The Northman inspects the edges of the wasted field, even doing a full perimeter check, but the rain has ruined any chance of finding a lead.
The party makes a steady advance across the plain, seeing no movement within the blackened manor.
At twenty paces, the sudden twang of bowstrings cracks the still air. Four arrows come flying!
Initiative
Initiative Order:
Saki
Skybek
Frag
Mithradaties
Baddies
Ober
Trifle
Surprise Round
Map updated (arrange yourselves in the red square, I've put Saki/Frag up front already). The double doors which once served as the villa's main entrance are cracked just wide enough to form a make-shift arrow slit, while two other assailants have popped up from behind cover in the ruined wings .
"Come and get her if you dare, hounds of the upper class!"
MISS
N/A
HIT
DMG 3
HIT
DMG 8
HIT
DMG 8
One arrow bounces off Saki's ornamented armor, but the other three find their targets, eliciting a heavy grunt from Frag.
Saki, you're up!
Your sharp eyes spot a sinkhole, ten foot square, sitting 5-15ft directly in front of the front steps.
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Posting now as I won't have much chance later:
"WRONG!" Frag flies into a rage. With sword already out he bursts forward. His eyes never waver from the cracked doorway.
With a leap he lands on the stairs and brings his blade crashing down, heedless of the cover: . Guessing it's not a crit, but if it's a hit: (If by chance that's a confirm somehow: for a total of 42 damage)
Mithradaties moves north and casts glitterdust such that the ten foot radius includes the two archers that are closest to the top of the map (DC 16 will save to avoid the blind condition).
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"Pit?" Saki replies confusedly, but she trusts in Ober's words. Taking up a defensive stance, she carefully proceeds forward, using the tip of her glaive to prod the earth ahead of her and waiting for someone to warn her of where the trap is. The arrow had barely grazed her, and she ignores the scratching pain for now.
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Round 1
Skybek moves forward (double move) drawing his battleaxe as he runs. He is careful to avoid the pit in front the stairs.
""Come and get her if you dare, hounds of the upper class!"
"How dare yae call me a hound, yae bugger! All Ahh can say is that yae better nae o' touched a hair on her head!"
Round I
Saki and Skybek make a cautious advance to avoid the sinkhole. Frag, meanwhile, jets immediately ahead and leaps furiously past the hazard, landing squarely on the steps and slamming his greatsword down on the foe, throwing one door wide in the process. The blade slices the man from shoulder to thigh, leaving him nearly dead on his feet.
Meanwhile, to the north, Mithradaties stalks forward and casts his spell. A glorious burst of gold explodes all over the northern wing--restoring some of the old villa's long-lost gilt. The northernmost archer, now awash in sparkling gold dust, cries out and clutches at his eyes.
Frag's near-fatality gurgles with pain and stumbles backwards into the darkness, while his partner steps into his place and slashes at the nearly-armorless barbarian with a scimitar.
HIT
DMG 5
The southernmost ruffian drops his bow and draws his own scimitar, moving to flank Frag. "That the best you got, Merto? Watch this!" He too swings for the Northman.
HIT
CONFIRM
DMG 10
"Ha HA! Take that, you aristocrat's dog!"
Round I Update
Saki: Carefully advances, snake style (thanks!)
Skybek: Double Move
Frag: Rage, leap, nearly kills a man
Mith: Move, glitterdust
Baddies: Blinded, withdraw, slices Frag, really slices Frag
Ober: Move, prayer, draws weapons
Trifle: TBD
Trifle and then Saki to take us into Round II!
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"Please try not to kill them," Saki sighs heavily, seeing the subject of Frag's near-decapitation stumble backwards into the protection of the half-destroyed building. "We need information--and more importantly, they should be punished by the law, not by the blade!"
Saki levels her glaive at the nearest, polearm reaching over the corner of the pit. "Lay down your weapons and you will not suffer more harm," she says, though knowing in her heart that brash revolutionaries like these would be unlikely to listen to her. Assuming he doesn't immediately surrender, Saki thrusts forward with a strike that is a touch too powerful for its own good--a clumsy and easily-deflected attack.
Still blinded and thoroughly terrified, the man under Mithradaties knife surrenders. "Agh! Alright! Just don't kill me!"
Meanwhile the swordsman atop the steps follows his comrade back into the dim interior and the last remaining kidnapper, now surrounded and clearly outmatched, throws down his arms.
Out of initiative (for now...).
From inside the main hall, a growl calls out in a thick Galtan accent, "'nough! We got yer noble. Come in to talk!"
The uninjured fighter from before, scimitar sheathed, opens the door wide to reveal the interior of the main hall.
This charred husk of a structure was probably once beautiful. Stone reliefs depicting Aroden and Chelish military victories line the higher reaches of the walls, though what remains of the former second floor is now sealed off by the collapsed roof. Despite the rest of the house's decrepit state, the floor is swept clean (if water-stained) and a stack of bedrolls and knapsacks are piled just beside the stairs.
Sitting on the lower step of the inner stairs is a fair-featured young human woman, presumably Thalia, with curly black hair and a fashionable sky-blue Andoren dress. Her hands are tied in front of her; the other end of the rope is in the hand of an olive-skinned young man in a long red woolen coat, presumably the speaker, who stands in front of her with sword drawn but lowered. Next to him his bloodied half-dead companion sits slumped against the southern door, scimitar gripped tight in a sweaty hand.
The man who opened the door steps back to the leader and also draws (but lowers) his scimitar.
12
The Galtan replies with indignation. "Why do you attack?! This here is a fugitive noble, fled the justice of the Gray Gardeners. I am only holding her temporarily, awaiting instructions of our employer, but now you come here and hack at my men!"
The woman interjects, "Please, there is no need for further bloodshed! I am no escaped noble." She peers curiously at the Northman diplomat, not sure who these newcomers are, but continues. "You must know who I am -- tell him!"
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Before entering the room, the young Warpriest casts guidance on himself.
"Calm yourselves, revolutionaries. This girl is no noble, she's the daughter of the duly elected Consul of Andoran and a lover of freedom herself. So stay thy weapons. We meant no harm, but you shot my berserker friend here,"[b] The Warpriest says with a nod toward Saki and Bones. [b]"We have healers. Let us tend to your wounded as a sign of good faith. Once all are cared for, we can discuss the girl."
"Perhaps." He grips his sword a little tighter and grits his teeth. "But though the girl quotes Benedict lef' an' right don't mean she ain't lying her way out of a just beheading." His eyes bespeak uncertainty...
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Saki steps forward at this point, offering a humble bow to the Galtan revolutionary and his compatriots.
"Yes, it is my intention as a follower of the peaceful Lady Shelyn to avoid bloodshed where possible, but when our approach was met by arrows you must understand that we moved to defend ourselves." She smiles apologetically, making sure that the holy symbol engraved on her armour is clearly visible. "But as my friend here says, I would be happy to heal your wounded if we can come to an understanding here."
"If religion is not enough to convince you of my credentials, I can also confirm that I have assisted in the freedom efforts of the Nirmathi army, and have long been a faithful ally of the Andoran nation. You can trust in my dedication to the abolishment of systems that oppress the weak, I assure you."
"Alas," Saki adds with a light sigh. "I suspect you may have been unwittingly wrapped up in a corruption scandal yourselves. The girl here may be merely a pawn in the game of some lord trying to return to the days of noble titles and hereditary rule."
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Before combat resumes, Skybek channels energy to include Flag, but also some of the wounded from the battle.
"There's some healin fer yer wounded." Skybek remarks. "Now can yae help me get this story straight? Why dae yae think the lass is tryin te avoid a beheaddin? Did she dae something wrang? Are yae or yer employers in charge o' justice aroond here?"
Saki's kind words and Skybek's healing magic are enough to finally sway the Galtan, who personally cuts Thalia's bounds and identifies himself as Almant Enderios of Woodsedge. "Hate to think we've been duped, but yer words make too much sense. Apologies, miss."
He looks around at his men. "We're already out good money too... but I suppose your healing saved us some further expenses. Come on men, let's pack up and get home before this gets any worse."
As his team packs their bags, he returns to Skybek's question. "My employer has insisted on remaining uninvolved for security reasons." Enderios looks around at the Pathfinders arrayed before him, drawing a parchment note from his jacket. "But if you let me and my men return home unharmed, I can give you everything I know -- including these instructions."
The Gray Gardeners are the masked executioners of Galt and overseers of Galtan mob justice, well known for being ruthless and rather unjust.
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Ober pauses for a moment.
"That's up to the girl of course," He says looking at Thalia. "But I have no objections to letting you depart Andoran, provided you swear an oath to the Inheritor to never cross borders again in pursuit of your justice. Galt law is for Galt, not Andoran. Imagine had you unjustly executed the girl, it could have sparked a war between freemen with more than the innocent blood of one girl on your head."
Thalia quickly nods her assent to letting them go, saying it was just a misunderstanding, and Enderios agrees to respect the border. He hands over the note, saying "The one who gave me these instructions was a tall brown-haired Taldan man of the name Nikeros Alberton." He then makes final preparations to leave.
The note contains instructions on when and how to best break into the Andares house unnoticed and where to hide Thalia until further notice.
The note has a number of small stains of odd colors, likely alchemical reagents.
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"But if you let me and my men return home unharmed, I can give you everything I know -- including these instructions."
"Aye, this sounds mighty fine. Ahh appreciate whatever information yae could gie me!"
"Ahh'm still unclear what yer employer was tryin tae dae. Was he tryin tae execute justice or did he simply hae a problem wid Consul Andares? Dae yae ken any mair aboot this Taldan yae call Nikeros Alberton? Was he yer employer or just the messenger?"
Enderios himself never actually surrendered, and is willing to fight to keep his gear, but the pair of ruffians who did surrender hand over most of their gear (asking only to keep their basic equipment and rations).
They make a small pile, including four potions, four flasks of alchemist's fire, two masterwork composite longbows, and two masterwork scimitars. Thalia offers an additional (cash) praeda to smooth things over.
Enderios replies to Skybek, "Don't know. Got an offer for a job: capture an escaped noble and return her to Galtan justice. Received a note with instructions on how. Never asked more questions." You get the sense that these folks were REALLY in need of a job, and all the more so now because they won't be getting paid.
The only local shop dedicated to alchemy and tonics is Koriana's Exotic Tonics and Remedies, located not too far from here.
Looking around the room, a few of you have also noticed a charred oak door under the stairs--barely visible through the ash, dust, and lichen that obscures it.
Thalia is somewhat evasive. "I... I'm not sure. I think that that might become clear once we can identify whoever hired these kidnappers." Enderios looks a little wounded by the term, but says nothing.
Meanwhile, Mithradaties gives the door under the stairs a mighty kick, sundering it into a wash of ash and burnt wood the tumbles down the stairs that lie beyond, twisting down into the dark.
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"Enderios, Ahh dannae refer tae yae when Ahh say villain. Ahh completely understand that yae were simply dae'n what yae were told. Ahh hope yae dannae tak offense at mae words. Ahh'm simply try tae figure what these Gray Gardeners are up tae and why!"
Once Mithradaties kicks open the door, Skybek remarks, "Ahh dannae ken whair this gaes, but Ahh suspect we're gonnae meet some company once we descend those stairs. The question Ahh ask is if we should return the daughter first before we go seekin the answers that we be lookin fer. Ahh'm just concerned that Thalia lass would get hurt if we descended intae both darkness and a battle with her in oor company."
"Oh, let's not take me home quite yet. I'd like to get to the bottom of this."
You get the sense that Thalia is holding back on something. You might be able to get it out of her with some gentle prodding...
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"Yer father must be awfa worried aboot yae, pet. Can yae gie me ane gud reason whae Ahh should keep yae aroond this dangerous place ana longer than we need tae. Just tae satisfy yer curiosity daes not seem wise on my part. Besides, Ahh thought yae'd be delighted tae get back tae yer hoose. Is there mair tae yer story, Lass?"
Thalia's face bears clear discomfort, but Skybek teases out a response in a low whisper: "Yes, but let's talk after the Galtans have gone. They have no need to know."
The Galtans hoist their packs onto their shoulders and slink out of the manor, Almant's red cloak catching the veiled mid-afternoon sun as it streaks across the barren grey of the wasted fields. Eventually they disappear into the foliage beyond, leaving you alone with Thalia.
"I am concerned that my father may have orchestrated my own kidnapping," Thalia shares in a quiet, saddened voice. "I have been secretly looking into Tercio's suspicious--and un-Andoren--relationships with other powerful families. I am afraid he may have discovered me. That note... that note Enderios handed you is written in the hand of Koriana, who sometimes corresponds with my father..."
She pauses for a moment, but a resolve strengthens her tone. "I want you to finish your investigations, even if it means the incrimination of my father."
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"My poor lady, that sounds terrifying!" Trifle says. "We'll get to the bottom of this, I assure you. But you're really willing to incriminate your own father? Are there other things that leave you suspicious of him? Who else could be involved?"
After Thalia's response, Trifle turns to the rest of the party. "I think we must explore those stairs, don't you?"
"We'll see, I suppose. But let's hurry; whoever is behind this won't be sitting on their hands."
"As long as we are not going to my home, I am happy to accompany you."
Trifle leads the way down the stairs, which end in a small cellar. Damp, moldy rafters barely hold up the ceiling, sagging under the weight of the earth above. The few decaying shelves still standing hold several dozen bottles of what appear to be decades-old wine of good vintage.