The Shackled City - Golarion Prelude

[Fangor the Fierce]

"I guess now would be a good time to get some order in how we go forward. The door doesn't seem trapped, and has presented a handle to me. I will open it, if we all want to prepare for anything that might be behind it."

Svexyn hopes his powers are not too weak for something like this, but it's worth a shot. He moves back, dagger in hand, and awaits the confirmation from the others that they are in position. He stands to the side of the doorway, able to flank anything that might come at them. Once the others are in place, he runs his fingers along the handle, and pulls it into the recess, towards his place at the side of the doorway. In doing so, he would like to see just how much this door weighs, taking note of it in his mind.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

[sblock=OOC]Val's going to start spamming Resistance.[/sblock]

 

[jkason]

Caytis Maggerin, half-elf magus

Caytis's eyes widen as he watches the blue energy play across the door. He briefly wonders what the door's response would have been had they not offered of themselves to the tree.

He shakes his head, deciding there's not time for idle pondering. Drawing his quadrens, he moves to take a rear guard position now that the party will be entering a more open area. He nods his readiness to proceed.

[sblock=mini-stats]Caytis Maggerin
HP: 10/10 AC: 15(19) AC(T): 12 AC(FF): 13(17)
(values in parenthesis with Shield active)
Init: +02
BAB: 00 CMB/CMD: 00/12 ACP: -1 ASF: 00 Spot: +05

Conditions: None
In Hand: Quadrens

Saving Throw Total Base Mod Misc Special
Fort: 03 2 +1
Ref: 01 0 +2 -1*
Will: 03 2 +1

* -1 Reflex (Wyrm Blooded trait)
** Conditional: Immune sleep, +2 vs enchantments, +4 vs acid

Weapon Attack Damage Critical Special
Quadrens +2 1d6 19-20/x2 1 pt bleed on crit
Quadrens, Spell Combat +0 1d6 19-20/x2 1 pt bleed on crit
Composite Shortbow +2 1d6 20/x3 Range 70 ft.

* Conditional: +1 attack with Arcane Pool enhancement.

Arcane Pool: 4/5 remaining

Spells Prepared:
* 0 Level (3): Prestidigitation, Detect Magic, Light
* 1st Level (2, DC 15): Shield, Shield[/sblock]

 

[ahayford]

The heavy door rolls into the recess with relative ease. From the way such a heavy stone rolls so effortlessly, you suspect you are being mechanically aided in some way. You do not get the blast of stale air you’d expect if this place had been sealed for 80 years. The warm air smells slightly of sulfur. The door seems to have opened safely without event. Wilbur lifts his enchanted light and shines it through the doorway.

Your lights cast long shadows of items long forgotten against the stonework. Much like the previous rooms, evacuees seemed to have dropped a great many things on their way out of the city. Another stairway continues on about ten yards before taking a sharp right turn and continuing off into the darkness. The stonework here matches the fine masonry located at the entrance to the city.

***Passive Perception***

In the dust that has collected over the years, you spot several different sets of foot prints leading into and out of the city. Some of the prints are humanoid....possibly of the creatures you dispatched in Ghelve’s kitchen. Other prints are smaller...almost hoof shaped. But one thing is certain, this is not the first time this doorway has been used recently.

 

[Walking Dad]

Wilbur

"Anyone of you recognizing the tracks? Small ponies or something more sinister? Were the bipedal?" Wilbur asks the better trackers in the group.

[sblock=OOC]

Guidance for everyone's roles to answer Wilbur's questions

----

AC: 15
HP: 10 / 11

Spells: Doom, Murderous Command
1: 5/5

Gift of Madness: 6 / 6

Wilbur 2
Wilbur Warrington

[/sblock]

 

[Fangor the Fierce]

"That is not a skill that I have had the training in. But these tracks, they are a bit unusual..." Svexyn examines the tracks while trying to figure out if he knew anything that would make something like this from his reading. He also examines the refuse to see if anything is worth using.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

"And I am sadly lacking in any training outside what's needed to run a tavern and the tenets of Cayden Cailean."

 

[jkason]

Caytis Maggerin, half-elf magus

Caytis shakes his head.

"I'm not much of a tracker, either, though I know a fair few otherworldly animal types. I'll take a look."

The half-elf moves to study the tracks, as well, to see if he can identify what creature might have left them.

[sblock=actions]Making 3 know checks: Arcana, Dungeoneering, and Planes. Not sure any of them would be relevant, but can't hurt. Will append with rolls.[/sblock]

[sblock=mini-stats]Caytis Maggerin
HP: 10/10 AC: 15(19) AC(T): 12 AC(FF): 13(17)
(values in parenthesis with Shield active)
Init: +02
BAB: 00 CMB/CMD: 00/12 ACP: -1 ASF: 00 Spot: +05

Conditions: None
In Hand: Quadrens

Saving Throw Total Base Mod Misc Special
Fort: 03 2 +1
Ref: 01 0 +2 -1*
Will: 03 2 +1

* -1 Reflex (Wyrm Blooded trait)
** Conditional: Immune sleep, +2 vs enchantments, +4 vs acid

Weapon Attack Damage Critical Special
Quadrens +2 1d6 19-20/x2 1 pt bleed on crit
Quadrens, Spell Combat +0 1d6 19-20/x2 1 pt bleed on crit
Composite Shortbow +2 1d6 20/x3 Range 70 ft.

* Conditional: +1 attack with Arcane Pool enhancement.

Arcane Pool: 4/5 remaining

Spells Prepared:
* 0 Level (3): Prestidigitation, Detect Magic, Light
* 1st Level (2, DC 15): Shield, Shield[/sblock]

 

[ahayford]

As each of the group passes through the doorway, you feel a strange resistance. The air seems to thicken like syrup, slowing your passage through the door. But then, as your feet step through to the other side, the resistance is gone. As Svexyn passes through the doorway and sets foot inside the city proper, the amulet given to you by Ghelve begins to glow softly with a cold blue light. As the amulet comes alive, so too does a strip of light leading down the hallway. The light is somehow worked into the floor and appears to have reacted to the amulet’s presence. The beam runs up the stairs, with an occasional arrow leading towards the exit.

The groups examines the foot prints in the thick layer of dust in an attempt to gather any additional information about those that left them before their own passage disturbs the dust further.

[sblock=Svexyn Perception]
You are able to find sets of tracks going in both directions. Both the hoofed and humanoid tracks lead into and out of the city. Whoever left the city likely has come back this same way. Apparently many times judging by the number of tracks. It is likely many small groups game through this way rather then one large group. A large group would have been noticed.[/sblock]


[sblock=Caytis Dungeoneering]
You recognize the hoofed footprints as belongs to a race of bottom feeders known as Dark Creepers. These bi-pedal humanoids are natives of the Darklands...but they have been known to live on the fringes of surface society, living off civilizations cast offs and whatever else they can get their hands on. They have no qualms about using violence to take what they desire. This ruthlessness, however, is countered by their cowardice. They rarely fight openly, and even rarely against an even opponent.

At worst, it seems like some may have taken up residence in the abandoned city...at best they are using it as a route to the surface to do who knows what.
[/sblock]

 

[jkason]

Caytis Maggerin, half-elf magus

Caytis groans as he studies the tracks.

"Dark Creepers," he says. "Make their home normally in the Darklands, but it's not exactly new to find them living on cast offs from a nearby city," he points above. "Or I suppose they may have settled in here; whole city down here is a bit of a cast off, right?

"They're vicious little blighters, but usually pretty cowardly. Not given to charging in and attacking, especially against folk who actually look like they can fight."

[sblock=ooc]the above is my IC good-faith attempt to share everything Caytis learned, so I think it should be fine for everyone to feel free to read the sblock for Caytis in the post above, in case I've unintentionally obscured information by dialoguing it.[/sblock]

[sblock=mini-stats]Caytis Maggerin
HP: 10/10 AC: 15(19) AC(T): 12 AC(FF): 13(17)
(values in parenthesis with Shield active)
Init: +02
BAB: 00 CMB/CMD: 00/12 ACP: -1 ASF: 00 Spot: +05

Conditions: None
In Hand: Quadrens

Saving Throw Total Base Mod Misc Special
Fort: 03 2 +1
Ref: 01 0 +2 -1*
Will: 03 2 +1

* -1 Reflex (Wyrm Blooded trait)
** Conditional: Immune sleep, +2 vs enchantments, +4 vs acid

Weapon Attack Damage Critical Special
Quadrens +2 1d6 19-20/x2 1 pt bleed on crit
Quadrens, Spell Combat +0 1d6 19-20/x2 1 pt bleed on crit
Composite Shortbow +2 1d6 20/x3 Range 70 ft.

* Conditional: +1 attack with Arcane Pool enhancement.

Arcane Pool: 4/5 remaining

Spells Prepared:
* 0 Level (3): Prestidigitation, Detect Magic, Light
* 1st Level (2, DC 15): Shield, Shield[/sblock]