The creatures are very hungry and attack Petrok like a pack.
Two of the tiny critters latch on, delivering a poison within their saliva.
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"I'm with ya there little one. Must be nice to fight something your own size for a change!" He yells with a playful chuckle just as he reaches in his pouch and digs out the components to launch a bomb at the lizard in the center (green). Being careful not to harm his teammates (precise bombs).
(8 splash damage)
Yoshi rips two of the tiny dinos from Petrok and throws them to the ground, squishing them under boot.
The last one is dazed, momentarily, before Petrok cuts him in two.
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The shivering man from Tien peers into the cave.
"I am liking this place. I just am hoping there are no more lizards."
After checking it really is warm in here he takes off a layer of furs for the first time in several days.
"I am seeing rock paintings." he further adds. "That are not being made by lizards."
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"Yoshi you have been taking quite a few hits lately, you may be in trouble if no one can reach you. Here, take this and use it in case of an emergency." (Extract, CLW ,1d8+4)
"Petrok, you seem to be targeted quite a bit. I want you to take this for our next battle."
Petrok is surprised at the offer. Not many humans or orcs, have treated him kindly, as this group has. You grow soft with these sentimental thoughts. Better, to steel yourself for their inevitable betrayal of you.... Petrok, suppresses childhood feelings of abandonment, long enough to reply, Many thanks Damiel but, I thought those concoctions only worked on you?
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"That's only if you're an amateur. Trust me, you've seen my bombs, wait till you try this out... but don't worry it won't make you explode." He says with a laugh and a smile holding out the extract waiting for Petrok to take it. "This will cause blades to slide right off you. It does have a limited time span though, so wait till you really need it."
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"Little man, I have just the concoction for you. This one here will cut you down to half your size. You'll be able to fit inside Sunshine's pocket with his friend. But you'll never have to worry about an enemy hitting you." He turns to the gnome as he hands him the extract of reduce person.
"Sorceress, I didn't forget about you." He digs deep into his pack. You hear the jangling of vials hitting one another. "This one will make you faster than anything on two legs should be." He gives her the extract of expeditious retreat.
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"That's only if you're an amateur. Trust me, you've seen my bombs, wait till you try this out... but don't worry it won't make you explode." He says with a laugh and a smile holding out the extract waiting for Petrok to take it. "This will cause blades to slide right off you. It does have a limited time span though, so wait till you really need it."
Petrok takes the offered extract and murmurs thanks.. Er thanks Damiel,
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"Thanks Damy-boy. Not to certain thet Ole Sunshine would take too kindly ta havin' a second rider, but I'm guessin' it's tha thought that should be gettin' the countin'." Wandering over to the ifrit, "Whatever yer doin' ta that thar critter lass is smellin' mighty fine on a cold evenin'. Thanks fer cookin' it up."
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"Fly it is! And don't worry about crashing to the ground, it wears off slow so you'll have a nice soft landin'" He says with a big smile, giving her a potion that feels so light that if you were let go it may hover in the air on its own.
"I'm afraid not, I can only make people smaller. I tell you what though, tomorrow I may give you something extra special." He says with a wink.
As you explore around, you find a caved in tunnel from which the warmth seems to emanate.
The cavern’s tall walls are covered with cave paintings under a thin layer of faintly glowing algae.
The paintings depict a castle at the base of a mountain. Outside the castle, a large creature with wings and a long neck lies on the ground before a figure lifting a huge red axe over its head to strike. Other humanoid figures cluster around the scene. The mural is then interrupted by a repeated design: two mammoths with a smaller one in tow marching east. This motif is repeated over and over in an orderly line from the top wall of the cave to the bottom. There are 30 copies of this design.
The next scene shows the wielder of the red axe lying on a raised mound within the castle, his weapon clutched to his chest. Other figures leave the castle carrying large bags on their shoulders.
The drawings continue on the other side of the cave, showing an avalanche cascading down to cover the tower. The last drawing shows more of the humanoid figures standing over the edge overlooking the castle’s previous location, while four drawings of the moon in various states arc above the scene. In this last picture, all of the humanoid figures have a smear of white color around their lower faces.
Did you really roll an 18 before peeking?
You notice that the creature on the ground in the first painting was originally painted white, but that time has eroded whatever the painter used to show this color. The character brandishing the axe was also painted white, but around the face, suggesting a large white beard.
Amid the fungi are the remnants of a long-decayed party of humans.
The collective bodies hold 3 bandages, 2 masterwork throwing axes, a masterwork (magical) bolas, 4 potions (not all the same), 6 pairs of snowshoes, a wand carved from a smilodon’s tooth, and a bag of unworked gemstones, a cloak, and a very fine (magical) set of studded leather.
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Petrok looks at the paintings:
Petrok searches the rest of the caveL:
Petrok looks at the paintings and shakes his head in confusion, They all look the same to me he mutters; with a shrug and a wave of his hand Petrok moves on to search the cave.
Hey there's some dead people over here! Looks like they may have some useful things. Petrok says to no one in Paticular. Some of this is good looking stuff. Petrok turns to the others still studying the paintings. Petrok, starts pulling the clothes off some off the bodies and separating valuables he finds in backpacks, pockects, ect.. into small piles near the clothes. You guys paying attention? Some of this could be magical... Petrok sighs in regret,[I] I didn't ask the spirits to grant me the ability to detect magic today...do any of you have the ability?[/b] Petrok begins to smell one of the potions and dabs his finger in the mixture, licking his finger afterwards.
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"I am seeing these pictures have been changed." says Yoshi, looking at them. "See, once they are being white. Big bearded man."
He shrugs, not sure what the significance of that would be.
Moving on to the image he notes "Axe man with beard is different. Other men here do not have beards. No attacker had beard, even those this is cold land. I am thinking man with axe is not local."
He looks at the pictures of the mammoths. "Big fur elephants. They move east seeking warmth. A year is passing for each. Man with beard is dead after 30 years. " his fingers trace the pictures.
"People leave. More time is passing. Many years. Still they are looking over axe man's castle. "
Wow, this is what it really means to be a pathfinder. Finding out the stories of the past. I always thought they just wanted me here to deal with physical problems. But I understood it! All of it!
As he looks through the cave, Yoshi comes upon some long dead bodies.
"Quickly, be coming here. Dead people. I am wondering if these Fungi killed them. Or the lizards. There are many items here too. Take care"
The last words said quickly as he steps back from the bodies.
Damiel notes the alchemical properties of 1 potion of barkskin, 2 potions of endure elements, and one of cure moderate wounds.
Between him and Solstice, they identify 3 bandages of rapid recovery, a wand of longstrider.
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"Sounds as if Yoshi's got the right of it. Ya know lad, yer story tellin' might just put me outta work."
Spackle casts a spell and searches their temporary home. Viewing the rest of the cave, a thought occurs to the bard. "Why'd them lizzards go after Sunshine like they wuz starvin'? They had food right here they shoulda been protectin', lessin' o' course them bodies smelled o' somethin' that stopped 'em in their tracks. We may be wantin' ta take care not ta get closer ta them unforchanet folks."
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After inspecting the bodies, Petrok speaks up. We've traveled all day. I dare say we've gained on our enemies. With the aid of the that new found magic wand...we will close the gap even further tomorrow..Gods willing. Petrok pauses a moment to make sure all are paying attention. I say we rest and recover this evening. We can drag the bodies out of the cave and let them freeze in the tundra. I'll build a fire for the night, near the mouth of the cave, and take first watch. Will you stand watch with me again Spackle? ;
By the morning, the storm has gone and you are free to set off again. Their path slopes downward as you approach a series of high, rocky cliffs on the edge of the Tusk Mountains. Near midday, Skagni’s map directs you through a narrow ravine of ice and rock.
The shriek of a snowy owl dances off the high, rough walls of ice and rock inside this gorge, and the long shadows inside make it feel like evening rather than midday. Although the canyon provides a direct path through the rocky terrain of this area, the other side is almost invisible from the entrance. In the snow drenched plains leading to the gorge mouth, primeval aurochs and bison paw at the new snow to unearth scrub grass.
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I'm assuming we all get Longstrider cast on us, though it is not in Solstice's spell list.
Solstice has no chance at making the DC 25 check so we'll just move on to the others.
Though certainly not the only one to notice she is the first to point out, "Look! There - tracks. Looks like they were going to take the same route as we are but something caused them to have second thoughts. Perhaps those critters down there are more dangerous than they look?"
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Petrok looks around carefully before entering the gorge
Petrok the inspects the ground and discovers humanoid tracks. Looks like someone was here...but, didn't enter the canyon for long before turning around.
Petrok continues to look around
Petrok inspects the bones he discovered more closely
Finding nothing interesting, Petrok shrugs his shoulders and mumbles, just another dead animal..
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"It seems you're correct Petrok. Indeed someone or some thing thought about entering the gorge before changing their mind." Damiel rubs his chin thinking as he concurs with Petrok.
"Over here there seems to be the body of a Sabre Tooth Tiger. He's been trampled by something huge. A lot of somethings huge. Like a stampede of large beasts came through." Damiel gave all the information he could infer to let the party deduce what they could of the situation.
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"Shall we look for another route or risk the canyon? If they were to spring s a trap on anyone following that's probably where they would do it. Of course, we could always go in prepared. Maybe Fey could fly up above and get a better look. I can also make someone invisible if they have faith in their stealth."
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Yoshi shrugs. Hard though it may be to tell with him so bundled up.
"That dead tiger is a warning. But we are smarter than a tiger."
With a sigh he suggests. "I am thinking one of us should be going first in case of an ambush. The others can then help extract them if there is to be an avalanche or a trap."
Reluctantly he adds "I am perhaps the best equipped to survive. " then with a glance to Feybella. "Although if you are being keen to be going first, I am not stopping you."