[Day 27 to 33 – The Elf Job, Part 2: The Job is done and information is brokered]
[This game uses the Pathfinder 1E roleplaying game. Game sessions happen once a week. This session happened December 12, 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 8th level Wizard
Winston – male ratfolk 8th level Gunslinger
Via Roll20
Templeton von Trapp – male ratfolk 8th level Summoner (Synthesist)
NPCs
Gridik Stormstride – male blue kobold 6th level Wizard (Invoker)
Hrefna – female changeling 7th level Omdura
Ariphi – female tiefling 7th level Rogue
Autumn
Day 27 (concludes)
Late Afternoon
Marativy went out into the streets of Kaer Maga to return two of the three scrolls she stole from the Augur Temple [the scroll of Raise Dead and the scroll showing the Ritual of Controlling Devine Gifts] by slipping them into the haversacks of two trolls. For an extra layer of protection, she was disguised as a male halfling [boosted by her Hat of Disguise].
The first attempt went smoothly, with Marativy inserting the scroll without being noticed. Unfortunately, just as Marativy was inserting the second scroll into the haversack of another troll, the troll reached into the haversack for something and instead found Marativy’s arm! Being surprised the troll dropped Marativy and turned to see what it had put its hand on. Marativy immediately turned invisible and ran away.
Once back at the Grange with the rest of the Ratpack, Marativy simply reported returning the scrolls, leaving out the part about almost being caught.
Day 28
Hrefna started the morning by casting Commune and asking questions.
- Is the Shard of Gluttony in the Abbey of the Glutton Moon?: No
- Is the Doomsday door mentioned in the prophecy in Abbey of the Glutton Moon?: No
- Is the Queen of Blue on this plane?: Yes
- Is the Queen of Blue the former ruler of Thassilon?: No
- Do we have the prophecy Elaneiros wants?: Yes
- Should we give the prophecy to Elaneiros?: Unclear
- Is the Shard of Gluttony in the old Thassilonian Workshop?: Not Exactly
The Ratpack found the answers interesting and encouraging enough that they decided to take the prophecy to Elaneiros.
9:00 AM
At the door to the Therassic Spire, Marativy had trouble picking the lock for the first time ever. Taking her time on her second attempt, she noticed how much more complicated the lock was. Apparently, the Spire wizards had upped their security significantly since the group's last visit. Roscuro told Marativy to take her time. On her third attempt, the lock opened of its own volition. Marativy reported simply, “It’s open now,” and put away her tools.
In the ground floor vestibule, Zitch asked if anyone had looked for secret doors? The group now knew that the Thassilonian Workshop was under the Spire and there was a way to access it from the Spire. This suggested a hidden accessway somewhere on the ground floor. The adventurers took some time to search the vestibule and the two attached study rooms. They located a secret door behind a bookcase in one of the study rooms. Not wanting to delay meeting with Elaneiros any further, the adventurers made note of the secret door and then climbed the stairs to the lift.
The Ratpack took the lift to the top floor of the Spire and entered the library there. Zitch and Gridik both had See Invisible running and noticed two legion archons hovering and on guard. Elaneiros was sitting with some of the other members of the Spire in the comfy seating area of the library, apparently waiting for the Ratpack to arrive.
Roscuro presented the scroll of prophecy to Elaneiros, who inspected it. He found the seal still intact [thanks to Marativy's masterful reattachment] and agreed to share the information he had on the shard the Ratpack sought.
Elaneiros stated that the wizards of the Spire had recently been contacted by the Caulborn, non-humans who predated the Thassilonians, some of whom live in the Undercity and act as information brokers. The Caulborn offered information about the location of the Shard of Gluttony. In the Thassilonian Workshop, which once belonged to Karzoug, was an entrance to another dimension. The shard resides in that dimension.
The Spire sent a group of adventurers down to collect the shard but had not heard from them in some time. Elaneiros was willing to send the Ratpack down to meet with the Caulborn so the Ratpack can retrieve the shard as part of their deal for the prophecy. He also offered to pay for the return of the previous group, dead or alive, and any items of scholarly interest the Ratpack brought back to the surface.
Roscuro looked to the other members of the Ratpack to see if they were willing to proceed. They all nodded assent. Roscuro spoke for the group and agreed to the terms, but added they needed some time to finish preparing for the expedition [notably for Zitch to finish crafting a magic belt for Marativy]. Elaneiros agreed a week’s time would be acceptable. He and Roscuro shook hands.
Elaneiros explained that the Caulborn had stated they would meet representatives of the Spire in the Chamber of the Black Menhir, beyond the River of Memory. There the Caulborn would transport the group to the Dark Forest to retrieve the shard. He also provided the names and descriptions of the other adventurers: Hassari, a human female monk; Perotus, a male halfling rogue; Luonim the Vast, a male gnome Bloat Mage; and Selasny, a female dark naga fighter.
Days 29 to 33
Elaneiros opened up [some of] the resources of the Spire to help prepare. Gridik, Swamprover, and Zitch were allowed to copy many spells from the Spire’s library. Zitch also took the time to finish working on Marativy’s Belt of Dexterity [+6]. Gridik had time to craft a Headband of Vast Intelligence [+2] for himself while the group was waiting on Zitch, Roscuro helping with the funding for supplies. Roscuro acquired a Headband of Inspired Wisdom [+2] from the Spire for free. Winston spent the time crafting special ammunition for himself and gave Gridik pointers on how to best use the pistol the kobold was carrying around [see Rat Whispers, below].
End of Session
Rat Whispers
[Gridik had enough experience to level at this point and reached 7th level. He picked up Named Bullet and Dragon’s Breath in his spellbook as part of leveling, but also received Invisibility Sphere, Haste, Water Breathing, Magic Mouth, Shatter, Keen Edge, and Gaseous Form from the Spire library. Copying over the spells took a little over 2 days to accomplish and it took him another 2 days to craft the Headband. As a feat he took Exotic Weapon Proficiency and selected Gunpowder Weapons, reflected as the pointers that Winston offered and practice he did with his pistol.]
[The Other GM also decided to switch us over to a Milestone Method of awarding experience. The Adventure Path made assumptions about what the party would get involved with and what level they should be entering the dungeon and when we exited it. Rather than sweat the math and add a bunch of extra encounters to substitute for things we didn’t do (some of which were pretty dumb), he would just bump us in level where appropriate. As a result, he leveled all the main characters to 9th level.]
[He also mandated that I needed to actually take Leadership and make Gridik a cohort or give up direct control of him as an NPC. Making Gridik a cohort was always in the plan, so I did that. Winston’s player also had to decide which character he was going to run as his character. He chose Winston, but also took Leadership to make Hrefna his cohort. This kept Hrefna as part of the party (something all the players wanted), even if it did stifle her leveling up. Winston will need to do some things over the next while to up his Leadership score so he can legally have Hrefna as a cohort as his Charisma and reputation are low (due to being captured by Leroux).]
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 16
Next Session: Session 18 [Not yet typed up]
EDIT: Corrected date to when this actually session happened.
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