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Venture-Captain Canayven Heidmarch is waiting in the foothills of the Mindspin Mountains, just outside of Urglin. Gripping the leads on a trio of laden pack animals, he nods in greeting, then begins.
“Pathfinders, in light of your recent discoveries in the orc city of Urglin, we now have enough information available to send a team into Koldukar. It’s been a long several weeks, so let me bring you up to speed for those not around for it. Most of you recently entered Janderhoff and found a damaged stone stele marked with the names of the other five known Sky Citadels, the fortress cities of the dwarves. The rune for Koldukar glowed when we spoke its name, and we suspect an even more complete stele resides in that city. Getting in would be rather difficult,” he admits with a grim face, “but it seems that Gulros knows the way.” With that, Heidmarch motions to the orc you freed who nods his acknowledgement.
“I have had some time to speak with Gulros, and I believe him trustworthy. Do not abuse that trust, and do not abuse him. He owes us a favor, but you will be at his mercy if he feels betrayed. Follow him to a series of caverns to the west of the orc city of Urgir, and there he will direct you through a tunnel that leads directly to subterranean Koldukar. From there, navigate the Sky Citadel and find your way to the stele. If it is still intact and functional, activate it and see what else you can learn of dwarven history. I suspect that you will also be able to use the stone to signal Janderhoff. I will be there awaiting that signal, at which point I’ll coordinate your extraction from hostile territory.”
“These animals have all the supplies to see you to Urgir and back; if you find anything missing, hurry to Urglin and acquire it. You’re heading into a ruin that predates the common language, so make sure that somebody has the means to speak and understand Dwarven. Any questions?”
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Note: Tsusuko, since he is known to be sent out into the field ahead of time, has been dressed in his Haramaki and old adventurer clothes, though still has the dead stare at everything.
"I... can talk to... anything... sometimes..." Tsusuko relays about his Tongues spell. He looks to Heidmarch to ask a question. "How long... is the... trip?"
The dwarves built Koldukar upon completing their Quest for the Sky more than 9,000 years ago. The site is now the capital city of the orcs, a place they call Urgir, meaning “first home. Koldukar was a multi-level
city held aloft by giant pillars of stone and iron deep beneath the
earth. Tremors and earthquakes ravage the area around Urgir. These steles are more than just maps; they are carved from the same type of stone and radiate an aura of divination magic. It is said they can speak, but what other powers these steles hold is either a secret guarded by dwarves or lost to time. Each stele has the ability to contact its sister steles. As long as the runes are intact at both sites, one can merely call out the desired Citadel’s name. If this is done properly, one can talk to the contacted stele as if that stele were the monument before them.
"Glad to see you all again as well. This mission will take more than 'brute' strength." He replies to Erin. "According to Gulros, it will take you about two weeks until you reach the tunnels that connect to Koldukar."
Your journey to Koldukar is largely uneventful, though at times Gulros directs you to take cover to avoid mountain orcs or leads you through winding arroyos to stay out of sight. Ares is excited to be roaming free and not in a stable or in Tanrov's armor. It takes you about two weeks of travel as mentioned earlier before you reach the entrance that your orcish guide claims to reach Koldukar.
Gulros nods. "Go through these tunnels, they lead straight to what you seek. I will wait here for you to return."
The monotony of cavern terrain—gray sand, gray walls, and gray rocks—is broken by the appearance of a fierce banner as the tunnels open into a slightly wider stretch of cavern. At the cavern’s center, a standard constructed from a column of giant vertebrae is planted into the sandy floor. An intact femur forms the standard’s cross beam, and a sheet of purple cloth hangs from its knobby prominences. An image of an orc skull almost entirely encircled by coiled spinal column is emblazoned across the banner’s center.
You know that the banner is that of the Broken Spine Clan, a violent tribe of orcs with a deep-seeded hate of humans—and of members of the Pathfinder Society in particular. You also recognize that the placement of the banner in the cavern is a sort of ritual challenge.
As you walk closer to the banner, you hear... “Pinkskins! I told you, Kogan! I may not be able to see them before you, but I can smell their perfumed skin long before you spot them.” Emerging from the shadows, a large orc with prominent lower tusks, milky white eyes, and innumerable scars steps forward and snorts contemptuously. “And what’s more, I reckon these pinkskins are the Pathfinders we were expecting.” A toothy grin spreads across the orc’s meaty face as the guttural laughs of several more orcs echo off the cavern walls. He continues, “I am Magra of the Broken Spine Clan. I demand to know what right Pathfinders have to cross into the Hold of Belkzen and pass beneath Urgir’s walls—all without the protection of the clans. It is especially galling when your Society owes me so much gold!” The hidden orcs laugh again, and impossibly, his grin widens. “And before you let your itchy weapon hands get the better of you, know that I have an entire clan of brothers in Urgir who expect me back soon and know where to come find me. If they fail to find me alive, rest assured that they will find you.”
"We have people who work at Ploog's Bloodworks. They told us some of you PFSers were hoping to use these tunnels." He says condescendingy.
"You and your society does! I lost a lot of money betting on our man Kroth to win in the main event. But then your people had to go and beat him! Bah!"
"Pay me what I lost and we will leave you be. The sum of 2000 gold is what I lost on that bet."
Your knowledge of this tribe and its customs tells you that while the banner is there, a challenge for single combat can issued with the winner getting a favor, such as free passage.
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At 1st level, whenever an honor guard issues a challenge, he can select one ally as his ward for the duration of the challenge. Whenever the honor guard is adjacent to his ward, he takes a –1 penalty to Armor Class, and the ward receives a +1 dodge bonus to AC. This modifies the challenge ability
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Ezrek looks to Marga, to see his response, while leaning into Tanrov he says in Shoanti. While we traveled here, I brewed up some extracts and kept them in preserving vials. Take them, one'll, the blue one, will make you grow quite large, the other, yellow, will shield your from harm. Ezrek then slips two flasks into the man's pouch.
You hear a chorus of 'awes' echoing throughout the cavern. Magra narrows his eyes at you. "I am forced to accept. But I will choose a champion to fight in my stead. Kogan!" With that a massively beefy half orc steps into view, wearing a finely crafted breastplate. He wields a wicked looked falchion on his back. "First to go down or to quit loses. But I assure you, Kogan will not quit." Magra disappears out of view as Kogan puts his hand up for Tanrov to just bring it.
Kogan draws his blade and gets into a guarded stance.
Kogan charges the shoanti, falchion high in the air before he brings it down in an overhead chop.