You recognize this thing as a shenzuzhou, the reanimated corpse of a giant. A terrible necromantic ritual is performed where the beast's body is decapitated, the stump of its neck is cauterized, and the twisted face on its torso takes form. It retains some degree of its intelligence, but it is a slave to whomever carries the thing's head. Should its head be destroyed, it breaks free of its compulsion to serve anyone, and rampages freely, eager to take as many of its own heads as it can.
In the stories about them, you've heard they're somewhat resistant to magic, and they usually have a collection of severed, rotting heads they can throw. These heads rupture on impact, and release a noxious gas which induces retching and vomiting in those that breathe it in.
Oh, and one more thing. The stories about them you've heard? You don't remember them being this big.
Zak fires a volley of arrows at the beast, but none of them penetrate its thick hide.
Poog pulls a rubbery tentacle from one of the pouches in his gown and flicks it at the massive creature. He gives a toothy grin as black tentacles rise up from the ground, suddenly reaching and grasping toward the horror.
"Shenzuzhou!" Asha calls out to the others. "Undead and magic resistant!" She murmurs a rarely-used word under her breath, and the edge of her glaive takes on a new and somehow deadlier-looking sheen. She then sets herself into a focused martial stance.
The ground erupts with rubbery tentacles as black as midnight. They writhe around the shenzuzhou, seeking to grab hold of its dead limbs. Several also wrap themselves around Kiang Zhen. The monstrosity has no difficulty shrugging off the tentacles as though they were mere nuisances. Kiang Zhen cries out a short arcane phrase, disappears from where she stood, and reappears a safe distance away. "Have a care with your spells, mortal!"
The shenzuzhou charges towards Asha, raising one massive battleaxe over its head as it nears. It connects solidly, slicing open a bloody gash on the holy warrior. The creature's mouth curls into a sinister grin as it raises its axe, dripping with gore.
Will
After hearing that magic might not be the answer, Zarina casts her own spell, helping her group to react a bit quicker and hit a bit harder.
AC 22, touch 19, flat-footed 18
Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +12
CMD 16
HP 81/70
Effects: mage armor, false life, haste (round 1)
Suppressing a shudder, Poog quickly pulls out a small twig, pointing at the undead horror, and then snapping it in a quick motion. An invisible ripple seems to spread from the small goblin toward the creature, washing over it.
Poog then takes to the sky, moving 30 feet up in hopes that that's out of the creature's reach.
Will save:
Standard action: Misfortune hex (Will save DC 20 to negate, no spell resistance). The witch can cause a creature within 30 feet to suffer grave misfortune for 2 rounds. Anytime the creature makes an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, it must roll twice and take the worse result. This hex affects all rolls the target must make while it lasts.
Move action: Fly (using hex, which doesn't look like it requires any activation the way I read it) straight up 30 feet.
Simon whispers a brief curse and drives his blade into the ground.
"What this situation calls for, is additional troops," he thinks as he claps his hands together and starts to chant under his breath.
"From across the Void, I call thy name.
From thee to me, that is the game.
Cross the gulfs, depart the eternal storm.
My war thy battle, such is the norm.
Child of the Winds!"
The ripple of misfortune washes over the undead horror, but the strands of fate are too tightly bound to it for the little goblin's hex to have any noticable effect. The wind in the area begins to pick up as Simon begins casting, as the dust on the ground swirls at his feet.
"The beast has a tough hide, take care with your attacks!" calls out Zak as he unleashes a second volley of arrows, again calling upon the unnatural speed to aid his attacks.
One of Zakarras' arrows manages to penetrate the shenzuzhou's thick hide, and black blood begins to seep from the wound. The beast's foul mouth begins to chant words in utter silence, and the very light around you dims, as though it too was fleeing this horrid creature.
The shenzuzhou is casting Darkness.
Spellcraft
"The undead is calling magical darkness! Is there anyone who can counter his evil trick?"
"Only like this," Asha answers, seeing the opening and swinging her glaive fiercely.
The shenzuzhou howls in pain as Asha's strike connects, its gray flesh blackening from her holy power. Almost instantly, the light returns to normal. The shenzuzhou's eyes glare in pure anger at Asha, its mouth gibbering silently.
AC 22, touch 19, flat-footed 18
Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +12
CMD 16
HP 81/70
Effects: mage armor, false life, haste (round 2)
Realizing his attempts are having little effect on the creature, Poog purses his lips and blows a breath of warm wair toward Asha and Zarina, this time a ripple of good fortune flowing toward them.
Standard action: Fortune: The witch can grant a creature within 30 feet a bit of good luck for 2 rounds. The target can call upon this good luck once per round, allowing him to reroll any ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, taking the better result. He must decide to use this ability before the first roll is made. Once a creature has benefited from the fortune hex, it cannot benefit from it again for 24 hours.
Zarina charges at the undead, swinging her flail as she engages it.
Attack roll
Damage
"Fine attacks my friends, lets finish this beast!" Zak unleashes a third volley of arrows, again calling upon the unnatural speed to aid his attacks.
(boots of speed, point blank, clustered shots, precise shot)
Asha's usual smile is gone as she works through a dizzying blur of slashing attacks, her gaze meeting the shenzuzhou's fury with an uncharacteristic grimness of her own.
As Zarina charges up towards the shenzuzhou, it swipes at her with its massive axe. It gets a lick in on its draconic foe before she, Asha and Zakarras tear into it. Zarina and Zakarras' attacks strike home, but Asha's holy power tears its rotten flesh from its bone. The shenzuzhou is badly injured, but it refuses to bend.
Even as the two warrior women tear into the undead monstrosity, the air behind it comes alive, resolving itself into a nearly humanoid form. Keening like the wind, the air elemental strikes.
Simon retrieves his blade from the sand - and mutters a word in Tien: "Bunshin." Immediately, the air around him starts to warp, and when the effect clears, there are Simons where there was one!
With Asha's last strike, the shenzuzhou's eyes widen in disbelief. The twin axes fall from its grasp, and the headless giant topples to the earth. The crowd around you cheers at your victory, but one spectator maintains her silence. Kiang Zhen frowns as her undead thrall is defeated, and gives the five of you the faintest of nods as a bow.
"Congratulations, Warriors. You have proven your skill at arms this day, and entertained the crowd with your skill. But this is only the first day of the tournament - there will be many more trials before you can call yourselves 'Champions.'" You can hear the venom dripping from that final word.
"Poog am confused," the goblin calls out to her with a smirk that even fellow members of his race would recognize as wicked. "Poog thought we am brought here for challenge. When am challenge begin?"
"Well," Simon says as he carefully -- almost fussily -- wipes the sand from his blade, "I feel a bit silly for thinking my bladesmanship might be needed."
The old man sheathes his blade, takes off his mask and bows in the direction of the air elemental. "Child of the Winds, I thank you for your service. Fare thee well." The elemental's keen dies away as its body fades into the air.
Turning to Poog, he says: "Now, now, my good Goblin. Now, now. It is not the best of manners to gloat when victorious."
Zarina nods to Asha, [/b]"Now that, Sister, was impressive. Between your martial arts and Zak's arrows, that monstrosity never stood a chance!"[/b]
Asha looks down, murmuring the activation word to return her weapon to its merciful potency. "I cannot glory in destruction, even where something as vile as that thing was," she replies, shaking her head. "At least we can take satisfaction in knowing that we have ended the corruption of the vessel that once held a living spirit - perhaps that will bring peace to the lost giant's soul."
"Perhaps," Simon says, eyeing the sack, "and yet, perhaps not?" His eyes drift to Kiang Zhen, and the look in them is... sober.
A few of the spectators chuckle at Poog's jibe, but an icy glare from Kiang Zhen immediately chokes off the laughter in their throats. She turns her attention back to you all, and throws the sack into the ring as well. A large putrified head rolls out, and Kiang Zhen looks at it with disapproval. "You have won, Warriors. Enjoy your victory...while it lasts." She then turns and leaves you to the throng of spectators cheering your names.
Asha raises her holy symbol, closes her eyes and offers a prayer of thanks to the Eternal Rose as well as asking for Her blessing for the Warriors of the Five Elements. A smell like blooming flowers fills the air and a ripple of reddish-yellow light, the exact color of sunlight glimmering through a rose petal, sweeps across the group.
Once that is done, Asha bids the group good evening, heading back to town in hopes of having more luck with her other quest tonight than she did this afternoon.
Before you all go your separate ways, one of the monks of Abadar bows to you. "In recognition of your victory this day, Warriors, the Emissary invites you to a grand feast in the Pavilion. Make certain to be there when the sun meets the horizon."
"Is this another challenge? Am Poog going to have to kill dinner first?" the goblin asks suspiciously.
It starting barking, drawing a scowl from Poog. "It am want to know if there am food for dog too. He am liking onions and garlic and graps and avocados."
The monk smiles serently at Poog's question. "No, little one, this is not a challenge. All of today's victors will be honored at this feast, and there will be entertainments for spectators and contestants alike. And I am certain there will be something your companion will enjoy."
Asha smiles and bows. "I look forward to the privilege," she tells the monk before she leaves.
Zak eyes Poog and It suspiciously. A wise goblin and a vegetarian dog, this is getting stranger and stranger
"Is this another challenge? Am Poog going to have to kill dinner first?" the goblin asks suspiciously.
It starting barking, drawing a scowl from Poog. "It am want to know if there am food for dog too. He am liking onions and garlic and graps and avocados."
"Now, Poog, if I'm not mistaken those things are actually bad for dogs. You wouldn't want anything to happen to It would you?"
Simon hurries after Asha, his cane clicking against the street.
"Pardon my intrusion, Ms. Asha," he says as he limps up to her. "But given recent events - such as the thwarting of the pleasures of a being notorious for being malicious and spiteful - I would feel remiss in my duties as a gentleman if I let any of our number go off alone.
Would you mind terribly if I accompany you?"
The old man gives the beautiful Monk a twinkly-eyed smile.
Asha hesitates for a moment, but then returns the smile easily. "Not at all, master Greer," she replies, taking his arm. "I do not know if you will find the time entertaining, but I will do what I can to keep things from getting too dull." For a moment, her smile morphs into a rather mischevious grin.
As they proceed across the island, Simon quickly discovers that Asha is looking for anyone with information about a fellow Vudran, one who shares her last name.
Simon just chuckles at Asha's witticism. "Well, I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up with you, but at my age any offer of excitement is heartily welcomed, my dear."
For his part, Simon just acts charming to everyone Asha questions. He shakes or kisses hands as appropriate, he smiles a lot, and generally acts the part of a kindly old chapéron to a beautiful woman about the town.
Asha and Simon find that people in New Harbor are more than willing to speak with the two Warriors. After a few hours, Asha does hear a promising lead from a merchant from Goka. "Ghadvhi...yes, that name is familiar to me. Now how did I..." The merchant frowns as recognition crosses his face. "Oh yes, now I am reminded of this. Goka is a very wealthy city, and there are complications for doing business within its walls. Some of them are legal issues - taxes, regulations, and so on. Some, however, are less than legal. The Golden League puts pressure on all of the merchants to control the markets of Tian Xia - here, Minkai, everywhere. I do not like paying their protection money, but it is the way of things. One night, a few years back, I get a bit behind in paying them. I had a bad run of luck, and money was tight. They sent some thugs to rough me up, make certain I didn't fall behind any further. One of them was a Vudrani man, but his tattoos indicated he was in the lowest levels of the Xun, the Golden League's enforcers. They were going to leave me in an alleyway, broken, but one of the men, he tells the thugs to wait. 'This merchant should have a more permanent reminder.' He pulls out a kukri, and hands it to the Vudran, and..."
The merchant stops, and holds up his left hand. He's missing the tip of that little finger.
"The Vudran is questioning this order, but the leader will have none of it. After the deed is done, the leader laughs. 'I wasn't sure you had it in you, Ghadvhi!', he cackles."
The merchant clasps his left hand, nursing that old wound. "If you are looking for this man, Warrior, I have no doubt you will find him. Just...be careful. I wonder if he is the man you remember any longer."
Once Asha is finished with the merchant, Simon clears his throat and whispers to her, his voice serious: "I will not intrude on your personal business, my dear. But I will say this: if you need help with this matter, you need not look very far."
The dapper old man gives the Monk's arm a small squeeze. "I am not one to tell tales, so if you need to talk, it will take magic or torture for the tale to go any further -- that, or dire circumstance such as needing to recruit help to save you."