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The small group of five Pathfinders had arrived in Port Freedom with only days to spare, having been called in urgently by Venture Captain Finze Bellaugh after his original team were killed in mysterious circumstances.
All around them throngs of dark skinned Mwangi natives - dressed in an array of exotic styles including cloaks made of banana leaves, or even just loin cloths - and smaller, but more orderly groups of pale skinned, oft sunburnt Cehlaxian descended colonists. The noise is deafening, and an array of exotic scents mingle with the festive pandemonium teaming up for an assault upon the senses.
Venture Captain Bellaugh strokes his greying beard as he looks the team over,
"I'm sorry I've not had more of a chance to prepare you my friends. All I can tell you is that you will be avenging brave men, and upholding the honor of The Society if you can win this thing. Be on your guard, and take note of my annotations to the map, I don't know the tiniest sliver of the dangers you will likely face, but I've some ideas that might speed your course. Now..."
The sound of two dozen shrill trumpets erupts over the noise of the crowd quelling it as ahead of the six assembled teams a litter is upon which a man dressed in a magnificent peacock feather cloak, and wearing a gleaming silver breastplate with a longsword strapped to his hip, stout but obviously muscular Sargava's nominal ruler Baron Utilinus. The Baron raises his hands and speaks, his voice obviously magically enhanced as it rolls out effortlessly across the thousands strong crowd,
"People of Sargava, and of all Golarion, welcome to the greatest race known to man! This year's Sargava Chalice will be bigger and better than ever before, for this year we have called teams to take up the gauntlet! And consequently the course has been made longer and tougher than ever before. So without further ado let me present the teams! First we have The Sargavan team, brave men who will show that native and colonist alike we are one people brought together and surely claim victory," there is uproarious cheering, "then we have a team representing our friends and allies The Free Captains of the Shackles. The Pathfinder Society have managed to gather a team of substitutes after their candidates were slain in a tragic accident, we wish them luck honoring their fallen. The Aspis Consortium brings forth the best team money can buy, I'm sure," a group of men dressed finely and showing no evidence of feeling the days pounding heat, everything about them seems sleek expensive and efficient and they do not appear impressed by the occasion. "Then we have a first a team of Elves from far off Kyonin! And finally we have the condemned a team of convicts who will win their freedom if and only if they secure victory!"
The Baron takes a deep breath as excited murmuring fills the air and then continues,
"The race will begin with a...
"test to determine which team goes first! So things cannot degenerate into an instant battle, the teams will each leave via a different route, in hourly intervals. The order will be decided by which teams can destroy their foe the first, and any team may choose to abstain from the battle. And for their opponents I give you the great Brass Beasts! Provided and designed by our own Lord Egrasson!"
An elderly noble steps forward taking a bow, to both cheers and jeers from the crowd and then raises a hand. There is a sudden rumbling and from six of the entrances onto the great bizarre emerge huge brass statues moving of their own volition! They are styalized depictions of animals, a bull, a lion, a bear, a gorilla, a crocodile and wolf.
Baron Utilinus continues, directing the teams to their chosen foe and guardsmen push the crowds back good naturedly from six areas around exits from the bizarre,
"and the Pathfinder team shall face the great Brass Bull! Combat will commence upon the sounding of the trumpets!"
The crowd are pushed back and the group make their way over, Venture Captain Bellaugh wishing them luck one last time. Then as they take their positions the trumpets ring out!
Colwin who has been continually muttering spells every few minutes and glancing around twitching at every new noise floats twenty feet straight upwards while shouting,
"Its an animated object! What's that Sigh? It's an animated object that looks like its designed to trample people! Get out of its way, split up! And its made of brass so you will need to hit hard to harm it!"
The wizard then casts haste spell upon himself and all of his colleagues and Sigh, hoping to help them avoid the brass monster.
Meanwhile Sigh transforms into a whirlwind and surges forward attempting to engulf the construct!
Morgan will lead with a charge off his wand of Obscuring Mist. Surrounding himself and everyone within 20ft.
The great bull is struck by the force of the wind clanging like a bell, but apparently taking no damage. But the whirlwind simply does not have the force to lift the great statue!
The still ringing bull can be heard thundering forward - only Colwin and Sigh out of the mists can see it - and then suddenly it is directly before Captain Moonscar and Eadgart appearing through the mist bearing down upon them!
Though he tries to avoid it there is simply too much of the bull and it crashes into both of the Pathfinder team's frontliners with devastating power!
Isco sees the monstrosity, and steps backwards and draws his dagger . He then grabs a vial and quaffs it.
Sigh darts back to his master and pushes the levitating Colwin away from danger until he is up against the roof of a building. Frowning thoughtfully the wizard shouts,
"Healing won't work on it if you wish to channel," before he begins to chant, ready to summon a lantern archon to aide the group.
"Thanks for the tip Cowin."
Morgan cast fly and moves up up and away.
if i knew obs mist was in multiple people's hands i'da been tempted to get the trait that lets you bypass concealment :P
Eadgart using his hasted speed and realizing Briarward will likely do little damage to the metal monster swings twice with Ebonclaw his adamantine longsword. His first attack is off because of the whirling mist, but his second strikes true and seems to cut through the metal like butter!
The lumbering hulk then smashes at Eadgart with one great brass hoof bludgeoning the fighter badly again. Eadgart sways on his feet, but grits his teeth, badly wounded, but still fighting.
With a snarl Eadgart swings again using his hasted speed to strike twice, again his first attack is poorly aimed but his second slices off a great hunk of brass. He then steps back into the mist.
Fine. Withdraw behind cover if possible.
Isco scrambles up the side of the wall.
He quickly drops a tablet into a flask and grins as it begins to bubble up. With a calculated throw he tosses it at the monstrosity. "Bonzai!"
Isco's cannot see the great brass bull in the mist, but guesses at its position and flings his bomb. The flames envelop the bull, but are not fierce enough to harm the metal.
Colwin's summoning finishes and a Lantern Archon appears over the bull's head. The Lantern Archon fires two bolts of light at the brass bull one hits and does damage, but the mist causes the other to go wide. The wizard the gives Sigh a shocking grasp spell to deliver to distract the creature and the elemental whirls down to take up a position between it and Eadgart prodding the bull with its electric touch.
The elctricity does little, but does appear to cause some damage.
In awe of how much damage he's taken already, Eadgart leans on his sword and is glad that something is finally seperating him and the raging beast.
Will move and channel to get eadgart for sure and more possible.
Can't see map from kindle so I'm flying blind as it were right now.
The brass bull unable to see Eadgart, and seemingly having little care for which opponent it strikes smashes at the air elemental before it! The poor elemental is hit with a blow that would shatter steel and many wisps of his substance vanish into the air!
"Keep at it Eadgart! I'll, ah, have the archon aide you, which will, ah, cushion you against its blows, and try to, ah, distract it."
Isco quickly infuses another grenade and chucks it, making sure to avoid allys.
He then runs down drawing an extract as he goes, stopping next to Eadgart and holding it out for him to grab.
Shrugging, Eadgart steps out of the mist and takes the extract, swallowing it.
Colwin calls,
"Use aide upon the warrior there please Archon, and distract the construct if you would," and the light complies swooping down to where it can both cast upon Eadgart and place itself between him and the brass bull.
"Sigh to me!" The air elemental withdraws vanishing from its opponents view and streaking to Colwin's side.
Colwin then pulls free a scroll from the box he holds in his left hand and reads the spell written upon it creating another Eadgart identical in every way save for the bold white lettering upon his back which reads,
I am an illusion, heal the other me!
The illusory warrior then steps forward into the mist to confront the bull.
Dismiss the Fog as it's only aiding the enemy now.
The mist vanishing the bull clanks forward trying to trample the newly revealed foes before it! The lantern archon attempts to dodge, but is not quite quick enough taking the full brunt of the brass bash, but its ephemeral nature seems to resist a lot of the damage though it is obviously injured its light flickering noticably more faintly.
"Kill the thing I'll stop it attacking you!" Colwin calls.
Isco tries to roll out of the way, but doesn't quite make it. He jumps back and circles around, climbing up to .
Seeing the bull come charging towards him, Eadgart raises Ebonclaw to strike the beast down.
Knocked down by the Bull, Eadgart rolls along the ground and quickly brings himself up to standing. Then, finding himself next to the beast, he once again unleashes his fury.
The brass bull teeters Eadgart's assault having left it covered in gashes and simply cut away several great chunks including half of the bull's head, and his final slam with Briarward, though it does little against the metal is just enough to send cracks running through the entire construct which collapses in a heap at his feet!
As the group gather back together about the rubble, and begin tending to their various wounds a slender Sargavan native, wearing an officious looking outfit far drabber than those favored by the crowd moves up to them,
"This way please gentlemen, the results are to be announced shortly," lead back to through the teeming crowds who grudgingly step aside for them the team return to their starting position. It is a few minutes before Baron Baron Utilinus's voice rings out again, magically augmented to arry across the whole crowd,
"Ladies and gentlemen we have our results! The Kyonin Elves have decided to abdicate rather than face the great Brass Gorilla, sensible, but perhaps costly! The Free Captain's team also elected to forfeit, rather than face the Brass Wolf so we shall toss a coin to see who goes last! He flips a coin into the air calling, "Heads means elves win, but tails it is!"
"In fourth place were our brave men of the Sargavan team, who heroically shattered the Brass Tiger! Then we have the bold boys from the Pathfinder Society coming in a valiant third having put paid to the Brass Bull with some fine swordsmanship, though they bled for their trouble! Then in second place were the Aspis Consortium with a polished performance that proved that you don't need to play fair to win! But the victors who will gain the early advantage are the Condemned me, the urge to earn their freedom no doubt spurring them on! They will set off at the hour, I'm afraid I must ask the rest of you to wait until you are called for, please enjoy the festivities or make use of the tents set up for you to rest and take refreshments."
Without missing a beat, Eadgart says.
"Yeah, I'm heading off to those tents right now. I feel like crap."
Without even waiting for the others, he heads over to their tent, in hopes that there might be some magical healing available there.
"You need anything let me know "
Isco climbs up to a building next to the tent, and stretches out, looking upon the competition. "That could have gone better I think." He curls up for a small catnap, keeping one ear open.
Heavy footsteps sound at the door and a tall mwangi man dressed in pirate finery steps into the tent
"Gentlemen... Is thees where we wa s'posed ta meet up? I think I'm a li'l late to da party."
He shrugs apologetically, takes out a large bottle of what smells like some pretty harsh liquor, swigs it down and smiles at you all, gold teeth glittering in at least five places.
"Perhaps you could, ah, do a little channeling Captain, ah, Moonscar, ummm, do I have that right? Its a rather odd, ah, sobriquet. I believe Sigh, Isco, yourself, and Eadgart are all in need of healing so channeling would be the most, ah, efficient solution."
Colwin offers a small bow to the newcomer extending a hand,
"A, ah, pleasure I'm sure, ah, Colwin Throssle, Wizard of the Winds, and this is my, ah, air elemental familiar Sigh. You would be, ah, Thaddius I believe?"
"It's Morgan. Morgan McWright. Moonskar is just my alias."
Isco sees some stranger walking in to the tent, and goes to peer inside.
"Ahh, yes. I guess another can only help. Speaking of, I will see if I can make something to help a little with another construct, if we are so unlucky."
He then sets up outside with his kit and tinkers with the fluids.
A little over three hours pass, much of which is spent with Venture Captain Bellaugh pointing at the map and identifying various dangers, possible shortcuts and the like.
No healing is offered, the groups being expected to be self sufficient in that regard, but fruit juices, and a selection of Sargavan delicacies from grilled meats marinated in fiery pepper sauces to sweet mango cakes are served up.
Then finally a Sargavan official, this time of obvious Chelaxian descent asks the group to accompany him and they are escorted to the center of the marketplace where the group gives them a mixed, but largely favorable reception.
"Follow this main street directly out of the city and good luck to you. You may begin when the trumpets sound..."
Seconds later there is a triumphant fanfare as trumpets ring out and the group set off on their arduous journey!