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"Very prudent! I will also happily contribute some of the gold."
Guang looks excited and pleased at the potential exploration before them. "I shall equip myself to deal with possible elementals... I am already equipped to deal with the evils of the various pits," he says, ever so humble. "Are we prepared for various energies? With elementals about, planar forces might still run rampant. I have a single scroll to resist energy, but more resources might be wise."
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The journey across the desert to the Citadel of the Weary Sky is harsh and taxing but uneventful. Eventually, the you arrive at the location where the puzzle-map says the citadel once stood and find yourselves at the edge of the wide desert depression. The crater lies like a pockmark on the blinding white of the desert floor. The sand in the depression is charred brittle-black, and strange, glassy smudges spread throughout the basin. A hot breeze slithers across the sand, doing nothing to relieve the intense heat. Through the windswept dust, the shape of a gaping underground passage stands in jarring contrast to the monotonous desert landscape.
(-1 in bright light)
Obo’s instructions indicated that you would need to open the Bleak Portal and uncover the pathway to the citadel, but you realize fairly quickly that someone has already done so, and you see a now-opened 20-footwide portal in the center of the crater floor.
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Ever cautious, Glen prepares some buff spells before venturing forward.
He casts heroism, defending bone, and heightened awareness.
"Looks like agents of the Shadow Lodge are still a step ahead of us. Time to catch up, methinks."
Glen draws his elven curve blade, prepared to approach the entrance as soon as the party is ready.
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Guang studies the crater hole with one hand shading his eyes, seeming cheerful about the prospect of exploring down there. "I think you are right, Brother Glen! Brother Milo, if you wish to ride on my shoulders for ease of moving down there I have no objections."
Concentrating, Guang hardens his skin to the consistency of wood bark, and with Lurgh, proceeds to move closer in hopes of being able to see what may lurk.
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Milo, smoked goggles pulled down tight over his eyes, is in a fowl(er) mood, not liking the bright desert sun at all. He only gives Guang a glare as the monk suggests riding down on his shoulders.
He stays back as the others test the depression, content to let them determine whether it's safe to navigate before trying himself.
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Milo hangs back a bit, preferring to be along and miserable as usual, while the others head towards the hole in the crater. As they near, a trio of tremendous starfish-like creatures emerges from the sand, their five long arms surrounding a circular toothy maw. As they burst from the ground, the sand shifts and slides and Guang gets tangled up in the debris. Before the Pathfinder are even able to react though, teeth and tentacles starts flailing about, catching Glen several times, and Guang once as he's tangled up in the debris. The creature furthest from the party burrows back into the sand and disappears temporarily.
Round 1
Dust diggers
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Milo
Lurgh
Glen (-29)
Guang (-8, entangled)
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Milo swears as the strange tentacled creatures burrow up from under the sand. Reacting quickly, draconic words start to flow from his mouth as he once again begins to weave arcane magic around himself, drawing in the abundant heat from the sand all around.
The heat builds until he seems to spontaneously combust, before he thrusts his small arms out, and sends all the fire towards the middle of the crater, where it bursts into a huge conflagration!
fire damage (DC 22 reflex for half)
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Guang must rely on his companions' words of what this creature might be, as he has no idea.
Guang's eyes widen at the massive creature and the sand getting wrecked under foot. He reaches up to touch his orbiting ioun stone , adopts a more defensive position, and closes with the nearer beast... if it's still alive after Milo's artillery.
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Milo does his usual thing, blasting the huge creatures with fire and flame, and they both let out a high pitched screech, leaving behind nothing more than charred husks. The last dust digger emerges from the sand, only to be immediately met with more fire from Lurgh, and blade for Glen, ending the threat.
Out of combat!
Inspecting the center of the crater where you expected to find the portal, you find a smooth tunnel that drops straight down 10 ft before leveling out with a sharp turn.
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Milo eyes the surroundings on the alert for more subterranean creatures, before finally turning his attention back to the problem of the sandy depression.
Seeing the others having no problems traversing the black glassy surface, he finally slowly makes his way onto it as well, arms held out for balance. Slowly he makes his way down to the others, cursing under his breath the entire time.
When he reaches the hole, he scowls at it like he'd like to blast it, eyes peering at it suspiciously.
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"My goodness," Guang says mildly after the concussive fire blasts one and two. "The two of you are like an artillery. Brother Glen, you looked injured, are you alright now?"
Guang taps himself with a wand briefly before moving to the hole with the others.
He looks for trouble on the flat floor beneath them before hopping down.
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Climbing down the hole proves easy enough and you find yourselves in a 10-foot-wide passage of carved stone. After 50 feet, the passage ends at a steep staircase leading down. The stairs are made of polished gold and veined marble, and the sandstone walls and ceiling are decorated with exquisite, colorful mosaics of ancient Jistka.
The short steps of this narrow sandstone tunnel lead steeply downward. The mosaics covering the walls and ceiling depict the history of Jistka: the construction of grand cities beneath cloudless skies, armies of golems and genies marching to war, the slaughter of enemies, and the crowning of regal kings.
At the foot of the stairs, the passage opens into a circular room, its walls and ceiling enameled a midnight blue. A narrow hole lies in the center of the white-tiled floor, ringed by shining brass. A fountain lies across from the stairway. Water spills from it, runs across the floor, and disappears down the hole.
A piece of rope rises up the western wall of the chamber to a height of 10 feet, where it abruptly ends. The rope is not fastened to anything but does not move from its location.
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Milo scowls at the passage, muttering under his breath as he pushes his smoked goggles back up on top of his head, now that they have left the harsh desert sun.
He pokes a finger at the traces of what appear to be a doorway at the top of the stairs.
"Curtain's jiggered." He mutters, unsure how to close it again. "As like ta cooper us later." He adds, remembering the doorway that the Mirza shut them in with in the crypt they were in the week before.
As the reach the bottom, and the stairs open up into the larger chamber, he scowls at the rope suspended in midair.
"Dangle's got shine." He says after a moment. "Some gits been throwin' hoodoo."
"Deadlurk on the end, most like." He adds. "Possible bludgers. Crowin' us where we sit, anyway."
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Glen recognizes the spell. "Nice spell, rope trick." He waves his hand in greeting at the invisible window he knows must be near the upper end of the rope. "We mean you no harm. May we talk, face-to-face, like civilized people?"
Glen sheathes his sword and holds out his empty hands in a gesture of peace.
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Guang also smiles up peaceably at the point in space to which the rope trick disappears, spreading his empty hands.
"I should clarify. We mean you no harm if we can find a mutual purpose here. If you are, say, Aspis Consortium agents trying to usurp our claim.... well, I personally would still MEAN no harm to you, but harm might be inevitable due to conflict of purpose. But I myself do not enjoy violence. I would rather talk. Will you at least tell us who you are, while there is still the chance at peace and no hostile spells or actions have yet been taken?"
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We are not mercenaries. We seek those responsible for the deaths of our friends. We believe they are mercenaries, working for a cutthroat bunch of bandits called the Aspis Consortium."[/b]
"Here, let's have a drink and talk. I've got ale and wine, what's your preference?" With slow care, Glen pulls a wineskin out of his rucksack and his mug from his belt.
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The man's face perks up at the offer of drink, "Hold on, let me discuss this." and before you can respond his he disappears back into the rope trick. Not long after, the man returns and begins climbing down the rope, followed by another male and a female. All three appear well armed and armored, and carry themselves in a manner that shows they have experienced quite a few battles in their time.
They welcome the ale and wine Glen offers and indulge with gusto, passing around the mug. "Pathfinders ye say? Huh, can you prove it? Seems we may be workin for tha same team then. Ya group pays good money, it does!"
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Glen hold out his wayfinder. "You might recognizes this symbol of our organization."
He shakes their hands. "My name is Glen Fiddich, inquisitor of Cayden Cailean. These are my friends. Can you tell us who your are and what you're doing here?"
I will discern lies and know if they do not tell the truth.
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"So you ARE Pathfinders I see. Shouldn't you be knowin' who we are then?" The three warrior introduce themselves as Hanig, Semfar, and Elastrissa, experienced mercenaries hailing from Sothis. They claim to have been hired by the Pathfinders, and were led here by a robed, elderly man with an Osirian accent. And though the man never mentioned his name, you are quite sure that it can be none other than Amenopheus based on his description. When they arrived in this chamber, the old man cast a series of spells on four of their other allies, then the five of them jumped down through the hole. He then told Hanig, Semfar, and Elastrissa to wait in the rope trick until he returned, and that if he wasn’t back before the spell expired, he would not be returning and they should head back to Manaket without him.
"...and so that's what we plan ta do. We gunna wait til this hidey hole ends, and then get out of here. Said we 'ud get paid, long as we followed his 'structions."
Glen is quite that while they may not appear to be the most trustworthy lot, they are not telling you any tales.
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"Hmmm, prolly been half a day now, eh?"
Looking down into the hole reveals that the sides of the hole extend 15 feet down and then stop abruptly, the water simply falling into empty space below. Occasional flashes of light briefly illuminate the pitch-darkness, and it appears to be quite foggy, like a large cloud.
Hanig strolls up next to Glen and peers down "Long ways I think. Hundred feets, may'e more, may'e less. Watch for nasty lightnin' too."
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Guang looks concerned at the news that Amenopheus sent other agents, and draws the others away briefly for a little private conference. He turns to his companions. "Brothers, this is a little concerning, no? Surely the Venture Captain would have been informed by Amenopheus if he meant to send another team. Remember we have a possible traitor in the Society's ranks. We must be cautious. How dreadful if it should be so puissant a figure as Amenopheus himself."
Returning to the mercenaries, Guang bows to them. "Thank for your words and all you have done so far. I agree that you have waited plenty long enough. Please travel with the protection of the Master of Masters."
Guang secures his length of spider's silk rope to the pit's edge and lets it fall down, wondering if the caverns's apparent continuation is some sort of illusion.
"Well brothers! It seems the road to truth leads down. Brother Lurgh, will you honor me by reading this scroll for me? I might carry Brother Milo, and you Brother Glen?"
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Glen casts resist energy (electricity 20) on himself and Guang. "The protection will last about an hour and a half," he tells the aasimar.
"If we have sufficient rope, I'd prefer to climb down rather than expend other resources. I've a grappling hook, but," he admits with embarrassment as he digs through his rucksack, "I seem to have forgotten to bring some rope."