TMP link
Our noble-in-hiding patron (Rexus Victora) has located what he thinks is the old HQ of the long defunct Silver Ravens and has sent us out to verify his information and explore to see if any evidence of their end is about.
From the outside, a long abandoned stable in the slums, the "Fair Fortune Livery." Three starving dogs advanced towards us upon entry, they were quickly dispatched, though it was hard to tell if they were attacking or just being defensive while trying to get by us to the outside.
I located a potion in the rafters through a Detect Magic spell, and we discovered the place is inhabited by some gremlin-like creatures we could not get to (very small tunnels)
Finding a secret door and ladder going down into a fetid, stale-urine smelling room, we were set upon by four Dire Rats. Not so quickly dispatched by my more combat-oriented fellows, I ensured I stayed out of their reach. Locating another secret door, it led to a "used-to-be-sumptuous" room, highly decorated but now shredded into bedding and whatnot for the gremlins.
They set upon us, some of them vomiting on the PC's, affecting them adversely. Again, I kept my distance and used my sling, content to let the martial PC's do what they do best.
We decide to head back to the noble's hiding locale to clean up before progressing.
Returning, one of the walls of the formerly sumptuous room is barred with a gate, easily opened with a crowbar. We lit a torch and continued on, into a very large circular room with a pool of offensive brownish slurry in the middle about 45ft across. Profane runes lines the walls, some glowing lightly, and the ruins of some toppled statues that used to be on the four pillars in the middle of the slurry lie broken.
Two disgusting, fat, tumorous, vaguely humanoid creatures bathe in the slurry with obscene pleasure. Upon seeing the light from our torch, they advance to attack.
Once again, I fall back, this time picking up some rubble in anticipation of casting Magic Stone and using my sling if the situation demands, otherwise, let the martial PC's do their thing.
After a short combat session, the creatures are defeated. Giving the pool wide respect, we explore more, finding crates of treasure and documents written in Common, Celestial and some other language we could not figure out opposite the pool.
Many of the documents have a raven sigil on them; that and the six Figurines of Wondrous Power (Silver Raven) that we found sealed that this WAS the HQ of the Silver Ravens. The profane runes and the demonic Dretch that were encountered give testimony that their disappearance was at the hands of some demon or demon-worshippers.
Returning to the noble's hideout with the crate of documents, he tells us he can translate them (we do not speak any of the obscure languages some of them are written in) but it will take some time. He introduces us to an ally of his, Laria, a Halfling proprietor of an inn.
Laria is connected to the Bellflower Network, which is an underground railroad of sorts for Halfling slaves in Cheliax. Her inn has a basement and a secret tunnel to a hiolding area and dock to sail escaped slaves out of Kintargo and Cheliax. The Bellflower Network has mysteriously all but dissolved just recently.
Laria needs help locating her friend who helps her smuggle, he is late by two days with no word. All the other PC's (being Lawful, Neutral and Chaotic Good) are willing to help. I need more motivation than just "my friend is missing." Laria offers room and board and meals for a week, and that is good enough for me (being that I have come up out of the sewers and have yet to find a place to stay.)
Delving into the basement and then into the secret tunnel. The holding area is HUGE! At this point, it is explained that "old Kintargo" used to flood on occasion, so with immense slave labor, the town was "raised" and rebuilt on top. we were in "underground" Kintargo.
We were set upon by an albino croc, who downed the Tengu Samurai and did a number on the Cavalier before dying. I hit both of them with the Wand of Healing a few times and a Dire Corby attacked us from some ruins, this time the Slayer was knocked unconscious before it was dispatched. There was a set of double doors, but before that, I went to the crocodile and ripped out some teeth to make a necklace out of.
