The Shackled City - Golarion Prelude

[ahayford]

As Kheygan Ghelve suggested, the entrance to Jzadirune is located at the bottom of the main spiral staircase that leads up to the second floor. Several digging implements can still be seen strewn about the site Kheygan has excavated. A pile of loose earth lay next to a pile of heavy flagstones Kheygan has stacked underneath the staircase. His work has revealed a set of finely worked stone steps that descend into pitch blackness. Warm, stale air wafts out of the tunnel smelling faintly of brimstone and other unpleasent things.

It doesn’t take a craftsman to recognize the marked difference in the craftsmanship of the steps and the rest of the structure Kheygan calls home. Each stone fits perfectly with the one beside it. Fine details carved into the stone could only have been left by an artists touch. Clearly, someone meant for this entrance to remain for a very long time. The steps appear to descend a good ways into the earth, but without light it is difficult to tell.

[sblock=low light or infravision]The stairs begin to curve and spiral downwards, making if difficult to say just how far down they go.[/sblock]

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

"I'll take a spot near the middle; if need be, I can call on my Patron to help keep us healthy, and from the middle I should be able to extend that to all of us. I'll be able to see quite well from there."

 

[Dragonwriter]

Marcus glances at Svexyn as he says he needs no lights to see. "Lucky you, but the rest of us need it. So how far are you going to stay ahead of us? And any of you magicians have something to make light so I can see what I need to gut? I doubt there's going to be a lot of light down there."

He looks at the entrance, trying to gauge which of his myriad weapons would be best-suited for the place...

[sblock=OOC]
How wide does the entrance to the underground seem to be? Would I be able to swing my guisarme reasonably or have issues? If there will be issues with swinging a guisarme, what about a longsword?

If a longsword would face trouble in these confines, I'll do spear/shield.
[/sblock]

 

[Fangor the Fierce]

"I won't stay too far ahead. Also sounds like we need some torches or sunrods. Got any of those lying around, Keygan?"

 

[ahayford]

OOC: The passage is wide enough for two people to comfortably pass abreast, and extends up approximately 8 feet. A polearm is going to be fairly unwieldy in the stairwell as it delves into the earth. A blade or spear would be much more effective

 

[Walking Dad]

Wilbur

"I would like to stay in the middle. And I can maybe help a little with the light. I can make an item glow as bright as a torch. Just choose an item a shall enchant."

[sblock=OOC]

----

AC: 15
HP: 11 / 11

Spells: Doom, Murderous Command
1: 5/5

Gift of Madness: 6 / 6

Wilbur 2
Wilbur Warrington

[/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

Nia feels a flutter of apprehension at that dark maw in the ground. The city wasn't so bad...a jungle of another kind. The crowds took getting used to, but weren't threatening. But this. It looked like a tomb. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling they were all marching down into a giant burial cairn, never to return.

Then, out of nowhere, something that had been tickling the back of her head swam into focus.

"De gnome," she said in a quiet voice...the need to whisper was already overpowering in that claustrophobic space..."did he have cooking ingredients?"

(OOC - Just to spare myself embarrassment, Nia's thinking we should bring along some flour for the purpose of unmasking invisible goobers that might stalk us down there. It'll be a couple of levels before we can glitterdust it up. )

 

[ahayford]

A quick glance over the kitchen does indeed reveal a sack of flour.

 

[jkason]

Caytis Maggerin, half-elf magus

"I can conjure up light, as well," Caytis offers. "So, between Wilbur and me, we shouldn't have visibility problems. And with the spell, we should be able to extinguish and re-light if we need to hide suddenly."

Caytis cocks his head to one side as Nia asks about ingredients, but having come to trust the wild woman has better sense than most of the rest of them, he lets it go.

"I'll join you up front for the trip down the stairwell, at least," Caytis says to Marcus. "Depending on how the tunnels work down there, I may need to shift to rear guard if that turns into a concern once we get there."

[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]

 

[Shayuri]

No sooner has Nia spoken than she spies the door to the pantry and guesses its function. She has to stoop to get in through the gnome-made architecture, but inside she sees what she wants to.

She comes out with a sack of fine-ground flour in her arms. Sized for a gnome, it is not as big and heavy as one might expect, but it's clearly still a bit of a burden for her.

"Bring dis," she instructs. "One of you ken keep it in dose sacks on your backs, like a little baby. Dat way it be close at hand when we need it."