ReplyDelete"What is it with you people and attacking organised religion? Laori has done nothing to harm us and once our little deal is over and done with, she'll be glad to see us part ways.
ReplyDeleteDo we have to declare war on Laori too?"
"Are you sure that she won't betray us once she has what she wants from us?"
ReplyDeleteAerodus does not want to kill the last cultist, but if everyone is abainst him, he silently agrees with the plan, nodding slowly.
ReplyDelete"These vile wretches deserve no less than death, I agree, I just have a strong distaste for murder in cold blood. If Laori has plans to double-cross us, we can blackmail her later. I doubt she'll discard her trophy anytime soon..."