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--- game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:adventure_journal [2023/09/23 13:23] – [House of the Iron Hag] Bryan Stephens
+++ game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:adventure_journal [2024/04/10 19:41] (current) – [Kellok Interludes] Bryan Stephens
@@ Line 295: / Line 295: @@
 The basement itself is full of what appears to be decades of clutter. They are invited in by a large woman, clearly their foe. Sebastion and Zaheri pick their way through the debris to be at some distance from the foul creature, while Blake edges closer to her. Inside the room, yet another fetchling works at some unknown tasks, but she sure is not cleaning.
-{{ :game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:monsters:iron_taviah.png?400|}}
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:npcs:anatalla.png?200 |}}
 Taviah cackles and speaks in a friendly manner that everyone knows is a lie, and she knows they know it is a lie. Not interested in banter, Zaheri suddenly lets loose with a //scorching ray//, catching her in the face and declares,
@@ Line 304: / Line 304: @@
 Before Taviah can act further, Blake lands two strong attacks with his magical scythe upon her. Some of the arrogance of the hag is lost as she takes these mighty blows. She conjures and iron cage around Blake and moves away, with Hanover drifting along in pursuit.
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:monsters:iron_taviah.png?300|}}
 A small drake appears, slithering through the clutter and throws a ball of energy to strike Sebastian and Zaheri, sending them both reeling. Sebastion quickly uses his medical training and potions to heal them both. Zaheri’s relief is short lived as the fetchling woman manages to leap across the junk in the room to stab Zaheri solidly, sending him reeling back.
@@ Line 310: / Line 312: @@
 Then, with a moaning, crashing sound whole room shudders. The fetchling starts to run and is brutally cut down by Blake who is quite tired of this nonsense. Zaheri and Sabastian both are convinced the whole place is going to collapse and tell everyone to run. Blake notices the terrified Drake and scoops it up. The whole group charges up the stairs, the non-athletic wizard in the rear. The whole house is shaking as they emerge into the upstairs. Tsekani grabs Anatalla and they run outside, fully expecting the house to collapse upon itself. However, Sebastion notes the house spirit inside working to hold it up.
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:monsters:drake.png?200|}}
 After a few minutes, the shaking stops. Blake re-enters the home to find it quite damaged but stable. The old doorway to the basement is nothing more than dirt. The whole basement was simply a mini-dimension created by the hag. Drusialla shows up as they search the home. She greets the house spirit warmly and offers the party apples, which they all refuse. While there is not much of note, they do find a notebook of import. It leads to what appears to be bigger game.
 Reading the journal, it is clear that periodically, the fetchlings load the braingrit being produced here onto a wagon provided by the Carters Consortium. The notebook is filled with pickup dates and quantities of the toxin. Notes in the margins o the book name Sahni Bride-of-the-Sea with the words “tremor paste” and “Shallowshore” beneath them. A second notes names Decoria and the town of Pagked with the words “Insufficient quantity!” These appear to be the other two hags in the coven. Clearly, the threat is not over.
+====== 05 Shallowshore ======
+==== Dinner, Document, Dinner, Directives ====
+|Campaign Dates| Arodus 04 – Arodus 14 4722|
+|Game Date|2/22/24|
+Returning to Kellog Mannor, Zaheri makes some discrete inquiries for mindless labor. He begins digging down from his secret room to build a new chamber. As this is started, he also researches the other possible locations for the other two hags. The fetchling Anatalla returns with the group, not sure what else she would do.
+The group decides to go to the closest place, Shallowshore. Sallowshore is a port town on the coast of Geb directly east from Thornhearth. The town appears to be sinking into the ocean, with half the buildings already partially sunken under the water. The upper floors that poke above the water are connected by shoddy wooden bridges. The local leader seems to have died some years back, and now the town appears to function without leadership.
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:npcs:gishkar.png?200 |}}
+The party is easily able to cross the Axan Wood, now they have a friend in Drusilla. In fact, the fey visits them during their trip. They again refuse her offer of an apple. They arrive at Shallowshore, and find the city stinks as one would expect. There are many of the [[https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/ghoul/ghoul-aquatic-lacedon/|lacedo]] type of aquatic ghouls and may lizardfolk. The city is divided between the air breathers and those underwater. The group decides to pick the Eel House Inn, as the other is partially submerged. After being welcomed in, the Logash, the lizarfolk proprietor shows them rooms, and they double up, two to a room. Zaheri notices that the rooms have every spot sealed, clearly showing the owner plans to charge them for each thing. In high anger, he and Blake stalk back. Zaheri dresses down this common shopkeeper, and the man quails in the face of Zaheri’s righteous anger and the cold blazing eyes of the hobgoblin skeleton towering over them both. The rent now set at 1 gold a day for both rooms, the group begins exploring the sunken town.
+After talking with people in town in pairs, the four meet up and discuss next steps. It seems the hag Sahani is known as the “town lawyer”. None will speak ill of her, but there is story after story of people making deals with her that seem to go … sideways, like the story of the “monkey’s paw”. The group quickly comes to the idea that defeating her will be a popular move locally. They decide there are three key people they want to talk with: The chief customs officer, Gishkar, Keystone of the Tax Collectors Guild, and the Head of the Builders League, Tobias Highridge, a vampire. It seems the vampire’s “wife” was a hag who was murdered by Sahani, Bride-of-the-sea. It stands to reason he will have a beef with the group’s target. Tsekani and Blake go to see Gishkar and the others will call on the Tax Collector first.
+Teskani and his skeletal companion find they can get work by visiting the Gishkar, the Lizardfolk customs officer. He will present them with a writ they can use to get well paying jobs. Unfortunately, there is a long line ahead of them that will take 3 hours. Neither is quite that interested in waiting, so they bully their way to the front of the line. Inside they meet Gishkar and he is most impressed. It is quite easy for the two of them to find significant work making good money moving freight. This gives them no problems with talking with the other workers to get a feel for the land. One individual emerges from the water, a ghoul, carrying a single case. The workers say that is a special for Sahrai. Caviar. They have to assume that it is not the tremor paste, as the custom’s agent is really thought to be very straight up and resistant to bribes. It pays well, but only for those able to survive being underwater.
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:npcs:stanya.png?200|}}
+That evening, they gather with the other workers for meals, though Blake takes some proffered bones for repairs. They see Giskar come in and chat him up. The city is only sort of stable. It is clear Sahari is a dominant factor.
+For the other two, the day is a bit more eventful. Sebastian and Zaheri first go to the office of the Tax Collector. They are met by a ghoul servant, but don’t get taken to Keystone himself. Instead they meet his mother. She tells them he is very sick, and shows them him lying in a sick bed. He made a deal with Sahari for wealth, but every new client causes him to become more ill. Zaheri remarks that is what happens when you deal with a hag, and the woman is taken aback. Apparently, the town does not know what they deal with. She offers them a fortune if they kill Sahari, and Zaheri notes she is far too trusting of strangers. However, he accepts, and the two men leave the somber household.
+The next stop is Blaet of the Builder’s Guild. There the two men and Zaheri’s skeleton are greeted and escorted into a courtyard. Zaheri remarks to Sebastion,
+//”Do you ever feel like the fly?”//
+Sebastion starts to demure, but then a voice speaks out and taunts them. Zaheri, just sitting on a bench, sighs and stands up. A terracotta statue of a gargoyle comes to life and advances on the men, while an assassin vine stirs from the edge of the garden. Both men are rather perturbed but not particularly scared.
+Sebastion moves with his normal clarity and speed and gets out of the way of the approaching construct. He tries his starknife but misses. Zaheri uses his full //magic missile// knocking chunks of the statue. Tensor, as guard, moves to intercept the statue and deals two strong blows. The statue attacks the skeletal guarding and the vine advances. Things go well from there. Sebastion hits with his starknife this time and while Tensor misses, Zaheri’s //scorching ray// burns the approaching vine. The statue is focused on Tensor and hits him again, but Sebastion is able to heal him and Zaheri does so as well, magically. Tensor is fully resorted.
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:npcs:vampire.png?200 |}}
+The vine, confused, attacks the statue, grabbing it an hosting it into the air. Just then the voice comes again and Tobias Highridge enters into the room. He congratulate them on passing his test. Neither man is amused, and Zaheri has Tensor destroy the statue. He contemplate more fire for the retreating assassin vine but demurs.
+Highridge welcomes them to eat with him, but both men do not eat. He asks them to kill Sahari and bring back the ring of his bride. It appears Sahari killed his wife. Another enemy of the sea-hag. Zaheri agrees as a “man of his word” if Highridge is not lying. The two men depart into the fading light and head back to the inn to meet up with their two comrades.
+==== Unmasking the Hag ====
+|Game Date|2/29/24|
+Tsekani and Blake approach the Fishmonger about getting Blake a job transporting a crate for Sahani, the Sea Hag. He is easily able to do this and heads down to her location. Blake is shocked to find it is a sunken temple to Urgathoa. Blake sees and alter and two guardians who only advance if he enters. Blake displays the holy symbol for the goddess of the undead and makes appropriate gestures of worship from afar. The skeleton takes the crate to the fishmonger who makes only a cursory inspection of it. It seems to be only caviar.
+Meanwhile, Zaheri and Sebastion explore the half sunken city, asking about this “town lawyer”. Always the story is the same. Sahari, whom none know is a hag, makes deals and always upholds her end. However, there is always a catch in the payment, much like the “monkey’s paw” of legend. The group meets up and Zaheri instructs Blake to get another crate tomorrow, and they should plan for an assault on the temple, but he wants another look inside a crate.
+The next day, Blake again heads down, this time exploring further into the temple. He has heard the temple has been defiled by being turned into a temple to Dagon, a demon with ideas above his station, but often worshiped by evil sea folk. He is most unhappy with this understanding. The guardians allow his worship, and then Blake takes the crate for a full inspection. As Zaheri suspected, it does contain the tremor paste, hidden in the bottom. Blake returns with this news. That is enough for Zaheri.
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:npcs:fleshguardian.png?400 |}}
+The noble wizard marches to the Fishmonger’s office, Blake and Tsekani frightening away the line. Barging in, he demands an understanding from the Fishmonger. He has Blake show off the crate’s contraband and access the customs officer of being part of it. The Lizardfolk man is shocked! He tells the group that he had no idea at all. He promises his guild will investigate. Zaheri promises he and his group will take care of this traitor now. The mage tries to obtain additional help, but none will serve. Disgusted, Zaheri returns to the inn to change clothes and get potions. He packs up Tensor and summons Hanover, who can move more easily underwater. Tumbly has already been prepared with gills and webbed hands and feet.
+Headed back, they encounter a growing mob. The head is an angry woman named Hanst. The mob is worried that Zaheri and his friends will fail, and the reprisals of Sahari will fall on them. Zaheri, backed by the glowing eyes of Blake, backs her down, noting he will not forget the face of anyone who stands in his way and that there is always room for more zombie workers. Hanst backs down and parts the mob. The four march to the edge of the water and head down to the lair of their enemy.
+==== Lair of the Sea Hag ====
+Blake tells the others to follow his lead. Showing the proper observance, he talks with the guardian flesh golems. They want the hag dead, and the shrine to Dagon destroyed. Blake pledge this, and all four make a gesture of worship at the true deity of this shrine. Wondering where to go next, Zaheri notes he memorized the map and the upper lefthand corner looks like it leads to the most likely area.
+As soon as Blake enters the room, he is attacked by a ghoul alligator, which bites and grabs him. This is only one of two in the room, and Tsekani trades blows with the other. Struggling to engage, Zaheri misses with his //phase bolt// but Hanover manages a ghostly touch as Blake frees himself only to be struck critically, causing him to collapse to avoid the worst of the damage. Tsekani continues to fight the other beast, while Sebastion runs up to heal the monk. Blake, reforms and goes to town on the ghoul he was fighting. Now the necromancer’s //phase bolt// lands and the monster dies as Hanover finishes it off. The other ghoul and Tsekani grapple, neither landing a solid blow. Sebastion cannot reach to help and Blake, shaken by the other ghoul, does not connect. Ironically, the final blow is again struck by the ghost, Hanover. The group takes a moment to heal up and presses forward.
+|Game Date|3/14/24|
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:npcs:sahani.png?300|}}
+The next chamber is some sort of kitchen/pantry. Finding nothing, Blake moves south to find their prey. She is not alone, flanked with a Mandragona and a foul ooze! Worst of all, in front of her is a swarm of blood leeches. The leeches swarm Blake, but there is no blood there. However, Shari lands a curse on the hobgoblin skeleton, and Blake is stupefied. The leeches are just out of range of the three living members of the group. Zaheri curses that he cannot use a //burning hands// under water, but Tsekani steps up and annihilates the leeches with a blur of fists! Zaheri instead fires a full //magic missile// into the sea had herself. It is at this moment the Mandragona shrieks, but its sickening only harms the living, and that does not include the party members effected. Sahani herself is, however, forcing her to retreat. Even stupefied, Blake lands a blow upon her as she retreats. Sebastion cannot attack from the back, which seems to be a theme.
+Tsekani moves forward as the hag moves back, and he is attacked by the ooze, entangled in its sticky mess. He is soon also fighting the mandragona, also a grabbing creature. Sebastion races forward to heal him with an alchemical mixture.
+Zaheri steps forward to see his foe, and casts //boneshaker// a powerful necromantic spell. While Sahari wills herself to avoid the worst of the effects, Zaheri still pulls at her bones and forces her, like puppet back to the side, where Hanover moves to strike her. Blake strikes at the ooze and then heads to hit the hag. Before Hanover can act, the hag disperses the ghost in a cloud of claws. Meanwhile, Tsekani grabs the ooze and forces it onto the mandragona, almost dissipating the purple mess, its acid burning the plant creature. He continues the fight and Sebastion again helps him stay healed and fighting, while Blake concentrates on the Hag, who now tries to run.
+Zaheri strokes Tumbly and uses is power to recast //boneshaker// and yanks Shari back, taunting her. Tsekani manages to kill the ooze and concentrates on his other foe. The two trades blows as Blake gives chase to Sahani. Sebastion uses his starknife to attack the fleeing hag, who in turn strikes at Blake. Zaheri tries an //electric arc// and misses the hag but cripples the mandragona. Unfortunately, Teskani is very hurt by the plant-creature as he grapples with it, so Sebastion stops his aid of Blake and heals his friend again, noting he is running out of tricks. Blake, however kills the sea had, Sahari and Teskani finally puts down the mandrgaona.
+Heading to the other side of the temple, the group uncovers wights in coffins. Suddenly, Blake and Tsekani are surrounded and severely hurt. The wights are moaning about how bad things are for them, but they seem to have been former worshipers of Ugorathoa. Zaheri calls for them to fall back to the temple guardians. The golems do indeed move forward, and start down the wights, who retreat to their coffins.
+====  Cleaning Up ====
+|Game Date|3/21/24|
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:monsters:wight.png?275 |}}
+With the wights back in their unlidded coffins, Zaheri has had enough. He brings out Tensor and floats up in the water using his //phase bolt// twice on one of the undead. They all get up and move, complaining all the way. They don’t head into the area with the guardians, but another nook. Blake and Tensor bottle them up, themselves immune from being turned by the wights. Sabastian and Zaheri used ranged attacks while Tensor, Blake and Tsekani pummel the wights. The fight it quickly over.
+They scour the temple and find a magically secure book of records, proof of the hag’s ill plans. They also find the shrine to Dagon outside, but a deep one is floating near it. They hesitate to destroy the shrine today, and decide to return fully restored tomorrow, just in case.
+The group emerges, wet and bedraggled. Zaheri performs a fast //prestidigitation// and uses a wand of //harm// to heal the party. They are approached by townspeople who are thrilled! The hag’s curses are broken.
+Zaheri stops Hanst and asks her to dinner, much to the surprise of his companions. Normally, Zaheri has been a near ascetic, showing no interest in pleasures of the heart of flesh. The group returns to their inn and dresses. Zaheri is quite clear he does not expect to pay //anything// further, to which the innkeeper agrees. Sebastion offers to meet with Highridge, while Zaheri meets with Keystone’s mother, and Blake and Tsekani meet with the Fishmonger. They come away with the favor of the Builders and Traders Guilds, but Sebastion withhold’s the ring from Highridge, and thus the Tax Collector’s favor. Instead, he offers the vampire remains. It is not until the way home that Zaheri realizes this has happened.
+That evening, Zaheri offers a startled Hanst a chance to use her chemical skills in supporting the Graydirge farm in their charge. He also notes he is looking for good breeding stock to discharge his duty of reproduction before his planning transformation into a lich. Hanst is taken aback by the offer, which she is able to see is strangely sincere, but this is Geb, after all.
+Hanst is a resourceful woman who took over her husband’s business after the hag killed him. She as become a leader in the community, and was able to get the mob to stand down once it was aroused. Zaheri was impressed. He proposes her being evaluated by his mother, The Lady Nesket, herself now a lich, as breading stock. He is clear that if marriage is what is needed, he can agree to that. Hanst thinks it over and the next morning, still unsure, has decided that there is little for her in Shallowshore, and heads out with the group after the destroy the shrine to Dagon.
+====== 06 Pagket ======
+==== Kellok Interludes ====
+|Campaign Dates| Arodus 16 – Arodus 27, 4722|
+|Game Date|4/4/24|
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:npcs:hanst.png?175 |Hanst}}
+Before the group leaves Shallowshore, they use the discounts offered to shop. Tsekani looks high and low for a //belt of lifting// and has to give up. As they are packing, Zaheri offers him the very thing with a smug smile. Tsekani takes the belt but wonders just //why// it had been hard to find.
+As they depart, Zaheri talks with Tsekani about a temple looking for chosen ones to ritually mummify. He pitches the idea to his monk companion, saying it would put him into the upper ranks, well at least upper middle ranks, of Geb society in a matter of weeks. Tsekani stalks forward muttering about asking Blake how great it is. Undeterred, Zaheri turns to Sebastion to talk vampires. It is clear the necromancer sees achieving undeath as a noble goal.
+Four days of travel as the group returning to Kellok Mannor, Zaheri looks into the construction of servant’s quarters on the land. He prepares Hanst for the visit to the farm. Arghun takes them to the scrying pool and shows them how to see where they have been. Zaheri is unable to make it scry well to where they are going. It is clear this will take some more work and experience. They have not yet changed when a letter arrives from Berline inviting them to dinner. Of course they accept and Zaheri includes Hanst.
+Dinner is an interesting affair. Beline is proud to show of she is getting ale from [[game_systems:Pathfinder2e:Blood_Lords:places:Undying Ales|Undying Ales]]. She is most appreciative. The group makes their report, and Zaheri introduces Hanst whom Berline welcomes most warmly. Berline also makes is quite clear, in her oblique style, she knows the new gang, the [[game_systems:Pathfinder2e:Blood_Lords:things:Scarlet Reavers |Scarlet Reavers ]] are working for the four of them, and makes sure they understand too much corruption is bad for business.
+After dinner, the group adjourns to [[game_systems:Pathfinder2e:Blood_Lords:places:Undying Ales|Undying Ales]], where the crowd is doing well. They pick up their “earnings” from the bar and the actions of their extortionists and have a relaxing evening. The next day, it is time to head out to deal with Decrosia, the last hag.
+==== The Rusty City ====
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:monsters:virulak_villager.png?150 |Virulak}}
+The four proto-champions of Geb take the next few days to travel to the town of Pagket. It is a small town in decline, that was once full of bustling factories south of the border between Geb and the Mana wastes. The town itself is a far cry from its former self. Factories stand silent, but some have started up. The citizens are mostly virulak undead, poor souls who died in a horrible plague. The city seems to have no living at all. Besides the virulak are undead forge-spurned dwarves and clockwork riflemen. It is all strange to the group, used to swords and flesh, not walking metal.
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder2e:blood_lords:monsters:clockwork_rifler.png?150|Clockwork Rifler}}
+They crew stops a wagon going in to see what he is transporting. It looks mostly to be chemicals. Careful review of the clockwork soldiers show they carry rifles. Needing to get inside. Zaheri disguises the group as three virulak, while making Blake look like a clockwork. The group enters the city. The virulak are rude and brusk. Zaheri is able to fit right in with subtle questioning on where to obtain a weapon for Blake. This gets them to an armory, where they are easily able to find fire arms, though Sebastion sets on off. This results in a sudden knock at the door and demanding clockwork riflemen. Zaheri, in full noble mode, deceives the bots (crit) and tells them this is a firing range and the bots go, though not after testing their weapons on the side of the building. Searching the room, they also find an //elixir of greater comprehension// and a note showing them that their target is in one of four factories. Zaheri suggests the two more athletic climb to a roof to scan the city. Blake fails on the first attempt, still rattled by the gun. Tsekani leaps up to the top and helps Blake on his second attempt. They view the city and look for their next clue!

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