Iradil asked Tsadok on how she had managed in the fight, he replied gruffly, "Is that a trick question?" Iradil spoke of her ancestors, of how she had elven blood within her from great warriors, of how her ancestors had excelled at battle. Tsadok, unimpressed, berated Iradil, leaving her scowling and aggrieved.
Hellov channeled the divine might of Angradd through his holy symbol, healing magics flowing in to Dariz, magically healing the morningstar's vicious wound. Dariz roused back to consciousness, saw the fallen thugs, moved over to them and tended them, stemming their bleeding wounds before they bled to death.
Knowing that the thugs had tried to alert Natalya Vancaskerkin, the party entered the building swiftly. Too swiftly! Tsadok barged open and rushed through the front door in to a room and in to a festering pit of sewage. The floor had become so rotten, the whole of the basement was exposed, several feet of murky thick sewage pooling below the floor level. Iradil, on seeing Tsadok disappear in to the viscous gloop, asked if the party could pause for a moment. Dariz asked if it was to pay respects to the lost friend, Iradil explained it was just to afford time to re-calculate the wealth she was holding, now splitting the party loot 4 ways instead of 5. Slightly to her dismay, moments later Tsadok erupted from the sewage, gasping for air. As Tsadok spluttered and stook up, the sewage sloshing up to his waist, gathering himself together, stealthy goblins pounced and attacked!
The party noticed a narrow plank across the room, the sewer pipes draining in to the basement below, the goblins, but also the broken ceiling and rafters of an attic up above. Dariz drew wickedly sharp throwing stars, hurling her shuriken at the goblins, who danced back to avoid them, tossing their jangling bags at Tsadok in return. Shikoba's arrows flew true, Tsadok smashed one with his Earth Breaker before Hellov hauled the soaking barbarian back up, reaking with an abominable stench.
More goblins attacked from the next room, one shooting Iradil who collapsed to the floor, her dagger falling from her limp hand, before Hellov drew on his holy powers to heal her, moments later, back to health and consciousness. Coming round, she saw the fallen goblins and weakly asked, "Loot?"
Dariz glanced around before replying, "No lute . . . let's look for a banjo instead!"
After this tiring battle, Tsadok felt weary, seeking to rest for a few moments. Dariz vaulted up to the rafters above, scouting the attic. Iradil asked Tsadok of battle and her skills with her short, thin dagger, to again receive criticism and scorn. Iradil spoke of her elven ancestors and their accomplishments, their skills in battle, how they could aid her. Vexed by Tsadok's contempt, she murmured words of arcane magic, soft lights flaring around her, coalescing in to a dark figure clad in black jagged armour, materialising in front of her. This form swirled to face towards Iradil, charged towards her and thrust inside her, vanishing in to her body. Iradil gasped as her body writhed and changed, the black form pushing out through her, until Iradil vanished and this new form stood in her place.
The form spoke with a deep, male voice, sharing, "Let me introduce Lord Iradil Dolour of the Great House Dolour of Zirnakaynin, Hunter Slayer of the Morlocks of Sekamina, Knife of Ten Thousand Deaths, Nar-Voth Vanquisher of Darkland's Krba Derro, Flensing Vengeance of Andirifkhu, Lord General of the Army of Sorrow, Guardian of the West Gate of Zirnakaynin."
Tsadok was stunned, whispering, " . . . a drow!" but before further conversation that was a cry from above as Dariz was attacked by two hideous monsters, small flapping creatures with jagged claws and needle like nose. They flapped towards her, she danced aside from one but the other snared her clothes then pulled itself to her, speared her with it's sharp nose and sucked blood noisily from her.
Iradil jumped up, grabbed one of the rafters and pulled himself up, strong and agile despite the heavy jagged armour and wicked gauntlets he wore. As he hauled himself in to the attic, Dariz lashed out with deft precise blows, felling one of the monsters, Shikoba's arrows dropping the other, just as Iradil stood to witness the carnage.
Hellov tended Dariz, concerned about the amount of blood she had lost, as Tsadok shouted below about the drow. Iradil offered to help Tsadok up to the rafters, grinning, as the half-orc recoiled, "I'll take no help from a stinking drow!" Iradil laughed, Tsadok being the one stinking, covered in raw sewage.
The party gathered in the attic, Tsadok inviting the party to defeat the drow. Shikoba was surprised, explaining it was Iradil, that people were prejudiced against orcs, yet Tsadok was accepted as a half-orc. Iradil explained her half-elven lineage was from drow elven ancestors in her distant past, Dariz echoed Shikoba's call for tolerance but Tsadok remained hostile and perplexed. Iradil shifted back to her half-elf form, sought to appease Tsadok but without real progress, Tsadok's suspicion and mistrust increased. Fearing battle, Iradil again summoned and merged with her ancestor, encouraged by the party's desire to swiftly moved on before Natalya Vancaskerkin. Moments later they found her, concealed in the attic with two goblins at her side, demanding the party leave immediately.
Iradil pounced on her, he literally dropped to all fours and dashed to her, leaping across a 10 foot hole in the rafters, to land in front of her. Swinging his heavy bladed gauntlets at her, he attacked 3 times, gashing and staggering her as she and her goblins rallied to attack. The attacks were blurred, Iradil seemingly having more than two arms attacking her, his flurry of strong blows catching her with surprise. Moments later Dariz leapt over, pausing before executing one perfectly timed, perfectly balanced blow that stunned Natalya Vancaskerkin, she reeled backwards before slumping to the floor. With the goblins then defeated, the party recovered treasures. Iradil picked up a copper coloured shard, inspecting it with curiosity. Arcane magics flared as he detected potent illusion magics bound within it. Tsadok ignored Iradil and picked up Natalya Vancaskerkin, the party returned swiftly to Sheila Heidmarch at Heidmarch Manor.
Within the manor, Sheila Heidmarch shared her delight at the recovery of Natalya Vancaskerkin and of the shard. She chided Tsadok on his prejudice against Iradil and drow, politely reminding Tsadok that Pathfinders preached tolerance and cooperation. She then explained that this copper shard was the Shard of Pride and part of an ancient Thassilonian artifact, the Sihedron, crafted by the Azlanti wizard, Emperor Xin, some 10 000 years ago. Sheila Heidmarch explained that she had studied and knew of the shards, looking at the shard in wonder, "Never did I imagine one would fall in to my lap!" Iradil looked at her with irritation, "It didn't, I brought it." Sheila Heidmarch nodded, "You did, you did very well." She took the shard, bound an ioun stone within it then returned it to Iradil who snatched it back, arrogantly claiming it as his. She suggested that the shard could be used as a focus, allowing other shards to be found if Iradil thought of the image of the whole, of the Sihedron. In a very unusual turn of events, not wishing to be told what to do by Sheila Heidmarch, Iradil declined to do as she suggested, now. He instead intended to do so on his own terms and choosing. Sheila Heidmarch suggested the Shard of Pride could be used to track down the rest of the shards, Iradil again was dismissive and perhaps discourteous in his aloof reply of, "Sounds like a theory, Pathfinder!" He turned the conversation to Natalya Vancaskerkin and what she might know.
Needing to talk with Natalya Vancaskerkin and remind herself of Sihedron lore, Sheila Heidmarch suggested the party return after a short while. Hellov demanded fine food, the party left for lunch. Tsadok sought to find the missing people within Magnimar, Iradil felt they were only peasants and wasn't inclined to agree with Tsadok in doing what Tsadok was suggesting he should do until Dariz and Hellov reminded Iradil of the wealth that Kasadei within the Arvensoar had promised. Hellov wearily asked, "Is it time for dinner yet?" at which the party, not having time to journey far and seek lost citizens, chose rather to dine well.
On returning an hour later, Sheila Heidmarch explained that the Sihedron could be reformed if all seven shards were found and brought together. She felt this would afford Magnimar (and Varisia) a powerful defense against future threats and challenges. Iradil focussed on the shard, evoking a vision of "the Crow", a tower that once supported the might Irespan bridge but is now but a standing tower, some half a mile out in the relatively calm waters of the Varisian Gulf. Hiring a sailor, the party arranged to journey to the tower, questing for the next shard of the Sihedron.
The party gained a level from this, rising from level 1 to level 2.
ReplyDeleteThe party shared treasure gained so far, achieving a gain of 1 730 GP and 5 SP each.