Pathfinder RPG Session 09: Thistletop (3)

After the melee finished, the party recovers and searches the areas where the Thistletop goblins emerged from.

The continuation of the Pathfinder RPG path Rise of the Runelords!  As always ahead be *spoilers*

Gilly the halfling rogue leads the way using her size and stealth abilities to scout.

A room full of rancid meat and other foodstuffs is discovered.  To Gilly's horror there appear to be some humans, probably unfortunate travelers are present in this grisly pantry.  Tuihirdock says he will bury the unfortunates later if he is able.

The courtyard of the fort had several goblin dogs in it.  Rather than engage them in hand to hand, the party ascends the stairs of a guard tower to fire arrows at the vicious creatures rather than risk being bit.  The goblins own bows and arrows were used to dispatch their minions.

Entering the courtyard.

There is a side door in the corner that is boarded up.  Snorts are heard and the door is kicked when it is approached.  The goblins have trapped a horse!  Tuihirdock ushers everyone out of the area and gets to work on releasing the panicky animal.

Using a crowbar, he pries the nails and boards off the door.  Eventually he is able to open the door and narrowly misses being trampled.  The horse is quite scared when released and trots around the courtyard nervously.

Eventually the horse calms down and is given some of Gilly's carrots.  In another room off the courtyard a prisoner is discovered.  Brother Malcolm, a priest of Desna, was waylay-ed and thrown into the makeshift jail. He is given food and drink and recovers.  Malcolm agrees to go along with the group.

A room is found with a stairwell going down.

At the bottom of the stairs is a room with another door.  Gilly hears someone moving around inside.  Tuihirdock suggests a charge on the occupant to maximize surprise.

A human woman, potentially a mage, is sitting at a table that is covered with scrolls and books.  Before she can react, the warriors have engaged her and Gilly has fired her bow.

Shock and awe.  The mage falls before she has a chance cast her vile magicks.  A number of books and scrolls are found.  Chance Arcane finds several spell scrolls that may be useful.  Evidently "Lira" was doing some sort of other research.  The group makes a note of this for later investigation, but decides to press on as, -during the search of the room...

...A secret door is found in the wall.  A stairwell leads down.

Moving down the stairs to the lower level.

A room is found.  The goblin fort was built on ruins of some sort.  This room had ancient statues in alcoves in the walls. 

After searching the room, the party moves through a door on the far side...

A trap is sprung on Rolf! A portcullis falls down from the ceiling trapping Rolf away from the rest of the party.  Halberd like blades come out of the wall and slash him.

Tuihirdock tries an old school bend bars/lift gate.  He rolls a nat 20 and succeeds!  Rolf is released as the gate is held just as the floor beneath him gives way to a pit trap.  Gilly neutralizes the trap, so it will not triggered again.

Opening the door at the end of the hallway they find Nualia Tobyn, orchestrator of the attack on Sandpoint!  She and her outsider ally are prepared for the adventurers.

The room has a unnerving red coloring to it.  Foul magic is present.

Nualia and allies...  Her left arm is mutated in some strange way.

Despite wounds and fatigue the adventurers take the battle to Nualia.  She has had time to prepare her defenses and has used some magic to augment her abilities.  The Yith hound lets out a horrific howl.  Cinart and Oswal (not in the room) are startled and panicked by this dark scream.

The Yith hound goes down!  Chance Arcane sends in volleys of magic missles with his wand, and Gilly uses a wand of shocking grasp to great effect.  Nualia is wearing metal armor which makes her easier to hit.

Brother Malcolm lends his healing powers to his wounded allies.

Cinart and Oswald were waiting in the hall when they see Nualia's mercenaries coming to her aid.  It's the bugbear Bruzthalamuz and a fighting man named Oren.

Cinart runs and Oswald does his best to parry off the blows of his attackers.  Although wounded he manages to get away.  Chance Arcane sends a volley of magic missles into the bugbear to over the retreat of the henchmen.

Nualia has fallen!  The party has retreated into her room to await the attack by her mercenaries.

The bugbear charges into the room and is greeted by the weapons and magic of the party!

The bugbear is slain.

Oren the mercenary, seeing no hope in resisting surrenders.  He is bound, secured, and questioned. 

Although most of the enemies in the complex appear to have been defeated, there is one very ominous door across from Nualia's chambers that remains unexplored.  The party is wounded, and much of their magicks and resources have been spent.   There will have to be a rest before they can continue clearing Thistletop.

Some questions do remain to be solved.  What ritual did Nualia have planned?  What is the nature of this structure...the goblins may have built the fort above, but these hallways are quite old.  What was Lira researching?  It could have something to do with the structure or Nualia's ritual.  And lastly what fearsome beast is located behind the last door?

More soon!   The finale of the Assault on Thistletop!