A horn blast is heard, and the ground trembles from the weight of something large, heavy, and of numerous composition treading the ground nearby. The rumble goes to the south, getting fainter by the minute.
Jask breathed a sigh of relief in the dusty air inside the Northwest Tower. The other slaves follow - they had all been holding their breath. "We're safe now, the others won't come out unless the patrol comes back early - they're too busy digging the rooms out below." he tells the new adventurers to the House of the Beast. "If they had circled around, and smelled someone new, we'd all be dead shortly. Those dire hyenas chomp! And you're dead before you can scream. Sometimes."
"But we must escape!" the man starts anew. "Leave while we can! Get to Osiron, Ipeq, at least! That is our homeland!" The other slaves nod consent.
"You can follow our friend here back to Kelmarane. He can help you bypass the Carrion King's minions. We will go ahead and destroy the Carrion King, and end his horrid reign."
Ipeq you said? Did you know of Haidar Yunan, known as the Falcon Emir? Hajar says to the men
"Er, no." Jask replied, and the others shrug. "There are many Emirs in the Sultan's court, but unless you deal with them directly, it is hard to learn all of them." Kadid says, speaking up. "I think I have heard of the Yunans." Wilst offered, "Something about a murder. But I am a simple tailor, not a merchant prince."
In any case. When you reach Ipeq, let the family know that information regarding Haidar awaits in Kelmerane.
With that Hajar points the way to Almir and searches for an entrance to the House of the Beast
Before you go, do you know why they dig? Knowing this may help us against them.
"The gnolls are trying to restore this 'House of the Beast', as they call it. They have us digging hundreds of years of earthquake damage." Jask tells Khayal. Kadid adds "But there's also the lizardmen in the building to the south of this one. They don't care as long as no gnolls of Lamashtu show up. They worship some other godling, Ro-va-gug. That's who they throw the exhausted slaves, or gnolls, to at the bottom of the pit of the Beast. Sometimes the gnolls are made into monsters instead. The Carrion King wants a palace and more."
Zenor, still watching outside, says "If you see one of those gnolls but three times too big, that's what they call the Ascended Ones. They'll tear a woman in half as soon as look at them, for some reason. There's somebody helping them make those things, not just the lizardmen. When the brutes get out of control they'll attack anybody until the Carrion Guard uses these special spears on them."
Hajar's face shows righteous fury as the captives describe their condition and the events happening here.
We will end this place. There will be no mercy for those who worship the Rough Beast.
Come Brother, let us end this place.
Khayal comforts himself with the familiar grip of his kukris. It is to us to stop this evil.
Bartan nods at the two brothers, also ready to do battle (now that he's not blind..)
Paige prepares her self for the worst. Then searches the fountains one by one.
Hajar watches as Paige ambles off by herself into the House of the Beast. She and Yazi have much in common....
Come. I see no need to delay this. Hajar gestures to the main area If the Carrion King is anywhere it is there in the main temple.
|
Yazi resists the urge to give Hajar a whistle to stop, they were effectively surrounded gnolls, and instead puts a hand on his shoulder. "Have you forgotten the retaking of Kelmerane? Your leg? Why not go to the outliers and pick off his forces so we don't get swarmed with reinforcements. That and those magic misogynistic monster slaying spears might come in handy."
"Yes, and we should stick together. None of us would be a match for the Carrion King on our own, after all."
I agree we should stay together, especially when we don't know what to expect.
Finding nothing, Paige follows Hajar into the bowels of the House of the Beast. We cannot let this affront to nature persist. Let the storms of druidic fury serve the light in this endeavor! Paige casts Guidance on ALL her fiends. And on the camels. +1 one to everyone's next frakkin rolls...
Paige has been in human form since they saw the House of the Beast in the distance: she's thought it better to stay where she can cast her somatic component spells at full strength.
Bartan follows the others following Hajar. He seems to have the best idea of where to go at the moment, anyway.
Jask and the other former prisoners leave for the rendezvous with Amir, his camel, and the cart with the mules.
Paige decides to walk briskly on her own towards the first fountain near the main building in this ancient complex. She goes past a trio of towering minarets stands tall at the center of the temple courtyard. When Paige gets to the first fountain (the triangle-shaped one northeast of the Great Dome (G)), she finds no water, only the colored mosaic tiles giving the illusion of water to travelers.
Returning, the druid and the rest of the party approach the Great Dome properly .
Rising from the center of the temple grounds is a tremendous dome of stone, brass, and crumbling plaster. The great dome sits on a octagonal base, inlaid in intricate geometric patterns with thousands of colored glass tiles. Time and the elements have reduced their once bright colors to faded pastel hues of blue, green, and yellow. In several places, the tiles have been completely worn away, exposing plaster and brickwork beneath.
ding
ding ding
Hajar moves forward with his allies.
The adventurers skirt along the walls of the Great Dome, going to the Western Atrium. The sun above is hot now, the morning chill forgotten. Upon a slightly raised dais stand six wide stone columns inlaid with tiles made from bits of colored glass. On either side, stairs twist inward, leading up to a large atrium. Heaps of yellowed skulls lie piled about in the alcoves to the north and south of the central walk that approaches a large pair of doors to the east.
Lots and lots of gnoll tracks here.
ding ding
ding
whoops
Wait. Did one of those pillar shadows just...move?
How about I cast entangle on the steps, then we'll bait anyone in there to come out with shouts and taunts...If no one comes out I'll release the spell, and we can be sure it's safe to enter.
Why on Golarion would we shout and draw attention to ourselves? Hajar says befuddled at Paige's suggestion. Yazi's odd behavior is consistent so Hajar humors her for now.
By the Blessed Sun woman what is it! Hajar says flustered by Yazi's attention. Then he realizes what she is doing and he moves forward all in a rush Tempest raised!
Their surprise ruined, several gnolls step out from behind the pillars, barking their challenges at the humans.
ROUND ONE
Init:
Hajar moves forward with Tempest raised and barks in gnollish Death to the Servants of the Rough Beast!
Seeing Hajar run toward the gnolls, Bartan will five-foot step forward, cast a spell on a card and toss it at the nearest gnoll.
=> 36: The Snakebite (Chaotic Evil, Intelligence)
plus
plus
Not being one to deny a challenge, khayal double moves around the corner, soon to rush into their midst.
Khayal can not wait to feel the sting of battle once again.
Genuinly miffed at Hajar's rebuff, Paige flings her cloak out in a wide arc, transforming herself into a Katapeshian Condor, and begins a labored spiral acent into position. Where she can cast her stormclouds right over the Paladin's head as he makes melee. Fine, rush headlong into the jaws of an evil un-natural god. see if I care.
Khayal, Hajar, and Yazi all rushed to the stairs of the Western Atrium, while Paige became a wide-winged bird of prey. Bartan, on the other hand, threw a playing card. The card, seemingly with a mind of its' own, flew up and around the staircase , hitting the first visible gnoll , but not as hard as the dealer had hoped . The electrical burst, however, was enough to fry the hyena-man where he stood, and the gnoll went down with a scream.
Hajar went right under the upper platform with his charge, which made him an excellent target for the gnolls with their longbows.
But these young, weak, and ineffective gnolls couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. The last snapped his bowstring painfully against his arm.
The arrows did shatter themselves rather spectacularly on the tiled ground, however. There must have been a lot of strength behind those arrows.
"Youse sons of #@^(!-$! Get a Guard out here!" cries out the one next to the fallen gnoll.
Why is Doc on the map?
ROUND TWO
Init:
On his turn Hajar will charge the closest gnoll Dawnflower! he shouts as a battle cry