"Well, now that that's settled...perhaps Dardin can shed some more light on the map."
"We also passed by a couple of passages before we came to this room. Perhaps we should check out those before we leave this place. Perhaps there are clues left behind."
"Should we leave the deactivation scroll somewhere closeby so that the next group to come along here might not have to deal with that metal scorpion?" Mo'butu suggests, realizing what a battle it would have been if they had not discovered the scroll themselves.
Rheed looks up briefly from his work on the serpent, , "It might be that the scorpion will stay inactive until the phrase on the map is spoken again. In any case, I'm not sure how long it will survive if we leave it here, perhaps we should leave it with the Pathfinders back in Nantambu."
Rheed successfully removes the head of the serpent construct from the rest of its body, after a great deal of twisting and careful prodding. Ceer's detect magic spell does not reveal any other magical auras in the room.
Ku'ada nods in agreement with Rheed, "I agree, let us bring it to the Pathfinders. I would not want the ape-men to discover it and somehow use the thing against us."
Perception
"Agreed...if Garbako ever escaped we might see him riding the scorpion after us...that's not something I would like to see."
Rheed stows the head in his pack, then rushes to catch up with the others in their search of the structure. "We shouldn't take too long," he says, quickly looking around, "Dardin should probably be taken back to Malgri's camp soon."
"Agreed...if Garbako ever escaped we might see him riding the scorpion after us...that's not something I would like to see."
Rheed manages to discover a hidden alcove that no prior explorers were able to find. It seems to contain an "offering" bowl of sorts. Inside the bowl are seven ancient gold coins- however, they are likely much more valuable than the mere value of the gold used to make them.
Dardin is still waiting near the trap where you originally found him. "Well?" he asks, "I am assuming you were successful... and I heard no sounds of battle. You must have done what Kaeviel could not!"
He inspects the map and note when you show them to him. "Hmm... I don't think this is any sort of "Pathfinder" secret code, but I have seen Kaeviel use it from time to time to take down notes about things. He is always very thorough about this sort of thing. If only we could understand what it says, I feel we would have a better idea where he went! What is your plan?"
First, we need to get you back to the encampment. We have friends there, and thye can get you back in shape in no time." Other than that, the druid had no fresh ideas at the moment.
"Yes," Rheed says in agreement with Mo'Butu's words, "I'm sure you'll be back on your feet in no time once we get you back to the camp. You say you saw Kaeviel write notes using this 'code', I think I've seen Tameka with some notes written like this... has Kaeviel spent much time with her?"
Rheed manages to discover a hidden alcove that no prior explorers were able to find. It seems to contain an "offering" bowl of sorts. Inside the bowl are seven ancient gold coins- however, they are likely much more valuable than the mere value of the gold used to make them.
Dardin is still waiting near the trap where you originally found him. "Well?" he asks, "I am assuming you were successful... and I heard no sounds of battle. You must have done what Kaeviel could not!"
He inspects the map and note when you show them to him. "Hmm... I don't think this is any sort of "Pathfinder" secret code, but I have seen Kaeviel use it from time to time to take down notes about things. He is always very thorough about this sort of thing. If only we could understand what it says, I feel we would have a better idea where he went! What is your plan?"
Ceer looks over Rheeds shoulder and examines the coins.
"Ku'ada...you should take a look at this."
Ku'ada takes a look at the coins while the others speak.
The coins seem to be from some ancient kingdom, but they are decidedly not from the Mwangi expanse. One side of each coin is marked with a simple circle, and the other side is marked with a spire. Ku'ada guesses that they may very well be worth at least 100 gp each, to a collector or historian (or to the Pathfinder Society).
"Hmm... I never knew Kaeviel to spend much time with Tameka and her crew. But as I said, I didn't always work with him: it's possible they have been on missions together in the past."
"After I've recovered at the camp, I am not sure what I am going to do. Someone needs to go after Kaeviel, but the situation must also be reported to the Pathfinder Society. And my father will want to know I am alive..." Dardin's voice trails off as you all walk back into the first chamber, with the statues. "Hmm... that one used to be holding a staff," he says, pointing to the male statue.
"Perhaps you should report back to the Pathfinders...we will go after Kaeviel."
"Did Kaeviel say anything about the staff? Maybe about its powers or why he wants it?"
"He said we'd best not move it because there was a trap of some kind... which is why he thought it had not yet been moved by someone else."
"Although I would like to go after the cursed halfling myself, it might be best for me to return to the city for a while. We shall see when we reach the camp."
"Don't worry," Rheed says to the dwarf, "we'll try to bring him back in one piece, so the two of you can have a nice little heart-to-heart."
Looking about the room, he asks "Is there anything else you notice that is different?"
The dwarf grins at Rheed's comment, then looks around the room. "Hmmm.... no, not that I can think of."
"Let's get you back to the camp, then, and see if we can pick up the trail of Kaeviel," Mo'butu offered, not seeing any purpose in staying in the temple at the current time.
"Agreed...let's get going."
"If we are lucky, someone at camp my know how to decipher this." Ku'ada notes as they exit the temple. Ku'ada is quite glad to be setting foot outside.
The group sets out, back into the misty jungle, in the direction of Malgri's Camp. It rains lightly almost the entire way there, making the journey wet and warm and miserable, but Dardin, the hardy dwarf that he is, manages not to get any sicker. You reach the camp in good time and Lo'guru looks over the dwarf and uses his magic to heal some of Dardin's affliction, but he explains that he will need to wait until the following day to do any more. Dardin decides to wait until he is fully recovered before heading back to Nantambu, and there is even a pair of merchants and a camp guard who are willing to travel with him.
When you show Lo'guru the papers, he says that on the following day he should be able to pray for magic which will allow him to read it. He has never seen a language like it before.
Ceer wanders around camp...looking at the various merchant wares...
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No new people have arrived in the camp recently - Malgri informs you that this is normal, considering the weather.
The camp folk are happy to feed you and give you a place to rest. The following morning, Lo'guru asks Chacall to help him prepare his small "tent" to accommodate several guests. First, he heals Dardin's affliction with powerful healing magic. Dardin flexes, laughs, and claps the ancient elf on the back. Lo'guru merely smiles and nods to the dwarf, who takes a seat with the others and idly inspects the new axe he borrowed from one of the camp guards, while listening to Lo'guru...
"I have looked at the map and the other note..." he says, gesturing to the parchment which he has laid out on the rug in front of him, "and it appears that Thornleaf and another unknown person intended to betray the Silverback King. This note here was written to Thornleaf, but unfortunately it is not signed and has no other indication of who it might have been written by. It instructs Thornleaf to bring the stone to the Buunta Flow, the river the west of this camp and slightly south and west of Chak'ro, instead of to the ruins where Garboko was waiting for them. This must have been some time ago... I suspect that after Thornleaf did not bring the stone to Garboko, they came here to the camp looking for him. It also says that "the dwarf" should be gotten rid of, if possible. Finally, the note says simply that from the camp on the banks of the Buunta, the two would go quickly together to Nightfall Station, where they would meet with their "buyer." He sighs and continues, "Unfortunately the language is very vague, even when translated. These two are certainly careful in what they write down. Now, the map... it has descriptions of the various ruins in the vicinity of Chak'ro, and it marks the location of a large cluster of ruins where the apes of the Silverback King have made a camp. There is no telling what the condition of the camp is now, considering that Garboko and the rest of the apes came here and you defeated them."
"So, it appears that these two headed for Nightfall Station, which you may know is an outpost of the Aspis Consortium. My guess is that they wanted to sell the Nishati'moto to someone there, instead of giving it to the Silverback King, who seems to have tried to hire them to obtain it. I have never been there... but I have heard bad things about that place."
"Do any of you know who might have written this letter, or why they would want to steal the Nishati'moto and keep it for themselves rather than give it to the Silverback King? Certainly giving it to the ape would be dangerous... but it is also dangerous if its whereabouts are unknown."
Dardin looks up from his axe and says, "The stone appeared to have a crack in it... Kaeviel certainly seemed displeased when we retreived it. Maybe that means it is not so dangerous after all? But it seems like it would still be valuable to the Pathfinder Society."
"I'm sorry Rheed, but I have to ask....could Tameka be Thornleaf's partner in this? Could she be involved in Garbako's betrayal?"
"I...I don't know," Rheed begins hesitantly, "that language is something I have seen Tameka use... but the Aspis Consortium?"
A hopeful look enters the ex-mercenary's eyes, "I'm sure she intended to betray them, just as she did Garboko..." he looks over to Dardin, "and I doubt she would condone 'getting rid of' you in the fashion Kaeviel did, she must have intended for him to leave you behind somewhere you could travel back to Nantambu."
Dardin grumbles at Rheed's comment, "Yes, I'm sure they meant no harm to me whatsoever..."
Rheed looks apologetically at the dwarf, "Don't get me wrong, Kaeviel has demonstrated himself to be a complete bastard sealing you down there with the scorpions... but I can't believe that Tameka would have meant for that to happen. I mean, I know she can be a little... focused on getting what she wants, but you're a fellow Pathfinder."
"I'm not pointing any fingers yet... but let's just say that the next time I run into her, I'm not going to shake her hand!"
"So was Tameka with you and Kaeviel the entire time? Including when Kaeviel sprung that trap on you?"
"No... Tameka was not with us at all. I had no idea that Kaeviel was corresponding with her, assuming that she is the person who wrote this note."
Mo'butu listened intently to the discussion between the dwarf and the group about the happenings back at the temple. The druid knew he was of little help in this scenario, and as his mind began to wander--why would the Pathfinder have dine that to the dwarf? It didn't make any sense to him.
"Well, perhaps we should take a trip to Nightfall Station....to solve this mystery. And recover the stone."
"Agreed," the druid said simply. He too felt it was time to move on and to attempt to unravel this mystery further.
"Seems like the logical course of action," Rheed agrees, "I just need to buy a few last things from the merchants and I'll be ready to go."
The ex-mercenary frowns briefly, "out of curiosity, what happened to Garboko?"
"The ape is under heavy guard just south of the camp. Malgri has not decided what to do with him yet, so for now she is keeping him chained. We have healed him some, but with his injuries he is in no shape to escape."
"Perhaps we should ask the big ape about his deal with the halfling... and ask him to describe Kaeviel's partner." Rheed says, rising and looking around for signs of Malgri.
"That sounds like the best idea I've head so far. Do you think Malgri would mind, Logoru?"
"Well Garbako, it appears that Malgri has spared your life too. Let us hope that nothing regarding your health changes. Tell us what you know about the halfling and his companion."
"Where is the woman who was with the half-man?"
"And what did the half-man gain from your arrangement," Rheed adds, "it sounds like this was a pretty one-sided arrangement."
"Tell us more about these trackers. Are they apes like you?"