Damian shakes his head at the gardeners' preparation for hostilities. "Please, we only wish to pass." Still, it was better to be prepared for a fight, so again he calls upon his goddess's blessing upon the party.
Coral draws her sap and readies to strike the first one that comes into range.
Feena was pleased to see their two benefactors when they returned to the phantom version or Rossler's Coffin. She listened intently to what they had to say and before they left stepped up to the pair and said, "Thank you for all of your help Umble and Thoot," she stretched upward and gave each being a peck on the "cheek" and said, "I know it might sound bad but I hope we don't meet again for a long time but I will be glad to see you again on the day we are reunited."
As they began to make their way along the Dead Roads to return to the land of the living Feena began to feel uneasy. This had all been far too simple since they left the pair of kooky psychopmps. As if to make her misgivings a reality the garden suddenly appeared before them. Feena looked to her friends and said, "I don't like this, do you think Mictena is still trying to kill us?"
It seemed that, all roo soon, her worries were proven correct as the two gardeners stated they were honored to be the ones to kill them. Feena's eyes widened in fear and she tried to figure out what these two men were...
...as she said, "Please there is a huge misunderstanding here, we are not dead, I don't know how, I don't know why, but we were not really killed. We are trying to get back to the land of the living and I plan to find out what did this to our home. If it can do such a thing to a small town like Rossler's Coffin surely it may be able to do it to some place much larger. Now wouldn't that throw the balance off even worse?!"
Feena recognizes these golden gardeners as Shabti. Existing as something between mortal souls, fabricated beings, and true children of the planes, shabti are immortal facsimiles of death-obsessed nobles. They serve out the sentences of their mortal twins, whether it be an infinity of torture or an eternity wandering the planes. Most never emerge from such trials, but some manage to find their own paths upon the planes. Shabti typically look like idealized humans with perfect physiques and flawless features.
Two gardeners overhear the discussion and emerge from the west, making the total group four shabti. Feena's words apparently fall on deaf ears as each of four monks cast a spell and says "Carefully remove your armor, weapons and spell components so that they won't be damaged."
|
Vlad nods at the suggestion that he remove his armor and drop his weapons. However, as he begins reaching for a strap, Coral bumps him, and he remembers he's standing with allies. Allies with a cause.
Shaking his head, he says "NO MORE TRICKS! THE WICKED WILL NEVER PREVAIL!"
Raising his warhammer, he charges the nearest enemy.
Marya begins her inspiring sword dance.
Lola moves to the space next to Vlad, drawing her spear and thrumming a tune on her armor, starting a song about the monks who got drunk.
Coral moves up next to Vlad.
If the monk that he and Lola hit is still up, she will attack it.
If not, she will ready to attack the next one in range. And she will be ready to use Bodyguard to aid Vlad's AC.
The monks probably wanted proof of their intentions before allowing them to pass peacefully, so Damian sees nothing wrong with disarming. He places his bow and quiver on the ground and begins to work on the straps of his armor.
Feena felt the words of the strange creature slam into her and she almost began to remove her component pouch. Unfortunately she had a niggling voice in her mind say Oh hellno! and shook off the effects. She turned her gaze to the one who'd cast the spell on her and then promptly sent a beam of scorching hot energy lancing out at him.
Feena incarcerates ones of the immortal men, turning his body into a smoking piled of burning and blackened something as it falls to the ground before her.
Lola's spear greatly injures another one, but it isn't enough to drop him to the ground. Luckily Coral is standing by to strike it down, finishing it off.
Vlad's warhammer does something to the body of another gardener that no one should ever have to witness. Organs and flesh explode from within the creature as Vlad kills it instantly in a single blow.
The last gardener remains standing, uninjured and undeterred, despite his three fallen allies. He strides up to Vlad and throws a fist into Vlad's face, connecting
Vlad helps the gardener find his enlightenment when his powerful blow from the warhammer drops him to the floor in a blood pile of flesh and bone.
Coral had only used a sap on her target, but considering the carnage her companions wreaked, that restraint seems rather pointless now.
She sighs and switches back to her rapier in case additional foes appear.
Marya punches Damian in the shoulder. ”Snap out of it, bud.”
Lola shakes her head at the shabti, but tries to stabilize any that remain alive.
”These are like primos, cousins to my people. But they tend to be fanatics.” She sighs and mutters, ” Que encuentres la paz en el mundo después de esto.”
"Oh. They wanted to fight us after all. What a shame." Damian begins to redo the clasps on his armor straps, sighing heavily. "And I don't know what came over me, I just listened to them." He looks rather morose as he recollects that only yesterday he had also fell prey to the suggestive words of Mrs. Pedipalp. Was he really that credulous?
Once everyone is ready to move on, you push further into the gardens by moving southwest. You find an open space that is tiled with gray bricks in intricate patterns. Inset mosaics display various scenes of a stylized skeletal woman releasing humanoid figures from painful situations— from torture and illness to mourning fallen children. A short dais in the center of this space holds a statue of a thin, robed male elf clutching a dagger to his chest. A look of resigned sorrow is etched onto the statue’s face. Gaps in the carefully pruned hedges lead to the north and east.
As you enter the area, the statue animates, and it speaks Elven.
"Hey, statue, we don't want to fight, tell us what's wrong." She holds out her hand, while keeping the other on her spear.
Coral waits for a response to Lola's question, but readies to help Vlad land a hit if he decides he needs to attack. Her party is often of two minds on these matters and she isn't sure which is the best course of action. While not bloodthirsty, she is wary and is not thrilled about letting foes take the first shot.
"'Finality is inevitable for all,' in Elven” Lola looks sad.
The statue does not respond, stoically acting like a statue despite now looking very life-like. It waits to make its first move, a holy symbol of Pharasma gently swinging around the statue's neck while the beautiful dagger in its hand is readied for action. A light breeze blows through the gardens and its billows up behind it, as the statue eyes each member of the party very carefully as if studying them for something.
Graven guardians are human-sized constructs of clay, stone, wood, or similar materials, crafted and painted to resemble a deity or a deity’s favored servants. When not in motion, a graven guardian appears identical to a temple or crypt’s statue, but while active, graven guardians look extremely lifelike.
Lola shakes her head, "this thing is a construct, devoted to its god. It has so morality or negotating ability. But thankfully, it cannot feel pain. This one seems to cause bleed damage with attacks, and the damage is hard to heal."
She hefts her spear, and gets ready to attack, starting an inspirational, slow dance, hoping that Damian is watching, a dance of respect for the dead.
Damian watches the Pharasmin holy symbol intently. "Marya, you studied Pharasma's faith, did you not? Any thoughts here? I am sure this guardian is only trying to do their job."
Still, if it insisted on fighting them, he did not want to be unprepared.
Feena saw the shabti die so quickly and messily and felt a wave of guilt wash over her at their deaths. They didn't have to die, if they'd not let this Mictena's beliefs cloud their eyes to what was actually going on then they could have survived this. She looked at the remains and said, very softly,, "I'm sorry." A single tear trailed down her cheek as she turned from the remains and went with the others deeper into the garden.
When they entered the area with all of the mosaics Feena was more than a little disturbed by them. Having said that she studied them to try and understand as they went and realized they were showing what could be a creature like Mictena who was granting a merciful death to those who suffered. She wasn't sure if that would be helpful later or not but Feena resolved to keep it in mind.
Feena had been so intent on her thoughts about the mosaics that when the statue began to speak she gave a tiny squeal of fear in surprise as her head whipped around to look at it. She didn't understand the language it spoke in but was relieved that Lola did. When the grim looking bard told them what the thing was and they prepared for combat with it Feena tried to recall if she'd ever heard of these constructs before.
Graven guardians are inexorably tied to a specific deity’s faith. While unintelligent and thus lacking any real personality, a graven guardian has the ability to recognize fellow worshipers or minions of its deity and does not treat them as enemies unless they first attack. This recognition does not extend so far as to allow these worshipers (or those cunningly disguised as worshipers) to give a graven guardian new orders. As with all constructs, a graven guardian follows only the orders of its creator.
Feena finally remembered reading about these things once in a book. Looking to the others she said, "Graven Guardians won't attack anyone who openly wears a symbol of their creator's faith unless attacked first and can recognize servants and worshipers of this faith. It might possible that someone who is a faithful of the right religion can get us all past it without a fight," and looked to Lola.
”Si, but which of us follows Pharasma? Anyone? Not me...” She gestures to the type of guardian, ”unless I am wrong about the deity.” She holds up the holy symbol to Ashava, ”isn’t me anyway.”
Feena heard what Lola said and then looked at her holy symbol and then said, "Sorry, with all that's going on I couldn't remember if you did or not but I thought you were the most likely one."
"Ahh, looks can be deceiving. Pero I believe that Pharasma is much less magnanimous towards the undead than I am, or Ashava for that matter." She inclines her head, "but I can understand the confusion."
She gestures at the others, "even if one of us were Pharasman, I don't think it would let all of us by." She sighs, "I do not like fighting, amiga, but I do not think we have a choice."
Feena nodded and said, "I'm afraid you are right then." With that Feena prepared to cast a spell to attack the statue if it came for them.
The statue moves towards the party, closing in on Coral. Right before it would strike, Vlad rips his weapon toward it, but the statue was just out of his range and he misses. Feena's ray slams into the statue, burning a hole right through the center of its chest. The statue turns towards Vlad, swinging his scimitar, but misses.
Marya laughs when Lola looks around for a Pharasmin. ”I don’t think being an ex-follower will help much. Heck, judging by some of the Pharasmins I’ve met; it might make it worse.”
She inspires her allies with her usual ease as she talks.
Coral gets in the way of the construct's defenses, trying to help Vlad land a blow.