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Garduk taps himself with his wand of mage armor, then stows it and hurries to catch up, crossbow loaded and at the ready.
If this Zamir has tried to use the scepter, he may already have figured out that it's a fake, in which case he'll be waiting for us.
Kulga's comment echoes Garduk's own thoughts, although she is much more confident. Garduk decides that he is going to use his wand of shield before they go inside the structure, whether he sees anything dangerous or not.
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Initiative
Brayne delivers his report and you begin to head for the fortress, almost immediately Bokkah spots an archer rise up from an obscured position among the crenellations. Apparently, they had not detected Brayne's scouting trip, but neither did he spot them. However, they did notice the whole group approaching, and as such Bokkah is first to react.
Round 1
map
Bokkah
Archers
Kulga
Garduk
Brayne
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The walls are solid other than the crumbled area. climbing the walls anywhere else requires a DC 15 Climb check. The remaining crenellations provide partial cover against anyone outside the walls. The dense foliage on the hillside provides anyone approaching the monastery with partial cover against anyone firing ranged weapons from the wall.
Brayne would have also report seeing a ladder on the inside.
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Two more archers emerge from other parts of the wall. While the first two spotted take aim on your approach. The first hits Bokkah with an arrow, while the second misses Kulga.
Round 1 Effects: Bless
map
Bokkah
Archers
Kulga
Garduk
Brayne
Round 2
Bokkah 3 dmg
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"Where did they come from?" Garduk snarls in frustration. In an effort to take the nearest (red) archer out of the fight, he steps forward and roars out an arcane phrase. With one hand, he gestures at the red archer, then jams it into a pouch on his belt, pulling out a folded bit of waxed paper. He squeezes the paper between his fingers, and a dollop of rancid butter oozes out from the edges of the makeshift packet.
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Brayne moves alongside Kulga in hopes that hiding behind her would protect him. He attempts to be useful by gazing directly into the archer, with the yellow hat's, eyes. As usual, Brayne's eyes turn a deep black, and in a coarse voice he speaks loudly but does not yell, audible enough for the archer to hear. "Come and face your death!"
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Kulga rushes to the wall but can't find a good set of hand holds to make her ascent.
Garduk greases one of the bows, but it's wielder is able to hold onto the weapon.
Brayne gives a diabolical command.
Bokkah makes for the ladder after bolstering her defenses.
The commanded bandit obeys, coming straight for Brayne, he leaps off the palisade landing prone among the rubble, he nonetheless gets to his feet attempting to fully obey.
The archer overcoming the grease returns fire at the Garduk, while the other two archers fire at the onrushing Bokkah. But all the archers are off the mark.
Round 2 Effects: Bless
map
Bokkah
Archers
Yellow 3 dmg
Kulga
Garduk
Brayne
Round 3
Bokkah 3 dmg
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Kulga climbs the wall arriving at the top. Garduk fires and misses. While, Brayne's bite is off the mark. Bokkah makes it to the top of the ladder.
The orange shirted archer fires at Garduk, missing. The one next to Brayne draws his handaxe and attacks and drives it into him. Likewise, red archer drops his bow and draws his handaxe attacking the newly ascended Kulga, barely missing. Finally, the last of the archers fires an arrow at Bokkah, firing wildly, before dropping his bow and drawing his ax.
Round 3 Effects: Bless
map
Bokkah
Archers
Yellow 3 dmg
Kulga
Garduk
Brayne8 dmg
Round 4
Bokkah 3 dmg
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We can't leave that one in the orange shirt free to shoot at us, can we?
Garduk moves closer to the wall next to Brayne, but focuses his attention elsewhere, searching for an ally. He quickly finds one.
With a pop of displaced air and a whiff of a fresh mountain breeze, an eagle appears above the wall next to the orange archer.
With an angry cry, Celeste lashes out with her talons and bites at the orange archer, activating her smite evil ability.
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Kulga's axe drops her foes even before her shield can land. While Garduk's eagle lands two talon blows. Brayne's viscous bite tears open the archers neck and he drops, as red flows from the wound. Bokkah's first claw delivers a massive blow, but puts her slightly off balance and her next claw and bite miss.
Both badly hurt, the remaining guards try to make a retreat by climbing down the walls. The one in orange immediately loses his grip crashing down hard. While the other climber makes a good start, but misfortune strikes him, and his handhold breaks free leaving him stuck only a foot or so below the top of the wall.
Both will withdraw and then attempt to climb
Round 4 Effects: Bless
map
Bokkah
Archers
Yellow 12 dmg -down and bleeding
Red 14 dmg - down
Orange 14 dmg - down
Blue 9 dmg
Kulga
Garduk
Brayne 8 dmg
Round 5
Bokkah 3 dmg
If Kulga's axe does not finish off the archer in the blue shirt, Celeste swoops over to attack.
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Garduk is still wary of Brayne's sudden transformations - all the more concerning in someone who talks to his "dead butler" at inopportune moments - but he has to admit that the disheveled aristocrat is a worthy replacement for the group's absent oread friend.
He follows Brayne around the walls to find Kulga and Bokkah.
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Garduk goes to through the breach in the wall rather than attempt to climb over it. As he catches up with the others, he taps himself with his wand of Shield, stows the wand again, and loads his crossbow. Celeste flies around the group, waiting for an enemy to appear. Not for the first time, Garduk wishes he could summon a creature with the capacity to understand him.
"Ready. I think."
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Perception
Initiative
Roll off
Moving to the inner courtyard, it's open to the air, paved with flagstones and relatively free of debris. Statues ring the central open area, each depicting a tiger-headed man in a martial arts stance. Behind the statues are four sets of stairs. The stairs to the north descend into darkness, and the stairs on the south side once led upward, but have collapsed in a heap.
As Kulga leads the way and walks in the middle of the courtyard, two monks wearing grey robes and tiger masks, leap from stone blocks, they were just moments before posing stone still on. Luckily you were all on your watch and Bokkah and Garduk are quickest to react.
Round 1
map
Bokkah
Garduk
Monks
Brayne
Kulga
With a fearsome screech, Celeste swoops in to rake a talon across the flesh of the monk attacked by Garduk.
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1=Kulga 2=Brayne
While Celeste misses her attack, Garduk's bolt pierces the monk's shoulder. Bokkah moves in and rakes deeply with her claw, the monk staggers, but returns a flurry of blows, that miss Bokkah. Before collapsing.
The other monk leaps down, rushes forward and attempts to kick Brayne but also misses.
Round 1 Bless
map
Garduk
Bokkah
Monks
Pink 10 dmg down
Brayne
Kulga
Round 2
Garduk
Bokkah
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Heading down the stairs you come to a large basement room set up as a workshop. Four workbenches are covered with odd tools. Three men and one
woman work at the benches, each chained in place by a heavy iron collar.
Two of the bandits are here and as you enter one calls out.
Who are you! You need to leave now!
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I am Kulga Gruenakslag, the Uncrowned, and I and my companions are Agents of the Pathfinder Society. We are here to offer Zamir glory that cannot be found with his snakes, or an ignominious death if he will not treat with us.
She sneers at the bandits hiding behind human shields,
You too can find a quick death if you wish it.
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One of the bandits looks confused at first, You want to offer him glory or kill him?
The second one intercedes, They only want to kill him if he won't talk with them. I'm pretty sure we have no desire to die, mistress dwarf. Zamir might be willing to talk.
The first one adds, He does like deals, then staring at Kulga a moment, Should you be crowned?
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Oh, okay. The bandit blinks absentmindedly.
The other stays more on point, Look we don't want to die; but if we let you go back there and Zamir ends up killing you instead, he'd come out here and kill us next, for letting you in, or if we don't you'll try to kill us anyway. So maybe you make it worth our while to just leave? He inquires.
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Brayne sighs heavily, and then uses his dark arts to attempt to get the party through. His voice grows a deep monstrous tone, "Look here! We can do this the easy or the hard way. You let us in, and we don't kill you. You don't let us in and we kill you a death a million times worst than Zamir. You have a chance to leave now so you save your own necks you fools. But don't waste my time!"
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Garduk shrugs absent-mindedly as he examines one of the tiger masks. "I suppose we could pay them to go away. Or I could just, you know."
The arcanist wiggles his fingers as though casting a spell, then turns his attention back to the masks they took from the monks. He has already dismissed the two bandits as a real concern - Kulga and the others would scare them off soon enough.