The kobold leader shouts, "Enough from you! Let that one answer! Why are you even here?" He points vaguely in the direction of the party, leaving it unclear who he means, but he seems to take Bastion's arguments to heart.
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"Stinkeye?! No way, he's totally fine. He's awesome, we would never hurt him. Go check, really!"
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The kobold leader takes in what the party tells him and he calms down enough to talk rather than shouting at them. ”Maybe you’re not as bad as I thought – but can you let us out of this cursed sticky stuff? And tell me why you’re here, if it’s not to steal our stuff?” At the same time, another of the kobolds wriggles free of the webs.
As the kobold speaks, the towering guardian looks on, clearly evaluating how the Pathfinders respond to his kobold thralls.
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"Definitely - we'd far prefer to speak with you without all the webs. And we have no desire to harm you or to take your stuff. You were partly right though, in that we are looking for the old fool who collapsed the tunnel. We were asked to find him, and to attempt to undo any harm he has wrought in these hills. I must warn you though, there is another group out here that will seek to fight first and will mean you harm. We reset your traps behind us, but do not lower your guard. " Blayne will tell them about the Aspis mercenaries that are following them and suggest that they maintain their outer guard post. "What can you tell us of the man who was here before and collapsed the tunnel? "
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"But what if..." Instrument whines in protest. The bird on his shoulder gives him a sharp peck in the ear. "OW! Alright alright, fine." He extends his hand with fingers outstretched and suddenly draws it into a fist, causing the webs to detach and spring back toward a central point, where they disappear into nothing.
Instrument dismisses the magical webbing and the kobolds move around a bit, glad not to be entangled in the strange stuff anymore, one of them brushing away imaginary webs. The kobold leader moves toward the party, though he’s not really looking in the direction of the party as he walks. When he’s a few strides away, it becomes clear why – he is blind. ”I am Naktok. And, yes, the one you seek was here. We chased him and he ran down the corridor to the south. He collapsed the corridor as he ran, and we have been working to clear it, but it has not been easy. And I don’t know what happened to him.”
Naktok says a few words in Draconic and the other kobolds move with him towards the door as he continues to speak in Common, ”I am going to check on Stinkeye, and the others will go to check our traps. If there are more like you coming, I want to stop them.” Naktok goes out the double doors, and the other kobolds wait a few moments, to be sure Stinkeye is back in his den before they pass through the halls.
As the kobolds are leaving, the Golden Guardian continues to regard the Pathfinders with some suspicion, and can be heard muttering in his booming voice, ”They do not look like the others I knew so long ago, they are too tall, too slender.” He gestures to the party to join him up on the stone platform, saying, ”Come up here. You bear the talisman, but you are so different. Come see the murals here, and tell me of them. Any who carry that artifact would know the meaning of the murals – unless you acquired the talisman through dishonest means.”
The first mural depicts a dwarf in a cave gazing up and shielding her eyes with a hand.
The second mural depicts a fireball with long, trailing streaks descending from the sky.
The third mural depicts two dwarves locked in battle. One of them has long, braided hair while the other is bald.
The fourth mural depicts four complex symbols arranged on the four points of a compass rose slanted slightly to the right.
The fifth mural depicts rolling hills with dark gray, rocky soil, punctuated with veins of gold. A vine covered in lavender flowers crushes a giant lizard like a constricting serpent.
The sixth mural depicts a map with many rooms, some crude, others skillfully carved and rich in detail.
The seventh mural depicts a dwarf with his eyes cast to the ground and his hand held against his chest.
The eighth mural depicts a demonlike creature with horns and wings.
The ninth mural depicts a humanoid with bulbous eyes and bowed legs.
The creature is a grippli, a member of the same race of humanoids from whom the Pathfinders gained the dwarven talisman.
The tenth mural depicts a dwarf whose weapons and armor are made of wood and stone rather than metal. His skin bears numerous simple tattoos, and several bright feathers adorn his beard.
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Bastion regards the murals closely. Almost all of them hold no significance to him except the last. Being a paladin, he was at least partially schooled in religions and cultures that worshiped evil dragons. He points at the image of jungle dwarves.
"These dwarves. They have a presence in the city of Kibwe", the scholarly orc explains.
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success
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The Taldan approaches with his usual pompous gait, although the sloped platform makes him slightly unsteady. "You dare to question the authority of the Instrument of Aroden?!" he scoffs. He points at the first mural, then slowly sweeps his hand across the gallery. "This mural refers to the legendary dwarven Quest for Sky, given to their race by their god Torag when none had seen the glory of the sun. Here we have the Rain of Stars, which created modern Numeria, not to be confused with Starfall. These scenes show the eventual migration of some dwarves near Numeria to these lands--the metal-rich Bandu Hills. A sickness once took them, and they found need to depart, but first left their talisman with an ally in the Kaava Lands."
He finishes and looks triumphantly at the great gargoyle. "Aroden proved me--uh, that is, us--worthy allies to these grippli: true Friends of Ashkurhall. And that is how we come to be here! Doubt you me now?!?!"
The Golden Guardian nods approvingly, particularly taken by the Instrument’s interpretation of the murals. “You truly are the worthy bearers of the talisman, so I shall tell you a story that Sigrin of Ashkurhall, the founder of this place, once told me.“
“Long ago, when Sigrin’s father ruled as king, the dwarves rose from the depths and built a citadel so mighty that even a titan would gaze upon it in awe. Centuries later, a shower of stars rained upon a land not far from the dwarven hold. The dwarves marched to investigate. They found many wonderful things, the greatest of which was the mysterious artifact they named the Sky Key.”
“But dark times soon followed, for their cousins from the underworld fell upon the dwarven citadel. Caught unprepared, the dwarves knew they could not hold off against the siege. The king ordered all but his most trusted guards to leave, and stayed behind to buy his people time to escape. Before Sigrin and her three siblings left to lead the dwarves to safety, the king gave each of them a piece of the Sky Key, and kept one for himself. The dwarves traveled far and wide, but the dangerous journey across the unknown land caused rifts in their clan. One by one, the king’s children went their separate ways, each taking a piece of the key and a part of the clan. Sigrin’s dwarves made their way to this continent, and though they found it quite inhospitable, they pressed on. After much searching, they found gold and started building this place. Their prosperity grew with each passing decade.”
Grinning, the Guardian continues, “That’s when I entered the picture. We didn’t get along at first, but I came to realize they were decent people, who appreciated stone and gold as much as I did.”
“Their luck did not last, however. A sickness came over the dwarves, and the survivors were too few in number to continue their lineage. Rather than slowly die out here, they chose to leave. However, they wanted someone to watch over this place. They chose me. Sigrin went to her grippli allies and gave them her piece of the key. Where the dwarves were going, they couldn’t hold onto their memories and traditions. I think Sigrin made up a monstrous story about me—I probably deserved it,” the Guardian says with a grin, “but the story was to protect this place and the piece of the key.”
The Guardian stares at the last mural for a long time. “The dwarves left to join their cousins who lived in the jungle to the east. They never came back.”
The Guardian goes silent, thinking back on his long-lost friends, and the Pathfinders stand respectfully for a moment. This reverie is interrupted by the group of kobolds bursting through the doors of the temple, screaming “More intruders! They attacked us!”
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"Let's help our new friends fight off our old enemies. I for one would love to bring some Aspis statues back for the venture captain's gardens. "
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Blayne moves to gain some cover by the wall and prepares to cast a spell.
"I plan to cast Summon Monster to call a celestial dog to attack. Then I'll cast cause fear on the Aspis leader. After that he'll engage in hand to hand or healing as needed. "
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While the Guardian speaks, the Instrument inadvertently eschews his former prideful demeanor and hastily finds his journal, turning to a fresh page and scribbling furiously. His pen scratches conclude just as the kobolds burst into the moment of relative silence, whereupon he claps the book shut and stuffs it in his bag. "Fear not! We shall meet them! Let Aroden's graces guide you!" He descends the stairs and takes a position at its foot.
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The Fox smiles at the prowess of his teammates, then goes about picking a spot on the ceiling that makes for a good hiding spot.
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The Taldan looks steely eyed at the doorway, ready for anything. Bastion comes up beside him, and the man's focus is barely broken by a glance at his companion. The glance becomes a double-take and he notices a bolt still stuck in the half-orc's shoulder. The Instrument relaxes slightly and leans over to pluck it out. "Let me get that for you. Aroden needs you in the front!"
He yanks it roughly out without any pretense of tenderness. "That's better," he declares. The bolt clatters down the steps. Again, Instrument's battle-pose is interrupted, this time by Bastion's quiet glare. "Oh, I suppose that needs fixing too," he mutters, producing a wand.
A number of figures appear in the wide doorway, hot on the heels of the hurrying kobolds! A powerfully-built half-orc woman with a massive greataxe, a leopard striding by her side, and two human men, clad in leather armor and carrying heavy crossbows! The half-orc strides up the stairs and takes a position at the end of the walkway, the two men lining up behind her, crossbows at the ready!
Now that they’re a bit closer, Torriki can see that the Aspis agents bear a number of injuries – what would appear to be bruises from falling rocks dot the half-orc’s face, and one of the men moves with a slight limp and the leather of his armor is stained dark with blood. The kobolds’ traps have taken their toll!
The other thing Torriki notices is that the leopard bounds up the stairs, stopping at the half-orc’s side and hissing ferociously at the strange fox-man where he hangs from the ceiling!
Blayne’s summoned dog appears, ready to serve!
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Blayne moves up to stand by Wayne blocking any sort of charge towards the Instrument and casts Cause Fear on the leader of the troop .
At the same time Guthrie the hound will circle around behind the Aspis running towards Toriki and getting right behind a crossbow man. He's hoping for an attack of opportunity this round.
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The leopard’s hiss causes one of the Aspis agents to look up and spot Torriki, but the cunning fox’s target remains blissfully unaware – until a rapier slips between his ribs! The man looks very unsteady on his feet as he turns and notices Torriki at last.
The mighty half-orc’s eyes widen in fear and she turns to run away!
The mercenary feels the Instrument’s fire, but manages to douse the growing flames before they ignite his clothing. The half-orc turns and runs, only to find her way blocked by a heavenly dog! She raises her axe and cuts Cayden’s hound nearly in half, but the pieces vanish before they even hit the stone floor!
The agent stabbed by Torriki steps away from the fight, and draws and drinks a potion and he looks much better for it.
The merc in the reddish armor drops his crossbow, draws two handaxes with astonishing speed, and steps forward to slice at Torriki!
Wayne’s shot rakes down the leopard’s flank, wounding it grievously! The creature considers the foes before it and pounces at the gunslinger!
As the leopard leaps through the air, Bastion flicks his gandasa into its path almost casually, catching the creature across the chest. It lands in a boneless heap and slides forward, dropping off the rounded edge of the walkway and falling to the stone floor far below.
The Instrument of Aroden walks insouciantly past his companions, intent on bringing fire and destruction to the Aspis! His flames drop the red agent to the ground and burn the others painfully!
Bastion strides forward, bringing his peculiar weapon down hard on the agent in blue leathers, felling him!
Meanwhile, the kobolds have gone off to cower in a corner, and the Golden Guardian is swooping through the air, trying to get at the attacking Aspis agents!
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Blayne advances and then calls on the healing powers of Cayden by channelling positive energy
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Blayne calls upon the Drunken God to heal his friends and allies and the terrified half-orc tries to make a run for it!
The half-orc manages to avoid Bastion's attempt to bring her down, but her dodging about makes her return attack miss as well!