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Shiv steps between Ayla and the Kellid warrior to cut her off before she makes the situation any worse.
"Don't mind the gnome. You know how they are. The best of them are still nutcases, and this one certainly ain't one of the best. Although, seems odd to me that a guy with the name 'Bloodhand' don't wanna fight. So what's the story?"
Shiv tries to bait him into talking so he can try to get a read on him.
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Naruda uses the rest of her time to engage with Jala on the matters of nature in hopes it would further persuade her to find the inner strength to push back against the undead. Slowly Jala starts to turn her conversation towards the idea of it, but still isn't yet convinced wholeheartedly. Makon attempts to join in but doesn't really know what he is talking about.
From warrior to warrior, Kragr starts to slightly open up a little about himself. "These hands have killed many orcs, but for what reasons? These wars are pointless, and end in pointless bloodsheds. I regret many of my actions." The strong Kellid seems to have a slight resentment towards traditions of old, and favours a more logical approach. However he is short tempered and may be taken aback by certain expressions towards him.
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Atronia listens to conversations carefully before finally taking a step forward and chiming in. She turns to Medda first.
"Medda, there are risks in all we do. You traveled so far to get this relic back. Those were risks you took. Now, you three have to decide for your people if more should be done. I have seen them outside, trembling, but looking expectantly at us, not fleeing. These are people who want to see there home saved and there traditions kept. These are people who now need their leaders to give them courage and show them the way to freedom from the fear of monsters stalking in the night and spreading in the wild. Show them the way."
Once she is done with her speech to Medda, she turns her attention to Kragr. She puts her fist to her heart in salute as she begins speaking. "As for you, Kragr Bloodhand, despite your regrets, your name is known and respected among your people and even further. You are battle-seasoned. Do not let the mistakes you made become regrets, but let them be steps to learning and bettering yourself and teaching your people to do the same. You heard me, your people want to be safe and need to be led. With what you have learned, you can lead them. You can help them go into battle with strategy rather than simple rage and fear for their homes. You can avoid as much bloodshed as you can. I'm not saying blood won't be spilled. It is a battle after all. But less of the blood of your people will be if you guide them, and it will save countless innocents who can't fight for themselves if you prevent this threat from spreading across the land. Help your people stand proudly and fight efficiently."
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Medda, much like Jala, starts to sway slowly towards keeping up the good fight! But unsure about the other leaders, she still feels hesitant to make a stance on the issue.
Kragr on the other hand shakes his head in disapproval and crosses his arms. "If you are asking me to lead my people to their death, then I shall not. No blood shall be spared if we fight smart, but abandoning this place, we can save all!" He growls a little at the end.
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Ayla lets out a laugh. "A warrior who won't fight to protect his people? You do know, that if you leave the undead here and run, they'll only spread further! They're not like people. They're not going to stay here and build a farm or something. They'll just keep moving, and killing. You may have the option to run like a coward, and maybe even your children, as well. But your grandchildren? And their children? They won't have that choice anymore. There won't be anywhere left to go. And when they finally are forced to fight they'll have to face of against way worse than this. All because you lost your backbone."
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"Gnome! Shut UP! NOW!" Shiv snarls as he snaps his teeth in her face menacingly and chases her away from the kellid warrior.
"Pesky gnomes. But look, she's an idiot but she indirectly illustrated an interesting issue. I know you just wanna look after your people, but there will always be one or two idiots like that who will misconstrue your good intentions as fear, and then they go tell some other idiots and pretty soon everyone starts wondering whether those idiot were right. Gonna be a heck of a downer for your warriors in battle if they have even the slightest doubt about their leader's courage."
"On the other hand, if you stand with us today, then after this is done, we can help you bring word to the other Kellid followings, and across Golarion as well. We've got pretty good networks, and this here's gonna make for a pretty epic chronicle anyway. The sacrifices of your people up to now will be known to everyone, and we can help inspire the other followings to join you in your fight every solstice. Heck, we'll even tell the Pharasmins and Sarenrites that there are undead popping up here every year so they get involved too. This will bring honour to your fallen, rally allies to your yearly battle and establish the Twinhorns as a leader amongst Kellid followings. That's something worth fighting for, ain't it?"
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Kragr listens intently to the arguments put forward. While he accepts them to be sound in nature, he just has a hard time convincing himself that staying to fight is the right thing. "But will the sacrifices be worth it? To what ends do we continue the bloodshed? Good people will perish. These lands are cursed, and the generations to come will continually suffer these same fates."
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Wilen again tries to make his plea about not giving up on their lands, but just about the same time Shiv cuts in with a much better speech to Kragr. Shiv hadn't meant to cut off Wilen but he was in full motion of frustration at Ayla. Well, that sounds much better than what I had in mind anyway...
Wilen throws up his hands in resign and takes a seat at the back of the tent to simply observe the remainder of their efforts.
Kragr looks at the halfling's small form with barely concealed distaste. Wilen obviously picks up on some of that, as he quickly pulls away from the kellid leader, his frustration evident.
On the other side, Atronia wields words like weapons, cutting to the heart of the issue, and entreating Medda to stick to her convictions in the oncoming fight. The kellid woman's eyes seem to grow brighter as the skald's words drive home. She stands a little taller, her doubts suddenly cut away as she turns towards the other two elders, no longer undecided in what the proper course should be.
"The Outsiders words carry the wisdom of our ancestors, even though they are newly arrived in our lands." She says to Kragr and Jalla. "We can not abandon our divine duty!"
Neither of the two elders seem convinced yet, despite her turnaround.
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Shiv presses his point to Kragr.
"Mate, you guys aren't the only ones fighting horrors. We've got crusaders in Mendev fighting demons. And there's your brothers the Snowmask kellids, as well as the Ulfen, who keep the Irrisen witches at bay. Heck, even in cities you gotta deal with diseases and thieves and muggers. Wasn't too long ago that even our Grand Lodge in Absalom got attacked by aspis agents and extraplanar monsters. Our Master of Spells even got killed. You think any place is really safe?"
"Thing is, Golarion needs heroes. Ain't no place that's safe, 'cept the places that we fight to make safe. You go some place else, what happens? If the land is owned by other people, they see you as invaders and they fight you off, and they'd kinda have a point 'cos they'd be fighting for their home. Or else you find a place to settle only to find that there are monsters you don't know how to fight in a land you don't know how to fight in. You can choose to fight here 'cos it's your home, and your heritage is here, and you can make the Twinhorns a rallying point and a beacon of pride for the Kellids - we'll help you do that. Or you could just leave after we've come all this way to help you, 'cos that's cool."
Shiv leans back to take a peak outside the tent, then turns back to Kragr again.
"Look. There's a rift on this plane, we're fighting an army of undead. And I've got a bow and arrow. None of this makes any sense. But I'm going back out there 'cos I'm a warrior and there's an enemy needs fighting. But I can't fight and help you find your resolve at the same time. You wanna stay here or retreat, that's your call. But if you go out there, you show us, and you show your warriors, whether Twinhorn warriors are worth a damn."
Leaving Kragr to think about things, he picks up his bow, checks the arrows left in his quiver, and then gets ready to get back to fighting.
Kragr frowns as Shiv starts to talk, eying his slight form. He starts to shift uncomfortably as the paladin's words start to sink in.
"The Twinhorns are the finest of warriors, have no doubt of that." He exclaims, in response, pride clearly evident. "We have faced more then others can imagine, for generations, and still we stand."
But then Makon steps in and starts openly insulting the tribal leader. What was prideful conviction a moment before, starts to darken and fade, replaced by an open scowl and angry glare.
"Acting without thinking is not honor." He growls, with barely contained anger. "You would be wise to watch your words, orc." The last word seems emphasized almost as if intended as an insult in return.
He waves his hand towards you dismissively. "I have heard enough." He growls. "Some of what they say has weight, but clearly they seem more concerned with throwing lives on spears, without care of who's lives those are."
Jala nods, frowning. "I must agree with our Elder Hunter." She says. "Enough of our tribe's lives have fallen to this blight. No more this solstice."
Medda looks on in distress, clearly not in accord with her two elders, but unable to sway them any further. She bows her head as she looks back towards the Pathfinders.
You are quickly ushered out of the tent, the Elders turning to each other to confer. You can only hope some of your other Pathfinders will have better luck changing their minds.
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As you exit the tent, you are once more greeted by the sounds of battle all around. Despite the elders unwillingness to listen to your pleas, it does not appear to have stopped the enemy from continuing to send its minions to assault the camp.
You quickly rush towards the nearest sounds of combat, but don't even manage to clear the area of tents, before you find yourselves under attack!
There is no warning.
Despite being on high alert, your first signs of assault come when Ayla and Wilen suddenly hear the faint sound of wings coming from behind them. Before either can shout a warning, the very air around them seems to drop to temperatures so cold, it feels like their very lungs are freezing as they take in breath. The ground at their feet and the edges of a nearby tent are suddenly encased in dark ice and frost, the canvas almost shattering as it freezes solid. The light from Ayla's wayfinder winks out almost instantly.
You all barely make out a small shadowy winged form, swooping by overhead, in the wake of the sudden chill, barely visible against the darkened sky overhead!
It quickly wheels in the air, turning back towards you, obviously intent on another pass!
It is a species of dragon, more common to the plane of shadow then the material plane.
You can only guess that the portal's connection is growing stronger, if such creatures are coming through to join the undead in the assault!
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Atronia looks overhead after the creature swoops by. "Shadow drakes? Here? They must be coming through the portal along with the undead! How do we close that thing before it gets even stronger?"
As she draws her sword, Atronia takes a deep breath. The scowl of worry disappears from her face and a grin takes its place. "You guys want to hear the rest of that song from before?"
She starts singing again, from the second verse of the song she sang earlier. It is, as always, a song about valor and courage in the face of danger, and light and good overcoming opposing forces.
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"Well, fine then. Some of us at least have not lost our mettle," Shiv scowls as he leaves the tent.
He is still grumbling to himself when, a few minutes later, a cry sounds out from the Kellid warriors and they join the fray.
"Huh. I guess they changed their minds after all. Alright! Let's get these... what the!? What was that? A drake? You mean like a dragon? Oh heck yeah, I know how to deal with those."
The kitsune's eyes begin to glow as he nocks an arrow to his bow and fires.
"Smitey-the-eville."
Ayla is the first to respond, the small gnome bringing her crossbow around with lightning speed, firing a bolt up towards the shadowy drake in the air ahead. But as quick as her shot is, the drake moves even quicker, doing a small barrel roll as it moves back towards you, avoiding her shot entirely!
As Atronia starts up an tale of heroics to rile up her companions, Wilen and Makon hurry forward, the later heaving a javelin up towards the small dragon. But his shot fares little better then Ayla's... this time batted aside by the creature's leathery wings, before disappearing into the darkness and falling to the ground not far off.
But all of it proves little more then distraction, as Shivalier uses all of his companions efforts to time his own shot, tracking the small draconic form through the night by the stars high overhead that go dark as it moves beneath them. With one shot, he looses an arrow through the crisp evening air... leading it just enough, that it strikes the shadowy creature right at the base of its long sinewy neck.
For the first time, you hear it make a sound, beyond just the near silent flapping of its wings. A long high screeching wail resounds through the camp, as it suddenly plummets towards the ground, wings flapping chaotically as it tries to recover.
It looks like it just might, but its cries draw the attention of the kellids bursting from the camp to assist your fellow Pathfinders, and two of them stop to launch deadly accurate spears of their own, before racing on.
The shadow drake never gets the chance to recover after that, crashing to the ground motionless.
The sounds of combat can still be heard off in the distance, outside of camp, but it is now accompanied by the battle cries of the kellids joining the fight.
You think of joining in, but Atronia's comment from earlier have everyone a little worried. She was right... more than just undead are now coming from the portal. It clearly is getting stronger.
This might be your only chance to help close it!
With the Twinhorns joining the fight, the sounds of battle seem to quickly move away from the main camp, the amassed forces pushing back the undead hoards enough that you suddenly find yourselves with a window of opportunity to try to reach the doorway through which Eshimka's evil attempts to break back into the material plane... and perhaps a chance to close it once more, before even more can come through!
The site of Ivvora's epic battle, all those years ago, is not far from the camp, but the trip to it is not peaceful. Everyone's nerves seem on high alert, the night sky and forests creating multitudes of shadows that dance and flicker as you move past. Strange sounds and echoes constantly assault your ears, some seeming far away, some close by... whether allies or enemies, you have no way to tell, nor can you spare the time to investigate.
All of you are on edge and jumpy by the time you get close to your goal. You hear it long before you catch a glimpse. Strange ghostly wails and whispered words in languages no human mouth could utter, drifting ahead of your destination well before you manage to see it through the dim evening light.
On any other day, the clearing on the riverbank might seem like a idyllic pastoral setting, the moss-covered standing stones circling it a curious reminder of a bygone age. But today, at night, on the solstice, it is anything but. A shadowy tear floats above the worn stone altar in the middle of the circle, so dark that what little light manages to reach it from the stars above seems to get trapped inside, swallowed up by whatever blackness oozes forth from its depths. Even the sounds of the river flowing nearby seem muted somehow, and ice crystals form along the bank near the clearing, a thin layer of ice starting to form despite it not seeming that cold out.
Eight large tendrils of inky darkness coil around the menhirs as if keeping the stones in a stranglehold. Numerous other tendrils lick out from the shadowy rift... as if tasting the air of the world they are reaching into. Even as you approach, the tear appears to grow a little larger, and you can only guess it will not be long before it becomes far too large to close.
Only Makon can make out a number of skeletal forms, upright and mobile, moving about inside the circle, seemingly oblivious to the shadowy tendrils lashing about. But they notice you as well, and immediately move to put themselves between you and the dark tear in the center of the stones. The rest find your light sources too far away to reveal more than inky darkness inside the stone circle, the slowly growing tear at its center, and the shadowy tendrils lashing out form it.
From the forest around you, you can hear the sounds of your allies. Fellow Pathfinders and Twinhorn warriors fighting side by side against unseen horrors of their own. All of them, like you, trying to reach the standing stones in the clearing and the portal therein.
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As they leave the camp behind and make a dash for the portal, Ayla activates her wayfinder by shouting, "DISCOVERY!" with great enthusiasm.
When the strange mutterings occur, and she catches sight of the strange portal of darkness, Ayla mutters a few words, causing a trio of glowing orbs to appear in the air before her. She beckons them forward, causing them to fly closer to the portal and illuminate it for all to see...
With her crossbow gripped tight in her hands, Ayla dashes forward.
"This is EPIC!"
She takes aim at the nearest figure and fires her already loaded crossbow at it.
Then she watches very carefully to see if her bolt harmed the skeleton at all, or was harmlessly deflected...
As Ayla's lights move over the stone circle in the clearing, the portal seems to absorb much of their radiance, such that only a dim glow emanates from them. Still, it is enough for the others to make out the skeletal figures lurking along the edge of the ring. Four of them visible from where you are. The three closer creatures have decaying armor barely clinging to their bony forms, one still holding a rusted blade in one hand. They seem to be dripping blood, despite the apparent lack of any visible organs. The fourth skeleton, in the back, sports heavier armor, although only the breastplate appears to have survived the years. In its hands it wields a long blade and a heavy steel shield.
The shifting shadows prove difficult to target through, and the gnome's hastily fired bolt misses its target entirely, disappearing into the middle of the pulsating rift behind it. The shadowy tendrils thrash about in response.
They would appear to be bloody skeletons, similar to their more common counterparts, but purportedly much harder to kill!
The necromantic magics emanating from the rift would appear to have raised a skeletal champion to defend it!
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As she watches the orbs of light Ayla sent out, Atronia finally sees the skeletons looming in the darkness. She rushes as quickly as possible along with Wilen, not wanting to leave him alone in the fray. "More of those, huh? We'd better take care of that before we attempt anything with the portal," she mutters half to herself, half to Wilen.
As Naruda lights a torch, and touches Makon with a small blessing, the half orc uses a magical oil to put his own blessing on his axe. As they prepare, Atronia hurries forward to join Wilen out front. Her light has no better luck then Ayla's, instantly dimming as soon as it reaches the outer ring of stones surrounding the rift.
Inside the circle, the skeleton in the back starts pointing with his sword and speaking words, that sounds suspiciously like hallit, in a halting sibilant voice. Immediately, the other three skeletons adjust to more defensive positions, using the standing stones for cover and preparing to fend off intruders. Though none of them leave the circle of stones, clearly tasked with guarding the rift.
The tendrils continue to lash about the ring, and you see them pass right through the skeletons inside without effect.... perhaps more energy then physical force.