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Talathel, once his wolf stops gorging on the creature, steps on top of him again and rides on.
"I say we take this door! It looks like the one we are destined to choose!"
He says as he inspects it. After seeing that not everyone is following him he urges them on.
"Well good people, it does us no good to stand here all day! Come on the door beckons to us!"
If he finds nothing special on or around the door he will open it.
Eleven ruined mattresses and a few aged and cracked pots are this room’s only furnishings. A section of the ceiling has collapsed in the northwestern corner of the room, causing the wind to howl eerily as it blows over the building. A series of images has been carved into the still-standing sections of the room’s walls, each image indicating a humanoid in a series of different positions and stances.
The carvings seem to depict a series of exercises and forms that one could follow as part of an Iroran training regimen.
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Talathel looks disappointed as the room is revealed.
"Maybe this wasn't the door. Let's try another one."
He moves to the southern door and takes a look at it, to make sure it doesn't have any traps.
"This door looks way more promising! Look at the intricate carving on the door! Or maybe it's just the grain of the wood... It does look very nice however. The way you expect a nice looking door to look."
If he finds nothing he will carefully open the door.
The stairs down only lead to a bare cellar. When the party moves back up, though, a howling roar can be heard. A large bulk of white fur, accented by two fear-inducing eyes, stands at the end of the hall.
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Krux
Hikage
Maldrek
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Yeti
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Taicho
Salene
Talathel
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Hikage prods his mount forward, ordering Yôru to attack the white-maned threat.
"Forward! Truth and Honor for the Grand Lodge!" yells Hikage as he draws his blade, trying to bolster his wolf's spirits so that he doesn't freeze from fear this time. Yôru goes for the legs, while his samurai rider slashes at the yeti's chest.
Krux fires off his summoning wand again, while Hikage and Maldrek close the gap to the yeti. Hikage slashes the fur with his katana, as Yoru sinks his teeth into the yeti brute.
The yeti stares across the room with a gaze that lets the blood run cold
The yeti rages as the katana hits, and pounds the wayang with two freezing claws, the first bloodying the samurai's head, the second punching him straight off Yoru, only to leave him bleeding on the ground.
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Taicho
Salene
Talathel
Krux
Hikage (-7, stabilize or go to -8)
Maldrek
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Yeti (13)
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Talathel sees the screaming warrior fall and sighs.
"Well everyone could guess that the thing would rip you to pieces! Have you looked at its claws? Well you felt them actually, think and then act. That's my motto. You should get a motto like that also."
He urges his wolf forward and drops to the ground next to Hikage, casting CLW on him.
Taicho runs like a flightless bird, followed by Salene. Talathel moves into heal Hikage, who regains consciousness after a brief nightmare of being run over by a pale white horse-drawn cart.
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Taicho
Salene
Talathel
Krux
Hikage (at 0 hp)
Maldrek
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Yeti (13)
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Maldrek spent a moment, dealing with himself. That scream, it had something demonic, something that brought his worth memories.
He took his place near the small wayang, prepared to stop an incoming attack.
Hikage's mind caves in at the brutality of the yeti, while Maldrek feels himself protected from the fear-spreading aura of the beast, and moves in with the Brainsplasher (tm). Though he doesn't hit the head of the yeti, Maldek does hear a couple of dry snaps as his hammer hits.
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Taicho
Salene
Talathel
Krux
Hikage (at 0 hp)
Maldrek
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Yeti (24)
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Krux' eagle claws at the furry animal below, scratching the fur twice before three missiles hit the raging yeti.
The yeti steps up to claw at Talathel, and when the gnome is staggered, he knocks out Yoru with a claw.
--
Taicho
Salene
Talathel
Krux
Hikage (at 0 hp)
Maldrek
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Yeti (37)
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Talathel takes a step back and casts CLW on himself, falling unconscious for a moment. He stands back up and looks a bit dazzled.
He stares at the slate gray fur of his wolf for a moment and seems to get a grip on the situation again.
"Forch! Get him!"
He says to his wolf.
The wolf growls and goes in for an attack, getting nothing done because of the creature's furry coat.
Taicho manages a clumsy strikes before Krux launches another three missiles at the yeti. This time, it brings the creature to its knees, the forceful impact crushing the skull of the arctic creature.
The room yields very little beyond the religious murals.
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Talathel takes his hat off for Hikage.
"I thank you."
He puts his hat back on and jumps on top of Forch.
"Seems there is nothing in this room. Let us continue our exciting adventure!"
The small gnome says as he spurs his wolf to go forward, who goes off in a near sprint.
"One door left. I could have guessed that this was the door we needed to open. Two doors is always better than one, won't you agree?"
He rides up to the door and inspects it for traps.
If he finds nothing he will open the doors.
The double doors lead to a large courtyard. The remains of four wooden training dummies stand in the northeast corner of the area, while a few scraggly plants struggle to grow in the southeast corner. A cracked mosaic lies half-buried beneath years of dirt in the training ground’s center.
The half-buried mosaic looks like a map of some sorts.
It's a map of the direct surroundings of the monastery, showing the monastery itself, as well as the various landmarks in the vicinity: the rock of the two brothers, the winding path up the mountain. Many more landmarks are marked, and a faithful reproduction of the map would surely be of value for the Lodge.
The next room mst once have been the master's quarters, but now is the empty den of a yeti. A pile of filth covers the once-fine mats laid upon the floor.
Among the various sticks and animal bones, Talathel finds a magical braid, radiating a strong transmutation aura. There are also a number of other, surprisingly fragile items of value located in the nest, including an antique Iroran silver holy symbol, four jade gemstones, a magnifying glass, a set of silvered armbands depicting pouncing tigers, and a bejeweled ceremonial masterwork temple sword.
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The last room is a fifteen-foot-by-thirty-foot room, which seems to have escaped the destruction found throughout the rest of the monastery. A statue, leaning against the northern wall, appears out of place among the rest of the room’s contents—clay pots, ruined sacks, and aged tools. The statue, made of finely carved stone with jade inlays, depicts a man with a serene face, standing in a meditative stance.
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"Seems I found the breeding spot for the furry creatures! Yeti's we did call them right?"
Talathel spurs his mount to search the room. He spots several items which he sprays with water before lifting them with a mage hand spell. He deposits the item in an iron pot which was strapped to Forch's saddle.
"I cannot be asked to touch these file things myself! They do however look very valuable. I think this braid is what we have been looking for. The other items we can probably sell, I would love a new and clean outfit! What do you guys think, lace or embroidery? Or both if we get enough money! I have to think about the colors carefully, did you know colors can make or break a man?"
Whilst giving his speech about clothing he moves to the other room, only to find a statue. His speech falls to a halt as he sees the stones in the statue.
"Well those stones are worth some of both, surely! Can one of you lads get them out for me? It would be greatly appreciated!"
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Maldrek looks Talathel a bit surprised:
- I don't mind taking yeti's stuff, but I wouldn't like for someone to break that statue, just because of quick money. Remember, this is a monastery of local God, lets behave ourselves as civilized soldiers, mean agents, not a greedy grave robbers some might expect Pathfinder Society are.
Talathel investigates the statue, leaving the removal of the inlays to the realm of thought only, when he feels a thought emerge: Your greed will not get you far. You are wise not to defile me, as foolishness only breeds foolishness. I am Jiang Dan, a simple servant of the Master of Masters.
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Just before Talathel is about to turn around the statue suddenly talks in his mind.
"Oh! I am very sorry! My mind was with new clothes, I didn't notice you are among the living!"
Talathel says against the air.
"If I may ask, who is the master of masters? That name doesn't ring a bell to me to be honest."
He turns to the others of the group and points at the statue.
"Why have you ever seen such a thing? The statue is talking!"
He notices what he just did and turns back to the statue.
"Oh sorry! Not used to these kind of things!"
I foolishly asked for wisdom. In response, I was given time to find that wisdom for myself.I stand here while the masters are gone.