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Wilen professes his innocence as a free action while Galdur avoids developing a complex as part of the same action! ;)
Vili continues to hold his fire (which may or may not be in Galdur's best interests, considering that he's now alone with the metallic canine guardian) as the proverbial junkyard dog wheels and tries to take a bite out of Mr. wizard!
(Bite + Electricity)
Galdur is bitten and dragged to the ground!
ROUND 4
Vili (Held Action)
ROUND 5
Altorin
Hullric (-7 Damage)
Wilen
Galdur (-7 Damage, Prone)
Necuametl
Ayri
Guardian (-18 Damage)
Yellow (Destroyed)
Red (Destroyed)
Blue (Destroyed)
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Suddenly, Ayri's splintered spear strikes the Guardian, and even though less than half of its force seems to be effective , the metallic beast collapses to the ground...and then explodes with electricity in a 10 foot burst!
When the smoke clears, all that remains is silence (and scorch-and-bite marks on a couple of you). You are now out of combat!
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Suddenly, Ayri's splintered spear strikes the Guardian, and even though less than half of its force seems to be effective , the metallic beast collapses to the ground...and then explodes with electricity in a 10 foot burst!
...
Just as Wilen imbibes his extract he watches Ayri drop the metallic beast with one of her wooden spears. He coughs and hacks as he spits the extract back into its tube, corks it, and puts it on his belt.
He looks around to see if anybody noticed.
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Horrified that she has inadvertently killed a third of the party Ayri climbs the railing, and hops down to the floor beside Hullric.
She begins performing chest compressions on the masked man.
"Out with the bad blood. In with the good blood. Wait! Where is the good blood!"
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You have all survived the exploded guardian, Vili and Necuametl first stabilizing Hullric and Galdur before waking them up, allowing you time to use magical and/or alchemical healing until their wounds are nothing more than scarred reminders that will live on in memory.
Remaio Alcasti's key fits perfectly to the lock of this final door. This sparse room holds little beyond a lacquered wooden coffin. A human skull sits on a plate in front of the casket, while a mangled lies a few feet away as if thrown into the corner of the chamber. An engraved plaque is propped up behind the skull against the wooden pall. The smell of corrosion fills the air.
The plaque reads, “Here lies Honaria Alcasti, betrayed by her inferiors and those she served. We shall remember her deeds and restore her honor.”
The letters are faded and the plaque appears to be centuries old. Resting next to the plaque is a large hairpin with a noble crest on it.
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He hisses and bites Galdur's neck [dice=CLW]1d8+1
Galdur's eyes flutter open, then widen in terror. "Oh! My! GAWD! Now what are my allies doing?"
In the next room Galdur tries to inspire Wilen in his work with tales of the Galdur's before him who were much better at this sort of thing.
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2 Passed Saves
2 Failed Saves
Wilen avoids most of the corrosive spillage, and is able to repair the clockwork owl enough that it can right itself, and speak to you!
The clockwork owl is Amantius, the former familiar of Italice Cenabri, a once-prominent adviser to the crown. He tells you the tale of Syagra Tetranella, one of Honaria’s comrades in arms, who, when Honaria Alcasti died in public ignominy, chose Italice as a scapegoat for her rage and sorrow. Syagra assassinated Italice and broke into the tomb, leaving the head as an offering after using one of the swords in the hallway to break past the wards and guardians. Amantius caught up to and tried to confront Syagra in this chamber, but was struck down and left as another twisted offering, and has remained here in a broken state ever since.
He punctuates his answers with black humor, self-recrimination, and violent shaking fits. Though he initially blamed Honaria for Italice’s death as well, his centuries of reflection in her tomb have changed his
opinion. Despite his bitterness and despair, he admits that he believes in Honaria’s innocence — though he does not hold a high opinion of Honaria, he does not believe any of this to be something she would have wanted.
Amantius wishes to make the truth of Italice's death known to all, and asks if you would arrange for him (and Italice's skull) to be returned to the Cenabri family.
With all of this information now at your disposal - what decision would you like to make about it?
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Wilen avoids most of the corrosive spillage, and is able to repair the clockwork owl enough that it can right itself, and speak to you!
Wilen finishes brushing off his clothes and surveying the holes the acid left in this shirt and breeches. "Well, I suppose that could have been worse." cough
Amantius wishes to make the truth of Italice's death known to all, and asks if you would arrange for him (and Italice's skull) to be returned to the Cenabri family.
"I suppose the story he wants to tell shouldn't conflict with the honor that our current client is trying to uphold. Either way we need to report back to Remaio first, though I wonder what he'll think of this new story."
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The owl looks at Hullric with its one working eye and squawks a bit. "My name's Amantius, mask-face."
The coffin itself contains Honaria's corpse and her accolades, including a very impressive collection of military ribbons and medals that remain in pristine condition. Since it seems like you are willing to honor Amantius' request to return him and Italice's remains to her family, he is grateful, and extracts a wand from his insides and gives it to you as a gift - a wand of Heightened Awareness with 10 charges remaining in it. He remarks before you part ways that even if the Cenabri family pays for his repairs, he plans to keep his broken face to remember Italice.
When you return with Honaria’s laurels, Remaio is pleased with your efforts, eagerly explaining those that he recognizes and basking in secondhand pride. Hearing the tale of Amantius and Italice, however, makes him frown - he is concerned that this tale will taint his petition to restore Honaria's (and his) good name.
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Remaio Alcasti has arranged a comfortable carriage to take you to Omash - a fortress-city in Qadira just across the border from Taldor. After reviewing your , you set out. The journey is uneventful, and you can see the towering walls protecting Omash long before you arrive at its gates. The guards are helpful in directing you to the Ghazali family manor on the outskirts of the city.
A sandstone wall decorated with geometric mosaics surrounds the opulent Ghazali manor. Through the brass front gates, white cobblestone paths wind through a garden of flowering cacti and acacia trees to the manor’s entrance. A pair of guards clad in polished armor flanks the heavy wooden door to the residence.
After explaining your business, one of these guards nods and leads you inside, telling you that Lady Ghazali is in the study.
The domed ceiling of this grand room soars above red and white tiles whose pattern resembles roses in bloom. Between the mahogany bookshelves that line the chamber, suits of armor stand at attention. An empty weapon rack faces the doorway.
Arajida al-Fakhiri, Lady Ghazali, a middle-aged Keleshite woman, sits alone with her head in her hands. Her eyes are slightly bloodshot.
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"Greetings Arajida! We come with what we hope is very simple business from Remaio Alcasti. He wishes to reclaim something of a family heirloom that he believes to be in your possession. A simple sword, that was granted to his ancestor Honaria by the church of Aroden. We have a record here of that transfer."
Wilen thumbs through the papers that Remaio sent them with and produces the single important transfer document.
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"Wilen, your tact is as good as your aim! Can't you see that Lady Ghazali is distressed? It's at least common courtesy that we offer to get her a warm beverage and inquire about her troubles before stepping right into business. Lady Ghazali, it appears that ill-news has reached you before our arrival. Is there anything we can do?"
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The lady tries to compose herself, nodding at the sight of the papers Wilen bears. "I’ll gladly give you the sword if you bring my son home. Otherwise, I cannot give it to you, even if I wanted to. I woke this morning to find my son Aayef gone and the sword missing. He barely even knows how to use it! It was supposed to go to my eldest daughter."
Wiping her eyes, she continues, "I went to the city guard, but they refused to help me. They said that he was old enough to wield a sword, and
they weren’t going to bother sending off a search party to look for a young man who has been missing for less than a day. They don’t know my son. He’s not tough like the academy students in the city. I just know he’s gotten himself into trouble! Aayef has big dreams. He begged to be allowed to train at one of the war academies in the city, but I couldn’t bear the thought. I’m afraid he ran off on his own to slay some imaginary dragon - and found himself a real one!"
If you agree to find Aayef in exchange for the sword, Lady Ghazali will give you permission to search the estate and the grounds, allowing you to make Perception (estate) and/or Survival (grounds) checks to try and find a trail or something her own staff were unable to!
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Meanwhile, the rest of you search the grounds outside...
Survival:
Necuametl and Altorin find a scrap of bright blue silk sticking just barely out of the sand near a difficult to find gap in the wall surrounding the estate. The guards helping you search confirm that shade of blue is Aayef's favorite, and he has many garments in that color!
You gather up everyone and head out into the desert. With Necuametl's skills, following the tracks outside of Omash itself is child's play for him (DC 10, Necuametl can't fail).
A few hours after leaving Omash behind, you come across a chunk of twisted deadwood rests atop a pile of ashes in the lee of a fallen stone column. Cinders surrounding the driftwood suggest a recent fire.
You examine the site and find that whoever was here last did not have the skill to cultivate a true campfire, and also that this person was also not very adept at being aware of their surroundings - all of you (except Necuametl, ironically) notice a half-buried burlap sack sticking out of the ground nearby. Inside is a broken compass, one tindertwig, and two vials of antitoxin.
No sooner have you found this, though, that you hear an anguished cry from over the next sand dune! Coming over the rise, you see steps ascending the wreckage of sand blasted ruins to a smooth stone dais. A cracked stone shrine stands before the eastern wall. Bones and other detritus litter the floor around the altar.
The source of the cry is now obvious - a Keleshite boy in his late teens, badly wounded, inexpertly tries to fend off a with a shining longsword!
ROUND 1
Wilen
Altorin
Vili
Giant Scorpion
Galdur
Hullric
Necuametl
Ayri
Aayef
ROUND 2
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Altorin is caught off-guard at the sight of the youth in peril, and holds his action.
The giant scorpion wheels on Vili after being struck by fire, allowing the boy to take a parting swipe with his longsword!
The pegasus motif on the hilt of the blade seems to almost harness the desert's morning light as the boy scores a deep hit on the scorpion's side as it moves to face its new threat, attempting to sting Vili!
Perhaps off-balance after being struck with both fire and blade, its stinger instead hits the limestone wall, although it now threatens both alchemists!
ROUND 1
Altorin (Held Action)
Galdur
Hullric
Necuametl
Ayri
Aayef
ROUND 2
Wilen
Vili
Giant Scorpion (-18 Damage)
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Hullric's advance puts him in range of the scorpion's claws, which try to snip at the masked man!
(-10 to be able to use other attacks in subsequent rounds)
Even as Hullric was certain that he could land a strike against the giant arthropod, its claw cuts a horrifying wound in the warpriest. The claw snaps closed, exacerbating the injury and causing Hullric to drop to the ground, bleeding, before he was able to actually attack.
Galdur advances cautiously, and Ayri's attack misses.
ROUND 1
Altorin (Held Action)
Necuametl
Aayef
ROUND 2
Wilen
Vili
Giant Scorpion (-18 Damage)
Galdur
Hullric (-15 Damage, Unconscious and bleeding)
Ayri
Aayef