UPDATE 10 - Traps!
We rejoin our party as it gets ready to clear out the den of thieves in the Koval Mansion.
No sooner do our adventurers enter the building proper that they get ambushed by a lone thief.
The place is also ridden with numerous traps.
It's time to see if Pariah's thief training pays off.
Looks like it does !
A suspicious pile of loot, not even hidden ? Let's search.
It was trapped, and Pariah failed to deactivate the device this time.
Some thieves grab the opportunity and attack the party, but they're really weak and fall easily.
It stills earns our heroes quite a chunk of experience.
As well as a large haul of magical weapons.
Or so it would seem ! As Edward grabs the broadsword, it won't come out.
It's a cursed Broad Sword -1...
Oh well, our party's doing fine even so. A few rooms further, it stumbles on two thieves.
The chase starts, and our heroes chose to follow the eastern path.
Catching up one of the thieves, they are offered a mysterious offer.
The party bites the bait, but it was a lie.
Among the things the party finds are some maps of a maze-like castle.
But the traps are getting more dangerous, and Pariah's initial luck runs out.
A cabinet is found.
Time to test Pariah's lock-picking skills.
Success ! A whole bunch of magic scrolls are found.
Another map of part of the castle.
In a room, a large band of thieves is surprised, some of them being level six instead of one.
They're no threat either way, and the experience reward confirms this.
Some files are found nearby.
Adventurers Journal said:
Entry 38
Several pieces of paper with highly
organized writing.
-Fact : Werner von Urslingen is a
retired mercenary captain turned business
man.
-Strong Rumor: mostly interested in the
military aspects of the reconquest of
Phlan.
-Rumor: fought in a mercenary unit
hired by The Boss early in his career.
-Rumor: hates Zhentarim because he
fought in a unit against them several
times.
-Rumor: has strong contacts with other
mercenaries and some ruffians in town;
none of our informants confirm such contact.
-Vague Rumor: Von Urslingen's unit
was wiped out by enemy magic users; he
was the only survivor; he retired and now
secretly hates magic users.
-------------------------------------
Entry 51
Several pieces of paper with highly
organized writing.
-Fact: Bishop Braccio is the highest
ranking religious leader in Phlan. Runs
small temple in civilized section of city.
-Vague Rumor: Braccio is actually a
front-man for a powerful high priest who
never leaves the small temple.
-Strong Rumor: Braccio is under fire to
"do something" about the undead problem.
So long as the undead were causing the
monsters more trouble than the settlers, he
had other, more pressing problems.
-Rumor: Braccio is opposed to the temple
tendency to sell clerical 'miracles"; but
he understands that the temple needs
funds. Braccio would rather perform such
"miracles" in exchange for good works
done in the name of the church, not just
for money or items of power.
This Von Urslingen fellow won't like our party of five magic-users, if he's still alive.
We've already met Braccio, but he made no mention of the undead problem.
More traps are triggered.
And some extremely heavy tapestries are found.
We can barely manage to take the two fine ones, the others will stay there.
Upon entering a room to the north, some poisonous gas fills the air!
Luckily, it's not
real poisonous gas, as it only inflicts minor damage instead of instant death.
Three cabinets. Three chances to trigger traps. Three locks to picks.
More files are found in one of them.
Adventurers Journal said:
Entry 23
Several pieces of paper with highly
organized writing.
-Fact : Urlich Eberhard is old, hard
headed in every sense of the word, leader
of the initial expedition to retake Phlan.
-Strong Rumor: unfaithful to his wife,
but she knows, though he doesn't know
she knows.
-Rumor: hates monsters, with a passion;
would kill every last one before surrendering.
-Vague Rumor: angry attitude is a
cover, he is actually paid by The Boss.
-Rumor: opposes rise of Porphyrys
Cadorna as a "Young upstart who doesn't
respect his elders!'
-------------------------------------
Entry 14
Several pieces of paper with highly
organized writing.
-Fact: Prophyrys Cadorna is the last
known surviving member of the Cadorna
Clan.
-Strong Rumor: rising star in city politics
and on the City Council.
-Rumor: very charming, has many
admirers, but no known mate.
-Rumor: vindictive, like to get his own
way and remembers when he is (in his
mind) double crossed.
-Fact: has contacted thieves to have
them gain him information on the Pool of
Radiance.
-Fact: has hired a number of mercenaries
through the thieves (we received our
normal cut).
-Vague Rumor: is using mercenaries to
find Pool of Radiance.
Ulrich Eberhard looks like the leader of the city of New Phlan.
We've met Prophyrys Cadorna before, he wanted an artifact recovered from the Textile district.
If this paper is to be trusted, he's a suspicious man at the very best.
When Pariah fails to pick a lock, he can't try again...
Thankfully, Edward's strength has yet to fail.
In the other two cabinets are some gold and gems.
More blades right after doors, this is getting tiresome.
The party finds some treasure in a corner.
And save an old thief who was being forcibly interrogated.
He gives us some more papers.
Adventurers Journal said:
Entry 48
Several pieces of paper with highly
organized writing.
-Strong Rumor: The Boss is a dragon or
is a human who can take the form of a
dragon.
-Vague Rumor: The Boss is a metallic
dragon. Not considered likely as metallic
dragons are "good".
-Fact: The Boss holds audience in
Valjevo Castle. Castle is guarded by
groups of big stupid monsters, with occasional
smart human leaders.
-Rumor: The Boss doesn't spend full
time at Valjevo Castle.
-Fact: maze inside castle wall; passwords
are needed to get past castle gates.
-Rumor: The Boss has been sending out
messengers to the tribes of monsters in the
area to recruit new units.
-Vague Rumor: The Boss is recruiting
new units in preparation for an assault to
retake the civilized section of Phlan.
Well, that's a lot of info on "The Boss".
So he's probably either a dragon or a high level magic-user...
Exploring some rooms left behind, our adventurers find four caskets. Each one trapped.
Thankfully, the posioned needle are not poisonous.
Everyone gets one...
Pariah's on a roll.
This one dealt quite a lot of damage.
And finally, the mansion is cleared. Excidium reads the magic on the scrolls.
Some excellent spells in there : Haste, Blink, more Fireballs...
He'll have to scribe a few of these in his spellbook.
Overall, worthy loot in the mansion include a Shield +2, going to Bloodfist.
And a Short Sword +2 and Leather Armor +4, both of which are given to Pariah for his handling of traps.
The city council is happy to hear the news, and showers the party with money and experience.
Uhoh, sounds serious.
We've read a note about that. The situation is getting out of hands in the Graveyard.
A magic sword if we go and clear it out ? It's a deal.
The blade is almost perfect for undead hunting.
A one handed weapon would have been better but one can't be too picky with +3 items.
It goes to Edward R Murrow, our best fighter.
The city also mentions some nomads, somewhere... Rather vague.
Excidium has just enough experience to reach level five.
And that means he can learn and memorize Fireball!
Here's a view of the party's hit points after a few level-ups.
Since the situation in the Valhigen Graveyard sounds urgent, this will be our heroes' next target.