"I will ask for Sarenrae's forgiveness for banishing you from this plane, but my service to her is not yet finished."
The small outsider’s eyes are dry. यही कारण है कि आप या मैं कहने के लिए नहीं है
“That is not for you or I to say.”
Arnthoth strides forward into the Firehorn’s face.
Arnie responds with a Raging Powering Attacking Vitaling Striking Greataxe!
Volfie 5 paw steps and his jaws snap shut just in front of the small outsider. The creature points a rebuking finger at the wolf.
Dahruun then steps 5’ to the south and full attacks Volfie. The large wolf shows his toughness by remaining up after three solid hits from the minotaur titan.
Aakif: -9 hp
Ali: -10 hp
Arnthoth: -31 hp
Volfie: hp
Ash: hp
Roland: -20 hp
sickened
Red: -20 hp
DF: hp
‘Hawkeye’ Garros practises his trade on ‘Derwood’ Firehorn. The first two arrows strike the Minotaur’s flank, but the following three ricochet harmlessly off the shrine’s ceiling.
Dahruun says nary a word in reply.
Aakif continues to heal Volfie.
Ali’s force missile SLAMS into Dahruun, but the Mine Boss keeps his feet.
The monkeys swarm and continue rending the minotaur’s coat, though they cannot wrest his axe away from him or offend him with their stench. The cultist leader having borne far worse from the sacrificial fires that he stokes.
To its own detriment, one of the monkeys tries swallowing Red’s sword. The surviving monkeys attempt to punish the murderous item with their fists, but fail to penetrate its hardness.
Volfie’s proximity to Red’s smoky breath causes him to gag. Fortunately however, the wolf is well used to disgusting smells, having long travelled with Arnthoth!
Aakif: -9 hp
Ali: -10 hp
Arnthoth: -31 hp
Volfie: hp
Ash: hp
Roland: -20 hp
sickened
Red: -20 hp
DF: hp
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After healing Arnthoth and having him move away and seeing Aakif doing a much beter job at healing Volfie Ash looks down at his own burn wounds and then at the wand in his hand and shrugs his shoulders before placing the wand against his own body
before taking a few steps to the side to hopefully give Roland a better line of fire
Ash demonstrates the healing power of nature.
Red holds its ground, shuts its eyes and disgorges a line of flaming, frothy blood from its mouth and nose over Volfie and Aakif.
The creature clears its nostrils by snorting at Volfie. “Bijt me!”
"Bite me!"
Aakif: -9 hp
Ali: -10 hp
Arnthoth: -31 hp
Volfie: hp
Ash: hp
Roland: -20 hp
sickened
Red: -20 hp
Derwood: -83 hp
Arnthoth takes a 5’ step to the south and full attacks Derwood.
Arnthoth swings thrice, but only lands one blow on Dahruun.
Volfie's bite gouges a large chunk out of Red's leg as he wrestles the outsider to the cold flagstone floor. The small humanoid's wound sprays the wolf with boiling blood.
Dahruun moves recklessly to the NW around Arnie, proking from the Kellid, who turns him into the kind of display you'd find in any butcher's shop window in Absalom, Taldor or Andoran.
Aakif: -9 hp
Ali: -10 hp
Arnthoth: -31 hp
Volfie: hp
Ash: -6 hp
Roland: -20 hp
sickened
Red: hp
Derwood: DEAD
Missing the sunny surface of Kortos Island, Roland decides to put Red out of the Pathfinders’ misery, *popping* the horned varmint with his third, fourth and fifth arrows, causing it to burst in a cloud of greasy smoke.
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"Well done!" Ali calls out to his companions. He sheathes his sword, which lets out another groan as it is put away into the hot, stuffy scabbard. Ali dusts his hands off and kicks at the minotaur corpse. "So now this place is free of minotaurs, right? Shall we check on our centaur friends and help them back to their tribe where we shall enjoy a night of celebratory revelry? I say let's not waste a minute!"
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Seeing Roland look around for stuff Ash decides to jump in and lend a hand..or 2..or at least a few fingers, mostly his own
"Yeah...celebration..wait....how do we know that centaurs don't celebrate by sacrificing minotaurs...it's not a _huge_ leap to go from BBQing a cow to something that's atleast like almost half a cow"
Ash will ramble on and on a bit about various foods you _can_ BBQ while walking around and searching
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"I am low on spells. I believe I can mostly heal everyone up, but it will take every last spell I have. Still, I would not have us face another battle in this condition. Does anyone object to me casting the last of my magic for the day?"
Assuming no one objects, Aakif casts every remaining spell to heal up the party. Aakif smiles as the positive energy flows out of him and restores his companions. It is clear that he enjoys being a conduit for his goddess.
. 40 with empower, still down 9 hp
. 30 with empower, still down 1 hp
. 36 with empower, fully healed
. 15 with empower, fully healed
10 with empower, fully healed
19 with empower, fully healed
Aakif then collapses to one knee for a moment, fully drained, but content with the results.
He will then help his companions search the area. Take 10 perception = 30.
“Oh how did I offend you, Lady of Graves?”
The grey-maned centaur is still delirious after being revived. “That you condemn me to an Abyssal Layer of gnomes in love with their own voices!”
Ash discovers a magical ring on the left thumb of the giant minotaur statue behind the altar.
The gold band is set with three small stones. One glows with a faint reddish light while the other two are dark and dull.
This is a ring of delayed doom with one active stone remaining.
Along with ash and bones, Aakif and Roland also liberate a melted lump of what were once coins of gold, silver, and platinum from the altar-pit.
❂❂❂❂
Once the combined group returns to the surface, the centaurs thank the party for giving them the opportunity to see the afternoon sun again. Although they are not usually very devout, the horsefolk ask Aakif to lead them in a short prayer.
It is clear to Aakif and Roland that the centaurs are drained from their ordeal and the return journey along a low-altitude trail around Mount Ganog throughout the evening of the final day is a slow, sombre affair, with the Pathfinders realizing their deadline will pass before they reach Bloodhoof's camp.
As they enter the Cangarit Village, the returning centaurs are reunited with their families while the Pathfinders are taken before Nashota Bloodhoof once more.
"You are late, two-legs! Our agreement is rescinded through your actions alone!"
"But I would hear your report. The Generalissimo’s features soften. "The return of Four Spears thought lost to Dahruun Firehorn is a cause for celebration!"
"Did you liberate my stolen property? I would hear every bloody detail of your encounter with the Old Strider."
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"Agreed. We have not returned by the appointed time. We believed that completing the tasks was more important than adhering to a time limit, especially when innocent lives were at stake. Would you rather we had abandoned these centaurs in order to race back here? I think we all know that the correct decision was made. If our concern for the well being of your tribesmen has cost us your assistance, then so be it.
We do have your stolen items, but the details may be less bloody than you expected. Regardless, Old Strider will bother you no longer.."
Aakif relates the story with as many details as he can remember, and answers the centaurs' questions honestly.
Take 10 diplomacy if needed is 27.
Nashota listens carefully to Aakif’s recount of the Pathfinder’s adventures on and under Mount Ganog. At the story’s conclusion the warlord asks no questions, as she slings a couple of saddle bags across her body and takes up the Warlance the party was presented by the Old Strider.
“You have done the Cangarit a great service over the past three suns, Pathfinders. Clearly the celebratory barbecue must wait for my triumphant return from my diplomatic mission to King Trotter I of Taldor!”
The Cangarit people look crestfallen that their feast is being delayed, but lift their head proudly at The Bloodhoof’s rallying words.
මේ වසරේ ඔක්තෝම්බර්, අපගේ ප්රඥාව මගේ ජනතාවට සෙත සැලසෙන ඇත! කල්බදු සාමාජිකයන් පළමු රජුගේ මුර - ඔබ ඔවුන්-කකුල් දෙක මෙම ආරක්ෂක ගෞරව සැපයීම මගින් මට පැවැත්වීමට ගෞරවය සාක්ෂි
“The mainland will benefit from Cangarit wisdom, my people! You witness the respect they hold me by providing this Honor Guard of two-legs – members of Trotter the First’s Kingsguard!”
“Worry not about missing your vessel.” Nashota *winks* “I know a short cut.”
♔♔♔♔
With its membership increased by one, the party retraces its steps through the northern mountains and swamps over the next couple of days, reaching Pier’s End in the late afternoon just in time to see the stern of the Irrational Exuberance well out to sea and steering north-west.
As Nashota SNORTS and stamps her hooves on the beach, a dishevelled, fish-smelling, and wild-eyed man approaches the party.
“One a youse called Roland Garros? I be Tanner.” He speaks out the side of his mouth while blowing thick gouts of grey smoke from an aromatic pipe. “I got a message for you from the Exuberance’s Purser.”
"Fine lass, the Purser."
"I asked her 'if I said she had a beautiful body would she hold it against me?' An’ she gave me this!" Old Man Tanner points to the purple bruise around his left eye.
“Anyhoo, she said Cap’n Hugo had been called away on another mission and then paid me right handsomely to sail yon horse-lass to Cassomir. Unfortunately, there won’t be room aboard the Cruel Sea for the rest a youse – but the Purser’s teed up Small Otti to float yers to Escadar and put you up at the Grindylow’s Goblet inn until you can hitch a lift back to Absalom.”
The old salt hands Aakif a sealed missive, written in a hand known to Roland that confirms the man’s words.
“So whaddya say, chums?” Tanner breathes ‘baccy smoke and grins. “Ready for your next big adventure?”
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"Fantastic!" Ali says enthusiastically. "I'm glad it all worked out in the end and the Pathfinders now have a powerful new ally in the region with the centaurs. A fantastic show it was! Amazing in fact! Thank you all! No worry about the ship, the way home will just be one more adventure!"
Ali waves good-bye to his companions and to Nashota as he takes his leave, searching for the quickest way back to Qadira.