Borgol sighs, "Without a testimonial from you, the only way we'll demonstrate that will be cutting them down." He shrugs, "Hope you weren't close with them."
He looks up at the others, "Since this one can't help us go forward, I'm suggesting we bind her to avoid her attacking from the rear or raising an alarm, and move on. Unless someone has a better idea."
"Sounds good to me," Remy says, already working to bind the medusa. "If her sisters are smart, they'll surrender. If not, well... they're in our way."
The air is still as you make your way north from the arrival station and into the valley. After several minutes, you reach a wide river that flows from north to south. To the south, you can see a pair of octagonal stone guard towers with conical roofs attached to a smaller building at the river's edge. To the north, a much larger and more imposing building is built into a narrow pass.
You know that the other medusas are keeping watch here. A stealthy approach may be advisable...
Borgol taps Fergus on the back, "Why don't you let those of us not wrapped in metal that clanks with every step sneak up on them and take them by surprise?"
He then holds the rod out to Flik, "Might be useful if one of us needs healing later."
Flik gratefully accepts the item. "Yes, indeed useful!"
Fergus, knowing he is not the most stealthy, nods in agreement with Borgol. If you get into trouble, just holler and I'll be there! he whispers.
Borgol, Maddie, and Remy are stealthily approach the guard towers. Fortunately, it seems the medusas that are supposed to be keeping watch are busy with an archery contest, firing arrows at vaguely humanoid targets made of wood and clumps of dried grass placed on the river banks 80 feet away. They do not notice the trio creeping up the stairs to the tower...
Borgol charges a medusa, slamming with his shield to knock her off the tower.
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Borgol's shield slam sends a medusa flying off the edge of the tower. She hits the ground below. Remy launches herself at the other medusa, but misses with her kick. Maddie uses her magic to confuse the medusa!
The confused medusa bashes herself in the face with her bow, while the one that fell gets to her feet and fires an arrow up at Borgol.
Hearing the commotion, Fergus will hustle forward.
Borgol leaps off the platform, the magic in his boots allowing him to fire himself and his shield in a straight line at the medusa that shot him, the man doubling in size just before impact.
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Flik will cast good hope and start dispensing advice about medusas.
"Go for the eyes!"
Remy pummels her foe with her fists, leaving the medusa stunned! The monk takes advantage of that fact, following up with a double-chop to the neck that takes her down!
Meanwhile, Borgol rockets down to smash the other medusa with his shield, knocking her to the ground! Fergus rushes to get to Borgol's side.
The medusa hisses defiantly at Borgol, her snakes snapping at his ankles but failing to pierce his armor. She focuses her gaze on the warrior!
Borgol shakes his head as the Medusa locks eyes on him, "Sorry, but Ol' Deadeye's not going to let that happen," he growls. "Should have surrendered," he adds as he brings his shield and flaming sword to bear on the prone creature.
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Maddie suddenly reappears, facing away from the medusa but nonetheless unleashing a barrage of homing missiles at the monster!
Fergus will attack!
The medusa quickly falls to Fergus's, Borgol's, and Maddie's attacks!
With both sentries slain, you head into the keep itself to confront the fiendish warden. Unlit torches hang on the walls between six small prison cells and one larger one. Standing in the center of the room is a lithe, six-armed humanoid with tusks that curve from its chin. It carries a pair of bows and regards you emotionlessly. "Who are you and why have you come to the Temple of the Peacock Spirit?" it asks, its voice monotone, almost robotic.
Flik pulls himself up to his full height and peers at the warden.
"Our business is exactly that, fiend. Stand aside. We're not here to be beguiled by your lies."
The fiend's emotionless facade vanishes. "If you are intruders, then you will face judgment!" it declares.
Flik begins dispensing advice and casts glitterdust on the creature.
The glitterdust blinds the fiend! It raises its bows in its many arms and fires on Flik, hitting him three times.
The creature remains blinded!
Fergus will run up and attack!
Invisible waves of force wash from Maddie, enveloping the fiend and trying to entrap it.
Borgol rushes forward, doubling in size just before he slams the creature with his shield, trying to knock it down, reducing its combat ability.
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Maddie's telekinesis fails to grapple the fiend, but Borgol grows large and smashes it with his shield, knocking it into the wall and to the floor! Fergus moves in to hack the fiend with his axe, then Remy launches herself into melee with a flying kick.
The monk lands several solid hits. The asura is badly wounded, but the magic binding it here compels it to keep fighting. Unable to use its bows while prone and not wanting to risk instant death by attacks of opportunity, the fiend quick draws handaxes and slashes at your legs!
This tactic proves less than effective.
Borgol begins to swing his shield and blade at the prone creature.
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Flik will keep performing and take a few careful steps away from his previous position.
Fergus will continue his attack!
Fergus and Borgol rain attacks down on the fiend until it falls limp and stops trying to fight back.
The room that the fiend was guarding contains walls adorned with the repeating image of a blue peacock feather with an open blue eye in the center. A single desk and chair adorn the room, a ring of keys being the only thing atop the desk. In the southwest corner, a statue of a peacock, its plumage glowing with all the colors of the rainbow, stands atop a pedestal.
From the research you performed, you know this is one of the peacock shrines that provide magical protections to all denizens of the Temple of the Peacock Spirit, Runelord Xanderghul included. Examining it closely, Flik determines that this shrine allows denizens to conjure and summon creatures without being barred by the dimensional lock that covers the valley. He also notes that the tail-feather rods can be removed with a bit of work. This would cause the ward to fade.
Borgol nods, "I think that'd be wise. Stop anyone from calling for help. Only question I have is whether or not they'd sense us removing the ward as we do it?"
"I'd rather blow our cover a bit than face many summoned foes."
It's a relatively simple matter to remove the blue tail rod from the peacock shrine, which allows you to destroy it and remove the protections it grants from the temple's inhabitants.
Once your business is done here, you head north to the other building you spotted earlier. This imposing building is built into a narrow pass that separates the southern valley from the larger portion to the north. A twenty-foot-wide gate appearing to be made of closely set golden bars blocks passage upriver here. Each bar is decorated with images of peacocks and twisting runes, and while the bars are set in a grid-shaped pattern affording barely enough room to reach an arm through the gaps, the river flows easily through the barrier. Two bridges cross the river, connecting both halves of the building.
“Oy! Up here!” A gravelly voice calls down from an arrow slit in the western side of the southern bridge. “Look, we ain’t supposed to let yas in, but maybe if yas do us a favor, we could, like, open up the gate and look the otha' way.” The proposition is followed by a thick snort.
The perceptive among you spot a pair of beady eyes peering through the arrow slit.
"We are helpful people. Tell us, what do you need?" Flik cautiously addresses the hidden figure.
“Those potion-sniffing hobgoblin bastards across the way took some of our treasure—a pair a’ fancy armbands—and if yas can get it back for us, well, that would be a real bucket o’ slop.” The speaker’s hearty laugh devolves into further snorts. “Come on up. We needs ta talk face-ta-face.”
The door opens, and you can see a humanoid hybrid of man and boar waving you in.
Borgol says, "Don't mind taking out Hobgoblins, but I don't want to risk raise an alarm -- and it's always hard to trust people who guard evil Runelord temples."
Fergus will detect evil on the boar-man.
The boar-man does radiate a faint aura of evil.
Careful, I detect evil in that one! Fergus whispers to the others.
"I'm willing to bet everybody here is evil," Remy whispers back, "but we may be able to get through this place without fighting all of them. Let's hear them out."
As you move to follow the wereboar, a smooth, silky voice whispers from nowhere. ”What my crass, filthy neighbor fails to tell you, of course, is that they purloined something of ours first—a mighty crown. We simply retaliated in kind, holding their item ransom until they return ours. If you wish to deal with someone more sophisticated and less likely to infest you with fleas, then instead come to the east to speak to me about a potential arrangement that may well benefit us both.”
The door on the opposite side of the river opens, and you can see a hobgoblin inside gesturing for you to enter.
The wereboar snorts angrily. ”Oy! Back off, yas bastards! They’s already made up their minds!”
Borgol shakes his head, "So, to be clear, you're both claiming that the other side started it, and each will help as long as we deal with the other?"
"Precisely," the voice whispers back. "Except in our case, we are telling the truth while the wereboars are lying."
The Vindicator frowns, then says, "...and I don't suppose either of you have evidence to support this... or, more likely, you both do."
He waits a moment, then says, "Give us a moment, would you?"
"I don't really like helping either, but trying to cut through both might weaken us more than we'd like. That said, I don't know that I trust either side to keep its word, and half-expect we'll end up needing to fight them when we get back -- but I'm willing to try, just on the off-chance we don't get double-crossed, especially since the only other option is to fight both anyway."
He then shrugs, "Anyone know if either race is more trustworthy than the other? Or have a binding oath we can make them swear?"
Flik knows that both wereboars and hobgoblins tend to be evil. Wereboars are usually chaotic, while hobgoblins are lawful and more likely to keep their word.
It sounds like we should make the deal with the hobgoblins then. Fergus says, clearly liking neither option.