Idolators Under Inzet - Episode Seven

== Synopsis: ==
Inzet, the capital city of Mowen's Borderlands province. The city had welcomed labor and entrepreneurship from all walks of life, and as with any large undertaking, unfavorable individuals came to cause trouble. Local authorities believed a cult of idolators of Veyis, the first Lich, had set up in the sewers, with a horde of undead reportedly gathering in the undercity.
Dushah Uloreen's attention was ever-focused towards keeping external threats at bay, such as the Dread Hounds from the east. With no help from him available, officials sought a small band of mercenaries to discreetly assess and handle the situation. The Whispering Cutlass answered this call.
This is the seventh adventure in the Idolators Under Inzet Arc.
In this adventure, the party interrogated a necromancer, went on a shopping trip, and faced the alchemical lab of Skaxes.
== Client: ==
Inzet
== Mercenaries: ==
* Bandin Volward Deepburrow - Deep Gnome Rogue / Wizard (Sponsor: House Stars)
* Elric Dawnflame - Kalashtar Bloodhunter
* Kiwarden - Firbolg Paladin
* Nwalmë Shadhavar - Shadar-kai Rogue (Sponsor: House Shadhavar)
* Ro'Keer - Tabaxi Ranger
* Tar'ren r'Eehp r'Eehp - Frogfolk Warlock
* Xeithne Aladur - Bugbear Monk (Sponsor: House Stefarni)
== Adventure Summary: ==
=== Preparations ===
It appeared that the Veyis cult cell was dealt with. Uloreen had scheduled an appointment with the Whispering Cutlass mercenaries responsible in three days. Before that meeting, however, the party had a goal to disrupt the alchemical operations of Skaxes, the person who had hired assassins to kill or dissuade them from coming to Inzet in the first place. The alchemists had been making explosives out of sugarsalt from Záchálas. Skaxes had been captured before, but purportedly had managed to escape. He may have been a shifter of sorts.
The fellow Whispering Cutlass mercenary Theo had spied out Skaxes' lab and gotten his spare combat wheelchair prepped, so he was ready for a fight. They simply needed to figure out the best method of engagement.
In order to prepare for the attack, the party set out to complete various errands. Bandin copied some spells from the necromancer's spellbook and gave the book to Tar'ren. At night, he tried to track down that Gnome from the body exchange, desiring the Bag of Holding. Looking at the area where the meet had occurred, no one lingering, and Bandin could find no Thieves' Cant implying a new meeting spot. With no idea whether the broker had moved or fled town, Bandin gave up.
While Xeithne carved out a pair of good quality tonfas from the oak Nwalmë had given her, Tar'ren had been having issues with the necromantic staff to which he had attuned, feeling exhausted at all times. Seeing this, Xeithne approached with a steaming cup of hot coffee: "You look like crud. This'll help."
The Frogfolk accepted the drink, and instantly the Spirited Coffee Beans made him feel fully alert. Xeithne warned, however, that the effect would only last twenty-four hours, and she had a limited supply of beans; if the staff would continually enervate him, he would need to come up with a better plan to counteract it.
While under the beans' effects, Tar'ren visited the prisoners at the constabulary, interrogating the necromancer whom the party had captured in the sewers. Tar'ren set the necromantic spellbook on the chamber's table and held the staff in front of him.
The necromancer, named Anrin, stared hard at the staff.
"The work here might stop," Tar'ren said, "but … it might continue elsewhere?" He gave a conspiratorial wink.
Anrin's brow rose. "They talked to you too?"
"There are many voices in the aether."
"You know what's in the city then?"
"I've not been made privy yet." Tar'ren shrugged. "This was a test to see who would know the truth."
Anrin pursed his lips. "If you hold the staff, then you know their will."
"I need to know their will beyond Inzet. This is merely one city."
"This is the first city in which the dead began to wake. Other nodes could lurk beneath other cities." Anrin shook his bonds. "Loosen my arm and I'll draw you something."
Tar'ren did so. Laying out a quill and parchment. Anrin drew the sewer layout and pointed to a section where construction had stopped because of the undead. There, the limestone sunk and revealed caverns where the black onyx had been discovered.
Anrin returned his hand to the knot, Tar'ren tied him loosely. "My patron thanks you," Tar'ren said.
"Continue their work."
"Indeed."
Anrin nodded. "Remember, brother: The circle of twelve must be punished with death."
Tar'ren bowed and left.
Nwalmë scoured the library for information on Sagrid's Gamble. Tar'ren also conducted general research at the library, determining that diamonds were used for reviving. While there, Tar'ren tried to prank Nwalmë by casting a Hex on his dexterity; Nwalmë nearly slipped off of a ladder, but he held his balance.
Elric was excited to finally have some money. At the Riot House, he caught sight of Spike, a man with similar tattoos to his own, another bloodhunter talking a big game about hunting Dread Hounds. Unlike Elric's magic, this hunter chugged down unusual vials to trigger his magic. Elric and Spike swapped stories and bragged about their magics, Elric showing off his rapier, Spike pointing out a ring he wore that could help with tracking down creatures. Spike had inherited it from his superior after their death.
The two engaged in a wager of three-card ante. Whoever lost would gift their item to the winner. Elric won and received the ring, then treated Spike to a drink. Spike chalked it up to bad luck and seemed to take the loss without issue.
Kiwarden took time to visit his cousin, Yendell. He passed on all the information he had gathered during his time in the sewers in order to help Yendell's research. His cousin was disgusted, but intrigued. The best advice Yendell could give was that a paladin should smite rather than throw braziers.
Ro'Keer spent his preparation time talking to a contact to figure out the whereabouts of a certain Kenku. Last the contact had heard, the Kenku was headed westward on a ship called the Fourgon.
Finally, the party visited Drake the Blade, a merchant contact of Nwalmë. Nwalmë and Drake hugged, patting each other's backs. They talked of life, Drake revealing that he had made a lance for Abishot's upcoming Tournament. Nwalmë stated that he planned to join the Tournament's archery challenge. 
In the end, Xeithne picked up the Lucky Seven spear; Elric got the Forgemaster's Rapier; and Ro'Keer bought the Dehumanizer, a shortsword that seared Humans.
=== The Sting ===
The next day, the party discussed their attack plan. There were two entrances into Skaxes' basement alchemy lab: a storm cellar door on the outside of the building, and a ladder that descended from the residence of Dar'Keen, a contact of Ro'Keer. Bandin suggested a pincer attack, two at the ladder, the rest in the cellar. Xeithne volunteered to be a ladder guard, though Nwalmë suggested cutting or breaking the ladder.
Tar'ren yawned, once more exhausted, but he waved off Xeithne's offer of coffee. He wanted to send someone invisible into the lab. Nwalmë thought it was a great idea, but didn't know how he'd get past the door without opening it. Then his eyes widened. He reached into his pack and grabbed his Bones of Augury, asking if using his Gift of Lianda to teleport past the closed door while invisible would work out for him. The result showed weal, and he ran with it. 
Bandin decided that he would join Xeithne at the ladder. Tar'ren cast Spider Climb on Bandin to help with his mobility.
After Elric and Nwalmë created a mental connection, Nwalmë went invisible and cast False Life on himself, then popped through the door with his Gift of Lianda. The basement was a full lab with multiple alchemists working at stations, sorting sugarsalt into bags and working with tools. The middle of the room was dominated by shelves upon shelves of sugarsalt explosives vials.
But Nwalmë couldn't focus on that; as he appeared in the basement, he tripped on the stairs. However, he shuffled and tapped the door to pretend to be the creak of the wind. One alchemist looked up from their station, but they didn't notice anything. Something else peeked its head around the corner, but didn't see Nwalmë.
Somewhere to the west, past the shelving, a distorted voice asked, "What was that?"
"The wind must be getting a little heavy, boss," an alchemist said.
Nwalmë glanced around and clocked the activity in the room. He snuck further down the stairs for a better peek of the southern area of the room, then went back up to check the door's locking mechanism. It was bolted from the inside and appeared to have no traps. He very carefully lifted the dead bar, barely leaving it on to make it easy to push through. He made the motion of a chef's kiss, then mentally told Elric to get ready: "I'm going to look around, but if you hear calamity, bust down the door."
Meanwhile, Xeithne and Bandin went into Dar'Keen's house. The house was vacant. Xeithne noticed signs of a quick flight, things hastily gathered and packed. She continued looking and found a trapdoor in the kitchen. With a small click of the tongue, she alerted Bandin, who checked the trapdoor for traps. It wasn't locked, but there was a string on the latch and strung through the door. With careful movements and Xeithne tapping his ki for extra fluidity, Bandin tried to disarm it. He wedged a piton in a seam between the floorboard and the latch, then clamped the string down. Sweat beaded on his brow, but he believed he succeed.
While he and Xeithne congratulated themselves, an explosion suddenly rocked the floor. Nwalmë had spied out the sugarsalt explosives and drop-kicked a shelf, causing a massive blast that rocketed him back, sending him flying to near the trapdoor, still invisible.
Elric busted down the door to find the shelves obliterated and a massive fire in the center of the room. He tried to crossbow an alchemist but missed, then skirted the wall to avoid the fire.
Skaxes saw Elric and roared, "Whispering Cutlass!" He crossed straight through the fire, setting himself ablaze, then swung a hooked sword and a dagger at Elric. The sword caught Elric's flesh, though the dagger missed.
Theo rolled into the doorway and shot Skaxes with a crossbow bolt, a critical hit.
On the side of the room with the trapdoor, an alchemist ran to the edge of the fire, moving right past Nwalmë. Still invisible, Nwalmë didn't take the opportunity to attack.
Ro'Keer jumped from the top of the stairs to a row of barrels and marked Skaxes. He nocked an arrow and shot Skaxes in the arm.
Xeithne and Bandin stared at each other, stunned at the explosion for a second. "Well that's bad," Xeithne said. She threw open the trapdoor, seeing the edge of fire and the alchemists below. A bundle of sugarsalt explosives were taut on a string on the trapdoor's ladder, which would have exploded had Bandin not disarmed it.
Xeithne pulled out the Lucky Seven and harpooned the alchemist at the foot of the ladder, a critical blow. As he screamed, she yanked him up and hauled him into the upper room. She pinched his neck, knocking him out.
Bandin gathered the vials on the string, collecting all six without issue.
At the one alchemist's scream, another turned towards the ladder and saw the man getting heaved up, then Bandin collecting the vials. He shot an enchanted dart at Bandin, hitting, though Bandin resisted the effects. The alchemist told Bandin to shut the door. Bandin complied, but winked at Xeithne to show he was fine.
Tar'ren hung back at the cellar door, ready to blast any alchemist who tried to escape.
Another alchemist saw the mercenaries on the stairs and the incensed Skaxes and decided she would rather engage Ro'Keer. She dropped a bomb of smoke before appearing behind the Tabaxi, stabbing him with a dagger.
Kiwarden scooted past Theo and stabbed Skaxes with his glaive. At that moment, Skaxes shivered, his body morphing into the form of a Dwarf. Elric activated one of his blood rites and stabbed into Skaxes, slipping through the cross guard of the hookblade. Skaxes moved out of the fire and dropped his dagger, pulling out a rope and speaking the command word. The rope lashed towards Kiwarden, but failed to ensnare him. Skaxes then whacked Elric with the hook sword, slashing into the leg and pulling back. Elric fell prone.
Nwalmë walked quietly to the alchemist frantic at the edge of the fire and kicked him in, knocking him prone. He then stabbed the alchemist in the belly before repositioning himself behind another alchemist.
Theo shot another bolt at Skaxes, but the shifter deflected the bolt, grinning at the Bugbear. The alchemist Nwalmë shoved screamed and scrambled out of the fire, throwing a vial of acid at the rogue. It's a critical hit, the vial smashing against Nwalmë's face.
Ro'Keer tried to kick his opponent off of the barrels, but it was a critical failure that sent the barrel under himself rolling. He shuffled along its axis, maintaining his footing.
After Bandin's wink revealed that he wasn't under a suggestion spell, Xeithne winked back and threw open the trapdoor, only to find Nwalmë severely burned with an alchemist right in front of him. She jumped into the basement and stabbed the man in the gut. As he doubled over, she reached above him and brushed her knuckles against Nwalmë's forehead, revitalizing him with a healing touch. Finally, she grabbed the alchemist by the hair and slammed his face into the floor, knocking him out.
Bandin meanwhile crawled along with basement ceiling, casting Gust on the alchemist scrambling out of the fire. The breeze blew the alchemist back into the blaze.
Ro'Keer's opponent crushed two sugarsalt vials together, causing a blast of flame to flow over Ro'Keer and Theo. Ro'Keer said it smelled like sesame chicken.
Tar'ren saw the jet of flame slam the wall, but held his position.
Kiwarden swung his glaive at Skaxes, slashing into him.
As the fire tapered to embers, Nwalmë shot and killed the alchemist struggling in the fire. Elric meanwhile was prone, but stood and released a curse on Skaxes before stabbing him.
Skaxes suddenly grew larger, with two extra sets of eyes opening on his forehead and temples while his body went white. A searing light burst from him, the radiant energy searing Kiwarden and knocking Elric unconscious. Skaxes then launched the rope at Kiwarden once more, this time ensnaring the Firbolg. Though he was restrained, Kiwarden's armor still managed to block Skaxes' strike with the hooksword.
Unfortunately, Kiwarden staggered forward as a bolt hammered his back. Theo's aim was critically off, and his attack against Skaxes resulted in friendly fire.
Ro'Keer swapped to his Dehumanizer blade and swung at his opponent. The woman was a Half-Elf, and the sword seared as it sliced into her.
Xeithne spotted Elric felled; she dashed like the wind and parted through the radiant light, using her healing kit to bring Elric back into the fight.
Bandin went behind the alchemist on the barrels and stabbed her with his shortsword, taking her down. He backed up and positioned around the corner.
Skaxes glared at Kiwarden with utter hatred. Even while restrained, Kiwarden attempted to attack. He hit and unleashed a radiant smite, though Skaxes' Aasimar form took less damage than the paladin hoped. Just after the attack however, Skaxes shrunk into a Gnome form.
Nwalmë dashed next to Kiwarden and stabbed at Skaxes' hand. He stabbed right into the hand, causing Skaxes to release the rope and free Kiwarden. Nwalmë then activated his Wails from the Grave while slashing with his shortsword. The blade unfortunately missed.
Elric regained his feet, flanked Skaxes, and tried to stab him, but missed. Skaxes snarled and stabbed Elric with a dagger, then tried to slash Nwalmë with the hookblade. The hookblade missed, but the dagger was a glancing blow. Bandin tried to distract Skaxes with Silvery Barbs, but the attack still hit.
Theo wheeled down the stairs and tossed a healing potion at Elric. Elric caught it and drank. Ro'Keer licked his wounds, casting Cure Wounds on himself. Xeithne stabbed at Skaxes, who parried for a glancing blow; she then uppercut kicked him before rolling to the south.
Bandin crawled above Skaxes and slashed with his sword, a glancing blow. Bandin then crawled out of the fray.
As Skaxes grew tall and Elf-like, Nwalmë entangled him with a whip of his Poison Strand. Elric cursed Skaxes once more, then stabbed. As the strike pierced Skaxes' body, the shifter went limp, snapping between multiple bodies. A Dragonborn, a one-eyed gentleman with an eye patch; he glared at the mercenaries and whispered, "I won't forgive you, Whispering Cutlass. I know what you did, you did this, you sold me…"
With that, he lost consciousness. His body became amorphous with silver skin, half-shifting through the silhouettes of multiple creatures.
== Outcome: ==
After disarming Skaxes, Ro'Keer and Bandin investigated the area. They found four crates of raw sugarsalt worth one-hundred ounces of gold total. The prize would be split amongst the party.
Elric grabbed about five gold ounces' worth of alchemical reagents. In the back of the room he found a supply closet with four potions: a Potion of Cold Resistance, a Potion of Flame Breath, a Potion of the Bard, and a Potion of the Berserker.
After asking the other mercenaries, Nwalmë claimed the hooksword.
The battle done, Tar'ren entered the room, pleased to find his allies alive. He offered to wipe off Elric's blade for him. Elric accepted, though he noted that Tar'ren was highly interested in Skaxes' blood, putting the cleaning cloth with the blood on it in a corked vial.
After returning to the Riot House for a rest, Tar'ren, Nwalmë, Xeithne, and Bandin went to the cavern marked by Anrin the necromancer. They found that what should have been a vein of black onyx had been hollowed out, an act performed with great effort.
While searching, Bandin found a skeleton that had been horribly charred, barely anything left of it. He almost didn't notice it. It almost looked like it was glassed against the cavern wall. He relayed this information to the party.
== Adventure Rewards: ==
Looted Sugarsalt (15 gp each).
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Category:Adventures