Bear lets out a gruff laugh, almost doubling over. When he finally settles, Tarin, you just about got the right of it...
turning to the venture captain,
but Aye, we will kill ye Runelord for ye. We all understand what's at stake here...Tarin just doesn't like ye tone or yer manners talkin' bout our friend's death so flippantly. We can part ways knowin' we will get the job done, for our own reasons if for nutin' else.
Let's go Tarin, don't think there is much else to say.
Bear grabs his few things and heads out the door. As they get outside,
Tarin, you sure showed er the business he, he, he he chuckles.
Let's go get a drink in Val's honor, we can settle this ere runelord in the morning.
He Whispers to Unalaq, Get what you can bout' where to start and we can start to get it done in the morrow.
You think this is the most you have heard the big man speak since you have met him...
Well Bear. You have 1 hour to determine if you are doing this. I don't care if you don't like me, nor do I care if you like the organization. I am taking care of this situation and I do not have time to wait. You play a dangerous game as adventurers. The little one chooses to bring an uncivil tongue to the meeting and get butt hurt when it is returned. I have no time for that. I offered you a job because you are the best ones for it. But I do not have time to hold your hands or hold back your hair, or dry your tears. I am sending 7 of my best agents and likely half of them will die taking out this beast. So I will see you in an hour or I won't. If you return the gear requested will be here and if not I hope you take care of the other one.
Darin meanwhile waits outside, singing a dwarven battle song under his breath to help himself calm down and pass the time.
Tarinhin sighs, then nods at Bear, stepping off the chair, muttering, "Stupid world, needing saving and putting me into the position of doing what that one expects, rather than asks..."
He pauses before he leaves and says, "If you're actually of a mind to actually be helpful instead of just demanding, so we can go about saving the world again, then it'd be useeful to borrow a vest of stable mutation and trapspringer's gloves."
They have the gloves not the vest
One hour later they return to the lodge. Well, were' ere' to kill yer runelord for ye. Where do we start?
She looks up from her desk
Well this is a pleasant surprise. This will certainly save a few lives. First thing you have to do is sign off on the gear you are borrowing, additionally in the contract it states that not only will you return what you have borrowed, but you will bring the glaive and rod to us. On your half it gives you full access to the Pathfinder lodges and our libraries for one year from this date, and anything else that you find can is yours to keep.
She snaps her fingers and in moments there are small piles of gear, and way finders and contracts brought to everyone.
Once that is done you just have to take these stones and activate them by twisting here and pressing here She shows without actually doing it.
Taking up the gloves, Vinny flexes his fingers, testing how they work on his hands and how the feel, then he adjusts the sheathes beneath them. Looking to the Pathfinder Venture Captain, he nods and reaches down to sign. "Access to the lodges will be useful for traveling...though, before we depart, there were a couple of things I was curious if you had access too, one last thought that I asked some friends of mine about. Scrolls of a spell called 'Breath of Life'? I was thinking one of my new acquaintances could put it to good use..."
Yes you can certainly purchase one of those. You understand of course that we cannot rent out consumanles
"I would think that the fact that we are saving agents lives would make you at least willing to loan them out and then we pay you when we return if we use them...I could perhaps put a down payment down on one, if you like, but I do not have the finances for a full scroll..."
Rules are rules I am afraid. This comes from the Decemvitate. My advice is don't die. I'm sure someone in town will offer you a loan.
Tarinhil cocks his head, and says with an extreme, affected calm, "Would it make you feel better if we bought it with the option to resell it for full value on our return? Would that fit within your rules?"
Fernus copies down the letter from Xanesha and then relates his story towards the Venture Captain from the time they started to find clues to the Runelords.
"You can keep this letter we've found as well, I've got myself a copy in my journal. Though an exchange should be mutually beneficial, you get the letter and we can take that scroll of Breath of Life with us, just as Tarin and Vinny suggested. That sounds like a fair deal right?"
This is not a pawn shop. Buy it or don't. As I said I would rather you all do this job, but I do have other options. I am already letting you borrow very expensive items. I happen to know that all of you received 6000 gold as a reward from my dear friend the mayor...in fact I suggested he give you that amount not his original plan. So spare me.
"I will ask after one more item before we depart. Do you have access to the leather robes known as vestments of war, the golden bracers known as the bracers of the merciful knight or the silver bracers known as the bracers of the avenging knight?"
I believe we have those last bracers, but whether or not they can be found in the next 5 minutes is another question.
One of the aids comes in with a blood spattered pair of bracers.
Ah these belonged to Delvin theUnlucky. His family paid for him to be brought back 2 dozen times before he finally took the desk job we kept offering him. the scribe quickly adds the details to the contract.
"The desk sounds like the best place for Delvin. You are wise to send us instead." Unalaq scrubs off the blood with an old rag while musing, "The only blood you'll find on them when we're done is that of the runelord. I am ready."
Fernus scratches his arms and asks...
"Well, I guess I'm the last one, though I'm more of a scribe than an adventurer. I reckon something to make me quicker, a belt so I've heard would be beneficial. Another thing would be a cloak that protects its wearer, but rather a stronger cloak than the ones most people use."
Poor Delvin styled himself a holy archer of sorts, so we do have a belt like that, no cloaks like that at the moment thpugh
Belt comes in, this one has a couple nicks on it and what looks like dried bits of intestine on it.
Yes he is very unlucky.
Unalaq rolls his eyes and thrusts the rag toward Fernus. "Throw it away when you're done Fernus. We could go through ten battles and not spill the blood that fellow does in one."
ok, that is plenty of time.
Everyone activates their token and the world shifts.
A small ziggurat emerges from the southern wall in this tomblike
stone chamber. Most of the structure’s blocks are simple
but precisely cut stone blocks, but in several places petrified
humans—too finely sculpted to be carved—shoulder the
burden of the blocks above with scarred backs and hands.
A short, steep flight of steps ascends the northern face to a
second tier, and to the east and west two are other sets of steps
that lead to the ziggurat’s apex twenty feet above the ground,
falling short of the thirty-foot ceiling.
Well, this is cheery. I like the decor of human misery - very now.
[ooc]To determine if the people petrified can be freed.[/dice]
"I guess we know we're in the right place. Up the steps or does anyone see a way into the pyramid or out of this room?"
Bear casts Barkskin and Lonstrider. We should look around.
He then looks for previous tracks...
map is up, there are steps right next to you. In any event it is initiative time, here it comes
heroes win...but, you do not see anything, make me perception checks at -10 if you use a move action you do not get that -10
Sensing something is amiss, Bear changes into a large Bear and then uses scent to try and sniff out any enemies!
Vinny takes a look around, very hesitant to move, considering what they are hunting.
So taking the minus then bear if it is more than 30?
Unalaq casts bull's strength. Club is out!
Darin will cast shield of faith on himself, and take the move action to look around.
Tarinhil unfurls his wings and starts scanning the area, ready to take flight at the first sign of danger. Good call, Bear. I should have thought of scent instead of darkvision...
percep for Darin
Everyone over a 25 sees a creature uncoiling form the top of the Pyramid and a a small bead of fire flying toward you all.
A fireball explodes hitting all of you
DC 20 for half
go, difficult terrain to get up the pyramid
Phooka channels immediately to all of you
Darin, hideously damaged by the fireball, channels healing himself.
Unalaq, is that thing evil?
Vinny doesn't spot that which is uncoiling, but he does sense the fireball just before it lands and manages to avoid all of the flames.
"Where did that come from...it needs to pay..." almost immediately, a desire to hit something washes over him.
Tarinhil shouts, "There! Lookout!", and dives to the side, unfurling his wings and getting away from the worst of the blast... but not the whole of it -- feeling the heat burning away his alchemical toughness before starting to burn his actual flesh.. and then smiling as the warm healing energies flow through him, washing away the pain.
Tarinhil cocks his head, trying to identify the creature, even as his hands reflexively mix up a bomb and throws it.
The creature seems to ignore the flames all over it.
Fernus screams in pain as his flesh is seared and his hair has caught somewhat on fire, glad to have ducked just out of the way in time he looks up and sees whatever snakelike thing that had uncoiled itself atop the pyramid.
Fernus reflexively casts a spell for everybody to get out of the way.
Darin wracks his brain for what the Hells the serpent creature is.
He mentally consults Cayden Cailean as well.
Any advice besides hit it harder than it hit me?
He sighs at the response.
No, hitting it really hard isn't that different.
Between Darin and Fernus
Horror overwhelms you both as you realize this is the Herald of Lisala! You know that if you kill her she is going to not going to stay dead, she will come back and will come back quickly. She is resistant to pretty much all energy, and has SR, can drain you of your mental facility if you get hit by her. The only good news is that she seems to be a bit weakened, missing scales and looking emaciated.
Bear eats the fireball...the smell of brunt fur filling the chamber. Knowing they are in trouble and need some help, Bear brings in one of his most powerful Bear allies on the opposite side of Bear and orders it to try and grab the creature.
N Large animal
Init +1; Senses low-light vision, scent ; Perception +6
Defense
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (+1 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 50 (5d8+20+8)
Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +2
Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +7 (1d6+5 plus grab), bite +7 (1d6+5)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Statistics
Str 21, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +3; CMB +9 (+13 grapple); CMD 20 (24 vs. trip)
Feats Endurance, Run, Skill Focus (Survival)
Skills Perception +6, Survival +5, Swim +14; Racial Modifiers +4 Swim
Unfortunately the bear he summoned fears the creature in front of it and misses all three times. Bear then moves up to flank the creature.