Thirsty lets rip a savage roar of fury as the creature bites his charge. Then he slaps at the thing with one paw and rips into it with his other claw. Finally he returns the favor and sinks his teeth into it.
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Luurg runs over, standing defensively over the Baron. Selima makes her way down and towards the battle as quickly as she can, calling magical protection on herself. Thirsty tears deep gashes into the creature's flank. Raevin jumps down from the machan, landing on his feet but getting some wind knocked from him. Rogar similarly jumps down from half-way down the ladder. He reaches the beast and cleaves deeply into the back of the beast. As it rears up to scream in rage and pain, Uesugi moves up and decapitates the creature with one smooth swing of his katana.
Baron Bomande lets out a scream of frustration. "No! The revenge is mine!" With his broken ribs still grinding against each other, and blood gushing down his leg from the vicious bite on his thigh, the Baron pushes himself up with his musket as a crutch. With angry tears streaming down his face, he loads the musket rapidly and fires it into the carcass of the creature.
*BOOM* "This is for Omari!"
*BOOM* "This is for Jawar!"
*BOOM* "And this is for Ruban!"
The Baron then collapses back onto the floor. He muttering under his breath as tears continue to flow, "Farewell, my old friends. The deed is done."
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Luurg staggers to the side as the Baron struggles to his feet under him and unloads his musket in an emotional barrage into the headless creature. "You gots him Baron, your friends be happy now. Spirits can smile you know dat right? Dey smilin now."
Luurg then pulls out a crooked applewood stick "You hurt bad, lemme fix dem bones n holes wid dis apple stick. Nice Orc lady at da Lodge say it work just like apples." He lets out a loud belch and touches it to the leg wound The leg wound closes up leaving just an impressive looking scar.
"OO dat work gud! Even give you sweet scar to show off and 'member friends wid." Luurg lifts up his chain 'belly' shirt to show off a number of wicked looking scars himself. "Deez all have 'memries of friends and family. Dose friends and family spirits help protect me. You's friends help protect you now too."
He then belches again and touches the wand to the Baron's ribs hearing them grind and snap back into place. "You feel much bedder? Time to go rest."
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As the Baron avenges his friends on the creature, Gallix makes his way forward and lays a hand on the man's shoulder. "You did well, Baron. Your friends can be at peace, and you can take home a new trophy for your collection. Now, let's get back up into the machans. Somehow I doubt this thing is the only beast worth our concern in this part of the jungle."
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With the magic from Luurg’s wand, the Baron’s wounds visibly knit together, although not completely. However, he is largely oblivious to the healing or to the comforting words from Luurg and Gallix, or the business-like proclamation from Rogar. A short time later, his tears stop and he gets up unsteadily to his feet, climbs up a machan with Luurg and Gallix’s help, and collapses into a coma-like sleep. After the night’s excitement, you also join in to rest for the night.
Next morning, however, Baron Bomande appears to be man reborn. He carries a faint smile on his face and, despite his limp, there’s a certain bounce in his step. He first approaches Uesugi, and pats his shoulder. ”I am aware of my behaviour last night. My anger was wrongly directly at you, for in my clouded mind, you had stolen my rightful revenge. However, if not for you and your party, I would have been slain and would have joined my friends. Rather, I should thank you and your friends, for ending the scourge of this beast, and putting my ghosts finally to rest. It feels like a load off!” He pauses here and smiles, recalling something, and continues, more to himself, ”I had a dream last night. We were at the hunting lodge…” Turning to Luurg and Gallix, he adds. ”And thank you for taking care of me last night. I was not in the best of shape, and I am glad for my new friends to have been there.”
He steps back and addresses the whole party. ”Come, though. Master Rogar is right. It is past time that we be on our way. Do you wish to join Falroun at the lodge first or head straight for the lost temple you Pathfinders are looking for? This area is dominated by large freshwater swamps, and you can lose your way easily. If you would have a decrepit old soldier, I am more than happy to join you. I dare say I know the terrain here very well. It’s the least I can do to repay you.” Based on your few days with the Baron, you do acknowledge that he is likely a better outdoorsman than any of you.
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The dauntless Baron Bomande gamely leads you through the large seemingly impassable swamp. The mud at times comes up to your knee. Rogar has to pick up Ivar at times, while Thirsty is often chest-high in mud. Luurg appears to be in his element though.
Suddenly, the Baron stops, and you hear him utter, "Wait a minute. This doesn't look right..."
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Luurg appears very relieved the Baron seems to be in better spirits in the morning. "Good sleep good fer body and mind. Help make tings much better. Dat and a good solid poop after wake up time."
When Rogar accepts the Baron's invitation to lead the group through the swamp Luurg gets a slight nervous look on his face. "Uuuh sure ting Baron, lead on.."
Luurg will happily slog on through the mud and muck, laughing heartily when the Baron gets a face full of spider webs as he leads. "Worst part 'bout being in da lead.. you get all dem spiders webs!" Luurg trudges along, large pack on his back, and is always quick to help anyone that seems to be getting stuck. He is tireless, never stops to take a break, never sounds out of breath. When the party stops for a rest he spends his time looking about for tasty viddles and checking to see that they are going in the right direction.
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”Hmm, I think it’s this way,” the Baron intones, and walks into a yet another spider web. As he is scrapping it off his face, Rogar spots that he is about to step into a deep pool of water and quickly pulls him back just when his foot enters. ”Ah, thank you for that. That was careless of me.” He looks up, turned around after that ordeal. Luurg nudges him the way that he had been heading. ”Ah yes, this way!” After that, the Baron confidently leads you out of the swamp, and by late afternoon, you come to a small clearing with what appears to be a set of stone steps leading up to some standing ruins.
The site is almost completely overgrown by vegetation, and only bits and pieces of its brown sandstone exterior are visible from the outside. You can see that the weight of the massive roof and the passage of centuries have caused the ceiling to collapse near the building’s centre. The areas of the temple still standing are about 20 feet high. From the entrance, you can see that the interior is dimly lit by light pouring in from through the encrusted vegetation. All in all, the complex looks quite small, only about 100 feet by 50 feet.
”Whew, for a while, I thought we would never get out of that swamp!” Despite the experience, Baron Bomande is still in good spirits from this morning. ”A Vudrani lost temple, eh? Well, this is Pathfinder business now. This is now your hunt. I’ll wait at the entrance for you. I think it would be safer here. Holler if you need me. I’ll do the same.” The Baron lounges at the bottom of the stairs, holding onto his musket, and taking in the sights of the jungle.
With that your party climbs up the steps and enter the main chamber, entering from the south. Columns line the walls of this small room, each decorated with a high-relief carving of a monkey in a different pose. Some of the monkey sculptures sit serenely in meditation or reach out with their hands as if to deliver blessings to the viewer, while others adopt more naturalistic poses. The floor is littered with decaying plant matter and mud, and the stench of rotting muck pervades the area. An open archway lead deeper into the temple.
Just as you enter, however, 3 human women burst from the northern archway. They are slightly taken aback when they see you. Two are dressed in chain shirts, flanking the remainder who is lightly dressed and covered with exotic tattoos. The two at the sides put down the sacks they were holding and draw their axes. The woman in the centre smirks at you, and exclaims haughtily, ”Small time looters, are you? Get out of the way or you would face the wrath of my magic!”
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"Your voice betrays you. I do not know who you are or your business here but count our numbers. Before you finish whatever wu jen trickery is at your disposal you would be torn down by this tiger and your friends would be only slightly better after the rest of us finished them off. Leave this place and threaten us no more or your words will ring in your head as your last breath flees from your mouth. If I draw my blade and you have not left then their will be no mercy given here." Uesugi's hands move to the handle of his katana and he eyes the woman with a steely gaze.
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As the group advances up the stairs, Rogar uses his Wayfinder to cast Light on his belt buckle before drawing his axe and shield.
"Listen here, missy, I don't know who you think you are, but you're messin' with the wrong people here! Now, just hand over your ill-gotten loot, and leave this to the grown-ups, eh?"
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Gallix is thoroughly unamused by the trek through the swamp, and his boots feel heavy and damp as he squelches toward the temple. As the party enters and faces the others he eyes them warily, particularly the tattooed woman.
Her reference to her magical powers puts him slightly on edge, and he decides to remain quiet while the others do their best to counter her threats with their own.
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Faced down by your entire party, you notice that the two armored women are looking quite uncertain behind their helmets. The tattooed woman starts shaking, and blurts out in a quavering voice, her previous bravado forgotten, "Fine, fine! Take these! These are all we found. We just want get out of here." She keeps looking back the way she came from, and you realise that her fear is not primarily of you.
"Please, let us go! You can have whatever is here in this accursed temple!"
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"I ... I ... I'm not certain. Demons. Evil. Horns. Small, but deadly. How many, I'm not certain. They hide and fire their arrows on us. From everywhere, it seems," she stammers in reply, still looking back over her shoulder.
"Please, we just want to go..."
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Luurg rubs his belly as they shoo away the pillagers. "Not sure, dey seem to be happy to leave quick. Mebe we shud ask Baron. I wanted to make sure dem ladies not bother him on da way out. If someting happen to him here bossman back home be real mad. Baron a bossman back here, dat gud for us. When bossmen all happy den dey make us happy, much beer monies!"
Luurg and Uesugi will be sure to check on the Baron and ask him about the creatures the women described.
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Baron Bomande stands up hastily when Luurg and Uesugi escorts the three woman out of the temple. Looking at the five of you, he quickly sizes up the situation and hefts up his musket, ready to provide support. He joins the two of you to watch the failed looters flee from the temple into the thickness of the jungle.
"No worries about me, Goodman Luurg. I'm sure your bossman would be most pleased with how you have taken care of Falroun and I," he assures Luurg. "So, looks like some looters did get ahead of us, eh? But looks like you sent them off packing with their tails between their legs! And I didn't even hear any sounds of battle! Well done!" He stops to listens to the descriptions of the supposed-demons from Luurg and Uesugi, but he frowns and shakes his head. "Does not sound like any monkeys I've encountered or even heard of in these jungles. You be careful in there."
Luurg and Uesugi rejoin the party in the temple, who are going through the contents of the sacks. You find in there a coral pendant in the shape of monkey (worth 70 gp), six jeweled tiles worth 5 gp each, and what seems to be an apple made of solid gold!
A: You pass through the open archway to the north where the looters came from. A mosaic of a monkey-faced figure decorates the floor of this room, though the tiles that would form its eyes are missing. The north end of the room is filled with rubble blocking an arched passageway and is impassable. To the west, vines and foliage intrude into the temple through an open-air balcony, while a similar balcony to the east remains relatively clear of plant life. With that being the only clear path, the party exits the temple to the east.
B: A narrow path extends between the exterior wall of the temple and the thick web of vines and tree branches that cover the temple’s walls. At the end of the path, a small open-air balcony lead back into the temple.
C: As soon as you enter back the temple from the east, your eyes are drawm to a 20-foot-tall, high-relief sculpture of a mountain which dominates the north end of this large chamber, almost reaching the ceiling. A statue of a figure now missing its head sits in the lotus position at the mountain’s peak, while smaller statues of monkey-faced pilgrims rest on ledges farther down the mountain. Shattered pieces of yet more monkey statues litter the floor. The hallway continues to the west and leads to a balcony overrun by foliage.
Ivar pauses and whines, sniffing the air, as he seems to have smelt something strange. He looks up at Rogar for instructions, but before anyone else can react, two tiny arrows fly from near the top of the mountain sculpture, heading for Selima and Raevin! Both easily find their marks, although the arrow that hits Raevin barely pierces his skin.
That is when you spot two tiny humanoids hiding amongst the many small statues . They have bodies of well-muscled men, crowns of frilled horns, and eyes that glow like rubies. They are wielding tiny longbows, smiling maliciously at you.
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"Dems no monkies! Dem ladies not kiddin, look at da beedy little eyes!" Luurg ducks as an arrow whistles past his ear and sinks into Selima. "Oops! Time to get to werk!" Luurg quickly takes a pineapple and tears out a large chunk with his teeth and swallows it down with a juicy slurp. You swear you see a ghostly pineapple hovering in front of Luurg like a translucent wall of fruity goodness. He then smiles, tosses the remnants to the ground and begins climbing up the wall after the creatures, his spear on his back.
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As Gallix moves through the ruined temple, he pulls a small leather journal and charcoal stylus from a case at his hip and begins recording some rudimentary notes about the site.
We continued through the complex and witnessed some of the interesting architectural features unique to this religion's holy sites. The floor of one room bore intricate mosaics depicting monkeys. Their eyes were missing, but we concluded that the tiles the looters had in their haul might have belonged in those places.
A quick path leading around the outside of the temple brought us into another room with a massive sculpture of a mountain. A headless statue, probably the deity presiding over the temple, sits at the peak, while other monkey statues are scattered around the rest of the mountain. The...
As Ivar begins whining and nudging his master, Gallix looks up from his note-taking and stows his journal. "What's wrong, Rogar?" Suddenly, the arrows strike Raevin and Selima, and Gallix turns to see the creatures crouched atop the mountain. He turns toward the structure and begins to move up.
As Gallix moves toward the mountain, he spots the statues and other details carved into the structure and determines that he should be able to move up quickly. He throws caution to the wind and begins ascending the slope.
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Uesugi focuses his attention in the initial round ascending the slope of the faux mountain. Rogar's javelin flies true, although not hitting a critical spot, but still leaves a deep gash in one of the asura's side. However, its body seems to naturally resist the weapon, and even worse, its wounds start to close almost immediately. Ivar dashes across the room and up the slope, reaching the summit. After gaining the protection of the wholesome pineapple, Luurg similarly starts ascending. Gallix, like Uesugi, clambers up the slope and reaches the top. Just then, Raevin summons a sphere of glittering dust to settle around the two asuras. However, they both avert their eyes in time, and shake off the effects.
Ivar - 20ft
Luurg - 10ft
Gallix - 20ft
Not liking the horde coming up the mountain all around them, the two asuras stow their longbows, deftly climbs up the statue at the top of the mountain to ascend to the ceiling, and dextrously cross the room on it like spiders! They then draw their bows again, cackling maniacally at you.
Their amusement is short-lived, however, when suddenly the entire temple reverberates with the wrathful screeches of monkeys that seem to originate from nowhere in particular. One thing certain though is that the screeching is converging to where you are! The two of them starts looking around uncertainly.
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Both Gallix and Ivar successful attack one of the asuras as they attempt to scuttle away, although like Rogar's attack earlier, it seems to easily resist most of the damage.
Ivar stares forlornly at his two targets, circling at the top of the mountain uncertain how to proceed. Both Rogar and Raevin attempt to hit the asuras with ranged weapons but they unfortunately fall short, clattering to the floor harmlessly.
The screeches of the monkeys get louder!
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Uesugi looks at the group scattered about room. The sound of the monkeys is deafening as it grows closer and Uesugi wonders if these monkeys are the actual real threat. "Find a defensible position and stay close to one another" is the only thing he can think to say and climbs up to the landing where the orc named Luurg and the barbarian are standing. He almost loses his grip but pulls himself up and then draws his blade. We have a habit of facing wu jen trickery all the time barbarian. Let us hope the monkeys that come do not see us as enemy.
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"You're right about that, Uesugi," Gallix replies. "Hopefully they see the asuras as the real problem and us as helping to find the solution."
When he hears Raevin call out about the demons' weakness to cold iron, Gallix pulls out his cold iron dagger and impatiently bounces it in his hand, feeling the weight of the small blade. "Haven't used this in a fight since before I came to the Society. Hopefully I still remember how." He pauses and listens to the oncoming screeches of the monkeys. "I tell you what, though, I don't like the feel of this place. Better be ready for whatever comes. Good thing I brought my smokes with me." The brawler reaches into a small pocket on his shirt and pulls out a thin, red-tipped cigarette. He puts the cigarette between his lips, pinches the red tip at the end hanging from his mouth, and snaps his fingers. A spark suddenly lights at the end of the cig, and a thin string of deep red smoke begins to drift up from the end. Gallix inhales deeply, holds his breath and closes his eyes for a moment, then releases his breath, opening his eyes, which seem somehow more vacant, but also more full of fury. His sleeveless shirt reveals the sudden growth of musculature along his arms, and his chest also seems to bulk up. He looks up at the asura nearest him, raises his knife in challenge, and screams in anger.