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Noisy sees most of his companions overcome by the demon's piercing shriek, and he scowls. He stops pounding on the ground, although the others can still feel the rhythm pulsing through them, even after he ceases.
He then yells something at them in a gutteral language, and smiles
He steps up behind Basalte, takes a deep breath, then yells two sharp sounds in succession. The words form a palpable wave that rushes towards each of the two vrocks.
, for sonic damage.
, for sonic damage.
Noisy answers bedlam with pandemonium, and manages to shout a Vrock to death.
The T-rex, in a blind rage, starts tearing at the other Vrock
It bites and rips at the vrock, sending feathers flying as it grabs a hold of the demon.
The Vrock tries to break free, but with little result.
---
Kosuke
Therisah
Basalte
Noisy
Avelina
Voros
---
T-Rex (35, grappling )
Vulture Creature (51, grappled) - Red
---
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Returning to her senses, Avelina stands up, her face almost as red as her mantlet as she fumes.
"Ooooooh! You will regret crossing the Favored Soul of the Inheritor!"
With several flowing movements of her hands, Avelina casts another spell, this time hoping to grab both the remaining vulture creature and the dinosaur.
"Radiant Dawn of the Inheritor!"
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"Your weapons must be touched by holy power in order to hurt the demon fully. Beware getting too close, it can release spores!"
Seeing there was only a single outsider left, Kosuke decided it would be wise to throw a spell, but not too powerful of one. Incanting a prayer and touching his holy symbol, Kosuke produces a mote of sunlight which he magically guides into the midst of demon and beast, producing an explosion similar to Avelina's spell but without a spiffy name.
Kosuke then advances, covering the group in an aura of holy power that bolsters their morale.
Therisah moves into the fray, while Avelina tries to hamper her opponents with a flash of bright light. The forest lights up for a moment in a blinding flash, and when the light is gone, the vrock looks a little more burnt.
Voros fires his arrow at the vrock in the dinosaur's maw. He lands two of the cold iron projectiles, though they do not seem to have the damaging effect they have on other demons - this being's evil is simply too strong.
Basalte moves up close to the blinded T-Rex, and slashes at the hapless Vrock. Finally another bright flash of light, and a LOUD bullet manage to end the life of the evil pest.
The T-rex spits out the feathery mass, and stomps around in a rage. Still, it first has basalt to contend with, and the oread suddenly sees row of blinking teeth snapping at him as the creature sniffs him out.
There are several Kellid warriors hiding in the bushes, observing the fight[
---
Kosuke
Therisah
Basalte (grappled)
Noisy
Avelina
Voros
---
T-Rex (35, grappling, blinded 2 )
---
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Avelina catches something out of the corner of her eye in the bushes. She doesn't share what she sees, but she suddenly draws her sword and takes a triumphant stance, pointing with the blade at the slain demons, then the dinosaur.
"The Mysterious Vanquisher of Evil--that's yours truly--triumphs once more against demonkind! Now, she will turn her powers of Good and Righteousness towards the destruction of this out-of-control beast!"
She somehow speaks even louder and more melodramatically than normal, and her posture and stance are tilted away from the dinosaur, as though she was on a stage playing to an audience.
"Breath of Zonaladin the Copper!"
Avelina touches the golden holy symbol of Iomedae on her necklace, then breathes in deeply, suddenly spraying a line of acid at the dinosaur.
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Noisy notices the Kellids as well as Avelina's obvious stagemanship and shakes his head in exasperation.
"We've got an audience." He says to the others. "Though I don't think Her Grace was paying attention when we mentioned they speak Hallit..." He grimaces slightly, and adds, "...And hate displays of magic."
He beats a quick, ominous rhythm on the drum hanging off his hip, the sound of which sends chills up the spines of those who can hear it clearly.
Then lifting his musket to his shoulder once more, he fires another bullet to make his point.
, for
Only to be greeted by a *thunk* sound, and no explosion, as his weapon misfires.
He curses in dwarvish.
Avelina scorches the prehistoric creature with acid, as Noisy's musket is - well - not very noisy (though his song is)
---
Kosuke
Therisah
Basalte
Noisy
Avelina
Voros
---
T-Rex (92, blinded 2 )
---
Its maw now free, the gargantuan () lizard snaps at Therisah
The T-Rex chomps down hard on Therisah, only to be riddled with arrows coming from Voros' quivers. The big lizard sags to the ground, Therisah still held limply between its teeth.
Four Kellids jump from the bushes as soon as the lizard goes down. The group's leader holds a spear - its design quite familiar - and speaks in broken common: You be who?
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Noisy starts trying to clear the jam out of his gun, grumbling about tropical climates and moisture, as the Kellid warriors emerge from the trees.
"Here we go then." He says.
He carefully stops what he's doing and looks questioningly back at the others, before addressing the Kellids in Hallit. You see him waving his arms around expansively, occasionally pointing to himself, the dead dinosaur and demons, the warriors, or his companions, as he does so.
"We come to make offerings and respects to you and your peoples and hope to confer with your leaders to form an alliance that might benefit us all."
Tall, lean, and muscular, the Kellids are a menacing group; the countless scars exposed beneath their piecemeal hide armor only add to their intimidating presence.
You use magic. You use magic to make cold. the Kellid says with disgust. But you he points at Therisah Dinosaur could have eat you. You brave.
And you speak the mother tongue well! We shall bring you to the elders of Tolguth
High walls, constructed from timber, stone, and earth surround Tolguth. The Kellids have cut away the foliage surrounding the settlement, providing an unobstructed view for several hundred feet from the walls. Three bipedal dinosaur carcasses, each with rounded dome-like heads, lie crumpled and pressed up against the fortifications—a clear indication of the need for such defensive measures.
The warriors in the village eye the pathfinders with curiosity, and some even go as far as to ask - in hallit - what their business is.
The group is shown to a large wooden building to await their meeting before being led to the elders later that day.
Three local leaders tend to meet with strangers: Traros, sometimes referred to as “the Father of Tolguth;” Vanna Demonbreaker, a mammoth rider of great skill; and Bloodspeaker Olovon, who is a shaman with considerable influence. It’s customary for one to offer one or more gifts before asking a favor.
Traros oversees Tolguth with more fatherly concern than strict authority, and he is seen as a good leader. Vanna often pushes for Traros to combat the encroaching Worldwound directly, though so far he has taken a less aggressive approach by reinforcing Tolguth’s defenses. Bloodspeaker Olovon is fiercely loyal to Traros and often brandishes a holy symbol of a woman astride an elk—identifiable with a successful DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check as a regional depiction of Desna.
Vanna is quietly concerned that Traros has grown soft with age, and the two frequently find themselves of different minds about how to handle the Worldwound. Bloodspeaker Olovon often acts as a mediator between the two, which has kept their relationship from souring into bitter rivalry.
Some believe that Bloodspeaker Olovon struggles to reconcile Traros’s increasingly defensive and isolationist decisions with his personal faith, and he is likely to welcome new allies who might remind his colleagues that the outside world continues to move, even if Tolguth does not.
When the time comes, several Kellids lead theparty to a larger stone and wood building. The three leaders are waiting.
Sit down and have a piece of roast, for you are our guests. one says, out of politeness, tell us of your reason for visiting.
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"How wonderful! I see that the natives responded well to the display of The Inheritor's power."
She produces one of her scrolls of share language, looking directly at Noisy.
"If you wouldn't mind, darling, I must hear what delightful praises the people are spreading of me!"
Avelina nods approvingly at the corpses, not showing the slightest sign of squeamishness.
"No wonder the people here responded to my Powers so strongly! They are fellow slayers of demonic obscenities. Anyone that has been clearing demonic taint from the world cannot be too backward."
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(+3 regarding demons)
Kosuke points out the fiendish nature of the dinosaurs that attacked the camp to the other Pathfinders.
Kosuke, took the time to speak to the locals, though he did not know their language, he prayed that Shizuru would guide his thoughts and his words.
Before the time comes to meet with the leaders, Kosuke takes Avelina aside.
"Lady Avelina, perhaps it would be best if you assuaged their fear of your magic and earned their trust. We did bring gifts for the leaders and I will also lend you Shizuru's heavenly blessing upon your lips."
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Noisy hesitates, as he takes the scroll.
He weighs it in his hand thoughtfully, but makes no immediate attempt to cast it.
"I think we need to set forth a few ground rules." He says, clearly wishing he didn't have.
He pulls her aside to say this, so not in front of the others.
"We're here to find a site for the Society to set up a base." He starts slowly, stating the obvious. "And to do that, we need to get these people on our good side. What we are not here for, is to spread any divine agendas or create converts."
He gives her a very pointed look at this point.
"We are diplomats, not missionaries." He says firmly, trying to ensure she's paying attention.
"These are untrustworthy, suspicious, and insular folks. They have their ways, and their beliefs, and their customs... and are very adverse to outsiders..." He raises his eyebrows to indicate that's what they are. "... To have outsiders come in and try to tell them that they're ways are not the right ways, or that our ways are better." He shrugs... "That is the exact opposite of diplomatic."
"If you want to spread the word of Iomedae, then do so another time, after we've completed our actual mission."
"And for the gods' sake, stop with all the magical power talk." He adds in exasperation.
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Avelina taps her wand against her chin.
"Hmm...a lesser, more prideful woman might strike you for your impertinence, but--as the Favored Soul of the Inheritor--I am beyond such meagre flaws. Besides, I had already come to the conclusion that leaving the natives Salvation to later would be most prudent."
She leans down to Noisy, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone.
"I have often found that others are intimidated by my natural Righteousness. Something about being presented with True Glory after a lifetime of worshipping false idols just makes people cranky. Why, I have seen it go to the point that they start making ridiculous accusations like 'you don't know what you're doing' or 'those aren't divine spells.' As if the peons even have any idea that they are talking about the Divine Magical Gifts of the Inheritor Herself!"
She holds her wand high in the air.
"I shall demonstrate the magnimity of the Inheritor and her Favored Soul by allowing the natives to continue worshipping their false idols until such a time as the Inheritor's Divine Providence considers it proper."
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Noisy frowns for a moment, then bursts into a hearty guffaw, and concedes with a grin.
"Well then, it would seem I was premature in my warnings! Well done, Your Grace."
He bows slightly, though whether sincerely or in mockery is hard to tell, then stands and uses the scroll of share language as promised.
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"It would appear the taint from the Worldwound is spreading even across the Tusks." He observes, as Miyamoto points out the corrupted creatures at the gate.
"Hopefully, that will make them more receptive to our efforts." He adds with a grin. "Enemy of my enemy and all that, right? Ha!"
He turns back to their escort, and starts to regale them with a tale of battle vs fiendish adversaries.
Once in town, he will interact with the locals in a friendly, if easily heard fashion, talking to anyone that seems interested in listening. Doing his best to appease any doubts or suspicions they might have about them.
When it comes time to meet the elders, he will suggest they try to hang onto some of the gifts they were given, in case we need to negotiate with other tribes in the area. Otherwise, he will let Avelina do the talking, and he will translate for the others in their group.
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Voros, seeing the corpses of peaceful pachycephalosauruses, takes notes on these wonders of the nature but can't help but wonder why they tried to attack the village, though when he hears the details about fiendish mutations, he understands and stops to make a quick drawing of these mutations, should they encounter some later in the adventure.
In the village and when he understands the fight against the demons, he'll try to hide his fiendish aspects and stay as much silent and discreet as he can.
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Basalte wipes his blade clean, and nods to the great beast he contributed to fell. "A worthy opponent. A fight worthy of tales."
Basalte scratches his head as he listens to Noisy's complaint, and nods in agreement. "I wish we were in Rahadoum. Then this talk would be pointless. I'll see you later." he groans with an earthy rumble. The oread visits the camp, looking for warriors practising, with whom he could spar if they accepted to do so. Basalte will try to have them show their way of fighting, then he could show them the obscure and ill-known Pahmet wrestling style from Osirion.
The Kellid warriors are very impressed by Basalte's wrestling style, though they are a bit wary of it - after all, they do prefer to fight with spears. Noisy's story-telling creates a friendly atmosphere of boastful tales. The kellids love a good tale.
When the time comes to meet the elders, Noisy sits down as translator for Avelina
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Avelina holds out her arms in a grandiose, poised stance before giving a well-practiced curtsy.
She points to herself with a dainty, open palm, her head held high.
She takes a breath.
She takes a seat, legs crossed and hands on her lap.
Avelina flicks her fingers, motioning for one of the party members to bring over some gifts.
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Kosuke sets the alchemical remedies and potions as well as the fennec pelts in front of Traros, who Kosuke assumed out of fatherly concern for his people would be most interested in the items that could help keep them in good health and warm. He bows to the elder before returning to their trade goods.
He then sets the swords wrapped in the cloak in front of the warrior Vanna and likewise bows. These would help her bring the fight to the demons, an act which he approved of.
Finally he sets the chocolate and wine in front of Olovon. Having once hosted travellers to Minkai wearing similar holy symbols, he was able to recognize Olovon's. As he bows he whispers "Gifts from far-away lands, blessed by the light of every star that shined upon them. My Desna watch over you and your people." He did not speak Hallit, but he hoped the mention of Olovon's goddess would be a comfort.
The elders are pleased by the performance of Avelina, and the impression the pathfinders made upon the tribe.
“You wish to explore hrungara, where even the mammoths dare not go? You are either very brave or very foolish, foreigners,” Traros begins, “But no matter how reckless or insane, any enemy of the Worldwound is of value to Tolguth.”
He smiles broadly before continuing, “We know of a few locations that may serve as a campground for you; Vanna has used them in the past. The first is a small cave network among the lower reaches of the Tusk Mountains. The caves would provide shelter against the weather and the height provides a good view of the surroundings. The second is an isolated hot spring, located among the foothills at the base of the Tusk Mountains, much like the springs that heat Tolguth. The third is an abandoned town, built by foreigners generations ago. Vanna can tell you more about each, but before you set out, I have one warning.
“The Red Winter tribe still ekes out an existence on the Thunder Steppes and foothills of the Tusk Mountains. They lay claim to those lands and have often challenged Vanna and her raiders, thankfully without resorting to violence. I doubt they would be as accommodating to foreigners.”
The three sites are located relatively close to one another, yet the closest of the three still lies 45 miles east of Tolguth. A kellid warrior, Vanna, gives direction, and is also able to answer some basic questions (). It takes three days of travel to head there. The three sites form an uneven triangle, and each is within one day’s travel from the other two.