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Jocephus shakes his head. "A misunderstanding earlier, and as far as Master Stinkeye, he was the one who recommended we seek out the chief. Honestly, we want no trouble, ask the guardian, it will tell you we are friends." Starting to get anxious, Jocephus continues. "The dead human, can you show us where this collapsed tunnel is?"
"Do not kill each other!" the Golden Guardian roars angrily, which has the effect of calming the kobolds down.
"Stupid human is to the south." Naktok tells you. "Beneath the stones."
There is a moment of tense silence. "We not kill you," Naktok says. "Take human body then and go." After a slight hesitation, he adds, "You need potions? We will sell you potions."
While the other kobolds deal with you, Naktok goes to check on Stinkeye. Shortly after his sulking comrades go to check if the traps near the entrace are still functional.
The Golden Guardian seems suspicious of you, perhaps because you are not all dwarves, and orders you, "Get on top of the stone hammer. The bearers of the dwarven talisman should know the meaning of these murals unless you acquired it through dishonest means."
The first mural depicts a dwarf in a cave gazing up and shielding her eyes with a hand.
[ooc]You can also use Bluff or Perform (oratory) to make up a suitable interpretation, but every time you do so will increase the DC of the next mural.
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Torean nods. "You're right." He looks back at the guardian. "This shows the Quest for the Sky Key with us dwarves moving to the surface. Our ancestors followed the prophecy given to us by Torag himself to leave Nar-Voth. Even now, some of our people are trained to watch the skies for danger rather than fight in the deeps. I was trained as a Sky Sentinel."
The Golden Guardian nods in approval and directs your attention to the next mural. He continues to take in your answers silently as he points to each one in turn.
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The mural depicts a fireball with long, trailing streaks descending from the sky.
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The mural depicts two dwarves locked in battle. One of them has long, braided hair while the other is bald.
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The mural depicts four complex symbols arranged on the four points of a compass rose slanted slightly to the right.
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The 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.
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The mural depicts a map with many rooms, some crude, others skillfully carved and rich in detail.
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The mural depicts a dwarf with his eyes cast to the ground and his hand held against his chest.
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The mural depicts a demonlike creature with horns and wings.
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The 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.
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The 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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As the group approaches all the different murals on the wall, Cyrinda tries to take a stab at the one that seems to be arranged in a compass pattern.
"I...uh...well. I can't make anything out of this." She glances around at the other murals. "Or any of these others, either."
She then spots another mural.
"Nope, can't figure that one out either. Well, maybe this one with the dwarf..."
"Nope, I'm clueless..."
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Torean walks slowly looking at the various murals. He was familiar with some of them from things he remembered in childhood, but he wasn't a scholar and most of the memories were faded.
"Torag's Beard! This is a duergar fighting a dwarf. Legend has it that they were dwarves that were turned bald and gray-skinned by an outcast god. They became evil, turned to slavery, and now regard surface dwarves as traitors."
"Oh, look at the gold! That looks like the Bandu Hills. Maybe the western part. I've heard of lizards like that there."
"This is Askurhall itself. Huh, interesting. You can see which parts were carved first and other parts later. Must reflect them expanding the hall. Look at the differences in architecture and engineering. The later parts are much more impressive."
"Not sure what's happening here, but this dwarf doesn't look good. He's too thin. Maybe he's sick. Maybe he needs more ale."
The Golden Guardian nods approvingly. “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 timed 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.”
"I am a gargoyle. My kind takes after the surrounding architecture after many years, which I why I appear to you as the surrounding dwarven place does. But the kobolds have for some time worshiped me as an idol, which has changed my appearance of late."
"Yes, the pieces of the Sky Key have been scattered throughout Golarion but you hold one of those pieces in your hands now."
Just as you finish speaking with the Golden Guardian, the group of kobolds returns, screaming, "More intruders! They attacked us!"
While you prepare,, the kobolds gleefully describe how their bolts and traps hurt the intruders and how Stinkeye chomped on someone's leg. The kobolds are injured and out of ammunition so they flee to the northeast corner of the temple to recover more bolts.
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Only half able to pay attention to the history lesson due to worrying about being attacked, Dustwich is both jumpy and relieved to hear of more intruders. They turn to entrance of the hall, ready to fight, when Carlyle places his daggers on their head.
"What are you!?-- Oh, nevermind, just be ready to throw those when the time comes! Sounds like the Aspis finally found this place!" Carefully clutching the knives to their head, Dustwich moves to the edge of the hammer, motioning for Carlyle to follow them so he can make use of his carefully placed weapons.
Soon enough three Aspis agents arrive in the room: a towering female half-Bekyar orc and two Garundi men arrive with a trained leopard. They look quite beat up already from the traps you left in tact and some bites from Stinkeye.
K: 14 dmg, -2 AC
L: 8 dmg
red:
blue:
Dustwich's rubble his the half-orc half-Bekyar before she can even enter the room!
K: 21 dmg, -2 AC
L: 8 dmg
red:
blue:
Clearly the kobold's traps left them quite wounded, as Cyrinda's missiles easily take down the half-orc woman. The leopard growls as its master falls.
L: 8 dmg
red:
blue:
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"Ha! Good shot, Cyrinda!" He smiles and then yells over to the Aspis, taunting them. "You look like the kobolds can you hell. Shame, those little ones were such trouble for you. Maybe we ought to let you play with the basilisk behind you!" He laughs and brandishes his warhammer, simulatenously asking Torag for his protection.
Torean and Carlyle get ready for the swarm of Aspis....
L: 8 dmg
red:
blue:
One of the aspis brigands slips a bit on the grease and has trouble moving in and lands on his butt. The leopard pounces forward and bounds up the stairs!
L: 8 dmg
red: prone
blue:
Cyrinda injures the leopard and Jocephus gets glitter in the eye of the Aspis agent!
L: 14 dmg
red: prone
blue: blind (DC 14)
Dustwich blasts the leopard! Torean readies his blade!
L: 21 dmg
red: prone
blue: blind (DC 14)
The leopard charges in but Torean quickly puts it down. The blue agent stumbles against the wall but, blinded, he does not venture across the catwalk.
The other one crawls across the grease and stands up.
red: prone
blue: blind (DC 14)
Working together you quickly knock unconscious or otherwise incapacitate the Aspis agents!
Soon enough another two Aspis agents arrive, looking equally beat up after fighting through the traps and basilisk to get to you!
One of them makes it past the grease but the other falls on his bum as he tries to walk in.
red: prone
Dustwich and Myrd incapacitate the one who slipped in the grease as the rest of the party prepares for the battle!
The remaining agent makes it to the top of the stairs and fires his bow at Torean!
As the arrow hits suddenly a new foe pops up next to Torean! He also wears an Aspis badge but his most striking features are the red lined tattoos covering his face and arms! His form has somehow grown into the size of a giant and he calls out, "Angazhan, make this spear a bane unto dwarves!" as he stabs at Torean!
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Torean screams as the spear punches through his armor and out the back of him. The large spear nearly picks up the dwarf off the ground with its impact. He wrestles away from the blade, but blood is pouring out of his armor. "Take him down!"
Knowing Aspis will need to keep his distance to fight through him, Torean steps forward, shouting, "Torag shall protect and spare me from your defilement! You will not have this temple!" Instead of attacking though, the dwarf opts to focus on his defense, swatting away any attack from the spear with his warhammer.