[Day 4 and 5 – Conclusion of the fight with the lesher and rescued villagers evacuated.]
[This game uses the Pathfinder 1E roleplaying game. Game sessions happen once a week. This session happened August 15, 2022.]
[SPOILERS! If you are likely to adventure through the Shattered Star Adventure Path from Paizo, this campaign will be spoilers all the way down.]
Player Characters
Marativy – female ratfolk 8th level Ninja
Zitch Grimreaper – male ratfolk 8th level Witch with a donkey rat (capybara) familiar
Roscuro – male ratfolk 8th level Monk
Swamprover – female grippli 7th level Wizard
Hrefna – female changeling 7th level Omdura
Via Roll20
Templeton von Trapp – male ratfolk 8th level Summoner (Synthesist)
Autumn
Day 4 (Continued mid-fight)
The crow swarm followed Swamprover out of Caylen’s home and into the street, where it flowed over the grippli, Zitch, and Hrefna. Swamprover reversed course and ducked back into the house, slamming the door shut behind her. Two of the wolves moved to attack Templeton, but both failed to land hits on him. One wolf moved and attacked Marativy successfully and the last wolf attacked Zitch [my notes do not indicate if the attack was successful]. The lesher attacked and easily hit Roscuro despite the monk’s ki defense but it failed to infect Roscuro with a plant parasite. Blinded by the swarm, Zitch flew straight up to get out of the swarm. Hrefna was also blinded and again failed to break free from the roots holding her in place. Roscuro stepped to a point where he could attack two of the wolves and the lesher, renewed his ki defense, and unleashed a flurry of blows. One blow killed a wolf, one seriously wounded the other, and the two of the final three attacks landed solidly on the lesher. Marativy stepped to Roscuro’s space and did a full attack on the lesher, hitting twice with flanking sneak attacks [as ratfolk, both Marativy and Roscuro have Swarming, which provides flanking if we both attack the same target (among other things)]. Templeton grabbed Hrefna and ripped her out of the roots before flying over to the lesher. This triggered multiple attacks [of opportunity] from the wolves, all of which missed. Hrefna stepped away from the others to avoid becoming an enticing target for the crow swarm.
The crow swarm moved over Templeton, Roscuro, Marativy, and the lesher. Safe inside Caylen’s house, Swamprover started searching the rooms for any sign of Caylen or his wife, finding Caylen on his bed, covered in plantlife. The remaining three wolves, bleeding from wounds inflicted by Templeton, attacked Templeton, Hrefna, and Roscuro, but only the one attacking Hrefna hit. The lesher stepped back and then unleashed its root growth attack, encompassing Marativy, Roscuro, Hrefna, and the wolves in the conic area of the attack. No one was immobilized this time, but Marativy and Hrefna still took damage and all three remaining wolves were killed. Zitch flew a little closer to Hrefna, placed Protective Luck on her, and cackled to maintain it and the other castings still active. Roscuro stepped out of the crow swarm and attempted to use the Suggestion power of the Shard of Lust. It failed entirely [lesher are immune to mind effects]. Marativy stepped in a different direction out of the swarm and attacked the lesher for some damage. Templeton was blinded by the crow swarm and had trouble finding his way out. Hrefna moved to a safer position and cast cure moderate wounds on herself.
The crow swarm moved back over Templeton and Marativy. Swamprover, noticing that Hrefna’s healing aura had moved, moved back into it as she was still seriously wounded from the swarms. The lesher stepped over to Roscuro and hit him once. Zitch cast snowball at the swarm and continued to cackle. Roscuro performed a flurry of blows, starting with the very depleted swam of crows, dispersing the swarm on his third hit. He attempted to land his final attack on the lesher but missed. Marativy stepped to flank the lesher with Hrefna, but failed to hit. Templeton performed a full attack on the lesher and hit it twice. Hrefna followed with a full attack on the lesher [my notes do not indicate if she hit but the fact that the lesher attacked her in the next round suggests she did].
Swamprover opened the door to Caylen’s house, calling out she has located Caylen. The lesher attacked Hrefna twice, hitting once. Zitch flew into the house to cast lesser restoration on Caylen [and avoid having the lesher manifest there when we kill it]. Roscuro focused his ki on an extra attack and unleashed a flurry of blows on the lesher, killing it with the third hit. The lesher exploded in response, flinging out parasites as shrapnel. Hrefna and Templeton were both hit and infected by parasites.
Marativy cut the parasite out of Templeton’s eidolon while Roscuro assisted Hrefna in pulling out the one infecting her. In the house, Zitch cast lesser restoration on Caylen and then immediately placed a healing hex on him. The parasite ripped its way out of Caylen and attempted to flee out of the house, where the rest of the Ratpack piled attacks on it until it was paste.
After catching their breath, the Ratpack split up into two teams and searched the other houses to locate and rescue infected villagers. They saved 8 more villagers , but another one died from the damage done when the parasite ripped out of them [it rolled more damage than we rolled healing]. All nine of the rescued villagers were still asleep. Zitch cast detect magic and could tell the sleep was magically induced but waning.
After a quick discussion of options, Zitch cast secure shelter and the Ratpack encamped inside with the sleeping villagers. Hrefna also cast alarm around the shelter and the Ratpack stood regular watches through the night.
Day 5
Morning
The villagers woke up in the morning and were very hungry and confused. The Ratpack explained the situation and then raided the village for food and spices to cook a large but simple breakfast. While everyone was eating, the Ratpack questioned the villagers about what they remembered. They “the sleep” apparently started about a week ago and there were nearly 50 villagers still missing.
The Ratpack discussed options. They wanted to pursue the lesher wherever it re-established itself, but none of them were trackers or had much wilderness expertise. Additionally, leaving the villagers here was too dangerous as the lesher or its minions could return at any time and kill them all. They conferred with the villagers and decided to take the villagers back to Wortle as soon as possible.
Once the villagers finished eating and felt they had some strength, they spent some time collecting food and belongings for the relocation to Wortle.
Noon
Zitch cast conjure carriage twice, providing enough capacity to move everyone back to Wortle. Everyone loaded up and the carriages left Brannock.
5:00 PM
The Ratpack, mostly riding on top of the carriages, heard the sounds of dire ape hunting calls in the brush. With everyone a little more alert, Zitch had the carriages continue south to Wortle.
8:00 PM
The two carriages arrived at Wortle.
The Ratpack immediately turned the rescued villagers over to the authorities, explaining the fate of Brannock. This took some time.
9:00 PM
Roscuro walked Cayden’s mother’s home and reported to Seline that her son was alive and over at the town hall with the other refugees from Brannock. Roscuro explained the full situation to Seline truthfully and honestly. Seline thanked him and went into another room to get a small box, which she handed to Roscuro as the promised reward. Roscuro offered to escort her to Caylen at the town hall and she accepted. There was a bittersweet reunion between them at Caylen’s wife was among those missing.
11:00 PM
Back at the ship, Roscuro finally opened the box Seline had given him. Inside was the promised heirloom belt plus a note and a small leather pouch. The note was from Seline and explained that she had told others with missing family in Brannock about Roscuro’s group going to Brannock to find out what happened. They had put together a small collection of coins as a thank you. Inside the pouch was 200 gold coins. Roscuro immediately put the coins into the party fund.
Roscuro had Zitch check the belt for magic as it seemed to be in suspiciously good condition. Zitch confirmed it was magical and was in fact a Belt of Dexterity [+2]. Roscuro took off the Belt of Dexterity [+2] he was wearing and put on Seline’s belt. Marativy asked about the other belt and Roscuro gave it to her.
Marativy then asked Zitch what he needed to increase the enchantment on it as she had been saving up for a very powerful version. They discussed it and Zitch agreed she had enough gold to buy the supplies…if they could find a source to buy them from.
Midnight
Before going to bed, Roscuro took the time to pen a letter to Sheila Heidmarch [Captain of the Pathfinder Society in Magnimar]. In the letter he detailed what had happened at Brannock. He suggested that the Magnimar government might request adventurers to finish the job against the lesher but the Ratpack was continuing on with its original mission. He enclosed a drawing of the lesher that Marativy had made into the letter. In the morning he would find a ship heading downriver to Magnimar and pay to have the letter delivered.
End of Session
Rat Whispers
[The players had a much bigger conversation on what to do next after learning there were 50 missing villagers than I included in the write-up. We wanted to find them but had to admit we were completely unprepared for such an endeavor. We had none of the necessary ranger skills, plus we had 9 survivors that were barely strong enough to stand, let alone tramp through the forest with us or defend themselves in the ruined village if we left them there and they were attacked. We eventually settled for a guaranteed rescue of 9 villagers.]
Ratpack
Book 1: Shards of Sin Landing Page – Links to all Book 1 sessions
Book 2: Curse of the Lady’s Light Landing Page – Links to all Book 2 sessions
Book 3: The Asylum Stone Landing Page – Links to all Book 3 sessions
Last Session: Session 3
Next Session: Session 5
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