Competent and polite evil guys are always weirdly fun to interact with, and so long as properly contracted should be alright to let live, especially since he won't be our problem.
Oh, @Goldfish we have the alchemy equipment from that dwarf pirate we killed earlier, could we give to him in exchange for a favor or for some work? We don't have a use for it after all, and the best we could do with it otherwise is sell it off.
You could even give him the notes on how to make an engine that runs on pieces of soul-stuff. I'm sure he'll only use it ethically.
Seriously though you just found an alchemist to help Pisca with his desire to drink space ship cooling fluid for power (assuming he will agree to that).
Competent and polite evil guys are always weirdly fun to interact with, and so long as properly contracted should be alright to let live, especially since he won't be our problem.
Oh, @Goldfish we have the alchemy equipment from that dwarf pirate we killed earlier, could we give to him in exchange for a favor or for some work? We don't have a use for it after all, and the best we could do with it otherwise is sell it off.
A portable hole would make for a fairly good tiny lab imo. Stick a ladder in there (along with an item of Air Bubble and a scroll of Plane Shift for if someone gets it closed on them), and you've got 6ft diameter circle of floorspace for workstations and such.
No need to set up your lab, or worry about your setup being jostled or damaged.
Only thing to be hyper-careful about is to not let the person carrying the Portable Hole ever be put inside a Bag of Holding (or carry a Bag of Holding, including the tiny Pouch we have
Seriously though you just found an alchemist to help Pisca with his desire to drink space ship cooling fluid for power (assuming he will agree to that).
A portable hole would make for a fairly good tiny lab imo. Stick a ladder in there (along with an item of Air Bubble and a scroll of Plane Shift for if someone gets it closed on them), and you've got 6ft diameter circle of floorspace for workstations and such.
No need to set up your lab, or worry about your setup being jostled or damaged.
Only thing to be hyper-careful about is to not let the person carrying the Portable Hole ever be put inside a Bag of Holding (or carry a Bag of Holding, including the tiny Pouch we have
Portable Holes make me nervous. They're so damned dangerous when Bags of Holding are involved. When everyone in the party is carrying a Bag of Holding, having a Portable Hole around us just asking for disaster.
Talking about Portable Holes and Bags of Holding reminded me of something I wrote up for ASWAH a long while back.
These aren't necessarily something I would expect to be able to buy in an average magical workshop, but it would make sense if the Azlanti survivors who arrived in the adamantine escape pods would have one of these with them.
Dimensional Redoubt: This slender dagger-length rod of Mithral vaguely resembles a key. Rather than opening a lock, however, the rod grants one access to a specially prepared extra-dimensional space very similar to that created by a Rope Trick spell. This extra-dimensional space is a stone-walled room (10'x10'x10') furnished as a simple but comfortable living space. Two walls of the room each support four folding bunks suitable for Medium-sized creatures, and a small enclosed privy in one corner magically disposes of any waste. A sturdy wooden table which can be assembled when the sleeping bunks are stowed is stored within the room, along with eight folding wooden chairs. Its interior is lit by four Continual Flame lanterns with adjustable shutters to control the amount of light provided.
The Dimensional Redoubt supports the presence of up to eight individuals, providing them with continually refreshed air, though the Redoubt is only capable of accommodating occupants of Medium-size or smaller. As with a Rope Trick spell, the three foot by six foot portal doorway which accesses the space is normally Invisible to everyone but the holder of the Redoubt key and those capable of piercing Invisibility by other means. Although the Invisible portal can be used to observe the area where the Redoubt was accessed, this can easily lead enemies or other interested parties to its location should they possess the ability to See the Invisible. To reduce this danger, the holder of the Redoubt key has the option to render the portal completely undetectable, though doing so removes the ability for those within the Redoubt to use it as an observation window, along with preventing entry or exit to any but the keyholder.
Only those granted access by the holder of the Redoubt key can enter the extra-dimensional space, and no more than seven additional people can have access at any given time, but once access has been granted it remains until the Redoubt is deactivated. The Redoubt cannot be deactivated while occupied and any materials which have been brought into it, except for the furnishings mentioned above, are forcefully expelled when the extra-dimensional space collapses. Activating or deactivating the Redoubt is as simple as speaking the command phrase, but collapsing or expanding the extra-dimensional space requires one minute, during which time the key cannot be moved more than three feet from the portal doorway or the process must be repeated.
Portable Holes make me nervous. They're so damned dangerous when Bags of Holding are involved. When everyone in the party is carrying a Bag of Holding, having a Portable Hole around us just asking for disaster.
That's... wise. Probably best to avoid them, then. And also keep careful track of who we put into our bags of holding/strip them
I think we have a tiny pouch of holding, that's hard to detect with magic?
Probably want to make sure we never try to carry the party member who has that in a larger Bag of Holding.
----
Idle musing: If I were a sensible sort of magic item enchanter, I'd create some sort of circular item/big ring that sits at the top an opened portable hole, and constantly detects for nearby Bags of Holding and the like, and glows red if any are detected and applies a moderate repellent force to those bags as they get closer.
Safety features, ya know?
That's... wise. Probably best to avoid them, then. And also keep careful track of who we put into our bags of holding/strip them
I think we have a tiny pouch of holding, that's hard to detect with magic?
Probably want to make sure we never try to carry the party member who has that in a larger Bag of Holding.
----
Idle musing: If I were a sensible sort of magic item enchanter, I'd create some sort of circular item/big ring that sits at the top an opened portable hole, and constantly detects for nearby Bags of Holding and the like, and glows red if any are detected and applies a moderate repellent force to those bags as they get closer.
Safety features, ya know?
And what would happen if you used a "Bag of Devouring" instead? Would it kill the bag monster, or leave the target fighting a pissed off monster in the Astrial Plane? Or even worse, fighting the true Bag Monster, who infects Bags of Holding with small parts of itself.
And what would happen if you used a "Bag of Devouring" instead? Would it kill the bag monster, or leave the target fighting a pissed off monster in the Astrial Plane? Or even worse, fighting the true Bag Monster, who infects Bags of Holding with small parts of itself.
A living Bag of Holding in whatever form would be destroyed in the process, though if its consciousness is distributed you'd only get the part in the bag used.
[X] Let the drow live
-[X] "A deal is a deal," Sirim concludes, if the rest of the party agrees. "We need not be enemies if you can let bygones be bygones, and we have no need of your equipment. Our associates, however, do not work for free. Rather than paying them ourselves, we will deduct their fees from your funds; 4,000 gold to Sir Pisca, 4,000 to Leontas and his men, and the remainder for you to keep. In exchange for leaving you with our share, I would ask that you make copies of your notes and recipes for Alchemical concoctions suitable for a common alchemist to produce, and perhaps provide some guidance on the matter to our friend."
--[X] "The governor has agreed to abide by our decision in regard to sparing you, but you will need to come to an arrangement with him, possibly enforced by binding magic, if you wish to retain your freedom in Taldor. Considering the situation in Cassomir now that Drow plotting has been exposed, you might be better off leaving the country entirely if the governor permits it."
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Nov 27, 2024 at 7:00 AM, finished with 36 posts and 5 votes.
[X] Let the drow live -[X] "A deal is a deal," Sirim concludes, if the rest of the party agrees. "We need not be enemies if you can let bygones be bygones, and we have no need of your equipment. Our associates, however, do not work for free. Rather than paying them ourselves, we will deduct their fees from your funds; 4,000 gold to Sir Pisca, 4,000 to Leontas and his men, and the remainder for you to keep. In exchange for leaving you with our share, I would ask that you make copies of your notes and recipes for Alchemical concoctions suitable for a common alchemist to produce, and perhaps provide some guidance on the matter to our friend." --[X] "The governor has agreed to abide by our decision in regard to sparing you, but you will need to come to an arrangement with him, possibly enforced by binding magic, if you wish to retain your freedom in Taldor. Considering the situation in Cassomir now that Drow plotting has been exposed, you might be better off leaving the country entirely if the governor permits it."
You looks around at the others. This isn't like the keth in the forest looking for an easy mark, or the fools who had been drawn to attack the Pharasman temple back in Augustana. Saenar makes no apologies for the evil he has committed and yet... what else could he have done having lived the life he did? If one does not know what innocence is, how can one treasure it? When, you wonder to the children of drow, stop being 'ritually pure'?
"I don't want to be responsible for the things he'll do," Mina whispers heavily.
"Then don't be," Sirim answers harshly. "You took in the fire, your own deeds will be heavy enough without dragging behind the ills of those you failed to kill like a vulture trailing half-rotted entrails."
"What...?" you start to defend her, but the shade presses on.
"You are not the keeper of men's souls, even of us who you walk beside each day, much less those you simply leave alive in your wake. If he lives his healing might save a life that preserves the kingdom from war and strife for a thousand years. If he dies now his soul might fall screaming to the Pit to arise again as a demon remembered in the wailing of nations unborn. You cannot see all ends and you can only choose for yourself, not for what you think others would tell you justice is. Do you want to see the elf dead for what he has done?"
"No," she shakes her head. "It's not going to make anything better, is it? Am I that easy to read?"
"I would not say easy. I've simply had a longer time than most pursuing the matter," Sirim's manner softens.
"Elves are said to be among the most beloved of Desna, how could they turn into... this?"
"Sekamina is a long way from starlight, young magi, and closer by far to the One Below," the elf's voice is distant, almost entirely bereft of emotion. "We remember the Old Gods, we remember the lights that went out until all before us was the glow of fungi and balefire. She whose injunction lead us into the deep places was silence before the gorge of Cocyrdavarin. None but the demons would hear us, and so the demons feasted upon the souls of the servants of the Old Gods and we were made anew in blood." He stops, looking down thoughtfully at his chained hands. "So it is written in the histories at least. I cannot vouch for all of it, but I do know that those who served the gods among the slaves of deep Rygirnan are the most wretched, their lives the shortest. All of them claim to have lost the the song within. Whether it be deafness or disdain is more than I can guess."
"Why are you telling us this old history?" Gorok asks, suspicious.
"Because it begins to explain why I am here, and why for the first time in the long seasons Zirnakaynin seeks trade with the upper world. Since the founding of the city Varmirhias, the daughter of Shax himself has dwelt in splendor among the palaces of the twelve Houses, the first to offer demonic patronage to the Matrons of old. None dared to question her presence or her whims. Many they were and long it would take me to recount them all, but the most important for our purposes was the Decree of the Red Hook, that all which is taken from a surface dweller without blood most be tithed to her in nine tenths proportion. As one might imagine, trade where one may only keep a tenth of the profit isn't worth much. Of course, one could flaunt the decree, but it would have risked the ire of a Higher Demon, one with tools and means of espionage unimaginable by the mortal mind. Gold-palmed Vexidyre have always been skilled at adding up the odds and these odds were poor, that is until the Aspis came with demon killing weapons that did not fade in gorge of Cocyrdavarin but burned wrathful. Matron Mother Vexidyre bid them to kill Varmirhias if they would trade with us, thinking to give the demon an amusing sacrifice for which she would be well-rewarded. It was the strangers who slew the great demon. The Matron honored their cunning and strength, made pact and bargain with them, the first of many to be sure. The Red Hook has been pulled free, and now the drow walk abroad in more than blood."
"Wait, if the Aspis Consortium killed a daughter of Shax, why are his servants here... helping?" Pisca asks confused, met by more confusion from the drow.
"Because Matron Vexidyre killed Varmirhias using the strangers as tools, thus proving herself more skilled in the arts of murder."
"Words twist again," Mina interjects softly. "In the dark elven tongue murder isn't just the act of killing another thinking being with one's own two hands, it's transcendent bringing-of-death into the world, akin to the verb to birth."
"What does it mean in Taldan?" The elf frowns in worry.
"Illegally or dishonorably killing someone," you explain.
He sighs. "Illegally I know, but how do you tell what's... Nevermind. This will take some getting used to, though I am beginning to suspect I shall live to do so."
"Gold covers much confusion," Gorok agrees with him. The five of you having conferred over the matter and agreed to leave the drow not only his equipment, but also the third of his gold that you would have been otherwise entitled to.
"Can you give alchemy lessons?" Cob practically bounces. Who knows how long he's been holding that in.
"Am I getting paid, or is that part of walking out of this cell alive?" Saenar asks seemingly without rancor.
[] You are willing to pay a reasonable rate for lessons
500 gp for every drow alchemical concoction; 1d3 days of study per recipe
20,000 gp to learn True Fleshcrafting ; 1d3 months of study, must either train or re-train a feat into Fleshwarper
[] Consider it part of the terms of your release
[] Actually, you will be leaving in a few days
[] Write in
OOC: Fungal Stun Vial is part of that drow alchemy.
As I was reading the vote I realized in the previous one you guys only had Sirim and Cob leave after the interrogation was done so I edited the chapter a little
Damn, the Apsis Consortium put together a crew capable of ganking a CR 19+ Marilith who had a Demon Lord for a father. No wonder they got along with the Drow when they visited their city.
There are going to be more Drow on the surface, and sooner than anyone would prefer. I'm even more happy we spent so much on anti-Divination defenses and the Hats of Disguise.
@DragonParadox, how did rounding up Skali and his people go? How many slaves were there?
I don't want to stick around Cassomir any longer than necessary, y'all. Things are heating up here and we've already done our part. Let's get back to Andoran so we can finally start on the job of transporting Gorok's tribe out of Cheliax. It's already been too long, IMO.
[X] Time Presses On
-[X] Actually you will be leaving in a few days.
--[X] Offer to pay Saenir 500 gold for each Drow Alchemical recipe he writes down for Cob, starting with the process to create Fungal Stun Vials. This would include any personal instruction he can provide before we depart.
As I was reading the vote I realized in the previous one you guys only had Sirim and Cob leave after the interrogation was done so I edited the chapter a little
It was meant to split the party into one that interrogates and the other who assists Leontas and Pisca -- there is no reason to divide the party after the interrogation -- but I am fine with splitting groups instead of parties.
It'd be ideal If we can catch up to them somehow, but I think thirty minutes are up.
Don't think we can leave Cob to study in peace; the recipes would have to do.
I want to stay until the princess arrives. This is a rare event; there's bound to be something noteworthy for us to do. Even if it's attending a celebration.
We've only been to a theater once. Let's make it a subquest to visit at least one performance in every country we come through!
OK. So... this where I ask, how much heat do we think is on us?
Obligations/unmissable opportunities:
Split the loot (pirates loot and ship-loot are split differently) and pay Pisca his share .
Be on hand to throw magic at Pisca when he gambles big, hope his bones don't melt.[1]
Depending on how the rescue of the slaves went, there's stuff we can do for them (leave here with cash if they like, send to Andoran on a ship [pay deposit of departure, and set up via pathfinder communication to pay on safe arrival, and an intimidate or two], if we're teleporting, then reduce person + bags of holding)
Using the massive brownie points from the governor, get him to get us raise dead scrolls we can trust, and other scrolls we failed to get.
[1] One of which I'd like to have on hand for Pisca. As insurance. He can pay us for it if we use it on him.
-----
Do we want to teleport away asap? Or do we have time to stay and design & build the Elegantly Dancing Slurk like we promised Cob?
Now with better buffs, and non-stone materials!
-----
@DragonParadox if we stay to build the ship, would Cob be able to both take the short lessons, and Aid Another to Pepper's design (hopefully with that spell we didn't get last time)?
Also, can we buy extra good alchemy tools for Cob to use with a portable alchemy setup?
@DragonParadox if we stay to build the ship, would Cob be able to both take the short lessons, and Aid Another to Pepper's design (hopefully with that spell we didn't get last time)?
There is also a matter of what we want as our reward from the governor.
To add to the list of obligations: we promised to aid in the expedition to liberate Jernashal. We probably need to talk to Urgor about when it will be launched, and where from. It'll likely take him a few months to organize a sufficient force.
In the meantime, there is a vault in Claes' Redoubt waiting for us.
We might want to track the Azlanti survivors while their trail is still hot, if only to see where they headed next.
There is another Azlanti vault in the World's Edge Mountains in Taldor, though I think it will have to wait until better times.
Do we want to teleport away asap? Or do we have time to stay and design & build the Elegantly Dancing Slurk like we promised Cob?
Now with better buffs, and non-stone materials!
We should Teleport back to Augustana and build the ship there. That would save us weeks of travel time, and it would be safer to build the ship there, too. We could avoid a lot of random encounters and Taldan intrigue if we do it in Andoran instead.
Once the ship is ready and we've secured a crew, we can retrieve Gorok's tribe.
I'm trying to think what danger we're in, and it's the Aspis Consortium, house Basri and the Elven queen's agent are our main antagonists.
For the first; we have the governor very much on-side if they do political stuff. Also we're rich, and Urgor's rich and he wants us happy.
For the other two it's a mix of "damage done" and
I think the most likely danger we'll face is a very threatening conversation telling us to keep mum about the drow (and for that we can even tell the agent about what we learned about the drow opening up external trade [that might be throwing alchmist under bus if we do that/might bluff poorly]).
I uh. I think we've won well enough to stay for a while.
The loose end I've not mentioned is Steeljaw not keeping quiet for longer than another... day and a half? I wonder if we could just buy more poison and bribe them for a few more days of quiet?
Or... do we care if the criminal underworld knows/figures out we killed the ghoulrunner?
----- @DragonParadox does the governor have access (or get us access) to some sort of scrying pool/setup that lets Kori use a scry scroll, and if that works, someone else can try to cast Message through?
@DragonParadox does the governor have access (or get us access) to some sort of scrying pool/setup that lets Kori use a scry scroll, and if that works, someone else can try to cast Message through?
If you have a scry scroll any old mirror or pond will do. Though you do then have to cast Sending not Message to talk, Message does not have the range.
