2. The Old Fishery

[Pursuit]

2. The Old Fishery

Unfazed by the revelation that Zellara is, in fact, already dead, you head out to the address she gives you. ”Thank you,” she tells you before fading out of sight, ”and good fortune. Be careful. That old serpent still has fangs.”

The old fishery is a creaking, decrepit building. All external windows are boarded shut but have ample slits between the planks to allow those within to peer out. The wooden doors are mottled with mold and grit.

The fishery is perched atop a steep embankment, with most of the structure extending over the Jeggare River on wooden pilings. The embankment drops 13 feet into the river below; the sides look slippery and wet, and the external walls of the fishery extend almost all the way down to the river.

You cannot see anyone outside the building.

How would you like to approach?

[Vargan Orok]

Peering at the old fishery Vargan wrinkles his nose.

"At least it isn't haunted," he mutters wishfully. "We need to get a look inside, before diving in. I could get to a window, but perhaps one of you has some tricks up your sleeves?"

[Ump'Tup]

"Tricks?!" Ump'tup whispers excitedly, "I have tricks!"

Giggling to himself, the goblin rummages through his pouches, sacks and containers while rattling off options, "Acid melts and fire burns if we yearn for trouble on the double..."

"Smokesticks are always useful tricks," Ump'tup reaches into his alchemy kit and pulls out a salve, "Stinky feet for sticky feet, or..."

Ump'Tup grins and reveals a somewhat large vial of sky blue liquid from another pouch, "Big power goblin juice when you need a tasty treat for hasty feats!"

[Morri]

Notice 6

Notice 1d6!!+2: [4]+2 = 6

Wild 1d6!!+2: [1]+2 = 3

Morri glances up at the crooked, old fishery and assesses how best to scale it's walls by trying to spot useful foot and hand-holds to use in order to judge the best route. She also considers nearby buildings, seeing if any were close enough to offer a better alternative. She says to the group. "If we're gonna go fer one o' the windows, reckon I can get up there and let down a rope fer the rest o' ye."

[Pursuit]

Notice 6

Notice 1d6!!+2: [4]+2 = 6

Wild 1d6!!+2: [1]+2 = 3

Morri glances up at the crooked, old fishery and assesses how best to scale it's walls by trying to spot useful foot and hand-holds to use in order to judge the best route. She also considers nearby buildings, seeing if any were close enough to offer a better alternative. She says to the group. "If we're gonna go fer one o' the windows, reckon I can get up there and let down a rope fer the rest o' ye."

Morri can tell that, despite its slick appearance, those walls could be climbed by someone with some skill. If you would like to try and climb, please make an Athletics check.

None of the nearby buildings are close enough to be of help, alas.

[Falderol Grelemis]

Falderol looks at the building and shakes his head. "I climb about as well as a turtle so getting me to the top may be difficult. I can stay down here and when you break in the top I can break in the front. Attack on two fronts and keep them off balance."

[Berkley Dig]

I am with Falderol, I don't think I can scale these walls well enough or quietly enough. At least, I'd be more useful down here.

[Morri]

"Hmm" Morri muttered to herself and thought for a moment. "Not keen on charging in blindly....wot if I got up ta one o' 'em windows and see wot I can see 'tween 'em planks?"

"Least see wot might be waiting fer us...mebbe?"

[Pursuit]

"Hmm"[/i] Morri muttered to herself and thought for a moment. "Not keen on charging in blindly....wot if I got up ta one o' 'em windows and see wot I can see 'tween 'em planks?"

"Least see wot might be waiting fer us...mebbe?"

If you are going to climb up, please drop an Athletics roll.

[Morri]

Climb 6

Athletics 1d6!!+3: [3]+3 = 6

Wild 1d6!!+3: [3]+3 = 6

With no objections forthcoming, Morri shrugs her shoulders and then proceeds to scale the wall. For somebody who practically lived above the city streets amongst the roof slates and chimney stacks, the wall presented no real challenge and the little human rogue soon reached a window ledge from which to try and peer through in between the planks of wood.

[Kaja Earthblooded]

Notice 1d6: [2] = 2 , 1d6: [4] = 4

"Hmm" Morri muttered to herself and thought for a moment. "Not keen on charging in blindly....wot if I got up ta one o' 'em windows and see wot I can see 'tween 'em planks?"
"Least see wot might be waiting fer us...mebbe?"

"If you can get us a way in, I can create a ladder-stair that will get us all in without us having to climb. Even Ludwig will be able to get in. Or we can use Ump'tupp's offer of just walking up the walls. Or maybe both. I'm all for slaughtering the ruffians and ne'er do wells, but there are innocents in there and we'd be better off going after the head of the snake. If nothing else because it'll make killing the rest easier. So a bit of stealth and trickiness, even for those of us incapable of great feats of stealth and athletic prowess."

[Ump'Tup]

Ump'tup bounces between his two feet while everyone talks and Morri goes off by herself. His patience runs out and he pulls out a tiny vial with a sip of liquid in it. He

Featherfall Cantrip
PP: 0
Duration: 5
The affected target falls slowly. Feather fall instantly changes the rate at which the targets fall to a mere 60 feet per round, and the subjects take no damage upon landing while the spell is in effect. When the spell duration expires, a normal rate of falling resumes.
Hmm....do I need to roll for cantrips? I forget...but, here it is just in case. 1d8!: [1] = 1
Wild 2 should have been Wild 1 whatever 1d6!: [3] = 3
I checked, and you do have to roll, and a failure is a failure. Hopefully I don't fall because I'm not bennying a cantrip. Potion doesn't work, but nothing bad happens except on a critical fail.

and shakes his head at his new friends.

He admonishes them with a quiet, forceful hiss, "We can't let Morri go alone, she could get stabbed!"

Ump'tup skitters after Morri and

Roll Athletics 1d6!: [4] = 4
Wild 1d6!: [2] = 2

behind her.

[Pursuit]

There are 2 windows on the front of the building, and @Morri is able to peek into both.

The first window is above the front door, giving her a view of the entry into the building. She sees a single desk in the middle of this room, with a moldy chair pushed up against it. A small pile of ratty furs and straw is heaped under the desk. The tail of some creature, possibly a dog or something of similar size, pokes out from under the desk.

As Morri approaches the second window, her senses are assaulted with the stink of fish and sweat, and it is enough to make her eyes water. To the east wall in the room, a large wooden trough holds a hideous mound of half-rancid fish, seaweed, and brine. Filthy river water and fish blood stain the floor around this trough. A pair of wooden chutes lead from this trough through holes in the eastern wall into a larger room beyond.

To the west, a desk and chair sit in one corner while a tall cabinet sits in the other.

Four children toil away in this room, using pitchforks to feed fish into the chutes. A fifth figure, who is roughly child-sized, directs the work, berating the children when they move too slowly. You can tell this fifth figure is dressed similarly to the children, but when they move, leather armor peeks out from beneath their ragged clothing and to see the handle of a knife at their belt.

If you would like to check out other windows, you may do so, but you will need to make a stealth roll at -2 to avoid detection.

[Morri]

Stealth 4

Stealth 1d8!!-1: [3]-1 = 2
Wild 1d6!!-1: [5]-1 = 4

Morri makes note of what she sees, from her own experiences of living under Lamm's thumb she could make an educated guess as to who or what the other of the tail was and similarly for the armoured figure. But she'd only spied a fraction of what the building held and so tried edging round to another window, hoping to catch sight of something more revealing about Lamm's venture here.

[Falderol Grelemis]

Falderol watches the human and goblin climbing up the walls. As they quietly poke their heads up to various windows and cracks he just shakes his head. "I understand the need for recon but they make it look way too easy."

[Kaja Earthblooded]

Kaja snorts a bit with a hint of bemusement. "So easy to fall on our collective asses. I hope they find us an entry point soon. Not that making stairs up will be easy, but a site easier than trying to clamber up that wall. Got no fishhooks for fingers on my hands, after all."

[Pursuit]

Morri deftly scrambles along the roof and finds her way to more windows.

From her perch, she is able to see a dilapidated, rotting loading dock (A2 on the image). A few carts sit nearby, partially loaded with large, tar-caked barrels marked with a fish-shaped splotch of red paint on the side. Double doors to the immediate south of the loading dock’s ramp provide access to the building’s interior (to A7), while a rickety flight of stairs descends ten feet to a point just three feet over the river’s surface, where a simple door provides a secondary entrance (to A8).

Morri has already seen into rooms A4 (entryway with a desk) and A7 (the room with working orphans and a small overseer).

She is also now able to peer into A8, where the floor looks slick with river water, bits of seaweed, and fish blood, and the air is thick with the accompanying scents. Wooden catwalks to the north and south allow access between the western part of the fishery and the floor of the room, which is ten feet lower. A wide opening in the floor to the south allows direct access to the sloppy, muddy water of the Jeggare River a further three feet down, while to the northwest stands an immense eight-foot-tall wooden vat, its sides caked and waterproofed with tar. Inside is a foul-looking mixture of chum, river water, and who knows what else. To the east are stacked many barrels and crates, each with a fish painted on it. Over a dozen small hammocks hang from under the catwalks, each with its own ratty blanket and pillow.

Morri sees five children working the room, along with an orcish looking brute who stands over them and directs their work, commenting on it with derision. She does not recognize the brute, but he seems to take pleasure in deriding the orphans’ efforts.

Morri can also now see a derelict ship moored behind the fishery (A9), its rotten deck barely intact and its hull thick with seaweed and barnacles. The ship appears held together primarily by the layers of old rope that lash it securely to the pilings that support the fishery and the nearby boardwalk. The rickety walkway leads along the ship’s starboard, a foot below its railing. A single wooden door leading into the aft cabin bears a crude painting of a red fish on its surface (A10).

Morri is not able to see A3, A5, or A6 from her perch, so pretend you can’t, either.

Further scouting is possible, but the longer you are up there, the more you push your luck. You will need to make a Stealth roll at -4 or be spotted.

What Next?

Okay, so far we have Morri and Ump’tup on the roof and the rest of the party watching (and waiting) from concealment. Morri has gotten some good intel, but you all need to link up so she can share it! Any of the windows Morri found could make decent entry points, though they are all boarded up; there are gaps between the boards sufficient to see and to let in light, but any entry via the windows will require pulling off the boards.

[Morri]

Morri decided she'd seen enough, especially as what she spied brought up some...unpleasant memories. The rest of the party were no doubt still waiting on her, so she tied a rope to allow for an easier climb if the party wanted to go in via one of the upper story windows. Once satisfied with her work, she climbed back down and made her report to the rest of the party with a notable sombre tone.

[Berkley Dig]

"Well, I think we'd be better off taking out the Orcish overseer on the lower floor, then working our way up to the small overseer upstairs. We might be able to lure the Orcish overseer into an ambush."

[Kaja Earthblooded]

Kaja shakes her head in partial disagreement. "Don't get me wrong, I think a well timed assault is our best bet, but I think it more likely that we'll do better to hit them from two directions. One team head for the orc, one for the other fellow with the kids in this front room. I'm also curious how many might be on that ship." She shrugs and then grins impulsively*. "Of course the reality is we can't wait around forever, so let's just hit the two overseers, lock in whatever is hiding beneath the desk, and then deal with the aftermath."

She begins whispering in what some might recognize as the elemental language terran, as if going over a plan with something that rumbles from under the ground - or maybe she just scuffed her boot on the ground to produce the noise. Without realizing it, she begins humming a seemingly tuneless song very lowly. The boar at her side seems to react to the humming, as if expecting something. After a moment a cloud of dust and small stones seems to spring to life and breaks into 7 smaller clouds, each surrounding one of the party. "My elemental friends will do their best to protect and shroud you; should be effective against melee attacks and some from ranged as well. For a short time in any case, but we must hurry or they will lose cohesion." She pulls on the shaft of her cane, exposing the sword beneath.

*

Impulsive Hindrance!

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Result of casting: Kaja, Ludwig, Falderol, Berkley, Vargan, Morri, and Ump'Tup: Opponents subtract 2 from melee attacks and subtract 1 from Ranged Attacks; Also adds +1 to stealth rolls by the heroes.
Copy this to your post if you accept the power cast.

Code: Select all

[b]Conditions[/b]: [b]Deflecting Stone and Dirt Cloud[/b]: Opponents subtract 2 from melee attacks and subtract 1 from Ranged Attacks; Also adds +1 to stealth rolls

Performance 1d8!: [1] = 1 , 1d6!: [4] = 4
Deflection (Pathfinder Core Book p181)
Power Points: 9=2 (base; Kaja) +1 each for Ludwig, Falderol, Berkley, Vargan, Morri, and Ump'Tup) + Shroud +1
Duration: 5/5
Trappings: As Kaja sings, bits of stone and dust fly around, as elementals obscure the recipient and deflect attacks.
Deflection misdirects incoming melee or missile attacks from the recipient of the power. With success, foes must subtract 2 from either melee or ranged attacks (caster’s choice). With a raise, the penalty applies to both. An attacker who uses a ranged weapon in melee against the recipient suffers the penalty either way.
Modifiers (in use)
Additional Recipients (+1): The power may affect more than one target for 1 additional Power Point each.
Shroud (+1): Shroud dims and slightly obscures the target so that attacks against her suffer a −1 penalty and she adds +1 to her Stealth rolls.

[Ump'Tup]

Ump'Tup follows Morri down and back to the rest of the party. He listens to the plan impatiently, but quietly.

"Ump'Tup can help," he says while digs through his flasks and pull a larger one out with enough liquid for two doses.

He cocks his head and peers at it for a moment before shaking it vigorously. It starts to fizz and begins to give off a slight glow. He gives a satisfied nod.

"

Big Power Goblin Juice (Boost Trait - Spirit): 6 (+1 die type to Spirit, 5/5 Rounds)
2 PP + 1 PP Additional Recipient = -3 PP
Alchemy 1d8!: [6] = 6
Wild 1d6!: [5] = 5

roll 1d5 (Agi, Sma, Spi, Str, Vig): [3] = 3
Roll 1d2 (Stat, Skill): [1] = 1

is tasty. Fizzy, blue glow...should make you hard to trick. Maybe react a little faster. Could be boils, but the juice always gives you what you need," Ump'tup explains with confidence as he gives some to Falderol and Vargan, "Drink, drink, then hurry, hurry. Big power won't last long!"

[Falderol Grelemis]

"Ok, it sounds like one group is going in the side and down some stairs to get to the working kids. I can take the lead that way. Let's go?"

Kaja then spouts some mumbo jumbo and a cloud of dust and pebbles start floating around a large portion of the group. Shortly after Ump'Tup hands out a couple of vile vials. Falderol suppresses the urge to bat the stones away from his face as he starts towards the fishery drinking whatever is in the bottle. "Come on."