Flashpoint: Investigations

This was a cool session though also a funny one because the players in both this session and the last kept ignoring the Lubor's Office lead in favor of dredging up other ones that go off the adventure path railroad. It's all good because their ideas were logical -- but therein also lay the problem. The adventure assumes they came from inland and then follow the path to the docks whereas they came in from the sea. The adventure also assumes that they don't simply search the docks for the Hydra's Fang (particularly the dry docks for any major repairs). In truth, since in the adventure it's just sitting amongst the other ships there's no reason why a cursory inspection of the harbor wouldn't spot it fairly quickly.

So of course Archer immediately searched the dry docks and then came back the following day to bribe the person in charge of the dry docks for access to the files. On the way a man tried to sell them Pesh and became obsessed with the idea that the tiefling, Lhye, would buy it off him. Proteus told him that he didn't trust anyone who didn't sample his own wares so the man promptly did and became more fixated. Lenny knocked him down with a punch and the man ran off, still telling Lhye to come find him.

Then they were mobbed with kids trying to sell shell jewelery and even feathers dyed red that they said was from a griffon (they were gull feathers). When Lhye said that griffons were white, they promptly said that it was a special, magic griffon that lived nearby. Proteus distracted most of them by showing the nine kids eight coppers and saying that one would miss out before tossing the coins behind them. Eight kids ran off.

One, the smallest six-year-old waited, and asked for a silver to run off. Lhye, admiring her spirit, asked if he could keep her. The child said it would cost him a gold and everyone was a little disturbed that she might be trying to be a prostitute until she clarified that it would cost a gold to 'abopted her' (yes, typo is intentional). Proteus told Lhye he couldn't keep her but she hung around, demanding a gold from Lhye so she could be abopted. She then started playing with his tail (he took the prehensile tail variant) and even bit it to see if it was real when Lenny lifted her up by the hair. Proteus gave her a sleep potion and she rolled a 17 and passed.

Ahh, True Neutral Adventurers. He could've given her a gold piece to make her run and eat well for a few days but instead he wasted a 25gp potion on trying to render her unconscious so that they could dump her somewhere.

They kept walking, Lenny holding her by the hair and the kid with her arms crossed stubbornly across her chest. They went to the dry dock official. For a shiny gold piece, they were told that it limped off a couple days ago but wasn't provisioned for a major voyage and was likely moved elsewhere. I dropped another hint about him owing Lubor money. I also dropped a bit of a clue that there were Lacedon on the ship that someone glimpsed.

Archer asked for anyone who might have seen the ship leave and they were directed to a lovely old lady who sold pot pies and tea. He bribed with a shiny gold piece (in exchange for a pie and a tea cup) and she immediately told him that he'd mistaken gold for copper (she sold the pie and tea combo for three copper pieces). He told her he was an investor so she made him out a receipt. Anyway, she told him that the captain of the Hydra's Fang was an arrogant Chelish man who'd had an argument with Lubor and owed the Consortium quite a bit. Archer then enquired as to where they could track down the Consortium Headquarters (le sigh) and she said that only those members who had a personal stake in the issue would be interested (*hint* Lubor *hint*). She also told them his ship was a galliot and that he may have hidden it in the Underdocks. Proteus also bribed the little girl with a pie (she immediately demanded two, so he added a tea) if she'd leave them alone. She agreed and went over to sit on the edge of the docks and eat.

Archer realised that if he pulled down the lateen sails and perhaps dismantled the masts he could row her in like a large row boat into the underdocks. So they promptly set off down a greased ladder and saw greasy footprints leading off into the hole in the side of one of two stone bunkers. Archer, Proteus and Lunjun went to talk to the various people who generally docked down here (mostly fishermen) and found out that any boat of that size would be more likely to be docked in the western Underdocks and if they spoke to the guards over there they could be directed to the right place.

Meanwhile, Lenny waited by the ladder and Lhye went over to follow the footprints but stopped before the entrance hole. He suggested Lenny go in there, which she did. Someone cast Flare in front of her, but neither she, Lhye, or Lunjun Siva (who was peering in as well) were blinded. Two 'Blurred' figures (who'd drunk Potions of Blur and Potions of Darkvision) shot arrows at her. She charged one and decapitated him despite the miss chance. Lhye shot an arrow and missed. A third enemy cast Obscuring Mist but Lenny managed to find the second archer when he came up to hit her - and she decapitated him in one hit as well. Lhye cast Detect Magic (Lunjun simply checked to identify the spells cast).

The caster successfully tumbled away from Lenny and through a small hole (Acrobatics check - rolled a natural 20) but Lenny grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her out. They threatened her and she confirmed that the galliot was moved every couple days and was likely in the western underdocks. She and her friends had fled the ship because of disturbing noises below decks. She didn't know anything about any Lacedon (or Lacy-whats-its, as she called them). They knocked her out and there the session ended.

I'm figuring they're avoiding the Lubor link because they don't want to get tangled up in the Consortium or risk Du Moire finding out. It just goes to show that adventure writers really don't think of everything because there are multiple avenues for looking for Du Moire and without literally hiding the ship the players could have so much as climbed a bell tower to see it (if they had a spyglass).

The encounter I ran was from the book (Katiya and the thugs) and I used the Tier 1 - 2 option but with the Tier 4 - 5 potions to boost them a little bit.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure Lhye still wants to 'abopt' that kid.