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Once she finishes healing William, she looks to the group as a whole and says, "Now where were we...Oh right, the caves! We should get moving if we want to make it before nightfall."
As you continue to travel through the wilderness, you find trails blocked by fallen objects, shortcuts overgrown, and other minor delays that slow you down more than anticipated. Thankfully, Eiche frequently points out ways around these obstacles that save the party precious time, allowing them to reach the cliff face with the cave entrance at dusk.
The party can see see the rays of sunlight from the golden disc in the sky, but they can also quite clearly see the full moon lingering overhead.
Lighting conditions are still just barely normal daylight, but the sun is setting soon.
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The dense forest opens to a wide clearing at the base of a sheer cliff. Thick vines cover the surface of the cliff stretching 30 feet overhead.
"Here! The cave entrance is behind those vines", Janira says with a broad smile as she walks to the cliff’s face.
She pulls back several layers of vegetation to reveal a narrow crack in the cliff’s surface. "This is where I saw the gillmen enter."
As she motions toward the aperture, the surrounding woods come alive with the sound of small animals fleeing some unseen danger and a large creature crashing through the undergrowth.
The hafling worriedly remarks, "Quick, take cover before whatever it is spots us!" As if she’d summoned the creature with her words, a massive horned monstrosity emerges from the trees.
Standing eight feet tall on a pair of cloven hooves and wielding a tremendous axe, the bull-headed creature roars with unbridled anger when it spots the group.
Janira screams, "A minotaur! There’s little chance we can stand against it. Take this bag", she continues, pulling off her backpack, "and head deeper into the caves. Finish your mission. I’ll lead it away from the caves, lose it in the forest, and join you as soon as I can. Now go! GO!" She heaves her backpack into the cave, casts a spell, and darts off toward the minotaur before turning to lure it away.
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William thanks Janira as she heals his wound.
Traversing the jungle William is thankful for his nimble and knowledgeable companions, including the annoying Kitsune, for making the trip far more managable.
His heavy boots, armor and general lack of naturecraft would have made the day more annoying to be sure.
Upon seeing the daunting monster and Janieras bravery, William feels the old Paladin pull, in a former life there was no chance he would ever run away while a brave soul distracted danger from him, it was against his Code.
Now, free of the Code, William finds it is still not in his nature. Protective magic coming to the forefront of his mind, William steps forward.
"Come, we cannot let her face that beast alone!"
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Initiative order, bold may go! -Surprise round since Janira is functionally "fascinating" the minotaur for the first round of combat. (Take a single move or standard action, for Hoshi, that means you get an attack this turn, but not a reload)
Combat Slide
>>>Vari
>>>Izlin
>>>Eiche
Minotaur
>>>Janira
>>>Hoshi
>>>William
>>>Ingrid
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William, falling to the call of battle lust, gives the Kitsune a wicked grin.
"Wish? No, but we shall see what the gods have in store."
Turning back to the massive beast, William begins focusing his will, pulling the psychic energies imprinted on his various haunted objects and forming the power in his mind, bending it to suit his purposes.
That thing is big, do I protect myself? Or do I strengthen my blows and fell it swiftly...
Deciding that getting hit by that thing would hurt he opts to focus his energies into a protective shield.
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Vari looks to her companions with surprise on her face. That's Janira Gavix! She's one of the most celebrated Pathfinders; she knows what she's doing! She looks at the cave mouth longingly, but slips off into the woods, trying to circle around to find a strategic position from which she could attack. Still, we have to cooperate. If this is what the team is doing, this is what we're doing.
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Janira uses fascination on her turn and then takes a move action to pull out her crossbow seeing the rest of her group come to her aid, breaking the fascinate.
Initiative Order, Bold may go!
Combat Slide
>>>Vari
>>>Izlin
>>>Eiche
Minotaur
Janira
Hoshi
William
Ingrid
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Initiative Order, Bold may go!
Combat Slide
>>>Vari (take 2 turns when you get the chance)
>>>Izlin
>>>Eiche
Minotaur -6hp
>>>Janira -18hp
>>>Hoshi
>>>William
>>>Ingrid
Izlin's dagger finds its mark, leaving a nice gash in the creature and shocking it a fair bit.
The minotaur, being annoyed with Janira, swings his greataxe at her!
miss
and hit
The minotaur manages to get one massive hit in and really does a number on Janira.
Janira, bleeding heavily, withdrawls from the minotaur's reach and into the safety of the group.
"I told you guys to run into the cave! Too late now I suppose, you're gonna have to help take him down!"
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Hoshi's crossbow bolt fires true and strikes the minotaur.
William rushes forward, but over-commits to his swing and misses the minotaur.
Ingrid attempts to convince everyone to retreat into the cave.
Izlin hurls his electrified dagger into the minotaur, giving him a brutal shock again.
Eiche's avalanche creature slams into the minotaur with a massive blow, almost rivaling the minotaur's swings.
The combined assault of the party proves to be too much for the minotaur to handle and he falls unconscious.
Combat Over!
Janira pants heavily as she pulls out a wand and begins healing herself with it,I told you guys...to run into the cave", she says as her breathe evens out from the healing magic in her wand. "Well, at least it worked out. Thanks for helping keep me alive! I'm gonna need a snack after that fight!"
She then pulls out more food from her backpack, as well as charcoal and parchment."I'll stay here and write a report on your valorous saving of my life. You all continue on and finish your confirmation."
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This cave system stretches deep below the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, though most of it is accessible only through a narrow keyhole tunnel, the one that Janira discovered and led you to. All of the tunnels in this area are between 3 and 10 feet wide and vary equally in height, though most are a comfortable 7 or more feet wide in each dimension. Water from stalactites and the distant rushing of underground streams creates an eerie backdrop as you explore the caves. The caves’ walls are patterned with blue-green luminescent fungi that provide dim light.
Petroglyphs—most depicting marine animals or spiral shapes—periodically decorate the tunnels’ walls, becoming increasingly frequent you go deeper into the caves. The rough surface of the carvings provides a natural platform for the fungi, causing it to grow thicker and making the carvings glow slightly brighter than their surroundings.
As you continue into the caves, you are greeted with a narrow tunnel that twists and turns for several hundred feet before slowly opening to a
wider passage. A large hole about 10ft across and 20ft deep spans the cave’s width and stretches down the path. At the end of the pit, there is a small bit of space (5ft) before tunnel veers sharply left and continues onward.
Upon inspecting this hole, the party realizes that it is an already exposed pit trap. Upon further inspection you can see a bundle of cloth at the bottom and some bones of an unfortunate victim. If you wish to continue going deeper in the caves, you will have to figure out how to get across the pit, whether by climbing, jumping, or some other solution.
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William cringes inwardly as his strike misses the beast, knowing his blade is out of position for a parry and hoping his armor and magic can keep his guts safe from that massive axe when combined assault from the rest of the group kills the beast with shocking ease.
Handy group, this
Reaching the exposed pit, William starts to pull his pack from his shoulder saying "I have some ro" before the impulsive fox thing leaps across the put.
"Eh, ok. Nevermind"
Sword ready, he waits for Hoshi to find a way for the rest to cross.
I can't jump that in this armor. Maybe I'll find a trinket some day that lets me fly.
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Hoshi lands gracefully and gives a bow to the others. Then she looks around warily.
"Well, lookee' here!" She remarks with a yipping chuckle. A moment later she reappears near the pit edge with a long plank. "Get ready to catch the other end."
She lays the fifteen foot long plank out over the pit, so the others can lower the other side into place.
"There! A bridge! You're welcome!"
As the others cross she gets a wily look on her face. With a grin, she approaches the plank.... But then she shakes her head, resisting the urge to shake the plank as a hilarious prank...
Instead she turns around and keeps watch while they cross.
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Once everyone makes it across the pit, the party continues exploring the tunnels.
The tunnels continue on, leading deeper beneath the Kortos Mounts until they eventually open into a large cavern. What must have once been beautifully carved reliefs and inscriptions have since weathered heavily, their features dulled and softened to the point that it is hard to distinguish what each once depicted. A wide tunnel exits the cavern on its far side, and blue-burning torches line the passageway’s walls. Even the most basic magical skills easily tell you that these are everburning torches.
The carvings here are different in style from the petroglyphs found elsewhere in the caves, and they appear to be extremely old. Scattered throughout the cave are phrases referencing Aroden, and images that depict these passages.
The carvings focus on parables that feature Aroden’s 12 guises, meant to illustrate his hopes for humanity, however many of the carvings are damaged beyond recognition and only four remain visible. These four are the artist, fisherman, shepherd, and soldier.
The Artist is depicted painting murals on the walls of impressive buildings, associated with Aroden having painted the city of Absalom with beautiful colors so that it might awe all who visited.
The Fisherman is depicted hauling in an enormous catch of small fsh to take back to Absalom, illustrating Aroden’s declaration that a great host of creatures could accomplish a great task, whether that be taming the wilds or feeding a nation.
The Shepherd is depicted herding animals out of a crowded city to the pastures beyond, just as Aroden blessed leaders with the foresight to direct people to the tasks and places that best suit them.
The Soldier is depicted bearing a lantern through the streets of a city, following the dead god’s prophecy that the vigilant shall carry light to the darkest corners of the world to banish the shadows.
The carvings focus on parables that feature Aroden’s 12 guises, meant to illustrate his hopes for humanity, however many of the carvings are damaged beyond recognition and only four remain visible. hese four are the artist, fisherman, shepherd, and soldier.
The Artist is depicted painting murals on the walls of impressive buildings, associated with Aroden having painted the city of Absalom with beautiful colors so that it might awe all who visited.
The Fisherman is depicted hauling in an enormous catch of small fsh to take back to Absalom, illustrating Aroden’s declaration that a great host of creatures could accomplish a great task, whether that be taming the wilds or feeding a nation.
The Shepherd is depicted herding animals out of a crowded city to the pastures beyond, just as Aroden blessed leaders with the foresight to direct people to the tasks and places that best suit them.
The Soldier is depicted bearing a lantern through the streets of a city, following the dead god’s prophecy that the vigilant shall carry light to the darkest corners of the world to banish the shadows.
Even though Aroden disappeared or died over a century ago, these caves store a hint of his divine magic, akin to a wand with a single charge left.
Through the wide tunnel you can see the soft light of the surrounding fungus mixing with the flickering glow of the nearby torches that reveal a grand chamber.
A large pool of water along the chamber’s southern edge reflects the blue and green radiance to illuminate the massive stalactites that cling to the ceiling overhead. Two other tunnels branch off from this area, leading to the east and west.
Rising up from the pool is a column of rock with steeply sloped sides and a flat top, as if someone had sawn off the top of a massive stalagmite. A miniature city carved from this same stone occupies nearly the entire surface. Tiny trinkets such as ancient coins, polished semi-precious stones, and ornately braided loops of string are scattered throughout the diorama, and pale cave frogs clamber atop it. The smooth cavern floor is covered in gravel and pebbles along the edge of the pool, and several foot-long centipedes prowl among the gravel in their search for prey.
Kneeling in the pool of water, back toward you, you see what appears to match the description of a Gillmen
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Hoshi scampers down the tunnels, only paying mild attention to the petroglyphs. At Ingrid's suggestion to take notes she groans. Begrudgingly she takes out some of the paper that Janira gave her, and some charcoal. She sticks the paper against the carvings and takes quick rubbings of them, then she shoves the paper and charcoal unceremoniously into her backpack.
"There. Done." she grumbles, before exclaiming in a much happier tone, "Moving on!"
Hoshi wanders deeper into the cavern. "Hey, there's some guy back here," she calls back to her 'friends.' "Oooh! And a model or something."
Hoshi wanders closer to the diorama and looks at it, curious if there are any interesting items among the junk.
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As Hoshi nears the diorama, she realizes that it looks an awful lot like a mini-Absalom, although there are some differences of note. Places that she doesn't recognize are present, while places she expects to see are not represented.
The Gillmen doesn't seem to notice Hoshi's presence in the slightest and simply continues kneeling in the water, seemingly in some sort of prayer.
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Rather pleased with himself after the combat, the magus watches the kitsune leap the gap and set the plank for the team. Izlin crosses with a casually infernal balance and observes as the others get to work. Much of the cave holds little interest, but the tiefling seems to take great interest in the magic of the area. "Some magic still remains here, though it is rather faint. Perhaps there is more to find here."
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"It's a diorama of Absalom. But, it's wrong. Maybe out of date? " She shrugs, already bored of the thing.
Noticing that the Gillman didn't notice her, she sneaks up beside him, adopts the same pose he is, and sits there in perfect imitation of him, attempting to suppress her giggles and keep a very serious face.
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At Ingrid's question, Hoshi lets out a laugh. "Well, just look at the thing! It's clearly inaccurate! Some things are missing, and there's some stuff that doesn't exist! Could be whoever made it was an idiot, but considering how old these caverns look, I'd wager it's just old. Out of date." With a grin and a twinkle in here eye, Hoshi's tails twitch, "Care to take that bet?"
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As the Gillman finally notices her, Hoshi lets out a sudden laugh. "Auw, man! You were so surprised! Hahaha!"
With a flick of her tails, Hoshi gives the gillman a bow. Then she looks up at him and says, "Hoshi of the Pathfinders! We're curious what you guys are always doing in these caves! Something cool? So? What is it? What's up with this place? You're meditating here for some reason?"
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Vari crosses the plank with the others, but her curiosity about the cloth and bones at the bottom demands that she investigate. Tying a length of silk rope off to the plank, she climbs down into the pit to take a look.
She shows the group what she found. "Never leave anything behind; you never know what you'll find."
Vari walks up to the edge of the water and tries to help answer. "The Pathfinder Society is a collective of knowledge-seekers. One of our instructors has seen gillmen enter these caves on a couple of occasions--always under a full moon, it seems--and we're all wondering what for?"
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Someone identifies the bundle of cloth as a cloak of resistance +1 when Vari brings it to the group.
You can tell that the Gillmen is eyeing the cloak of resistance with obvious interest.
The cloak of resistance you found looks extremely similar to the cloak that this Gillmen is wearing. Same color and same style as though they were made in pairs.
The Gillmen looks intensely at Hoshi while he waits for her to finish speaking. Once she finishes, there is a small pause as the Gillmen thinks to himself for a moment.
"Ah, well met then, I am Uori. I do not frequently see non-gillmen visit these caves. To see so many people, armed at that too, was quite startling." he says as he tries to interpret Hoshi's barrage of questions.
"In regards to your questions, Hoshi of the Pathfinders, I can tell you that these caves are a sacred site to us Gillmen, we come here on a pilgrimage, once every full moon. This wasn't always the case, I know of the human god, Aroden, and that this was some site of importance to his followers before it was sacred to us. They performed quite a number of strange rituals here, or so the stories of my people go. Sadly, it seems that his presence in the world is fading, as his magic in these caverns. While this makes no difference to us Gillmen, it is sad to see the passage of time, especially the loss of a race's deity, which is quite a rare occurrence."
Finished speaking, he looks at the party intensely again, as though he expects them to vanish in an instant.
He is clearly reading the lips of the people speaking, or whatever passes for lips in Bobbi's case. Odd considering you can hear him quite easily and you believe he should be able to hear you fine as well.