Zachary puts another arrow in the gasping yeti! The yeti sucks in a huge breath and roars, swinging at Miso!
bor: 111 dmg
Using his invisibilty, Jennix moves up behind the yeti, wetting his dagger with blue whinnis posion, then stabs at the beast.
Type poison, injury; Save Fortitude DC 14
Frequency 1/round for 2 rounds
Initial Effect 1 Con damage; Secondary Effect unconsciousness for 1d3 hours; Cure 1 save
Terflynn, with all the patient unconcern of an alchemist measuring ingredients, activates his pearl before returning it to his pack.
Jennix's dagger cuts deep into the yeti!
bor: 125 dmg
Miso reels from the blow, even without the cold taking effect. He knows another such shot will drop him, leaving his companions unprotected.
With the situation increasingly desperate, he tries a gambit before attempting an escape; with Jennix reappearing and providing flank, he tries a Stunning Fist attack on the chieftain in conjunction with a Dragon Style unarmed strike.
Then he spends aki point for a +4 dodge bonus to his AC and attempts to Acrobatics away from the AoO.
The yeti chieftain swats Miso to the ground as the dragon disciple tries to move away! The yeti looks nearly spent though.
bor: 135 dmg
Zack takes another step in and releases another volley.
Zachary misses and with Miso's injuries putting him out for a while, the yeti tries to take down Jennix!
bor: 135 dmg
Jennix grunts as he is hit twice, but his voice is cut short as he falls to the ground.
Terflynn casts a spell on the Yeti to try once more to pull luck away from it. He then retreats by several steps to protect himself.
Zack continues his slow advance while maintaining a hail of arrows.
The yeti starts gasping for breath again.
Terflynn continues to rain bad luck on the yeti but Zachary follows this with an arrow that takes the yeti down!
However, as the yeti's body falls a shimmering spirit lingers behind, the ghost of a sylph with demonic horns and wings, laughing at your plight!
bor: 66 dmg, two 2d20
Jennix manages to steal himself and not collapse from his wounds. Stepping foward, he vanishes for a second, then attacks the ghost!
Jennix makes some minor cuts to the ghost haunting your way forward. She only laughs hollowly and channels the power of Sithud over the ninjarchaeologist!
kat: 77 dmg, two 2d20
Terflynn frowns at the realization of what has occurred. He then vanishes from sight.
Jennix succumbs to the foul energy, falling to the ground.
"A familiar face I can't say I'm happy to see." Zack comments to himself as he continues raining arrows into the cavern.
As Miso and Jennix bleed upon the floor, Terflynn disappears and Zachary puts an arrow into the ghost! She flies closer to Terflynn and Zachary and casts a spell to purge all invisibility effects in the area.
kat: 84 dmg, two 2d20
Terflynn lifts from the ground and flies behind Zachary, sneering at the evil spirit with indignation.
"I have no problems killing you again you know." Zack says as he tries to bring down the shade of their reoccurring enemy.
Zachary's arrows are weakening the restless spirit of the fiendish sylph, but she still flies at him and casts a spell!
kat: 107 dmg, two 2d20
zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Zack continues fighting unfazed.
Unfortunately the ghostly sylph dodges all three of Zachary's shots!
kat: 107 dmg, two 2d20
Terflynn flies over towards Miso and touches him with healing power.
Miso's eyes snap open at the witch's magic, sitting up with a start. He takes stock of the situation even as he reaches into his pack and pulls out a potion, quaffing it at once.
After a bit of healing from Terflynn Miso leaps back up and drinks a potion to bring himself back into the fight!
Ghost-Katiyana flits forward and reaches out to touch Zachary!
kat: 107 dmg, two 2d20
Zack winces from the bad touch and steps away from the ghost, firing more arrows into the creature.
With two arrows Zachary is able to send Katiyana's spirit screaming into oblivion! Her form dissipates and an eerie calm falls over the cavern.
The ramps beyond rise 20 feet with each switchback, culminating in a wide tunnel to the southeast. However, an 8-inch-thick wall of stone blocks the exit tunnel a short distance within. Luckily, with Katiyana's destruction and her threat ended, you can batter through the wall and clear the tunnel over the next couple days to allow the caravan through.
Next to the yeti chieftain's throne you find 30 pieces of amber (worth 100 gp each), a large amethyst geode (worth 750 gp), a green and white jade bracelet (worth 600 gp), and 2000 gp worth of coins. There is also a staff of courage, a bloodletting kukri, a robe of arcane heritage, and three greater slaying arrows.
Furthermore, the yeti chieftain wore +1 studded leather and had a dark blue rhomboid ioun stone, as well as a scroll of cleanse.
When you eventually emerge from the Uqtaal Necropolis, the storm overhead has broken, revealing clear blue skies above the Wall of Heaven. Once above ground, the caravan must travel approsimately 150 miles through the mountains to rejoin the Path of Aganhei, but the most dangerous part of the trek across the Crown of the World is now past and with the threat of the hungry storms gone, you find the going uneventful.
Your journey to Minkai is far from over, however, and now that you are finally entering Tian Xia, new dangers surely await. Before you finally reach Ameiko's ancestral homeland, you must traverse the nation of Hongal an the haunted Forest of Spirits.
---
You complete your journey over the Crown of the World and arrive at the city of Ordu-Aganhei—the gateway to the mysterious Dragon Empires of Tian Xia, or, as Tians prefer to view it, the last outpost of civilization before the wilds of the Crown of the World and beyond. Named after the Tian explorer who first charted the route over the Crown of the World, Ordu-Aganhei is the primary trade hub on the Tian side of the Path of Aganhei, and represents the first major outpost of civilization since you left Kalsgard.
You enter the city through its north gate, a decorated tower with a single 30-foot-high reinforced iron door and some 30 guards inside. A caravan coming out of the Crown of the World in the off-season is an almost unheard of occurrence, and the gate guards examine you with barely hidden suspicion. The guards’ examination is strict and thorough, dust swirling around them as they work. Just as it looks like the guards won’t allow you into the city, however, a well-dressed man appears at the gate from within the city, prostrates himself (quite literally) before you, and makes a speech.
"Honored guests! Welcome, welcome, and three welcomes more! Please ignore these slithering worms beneath your feet—I assure you they shall be punished for their insolence. Prince Batsaikhar, golden orb of sunlight at the black portal of barbarism, bids you welcome to Ordu-Aganhei, the City at the Edge of the World. My most munificent lord invites his honored guests to his humble palace to rest, dine, partake in polite conversation, and perhaps indulge in some pleasure. The Golden One says he hopes you will honor him with your clever speech from strange lands, a speech that he of all men in Hongal has mastered. He is eager to hear of your journey across the Crown of the World in this most difficult time of travel."
The man introduces himself as Chua, the royal advisor to Prince Batsaikhar of Ordu-Aganhei, and he has been ordered to bring you and your allies to the prince’s palace.
Miso bows low in return, attempting to size up the man as he speaks.
Miso replies, speaking in fluent Tien. Well met, Chua! We are honored to accept the Prince's request. He waits a moment for Jennix to translate for Zach, then continues. Pray, tell the Honorable Prince Batsaikhar to forgive the actions of his guards; they were only doing their sworn duty, after all, and should be honored for such efforts.
"Don't worry, this reprimand is their only punishment. It was a trifling mistake. Please, follow me to the Palace."
Chua guides you through the streets of Ordu-Aganhei to the enormous wooden Palace of the Prince. He hurries you past countless guards and groveling slaves to the palace's central courtyard, a vast chamber nearly 100 yards across built around a steaming lake. Orchids grow in gardens overlooking the lake, while colorful herons swoop through the air, all beneath a ceiling hidden by prayer flags.
On a huge bed surrounded by colorful silks, painted screens, and beautiful white-painted women sits an enormous, smiling man barely dressed in voluminous robes-Prince Batsaikhar. Immediately behind him stands his bodygaurd Izume, a tall figure in full samurai armor, carrying an enormous drawn sword.
Prince Batsaikhar smiles as you approach and are introduced to him. He orders extravagant food and drink to be brought for you and for a table and chairs to be pulled closer so that you might sit and relax after your journey. "Please, I am anxious to hear of your travels and your reasons for crossing the Crown of the World at this time of the year. And eat, drink! It is all delicious, I can confirm by my own experience!"
Zack remains silent not understanding the language. Watching others at the table he attempts to mimic the customs of the area so as not to offend their hosts.
At the gate, Jennix smiles and winks at the guards as they pass. Once past, he leans over to Zach and whispers. "I like this welcome, but it makes me nervous."
Once at the palace, he bows deeply. "Many thanks to your gracious hospitality, Honorable Prince." He then pauses, wondering who will speak first.
"I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious while we are here. Our group is really due for a break from all our hardships though." Zack whispers back to Jennix.
"So. . ." the Prince says, "Please, tell me of yourselves! Who you are and the purpose of your journey. . . I would like to know! And by all means, eat and drink!"
"My greetings, good prince. I am Terflynn, an elf from the wilds of the far West. I am skilled with potions and alchemical creations, and have served as somewhat of a physician to our caravan. I am a man of business first and foremost, and I hope our time here can be profitable for everyone involved." Terflynn says, his elven arrogance somewhat masked by his knowledge of local etiquette.
"And these men, all brave and strong, have helped us repel monster and bandit alike in our dangerous travels. Our companion Zachary does not know your tongue, so he may refrain from speaking at times. Though he is a proud hunter, he remains a bit mired in the ways of his own now-distant people. I will let the others introduce themselves."
"I see, I see." the ever-smiling prince says. "And who might that lovely young lady be?" he indicates to Shalelu, standing among the other prominent members of your caravan.
Miso bows in what he has been taught to be the appropriate fashion to the Prince and introduces himself. I am Miso, from Magnimar, over the Crown of the World. I am a follower of Korada of the Dream Lotus and a guard to our caravan.
He introduces Shalelu when the Prince inquires about her. Our traveling companion Shalelu, expert hunter and devoted friend. We could not have made this trip without her and Sandru, our caravan master.
Miso is careful to give only first names; he is wary of revealing Ameiko's heritage until they know more of Prince Batsaikhar. He will ask for water and sample some bread.
"Excellent! Excellent!" the prince exclaims, beaming, as Miso introduces himself and Ameiko. "She is quite the beautiful woman, a marvelous companion I am sure. Well, this has been enjoyable and we should not let it end! I propose a feast for this night and the next four nights! Would you join me? It would be an honor to have you all by my side during these festivities."
That night Prince Batsaikhar hosts the Feast of the Three in your honor. The food is magnificent: spicy duck heads, ox forehead, turtle casserole, pigeon brains, fried chicken feet, and a "tiger, dragon, and phoenix soup" (which you are told really contains cat, snake, and chicken meat). The prince's royal guards perform an exhibition of the Three Games of Hongal: mounted archery, bareback horse racing, and wrestling.
After the entertainment, Prince Batsaikhar asks you to show him something similar from the magnificently verdant lands of the west.
At the naming of the challenges, Jennix looks to his companions. "Well, I know who is best suited for the archery and wrestling, but who's going to ride a horse?"
"I'm all good for showing off with a bow, but I am not very skilled with horses." Zack admits to the group, finally hearing Jennix say something he can understand.
That night Prince Batsaikhar hosts the Feast of the Three in your honor.
Miso volunteers to wrestle Huk.