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For ages untold, a gemstone monolith has pierced the heart of the Echo Wood. Now, as civilization intrudes upon this enigmatic splinter, a strange life once again stirs in the depths—one with ties to undying evils and a might beyond time itself. The promise of wealth and power calls to glory-seekers from across the Inner Sea region, tempting them into a labyrinth of monster-haunted vaults, defiled tombs, arcane laboratories, and worse, as they seek to unveil the secrets locked below the legendary Emerald Spire.
As you emerge from the Echo Wood underbrush, you find yourselves staring up at a ruined keep guarding a broken central tower, all made of smooth, green glass. It’s obvious that a grand battle took place here many years ago, and the clearing around the ruin lies barren, with sickly weeds struggling to rise from the magic-blasted earth. Melted chunks of twisted glass pepper the ground, lending a green hue to the clearing’s light. Despite the damage, however, the glass of the keep itself seems to have avoided the ravages of time, with those pieces that survived the initial cataclysm unmarred by pitting or cracking, clean of moss and other clinging debris.
At the top of a steep dirt path winding up through the rubble, a doorway opens onto darkness, its entrance seeming to steal light into its inky depths.
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A dark green scaled humanoid steps over the rubble next to the open doorway. His scales reflex the light of a torch he holds on his right hand while he looks at the darkness inside.
Armed with a trident and a shield, and stuffed into a fine breastplate, his reptile tongue starts pronouncing some words "It seems we have finally find it. This should be the Emerald Spire we have been hearing about during the last months." looking at his stout companions, he looks around the place for any unnoticed danger.
As nothing is found, he places the torch in his shield sconce and retrieves his trident into the hand "Ok, let's explore this." bravely ready, he steps into the door, and looks at the darkness beyond eye to eye.
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A second scaled humanoid, with bright and dark stripes of green on his scales and bright yellow eyes follows. He's clearly not a combatant. "Let us proceed carefully!"
Ss'alat takes a twig he found lying about and casts a Light spell on it to act as a makeshift torch. He too looks around for anything that seems out of place in this tunnel. Alive or otherwise.
At Littlegoat's urging, Summit sniffs Alexandria, then licks her hand appreciatively and wags his tail.
"Woof."
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Elvis saunters over to Alexandria and bows gracefully. He is trailed by a large dog girded in Studded barding.
"Wonderful! A devout follower of Sarenrae! I do so love the people of your church. I have had the privilege of accompanying clerics of Sarenrae in previous missions and of course their healing is always the best. It is an honor to travel with you, milady. I am Elvis Bladderfell; however you may call me Littlegoat. As a boy I was picked on by other children because of the small horns you see on my head. They called me Littlegoat and I made the name my own. I assure you I am no demonspawn, so do not fear my allegiance."
He is interrupted by the large dog who snuffles at his back and bats Elvis' hand with his muzzle.
"Ahh where are my manners. This is my faithful steed, Summit. He too is well acquainted with the faithful of Sarenrae. Please allow him to introduce himself."
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As Xien looks around he doesn't see any immediate danger..but he does see that the path is well traveled and there might be creatures near by. You as a group also note that there's a broken staircase leading up to the ruins as well...which might be climbable with a little effort. And it might be possible to circle around the ruins if you go the other way.
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Shaking Elvis' hand, Ss'alat says "I cannot say I am a master of the arcane arts. As yet. I can influence the actions of others through magic. To our benefit, of course. Best to follow Xien. We do not want to become separated within this dark ruin."
Looking around at what he can see of the ruin: "Odd, this ruin. Clearly not delicate and brittle despite looking like it was made of glass."
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A bird-faced man in loose fitting, well worn clothing steps out of the underbrush. As if this were not surprising enough, he is followed closely by a winged dinosaur almost as big as he is.
I hope we're not late to the , party. Yagi Mi, I am named, and my companion Yiel-dan san. Deepest apologies, but your conversation is easily overheard from , afar.
At some unspoken nod from the tengu, the pterosaur eyes him with a cocked head at this comment.
I pray Gozreh that we may be of , tance.
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The imposing nagaji turns on hearing the bushes moving behind "Oh! It's you Yagi! We feared we could have lost you. Haven't known anything from you for a time. How was the exploration? Any other makable route? We have found this entrance this far. It seems that herbalist in Tornkeep was right. Here it is, the Emerald Spire at last!"
The nagaji waves his shield and the shadows dance deeper the path in the stone cave "Watch ahead, it seems there are creatures wandering around this old path. Perhaps we should go and check those stairs over there so we have more information before proceeding deeper."
Xien deviates a bit and tries out the stairs area.
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Sadly, we were delayed and unable to complete our , ting. If you will grant a moment, we will address the , see.
Yagi motions to the building with a circling motion and emits a series of clicks and chirps to Yiel-dan. The pterasaur squawks noisily and takes to the air with an ungainly "flumpf" of wings.
Yiel-dan circles the ruins and returns shortly at a whistle from Yagi.
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Yiel-dan circles the ruins and comes back, not giving any indication that he's spotted anything worth hunting outside.
At the same time Xien goes up the slope filled with rubble that leads to the now broken staircase and finds out it's relative easy for him to climb.
He doesn't spot anything, but is unable to take a look inside over the edge;
There's an unnatural darkness inside the entire building which sucks light into itself making it impossible for Xien to look what's inside the ruins.
Xien then makes his way back to the others to update them on his findings
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As the group walks by, a man sits on the edge of the path, crouched beside. Stepping out and up onto the path, the man turns and looks to the group and smiles, a slightly vicious look on his face. Had it not been for his embroidery on his tunic, it might be a problematic appearance, but the Mark of the Open Road and a Dark Archive in purple thread.
With a nod, he speaks, "I was hoping it would not be too long before the reinforcements arrived. I was sent to search for this place...but then I found out I was supposed to wait for others...by a less than thrilled voice in my head." He gives them a shrug.
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"There's a magical darkness effect in this ruins. I really hate that, but it will be difficult for us to not be surprised." following the path the Nagaji Paladin steps in the entrance of the ruins.
"I suggest, me or Elvis go in the front. Yagi can cover us in the back, and he can advance to recognise doors and new passages, he is probably the best scout we have and might even find some traps. What do you think."
Xien moves his torch in the shield sconce and tries to listen in the entrance area.
When Altus appears, Xien nods with his head "We were told you will be waiting here for us. Our adventuring team has had some difficulties to form up, but it seems we are finally complete. I am glad we finally found you. Have you found anything? That darkness inside makes it very difficult for us to explore this site."
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I'll just assume he will stay outside the ruins and not go inside
Yagi feeds a small morsel of some sort of dried meat to Yiel-dan and scritches him on the head, cooing a nonverbal "thank you".
To the party, he says,
What you see is what you , get. It's the path, or the , stairs. I suggest the path, but either way is , able.
He casts a wary eye at the vicious, possibly psychotic newcomer when suddenly, Yiel-dan rushes past him to rub his beak affectionately on Altus' leg.
Yiel-dan seems to like , you. Thus, so do , i.
To Xien, he says,
Your plan is , sound. If you grant a moment, Yiel-dan can be made to see in the , dark.
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Shaking his head. "I have had no problems seeing in the dark. I was raised in a basement...with no light sources, so darkness is not a problem for me. Also...I may not look well armed, but I can hold my own and see in the dark, so that might change your opinions. Failing that, I can be rear guard so that things do not sneak up on us."
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Oh my goodness you all act as if something will jump out at us and kill us right off. this can not take forever to search.
Being very impatient and not wanting to wait step by step the impenitent Alexandria forces her way to the from and to the next area without even thinking.
Are you all coming this is taking way too much time
Alexandria feels frustrated as everyone seems to be so careful.
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Ss'alat shrugs. "We may as well enter this one place. If there was an ambush set here, it would have been sprung already."
He keeps the twig with his own Light spell held aloft, and puts himself in between Alexandra and Xien, so he can still see both.
, he continues, it would also be unwise for us to spread ourselves too thin in this dense gloom."
Ss'alat tries to be alert for anything interesting or dangerous. Or both.
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As you are moving up the path and approaching the opening in the ruins without trying to cover your approach you are noticed by a guard sentry.
You can hear shouting from inside the ruins
Right after that a goblin on what looks like a naked dog appears from just inside the ruins and shoots an arrow in your general direction.
The goblin is wearing leather armor and has a horsechopper hanging from his hip. The creature he's riding on looks like: a mangy canine's face has the same flat nose, beady eyes, and protruding teeth as a rat grown grotesquely large.
A goblin dog's dander is highly irritating to all creatures save those with the goblinoid subtype. A non-goblinoid creature damaged by a goblin dog's bite, who deals damage to a goblin dog with a natural weapon or unarmed attack, or who otherwise comes into contact with a goblin dog (including attempts to grapple or ride the creature) must make a DC 12 Fortitude save or break out in an itching rash. A creature affected by this rash takes a –2 penalty to Dexterity and Charisma for 1 day (multiple allergic reactions do not stack). Remove disease or any magical healing removes the rash instantly. This is a disease effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.. More information will depend on check result
init
Ss'alat, Altus, xien, Elivs Litlegoat, Yagi
Goblin
Party
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Don't touch the dog unless you like , ching.
Yagi motions to his left and with a series of clicks and whistles , which sends Yiel-dan in a roundabout path to the goblin. Meanwhile, Yagi takes the opposite path with what appears to be a quarterstaff broken twice and connected by short chains. They both attack the goblin.
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Xien moves forward menacingly..clearly shaking the goblin (and the dog he rode in on)
Altus quickly moves forward
Ss'alat tries to daze the strange hairless dog
The dog just shakes his head a few times and then focuses again on the combat
Summit bounds forward into combat while Littlegoat slashes from his back hitting the goblin and drawing blood (assuming the target is the goblin here)
The goblin drops his bow and tries to slice Littlegoat back with his horsechopper
but his weapon glances harmlessly of Littlegoat's armor.
While his mount tries to bit Summit
but the animal is clearly still too shaken to be effective.
init
Party
Goblin
From the north some commotion can heard, it sounds like moving creatures