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Periyotro's hands are itching to unleash their blast of fire, but he decides otherwise. G'Boar seems like a decent fellow now, but He probably doesn't like fire. Better he stays on my team. Taha!
Instead, Periyotro takes a step back and resorts to the simplest of magics. He launches an orb of acid at the man in front of him.
Inner Courtyard - Round 1 - concluded
Coming to the open courtyard entrance and seeing the tiger-headed men attacking his friends, Mordan slings his chakram, but it caroms off the corner of the entrance, and missing entirely.
Squeezing past the barbarian, Hikari is just able to get into the action but cannot get an attack off this round.
End of Round 1
Inner Courtyard - Round 2
20 G'Boar
20 Tiger Monk 2
13 Bapak
11 Tiger Monk 1 (2hp dmg)
10 Mordran
8 Hikari
G'Boar drops his bow, now that the enemy has closed and whips out his greatsword. The big weapon is a bit unwieldy in the tight space and the first stroke is clumsy and easily avoided by the nimble tiger-monk.
Still flanking, Tiger-Monk 2 makes an open-handed chop at G'Boar, combined with a round kick. The burly ranger avoids all the quick attacks, parrying with his blade and fore-arm.
Bapak again considers immolating the tiger-monks, but since the flames would like burn his comrade, he instead conjures an orb of acid, flinging it accurately at Monk 1, burning his flesh slightly.
Burned and arrow shot, Tiger-head Monk 2 steps toward Bapak and unleashes an unnaturally loud and realistic sounding roar, which is intended to frighten the foe.
Inner Courtyard - Round 2 - concluded
The tiger-man's roar is enough to fill Bapak with dread, making any actions he takes harder to complete.
Nearby, Mordan attacks the second tiger monk, but again is unable to land a blow.
Hikari rushes in and also swings at the other enemy monk, unarmed. Her chop is blocked by the tiger monk however, and no damage occurs.
End of Round 2
Inner Courtyard - Round 3
20 G'Boar
20 Tiger Monk 2
13 Bapak (shaken)
11 Tiger Monk 1 (3hp dmg)
10 Mordran
8 Hikari
Inner Courtyard - Round 3 - continued
G'Boar sends another massive swing of his longsword at the tiger-monk, but the nimble foe continues to dodge attacks and stay out of trouble.
From his flanking position, the animistic monk attacks the shaken Bapak with a flurry of blows but none of his martial arts moves are able to land against the crafty wayang caster.
Inner Courtyard - Round 3 - continued
Finding himself surrounded by scary tiger-men with flying feet, Periyotro chooses discretion over valor and high-tails it behind his more meaty companions.
Tiger-Monk 1, face to face with Mordan, the half-orc, emits another ear-splitting roar tyring to cow the barbarian into submission.
Inner Courtyard - Round 3 concluded
Even shaken by the tiger roar, Mordan is able to score a hit with one of his weapons, felling the first monk, who was already wounded. His second weapon attack misses.
Hikari faces down the remaining monk, attacking with her open-handed chop, but he cannily avoids her once again.
End of Round 3
Inner Courtyard - Round 4
20 G'Boar
20 Tiger Monk 2
13 Bapak
10 Mordran (shaken)
8 Hikari
Inner Courtyard - Round 4 - continued
G'Boar takes a deep breath and swings again at the solitary monk, but again the nimble tiger-man dodges the blade.
This time he aims a return leg kick combination at G'Boar in retaliation. While one kick misses, the other lands with a rib-crunching impact, knocking the air from the ranger's lungs.
Trying to turn the tables, Bapak shouts intimidating words at the adversary, who seems cowed by the situation and the numbers arrayed against him.
Inner Courtyard - Round 4 - concluded
Raging and barely in control of his own actions, Mordan slices and dices the remaining tiger-monk, ending the fight with an incredible display of destructive force.
End of Combat
Seeing the power of G'Boar, Hikari tends to his wounds immediately knowing he is the front line of this group. He gently prods his wounds wiht a healing wand, saying the magic word to release a bolt of positive energy coursing through the subjects.
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"Yes, yes. Very well done. I think we handled that very well," says Periyotro, preferring to forget that he didn't have a large part in the fighting.
He joins in searching the bodies for clues and then checks the fake Wayfinder again for the location of the scepter? "Up?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
This open courtyard is paved with flagstones and relatively free of debris. Statues ring the central open area, each depicting a tiger-headed man in a martial arts stance. Behind the statues are four sets of stairs. The stairs to the north descend into darkness, and stairs on the south side once led upward but have collapsed in a heap.
The balconies on the south side have fallen in completely leaving little more than heaps of rubble. Intact stairs descend into the basement.
The needle of the enchanted wayfinder seems to indicate the stolen goods are behind you, but it doesn't take elevation into account.
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Periyotro's brow creases with thought and dismay at his mistake. "Yes, yes. Of course we go down. That's what I said, right? No loitering. Up, up." To Mordan he adds in a calmer tone. "The compass doesn't show distance, but it should be down there somewhere. We seem to have passed it, so it shouldn't be too far."
Periyotro then tries to herd the others down the stairs ahead of himself.
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G'Boar, composite longbow in hand, will ease down the steps, eyes keen for traps, being as stealthy as possible.
-Posted with Wayfinder
The stairs descend into a large basement room that has been set up as a workshop. Four workbenches are covered with odd tools. Three men and one woman work at the benches, each chained in place by a heavy iron collar.
Two thug guards, armed and dressed similarly to the group that ambushed you in the woods, stand guard over the prisoners. The guards turn to you and shout "Leave now! Intruders are not allowed down here. That's it, off with you!"
Workshop - Round 1
23 Bapak
22 Hikari
14 Mordan
13 Monk
12 White Thug
12 Red Thug
10 G'Boar
Bapak, seeing another fight brewing looks to even the odds by putting one of the guards under his control. The man's eyes glaze over, and he turns slowly to face the wayang magician wait for a command.
Hikari leaps into the fray, striking at the guard with an open hand chop to the neck but the guard is able to lunge out of the way at the last moment.
Workshop - Round 1 - continued
Hustling into the melee, Mordan is taken aback when Hikari blocks his path to the enemy. He asks her to move, then readies to swing at the revealed enemy if she does.
Stirred to action by the sound of fighting, another tiger-headed monk races from the hall near where Mordan and Hikari are locked in combat. He tries to slip past Hikari but fails and the warpriest drives a fist at the man's feline face, but he slips past her unscathed.
White Thug calls out "We didn't ask for a fight, we just asked you to leave." and takes a total defense stance against the onslaught.
Red Thug, charmed by Bapak's magic, stands sullenly, waiting for commands.
Finally, G'Boar's shot, which started all this ruckus fires, and he strikes the White Thug, even though he was on the defensive. The man spins around from the force of the shot, and falls, an arrow in lodged between his ribs.
End of Round 1
Workshop - Round 2
23 Bapak
22 Hikari
14 Mordan (readied action)
13 Monk
12 Red Thug (charmed)
10 G'Boar
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"You didn't ask for a fight, but you got one anyway," Periyotro says cheerfully. "Here's a new suggestion. You leave now, and you'll still be alive tonight." He includes the charmed guard with a gesture, urging the man to take the stairs up and flee.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Workshop - Round 2 - continued
Bapak orders his charmed subject to flee the area, and the man complies, his eyes still glassy and glazed. That leaves just the tiger-headed monk. Hearing the words from the wayang arcanist makes the man cower a bit despite his impressive headgear.
Hikari delays, waiting for the mighty barbarian to step up and cleave the monk in two.
Workshop - Round 2 - concluded
Mordan has seen enough tiger-headed fools to last a while. Stepping around Hikari he swings his axe overhead, and cleaves the monk nearly in two with the mighty blow. The poor unarmored man dies instantly.
End of Combat
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Periyotro looks at the dead guards with a satisfied look., brushing some dust off of his robes. "Most efficient, yes? Excellent work."
He then turns to the chained people at the benches, pointing a finger at the woman. "You. What can you tell us about this place? Who are you?" While listening he searches the remaining guard for a key to free them.
The chained and bound female wizard quavers under the question from the wayang arcanist. She bows her head, broken, and refuses to answer. Another captive, speaks up. "We are held here against our will. As you can see by the chains. Zamir makes us break down these minor magic items into their components and reagents for easy smuggling off the island. It is a Aspis Consortium method that he learned from that nefarious group. Our lives, meager as they may be, are at risk if we do not comply. Please free us, and let us be away from this cursed place."
They are kept chained to the workbenchs via an iron collar, and are even required to sleep on the floor near their workspace. They have little information to share about the rest of the complex or about Zamir.
The search of the area turns up a small iron box filled with a few gold pieces (the monetary reward for this act in old PFS)
As soon as they are freed, the captive wizards look around expecting some sort of trick or punishment. When none is forthcoming they cautiously proceed to the stairs. When still no one comes for them, they bolt up the stairs as fast as they can.
The areas north and south of the workshop are single cells where monks once had their housing area. Only a few show signs of occupation, likely by the tiger-headed monks or Zamir's goons. There is nothing more of value or interest here, leaving through the open archway to explore.
Moving carefully through the archway, you see the large room beyond is relatively clean and empty. A few racks on the walls contain wooden training weapons, and targets and straw dummies stand here and there. A strange wooden statue stands at the front of a large alcove in the south wall. It has three tiger faces on its head, each facing a different direction, and six arms. The statue's hands hold a variety of weapons: sai, quarterstaff, nunchaku, siangham, and kama. Behind the statue, in the back of the alcove, is a large wooden door.
The walls of the large room still hold the patches and remnants of a large fresco painting, but not enough remains to determine the subject matter. Weapon racks hold a variety of practice weapons.
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Periyotro stops his search of the guard's body when magic items are mentioned. "Ah, interesting yes?" While the wizard continues to explain, Periyotro stand on his toes at one of the benches, looking for what interesting magical trinkets there might be. "Yes, yes. Of course you may go. Off with you." More magic for me. Haha.
Periyotro snatches up some of the interesting items and reagents , having mostly forgotten about the captives. "Let us move on, yes?"
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"What is this, now? A training dummy? A tiger totem, for worship? Very strange... Or maybe it's a trap."
Periyotro steps closer to investigate the statue.
From the distance he stands, the curious wayang cannot see anything else unusual about the wooden tiger statue.