“Elb, how are you feeling today? Let me know when you are rested and will return to the Halls. I will have a message for you to take to Korim.”
Oh, I feel much better Ang. Thanks!
If it's OK with you, I'll relax a little more today and head back to the Halls. Watching these gnomes craft refreshes my spirits if not my body and I'd imagine my body will be good to go by tomorrow. Hopefully I will learn a few things hear that might give me an edge over the other initiates.
I'll be here most of the day if you need me, but will come look for you and your message tonight before I turn in.
“I shoukd see you at Zarbuzel’s this evening.”
Go check on the owlbear eggs if possible.
The eggs appear quite close to hatching and continue to be well tended by several gnomes. In additioni, they are surrounded by their magically warmed rocks which appears to be able to simulate the warmth of a nesting parent.
There is some ongoing debate about how to raise owlbear chicks as well as who should have the honor of doing the raising. It is clear that getting selected to raise the animals and be their companion will be a very high honor amongst the gnomes of Umok. There is already talk about trying to find more eggs or wild owlbears for breeding purposes.
Of course you can't help but wonder how many gnomes might be maimed or eaten while they figure out the correct process of properly raising owlbears.
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Head back to Z’s. Write note to Korim and give to Elb.
“Korim, Your letter was almost too late. The gnomes had been studying 2 of the gems and they merged. Some of the gnomes seemed to be falling under a spell of sorts. With Torag’s aid as well of that of Shelyn, we were able to destroy the gem. I think The gems were being used to enslave the local goblins. I will check on the local goblin populace again and see if they are behaving differently since these gems were destroyed.”
You give the note to Elb and he promises to return it to Korim as soon as he can get back to the Halls. Zarbuzel joins you later that evening and his spirits seem much restored. Apparently some of the others that were deeper under the stone's influence are still struggling through withdrawals but the priests are confident that the shadows plaguing their hearts will soon be dispelled.
“Thanks Elb!”
“Good to see you looking better Zarbuzel, I’m going out to the goblin caves to check on them again and see if there has been any change with the destruction of the stone.”
Ang will travel to the entrance to the goblin cave that was guarded last time.
You make your way to the now all to familiar cave entrance. You see several goblin scouts in the trees watching you, and you assume communicating your position and movement. You get into viewing range of the entrance and see that it still has the palisade defense up, although there do not seem to be as many guards as before. There is at least one bugbear present and there are unmistakable signs of a recent battle.
Does it look like an internal struggle? If there are bodies, what type? Does Ang think it is time to move on from the goblins and from Umok? He seems to recall other potential problems that Korim told him about long ago.
You don't see any bodies, but there is blood, broken arrows, and it looks like fire and maybe some blast marks (magic?). You know the barghest you released was planning to wrest control of the tribe back from whomever had taken it over.
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The other Masters slowly filter out of the chamber, some congratulating you, some not.
Korim thinks for a few moments-There is always news of trouble in the world Ang, always. As of late and what is closest to us I have heard that the Gnomes of Umok still struggle with goblins coming out of the Chitterwood. Challo Fignoble, a gnome paladin of Shelyn, helped to protect the town during the final stages of the Goblinblood Wars but word is that she may have moved on to other parts?
Also, there is word of some trouble with undead in Gillamoor. At first it was rumor of plague, but now some rumor of the dead rising up? In either case you could help with both issues.
Finally, the area around the Candlestone Caverns is still suffering from horrors coming out of the Darklands. For years Northern Andora has struggled with the depredations of the Black Claw kobolds along with my dark Dwarven kin, as well as other underground threats. However, nastier things that usually are only found deep underground have begun to surface and terrorize the locals. Not good.
Umok is on the way to Gillamoor, so if you plan on heading in that direction maybe you could look in to both?
Ang will head back to Umok to say farewell to Z.
“Thanks for your hospitality Zarbuzel, I think I am going to head on towards Gillamoor now. If you need me look for me there.”
I’m assuming Ang knows how to get there.
You head south, threading your way between the Aspodell mountains and the eastern border of the Chitterwood. The first few days of your journey are quiet, a pleasant change from the last few weeks. On the fourth day of your journey you hear the sounds of battle ahead.
Advance and try to figure out what is going on. Detect evil if there is any doubt about who
Is good and who is evil.
You move forward into a small clearing to find several dead bugbears and hobgoblins. Three bugbears battle with what appears to be a knight clad in a spectacular set of full plate (mostly gold with dark blood-red highlights) sitting atop a massive destrier. Given the wounds to all involved, the fighting has been quite savage and the parties bear evidence to suffering many wounds. A quick detect reveals that all the combatants in the clearing to be evil.
As you observe, the knight severs a bugbear's arm as the other two flee into the forest. The knight appears to think of giving chase but catches sight of you and flicks the blood form his blade and murmurs something into his horses ear.
A crisp challenge rings out in a light feminine voice from the steel helmet-Well fellow, are you this lots master or just some lucky wanderer that gets to disrupt my melee and cost me the glory of two kills?
Is there just one Knight? Slightly confused by use of “his” in conjunction with the feminine voice.
“If you limit me to those two choices my lady, then I suppose I do wander from time to time and I count myself lucky indeed. My apologies, I had no intent to interrupt your fight. Hearing the sound of battle I approached in case my hammer was needed. I am called Ang.”
Does Ang recognize the plate? Is it hell Knight?
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It is just the one knight; the 'his' pronoun was on purpose as you had assumed the knight to be male given the skill and strength displayed. You filthy chauvinist you! :D
The plate appears to be of custom design. You have heard about Hell Knight plate, and it is usually described as darker and more brooding with sharp angles and points. A bit different from what you see here, although the plate does seem to have some sinister etchings and design to it and looking at it too long gives you a bit of a headache.
The woman has an interesting brooch that holds her great-cloak atop her shoulders. It looks like a strange star crafted from black steel and gold. The same symbol is on her shield.
https://pathfinderwiki.com/mediawiki/images/7/77/OrderOfTheGodclaw.jpg
The knight doffs her ornate helm and a coil of silky black locks fall out from underneath it. The woman revealed is quite striking with deep green eyes that seem to scour your face as she looks at you. Her skin is milky white, and she has a strange angular cast to her face-especially her eyes.
With a stern voice-There are always but two choices-that which is right and that which is not. I accept your apology, and will think no worse of you, as running towards the sound of combat is a commendable trait for those that wander in the wilds. You have given me your name Ang, a great courtesy I suppose, and I should do no less. I am known as Arissa Blackclaw of the Citadel Dinyar. What brings you to this part of the world?
Hmmm, perhaps she is part devil or something, though a good looking one at that.
"I travel to Gillamoor, I heard of trouble with undead there and thought to put my hammer to use. If you have any news of Gillamoor then I would be most appreciative to hear it."
Below is from pathfinder wiki, would Ang be aware of the order of the god claw given his service to Torag?:
Not content with seeking divine approval for their knighthood's righteous path, the Order of the Godclaw's members have sculpted their beliefs from the harshest, most exacting philosophies of five lawful deities: Abadar, Asmodeus, Iomedae, Irori, and Torag. Remade as five stern, armoured paragons, the deities of this pantheon are known collectively as the Godclaw.
You haves not heard anything about the Order outside of the fact that it represents various divine faiths and is a Hellknight order.
Arissa looks at you with her piercing gaze-I have also heard of some disturbance in Gillamoor, but was not aware of it being the undead variety. Travelers say that the town suffers from some type of plague and there are many taken with illness. The army is allegedly quarantining the place, controlling who enters and certainly who gets to exit. It is not known how many inhabitants of Gillamoor yet survive.
You follow Torag, do you not? What business does the smith god have with plague these days?
"I do follow Torag. Torag is a a god of protection and teaches his servants to value community and family. It sounds as if Gillamoor is a community in need of protection, from either plague or undead, or perhaps both. I will continue on and see if I can offer any protection to them."
Fair enough. Maybe you will still find folks to protect, maybe you will find only death. Hopefully you do not find your own death there. Keep an eye out if you travel the borders of the Chitterwood; the goblins are not as fecund as they were during the Wars, but there are still many of them that spill out from their caves and a lone traveler makes a tempting target. Not always will you find members of the Godclaw present to keep your journey safe.
She dismounts and begins tending to her horse and gear.
"Of course, thank you for the warning."
Continue on towards Gillamoor.
You continue to make your way around the SE edge of the Chitterwood, until the border between the foothills and the forest runs into a river which you assume must be the Keld given its width, depth, and strength.
You follow the river W and find the shredded carcasses of several oxen. The bodies looks to have been burned and savaged by claws and fangs.
+4 for religion
Look around the oxen. Try to tell what caused the wounds, then continue on.
Your examination reveals no clues as to what caused the wounds, but the source becomes readily apparent as a winged beast swoops over you firing a gout of flame.
DC20 REF for 1/2 damage
The massive winged monster (10'+ long and 7'+ tall at the shoulders) has the body of a lion, though two more heads flank its central feline one—a red scaled dragon and a horned goat. It turns in a lazy arc and looks to make another strafing run at you.
Hope it can’t do that all day
If the forest is close try to get amongst the trees so it will have to land to fight.
Fire an arrow if possible
-25hp
You snap off an arrow that careens harmlessly off the beasts scales as you rush towards the shelter of the forest. The beast continues to give chase and releases another blast of flame as you reach the forests edge. The trees about you begin to smoke and burn, giving you additional cover.
DC 20 REF for 1/2
Come on down to the ground beast.
Get under cover of the forest.
-11hp
The beast appears to honor your request and lands, rushing towards your covered position.
It delivers a barrage of attacks!
I wonder if it can read minds, maybe I should have thought of it flying away.
Your hammer smashes into the creatures shoulder it tries to return the favor:
Too many heads and claws, avoiding them all is near impossible. Just concentrate on hitting it with your hammer fool!
-10hp
You miss badly as the creature continues it's fierce assault.
Your hammer crashes home once more and the beast lets out a roar of fury and frustration.
-16
The beast takes your miss as an opportunity to fire a gout of flame from the serpent's head while the rest continue to snap and gore:
-30hp
The monster starts to look a little worse for wear from your attentions.
Ang probably looks just as bad.
-23hp
The beast ignores your hammer and sensing weakness rushes in with renewed vigor!
The beast is unrelenting and unmerciful!
-12
You land another blow and the creature begins to look like you might be hurting it.
-4 hp
The beast fires another blast of flame as it continues its sometimes withering assault:
-4hp
The monster decides there just must be easier meals somewhere else and retreats into the air.