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Brayne continues his conversation with someone or something call Akmon.
Akmon replies Weak leaders who carried little for tradition let dark influence rule them, they abandoned the ancient worship of the sun and the moon and turned to cannibalistic rites and unholy magic. My vision of you is hazy, as if it comes through the vastness of time. My own death is inevitable, but perhaps you can do some small service to me and restore the dignity of the old ways. If you will perform three tasks. First, an idol of the sun and moon was sealed away and thrown into a lake so it could never see the light again. It must be restored and have sun or moon shine upon it once again. Second, my people created a monstrous hybrid, part cyclops and part ape. Ancient prayers must be said over its tomb to consecrate the family line forced into such a hideous fusion. Finally, beneath that tomb lies the Hall of Broken Gods, where hundreds of icons and artifacts were destroyed for sheer spite. They must be disposed of respectfully to appease the sun and moon.
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Brayne is now nodding, to reaffirm his understanding.
"Let me see if I got all that, first , an idol of the sun and moon was sealed away and thrown into a lake so it could never see the light again. It must be restored and have sun or moon shine upon it once again. Second, your people created a monstrous hybrid, part cyclops and part ape. Ancient prayers must be said over its tomb to consecrate the family line forced into such a hideous fusion. Finally, beneath that tomb lies the Hall of Broken Gods, where hundreds of icons and artifacts were destroyed for sheer spite. They must be disposed of respectfully to appease the sun and moon." He speaks loudly.
"And what if, these task are not completed? What catastrophic horrors can one expect?" Again, his curiosity wanders.
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Bokkah was assuming the Chalice would give the waters some sort of healing or protective properties and was prepared to drink next. When she sees the impact on Brayne, she declines quickly. "What has happened to him!?!"
When he begins relaying instructions, she jots down quick notes to help remember, as she is not sure if Brayne will have any recollection of this later on.
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As Brayne continues his conversation; the rest of you manage to help Purpurrup complete burying the grippli dead. Near half a score of dead halflings still litter the ground; but Purpurrup does not pay them any mind as the compsognatus darts around sniffing at the dead. Come on Chrips! The grippli calls and the little dinosaur rushes over and leaps into the open satchel. Purpurrup adds Thank you for the help, I feel better knowing they can pass on now. What's wrong with your friend over there, why does his eye bulge like that? Which strikes you as ironic coming from a frogman.
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"Of course, I understand, so there is a small chance you say..
Brayne expects the visions to have passed by, however, with it in full effect in the moment, he stands awkwardly around. He soon realises that he could hear the rest all along and likely speak to, he watches hopefully when Garduk drinks from the chalice.
"Do you see what I see friend?!" He questions as he addresses Garduk.
"Since we're intertwined in the moment, present? past? future? Suppose it matters not, I don't reckon that you'd like to follow my friends and I on this journey now? Would you?"
He squints his eyes, attempting to discern your figures clearly.
"I find myself a little bit handicapped, not only do I have this awkward limp, a ghost nagging me, now I can't see clearly! And it seems we have many a task ahead of us. Where do we start?"
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It takes Garduk a few moments to reach the chalice, he takes a drink and you see his one eye swell and the other cloud over just like Brayne's did.
Garduk suddenly sees what Brayne was seeing. Superimposed over the destroyed city of Kaddodi, as if in a dream, is a vision of the city as it appeared in its prime. The city as it actually is still appears solid, but translucent images of Kaddodi as it was sit hazily alongside it. Plants are cleared away, ruined buildings appear whole, and here and there you catch glimpses of cyclopes passing by. The denizens of the city ignore you, as if you were peering in on them without their knowledge. One of the cyclopes is conversing with Brayne.
Well hello there, I am Akmon, two now to help me.
Akmon continues, As I was telling your friend. I see into the future to you; and you see into the past to me. My vision of you is hazy, as if it comes through the vastness of time. My own death is inevitable, but perhaps you can do some small service to me and restore the dignity of the old ways abandoned by my people. If you will perform three tasks. First, an idol of the sun and moon was sealed away and thrown into a lake so it could never see the light again. It must be restored and have sun or moon shine upon it once again. Second, my people created a monstrous hybrid, part cyclops and part ape. Ancient prayers must be said over its tomb to consecrate the family line forced into such a hideous fusion. Finally, beneath that tomb lies the Hall of Broken Gods, where hundreds of icons and artifacts were destroyed for sheer spite. They must be disposed of respectfully to appease the sun and moon.
Bokkah and Kulga see that now both Brayne and Garduk seem to be in conversation with something. They appear to be having visions of some sort.
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{In the vision}
The Cyclops reiterates the nature of the first task, If you will head to the lake to retrieve the idol, I will be most grateful.
As Brayne and Garduk continue to converse with Akmon, a vision of two other cyclopes comes into view. The two enter the courtyard and begin arguing, which rapidly erupts into a brawl. One of the cyclops guts the other with a knife, and begins to consume the entrails as the body of the
fallen cyclops still twitches. You see the madness which has consumed my people, Akmon hangs his head in shame.
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"Say Akmon, what do you know about Hzah'a?" Brayne asks out of curiousity. "Our newly made acquaintance has seem to run in some trouble with these Hzah'a. They are supposedly in a temple nearby running amok."
Turning back to the party, and the Grippli "Where do we start? Should we not attend to the Hzah'a first? Before attempting the quest for knowledge? It seems like the Hzah'a could cause further damage if we don't see to them."
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Garduk is eager to find the ancient artifact described by the vision, but agrees that the cannibal halflings seem to be an immediate threat. However, perhaps assisting the cyclops from the past will provide the party with some means of fending off the Hzah'a.
"Hmmmm. It seems there is a fiend of some kind, kept trapped in the ruins of a nearby temple. These Hzah'a are working to free it. Do you know anything of this temple? Could the beast you describe have some relationship to the fiend our new friend has warned us about?"
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Akmon mentions The tomb lies inside a temple, yes. I don't know that the beast and the fiend are the same, but perhaps.
While Purpurrup interacts with Kulga, This city once belonged to the giants, but it has been ours for decades now. We do occasionally find the bones of massive, one-eyed men in the ruins, but they are few and far between. This place is full of strange and ancient things, it could be so, but I do not know.
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A small, marshy lake sits by the side of the road, a ruined temple looming in the distance to the south. The buzz of insects is heavy in the air and ripples appear on the water’s surface, as if fish were swimming just below it.
Through the Sight of the Cyclops, Brayne and Garduk see a grave cyclops clad in pelts carrying an enormous stone casket wrapped in chains. He intones a few hateful-sounding words before spitting on the casket and hurling it into the depths of the lake. Cheers sound, but a lone sigh is barely audible. The Idol of the Sun and Moon, explains the voice of Akmon, heavy with regret. It must be salvaged from its prison and allowed to once again bathe in natural light.
As you near the pool Purpurrup speaks up, Be careful predators live in the pool and come here to drink.
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No cyclopean ghosts, but as Kulga approaches the water two large black caimans burst forth from the swampy undergrowth. The caimans have the jump on the party. One splashes across the water chomping at Kulga, it's teeth sink in, but can't penetrate the princess's armor. The other springs at Bokkah, chomping down and trying to grab hold of the tengu. Bokkah is trapped in the caiman's mouth. Purpurrup moves quickly drawing a scroll out and casts Bless on the party.
Round 1 Effect: Bless
Map
Caimans
Purpurrup
Bokkah grappled - 10 dmg
Garduk
Kulga
Brayne
A pony appears between Garduk and the caiman that has grabbed Bokkah. While it looks much like the ponies the arcanist has summoned before, this one is decidedly more muscular and exudes an aura of health and vitality. It lashes out at the predator with both hooves.
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Garduk brings the new and improved Piotr into the fray. The pony connects with his first hoof. Kulga's axe and shield finishes the job, Bokkah drops to the ground. Brayne moves to the other caiman and gives it a bite.
Round 1 Effect: Bless
Map
Caiman, Black 29 dmg dead
Caiman, Green 8 dmg + bleed
Purpurrup
Bokkah prone - 10 dmg
Garduk
Kulga
Brayne
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Bokkah gets back to her feet and moves toward the other caiman, stopping outside of its reach. The caiman lashes out at Brayne with a bite. Chomping down on him and grabbing him in its mouth. It then misses with a tail lash on Kulga.
Purpurrup moves behind Bokkah and taps her with a wand, sending healing through the tengu.
Round 2 Effect: Bless
Map
Caiman, Green 12 dmg + bleed
Purpurrup
Bokkah 2 dmg
Garduk
Kulga
Brayne10 dmg - grappled
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Garduk shakes his head, trying to see clearly through the weird extratemporal double-vision caused by drinking from the Chalice. Realizing that Brayne had finally met a creature with a stronger bite than his own, Garduk plunges a hand into his component pouch and pulls out a small square of paper, rendered nearly translucent with a smear of rancid butter. He barks out a short arcane phrase, and waves his hand in Brayne's direction.
"Brayne! Just slide out of that thing's mouth!"
The other half-orc feels the oleaginous substance coat his worn finery; the caiman will have a much more difficult time maintaining its grip on the raging barboracle.
A creature wearing greased armor or clothing gains a +10 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist checks and combat maneuver checks made to escape a grapple, and to their CMD to avoid being grappled.
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Kulga begins to retrieve the casket, but can only move it inches as it is heavy, water-logged, and lodged in the mud. She requires assistance, and soon a reluctant lord delves into the mucky water complaining to his ghost butler. There combined effort is enough to bring it out of the water.
Once open, within the casket is a massive 400 pound stone statue of a cyclops holding a the sun in one hand and the moon in the other.
Place it so the sun's rays can shine upon it. Akmon asks of Brayne and Garduk. Once it is done Akmon smiles.
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Task completed you move toward the next of Akmon's requests.
As you pass through the city, Garduk and Brayne can see glimpses of raving cyclops moving around them, a lone cyclops wanders past you with an immense bag slung over one shoulder. He does not seem to notice the writhing of the bag, or the faint, muffled sobbing from within. A little further up, a cyclops faces a wall, and begins to rhythmically pound his head against it, until the wall cracks and blood pours from her forehead. All the while she meninacly laughs.
Finally, you reach an immense temple the building seems to be one story but the ceilings are at least 30 feet high. A massive feat of superior architecture.
Purpurrup says This is the temple the ancient evil is bound too. The halflings are likely inside.
While Akmon tells Garduk and Brayne, This is the tomb I spoke of, the remains of the part cyclops and part ape, are buried within.
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Garduk makes sure his crossbow is loaded and ready, and (if needed) taps himself with his wand of mage armor to extend its protection for another hour. He checks the wand of burning hands tucked into his belt. It only has a few charges, but he wants it where he can get it easily if needed.
Garduk also quickly pops out his wand of shield from his wrist sheath and protects himself with that spell as well. Before any of the others can tease him about his precautions, he growls, "Barbarian halflings are tough enough one at a time. An army of them, whipped into a frenzy by some fiend, sounds much, much worse."
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Purpurrup accepts the magical armor, before commenting The fiend is bound on the lower level.
As you enter Bokkah and Kulga see that this enormous room is little more than bare stone. Two doors lead from this chamber—one to the south descending down a wide stair and one to the west securely shut. A broad stone table, still discolored from ancient bloodstains, sits in the middle of the room with stone chairs laying about it in disarray. The tabletop sits 8 feet off the ground, and you could easily pass underneath it.
Meanwhile, for Garduk and Brayne the Sight of the Cyclops reveals that this chamber was once decorated by frescoes depicting cruel violence against cyclopes and smaller humanoids alike. In addition, at least a dozen cyclopes feasting on the flesh of their kin with horrible glee fill the pavilion.
Four vial looking halflings rummage around 2 on the tabletop and two on the ground. They immediately draw weapons at your approach.
Round 1
map
Bokkah
Purpurrup
Brayne
Halflings
Garduk
Kulga