Making enough noise to be heard easily, Nefti and Kafar turn, see the party and begin running away!
Against the Odds: Automatically succeed on one skill check or saving throw to overcome an obstacle. A PC must use this ability before attempting the skill check.
Clear the Path: When a PC exceeds the DC for the skill check or saving throw to overcome an obstacle, he removes all obstacles from that square. Have the player describe how his character punches handholds in a wall, smashes down a barrier, brushes away caltrops with the shockwave of his leap, or similarly defeats the obstacle in a mythic fashion.
Implacable Pursuer: For the duration of the chase, the PC ignores all armor check penalties and any reductions to his speed as a result of wearing armor.
Corb darts forward, easily catching up with the escaping duo. While his companions catch up, Kafar and Nefti try more aggressive methods to escape!
Nefti steps moves away from Corb and casts a spell, causing images of himself to appear!
Kafar steps back and throws down a bomb near Corb, filling the area with a stinking fog!
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Corb will move up or charge to the individual that doesn't have 1d4 images and swing with the less lethal part of his sword, assuring him that this is still combat enough for Gorum.
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Edit: Oh, there's a new map. Oops! I'll rage-n-swing at that guy, then.
Khamul rushes down the winding canyon, trying to catch up to the party!
Corb strides forward and swings at Kafar, but misses!
Titus rushes into the cloud of stink and smacks Kafar with the flat of his blade!
Shana moves up and blesses the party!
Nefti begins talking, inspiring Kafar, then removes a flask from his pouch.
Kafar attacks Titus, but the warpriest dodge the man's sickle!
The stink bomb cloud dissipates in the wind!
Kafar offers an accord, but is ignored, causing him to shoot a ray at Nefti, but the man dodges it!
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Regular-Sized Corb will not be outdone! Can non-lethal kill a man? Let's find out!
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Titus smacks Kafar with the flat of his blade, knocking the man into the dirt!
As Kafar crumples to the ground, blood begins to run from his nose and ears from internal hemorrhaging....
Nefti cries out as his companion fall, then winces as Corb moves up swinging.
Corb manages only to hit one of the mirror images, popping it like a ballon.
Shana moves up and fire an arrow.
Her arrow flies true, but like Corb, only manages to pop another image.
Nefti holds up his hands. "Parley?"
Nefti slowly reaches down, removes a potion from his pack and pours it down Kafar's throat. As he does so, Corb finds Kafar's formula tome.
2nd level: bulls strength, delay poison, false life, spider climb
Seeing Kafar not regain consciouness, he reaches into Kafar's pack and removes another potion.
With the second potion, Kafar sputters and sits up quickly, but then freezes as he takes in his position.
Nefti looks up and says. "You have us bested, now what?"
Kafar and Nefti listen to Titus, an unfriendly look upon their faces.
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"We are here on Amenopheus' behalf. You have two gems, an emerald, and a topaz that we require. It would be in your best interest to cooperate with us as the Aspis are also currently hunting you and the gems. We offer the chance to come back to the fold, I am sure you know the Aspis well enough to know what they offer..." Shana says, trailing off to await their response.
The two men quietly confer with each other, before turning and nodding. Kafar says. "One of you, what do you mean?" He asks Titus.
In response to Shana, he says. "I'm afraid we already sold the gems." He hands over three papers. Looking at them, you see two terms of sale and a letter of credit worth 6,000 gp, all three signed by some buyer named Angvar Branmaz.
Kafar hesitates to answer when Khamul spots the forgery, changing the subject back to Titus' offer. "Us? Really, we could be Pathfinders?"
At Shana's insistence, the two men acquiesce. Kafar reaches into his pack and withdraws a large topaz. "We did sell the other gem, but had planned on giving the fake document to the Consortium and pocketing the difference." Kafar pauses an dlooks at Nefti who nods, urging the alchemist to continue. "We have been growing tired of the Apsis. An opportunity to join the Pathfinders is very agreeable to us."
Both men begin accessing secret compartments, a secret pocket in Kafar's scarf and a false bottom in Nefti's scabbard. They withdraw some documents and hold them out as well. "Thess are important Aspis Consortium codes and ciphers." Nefti says. "We offer them to you as a sign of faith."
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Khamul nods to the men. "A wise choice. The Pathfinders took me in when I had nowhere to turn as well, although it was not the Aspis I tired of but my fellow Blood Lords in Geb. They are an unforgiving lot, espeically if you take offence at their lust for undeath, and I had to seek assylum in the Sothis Lodge for some time. You can join me when we head back and I will speak to Venture-Captain Balentiir on your behalf."
Khamul takes the topaz gem from them and studies it before securing it in his robes. "Now, what do you know of the Diamond Sage? Is that who you were going to sell the topaz gem to? Let us not forget, we need to discover the Diamond Sage's strange motives for gather other gems. That is unusual for a Jeweled Sage."
Kafar and Nefti nods. "We were bitten by the lion-like things in the ruined temple." Nefti says.
Moments later, Amenopheus appears, looking wearing, his clothes torn and burn. He eyes Kafar and Nefti for a moment, then nods to you. "Have you found a way into the Sanctum?"
Amenopheus shrugs. "Only minor difficulties. It pleases me that you have brought them into the fold." He says, nodding toward Kafar and Nefti.
Moving down the canyon, the now alomost twice-fold party find yourselves in a box canyon. Amenopheus mutters a spell and the illusion disappears, revealing the entrance to the Sanctum.
Beautifully engraved columns support the ornate entablature topped by a wide tapered cornice. The style hearkens back to Osirion’s golden age, and the impeccable design and craftsmanship lives up to the standards set by the ancient dynasties. A short flight of stairs ascends to stone door in the mountain.
The Sapphire Sage leads you up the flight of stairs into an entrance hall. Water gurgles in fountains set at either end of this crescent-shaped chamber. Fourteen columns support the vaulted ceiling, and the walls are polished to a smooth finish that reflects and scatters any light that the party introduces (i.e. it's dark) or that shines in from outside. Spouts in the wall replace any water removed from the fountain, replicating the effects of a decanter of endless water.
Not one to dally, Amenopheis moves north to the next chamber. This chamber’s floor angles upward as it meets the walls, which in turn angle inward like those of a pyramid, creating a space shaped like a cut diamond. The walls are smooth and somewhat transparent, like foggy quartz, save for where three opaque doors stand to the north, east, and west. In the center of the room, a clear 5-foot diameter crystal hovers a short distances from the floor and spins slowly.
Amenopheus recognizes this crystal as a gatekeeper built to prevent non-sages from traveling deeper into the sanctum. He presents himself as the Sapphire Sage and announces that he seeks the Diamond Sage. The crystal briefly shows an image of a Garundi man walking toward the north door in the room, then a small, keyshaped sliver breaks off of the crystal. Amenopheus nods, picks up the key, and tells the you that the north door will lead you onward; it opens as he approaches.
When the party approaches within 10 feet of the crystal, you receive an empathic feeling of curiosity and inquiry, as though the crystal is trying to determine who she is.......
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Khamul looks to Kafar and Nefti. "You are not Sages; I do not think you can pass further. Guard this chamber and wait for us. We have been blessed with the power of the Ruby Sage."
Khamul announces himself to the crystal, "I'm am Khamul Unquale, an exiled Blood Lord of Nex and a representative of the Ruby Sage."
Kafar and Nefti nod in understanding.
Khamul announces himself like the sage did and is granted access.