(Pathfinder) The Curse of the Crimson Throne IC

[Blisstake]

"I don't suppose there's an insignia on the box or anything," the sorcerer comments, looking over an empty one. "It would be nice if this were one organization with an obvious mark idiotically emblazoned on their wares? No? Hmm."

Taking a look at the rat, he shrugs and suggests, "Let's put this in a safe container and bring it back. I don't know much about alchemy, but maybe having a sample will help a cure's development."

[SanguinePenguin]

"Just more boxes. I bet you all of them have a rat and more silvers," Tallox replies with something like disappointment.

Atavian relays the messages nodding in agreement, "maybe the other parts of the ships will have more. Lets just bring up one of the chests when we leave. It will have a rat inside. Less risk of infection that way..." he grimaces before adding dubiously, "I think. To the lower deck, then?"

[RocketMan]

Jensi

"This is horrible," Jensi whispers, his voice thick with emotion. "So somebody spread the plague on purpose, and wanted to make poor people sick first... awful! Who would do that?"

[SanguinePenguin]

"That necromancer we killed to be certain. As well as the demons we keep killing. Who else would... that is a good question... would have to be someone with resources to orchestrate this. Motive though..." Atavian begins to ponder who would be mad enough for such a thing. "I haven't any idea. It must be someone from outside Korvosa. Maybe there is an army on the move to here as we speak."

[Blisstake]

"It's too bad that letter was unsigned," says Aldrin, swimming up to the next level in the ship. "Could have given us clues... though it still was the right choice killing the demon."

About the plauge, the sorcerer comments, "It probably wasn't intended to kill the poor, they're just the most numerous casualties. The result, however, is that it's weakening the entire city, almost as if someone wants the city destroyed. Our prime suspect has been Togomor so far, but I can hardly imagine why he'd kill his own citizens. What purpose does that serve?"

[Leviathan]

You ascend to the ship's upper decks through a splintered stairwell, getting snapped at by an irritated crab as you intrude upon its claimed territory. The door to the upper decks has fallen open as the ship sunk, and remains so, allowing you easy access to the deck.

Here, several bent metal bed frames and glass-paned cabinets lie shattered across the floor of the room. Pined under one of the iron bed legs is a small whitewood coffer, a bronze panel on its front reading "ledgers." The cabinets on the floors contain a number of alchemical ingredients and devices, though many are in a process of decay. Dresane finds four potions amidst the materials.

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4 CMW potions, and the coffer.

[Drothmal]

Atavian, rely this message to all but Dresane asks the magus urgently (and not very politely) while the inquisitor searches for the potions

Aldrin, I question the efficiency of mentioning our suspicions of the Seneschal in front of a Hellknight. says the magus with a frosty tone (not particularly caring that only Atavian will be hearing it)

Rennards sighs underwater and begins to communicate his thoughts to the people that would be the closest to "friends" the magus ever had

After Jensi's blunder when we first met her, it is only logical to assume that Kasza knows of our line of reasoning with respect to Togomor. Since we have no concrete proof, we could be incarcerated or at least severely hindered in our investigations if this fact became widely know.

We do not know of Dresane's allegiances, but for as long as she aids us, her oath not to act without our consent binds her to secrecy.

So everyone, make sure that we keep giving her reasons to maintain our mutual benefit arrangement.

Rennard sighs again, this time asking the summoner to once again re establish communication with all (at Reve's insistence, this time the duelist's request is polite)

Once again, we find ourselves in need of more data. We should bring that coffer with us to the surface, for it might be sealed and opening it underwater might ruin any valuable information that might have survived. Combined with the rats and coins, we might find out some key fact that we are not seeing right now

[SanguinePenguin]

To all but Dresane, Atavian says, "you are absolutely right, I'm partially at fault for relaying that; I should have filtered it. Fortunately, the Seneschal is probably as loved by the Hellknights as he is by us. Though, honestly, I confess, Desane seems surprisingly..." Atavian pauses for a few seconds as he searches for the right word, "...level-headed for a Hellknight."

As the halfling speaks, Tallox searches the deck without provocation this time.

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Perception: (1d20+8)[16]

[DaedalusMkV]

Dastan follows after the rest, not even seeming to notice the cold whatsoever. Perhaps it's another sign of his Celestial heritage. His expression turns to disgust once he sees the plague chests. "How vile... Though perhaps more mundane than I expected." He sighs, at least as well as he can in the turgid water, bubbles escaping from his mouth. "Best leave the handling of these cursed things to me. While I believe curing yourselves of disease would be simple, there's no need to waste resources which could save lives." As the group moves further into the ship, he draws his sword with one hand and does his best to swim with his legs, kicking and pushing himself off of the wooden planks making up the hull. He answers Aldrin's question absentmindedly, not thinking about whether Atavian will relay it. "Power, of course. Most villains seek it it. Following the outbreak, the Queen's bodyguard and the doctors have absolute authority, transcending even the Lady Marshal and I imagine they will be able to keep it for weeks to come, or even longer. I expect there is a good chance that they will use that power to ensure that those weeks become years... Assuming that this is related to the Chancellor, as we suppose."

His response to Rennard's comments, on the other hand, is much blunter. "Yes. She may be nobler than most Hellknights, but that is still saying very little."

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Post got eaten. Four times. This was supposed to go through before the update Leviathan posted. /sigh

[Minerva]

Togomor, Dresane thinks after Atavian lets slip his suspicions. That demands more answers, but not here.

She swims to the coffer labelled "ledgers." "This should not be opened," she passes through Atavian to the others. "Ledgers, papers, will not survive under water. Keep it closed until we have returned to the city."

[Blisstake]

"I disagree, I think Dresane should be listening to this," Aldrin responds in an entirely uncharacteristic manner. "If she's going to continue dogging us, then we might as well include her in on the conversation instead of delaying progress due to the presense of a Hellknight. She's determined following us is in her best interests, and it's not something that a Hellknight would back down at, unless we became exceedingly uninteresting, which wouldn't be in the city's interests."

As the woman in question brings over the silver coffer, Aldrin reaches for it and says, "Thank you, Dre- uh, I mean of course ledgers won't survive underwater; we aren't idiots."

[RocketMan]

Jensi

"I agree with Aldrin," Jensi says. "I don't think it's very nice to not let Dresane hear. She's helped us already and promised to help us more."

With that, the young oracle continues swimming around the compartment. "We should take these with us then," he says, pointing at the ledger box. "We can open them later, like Dresane said (which was smart, 'cuz I would have just opened them here). Hopefully we can read them, since they were underwater for a while... any they might have big words."

[Leviathan]

Taking Dresane's advice (or using what Aldrin proclaims to be common sense), the party leaves the small coffer sealed, carrying it along with one of the black, skull-embossed boxes.

The ship's stairwell leads upwards. They are completely empty, you note. No bodies, no crates, nothing.

The captain's cabin has remained relatively untouched. It is a single room with a small bed tucked away in one corner, its sheets floating nearby. All of the furniture - a cabinet, a sea chest, a desk - have shifted, skewed at odd angles by the sinking. This room, with no windows, is completely black, save for the magical light you bring with you. Floating near the door that leads out onto the ship's deck where on your last visit you battled the shadows and their demonic leader, is a silhouette. It is bulky, man-sized, flapping in the gentle current of water. As you draw closer, and the light shines over it, you realize that it is a corpse.

It is the body of a man, limply dangling in the water, bloated, though this is not obvious because of the black leather robe that covers the figure from head to toe, and the dark mask that covers his face, birdlike, with a pointed beak that extends from his nose... It is a mask of one of the Queen's Physicians.

[Blisstake]

The shock of seeing the familiar mask keeps Aldrin silent for a few moments before he speaks up.

"This is... bad. Do you think this man was inside the ship when we sunk it? If so, then the implications are grim. Atavian, you're relaying this to Dresane, right?"

He takes a breath and then simply states,

"This plague was an inside job."

[Minerva]

The inquisitor grimaces as she too realizes the implications of what she has seen. "It does not seem likely that he could have drowned had he been prepared," she reasons. "Diving without magic to breathe would be stupid, and I do not think he would have made it to this spot. And who would dive for a shipwreck in robes." She gesture's at the dead body's garments.

"So he must have been here before it sank." A notion begins to form in her mind, based on something she has found before, on one of the Seneschal's servants. She begins to do a sweep of the room, starting with the corpse, and then proceeding to the rest of it.

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Perception (1d20+12)[14]

Edit: or maybe taking 20 if it's allowed.

[Leviathan]

Dresane's search of the cabin is thorough and methodical. In one of the desk's drawers, she finds the remains of collection of scrolls, now little more than tattered remnants of paper and the ribbons that once bound them together. In the closet, a single suit of noble's finery still hangs, swaying in the water.

The inquisitor's inspection of the corpse is not fruitless either. Under his robes, the man has pale skin, and an ornate short-blade tied around one leg for hidden protection. Around his neck, concealed under a linen shirt worn beneath the black robe, is a dangling pendant, beginning to rust from its exposure to the water. It is a flat disk on a thin chain. Hammered into the silver is an undulating insect, the carapace of which seems to form into the shape of a humanoid skull. This is the symbol of the Pallid Princess, Urgathoa, goddess of disease.

[SanguinePenguin]

This was too much, Atavian didn't want to believe it. "No, now... maybe the body was planted here... to frame... but who would expect anyone to look at the bottom of the harbor..."

Atavian sighs deeply, "or maybe he isn't affiliated with the queen. Physicians outside of Korvosa might wear those masks..." he said the words, but everyone can hear the doubt and desperation resounding in his voice.

[Blisstake]

"Might be the Queen, might not," Aldrin mentions, "We don't know if someone's pulling the strings or not. Keep in mind, this whole situation reeks of an inside job. Remember the letter with the assassins claiming there was a way out of the city? I think someone with some power here has been helping them out to take care of us. Why? Because we're getting close."

[DaedalusMkV]

Dastan blinks at the dead plague doctor, and seems somewhat taken aback by the holy symbol displayed. "Urgathoa, again... Perhaps that is the connection. Certainly, her followers would delight at the spread of this plague, and it would explain the connection between the Necromancers we've faced, this ship and the potential involvement of... Certain parties." He looks around the sunken room. "This proves nothing, but it is indeed damning testimony." His face resolves into a worried frown. "We need to bring that coffer to the surface as soon as we can. If there is any documentation there proving the Physicians' involvement..." He leaves the terrible ramifications of such evidence unsaid. "There seems to be little else here. We should grab one of those plague-chests on our way out."

[SanguinePenguin]

Atavian consents, "I agree. Tallox, can you grab a chest?" The beyonder grabs one of the small plague chests (making certain the lid stays in place) and begins to head back along the bottom.

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Also, posting will be spotty until the 13th. I don't know how infrequent it will be, but it is safer to assume I'm AWOL.

[Drothmal]

This is certainly disturbing agrees the magus We'll need to examine all the data we have gathered...

Rennard thinks for a minute before he adds

Let us take two of the chests. If the physicians are not to be trusted, we might need a backup of the plague's source if we are to find alternative pathways to the cure.

But right now turning in one of the chests to the authorities seems the most efficient method to help combat this disease, which is our highest priority right now

[Leviathan]

Carrying two of the black, skull-emblazoned boxes, and the coffer of ledgers, the party returns to the surface. It is slower progress than was the descent: the water is darker as night begins to fall, and the boxes weigh you down. But soon you break through the calm surface of the Jeggere with successive splashes.

Night is falling over the city, the sun setting quickly, casting the water in an orangish hue. You tread water, perhaps thirty feet out from the sewer tunnel through which you arrived, which juts from an outcropping of rock from the higher portions of the city. The shore around it is rocky and bare, with no buildings save for a few small hovels. No one wants to live next to a sewer pipe. The entire shore is cast in long shadows.

There comes a snap of tension being released, and then something cuts through the air. There is a splash as something strikes the water. But it also strikes Jensi. A long ash crossbow bolt strikes the oracle just under the waterline, drawing red blood out into the Jeggere.

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18 damage to Jensi.

Round 1

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None of you were able to see the source of the shot, but you can take your round and try again.

Map

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[RocketMan]

Jensi

Jensi whimpers as the crossbow bolt strikes his side, drawing blood. "Owww," he moans, pain flooding through his body, almost causing him to sink. Treading water, he places a hand on his wound. White light dances beneath the water, shimmering and flickering spectacularly as the oracle's wound starts to close.

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Cure Moderate Wounds: (2d8+6)[16]

[Drothmal]

Bonded! warns the blade as the attack starts

Rennard quickly turns to the oracle and tires to examine the bolt that had harmed Jensi, trying to analyze the angle of impact to extrapolate the position from where the shot was fired

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Not sure if this is a thing or not, but Rennard has +5 INT and a rank in all knowledge skills. I'm assuming that at least one of them may give some understanding of geometry. I'll just roll a dice and let the DM decide
(1d20)[8]

While he does so, Rennard casts a shield spell on himself, knowing that he'll be the one with the best defensive capabilities for this fight

Actions

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Cast Shield
If the knowledge roll works, Rennard will relay the info to the rest of the party and move in the direction of the shot. If the knowledge roll idea is shot down, then he'll just use his move action to try to see the attacker
percepiton - (1d20+7)[11]

[Minerva]

The Hellknight shouts in anger when the arrow hits Jensi. "We're under attack!" She pushes through the water in the direction of the shore. "Does this happen to you often?" The intensity of her voice masks whether, possibly, the inquisitor has just made a joke.

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Perception: (1d20+12)[22]

Take a 10 on swim to move 15 ft to shore.

[DaedalusMkV]

Dastan immediately makes the best speed he can for shore, dragging the plague chest he pulled up from the ocean floor behind him. "Every few days, Hellknight. If you stay with us, you'll get used to it." He pants as he swims.

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Take 10 on Swim to move 15 feet towards shore... That's about it.

[Blisstake]

"I hope they don't have your armor..." Aldrin worries as he masks himself with his magic. "I'm still here, just wait until they're open."

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Moving 15 feet up and casting invisbility.

HP: 51/51
F: 5, R: 5, W: 6
Level 1 spells: 5/8
Level 2 spells: 1/5
Level 3 spells: Have to sleep :(

[Leviathan]

Dastan and Dresane begin to swim towards shore, as do Atavian and Tallox, while the rest of the party casts their spells. Jensi heals his wound, Rennard weaves a defensive spell, and Aldrin vanishes from sight.

Dresane sees, silhouetted against the sky, a head peaking out from on top of one of the hovels. She calls this out, and, aided by her observation, the figure becomes obvious. You can see as he raises his crossbow again and fires, this time at Dresane. The crossbow bolt sheers across the inquisitor's unarmoured ribs.

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9 damage to Dresane.

The assassin then leaps down off the roof, and you get a better look at him in what little light there is. His armour is red and chitinous, his head covered completely in an insectoid mask designed to frighten and intimidate. As he lithely descends the hovel, he draws out a pair of serrated blades, long and sharp, whirling and spinning.

Round 2

Map

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I failed at this map; the assassin should be one square to his right, not on top of the hovel.

[DaedalusMkV]

Seeing the bolt whiz past him and strike Dresane, Dastan quickly whirls around and quickly rubs his hand against the wound, pumping healing energy into it before it has a chance to get infected by the filthy river water. The simple healing takes only a few moments, and the Paladin swims the last few steps onto shore, dropping the heavy chest and drawing his sword once more from its' sheath. "Another Mantis, come to join his bretheren in the hells." He growls.

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Ookay, lots of stuff to do this turn. First, Dastan will use Lay on Hands on Dresane as a Standard Action. Since she isn't Fatigued, it'll heal the extra d6 for a total of 4d6. Then, he'll use a Move action to swim to shore, drop the box as a free action in the middle of the Move and draw his sword as part of the Move. Finally, he'll activate his second daily Smite Evil as a Swift action, targetting the Red Mantis Assassin.

Lay on Hands Dresane: (4d6)[14]

Summary:
HP: 63/63

AC 10, FF10, Touch 10 (add 4 against the Assassin)
Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +12 (add 1 to all against Evil Outsiders)
Resist Elec, Fire, Cold 5
Immune to Fear
Immune to Disease

Smite Evil 0/2
Lay on Hands 7/8
Anger at the cowardly assassin shooting Jensi: Significant

[Drothmal]

The enemy spotted, Rennard begins to swim as fast as he can towards the shore. As he does so, the magus schemes a plan that would take the best advantage of the terrain the party has been forced to do combat in, preparing a blast of water against the assassin to strike him at the moment when he attempts to damage the duelist's companions

Actions

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Move: Swim as close to shore as possible (take 10 for 15)
Standard: Ready action to cast Hydraulic Push at the Mantis Assassin if he tries to attack any other party member (not sure if Bull Rush works for interrupting attacks, but I'm hoping it will at least push him enough to prevent a full round attack with the two swords)

Bull Rush - (1d20+11)[25]