Attack: (2+2aid+2flank+1high ground)
If hit:
Dunno if that hit, but should at least have his attention, I hope.
Round 2 Opening, Revised
As the skeletal champion loses his grip on his odd curved sword once again, he provokes yet another attack of opportunity as he reaches for it again!
AoO:
Damage if hit:
Seeing an opening, Broderus acts in unison with Valcrim and strikes again at the distracted undead.
:; :
Confirm:
If hit: in addition to the first 5
Round 3, Continued
As the skeletal champion reaches for his dropped weapon, the combined might of Broderus and Father Flinthammer beating upon its chest and head crush the fragile bones, and the menacing creature collapses in a heap of calcium dust and desicated flesh. Breathing heavily, still poised to attack, if is clear after a few seconds have passed that this champion will never again rise.
Combat has ended.
Investigating your fallen foe, you find that he continues to wear a rather hard leather throng about his neck that boasts a bronze key worked with jade colored enamel reminiscent of the box he all too formerly protected.
broken masterwork chainmail, wakizashi that radiates a magical aura
You recognize that the skeleton's curved blade is a wakizashi, popular among Tian Samurai.
The skeleton's curved blade has a +1 enhancement bonus to it
In the pommel of the skeleton's sword is a secret compartment. Opening this compartment is a mithral scroll case containing a missive written in Tian.
Perception:
"AN STAY DOWN, YA NASTY PILE O BONE!" Valcrim huffs as he tugs his hammer free from the remains, before raising his eyebrow "Huh? Tha sword made a hollow rattle..." he hums and inspects it, blinking dumbfounded at the scribbles "Think this might be some manner o' wizard script. Sure make nae sense ta me." he shrugs and hands it over to Joyabraund, being the party bard, before drawing his wand and muttering a line of dwarven to invoke the magic within.
Cure Light on Treygan:
Jeez. Another one then:
OH COME ON!
Joya looks over the scroll and promptly hands it to Seiji, Pretty sure you'll have better luck than me.
No clue what type of blade that is but its been magically enhanced! Not the strongest magic but certainly enough to make it that much more dangerous!
Joya puts his hands out at the dwarf, Look here when you wave it around like that of course it isn't gonna work right! Wands are about finesse! Its not a hammer you just bang on people with!
"Your skill as warriors is impressive. If I were to guess, I would say that you have felled a samurai. Why he and his men were deprived of rest, I cannot say. But Treygan has taken a dire wound. Can you save him, Valcrim?"
Still looking at the paladin's injuries, Seiji takes the scroll from Joyabraund with a polite nod. A moment later, he turns away from Valcrim and Treygan and looks over the text.
Valcrim gives a gruff scoff "This wand be old and tired. Been with me since I was a fresh young boy o' mere 40, learnin' tha ways o' Torag. Barely got any magic left." he sighs and offers it to Joyabraund "If ye know how ta invoke healin' magics, I'd like ye ta carry it, fer use when I be busy bashin' our enemies, so it does nae sit in me belt unspent when others be bleedin' on tha floor."
Then he turns to Treygan and cracks his knuckles "No worries, Seiji. Mendin' both flesh an' steel be me strong suites.", and casts his final spell for the day that is not tied to a domain as a spontaneous cure.
Cure Light Wounds on Treygan:
"Hah! Ye were right, lad. Wands be nae me strong point." he chuckles and offers Treygan a hand to help him on his feet.
Well I'll try to squeeze whatever magic is left in this thing and I agree, better you use that hammer on things than waster your time trying to heal! Which reminds me...are we done here? Should we open the box or try to take it? Was that a spider I heard in the darkness?
Valcrim chuckles "Aye, ta all points, I reckon. Let's take tha box, as I reckon we be findin' nae greater treasure in here. An' aye, spiders do dwell in tha dark." he nods and pats the halfling on the head "That be why we dwarves be so hardy an' resistant ta poison. We get bit all tha time. After a while, ya get used ta it." he jests.
My son, my heir. You know now that I have kept secrets from you. You were always a perceptive son, and while you may not understand my reasons for secrecy, I hope that you realize it was necessary. Know that i was not angry with you for opening the warding box - I was angry with myself for withholding the truth from you and forcing you to seek out what I should have given to you. The words I spoke to you were from anger with myself, and it shames me to think of them now. I write this note as an apology, and to beg you to leave these secrets to history.
The next few days will be the most important I have faced in many years. If our family enemies have, as I hope, forgotten us, I shall reunite with you and your wife, and your mother and I shall reveal the truth to you. But if they still seek the contents of the warding box, I fear that I may not speak to you again. The box holds our family's greatest treasure, so I have returned it to Kortun's care, and it shall remain hidden in the secret third vault under Brinewall Castle - obscured from our enemies, I hope and pray. I will not grant our foes the satisfaction of killing me themselves - if it comes to it, let my death, by my own hand, be my final act to protect you so that our enemies believe our line ended.
I have instructed Tsutomu to keep this letter from you, delivering it to you only should I fail to return as I hope to. If I can, I will reveal all to you myself. If I cannot, this final missive from a father to a sun must suffice as an apology in place of an explanation, and you must destroy this letter, flee to the south, and never return to Brinewall. If our enemies find what I have hidden, there will be nothing here for you. If they do not, they will lie in wait forever for your return.
I hope to see you again soon, my son. But my heart tells me I will not. I am sorry to have failed you. But I am proud of you, and I know you will survive this old man's shame. You are strong, and you must remain so. For if you are reading this and I am gone, know that our enemies will never stop searching for us, and that is why I cannot reveal the truth to you until I know there is no chance of them finding us again.
Rokur Kaijitsu
Sunday 29 Desnus, 4687
An unknown scourge destroyed the colony of Brinewall on the first day of Sarenith in 4687, just a few days after the date on the letter.
Brinewall's last commander at the time the colony was destroyed was a man named Andril Kortun.
Rokuro Kaijitsu was Ameiko's grandfather, which would make the letter's unnamed and intended recipient her father, the now-deceased Lonjiku Kaijitsu
Tsutamu was Rokuro Kaijitsu's devoted bodyguard.
The Treasure
As one might expect from the ornamentation, the key found on the skeletal champion's remains opens the large box he sat upon, and when opened, reveals to you that this horde is not yours alone, or... is it. Several slots in the velvet lined interior are empty, but more are full.
Among these fine things you find 10 potions, a ring, a wand, a chainshirt, and a longsword. There are also 11 more paper tube fireworks you have already claimed from the Licktoad Goblins, as well as four completely new and baffling models. Finally, of absolutely no value to the goblins, you find 4,525 sp, 500 gp and several pieces of fine jewelry.
The box itself is worth 250 gp, and the jewelery is worth 675 gp
The chainshirt is masterwork, and the the longsword is both masterwork and cold iron.
There are 5 potions of Cure Light, 2 potions of Cure Moderate, and 3 potions of Lesser Restoration
The wand is a wand of Identify and it currently holds 19 charges. Ironic.
The ring is a Ring of Climbing.
Seiji reads the letter to himself a second time, then a third time.
"The name again. Kaijitsu." he manages, finally. "This is the name of the inkeeper, yes? The same name we found on the wrecked ship. It is in here as well."
Glancing between his companions and speaking slowly, he does his best to translate the letter to the common tongue.
=
=
His mind still cloudy from combat, Broderus stares vacantly at the chest, barely registering all of the valuables his companions uncovered. Releasing his mace, his hand begins to shake though Broderus quickly clenches his fist to control the tremor.
Seeing Treygan's wounds healed, some of the color returns to Broderus' face and he smiles slightly, "I'm glady you're better Treygan. I thought the worst back there and thought I had lost another soul on my watch." He suddenly goes silent as if he said too much and welcomes Seiji's translation of the letter as a convenient distraction.
Sense Motive:
Valcrim observes Broderus as the experts go through the hard won spoils, stepping up and giving him a silent, yet firm pat on the back as Seiji translates. "Well fought, friend."
Broderus turns slightly at the dwarf's touch and nodds respectfully, "Thank you Valcrim. I would go into battle with you any day."
That letter is quite perplexing. Ameiko's surname, why does it keep coming up again and again? It all feels like a great puzzle we're supposed to solve. Perhaps I have finally found my home again with this group. Brinewall? Think Broderus, have you ever heard that name before?
-
-
Mhmm Brinewall. Last known commander was...hmm Andril Kortun? To the north. Mysterious plague killed everyone...HMM! Only a few days after that letter was written! These may well have been the last survivors of Brinewall...though by the looks of things they didn't survive for much longer if they were sitting around in here.
Poking around the box Joybraund surveys the contents, casting detect magic. Box is "nice". Weapons...armor...I'm not sure. Mhmm. A Ring. Magical...no clue. A WAND...mhmm....not sure. POTIONS! Healing, Restoring. Some are stronger than others. We should split these up, just in case! The rest I might be able to figure out back in town.
Valcrim studies the armor and sword with a serious mien "Tha distribution o' weight..." he mumbles, tugging at the links "an' sheer craftsmanship in this chain shirt be somethin'..." he grins "Given a day at me forge, it'll easily be refitted fer any o' ye, if ye be likin' tha lighter armors." he muses before lifting up the sword with a nigh reverent look in his eyes "Torag's steel beard. THIS! This be tha real treasure. Deep iron, wrought while cold. Effective fer killin' all manner o' unnatural buggers. Balanced too. Mmm... sharp... aye, this sword be a good one, an' should serve one o' ye swordwieldin' lads well!" he concludes with a deep approving grunt.
As Seiji finishes his awkward translation, his hands begin to tremble. The back of his eyes feel heavy as the mutagen winds its way out of his blood. Fearing he will tear the letter, he folds it as best he can, then tucks it away.
"Were it my name found amidst this mystery, I would wish to know of it. The innkeeper must be told."
Valcrim nods in agreement "Durned right. Tha affairs o' dead kin falls ta tha remainin' blood. Family-" Valcrim grunts and frowns "should be loyal to their own."
He turns and regards the entrance. "Should consider restin' so we be good fer meetin' tha dangers on tha return ta Sandpoint. If we keep guard, this place be an excellent defensible position. One entrance, natural echo ta let us hear intruders, shelter," he turns and smirks [/b]"Us dwarves favor tha underground fer a reason."[/b]
"As does that spider." Seiji answers Valcrim without looking in his direction. "But its meal should last it for a few days. My greater concern is that some curse hangs over this place. If the dead cannot rest here, how shall we?"
Broderus glances over to the skeleton's remains, "I share Seiji's sentiment. If the dead rose once, what's to stop them from rising again?
I suggest we head out and look for a more defensible spot outside."
He also turns to Joyabraund,"A good suggestion about the spoils of battle, my friend. I already have 2 potions from our earlier battles, so the rest of you should divide these. As for the sword, I'm open to taking it, but Treygan, you should get first choice at it. It would be fair recompense for what that hellion did to you."
"And now we know where the fireworks came from. Not as exciting as I had hoped." Treygan stands up, Valcrim healing his wounds. "Valcrim, my friend, it appears I'll never stop owing you for healing. Thought I might be meeting Pharasma soon for a moment there." Treygan gives out a laugh, meaning it as a joke.
Treygan examines the treasures with the others and responds to Broderus's offer. "It looks more like a weapon you're accustomed to, Broderus. Feel free to take it."
At the talk of rest, "Valcrim has given us sound advice thus far, though the spider's presence is a bother. We've been gone from Sandpoint awhile now, the quicker we get back the quicker we let them know there's less worry from goblins. How much daylight do we have left?"
Your encounter with the goblins was shortly before your lunchtime. You have a few hours before dark, which can be used to hike to the road, I'll say, but you'll not be getting into town until after dark if you push yourselves beyond fatigue.
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"In tha heat o' battle, under tha blows o' yer enemies, ye shall be tempered." Valcrim recites, and looks firmly at Treygan "Fer a man ta carry tha burden o' defendin' tha lives o' his allies, his body need temperin'. It be me duty as a smith o' Torag ta offer me healin' so ye all can stand stronger fer every fight ye leave bloodied." he solemnly declares, then clutches his holy symbol.
"If ye feel tha urge ta get back home, I got eyes fer darkness, if'n Broderus finds me a road ta follow."
"Joyabraund, that map you bear, does it show another means out of the swamp? If we feel we have truly dealt with the goblin threat, perhaps we can find our way out of Brinestump Marsh, camp away from its dangers, and make for Sandpoint on the morrow."
"Many thanks Treygan. I will take this sword then and use it to the best of my abilities, Erastil willing, against our enemies."
Broderus then turns towards his halfling companion,"Joyabraund, Seiji has a good point. Let's take a look at your map and see if we find a way out of this swamp. It will be good to relate our successes to the people of Sandpoint."
Well hld on guys what do you want, to get to town or get a place to rest? Either way I think we can find something, the map is detailed enough for that but maybe we should agree on what we are doing?
"I think we should rest at nightfall, just not in these caves. No disrespect Valcrim, but I feel more comfortable outside, especially with the undead threat and that spider lurking around here."
"Once we find a secure spot, we make camp and then set out back to Sandpoint tomorrow."
Valcrim shrugs "Yer tha outdoorsy expert. Wisdom trusts experience." and starts packing up the loot so he can haul it.
"I will echo Broderus. You are a fierce warrior and a sound tactician, Valcrim, but this cave was home to things that none of us understand." Seiji bows politely in the dwarf's direction. "Please, allow me to carry some of the burden."
Having taken a few items from the stash, Seiji begins to make his way back out of the cavern, this time stepping gingerly upon the slippery stones.
When the group comes to the tunnel that leads to the spider's den, Seiji pauses to listen.
Seeing Seiji stop, Broderus also pauses for a moment and listens for the telltale sounds of any potential threats.
:
Encounter!
Night Encounter 01
Night Encounter 02
Weather
Knowing the pitfalls inherent in the cave, you manage to avoid them quite deftly on your way out. You pause to listen for any activity in the spider cave and are greeted with the musty smell of spider blowing into your faces, no shrieks of mortal horror, gangling or stomping in your direction. Carrying your treasures through the sheet of nettles poses a challenge for about a moment before Father Flinthammer steps in and brusquely instructs the lads how best to solve the dilemma. Cutting your way back to the paths takes the majority of what remains of the afternoon, as the brambles continue to pose a challenge even if you have stomped on them before.
You choose to rest near the bridge where the path is thickest, but not so close as to draw any untoward attention from the local wildlife. Occasionally during the night you hear what you hope to be a rather large aquatic bound creature break over the near stagnant water of the river, and some small wildlife skittering about in the brush, but none pose any threat to you this night.
Taking 10 on survival, you know that the weather will be great tomorrow!
In the morning, you wake and the heavy mist that has settled upon you during the night illuminated by the first rays of sun almost makes this dank, stagnant pit blighting the coast almost seem beautiful. You spy a many toed cat prowling about the shoreline if you go to to relieve yourself or fetch water from the river, and more are daring enough to investigate your party from the cover of the brush this morning. Any attempt to call them to you, however, ends in a typical cat response of disdain and several striding proudly through your camp as though you are invaders on their territory.
Ship's cats typically have a higher incidences of the many toed mutation, presumably to help with balance, which may explain where these kitties came from
If these cats originated on the same ship as the men in the cave, they seem to have avoided the curse of undeath. At least it seems so. Seiji eyes the cat warily before returning to the camp.
"Are we in agreement that our task is complete?" he asks, pushing his way back through the brush.
-
Broderus' attempt to pet a cat ends in the creature scurrying away into the underbrush, and the ranger scowls in mock indignation. "During my sea journey from Sargava, I learned ship's cats often have multiple toes like these, so maybe this colony came from that wreck we saw earlier..."
He also sneaks a peek at Joyabraund's map, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel energized this morning. There's nothing like sleeping under the stars with a cool wind at your back. We have one final point remaining on the map, and I'm game to explore it if the rest of you are agreeable."
Seiji wants to return to Sandpoint, and I was off the same mind last night. However, I got this nagging voice in the back of my head that we haven't learned all of the swamp's secrets quite yet.
"Me reckons tha decent thing ta do be returnin' ta town ta tell o' our victories, an' be tellin' tha tavern lass tha news. But if tha remainin' spot be on tha way, ye'll find nae quarrel from me." Valcrim offers "But be knowin' tha' me powers be low, havin' spent most me blessin's ta fight tha undead. So we'd be takin' a risk..."
"We have spent three nights fulfilling the task given, and in gaining a new one. If we spend a fourth night, they may send a party after us, and that party might miss us in the swamp." With his finger, Seiji traces a tight circle around the unexplored point on the map, as if divining something. "Even so...there may yet be more we could learn of this mystery. And there may yet be a goblin or two." He looks up at his companions. "Joyabraund. Treygan. How are you resolved on this?"
Treygan rubs the spot where his wounds from the skeleton once were as he speaks, "Well at present I feel fine, and I have no qualms facing whatever evil still inhabits this swamp, even if sitting on Pharasma's doorstep. But considering our battles against the goblins, and my own showing against that armored skeleton, it may be best to trust another's judgement for now." Treygan thinks for a moment. "I don't believe they would send another team out quite yet. There's quite abit of swamp to search and we were fortunate to find the goblin's lair as quickly as we did. I would rather investigate and make sure there's nothing else before returning to Sandpoint, in case there is another evil present."
"So, let's do this then. We be nae gettin' back nor ta tha next place by standin' round talkin'. Got no more healin', so we need ta be careful. Broderus, if ye take tha front, an' Treygan or me cover our rear, tha lightly armored lads be nae such easy prey." Valcrim suggests, and hafts his hammer, so his hand is free to cast, throw javelins or draw the hammer anew, not knowing what the road ahead will bring.
"Very well, then. Broderus and I will find a safe path."
Broderus nods to the Tian alchemist and begins surveying the landscape, looking for safe passage.
-
Following along...
You follow the path in front of you west. Yamamoto Seiji and Broderus, your skilled eyes can see that not much else than stray animals have traversed this path in quite some time, and to all it appears as though nature is beginning to reclaim this way.
After less than two hours of walking, you come to a clearing. Set among this clearing is a shake in even worse repair than you recall seeing the warden's home. Several windows are missing glass, and vines have grown into them. The western wall appears to lean at an unnatural angle. As you approach, not a single creature stirs, lending to a general sense of unease. It as if the insects and little creatures of the swamp have learned to avoid this area. Beyond lies a rather large independent structure with a roof that literally has bent and sagged under the weight of the tiles and now several saplings growing into its surface.
As you get closer, you recognize that from the eaves are hanging several bones molded into odd shapes by wires, and sachets rotting on leather throngs. An occasional breeze makes these ghastly displays rattle against the building in an unnerving harmony. If you pause long enough to study such things, you can see no movement within from any of the windows.