Session 7 - S1E51 - City of Strangers

Summoned to meeting with venture captain Drendyl Drang (old as hell). Summoned to his office and begins the backstory.

Assignment: Merchant in the city of Kaer Maga (also known of City of Strangers) in Varisia. Filled with outcasts. Horis Collgardie sent a letter that citizen upset that there are plans to set up on a Society Lodge there. This is disturbing because there haven't actually been any Pathfinders sent to Kaer Maga. Who is setting up this lodge then?

Team Badass is booked passage on a river up to Kaer Maga. Going up River Harse and talk to the Dusk Wardens to get escorted to Kaer Maga. Boat right will take several weeks.

Braden will meet up with us in Kaer Maga.

We have to find Collgardie to see what he is talking about it and if there are Pathfinders setting up a lodge, we should stop it.

Kaer Maga is built in the ruins of a fortress. Constant shifting of power between families and organizations that reside in the city. Fortress lies at the top of a cliff that divides the lands of Varisia. City has no formal laws or government.

Venture Captain cautions us be cautious of the political tension and not to cause trouble.

We set sail on a galley. Has slaves that row it if the wind dies down. Takes 2 weeks. Most of the other passengers are merchants. Ship stops in Korvosa and then travels on from there.

Scuttlebutt on the ship is that Kaer Maga. General message is that the place is weird.

City is famous for Troll augers that can tell your future (allegedly). Travel right up the river Harse. Now traveling overland. Meet up with the Dusk Wardens. Symbol is golden arch on a midnight blue background. Duty is to see us up the Half-Light Path to the city. Path is small, but wide enough of merchant wagons and half-orcs.

As Team Badass trudges up the pass, a piece of masonry collapses and goblins come pouring out, ambushing us. More masonry falls and cuts us off from the group in a small passageway. Combat ensues.

[Surprise Round] Caught unawares, the goblins attack first (surprise), moving in. The Shaman casts a sleep spell on Skaar and he falls asleep. He gets stabbed severely, waking him up but messing him up badly.

[Round one] Skaar pulls the goblin down and crawls aside. Ash full attacks the goblins at the rear of the party, slaying one goblin per his Ninja-ness. Aegnor engages the shaman, casting burning hands, and suffering the full effects, killing the shaman. Wulfbealla retrieves his Harpy Musk, horrifying the goblins (they fail their saves), causing them to flee for one round. Team Badass takes attacks of opportunity on the fleeing goblin.

[Round two] Skaar rushes after the one who attacked him, slinging a bullet, but missing. Ash moves in on the goblin that has been lanced by Wulfbealla, finishing him off. Aegnor casts a daze spell on one of the goblins, stunning him into inaction. Wulfbealla charges in on his mighty wolf on another fleeing goblin, missing horribly. The goblins try to recover, attacking but missing.

[Round three] Having enough of this shit, Skaar rages out and runs down a goblin, dropping him with a morningstar. Ash sneaks around into a better position. Aegnor casts daze on another goblin, but fails to have an effect. Wulfbealla tries to strike, but misses. The goblins return fire, hitting Wulfbealla. The other attacks, but misses Skaar.

[Round four] Skaar misses the goblin, Ash, sneaks away like a bitch, Aegnor makes a range touch attack, hurting a goblin, Wulfbealla tries again, but misses. The goblins attempt to flee, but Wulfbealla lances one and they both fleet.

After the combat, the Dusk Wardens dig Team Badass out and they rejoin the group.

Skaar notices that the goblins had been camped behind the collapses wall, weakening the wall for the ambush. We found a CLW flask, with an image of a humanoid raising its arms to the sky, kneeling as if praying or worshipping to a sun. Skaar drinks the potion, but hands the flask Aegnor keeps the strange flask.

The Dusk Wardens escort the group to the remainder of the way. The city is massive, a mile-wide (at least). The walls are 80-feet high, 100-feet thick, covered themselves with buildings. The walls have been turned into a warren of sorts. The whole place is in a wide permanent twilight because of the construction.

Braden has been waiting for the party, and has found them lodging. Braden is in the complex outside the city. Team Badass heads to their lodging in Bis.

After trying for several hours, Team Badass finds out people do know Horis and he has a house in the western part of Bis (in the northwestern corner of Bis). Bis is a merchant and working class district. Bis is wholly within the walls of the district.

After a night of rest, Team Badass heads to Horis's house. It is fairly good shape and heavily barred/secured.

The party lets itself into Horis's house. No one appears to be home. The party explores and finds a body. As the party approaches the body, goons spring out of door, attacking Aegnor.

[Round one] Ash defers, as the goons attack Aegnor. The Aegnor have large spiked gauntlets and mess him up badly. Fortunately, only one goon manages to hit him. Aegnor retaliates with burning hands, turning them both to ash.

Brayden tastes the dead body's blood and begins to ask it the standard questions. It is Horis, and he was beaten to death by the thugs, died four days prior, and smells bad. Wulfbealla searches, but finds nothing. As Skaar checks another door, it opens to reveal a dining room with more goons. They smack Skaar in the face and hurl some weird contraption at Brayden. It is a human head with slashes in the skull. It misses, but vermin of all sorts pops out of it, damaging both Brayden and Skaar.

Ash sneaks into another room, finding a storage room full of fabric, etc. Aegnor moves into range and casts a ray of fire on the attacking goon, hurting him badly. Brayden then attacks with his bow, missing due to Skaar being in the way.

Wulfbealla charges on his mighty wolf into the goons, lancing the lead goon like a kabob. Skaar finishes him off.

All the goons slain, the party spreads out and searches the house. Nothing seems out of place. Business ledgers, goods, etc. Aegnor searches the bodies and doesn't find any distinguishing marks. They all have the strange gauntlets. One has the strange "skull/vermin" grenades. Aegnor finds a note:

Boys, someone killed my friend Horis Collgardie. They left his body to rot inside his own house. Go there and wait. Don't touch anything. If anyone comes back looking to toss the place or take the body and that person's not an Ardoc, it's most likely his killer. Kill anyone who shows up there that isn't a member of my family-I mean anyone. You'll be paid well. -Besel Ardoc

The party asks around and finds out that the Ardoc family is one of the most powerful in the city. They own the kiln (spelled wrong), known for making golems (stone and iron).

The party finds a drunken dwarf, Thord Coldbreadth. Ardoc always travels with iron golems and loves ale. He likes to drink in the Downmarket.

That party heads to the Downmarket, a lower-class area. As the party works through the crowd, Brayden's pocket is almost picked by a street urchin. Brayden interrogates her on the spot. Aegnor asks if she knows about Ardoc.

The gnome hires her as a guide to take them through the city. She relays that the party owns all of Bis. The girl/urchin tells the party we need to go to Ms. Feathers, a madam at the Spectacled Hen. The Spectacled Hen is right across from a Troll Auger temple.

The Ninja went dark around 11:00 AM.

The party makes its way to a large, ziggurat structure, which is the temple of the Troll Augers.

A Troll approaches the party... with a terrible comb over, with a large beer gut. He stabs his chest with a dagger, spills his own guts and starts "reading" his own innards.

"When the fancy man comes to call. I'd accept the invitations. He might just know what you're looking for."

Brayden asks him his name, and he replies that they have no names. He is but a troll.

Team Badass heads to the Spectacled Hen to get its fuck on. Brayden announces the team's arrival and looks for the madam. Brayden way overplays it, but does impressive the bartender, who then summons Ms. Feathers.

Ms. Feathers is super large, shirtless, oiled, shaved, dude. Brayden then uses racial inappropriate language and gnome ponders entering him.

Brayden speaks jive and asks about Bisel. Feathers likes Skaar a bit too much to the barbarian's comfort.

Brayden sweet talks out info about Bisel, namely that he hangs out at the Auger's Entrails. He goes there every morning, guarded by his iron golems. He drinks heavily and then gets silly. He is never without the iron golems.

The Ash volunteers to offer his body as tribute to Ms. Feathers in repayment for the information.

After a day's of rest, the party heads off to the Augers Entrails. Eventually, Bisel shows up with his iron golems. The iron golems post up at the front door. Bisel shows up and starts drinking.

Brayden and Wulfbealla approach Bisel, bottles of high-quality booze in hand. The smooth talking begins....

The party introduces itself (apart from the Ninja who is being sodomized by Ms. Feathers).

Bisel mentions a "Shadow Lodge" after Aegnor mentions we are Pathfinders asking about the Pathfinder. Bisel is confused by Aegnor telling them that the Pathfinders in town are imposters. Bisel says they are setting up the Shadow Lodge.

Bisel had Horis send the letter because he was worried the Pathfinder Lodge would mess up the balance of power.

Dakar is the most powerful man in the city. Leader of the Commerce League. He is the most secretive man in town.

Bisel does not know how to find Dakar, but tells us he will find us.

Ms. Feathers knows about the Shadow Lodge rumors and is familar with Dakar. Dakar is well known. No one knows how to find him. Feathers puts the word on the street that the party is looking for Dakar.

Team Badass heads to the Temple of the Troll Augers. Aegnor finds out that it is a tourist trap, but finds out that the Troll Augers are legit and it's a tradition passed down from generation to generation.

As the party returns from the temple, the crowds part and are met by a "fancy man." Ash picks up on something odd... namely that the man is armored underneath his clothes. He offers to take Team Badass to Dakar. Team Badass is taken to a wagon, hooded, and taken to Dakar.

The magic hoods also magically silence those wearing the hoods.

The party ends up at a ritzy place (club, residence?) and we are invited to sit at the table.

At the end of the room is large, back-lit screen. Dakar appears behind the screen, like Oz, and begins to talk.

Tead Badass asks about the Shadown Lodge. Daka r is willing to share the info, but for a price. Brayden is willing to share the info. Brayden offers up info on Grandmaster Torch.

Dakar doesn't seem to care about Torch (already has the info). The party agrees to offer a "future favor" in order to get info about the Shadow Lodge. No one wants to mention that the Shadow Lodge exits. The Shadown Lodge is the anti-lodge. They believe that the Decemverite are old fucking dudes that don't know what an artifact is. Dakar knows of the leader of the Shadow Lodge.

The Shadow Lodge leader is in the Naderi Theater in the Bis district. The Shadow Lodge is setting up a lodge in Kaer Lodge to begin its campagin against the Pathfinder Society. Wymund Pratt is the leader of the Shadow Lodge. Wymund is suppose to be off on a mission somewhere, but clearly isn't as he is an asshole.

The Theater is an abandoned theater in the Bis district. The Shadow Lodge members a new to the city.

The party heads to the Theater to kick ass. After much searching, Skaar notices that the door is actually open.

The party heads in to the theater. Skaar kicks the doors open after Ash refuses to search for traps. The theater is a hot mess... bird shirt, pigeons, all is in bad shape. On the stage is a man. He slows claps.

It is Wymund the anti-Pathfinder. Wulfbealla challenges Wymund. Wymund ignores it and welcomes the party.

[Round one] The party rushes in and Skarr is blinded with glitter for 4 rounds. The fire bettles (summoned by Wymund) advance down the aisle. Aegnor (after delaying) move down the aisle, taking as much cover as possible in the seats of the theater. Ash moves into the theater and then goes invisible (like a bitch). Brayden summons a skeleton. Wulfbealla smears on vermin replenant. After which, he moves into the theater.

[Round two] Skaar blindly stumbles forward, blind, but can't connect with a beetle. Wymund casts hysterical laughter on Aegnor, causing him to laugh like an idiot for four rounds. The fire bettles attack the half-orc and the invisible, but miss. Aegnor fights off the laughter, regaining his composure. Ash sneezes and then gymkatas over a fire beetle to move closer to Wyndum. Ash then gymkatas up onto the stage. Brayden moves and fires an arrow at a fire beetle. Brayden's Mr. Bones then advances on the beetles. Mr. Gnome then moved into the fray and slays on beetle.

[Round three] Skaar, staggering forward, blindly chopped a fire beetle in half. Wymund. not sensing Ash, casts sleep on Wulfbealla, sending him to LaLa land. The fire beetles miss as they continue to step.en Aegnor dazes a fire beetle, helping the fablous-ed Skaar, also stepping on Wulfbella to wake him up. Ash then full attacks Wymund, wounding him before returning to the all-consuming shahows. Brayden advances, powering up his gravity bow. Brayden's skeleton friend/gay lover advances. Wulfbealla advances getting closer to Wymund. geting into position.

[Round fourth\] Skaar tries to slay a fire beetle but cannot due to his blindess. Wymund casts sleep on Wulfbealla, sending to Lala land. The fire beetle attacks but misses Skaar. Aegnor rushes towards the stage, but attacks the beetle on his way, using ear-piercing scream. slaying the beetle. Ash attacks Wymund, but unfortunately attacks. Wulfbealla wakes up due to candy ass t-shirt.

[Round five] Skaar stumbles blindly towards the stage, finally shaking off the fablous-ness. Ash then is attacked by Wymund, falling into a magical slumber. Aegnor advances towards the stage and then casts ear-piercing scream at Wymund, who shrugs it off easily. Ash struggles against the sleep, but can't wake up. Brayden vanishes due to family matters. Wulfbealla lances Wymund in the arse.

[Round five] Skaar leaps onto the stage but misses. Wymund attacks with a gay rapier, but misses. Aegnor attacks with a ear-piercing scream, fucking Wymund up and killing him with style.

Team Badass recovers notes about upcoming target cities for the Anti-Pathfinder Society. A note is found with code names, supply lists, cities, etc. All kinds of info on the Shadow Lodge.

ORCZ RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!