Noticing that the scaffold is placed at a height appropriate to read the statue's open book piques Estria's curiosity.
"What's happening?" you hear a voice asking from inside the tent. "Who's out there?"
Pulling aside the tent flaps reveals a man scratched and bruised.
"Oh, thank the stars! You must have killed the goblins. My name is Herk Bostil," he extends his hand for you to shake, but winces as he does.
Herk explains that he was hired by Mersoolian, a cleric of Nethys, to guard him and Lucendi while they explored this archaeological find. Then the goblins attacked, led by a strange creature--it had the body of a snake but the head of a goblin. Herk and the other two guards stood and fought while Mersoolian and Lucendi fled into the archaeological site. The other two guards are dead, and the goblins dragged Herk into the tent and the two that had been in here were interrogating him. The goblin snake has already gone inside.
"So - inside - just the slithergob or more gobs with it?" Dusk asks matter of factly.
Tell chuckles, "Slithergob, nice."
He throws back the tent flap and peers inside to see if there is anything of interest.
"Most of them stayed out here, but there might be one goblin in there with the snake thing. I can't believe your timing--it's only been a few minutes since all of this happened!"
Tekk sees normal gear laying around--bedrolls, a backpack, a mess kit, and a map of the Sandpoint hinterlands with a mark added, presumably to indicate where Mersoolian expected to find this site.
"Well then let´s rush after the snake. At the end if you cut of its head it is just another snake!"
"Just a moment, I think I can read this. It says..." Estria began.
...Apparently very well-versed indeed in what she was looking at.
While awaiting Estria's scholarly translation Dusk orders her shambling zombie-gob to approach the entrance to the site/dig. She knows it is slow and will take time to get there.
"Minion. Move there..."
Dusk turns back to her companions.
"I'd get it to guard the entrance, but if our target escapes the slithergob only to be killed by my minion...that would be...bad." she finishes lamely.
"... 'Pass through the gate of stone, and here your tribute bring.'" Estria translates aloud.
From the look of the passageway smashed into the rocks ahead and to the right of the statue, it appears that Mersoolian's expedition battered its way through the 'gate of stone'.
And so you make your way into the dark passageway.
Several digging tools lie among the rubble, discarded after breaking through. Past the smashed door, a flight of stairs descends ten feet before reaching a barred gate. Once locked, it now opens easily.
You see three pits in this room, one of which is filled with water which runs from the northern side of the room where it burst through the wall who knows how many years ago. Sure enough, a goblin stands over by that rubble kicking at some rocks. The goblin snake you've been told about is in the center of the room. She looks like she has been examining the pits and the area around them, but as you enter her goblin head rises up on her snake body and hisses menacingly. "Ssssssss! No one dissssturbssss Tethiqqa'sss sssstudiesss. You musssst die!"
Tethiqqa appears as if she is preparing to cast some spell, while the goblin is drawing an arrow on its bow.
Being the first time he sees a goblin mixed with a serpent, Rick is a bit shocked. His thoughts, for a short moment, wander around thinking of the possibilities that might have led to...
Shaking his head, he focuses on what's at hand, and advances enough to be able to shoot the serpent and the goblin with his Ki projectiles.
Despite the shadowy illumination, all of Rick's blasts find their targets! The archer goblin drops, and Tethiqqa hisses again in pain!
Estria spun her Lighting Rod around as she noticed the enemies - and a bolt of lightning shot towards the one in the lead. For now, she was content to hang back and try to stay safe.
Dusk moves in to stab at the serpentine goblin...ordering her zombgob to attack the slithergob...
Move Action: Close to reach with Tethiqua
Standard Action: Attack!
[+2 str, +1 BAB, +1 Weapon Focus]
[+3 THF]
Dusk's glaive strikes true, and the slithergob lets out a screeching hiss of pain! The zombgob trundles forward slowly, now next to the goblin snake but not yet able to attack.
Nerak, in his natural form, moves quickly around behind the goblin snake and then swings his greataxe from his position opposite Dusk Bloom.
The half-orc's darkvision allows him to see through the gloom clearly, and he strikes the goblin snake with a force equal to Dusk Bloom.
Another screech, and the goblin snake thinks better of casting her spell. Instead, she burrows down into the ground!
At least for the moment, it grows quiet. Dusk's zombie begins to slam the ground fruitlessly where it last saw the slithergob.
The evil serpent-goblin has gone underground! Wary that there might be some perils around that they haven't noticed, Rick takes the chance to concentrate on the Ki that flows through the place.
Dusk waves a hand to quell the zombgob's fruitless whacking.
Keeping his axe high Rammbock puts a hand on the ground asking the ground to aid him to tell him where the enemy will emerge next.
Tekk readies his weapon, waiting to see where the monster will appear next.
Estria joined the others in waiting for their enemy to reappear, keeping her staff at the ready to call down another bolt of lightning on her target.
The tension is palpable as you all wait for the goblin snake to reappear. Eventually (after a good 30 seconds or so) you hear its angry hiss from outside back in the camp. She has confirmed that all of her goblins are dead. Giving up on this fight and this set of ruins for now, she flees!
Satisfied that that threat is gone, you are now free to explore this vault.
"... 'Pass through the gate of stone, and here your tribute bring.'" Estria translates aloud.
From the look of the passageway smashed into the rocks ahead and to the right of the statue, it appears that Mersoolian's expedition battered its way through the 'gate of stone'.
And so you make your way into the dark passageway.
Several digging tools lie among the rubble, discarded after breaking through. Past the smashed door, a flight of stairs descends ten feet before reaching a barred gate. Once locked, it now opens easily.
You see three pits in this room, one of which is filled with water which runs from the northern side of the room where it burst through the wall who knows how many years ago. The goblin snake you've been told about is in the center of the room. She looks like she has been examining the pits and the area around them, but as you enter her goblin head rises up on her snake body and hisses menacingly. "Ssssssss! No one dissssturbssss Tethiqqa'sss sssstudiesss. You musssst die!"
Dusk motions for her zomgob to chase the slithergob, then cautiosly approaches the edge of a pit, peering in.
"Hello?" she calls a little hesitantly...