Rikkan didn’t waste the breath on countering Rav’s description of him. It wasn’t entirely accurate, but not terribly far off either. ”Yea. I am Rikkan. Pleasure to meet you, Baron!”
"A long journey then? Up from Fort Buckle...and Master Wuli? He fares well I hope?" Baron Yacob is pleasant enough, and ensures the group are refreshed - and then, moving the conversation onwards, "So, you're merchants? Caravan drivers? Or something else? You're accents, I can't place it? Off-world maybe? We've had a few of your type through here of late... why do you think that might be?"
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"Rav is trouble shooter. Other things be trouble, Rav shoot it. Sometimes Palo find trouble, and Rav shoot it. Sometimes trouble find us, and Rav shoot it. If shooting it don't work, Rav explode trouble, become trouble exploder. Lot's of 'sploding. Sploding always good idea." He nods sagely. "Palo very good at dealing with people, she do it without shooting them too. That be hard. She also good for summoning Relas. Relas good at killing things with claws, and biting things. Also good at flying, but that new." He looks at the others. "Sorry, Rav still learning what others good at, maybe better let them say it. Rav and Palo and Relas come from Golarian, got pulled here by stupid idiot bug who thought he better than most vermine. Not sure how others got here. Not sure why many offworlders here, not have much choice self, was either jump in portal and get here or stay in place that going boom. Like things that go boom, but not when everything go boom. "
Drancis shakes his head slightly at the goblin's bravado...though judging by the matter of fact tone, he had no doubt the sharpshooter could back it up. Still he did not think it wise to show all their hand yet.
So far this Baron has done nothing to earn our trust here, let alone the truth.
Clearing his throat slightly, he waves off the goblin's words as of little import. "As you might have guessed we are indeed offworlders. As for the reason we are here we are...rather interested in this world, and why there is so much recent interest in this place."
Rikkan kept quiet, as he was beginning to do more and more when the group encountered natives from this world. He didn’t feel keen on clueing anyone else in on their plans just yet. ”And we’ve been learning more about moss,” he smiled.
"Change? Something out of the ordinary? Well there is something actually", Baron Yacob is clearly choosing his words cautiously, "Our city walls? You may have noticed them on the way in... we quarry the rock nearby - but a week back, the workers discovered something a little unsettling. A tremendous pit filled with bones. My workers also claimed they heard whispers and scratching from beyond the entrance to the pit... and now I've had to quarantine the quarry. Maybe this is important? Maybe it is nothing... either way, I would appreciate having the mine reopened so... would you work for me? I would pay well of course".
Ravboom grins. "Mine? So have explosives for mining yes? Will need some while investigating, in case need to collapse cursed cavern full of dead things." Obviously the goblin is all for doing an investigation.
Drancis nods slowly in agreement, "Of course we would be happy to investigate the mine for you."
If we want any access to these monasteries we need to make the Baron happy here, he reflects silently to himself, plus Rav will not be deterred here methinks...
There is enough light in the day to consider making the expedition now - and so, with Zoreck keeping the promise to meet Kesko at the Mossbeard Alehouse, the group follow the Baron's directions and hike out to the west of the town. It proves to be a journey of a few miles into the comparative wilderness beyond Trebelbet to reach the “rock quarry” described by Baron Yacob. A moss- covered track of heavy wagon ruts marks the route as it ventures away from the Seabridge Causeway, beyond the areas of lush moss growth and into the more barren areas of the barony.
Soon enough, and long before the sun shows any sign of setting, the group arrive at their destination. Several unworked blocks of brown stone shot through with purple marbling sit in a pile as if someone pulled them from the earth and then abandoned them. A sign with bright blue paint stands outside a small cave, proclaiming “Quarantined! By Order of Baron Yacob!”
And so, prepared for whatever may come, the group enter the cave... A smattering of moss hangs from the surprisingly smooth ceiling of the long corridor that leads to a circular chamber. A massive 20-foot-wide pit takes up most of the floor, piled high with gnawed bones of every description. Faint orange light emanates from another passage to the northwest.
"No kidding," Relas agrees, sounding worried. "Once we're done looking around in this room should Rav and I try peeking ahead down that passage?"
Drancis shakes his head in response to the otherworldly panther, "Hold up here. Palo has the right idea here, there should be tracks around here." He joins Palomia in scanning the floor of the cave for any tracks.
...there are tracks and what appear to be claw marks along the floor to the west... and further, the wall and ceiling seem to have similar scrape marks - all of this is illuminated by a soft orange glow coming from along the passageway.
”Well, Something lives here...those tracks and claw marks show us something’s been on the prowl,” Rikkan whispers as the group discusses their strategy.
"Right...I guess it'll probably be business as usual now," Relas remarks as he adopts a more stealthy pose. "Rav usually leads when we go skulking around, so I'll wait for his say-so."
Drancis nods in agreement with Relas, "Okay the rest of us will keep an eye on this pit. No telling what may lurk there."
Rav, seeming depressed over the lack of Boom Booms from Yacoby, finally perks up. He grins, and gears on his hat and clothes whirr as his outfit suddenly changes to a black and brown and tan that matches the walls of the cave. The last thing to completely vanish is the unsettling shark grin, with so many many pearly white triangular teeth.
Rav, his gun ready, begins to sneak down the cave way, scouting out the way. Every 40 ft, he leaves a white arrow on the cave wall so the group knows that everything up to that point is safe using a piece of chalk.
Try as he might, Relas finds himself having some trouble being as stealthy as he used to be. Maybe it was the new wings; he still wasn't quite used to them yet and sometimes it was hard to remember to keep them completely furled against his body when he was on the ground or in tight quarters. Or maybe it was his claws clack-clacking along the ground.
Maybe I should have Palo clip my claws later? Or find a tree or something to scratch on...
An overwhelming stench of decay and an orange light fills this chamber. The apparent source of illumination emanates from an area further south, while the smell results from two carrion corpses piled along a ledge overlooking an oval chamber 10 feet below. Two spherical areas also expand to the northwest and southeast completely overrun by layers of vibrant green moss.
There is movement in the chamber. Silhouetted by the light, a quartet of hideously malformed, hairless, pustule-covered corpse move around on all fours - initially they appear not to have noticed either Ravboom nor Relas until, grunting to each other, they turn towards the passageway to the north... their nostrils flaring as they breathe in the air...
Unaware that they may have just been discovered, Relas waits anxiously to hear what Rav sees in the chamber up ahead. With the passage as narrow as it is, there's not really much room for them to both have a look at the same time so the eidolon holds his position and waits - albeit a bit anxiously.
"Whatcha see, Rav? Anything interesting?" he whispers.
Rav puts a finger to his lips, and sticks his arms out, and sticks a tongue out of his mouth, to one side, and makes a shambling two steps, like a zombie, then holds up 4 fingers. Then he taps his nose, and points in their direction.
Four...zombies? That doesn't sound so bad.
Relas nods, to show his understanding of Rav's message - or at least that he gets the gist. Sometimes little details can get lost in translation but that's not always his fault. Then he makes a small jerking motion of his head back towards the way they'd traveled and then gives the goblin a questioning look.
Should we get the others or does Rav just want to try blowing them up first?
Rav leans against the wall, aiming down his gun at the mayo jar, and then motions for Relas to make noise by pointing at him and making 'rah rah' motions with his hand like a claw swiping and mouths like he's yelling. He returns his hand to the gun, ready to blow the jar when the zombies are near it.
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Once Rav is in position, Relas begins to stamp his feet and sings a little song...
~La da dee dee da
I think I'll kick up some dust
Dum dee doo...
Nothing's wrong...da dee doo ba...
I just need to kick up some dust
And sing a little song because of some...stuff
Ta tum ta tum...
Let's see...lots of noise but nothing to worry about
Dum de doo
No cause for alarm
No need to panic
I just want to make a little noise
La la~
...which should be plenty loud for everyone to hear it.
Drancis' jaw drop in amazement as the strange singing echoes down the hallway. Still keeping an eye on the pit he carefully makes his way closer to the passageway. "I don't think I have ever heard a worse set of pipes before in my life!" He quips to the others.
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* * * Meanwhile, back at the bar... * * *
Zoreck raises his fourth glass of mossbeard ale and clinks it against Kesko's. "To dearly departed friends and loved ones. May their souls find solace in the Great Beyond!" *glug*
"I am so sorry to hear about your loss, Kesko. You're a fine fellow, and nobody deserves that. So, tell me more of yourself..."
If the creatures in the cave had been lethargic in their response to the scents exuded by Ravboom and by Relas then the song of Palomia's companion finally provokes them to action... moving at an incredible pace, and with three of the four scrabbling along the walls and ceiling, the corpse like creatures charge... and, racing past Ravboom's trap, they are showered with shrapnel.
* * * Meanwhile, back at the bar... * * *
Zoreck raises his fourth glass of mossbeard ale and clinks it against Kesko's. "To dearly departed friends and loved ones. May their souls find solace in the Great Beyond!" *glug*
"I am so sorry to hear about your loss, Kesko. You're a fine fellow, and nobody deserves that. So, tell me more of yourself..."
With several empty tankards of mossbeard ale already in front of him at the bar, Kesko smiles, "The finest brew in Rythes... and from the finest crop too. What is there to tell Mister Zoreck? I have been a moss-farmer since I was a fledgling... times used to be hard - the land was infertile for most of my years but life is returning to the Barony".
"...and what of you? Tell me of your life".
Ravboom grimaces. "Should have used keg. Fall back Relas, make break near others." He waits for Relas to fall back, and then falls back himself 30 ft, and then fires at the lead creature.
Rikkan consumes his Shield extract while waiting for the enemies to approach.
"Right-o!" Relas remarks cheerfully as he falls back to the chamber they'd left the others in, stopping a few paces in front of Palo. "We found something...weird four-legged zombie things! They're right behind us," he adds, perhaps unnecessarily, as he readies to bite at the first one to get within reach.
Caught by Ravboom's shot, the first of the charging corpses slips in Palomia's greases... and crashes to the floor. The other beasts keep on their feet as they move through the slick area... yet none of them can land a blow as they bite at Ravboom...
Drancis sees the oddly-formed wretches enter the area and is repulsed by their sight. "Anyone have an idea what those things are," he cries out even as he sends a massive bubble of aether crashing into the creature at the edge of the pit.
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Rav ducks under the wretch's swipes. "Hah! Palo Dance!" He calls out, watching one fall and slip in the grease. Then he rolls and tumbles away from the wretches with a goblinish giggle of glee.
However, he's giggling too hard and having too much fun and bounces off the wally, shaking his head. "Woopsie."
Once he stops, he turns and fires his rifle again!
However, there's only a click as the cartridge fails to detonate. "Blasted bloody cheap copper caps..."
"Eww...there's a bunch of them," Relas remarks with a grimace as he falls back another pace. "But it's okay, we'll make sure they can only come up one at a time!"
That said, the eidolon adopts a defensive position and waits for the first challenger to approach...
________
Rikkan pulls a bomb and throws it at the closest enemy.
RTA
Fire damage
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...Meanwhile, back at the bar...
With several empty tankards of mossbeard ale already in front of him at the bar, Kesko smiles, "The finest brew in Rythes... and from the finest crop too. What is there to tell Mister Zoreck? I have been a moss-farmer since I was a fledgling... times used to be hard - the land was infertile for most of my years but life is returning to the Barony".
"...and what of you? Tell me of your life".
"Yeah, this stuff ain't bad! It's not what I was expecting, but it really grows on you... like moss!" He chuckles drunkenly at his own joke.
"But, yeah, I've seen some things. As you know, I'm from off-world... and this is the..." Zoreck counts silently on his fingers, "...fourth world I've been on, if you count my home. I'm from the land of Numeria, on a world called Golarion. I was cast out of my clan for not following the old ways and for embracing the new." He pats his holstered pistol.
"I wandered the world for a while, and picked up a few friends who traveled with me. I've lost a few along the way, and picked up new ones, but Rikkan and Drancis are still with me from those days. Anyway, we heard of trouble in a little town, and went to see if we could help. Turns out that the trouble was caused by a jagledine snot-monster named Vuelib who was trying to take over peoples' minds. We'd never heard of the jagledine before... but we knew they were some kind of aliens or outsiders and that they were trying to invade. We stopped him... but didn't realize that he had friends."
He takes another long draught of mossbeard ale before he continues. "We got kidnapped and taken off-world to a place called Garslit Station, and were being used as some kind of lab-rats. But the station was damaged. We escaped from our bonds and eventually found the station's gate, but it was locked to Argosa, meaning we couldn't use it to go back home. We made it through the gate before Garslit Station blew up, but that destroyed our only way home. Turns out that nobody in Argosa had heard of Golarion, and it wasn't listed as any of the known worlds."
He sighs and then drains his tankard. "We heard a rumor that there was a master list of worlds in some kind of book that was kept here on Rythes. That's why we're here: To find that book, and, hopefully, find our way back home."
As Ravboom moves away, he is bitten by one of the creatures... and, chased by them even as his weapon fails him, he is bitten once more...
Elsewhere though, the friends easily have the measure of these wretched beasts... one failing to move beyond Palomia's grease whilst the other is barely standing following Drancis' aetheric blast when Rikkan's bomb catches it across the torse... there is a flash of mercury and fizzing... and the ragged beast is nearly defeated...
"Hang on Rav!"
Drancis focuses his attention upon the climbing Wretch, sending another aetheric blast into it and trying to knock it from its perch.