"Yeah, we got more important business to deal with. Maybe one of the colonists back home has some skill as an apiarist." Tobar shifts uneasily.
You make your way northeast, trekking through the benighted forest with your ultimate goal finally in sight. Another hour or so brings you to what appears to be a massive temple at the edge of the water. Part of it rests on the shore, but it seems like a large section of it has sunken beneath the waves. It seems that a number of outbuildings once stood within the temple grounds, built into the slope above the temple
proper; all but a few are now half-buried rubble.
As you gaze upon the scene, you reflect on your recent experiences, feeling stronger and better prepared to face the challenges to come.
"Before we go any further, I think we should check out this clockwork bee. Hopefully having this key will give us more access than we've had with the other spy we encountered; at least it shouldn't self-destruct or anything since we actually have the means to control it. I want to find out what instructions are already in this thing. Be ready to destroy it just in case it tries to fly away; we don't know what's on it and we don't want it getting back to anyone to relay our position."
"Any objections?"
Tobar shakes his head. "Suits me fine."
Assuming there are no objections to the action, Gideon puts the key into the clockwork bee, turning they key with one hand and holding the bee as firmly as he dares in the other.
Unwinding the clockwork key reveals its latest instructions: travel to the cathedral of Amazenen in Shaval-Kehn and play back the message recorded on its gem. Playing the message, you can hear a distressed Azlanti man shouting, "We are forsaken! Flee while you can!" Panicked screams and a bustle of movement punctuate the words in the background.
"We should push on towards this temple then." Terana says. "It seems to be where everything important is. And we can go around the bees?"
"Yeah, no need to disturb the bees. I'm not so interested in profiting off of their honey that I'm willing to distress them. Not to mention I really don't wanna get stung by a stinger that big!"
"This cathedral is probably the place we're already headed to. Maybe we'll learn something more to do with this clockwork there. Either way, I think it's where our quarry has to lie. Hopefully we'll find the missing colonists there, too."
You camp overnight a safe distance away from the ruins. Fortunately, nothing disturbs your rest. In the morning, you prepare for the day ahead, including casting any preparatory spells you desire before approaching the ruined cathedral.
Several ruined buildings are scattered about the courtyard of the temple's upper level. An enormous bronze statue of a bearded man lies in pieces, both of its hands missing.
As soon as you enter the temple grounds, you hear high-pitched shrieks as four faceless stalkers rush into the courtyard to confront you. Each one wields a glaive!
Their arms stretch out to extreme lengths, capitalizing on the added reach of their glaives to attack Terana and Cathyriel!
Rubble: The rubble-filled squares count as difficult terrain. The 2 squares with rubble next to the pedestal cost 4 squares of movement for Small and Medium characters to move into because the characters also have to squeeze between the statue’s severed legs and the pedestal.
Statue: The body of the fallen bronze statue is 10 feet high on average. Climbing onto the once-smooth but now corroded statue requires a successful DC 20 Climb check. The uneven surface of the statue counts as difficult terrain.
Walls: The walls of the ruined buildings are 15 feet high. Climbing the jagged remains of the walls requires a successful DC 15 Climb check.
Before they move into the ruins, Gideon casts his Heroism spell on Terana, giving a boost to her combat prowess.
Once the stalkers show up and get the drop on them, Gideon fires two arrows off at the stalker nearest he and Cathyriel.
Terana steps up to bring her own glaive into range and strikes back at the stalkers!
Before moving into the ruins, Cathyriel prepares as best she can, casting her protective and aiding spells.
Even as prepared as she can be, Cathyriel is still caught off-guard by the attacks. Bleeding badly from several severe wounds, she nevertheless steps forward into the attack.
Tobar levels his crossbow to aid Cathyriel, firing several snap shots at her foe in hopes of killing one outright.
Gideon fires on the nearest stalker, scoring a critical strike! As the monster reels, Cathyriel steps up and cuts it down with two powerful slashes of her sword.
Terana slices the stalker that struck her twice, then Tobar dispatches it with a bolt to the chest. He quickly shifts his aim to wound the other stalker menacing Cathyriel.
The remaining ughothols attack again, but this time Terana's armor and Cathyriel's shield of faith keep their blows from landing.
Terana lands a firm blow in response, but her follow-up is weak.
Cathyriel steps into the attack once more, giving Tobar a quick, grateful nod of acknowledgment for the covering fire, along with something that might have been a smile.
Cathyriel slices the wounded stalker twice, and it falls with a burbling shriek. Terana manages to land one good hit on the remaining foe.
Gideon takes a quick step toward the crumbling wall, to the outside edge of the stalkers' reach, firing another couple of arrows at the one menacing Terana.
Tobar returns Cath's nod and then switches fire to the final opponent, his bolts flying in rapid succession alongside Gideon's arrows.
Gideon and Tobar festoon the last ugothol with projectiles. It slumps to the ground!
"Terana, gimme a boost so I can take a look around!" Gideon says hurriedly, clearly concerned that an alarm had been raised.
Terana hurries over to give Gideon a boost, thrusting her glaive back into the efficient scabbard as she does so.
Realising that she is, in fact, bleeding quite badly, Cathyriel hastily mutters a prayer of healing.
As the color returns to her face, she looks around. "Anyone else need healing?"
”I’m good. Gettin’ low on bolts, though.”
Cathyriel flashes a rare half-smile. "That I can't help you with."
"I'm fine." Terana says with a smile, as her injuries knit themselves together before your eyes. "We'd best be careful though - apparently this is a real lair of these creatures."
Despite Terana's help, Gideon is unable to surmount the statue.
"Let's keep moving. The protective spells I have up won't last long, and we don't want to give the other side time to regroup."
Cathyriel moves swiftly towards the steps.
Terana nods and follows the cleric, trying to get in between her and the entranceway if there's any subtle way of doing it... her glaive reappears in her hands as if by magic!
Tobar moves into the corner just behind Cathyriel and says, "I 'spect some of these low ruined walls here are blocking our line of sight to more critters. We should take 'em one at a time. I'm especially 'spicious of the one with the statue's head part through the wall there."
Cathyriel stops at Tobar's words. Reconnaissance is a vital part of any military operation. "Alright, give me a hand climbing up this thing."
She tries to climb up the body of the statue on the basis that it will give her the best view.
Tobar hooks his crossbow to his belt and folds his hands together to help give Cathy a lift.
"Baah! We need high ground; that scream might've attracted some friends!" Gideon says in frustration as he changes tac, moving to try and climb atop the statue so he can pair off with Cathyriel and look around for any approaching enemies to warn the others.
"Tobar, get up there too. I can hold position here on the ground." Terana urges.
Tobar nods and, once Cathy is up, he easily clambers up as well, on top of the fallen statue.
Cathyriel, Gideon and Tobar clamber up on top of the statue while Terana stays on the ground. From their elevated position, the trio can see four more ugothols emerging from the darkened halls to the east. These four are armed with javelins, and they shriek as they begin to advance!
"Terana! Four with javelins, comin' your way!" Gideon says in warning as he fires two arrows at the first one to get into close range.
Terana hurries off to the left, where she can take cover behind the stone wall and command the whole approach from the left.
"I can hold this side. You lot deal with the others!" She calls.
Cathyriel spends a moment in prayer, and an idealised longsword of pure shimmering light appears behind the enemies approaching Terana's position. It strikes at the faceless stalkers with holy wrath.
She then scrambles down the statue to meet the enemies advancing on the two archers.
"Tobar, cover me! Gideon, give Terana some covering fire!"
She calmly ignores Terana's suggested 'plan' of action. One thing military life quickly teaches you is that go-it-alone would-be heroes get themselves - and the rest of their squad - killed. Small unit tactics exist for a reason.
Sword and shield in hand, she waits for the foes to approach.
"Roger that," says Tobar to Cath. Seeing that the enemy also has ranged weapons, he goes prone and starts giving the covering fire as requested, launching bolts at the nearest foe in the direction that Cath is heading.
Gideon and Tobar take down one of the ugothols on the right. Cathyriel's spiritual weapon slices one on the other side as she and Terana move into position.
The enemies advance. The two on the left hustle forward and take cover behind one of the low walls. The survivor on the right hurls its javelin at Cathyriel, managing a lucky hit!
Terana remembering the length of the urgothal's reach, retreats a few feet and then holds position ready to strike...
Taking a quick step closer to the edge of the statue to improve his view, the archaeologist takes aim with another arrow at the lone stalker still heading in their direction, hoping his aim will be as good this time as it was before.
Cathyriel cautiously advances towards the lone enemy facing her, ending up in melee range but unable to strike. Still, she'll inconvenience him if he tries to attack or move again.
The sword she conjured moves to follow its foes, attacking once more.
Tobar shifts and launches two bolts past Cath at her foe.
Gideon and Tobar shoot the stalker approaching Cathyriel, wounding it but not dropping it. The half-elf dodges an opportunistic strike as she closes the distance, her spiritual weapon slicing a foe on the other side of the statue.
The wounded stalker attacks Cathyriel, and while she parries one strike, its other arm batters her and grabs a hold. The monster eagerly plunges its tongues into her neck, drinking her blood! Seeing Terana at the ready, the other two hang back and hurl their javelins. The cover provided by the wall keeps the Gilman safe from harm.
"No!" It's a tone of forbiddance, that brooks no contradiction. Cathyriel is NOT going to have her blood drunk, today or any other day.
She slashes twice with her longsword at the creature grappling her.
Her spiritual weapon continues its attack, taking advantage of the fact its foe is stationary to launch a series of strikes.