Chapter 4 - The Sanctuary of Prescience (Part 2) - Con Game

The squad exited the pursuing assassins in the Sanctuary of  Prescience, and reported their progress. 

Jonis Flakfatter 

The next step to arresting the notorious Jonis Flakfatter is to infiltrate the alchemists' convention, being held at the Blackfingers Temple. The squad disguises themselves; Simimel will attend the convention as an alchemist (since, y'know, she IS one...), with Jorin as her apprentice and the rest of them as bodyguards or servants. 

They enter the temple and head to the registration desk, which is staffed by Kailin Pouch, a middle-aged human with a badly scarred face and hands. She checks in Simimel as an attendee, and the rest of the squad as her retinue. Valcos, (over)acting the part of her servant, pays the registration fees. 

Kailin, feeling a touch overwhelmed because Jonis Flakfatter is usually here to help, gratefully accepts the assistance of Jorin as her helper at the desk. 

Kailin Pouch

A fellow  named Japu Thallenger suggests that the squad pass a series of alchemical challenges to establish their bona fides, and Kailin thinks that is a marvelous idea. The squad are directed to the challenge rooms, where they will be given certificates if they pass. 

The first challenge is held in the West Laboratory, run by Acolyte Kurvinko Flint. A rich, earthy smell permeates this room filled with alchemical apparatuses. Several large trays of tubers cover tables to the west. To the east stands an empty operating table with leather straps for the head, hands, and feet. 

Flint wants to know if  Simimel has any ideas on speeding up the effect of malyass root paste, which is a contact poison with an onset time of one minute. Simimel looks at the tubers he has collected and makes a suggestion as to an approach he might take. Flint writes an approval on a torn notebook page, and gives it to Simimel.

Liche

The second challenge is in the Central Laboratory, which houses some iron cauldrons and cages with frogs. The liche in the room asks “A test or question? I have just the thing, near and dear to the heart I’ve lacked for decades. We liches are well known for a touch that makes muscles rigid and non-responsive immediately.” Almost casually, the lich pokes a finger at one of the caged frogs before it freezes, motionless. “But so-called lich dust poison takes much longer to paralyze someone. How long?” Simi answers correctly, and the liche takes the paralyzed frog and writes "Approved" before giving it to Simimel.

The third challenge is in the East Laboratory. The east wall of this laboratory contains three long planters containing large shrubs. The shrubs have vivid purple bell-shaped flowers and dark berries. Mosquito netting protects each of the shrubs. Sconces jutting from the wall above the potted plants emit a harsh, yellow glow. A cold fireplace stands in the west wall.

The test here is to harvest the Belladonna plant. Valcos disarms the netting so Simi can harvest the plants, and a note of approval is given to Simi.

The squad goes back to the registration desk, finishes their registration, and goes to the bar.

The bar is run by a Bugbear bartender. The squad is only there for a moment before they are accused of poisoning a halfling attendee by a fellow named Vilkin and seconded by a woman named Kaipu. The halfling collapses and Valcos and Simimel step forward to try and help. Pumpelio casts a Restoration to save her life, but she needs clerical help. Jorin and Mr. Gone take the poisoned halfling to Simi's mother for Druid healing.

The squad looks around and discovers the Secret Lounge, occupied by a pair of rat-men; the same two rat-men the squad saved from a Gelatinous Cube in the Undercity.  They have switched careers, and are now apprentice alchemists. And world-class drunks. One of them relates how he remembered seeing Kailin whispering something to the altar in the Chapel of Secrets.

The squad continues to search for the Chapel of Secrets, and eventually finds it. The squad examine the altar; it is enchanted to muffle whatever secret is told it, and that will open the way. Simi whispers a secret (and NO, you don't get to know what it is - its a secret!) and the altar moves to reveal an entrance to the underground area.

The squad descends the tight, spiral staircase into the center of an odd-shaped room formed of tightly fitted stones. Doors lead out of alcoves to the west, south, and east. The north wall bears three large mirrors, each about five feet square. The squad goes to the east door and into a guardroom.

The Guardroom contains a large alcove at the north end of this room. There is a statue of a grinning woman with a long white smock force-feeding a smoking potion to a bound male dwarf. A wooden table and several chairs stand in the southwest corner of the room. Several cots and blankets are folded up against the east wall. A Priest of Blackfingers and four Poison Eater guards rush to attack the intruders.

Grimwald and Valcos engage the Priest. Simi attacks one of the Poison Eaters. Pumpelio casts Courageous Anthem and Fey Form: Unicorn. The Priest dies, and the Poison Eaters lay into Valcos before Simi and Pumpelio the Unicorn kill them. Simi heals Valcos with Lay on Hands, and Valcos plays Battlefield Medic for the rest of the squad. The squad confiscates 20 doses of Scorpion Venom,  +1 Maul,  a dagger, and three suits of chainmail.

(To be continued next session)

Chapter 4 - The Sanctuary of Prescience (Part 1)

The Sanctuary of Prescience (Part 1)

Wynsal Starborn

The squad's orders came from none other than Wynsal Starborn, the de facto leader of Absalom following the disappearance of Primarch Gyr of Gixx several years ago.  The squad , with Captain Asilia, met Starborn beneath overcast skies this morning on a balcony of Starwatch Keep that overlooks Absalom’s gray harbor. Two others accompanied Starborn, whom he introduced as his assistant and former adjutant, Harlo Doleen, and Grand Councilmember and City Planner Olansa Terimor.

Terimor, a tall woman of middle age with dark, sharp features, wished to personally thank you for your heroics at the Irorium. “As one of the chief organizers of the Radiant Festival,” she said, “I can most assuredly say that without your bravery, the festival —no, the entire city— would have been imperiled.” After shaking your hands and giving Starborn a low bow, the city planner departed.

Starborn then launched into your briefing. He demanded that the mysterious Infector behind the Irorium bombing be brought to justice. “We don’t know who this person is,” said Starborn, “but we know someone who does.” 

Doleen spoke next. “Thraskul Poisonbreath is a half-orc devotee of Norgorber, but he’s also an informant. He has helped the Starwatch from time to time in exchange for immunity for past crimes. Now he’s ready to turn over information on the Infector. Thraskul wants to rendezvous at a safe location—the Sanctuary of Prescience, an abandoned church in the Ascendant Court—and we want you to meet him there.”

The Ascendant Court features as many monuments to failed deities as to successful ones, but few ruins are as lofty as the Sanctuary of Prescience. Built in advance to honor a prospective goddess of foresight, the temple stands nearly completed except for part of the roof. It was abandoned over 20 years ago when Mbali the Planner failed to return from her Test of the Starstone. Today, the sanctuary’s central chapel contains only sagging wooden pews ruined by rainwater.

Thraskul stood alone in the debris-strewn chapel when you arrived to meet him. After you exchanged pass phrases, the informant quickly told you what he knew in a voice raspy and hoarse from years of exposure to toxic fumes. He explained that the Infector—the mastermind behind the Irorium bombing—is none other than Absalom’s most famous high priest of Blackfingers, Jonis Flakfatter.

Flakfatter operates the only temple wholly dedicated to Blackfingers—the poisonous aspect of the god Norgorber—in the Ascendant Court. Furthermore, the temple’s legitimate surface level serves as a mere front for a larger, secret temple beneath it. The temple’s many crimes—from torturing prisoners to brewing massive quantities of deadly poisons—all occur in this lower level.

“Flakfatter publicly announced that he was leaving Absalom days ago,” Thraskul said, “but that’s a lie—the man’s simply retreated to the secret temple to avoid arrest. He’s done so even amid the Noxious Retort, a two-week alchemy conference held at the temple as we speak. The event is one of Flakfatter’s favorites, with lectures, workshops, and demonstrations galore. With all the hubbub of the Radiant Festival, there are even more strangers attending the conference than usual.

I’m sure you could easily slip in with a disguise. Finally, you’ll need to know the secret method to access the lower temple—”

It was at this moment that a violent stream of blood erupted from Thraskul’s throat, the result of an expertly placed crossbow bolt. Before you could even gather your wits, the assassins mounted their ambush.

(Thanks for the notes, Ken!)

Leukodaemon

Four Norgorber Poisoner cultists charged the squad from the alcoves from the south end of the room to engage them, their daggers virtually dripping with venom. Pumpelio began to sing Inspire Courage, reinforcing the squad's will to succeed. Grimwald advanced to meet two of them, while the other two charged Simimel. Jorin unleashed Mr. Gone, and Valcos rushed to do teach them what the pointy end of the rapier is for!

Seconds later, two leukodaemons attacked from the shadows, joining the melee. While the squad dealt with the assassins, Pumpelio banished the leukodaemons back to the hell from which they had come. 

The squad captured one Norgorber Poisoner, but the other three burst into flames when they were rendered unconscious. The squad hears footsteps on the crossbeams above; enemies are no doubt trying to get into a position to fire down on the squad. 

Ankou

Discretion being the better part of valor, the squad headed through the door in the north-east corner, and swiftly pass through a room with strange statues armed with swords and abacus, and into a corridor with controls for the statues. 

The squad moves into the next room, where a shadowy fey creature manifests from the statue until which dominates the north wall, where it had remained bound for decades, waiting for intruders. It is an Ankou, and it immediately creates a pair of shadow copies of itself, obfuscating which is the actual Ankou.

Once more the squad heeds the clarion call to battle. The shadow copies fade when confronted with cold iron, and Simimel bears the brunt of their onslaught, using her healing powers an an Elixir of Life to remain battleworthy. Ultimately the squad gangs up on the real Ankou, and rejoice in it's fall.

(To be continued in the next session!)