Oh dear, that is tragic indeed, says Remaio to Tholl as his head drops. I shall not allow her body to rot in the ground without a proper burial and will see to this as soon as I can to ensure she has an honourable rest. Alas, this will have to wait as I need your help.
He walks to the window before continuing As I mentioned in my letter, I remain unconvinced that the Aroden bust awarded to Honoraria is properly guarded in the Basilica of the Last Man. We should go there immediately and retrieve it so that I may keep it safe. I will accompany you on this trip.
You travel up the coast to Oppara, the capital of the declining Taldor empire, which takes days.
Remaio leads you to the Basilica.
The blue dome and fluted spires of the Basilica of the Last Man rise from the skyline of Oppara, the capital of Taldor. The basilica rests atop a tall hill, whose rolling, grass-covered slopes are free of the usual bustle of city life. A carriage bearing the symbol of a pegasus on its doors stops at the foot of the hill.
As you arrive Remaio says We need to convince Brother Valicus to let us move the bust to a safer location. The gods know I’ve tried, but he just won’t listen to reason.
As you enter the workshop, Brother Valicus is frantically searching the place. He sees you approach and when he sees Remaio his face drops in shame I...I...was only gone for less than an hour.
What is it man? Speak up! says Remaio
The bust....it’s gone. I’m afraid we’ve been robbed
You absolute fool! scream Remaio You could not have afforded that artefact with less protection than if you had left it on a street stall in broad daylight!
You can tell that the thieves left more valuable paintings and tools behind. They were careful to take items that were shiny but not part of anyone’s livelihood.
You follow the tracks to the dust-filled tunnels underneath the Basilica.The stairs end in a damp room with several deteriorating doors, each decorated with the winged eye of Aroden. A once-imposing set of double doors stands slightly ajar across from the stairs. Another staircase on the western wall once led deeper below the city, but its ceiling has collapsed, blocking further passage.
These halls are used even less than those above ground. Damp and mildew clings to the walls and the air feels stale. There are footsteps on the ground, and it looks like rat-folk have used these tunnels over the years.
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Thinking back on it Tholl realizes his mind may have been addled from the battles and bodies he has seen over the years, as he recalls that the boy's aunt had died of natural causes, he doesn't have the heart to change his story now, although it could bring him more comfort.
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Tholl follows along with the others, longsword drawn!
You all approach the double door....
EDIT: NO MORE ROLLS NEEDED
You try to sneak through the doors but one of Angry's wooden limbs scrapes the wall and suddenly the doors burst open and in strides Bikka, the dire rat ratfolk leader. This . She comes with two sidekicks, filthy rats the size of a small dogs with coats of coarse fur, a long and scabby tail, and glittering eyes. Welcome to our world! Bikka hisses
Urgh how repulsive! screams Remaio Get them!
Bikka
Tholl
Dire Rat Blue
Alina
Angry Magic Tree
Garsita
Dire Rat Black
Aylanna
Remaio
Bikka strikes first, stabbing at Garsita, who is flanked, with her dagger Should'a left us be Orc!
Bikka slides the blade into Garsita for damage
Bold May act
Tholl slices the dire rat with his longsword and nearly cleaves it in two, it's innards becoming its outards as it drops to the floor, wondering quite what in the name of Golarion had hit it before permanent darkness takes it.
Bikka
Tholl
Alina
Angry Magic Tree
Garsita
Dire Rat Black
Aylanna
Remaio
Bold may act
Garsita swings her sword at Bikka but misses, as Alina attempts to hex the leader, but it matters little, as Angry stands over the very dead Bikka, a huge slash mark across her torso and nothing but emptiness in her eyes. Angry's axe drips with rat blood.
Goodness me, says Remaio. Never have I seen a vine strike with such anger.
You search through Bikka's pack and find Bikka carries the shiny bust. Oh thank you! says Remaio, only the Gods know what flea infested haven this family heirloom would have ended up in. Bikka's allies carry the other stolen relics, which include a set of embossed bronze offering bowls, a string of prayer beads made of silver, and a collection of holy symbols of Aroden from different regions of Golarion.
You move forward. At the north end of this long room, a statue of a winged eye adorns a simple stone altar. Open pits of various sizes riddle the floor. A pair of stone doors hangs into each of the pits, with a texture similar to that of the surrounding ground. The floor of this room is riddled with pit traps, which the keepers of the basilica once used to capture would-be thieves. The ratfolk disabled these traps when they looted everything of value from the altar.
You make your way from the room with the disabled traps through another set of doors.
Twelve narrow pillars reach from floor to ceiling in this large chamber, each depicting a man engaging in a different profession. In one pillar, a man proudly displays a large fish, while in another, a man tends to a field of wheat.
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Tholl keeps his sword and banner drawn as the group moves on.
The pillars, they depict the twelve guises that Aroden once used to walk the world: beggar, thief, fisherman, hunter, shepherd, farmer, soldier, merchant, tailor, craftsman, artist, and scholar.
He comments to the others as he gets a look at each one, he begins to move through the room. Keeping an eye out for danger too.
But is clearly too wrapped up in looking at the statues to notice any possible dangers.
Angry looks disappointed as Garsita and Alina give him the bad news, but his disappointment must be put to one side as one of Bikka's allies, Thessel, emerges from a trapdoor along with a couple of Dire Rat accomplices.
Thieves! screams Thessel, with not a hint of irony in his voice.
[spoiler=Initiative]
Dire Rat Blue
Aylanna
Thessel
Dire Rat Orange
Alina
Garsita
Tholl
Angry Magic Tree
The blue rat takes a nice juicy chomp at Tholl's neck
The rat find a lovely vein and gnaws down for damage and Tholl is now
Bold may act
Thessel moves around to flank and slices at Tholl with his dagger for
Meanwhile, the orange rat flanks Tholl from the North and tries to bite him but Tholl manages to move out of the way
Dire Rat Blue
Aylanna
Thessel
Dire Rat Orange
Alina
Garsita
Tholl
Angry Magic Tree
Bold may act
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"Oh. Well, maybe there's a god of leshys! They'd come in lots of guises too - vine, gourd, seaweed..." Angry Magic Tree trails off in thought.
Upon seeing his companion surrounded, Angry Magic Tree springs into action! He yells angrily as he races towards his closest opponent, drawing his axe as he does so, and swipes at the rat-like creature!
Tholl wavers as the infection starts to find a new home in his bloodstream but Angry lives up to his name by charging at Thessel and in one swoop of his Great Axe sends him into the permanent night.
Garsita swings at the blue rat but he ducks under the sword feeling nothing more than a swoop of air.
The blue rat suddenly freezes and stares at Alina as his head starts to rush with sickening screams
He manages to compose himself and remain steady but is hurt by the scream
Round 2
Dire Rat Blue darts toward Garsita and lunges for her juicy neck and feels his teeth land perfectly for damage.
Dire Rat Blue
Aylanna
Dire Rat Orange
Alina
Garsita
Tholl
Angry Magic Tree
Bold may act
Aylanna slams into the orange rat, dropping him dead, and with that, the remaining rat flees through the tunnels in fear and is gone before you can chase him.
Remaio says Goodness, what dreadful creatures. Thank you all. I can now convince the Arodenites that Honaria’s bust wasn’t safe in the basilica
You return to Brother Valicus who is ashamed enough of his poor protection of the bust to allow you to take it without protest. As a reward, Remaio takes you all out for a fine dinner to celebrate!
The next morning, Remaio asks you to travel to the Verduran forest. As I said in my letter, I have hired a small riverboat to take you to the edge of the Verduran Forest, where I have arranged for guides from the wildwood lodge to meet you. Go, and see if this talking tree is real and if it can tell you of Honoria's heroic exploits!
You take your leave and travel for hours up the river to the edge of the Verduran forest.
As the boat glides to a stop among the sweet-smelling blackwood trees on the river’s edge, a gnome woman with twigs braided into her hair waves to the boat’s pilot. A small bear waits patiently at her heel, while a red-bearded dwarf glowers over her shoulder.
I'm Trajet says the Gnome coldly. She points to the Dwarf. This is Polgrin . The bear at her heel sniffs at Angry's feet in a friendly way but Trajet yanks on his lead and gives him a stern look. And this is fireclaw. Follow me.
You start to make your way through the forest....
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After the battle Tholl uses his healing spells to seal the wounds. But still isn't feeling all that great, he never the less muster the energy to enjoy the dinner.
And the next morning is ready to travel.
Feeling a bit better in the morning, nevertheless his fever dreams were full of gnashing vermin teeth. He's glad to begin the journey.
Once they reach there guides, Tholl bids them welcome.
You'll be our guides then, well we travel with a talking tree and seek another with a long memory. Lead on Trajet, lead on Polgrin.
Tholl carries his banner, though rolled up, but ready to loose if needed.
with your presence as a group and just want to get to the tree as soon as
possible. While Polgrin finds the party distasteful, Trajet is clearly concealing raw hostility.
You continue on for one more turn....
You continue on through the forest, Trajet watching but not speaking. A rain-fed stream rushes between the trees, back towards the Sellen River. The canopy above is thick enough to cast the area into green twilight and provide home to the dozens of birds chattering above. The path breaks away from the stream to
the southeast, leading past a small clearing that holds several weathered tombstones.
central stone: “Aurenia, speaker of the forest.”
You continue through the forest. Eventaully, you come to a massive old blackwood tree stands at the side of the trail. Sheets of moss cling to its bark, covering it entirely except for a jagged crack that suggests a mouth.
Before you can even attempt to communicate with the tree, Trajet intervenes and speaks to the tree. It is an outrage that we should allow these people into our forest. Please, allow me to severly punish
these outsiders who shame the Wildwood Lodge with their bribes and treat you, the sacred tree as a mere servant.
The tree moans quietly. These are our guest Trajet. We must not attack them
Trajet doesn't seem willing to listen and her hands tense visibly.....
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Yes, mighty tree we are honored to speak with you. Trajet please don't misunderstand us, we do not view the sacred tree as a servant. Oh, far from it. We are extremely grateful for a chance to learn from the sacred tree as humble students. The mighty tree so long standing has a lifetime or more of wisdom and knowledge to impart. We merely seek a little bit of it, for our benefactor.
Tholl gives Trajet a look to see if his words soften the gnome at all.
Mighty tree, our benefactor's ancestor was Honaria Alcasti. She led an army into this forest once long ago. No record survives of why she came or what she did in this forest. Only you sacred tree remembers her deeds for good or ill. We would like to find out for ourselves. Will you tell us great one!
You will not speak to this tree whilst I have breath in my lungs foul outsiders! Trajet screams, losing any veneer of cool she had.
Firepaw
Tholl
Alina
Angry
Aylanna
Garsita
[Trajet
Polgrin
Firepaw roars on its hindlegs and charges at Tholl.
and gnaws at Tholl's arm for damage
it follow up with a claw attack at Garsita for damage
Please stop this violence! cries the old tree
Bold may act