The mural depicts a fireball with long, trailing streaks descending from the sky.
The mural depicts two dwarves locked in battle. One of them has long, braided hair while the other is bald.
The mural depicts four complex symbols arranged on the four points of a compass rose slanted slightly to the right.
The mural depicts rolling hills with dark gray, rocky soil, punctuated with veins of gold. A vine covered in lavender flowers crushes a giant lizard like a constricting serpent.
The mural depicts a map with many rooms, some crude, others skillfully carved and rich in detail.
The mural depicts a dwarf with his eyes cast to the ground and his hand held against his chest.
The mural depicts a demonlike creature with horns and wings.
The mural depicts a humanoid with bulbous eyes and bowed legs.
The mural depicts a dwarf whose weapons and armor are made of wood and stone rather than metal. His skin bears numerous simple tattoos, and several bright feathers adorn his beard.
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"Fair enough." Meredith stares long and hard at most of the murals.
The mural depicts four complex symbols arranged on the four points of a compass rose slanted slightly to the right.
The mural depicts a map with many rooms, some crude, others skillfully carved and rich in detail.
The mural depicts a dwarf with his eyes cast to the ground and his hand held against his chest.
"Hey, Denair. Help me with these- especially these nature focused ones." Meredith muses as she focuses on three of the murals.
"Oh! I can help!" Denair scoots alongside Meredith and looks at the murals.
The mural depicts four complex symbols arranged on the four points of a compass rose slanted slightly to the right.
The mural depicts rolling hills with dark gray, rocky soil, punctuated with veins of gold. A vine covered in lavender flowers crushes a giant lizard like a constricting serpent.
The mural depicts a map with many rooms, some crude, others skillfully carved and rich in detail.
"Oh, I get it! This is Ashkurhall, that's where we are now. Their uh... architecture improved over time. You chiseled more stone, I guess."
The mural depicts a dwarf with his eyes cast to the ground and his hand held against his chest.
"Oh that poor dwarf! He's so skinny! He got a disease that killed him, he must be in the later stages."
The mural depicts a demonlike creature with horns and wings.
"Oh hey, another gargoyle! Do you know their appearance changes over time to match their habitat? I mean, the surrounding architecture?"
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The first several murals are beyond Laiashi's knowledge, so she follows the lead of her allies. However, she recognizes what's happening in the third. "That's a duergar, a deep dwarf. Their goal is to enslave all the normal dwarves."
"That southern symbol," she says when they approach the fourth mural. "It looks the same as the one on the talisman, or close enough."
She doesn't recognize the next two, but she notices something in the seventh. "He's got some kind of disease. Fatal, from the look of it. See how much weight he's lost?"
The ninth mural is immediately recognizable to all of them. "A gillman! We've been dealing with a local tribe of them. Not surprising they'd be involved here."
"I've heard of those dwarves," she says of the final painted figure. "They're called the Taralu. They worship totems of dragons and their own ancestors. There aren't that many of them."
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The mural depicts a dwarf with his eyes cast to the ground and his hand held against his chest.
** spoiler omitted **
Willem looks around at the images, each one as odd as the next. He could read a man's face up close and in person, but ancient drawings eluded him. What does it matter? He thinks. We have the talisman and none of these are true nobles.
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The mural depicts a humanoid with bulbous eyes and bowed legs.
** spoiler omitted **
Willem listened to the others explain what they could figure out. He recognized the gillmen, especially since the drawing looked like the one that gave him attitude earlier. "I've heard of the Quest for Sky, but alas my knowledge of Dwarven history is not as keen as others."
The Golden Guardian nods approvingly. “You truly are the worthy bearers of the talisman, so I shall tell you a story that Sigrin of Ashkurhall, the founder of this place, once told me.
“Long ago, when Sigrin’s father ruled as king, the dwarves rose from the depths and built a citadel so mighty that even a titan would gaze upon it in awe. Centuries later, a shower of stars rained upon a land not far from the dwarven hold. The dwarves marched to investigate. They found many wonderful things, the greatest of which was the mysterious artifact they named the Sky Key.
“But dark times soon followed, for their cousins from the underworld fell upon the dwarven citadel. Caught unprepared, the dwarves knew they could not hold off against the siege. The king ordered all but his most trusted guards to leave, and stayed behind to buy his people time to escape. Before Sigrin and her three siblings left to lead the dwarves to safety, the king gave each of them a piece of the Sky Key, and kept one for himself. The dwarves traveled far and wide, but the dangerous journey across the unknown land caused rifts in their clan. One by one, the king’s children went their separate ways, each taking a piece of the key and a part of the clan. Sigrin’s dwarves made their way to this continent, and though they found it quite inhospitable, they pressed on. After much searching, they found gold and started building this place. Their prosperity grew with each passing decade.”
Grinning, the Guardian continues, “That’s when I entered the picture. We didn’t get along at first, but I came to realize they were decent people, who appreciated stone and gold as much as I did.
“Their luck did not last, however. A sickness came over the dwarves, and the survivors were too few in number to continue their lineage. Rather than slowly die out here, they chose to leave. However, they wanted someone to watch over this place. They chose me. Sigrin went to her grippli allies and gave them her piece of the key. Where the dwarves were going, they couldn’t hold onto their memories and traditions. I think Sigrin made up a monstrous story about me—I probably deserved it,” the Guardian says with a grin, “but the story was to protect this place and the piece of the key.”
The Guardian stares at the last mural for a long time. “The dwarves left to join their cousins who lived in the jungle to the east. They never came back.”
"Oh no..." Denair seems lost. "That's terrible."
"Raiders enjoyed defiling my forest. They would pour all sorts of weird potions and stuff into the ponds, they would hunt more than they needed to- they would even start fires. Plus they weren't kind at all to the people who were nice- like the Boss here." She gives a sideways glance to Meredith.
"When they poisoned my home tree and razed the Boss's home, she gave me a chance to see the world and a chance to be free. I guess they wanted you to be a gargoyle to scare people off? You must get lonely out here, the kobolds worship you but they don't really converse with you, huh?" Denair scuttles up the guardian and looks at it in the eye.
"What can I-we do to help you? I know we have to get the Sharrowsmith guy here out but you need help, too!"
Meredith is surprised with Denair's initiative, but ultimately agrees with her sincerity. Besides, it just felt right.
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"That's so... sad." Laiashi looks from the Guardian to the last mural. "I'm sure there are dwarves in the Society who would be very interested in repopulating this place. If you like."
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The Guardian nods solemnly at your kind offers of alliance and aid, and begins to respond, but he is suddenly cut off as one of the kobolds from before bursts through the large doors leading into the temple, staggering and bloody from numerous wounds across his body. The kobold collapses wordlessly, but is soon followed by more of its fellows, a couple of which pick up their fallen comrade and carry him toward the northeast corner of the temple. As they move through the tunnel, they shout up to the Guardian, "More intruders! They attacked us!" Though you can see that the kobolds are badly injured, they also shout excitedly about how their traps slowed the enemies and how Stinkeye, your basilisk buddy, chewed on one man's legs while he turned another to stone!
With all the excitement, the Golden Guardian turns to you and pleads, "Friends of Ashkurhall, prove your friendship now and defend this place from these violent intruders. Redeem the violence you have done against these kobolds. I shall also join the fray!"
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Laiashi bites back the urge to point out that the kobolds attacked first, and nods. She pulls out her hand crossbow and loads the weapon.
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Just as the Pathfinders finish preparing for the oncoming fight, a large jungle cat comes rushing into the room, followed by a half-orc woman carrying a deadly-looking axe and two men dressed largely in crudely stitched animal hides. The half-orc woman looks around the room as she enters, spots Willem and Dolomite on the stairs, and shouts to the leopard, "Sic 'em, girl!"
Wave 1
Wave 2
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"Oh I don't think you want to do that," Laiashi says, flash-heating her bolt as she moves forward.
+1 fire
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"Oh look, another kitty. Leopard? Jaguar?...bobcat?"
Denair recognizes the cat as a leopard, and a particularly ferocious one at that, though the kobolds’ defenses did their part to wear the animal down a bit. Laiashi does her part too, as her bolt pierced the cat’s haunches.
The leopard is quick to respond, however, and it rushes up the steps to claw at Dolamite.
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Meredith uses the last of her strong magic to cast Shield on Denair. "Hop down there and flank 'em! I'll need some more time..." Meredith begins running across the platform. She draws a potion of Spider Climb along the way...
Meredith casts a spell to add to Denair's defenses and prepares to make her own approach into combat.
Meanwhile, the half-orc warrior charges up to join the fray, and one of the poachers moves further into the room to fire at Meredith as she stands open on the walkway. As the attackers spread throughout the temple, they shout and jeer at you all, "Die, Pathfinders! Haha! Long live the Aspis Consortium!"
After firing his shot at Meredith, he drops the crossbow and draws a hand axe, brandishing the blade at the Pathfinders.
"Miss!" Denair yelps as Meredith runs past the bolt.
Willem's blade bites into the half-orc warrior's shoulder, but she sneers at him as her blood begins to flow from this fresh wound. "Please, boy, you call that a cut? I, Kamektah the Huntress, will show you what a true wound looks like!"
While Willem waits in anticipation of that attack, the final poacher follows his companion's lead and moves further into the room. He raises his crossbow as he clears the stone ledge bordering the stairs up to the walkway and fires at Laiashi.
The bolt flies wide of its target and skitters off of the far wall. Cursing, the poacher drops the crossbow and draws and hand axe from his belt as well.
Denair crawls to the edge of the platform and jumps off, trying to keep her balance.
Denair faceplants.
"Ow." She stands up, cracked bark falling off of her. "That didn't go right...really wish I could climb."
Dolomite strikes twice at the leopard, and, though his first attack doesn't hit the mark, he manages to make contact with the second punch, and knocks the cat unconscious. Calling upon his reserves of energy and will, he makes yet another attack, this time directed at Kamektah, and he hits the barbarian, injuring her badly.
To make matters worse for Kamektah, Jann strides forward and issues a magically empowered command.
She freezes in place, and looks as if she will fall flat on her face as soon as she is able to act.
Laiashi's bolt, though guided to its target with the help of Irori's blessing, does not quite pierce the target Aspis mercenary's hide armor.