Jhalan moves up the nearest lookout, and slices the unaware fighter in the abdomen. To add insult to injury, the near-fatal wound knocks him off his balance and sends him flying down. To add injury to insult, the drop to the forest floor kills the man, as a sickening crunch breaks his spine.
Pitbull sneaks in over the rope bridge. Marra sneaks for ward over the ground, while Holman covers some ground as well.
Grimaldus fires at the other agent onto rope bridge, who also coms crashing down. Cacumattus shoots at the man as well, landing a bolt in the unfortunate, prone man.
The panther rushes out for Grimaldus as soon as he fires, and tries to bite him.
The goon gets up and fires his crossbow at Grimaldus
---
Pitbull
Holman
Marra
Jhalan
Grimaldus
Cacumattus
-----
Aspis leader
Goon (17, prone)
Panther
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Pitbull lets Jhalan go first, to avoid multiple people being on the bridge at the same time... seeing how the man just ended with the last sickening crunch.
Pitbull rushes across, followed by Asbo. They move to lock the prone leader down.
"We taking you alive, or you get cuts to the guts"
Pitbull and Asbo will attack if the man does anything other than surrender.
Holman scrambles up the ladder, while Grimaldus fends of the panther, leading a bloody red gash to the black fur. Cacumattus tries to go for a quick finish, but fails to hit with hit prey. Marra closes in as well, and her dancing blur of scimitars does hit the black predator.
Up in the treehouse, Jhalan dumps the Aspis leader unceremoniously on the floor, with Pitbull and Asbo moving closer.
The black panther moves to defend itself, biting and clawing at Grimaldus, and throwing on the floor.
The Aspirs leader tries to get back on his feet, but immediately takes a stab in the side from Jhalan, while Pitbull and Abso stand ready to cut him to pieces
The leader strikes out with his knife, against Pitbull.
The goon on the ground reloads his crossbow and fires at Holman
---
Pitbull
Holman
Marra
Jhalan
Grimaldus
Cacumattus
-----
Aspis leader (20)
Goon (17)
Panther (35)
---
The Aspirs leader manages to get back on his feet, though he takes two bad cuts in the process. An unleashed Asbo then jumps right at him, and clashes a claw through his gut, leaving only a bloody mess. The Aspis leader is very, very dead.
Holman jumps off the ladder and at the panther, leaving a large slash behind the creature's ear. Marra and Cacumattus besiege it as well, but fails to hit the wild animal.
---
Pitbull
Holman
Marra
Jhalan
Grimaldus
Cacumattus
-----
Aspis leader - Dead
Goon (17)
Panther (44)
---
The Aspis goon below looks to be wavering, and a solid shot of Jhalan from above lets pure panic take a hold of him. He is sure to run off into the jungle.
---
Pitbull
Holman
Marra
Jhalan
Grimaldus
Cacumattus
-----
Aspis leader - Dead
Goon (17)
Panther (44)
---
Grimaldus performs a powerful chop as part of the dance, but she only cuts the grass as the panther leaps back, and then pounces in for another
The last Aspis warrior runs off into the jungle
---
Pitbull
Holman
Marra
Jhalan
Grimaldus
Cacumattus
-----
Aspis leader - Dead
Goon - Ran Away
Panther (44)
---
Jhalan shoots the fleeing Aspis agent in the back, but his shot is not enough to bring the man down. Leaving a trail of blood, the man only runs away faster.
Grimaldus tries to use superior numbers to bring the panther down, but his overhand chop is too sloppy, and evaded by the black creature.
---
Pitbull
Holman
Marra
Jhalan
Grimaldus
Cacumattus
-----
Aspis leader - Dead
Goon - Ran Away
Panther (44)
---
With a final swift stroke, Holman manages to to puncture an artery in the panther, and it quickly loses consciousness as it bleed out on the floor.
With the threat gone, the few grapples in the area scatter to gather the other Krihirik once more.
Mother Bogwynne graciously accepts the tyrannosaurus eggs the party has recovered. She raises a hand and lifts her head as if performing a blessing, and dozens of gripplis gather to listen. “More than a thousand cycles ago, the dwarven refugees came to us from the distant north, fleeing a home lost ages ago. We aided the dwarves and welcomed them as neighbors in the nearby hills—a land even harsher than our own. When they fled their home for a second time, we offered them aid once more, though they requested only that we honor their memory and accept a gift: this talisman that bears the power to defeat the golden beast that now haunts Ashkurhall.” She holds up a melon-sized ovoid made of clay. “The descendants of Sigrin spoke of this as their greatest treasure, which they had left behind. It is a legacy that continues to this day, for none have ever braved the Golden Guardian to claim the riches as their own.”
A chorus of croaking vocalizations follows the elder’s story, and she adds, “The talisman’s power is hidden within, and it must be unsealed in the beast’s presence. To do so too soon would expend its energy needlessly or even invoke a terrible disaster. We have entrusted you with this relic of our people; use it wisely.”
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Pitbull looks a little unimpressed at the 'weapon'. She says nothing though, merely accepting her lot in life is to carry out the mission and do her job as a scout and skirmisher.
"Well, I'm off to the pub for an ale. Go kill the Guardian later" she states matter-of-factly to no one in particular. Asbo chirps and chortles and follows along behind.
After returning to for Bandu, the adventures receive a letter from Ambrus Valsin, Venture Captain of Absalom.
With the grippli's talisman in hand, the next step for the adventurers is to explore the ruins of Ashkurhall...
----
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Pitbull is her normal surly self, Asbo seems equally inclined to general belligerence.
For the latest info on Aspis movements: Dip or K(nobility)
Diplo
For rumours on the Golden Guardian: K(arc), K(local), K(religion)
Diplo
For the kobolds on Mt Nakyuk: Dip, K(hist) or K(local)
Pitbull greets her old friends "We wandering back to the jungle, all know the story buy now"
A contingent of Aspis mercenaries was seen approaching the Bandu Hills from the northwest—the direction of Bloodcove.
The leader of the group is an Ustalavic aristocrat named Zaril Namoth, who is also known to be an expert tracker and hunter.
[spoiler=Holman]
According to some rumors, Zaril Namoth takes trophies from the people he tracks down and kills. Some say he needs their heads for dark rituals he learned while held by the Bekyar—a people infamous for kidnapping, cannibalism, and demon worship.
Almost everyone at Fort Bandu knows the legend of the Golden Guardian, but no one seems to know anything substantial.
Since the stories about the local boogeyman have circulated in the region for centuries, most people speculate that the creature is immortal or not a living creature.
Some people believe it is a gold dragon, while others say it is probably a living statue, a golden machine, or a god-like entity. The only thing the locals are unanimous about is that only a special weapon lost to antiquity can defeat the Golden Guardian.
Until recently, the kobolds have largely kept to themselves. Most local people didn’t even know about the kobolds before the incident with Sharrowsmith.
Decades ago, a local boy went missing but returned weeks later with amazing stories about a hidden city protected by cruel traps that he only narrowly escaped. Learning this fact about the kobolds’ defenses grants the PCs a +1 bonus on all skill checks and saving throws to find, disable, bypass, and evade traps during this adventure.
Save for torrential rain alternating with scorching heat, the journey from Fort Bandu to Mount Nakyuk progresses smoothly. Ancient, crumbling stone buildings choked with vines and adorned with bone fetishes emerge from a patch of thick jungle underbrush. A scattering of bones and discarded tools hints that this location was recently inhabited. A gaping stairwell yawns behind a blood-spattered altar, descending to the mysterious depths where the Golden Guardian makes its home.
Though you fought kobolds in the same region only days ago, there are none to be seen right now, though there are plenty of tracks in the surrounding area.
The architecture in this area is quite plain by dwarven standards, which means the dwarves probably built this area in a hurry.
The ruins are about 3,000 years old.
Two granite statues of dwarves in full armor stand guard in this entrance hall, flanking the entrance to a corridor to the south. Antelope skull patterns painted in red ochre cover each statue’s face. In the wall to the south are two rust-stained iron doors.
The easternmost door has sign of damage, as if it had been pried open with a crowbar.
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Holman launches into a brief lecture on the movements of the Aspis Consortium, and follows up with a wealth of knowledge regarding the kobolds of Mt. Nakyuk. "Well, it seems that a contingent of Aspis mercenaries was seen approaching the Bandu Hills from the northwest — they may very well have been coming from Bloodcove. Their leader is an Ustalavic aristocrat named Zaril Namoth - an expert tracker and hunter. According to some rumors, Zaril Namoth takes trophies from the people he tracks down and kills. Some say he needs their heads for dark rituals he learned while held by the Bekyar — a people infamous for kidnapping, cannibalism, and demon worship." His voice cracks briefly as he says the last, but he takes a deep breath and continues, "As for the kobolds, they have largely kept to themselves. Most local people didn’t even know about the kobolds before the incident with Sharrowsmith. In fact, decades ago, a local boy went missing but returned weeks later with amazing stories about a hidden city protected by cruel traps that he only narrowly escaped."
"It looks like the eastern door, there, was forced - maybe by a crowbar."
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Marra confirms what Holman said about the Aspis and Kobolds, she adds "It seems like everyone at Fort Bandu has head of the Golden Guardian, but most don't knows anything substantial. the stories range from local boogeyman to immortal or not a living creature. The stories have been circulated for centuries."
Taking a breath before continuing "There are a few, that believe it is a gold dragon, while others say it is probably a living statue, a golden machine, or a god-like entity. the only thing the locals are unanimous about is that only a special weapon lost to antiquity can defeat the Golden Guardian."
Standing at the entrance, the small halfling studies the walls "Quite plain by dwarven standards, they must have built it in a hurry 3,000 years ago."
Summing a set of dancing lights, Marra sends them in ahead to light the room and points out the easternmost door that looks like it has been damaged by being pried open with a crowbar. "Looks like someone else has been here."
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Pitbull notes the damage caused by the crowbar.
"I'll check"
She moves forward and starts gently but purposefully checking the air around the eastern door and the point at which it was forced.
Begin tracking by scent.
Survival/Tracking
Track
+2 if it is a caused by a creature classed as human.
Asbo follows along to guard.