Seo-yeon bites back a curse when she sees the golem's attention has strayed, but it's with great relief that she notes the others have managed to dislodge the body. She jogs over to them once they're well clear of the golem's path.
"Well, that's one job down," she notes cheerily as she approaches. She nearly swallows her tongue when the portal opens up, but grimaces and chalks it up to inexperience with the city. First the strange portal and now this - she'd just have to get used to the fantastic, she supposed.
"Glad to have you, Annilda,"she greets the woman. "I'm Seo-yeon." She goes on to name the others and bring their newcomer up to date as the others look over their morbid winnings.
At her reaction to the ring, though, Seo-yeon reaches out to take it so she can examine it. "Let me try," she says, taking a closer look at the ring.
Earevel moves light as a shadow through the buildings trying to lose the golem's sight. The elf quickly looks for Karvek and the body "I like it when a plan comes together"
Unfolding the piece of paper he adds "The way the letters are formed and some of the phrasing suggests that the writer learned to write Polygot long before they learned Common." and after some thought he adds "That could mean the author was Garundi, or at least her ancestry traces back to Garund continent"
"Good to see you too, Seo-yeon." Annilda smiles, then bows. "Don't be shy- take the ring and tell me what you see."
While the arcane types check the ring, Annilda inspects the claw wounds on the man and moves her fingers to match them. She's trying to guess the size of the paw or hand relative to hers.
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Just as the group starts to examine the body, a portal opens, deposting a woman next to the group. A second, much smaller, portal opens and a small note falls through.
Four people didn't seem like enough, so I asked for someone else!
-Vash-Vatom Sebnet
The new woman buckles right down to it and soon has examined the body for wounds and scrapes finding the claw marks and stones that definitely did not originate from the golem. She also recognizes the gleam of a magic item on his finger. Seo-Yeon starts setting up the long complicated ritual for identifying the ring before Earevel comes over and has it identified in a minute. It turns out to be a Ring of Counterspells with a fireball spell in it.
Method of Use: worn;
Bulk —
Activation: Focus Activation;
Trigger: You are targeted by or within the area of the spell stored within the ring.
This ornate silver ring bears two competing geometric designs of brightly colored and wildly clashing inlaid gemstones. A spellcaster can cast a single spell into this ring as long as no spell is currently stored within. If they’re successful, the spell’s effect does not occur, and the spell’s power is instead stored within the ring. While the ring has a spell stored within, if you are the target or within the area of another casting of the stored spell while you wear the ring, you can activate the ring as a reaction to attempt to dispel the triggering spell (see page 197). Once you do, the stored spell’s energy is spent, though you can cast or have someone else cast a new spell into the ring later.
You can use a Command Activation on the ring without spending Resonance Points to harmlessly expend the stored spell, emptying the ring and allowing you to place another spell into it. When you invest a ring of counterspells, you immediately know the name and level of the spell stored inside, if any.
The body completely checked out the group has only one other place to go, the actual scene of the crime, Kefanes' workshop.
Following Sebnet's directions proves a little difficult as the woman seems to focus on the things on sale at the stalls along the street more than actual north or south or large obvious landmarks, but after a little effort and a few missed turns you find yourselves approaching a building with a couple of guards posted out front.
The two of them seem to have very different dispositions with one standing at attention but stares blindly into the middle ground almsot no sense of tension in his body. His partner on the other hand, is hunched over, clearly ready for something to jump him and nervously scans the street even glancing back at the shop with a worried look.
The skittery one spots the group first and nudges his partner before calling out, "Halt! Come no further! This is an active crime scene and we're asking people to not congregate nearby as it's still not entirely safe."
Annilda taps her foot, impatient before calming down and pulling out her wayfinder. "We're Pathfinders, sent here to investigate. Step aside."
Seo-yeon pouts for a moment, but shakes her head and cheers up when she thinks of how funny the moment might be when told in a story or sung in a song. "A Ring of Counterspelling?" Seo-yeon squints at the object before shrugging. "It sounds useful. Who wants to hold onto it?" Although she could try counterspelling anything with noticeable auditory or visual effects, she wasn't sure what else there actually was. It was probably better for the ring to go to someone that actually knew what they were doing with it.
When they finally reach the crime scene, Seo-yeon smiles to ease Annilda's impatience. "We're authorized to be here," she includes cheerfully. "Sebnet sent us!"
"Indeed, this will counterspell the first fireball that comes in. Useful if you want to stay alive" if no one else is interested, Earevel focuses his resonance and invests the ring.
"Indeed, we came in the name of Vash-Vatom Sebnet" says the elf while showing all the documentation offered by the gnome.
The nervous one seems to ratchet down a level on the scale of nervousness, still near the top, but not seeing you as a threat. "Oh so you're the ones who were coming to take a look at this? I guess that explains the unusual dress."
His partner moves for the first time, breaking his pose, and looking everyone over and smiling slightly. "It's good to finally have you taing a look at this place. I'm Eiab and my partner over there is Zanhannel. Yo're free to go in there but be aware the beserk golem that's thought to be the cause of death is still in there, but we did bind him down..."
Zanhannel butts in with a "But it's been getting more and more active! It might break out!"
Eiab waits a second to see if he can continue. "... Yes that is a worry. Have any of you fough a flesh golem? They can prove to be highly resistant to magic-"
"This one even is healed with electricity! So no shocking it!"
"Thank-you Zan, yes electricity would be a bad idea... If you're well aware of the dangers you can head on in. Unless there's something else you need from us?"
You know exactly what the guards are talking about when they say beserk. It's a known occurrence with golems that have been significantly damaged, causing the thing to lash out at whoever is near by with no fear of damage.
Eiab blinks twice at your lack of questions, while Zanhannel keeps nervously glancing at the workshop door half expecting the thing to come jumping out. With a gesture from Eiab, the two step aside from the door, lifting the bar across the door and letting you inside.
The airy workshop might have once been a pleasant, tidy space, but the room is now a chaotic disaster. Scorch marks mar the stone just inside the doorway, and sharp, dark-gray metallic shards lie scattered over the tiles. The equipment and tools on the table are now nothing more than a smashed jumble of glass, wood, and metal. The contents of the bookshelves lie strewn throughout the room, and streaks of dried blood mark the site of a deadly encounter. As the group stops to let their eyes adjust to the dimmer lighting of the barred up space, Eiab and Zanhannel both follow you into the room. Eiab takes up his on guard position again but Zanhannel only has eyes for the twicthing thing. After a few seconds, he starts pleading in a small voice to please let him keep gaurd on the street.
In one corner of the room, a badly damaged flesh golem bound with sturdy chains twitches, groans, and strains against its bonds.
There is definitely some information to be found here.
These scorch marks are vey obviously the result of a Fireball spell, given the placement and a few bits of paper lying about the scorched circle, it was almost definitely a trap.
The shrapnel all over the room is tiny bits of adamantine and highly indicative of a trap intended to pepper a target or two with the metal.
You can also learn things if you examine the golem.
The berserk golem is covered with small burns from multiple fire magics, and also has many tiny holes all long one side.
The golem has some partially healed over wounds that almost look like they were created from a large clawed creature.
Upon closer examination, there are little specks of stone imbedded in the wound, suggesting it was from something made of stone.
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Annilda stops her aggressive stance and smiles. "Thank you, gentlemen. We'll take over from here."
She walks up, bends down a bit and examines the restrained golem without any fear.
"Hmm. This golem... it is covered with small burns from multiple fire magics, and also has many tiny holes all long one side. Clearly it is damaged, but from what or where I am uncertain."
Karvek looks over the Golem, mostly interested in determining if it might actually break free, and if that seems possible, he'd wonder if he could grapple it to give the others more time to investigate it while it's still functioning.
Karvek tries to restrain the golem to keep it from breaking out of its chains.
Fumbus wanders into the room, and starts poking around.
"Ooo! Look at that! The golem has been attacked by some sort of large creature! Look at those claw marks! I wonder what caused that? Still, I am disappointed that it has only been made from humanoid parts... imagine if he had made it look like a sphinx, or something else truly exotic!"
"More claw marks? The same kind of marks that killed that Arclord?"
"Have you identified the golem's manufacture origin?" asks Earevel to the guards before moving in.
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Earevel examines very quickly the holes but he places too little attention at them.
With the rest of the time, Earevel starts identifying the magic around, but even with his Quick Identification knowledge it will take a minute of thorough research without interruption to study the auras around.
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Seo-yeon steps in alongside the others and briefly scans the room before turning her attention to the golem itself.
She gives a low whistle, duly impressed. "It seems that the golem has experienced quite a bit of unpleasantness here." She lets the others express their findings, finding them to be true... But claw marks?
Seo-yeon leaned in a bit closer to see what Fumbus was talking about. "Good eye, Fumbus," she praises, making a mental note of the goblin's keen observation.
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Annilda, completely unfazed by the golem's twitching approaches the thing openly. She examines it's body finding scorch marks and shrapnel everywhere. Seo-yeon is then able to identify where the two effects come from, correctly assuming the thing didn't have a good time.
Fumbus also closes in, seeing clear through the damages from the traps having accidentally blown up more than a few on himself before. He instead finds the nearly healed over claw wounds. Earevel standing next to him notes how sharp deep they are, almost like a bird, but human sized.
Karvek, uninterested in investigating the golem or crime scene, instead looks into trying to hold the golem down with his body and not just the chains. The large size of the creature though makes that a generally bad idea.
Earevel sits down to futher analyze the aura of the room, but just as he's getting settled, the golem gives a lurch and finally snaps the chains.
The golem however, doesn't quite realize it's free of the bindings in time and only very slowly stands up to it's full height, giving everyone the perfect chance to prepare.
Zanhannel gives a screeching eeep of warning as he sees a couple of links fail, Turning to Eiab, he cries "Told ya so, You owe me five!" before moveing out the door. Outside the buidlign you can hear him starting to move people away from the building in case the golem gets free.
Eiab on the other hand just gives a sigh and pulls out a packet. He gives the things a good shake before snapping one side open and slathering the shiny metallic liquid inside it on his longsword.
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"Oh, you hunk of gunk. Calm down or I'll give you more claw marks to worry about." Annilda spreads her legs out, keeps her frame low to the ground, and spreads her hands like tiger claws. The wrappings around her arms glow faintly.
Karvek attacks with both his picks at the same time in a double slice.
Then he casts shield on himself for +1 AC and ability to use the shield block reaction.
"Eeep!"
Fumbus retreats away from the golem, confidant his allies can deal with it.
Seo-yeon grins, relaxed by the easy way Annilda takes on this new challenge. "♫ Hold steady lest our foes be strong," she sang out, "♬ Be brave so we can play along, ♪ Our parts in this silly little song ♩ And the story of our lives prolong~" As she ended the verse, she reached into the well of song within her, trying to extend the effect of her music.
Her buff administered, she drew her rapier and stabbed at the golem, still humming as she considered the next couple of lines she could add to the song.
"It break out!" knowing this is a dangerous enemy, Earevel strides back farther away from the golem.
Refocusing himself, he holds his staff in one hand and points with the other at the golem. Knowing the electricity will heal it as pointed out by the guards, he instead tries a different element, a ray of frost is born at his hand and propels at the golem in between Seo-yeon and Karvek.
Annilda lashes out at the golem with a quick one two punch with a swiftness that clashes with her fortune teller image. The flesh golem, however, seems to be ready for them as it quivers out of the way of both of them. It isn't ready for the twin attacks of Karvek taking two picks into it's side, though they don't sink in as far as he'd expect. It gives a scream of pain and turns on the man.
Taking advantage of the moment, Fumbus strides to a safer place and cowers behind the table of tools in the center of the room.
Seo-yeon starts inspiring her allies with a small song and easy tune, but runs out of words and switches to humming for a few seconds. While doing so she pull out her rapir and tries to stab the construct, but the song in her head distracts her and slows her strike enough the construct deftly avoids it.
Earevel, having smartly moved back earlier, takes aim at the thing with a cold based cantrip, shooting around the corner of everyone. It hits, but instead of hurting the thing it seems to move a bit slower.
With a groan the thing takes a massive swing back and then tries to slam straight into the side of Karvek, with one and then the other arm. However, the thing broadcasts its attack too much and the fighter cna easily avoid getting hit by it.
Eiab finishes rubbing the silvery liquid over the sword before quickly handing it off to Fumbus saying. "Here, this should be able to cut it much easier. It has an adamtine wash on it." He gives the goblin a good luck thumbs up before joining his partner on the street with his whistle.
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Inspired by Seo-yeon's song, Karvek swings twice again.
Then he casts shield for +1 AC
Observing the golem is not harmed by the cold, Earavel just tries so with fire, aiming with his staff a burst of fire is born in the tip of the burned wood and springs towards the golem.
Without better ideas on what to do with his last action, he just casts shield .
"You can't reason with objects. It's why a pet is much more valuable than a sculpture of one!"
Fumbus gamely hustles back in, and tries to take a swing at the golem...
...but he is still decidedly shaken by the great beast, and his swing is far from accurate.
Seo-yeon scowled at her rapier before taking a few careful steps back and singing out again, using the rapier to gesture towards Annilda. "♬ A touch of this, a touch of that, no time to waste; have some haste!"
Seo-yeon scowled at her rapier before taking a few careful steps back and trying the verse again, this time attempting to instill a bit more umf into her voice as she again tried to inspire courage in her allies. She sheathed the rapier and moved to follow the elf's example by withdrawing her shortbow.
Karvek slams his picks into the golem in another succession of hits, the second one hitting a particularly important spot. The golem stays focused on him as it starts to spurt blood from the light pick wound.
Earevel realizing that the cold based magic he'd used earlier wasn't going to help here much, instead uses a fire spell on the golem. The flames barely seem to hit the golem. However when they do, instead of just singeing the golem, they explode, giving off a large wave of heat and leaving much more of the golem burned than the spell normally would. The flesh-golem screams in pain and redoubles it's efforts on Karvek, unable to recognize Earevel from that far away.
Annilda and Fumbus both close in on the golem and try taking swings at it, but neither one is able to land a scratch on the thing, though Annilda's second punch grazes the golem but it too shallow to affect it.
Seo-Yeon, her composition from last round still ringing in their ears, casts a different spell, empowering everyone in the room with extra speed, before stepping back a step.
The golem swings back again and tries to through two different erratic, but wildly powerful, punches at the fighter, He is easily able to side step both of them however.
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Annilda continues raking away with her tiger claws, annoyed it's ignoring her.
Earevel opens his eyes wide when the golem ignites in extra fire "Ah! So does it! You do not like the fire! Submit to the Society, confess whom is your owner!" while he waves his staff once more calling for more fire on the flesh golem.
Then he moves his right hand to cast shield once more.
Satisfied by his previous brutal hit, Karvek swings his picks again.
Then he casts shield again (AC 24 / 21)
Satisfied with the way her spells were taking effect, she struck up another verse to continue inspiring courage.
"♫Onwards we go for glory
♬To learn and spread every story
♪No matter how great or hoary
♩To add to our oratory~"
She makes the words work by timing her tune, but man, oh man - Seo-yeon notes that she's got to work on sorting through some more rhymes.
She puts away her rapier and draws out her shortbow, knocking it and taking aim.
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Hastened by Seo-Yeon's magic, Annilda is able to strike out at the beast a solid four times, he arms a flying fury of claw-like hands. She even places a few critical strikes in key places, leaving the golem bleeding profusely, and finally drawing it's ire. Sadly, though, the flow of blood soon drops to a trickle and then stops all together.
Earevel, after seeing how effective his last fire based attack was, decides to continue pressing forward with the burning magic, but sadly he mistimes it and flings the ball of fire just as the beast is turning to face Annilda. The fire streaks past Karvek's head to explode on the far wall, just as the fighter realizes he's lost the attention of the golem. He lands two quick hits on it's hide, but either due to the thing moving or his rush to try drawing the thing back in, both strikes feel rather shallow and barely leave any noticable damage, but leaving the thing swaying on it's feet nearly in peices.
Seo-Yeon picks up the lyrics of her first song again, renewing the feelings of inspiration in her companions, before changing out weapons the proper way, putting one away before pulling the other out.
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"You are nothing more than flesh before the grinder!" Annilda hacks into the creature some more.
"♫Boom, bum, hear the drum!
♬Ho, hum, let them come~
♪Never fear the outcome
♩Since we're all taught to overcome~"
As she sings out again, she takes aim and shoots, loosing one arrow right after the other.
Not being proficient with longsword, Fumbus once again retreats.
The door opens, and a figure pokes its head throug looking to see what is causing the cries of alarm and sounds of battle.
"Oh my!" he exclaims, before drawing a sword and charging in to help.
The newcome has the look of a tavern singer rather than a street brawler, still, he seems to know which end of the sword to hold on to.
Earevel looks back at the stranger entrance "Quick! We need some help here! The golem run out of control!"
Then the elf casts again produce flame with his staff.
And follows up shielding himself with another cantrip.
Karvek repeats his attack.
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Fumbus backs away from the creature fearing he can't do anything to actually harm it. As he does the thing lashes out at Annilda and then Karvek one last time. The strike against the much less heavily armored cleric slams into her side leaving what is certainly going to be a massive bruise. The slam aimed at the so far elusive Kavek once again whiffs against nothing but air.
The party then decends on the thing finishing it off quickly with a series of punches, explosive flames and picks.
Without the golem testing it's bonds or threatening them with punches, the group is able to give the place a detailed going over. Sadly it doesn't turn up any new clues, but it does produce a surprisingly intact unopened box that got wedged behind the work bench in the tussle. Inside the lid is what Fumbus would estimate to be about 80 sp worth of materials, with a small hand written note thanking Kefanes for all his business from a Ladhlia.
You realize the materials are the makings of a trap or some sort of defensive spell ward. It seems Kefanes had plans to make even more traps.
"Bah. Leave an automation to leave a mark." Annilda feels her shoulder as she comes to a rest. She focuses on herself, drawing upon the powers of her goddess to give her the strength to carry on.
"Ah, much better!" Annilda finds some cloth to wipe the gore off her hands. "Now then, which way do we go next? I say we track down this Ladhila person."
"This looks like Kefanes was planning to make some defensive spell wards or traps," Seo-yeon gestured towards the materials with her shortbow, a slight frown on her face. "This Ladhlia might know more about that."
She keeps her bow out, still wary of the golem.
"Ladhila... Ladhila..." murmurs the newcomer.
"I'm sure that name should be familiar"
"My apologies, I did not see you there." Annilda calms down and bows to the halfling. "I would shake your hand in normal circumstances, but mine are quite filthy."
"I have picked up some information in this town. Maybe I heard something about her..."
"Mmm... interesting... why Ladhlia would need traps?" Earevel thinks on the name as well.
The elf uses detect magic to look for more clues, and studies the remainings of the golem, looking for a crafting mark or a similar clue.
"I say we search Ladhlia and query her about her business with the traps"
"I agree, let's try and find this Ladhlia."