The lean lizard wisely leads her advance with her shield, effectively warding off Ramesses's fearsome attack!
Zorro smiles serenely in the face of death. This is no way for a hero like himself to go, and he damned well knows it.
"Geric" (-64)
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Ramesses (-6), Razmand, and Elenial/Barry (-15)
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lizardfolk (shaken 1/5)
lean lizard (-53, burning)
wizened lizard (-42)
brutish lizard (-22)
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Zorro (-49, stable) and Baldwyn (-45)
"Geric" looks around nervously; it looks like the party might have the advantage...might. In his mind, they've traded pawn for pawn so far in a battle in which his enemies have benefitted more from luck and trickery than skill, so he tries one more trick...
Flustered, he makes a break for it!
"Geric" (-64)
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Ramesses (-6), Razmand, and Elenial/Barry (-15)
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lizardfolk (shaken 1/5)
lean lizard (-53, burning)
wizened lizard (-42)
brutish lizard (-22)
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Zorro (-49, stable) and Baldwyn (-45)
The human has fatally underestimated the reach of Baldwyn's bardiche - Baldwyn sweeps him off his feet, and chops his head off.
The surviving lizardfolk react as one to this sudden turn of events, hissing and shouting plaintively.
The villain deceased, the survivors make peace.
A search of his belongings turns up an enchanted short sword, a masterwork shortbow, a quiver holding just under 20 arrows, his Aspis Consortium signet ring (which now appears to have lost much of its luster with the death of its rightful bearer), an enchanted pearl, a healing potion, an enchanted suit of studded leather, a cloak and ring that bear magical warding marks, an exquisite belt that appears to be made from the bark of a rubber tree, an enchanted monocle, a copper-and-onyx amulet shaped like a stylized jackal-head, and most interestingly, his personal papers and notes to and from his superiors. They reveal that his real name was Gerban Lanier, and there is an unsigned letter instructing him to loot the Dog Pharaoh's Tomb before the "reptiles revolt against our influence," along with a map stretching from the tomb you just left to a cave network several miles to the north labeled "the Muckmouth."
One of the lizards points to the map.
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Razmand dispels his invisibility and come forth.
To the others he says: "The eggs are kept in that location. We are to go and retrieve them, so they are safe. I've asked for the lizardfolk's assistance, just in case."
The lizards look to the party, then to each other, then nod excitedly. They beckon you to a shoreline two hundred yards east of your battle, where lie a series of flat-bottomed skiffs loaded with sacks of gold, gems, and works of art, all clearly looted from the Dog Pharaoh's Tomb.
In other news, Razmand notices that one of the lizards is wearing a silver unholy symbol of Asmodeus. When asked about it, he admits that he found it in the mud somewhere and has no idea what it represents. Razmand has little difficulty reclaiming it.
The party looks out over the swamp, toward the direction of the "Muckmouth," and moves to prepare for this new quest....
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Baldwyn nabs the healing potion and feeds it to Zorro.
With some rest, the party is back to normal and Baldwyn expresses his itch to get on to the Muckmouth, or whatever it's called.
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Razmand is most pleased by the outcome of the adventure. Albeit one section of the tomb was left unexplored at first, he's glad to know the lizardfolk were cooperative and polite, something he didn't expect from a tribe living in relative isolation.
He returns a detailed report to Society's representatives, first and foremast warning them not to threaten the blue lizards in the western chamber unless properly prepared. As a sidenote, he files out a notion to give medical care to Zorro; both physical and mental.
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Baldwyn goes to restrain Zorro. "Calm down, gorrammit. They ain't a threat. The puppeteer is gone."
If Zorro insists on attacking the lizards, Baldwyn has no qualms with tripping him. And possibly sitting on him to keep him from getting up.
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"*Disappointed Sigh*, fine then, I guess I can stop."
Zoroo looks disappointed that he has to play nice.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Winning the Hao Jin Tapestry at the Ruby Phoenix Tournament was supposed to grant the Pathfinder Society exclusive access to a museum demiplane where the Tian sorceress Hao Jin stored her most valuable and dangerous acquisitions. At first, the Pathfinder Society believed that the five-by-seven foot tapestry was the only entrance into a demiplane filled with countless ruins drawn from numerous cultures and regions of the world that would be theirs alone to explore. But they soon discovered evidence to the contrary. The Decemvirate knows now that Aspis Consortium agents have found or forced their way into the allegedly secure demiplane, and they know where the interlopers’ base is. A tribe of lizardfolk native to the plane — called the Muckmouth tribe — are being coerced into serving as guides, porters, and laborers in the Aspis’s plundering, not for any love of Consortium, but because the Consortium is holding a generation of the tribe’s eggs hostage.
The Decemvirate is not interested in sharing its new prize with the Aspis Consortium, and wishes to drive it out and discover how the organization gained access to Hao Jin’s demiplane. The only lead so far is the Aspis base in the lizardfolk tribe’s ancestral breeding grounds within a cave called the Muckmouth, from which the tribe derives its name. Were agents able to infiltrate the caves and dispatch the Aspis agents there, perhaps the lizardfolk would even provide assistance to the Society in its efforts to explore the new realm. Regardless of this possibility, the primary goal is investigating how the Aspis Consortium gained access to the demiplane and determining the extent of their operations here.
Previously obtained details provide a trail through the wide, unmapped marshland from the Society’s point of entry into the demiplane to the Muckmouth, which now lies two hundred yards to the north — a twenty-foot wide cave mired with mud and swamp water. Inside are the Muckmouth tribe’s eggs and the Aspis agents holding them hostage — the only lead to a greater plot from the Society’s greatest rival.
A wall constructed of logs lashed together with rope and vines and further strengthened with mud blocks off the cavern entrance. A number of the logs at its center serve as a rudimentary gate, and are attached to a post by several layers of rope that act as hinges.
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By the time the party returns to the demiplane, they find someone at the scene of the battle with Gerban Lanier who wasn't there before: a twig-thin Elf with black-hair, pale, bluish-tinged skin, and opalescent eyes wearing a rather dynamic-looking yellow-and-purple robe; on his shoulder is a dragon the size of a cat and the color of midnight with a long, scorpion-like tail. He and the Elf appear deep in conversation.
"So this is a consequence of the ritual I used to 'uplift' you...now that it's been perfected, we've gone right back to shortly before we went to start it...." He then takes note of the party, and gives them a friendly, if somewhat unnerving smile. "A-ha! Yes, pardon the delay, if there was one, I'm back now, and looking forward to tying up this...wait, is that you? We...we haven't met, have we? We've conquered the Dog Pharaoh's Tomb, and now we're going to save the lizardfolk from the Aspis, but I don't suppose you remember me? I'm Vladek Odradek, chronomancer, and this is Qadathra." He holds up his Wayfinder. "We were just here, but we...took the long way around."
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The wall and gate are sturdier than their crude construction suggests and the gate is held fast by cunningly tied knots.
In addition, a rope device inside the caverns is tied to the gate. The rope connects to an iron hook pounded into the ceiling roughly 5 feet back from the gate, and supports a turtle shell filled with rocks 5 feet off the ground.
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"Well met, Vladek. A chronomancer? Sounds like a very dangerous business, as time itself is the direst of all elements. But I am no expert in that field of expertise, I digress, we must move on to find the treacherous Aspis who have so invaded our 'privately' owned demiplane."
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"Traps, you say?" Razmand asks, chuckling a bit. At least some of his teachings were taken in mind. "I'll take a look."
Razmand is not all surprised to see a rudimentary contraption that would alert those inside. With considerable ease he disarms the trap, it is as if he makes no effort at all. "Child's play."
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The ambient light flickers strangely and motes of swamp detritus swirl and mutate as Vladek works various spells upon himself and his familiar.
To be near Vladek is an eerie sensation, and the perceptive may notice the large onyx scarab shabti adorning his robe. To look upon it long is, it seems, to look into the face of Death, yet be unafraid.
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Zorro crosses his arms like a kid not getting his way and says "I will follow as long as there are things to kill"
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After opening the gate as silent as possible, you head into the cave. After a narrow passage you reach a chamber. This small cave is relatively dry. Only a small rivulet with a source deeper within the cavern complex winds its way toward the cavern’s gate. A small turtle shell serving as a stew pot sits beside an unused fire pit, next to a small pile of fish. On the wall hangs a garland of glittering flower blossoms. Two lizard guards are stationed here.
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Zorro whispers to his chain shirt and rapier "you be quiet now we are trying be stealthy"
-Posted with Wayfinder
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You enter the room, some steltier than others. Baldwyn accidently kicks a stone across the floor which alerts the lizards. Now they also spot Razmand, Zorro and Ramesses. Only Vladek is able to keep out of the lizards' attention. One of them shouts something in draconic and they move back to the bottleneck on the other side of the room.
"Intruders! Do not let them pass!" one of them shouts.
Razmand
Ramesses
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Lizard red
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Vladek
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Lizard blue
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Baldwyn
Zorro
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"We met some of you back at the Dog Pharaoh's Tomb, and met one of the slavers. We dealt with him quickly, of course, and freed some of your brethren. We are pathfinders, and the Aspis Consortium that holds you hostage for your eggs is our archnemesis. Our object now is to get rid of these evil smooth-skins, and later on establish a much more mutually beneficial trade pact."
"And we do not wish to fight, that alone is a sign we're not the enemy."
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The lizardfolk calm down and lower their weapons. "Ok, that sounds good. Free lizardfolk is always good. When fighting the Aspis, please be careful with our eggs! It's our future!"
One of them scrawls a basic map of the complex.
"Behind this narrow passage lies the Aspis' camp. Another cave to the south east is the sorting bay. The Aspi deliver anything they discover to this chamber for initial study. The next room to the north is the family cave. About a dozen of us have relocated from our village to this cave, hoping the Aspis will not do harm to their eggs if they show them that they are real people with families. When you follow the water upriver to the pool you find the hatchery. It's now abandoned, the eggs are somewhere else. Another narrow tunnel to the south leads into a mosaic chamber. This place is taboo to us." one of the lizardfolk describes the layout of the cave.
The lizardfolk really hope you get rid of the Aspis so they can use the caves for their tribe again.
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Baldwyn goes into a more relaxed stance with the threat nonexistent. He asks in clear Taldane (aka 'Common') very slowly, "Are there any traps we should know of? Any bad things we step on."
Not tryin' to be rude, just dunno if they'll understand the common tongue.
He looks to someone to translate if they do not understand him.
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