In times long past, the realm of Varisia was a sprawling empire: the nation of Thassilon. Powerful and brutal wizards known as Runelords ruled Thassilon for centuries. However, when they realized their world was about to end, they went into hiding.
The apocalypse of Earthfall devastated Thassilon and brought an Age of Darkness to Golarion. Then, twenty-five years ago, Runelord Karzoug woke from his slumber. As he gathered his power and prepared to attack a world ill-prepared for his fury, a group of adventurers learned of the plot and faced his minions in battle time and time again. Eventually, these heroes confronted Karzoug and vanquished him once and for all.
However, the defeat of a single Runelord was just the beginning...
It has been twenty five-years. Twenty-five years since the news of the attempted return and defeat of Karzoug the Reclaimer spread across the Inner Sea. Twenty-five years since the attacks on Absalom from the splinter faction of the Pathfinder Society now collectively referred to as the Onyx Order. While those within the leadership of the Society know that it was, in fact, a splinter faction of their own people, they have chosen to allow the general public to continue to think believe they were instead minions of masters from the Shadow Realm. In that time, a new deity even ascended to godhood thanks to the Starstone.
Much has changed in the Inner Sea. Much has stayed the same. Kingdoms have risen and fallen in the east. Galt has had its longest era of peace in ages. The wars between the nations of Nex and Geb have even lightened up in recent years. The war between the nation of Molthune and the rebel state of Nirmathas has come to an end… a ceasefire being a better description. The elves of Kyonin even managed to finally put an end to Treerazer.
Golarion, for all intents and purposes, has been in an extended period of peace that hasn't been present in quite some time. However, appearances can often be deceiving. From humble beginnings in the seaside town of Roderic’s Cove, a new band of hopeful heroes stumbles upon disturbing clues…
You two have called Roderic’s Cove home for all your lives.
Once upon a time, your hometown was quite small and sleepy. Well, for the most part. It was also rather prone to bullying and pirate raids from Riddleport. In fact, the latter was how Sir Aurek Roderic himself met his tragic end.
That all changed when Shalelu Andosana moved in.
At the recommendation of the Sihedron Hero Archmage Eugeni Silva, your mother established a major Black Arrows base in Roderic’s Cove when you two were very young. While originally based out of Fort Rennick, even with most of the local ogres long dead, Hook Mountain just wasn’t a safe place to raise a family. In their opinion, the town had a very strategic location; it was relatively close to Riddleport and your mother’s own hometown of Crying Leaf. The people of Roderic’s Cove were quite happy to have the protection of the Black Arrows, and the town has flourished greatly in the following years.
Despite her job as Commander of the Black Arrows requiring lots of travel, thanks to easy access to teleportation, your mother has always had a strong and frequent presence in your life. It also helps that your Aunt Elandra has proven to be a very competent deputy leader. Additionally, the Black Arrows have a great deal of help from powerful allies such as Ryli’s Outriders, the Silver Sentinels, the Church of Cladissa, and Argor Constantine.
However, as of late, there have been omens that not all is well..
Something has forced your mother to deploy much of the local Black Arrows contingent elsewhere; currently, only a skeleton crew remains in Roderic’s Cove. When asked, she simply tells you not to worry. However, as a result, certain criminal elements have reportedly crawled out of the woodwork. Meanwhile, the wicked fey creature known as Mr. Retch has been causing havoc around town, and he’s proven uncannily good at evading both the townguard and the Black Arrows. Finally and perhaps most disturbingly, there have been many sightings of Sir Roderic’s ghost haunting the area.
And then the Silver Sentinels arrived.
The Silver Sentinels are the personal agents of Jeevika Kailani. They are known across Varisia for their prowess in combining magic with melee. For whatever reason, their ranks are composed almost entirely of female elves, half-elves, and catfolk. Right now, they are currently guarding the esteemed Treeslayer herself plus her beloved daughter Galatea. Out of all the Sihedron Heroes, Shalelu Andosana has always held Jeevika in the highest regard.
As she explained it, without Jeevika, your mother would be spending her days hunting goblins in a swamp.
The Treeslayer is currently in talks with your mother at the Black Arrows headquarters. Given your easy access to the base (your mother is the Commander), if you wanted, you two could likely eavesdrop on their conversation. Alternatively, you could explore town. Galatea and her Silver Sentinel escort Yulia Rockne have been trying to hunt down Mr. Retch; apparently, the little monster threw rocks at Gal’s pet tiger Cheshire, causing the feline to go running off into the surrounding woods. Needless to say, the young Oracle wasn’t very amused.
True, you could just quietly continue your studies (whether they be arcane or percussion), but that would quite boring, wouldn’t it?
The Thassilon scholar Corstela Rostrata and some of her associates recently visited Sandpoint. In particular, she was there to study the extensive records on Thassilon in William Lightstaff’s School. Outside of Jorgenfist, it hosts the most extensive library on the ancient empire in Varisia. When asked, Corstela explained that she was especially interested in Master Lightstaff’s personal accounts about Argor Constantine’s legendary wizard’s duel with Runelord Krune.
Even after all these years, they are quite a riveting read. As he stood behind protective wards, a young William watched as his teacher fought the Runelord of Sloth in a titanic battle of magic. Ultimately, Vice Primarch Constantine proved to be the superior mage and completely obliterated Krune from existence.
Corstela also informed you that there are some notable Thassilonian ruins near her hometown of Roderic’s Cove. Being major enthusiasts of all things Thassilon, the two mages among your group found themselves wanting to explore them. At the recommendation of Master Lightstaff, your party’s seasoned druid and his T-Rex companion were hired on as muscle and guides.
Roderic’s Cove has much to offer for your plans. It is home to an old ally of Kallie’s mother and father: Shalelu Andosana. It also has a heavy Black Arrows presence, making the region quite safe. Finally, Corstela’s scholarly organization, the Order of Resplendence, is located somewhere in the general area. As such, you three figured that you could make a base of operations in Roderic’s Cove before striking out to explore the ruins and hopefully earning some fat coin. The journey itself was mostly straightforward and uneventful.
Keep word being mostly.
You had a brief encounter with a small group of bandits known as the Roadkeepers. They tried to make you pay a toll. However, for safety reasons, you three traveled with Corstela Rostrata and her escorts, and with your help, she sent the Roadkeepers packing with a few well-placed spells. Corstela dropped you off in town before heading out to her organization’s nearby manor.
The first thing you noticed was that there were far fewer Black Arrows than expected. Apparently, Commander Andosana has been forced to deploy them elsewhere; currently only a skeleton crew remains. The second thing was that there were more Silver Sentinels than you'd imagine.
The Silver Sentinels are the personal agents of Jeevika Kailani. They are known across Varisia for their prowess in combining magic with melee. For whatever reason, their ranks are composed almost entirely of female elves, half-elves, and catfolk. Right now, they are currently guarding the esteemed Treeslayer herself plus her beloved daughter Galatea.
The Treeslayer is reportedly in talks with Commander Andosana at the Black Arrows headquarters. Since Kallie’s father basically signs the organization’s paychecks, if you wanted, you three could likely access the base and eavesdrop on the conversation. Alternatively, you could just get ready for your big expedition and/or explore town. While smaller than Sandpoint, Roderic’s Cove offers several interesting sights to see.
That said, while everything appears to be peaceful, there appears to be quite a sense of tension in the air…
Well, that might just be the sounds of cackling and frustrated yelling off in the distance. Rather oddly, the locals don’t seem particularly interested in whatever’s happening.
Aurealia puts her long thin fingers on Croquelle's shoulder as they stand in the courtyard. Her beady eyes squint in the sun as she leans in. "This is our chance to finally prove to mother that we are ready to do something other than train! We should use the distraction of the Treeslayer being here to go look for that missing tiger. If we rescue the cat and deal with Mr. Retch at the same time, mother and the others will be forced to take us seriously, right?"
Aurealia makes sure her backpack and belt are securely fastened before picking up her longspear from where she leaned it against a nearby wall. A brace of wands hangs from her belt along with the more typical pouch one sees on most passersby. "Coming, or not 'Elle?" she asks as she turns to walk towards the forest.
As the trio make their arrival into Roderic’s Cove, Cai’nan stops short of town and places a hand affectionately on the back of Krodha’s head. The carnivorous saurian chuffs in return and pushes his head into the man’s hand. He looks back to the centauress and woman he was hired to guide, ”And here we are. Roderic’s Cove. However, perhaps I should move on ahead and make certain that Kallie and Krodha will be welcome. Not all villages are as welcoming as Sandpoint...” he says.
He makes his way to the edge of town and looks for a guardsman.
"And just where do you think you're going, Aurealia?"
Sitting on said nearby wall is your Aunt Elandra. Despite her choice of words, her smile is warm and friendly. While she has always been wonderful to you and 'Elle, your mother has a reputation for being quite fierce at times. Meanwhile, your aunt has always been an absolute sweetheart.
"Seriously, I'm curious where to you plan to go."
Using your keen tracking skills, you're able to swiftly locate a couple of guards near the town entrance you plan to enter. Both appear to be human. The first is a striking ginger woman with piercing green eyes. Her companion reminds you somewhat of your brother Abasi. They seem quite formidable; even if it looks a tad used, their equipment is high quality, and you can tell that they know how to use it.
Since you didn't take any measures to be stealthy, they notice you fairly quickly.
"Can I help you, sir?" Not Abasi asks tentatively but politely.
”Yes, sir. My name is Cai’nan, and I’ve just arrived from Sandpoint with some folks I’ve been guiding. I just wanted to insure that our group would be welcome. There are myself and another human, as well as a centaur. Also, I have an infant tyrannosaur that I’ve raised from the time it hatched. It is quite well trained, I assure you.”
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Aurealia puts her long thin fingers on Croquelle's shoulder as they stand in the courtyard. Her beady eyes squint in the sun as she leans in. "This is our chance to finally prove to mother that we are ready to do something other than train! We should use the distraction of the Treeslayer being here to go look for that missing tiger. If we rescue the cat and deal with Mr. Retch at the same time, mother and the others will be forced to take us seriously, right?"
Aurealia makes sure her backpack and belt are securely fastened before picking up her longspear from where she leaned it against a nearby wall. A brace of wands hangs from her belt along with the more typical pouch one sees on most passersby. "Coming, or not 'Elle?" she asks as she turns to walk towards the forest.
Though her features are undeniably elven (or at least half-elven), Croquelle looks quite unlike her mother. Her face and shoulders are as broad as a typical elf's are slender, and her mouth is oddly broad and toothy. She has large yellow-green eyes with a vertical black pupil, and her hair is more of a ruddy brown than Shalelu's blonde. Her long elven ears are lined with piercings, and she has a large ring in her nose as well.
At the moment that Aurealia taps her shoulder, Elle is practicing (loudly) on her drum, playing a brand-new Belkzen song she'd picked up from a young half-orc coming through the Cove.
"Wuh??" Her look of confusion slowly shifts through recognition into a broad mischievous smile.
"Tiger hunting? Why not? And if we get to give Mr. Retch the drumming he deserves, all the better, eh?"
Not Abasi smiles slightly at your polite demeanor. He nods along while you describe your group. Even hearing about Kallie doesn't appear to bother him. Meanwhile, when you mention your animal companion, Ginger starts to deeply contemplate something.
"You and your friends should be all fine; Sir Roderic sailed with people of all ancestries, and we try to live by his example around here. Just one thing. What's a... tyrannosaur?" asked Not Abasi.
Ginger finally speaks up, "Oh, you mean a dinosaur like Saint Bentley?!"
Not Abasi pauses and turns to his coworker, "Saint Who?"
"Saint Bentley! The noble allosaurus who gave his life to protect Ladies Attica-Sabrina and Cladissa!" excitedly answers the clearly Cladissan Ginger.
"...I'll take your word for it, Scar," says Not Abasi with a shrug. He turns back to Cai'nan, "Anyway, just mind your manners, and you'll be fine, sir."
It appeared that you and your friends would have no trouble entering Roderic’s Cove.
"And just where do you think you're going, Aurealia?"
Sitting on said nearby wall is your Aunt Elandra. Despite her choice of words, her smile is warm and friendly. While she has always been wonderful to you and 'Elle, your mother has a reputation for being quite fierce at times. Meanwhile, your aunt has always been an absolute sweetheart.
"Seriously, I'm curious where to you plan to go."
"'Elle and I are just going for a walk in the woods while mom is busy with the Treeslayer. We thought it would be a good chance to take a break from training all the time."
Cai’nan bows his head in thanks to the guards. ”Thank you for your hospitality. I shall return momentarily with my crew.”
He returns to the girls and says ”They seem quite agreeable and open minded. We should be fine as long as we act like normal folk.”
"Act like normal folk? What does that mean, exactly?" Kallie says with a toss of her tail.
To say that her human half is attractive would be the understatement of the century. Though she has taken extreme measures to experiment with her look, like try radical hair styles, wild colorations that would be too much for a gnome, and unusual dress, her beauty still manages to radiate through.
"Fine. I'll behave," she says with a smirk.
When they approach the guards, she clears her throat. "Hello, fellow normal folk! I look forward to doing many normal things here in Roderik's Cove. Yes, I love doing normal things, like sitting in chairs. And wearing shoes and pants like normal folk do! I trust that such normal activities are plentiful here?"
She turns and sticks her tongue out at Cai'nan, then passes by the guards.
Cai’nan snickers and blushes a bit at the teasing he is assailed with from the centauress. To say the trip had been a bit taxing on him was an understatement. Haha was attractive and equally as spirited as Kallie, who was a knock out in her human half. He often found his mind wandering as he traveled with them, but did his best to maintain professionalism.
Once they are past the guards, he bumps her with his shoulder playfully, flirtatiously? ”You knew what I meant, My Lady,” he says with a smile. ”So...what business do you have here in the Cove?”
Jaya removed her specs and pinched the bridge of her nose at Kallie's greeting. "You know, if you've always got to be the wacky outsider, I bet we could get someone to re-fit a feed bag so you could fill your mouth with alfalfa instead of foolishness." Her words were harsh, but the small smile and twinkle in her eyes betrayed her fondness.
Responding to Cai'nan she continued, "Well, we'll have to see. Mistress Rostrata's ruins do sound quite interesting, but first we'll have to- have to-
"Am I the only one who can hear that?!"
Kallie glares indignantly at Jaya and swats at her with her tail. "What's that strange buzzing? Some annoying fly, I think." She keeps flicking her tail at her travel companion until the sound of yelling nearby also catches her attention.
"I hear it too. And it's cackling, so it can't have heard your joke, Jaya."
Cai’nan looks around, adding ”I don’t know, but the locals don’t seem worried...” as he walks along on the other side of Jaya.
Normally, your Aunt Elandra would never fall for such an obvious rouse, but she was momentarily distracted by something!
"...'Seriously, I'm curious where to you plan to go.'?" she repeats slowly before catching her grammatical error and giggling. "Oh, uh, that’s fine; just be careful, you two. Stick together. We’ve had to dispatch more Arrows that I would've liked, so the woods aren't as safe as they normally are. Anyway, I better get back to Lulu; we’ve got much to discuss. Also, great performance, Croq! I really enjoyed it!"
Your aunt waves her beloved nieces farewell before heading out, leaving you two to your own devices. Since your minds are set in stone, you both quickly make your way to the woods. They are just like the usual temperate forests of Varisia. A couple of decades ago, they had been rather dangerous, but the Black Arrows (who trained to fight ogres) had been more than enough to bring the area under control.
However, saying that you would find Cheshire or Mr. Retch is one thing; locating them is another! How exactly do you intend to prove yourselves?
Scarlet (the female guard's actual name as you learn) and Not Abasi let you three pass without delay. Evidently, adventurers intending to explore the local ruins are nothing new, and they nod in understanding when Corstela is mentioned. They initially appear slightly confused by Kallie's actions, but they also quickly recognize that she's just teasing Cai'nan and continue their work without comment. Scar is also clearly happy to see Krodha. You hear her start debating with herself about whether the dinosaur should have feathers or not...
Apparently sporting some very keen ears, Not Abasi overhears your confusion and quickly gives you three some context about the noise, "Oh, if I had to guess, that'd be Lady Kailani trying to catch Mr. Retch. Dang gremlin pelted her pet cat with rocks, and the poor feline panicked and ran off into the woods. She and her friend have been trying to catch the little fiend ever since.
"We... haven't had much luck ourselves. Mr. Retch has been eerily good at avoiding us. Same with the Black Arrows. Commander Andosana could definitely catch him, but I think her troops are too embarrassed to tell her. As for the Sentinels, well, he’s too much of a coward to directly bother them."
Not having anything else to add, he waves you three farewell and moves to get back to his post. It's pretty clear the people of Roderic's Cove have basically given up trying to stop this Mr. Retch. That said, going by the intensity of her yelling, "Lady Kailani" is certainly determined to catch the wicked creature.
Once outside town Aurealia takes a moment to shift into her beastial form. Her ears grow to be large and ribbed, her nose turns up and her nostrils widen as her pupils turn to slits.
A creature with the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom (or Survival) check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Survival skill. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.
"Let's see if I can sniff them out..." She then begins sniffing around the edges of town for any tiger scent trails.
Kallie breaks into a wide grin when she hears "Lady Kailani" "Gramma Jeevie is in the woods? We should go see her!" She gallops off in the direction of the sounds, not listening to the rest of the guard's explanation that would clue her in that it wasn't Jeevika in the woods, but Galatea.
Excited to be in the woods, Croqelle roars, shakes her head, and transforms: her skin turning green and scaly and her nose and mouth lengthening into a snout.
She playfully rubs her sister's head. "Nice to be out here, eh? Now let's see. What does mama say? Tracking is about putting yourself in the mind of your prey... Maybe you think like Mr Retch, and I'll think like a tiger."
"Hmmmmmm. I think she said something else about tracking too...but now I just want to scratch behind my ear and take a nap. You got anything else?"
"It's great to be out here. I don't smell anything unusual around this spot though. Maybe we should just walk around town for a bit while I sniff?"
"Mmm. If there's an active gremlin hoping to prank our expeditions, we might as well root it out before we get properly dug in. I've read a thing or two about finding their lairs..."
Cai’nan looks between the two women. ”Never dealt with gremlins, but I may be of assistance with her missing cat if it is spooked.”
It has been years since Shalelu has seen Jeevika Kailani so worried.
"It's just... I thought we got her last time; I saw Zoli stab her through the eye and then in the heart," the famed Treeslayer remarks before taking a sip of some the finest wine the two elves had ever enjoyed. "After buffing their minds and magic with every spell I know, Argor, Eugeni, and Ryli all verified that the corpse was real. Even Cladissa agreed that she was dead."
Shalelu nods in understanding, "Don't worry, Jeeves. I've got the best Black Arrows searching Varisia. Elandra and I have been training them for this very occasion."
That got the Champion of Kyonin to relax slightly.
"Same with your girls I take it?" the Holy Vindicator asks with a grin.
"Yup. Aurealia and Croquelle are two of the best trackers in Varisa," Shalelu proudly proclaims. "They could find a grain of salt in the biggest freshwater lake on Golarion!"
Suddenly, a familiar centaur comes galloping into your part of the woods.
You recall Ciara telling you that the smaller fey (presumably) like Mr. Retch tend to be good at climbing and are often capable of flight. They are also typically very sneaky. That all makes them quite frustrating to confront.
She advised on keeping some cold iron handy; that usually got past their damage resistance. As for spell resistance, only the stronger fey like norns - Ciara really liked norns - typically had such defenses.
That said, you'd probably have to get a good look at Mr. Retch to recall any further information about his specific abilities.
Jaya, Cai'nan, and Krodha quickly follow the excited Kallie into the woods. However, the thick leaves of the trees quickly start masking much of the noise. That or the chase has moved elsewhere.
You all eventually stumble upon a most interesting sight; you see a... werecrocodile and werebat? ...Or perhaps a pair of skinwalkers? They appear to be looking for something but pause upon noticing Kallie. They do not appear hostile in any way.
Aurealia looks up from sniffing at a tree in surprise. She smiles slightly at seeing her old friends from Sandpoint. "Kallie? Jaya? What are you two doing in Roderick's Cove?"
Kallie pauses in her run toward the sound as she comes upon the two werekin. "'Lia? 'Quelle? Hi! Didn't expect to see you here! We're going to explore some ruins near here, but heard that Gramma Jeevie is chasing a tiger in these woods. Are you helping her?"
Aurealia blanches to an even paler shade of white than normal. "Mierda," she curses in Varisian. "We were hoping to find the tiger to impress Mom actually. Part of that plan was avoiding the Treeslayer...thought she was in conference with Mom."
Kallie looks apologetic, but brightens. "Well, hopefully there's still a chance to find it before she does! You'd know these woods better than me, but Cai'nan got along for years in a jungle. I'll bet this place is tame compared to Mwangi! Right?" She looks to Cai'nan for confirmation.
Aurealia looks at the unknown man, sizing him up. Her slight frame puts her eye level just north of his sternum. She makes no expression, apparently reserving judgement for the time being. "Cai'nan must be you. I am Aurealia."
"If you're with these harlots you must not be that bad. I haven't been able to find spur yet, but if you locate a trail I can help you sniff it out." She lays a finger on her bat-like nose. "My nose is as good as most hounds."
Cai’nan nods to this...werebat...that his two companions were at least acquainted with.
Things are as strange here as in Mwangi...
”The Expanse is the stuff of nightmares. But tigers are nothing to sneeze at either. I thought we were supposed to be tracking a simple house cat. But even if it is tame, we should be cautious. Krodha!” he calls out. There is a rustling in the underbrush, and the saurian lumbers forth and over to Cai’nan’s side.
”My friend here has decent tracking skills too. Let us see if we can find the trail...”
"Well, I'm sure it's around here somewhere."
As she sees Kallie, Jaya, and some guy come walking up, Croq welcomes them with a brief galloping drum beat.
Cai'nan sees her in her full crocodilian glory, giving high fives to old friends.
When she turns to him, she says "Hey, Cai'nan, is it? They call me Croquelle. Or Croq.
"Mom always makes tracking look so easy, but it's totally not! Now it would be different if only there was a big obvious clue here, you know, like--HEY!! Isn't that a clump of orange fur on that bramble over there?!?"
It isn't actually orange fur that Croq spots; those who have met Cheshire recall that the usually orange part of her pelt is actually a beautiful snow white. Regardless, thanks to Croq with assistance from Cai'nan, Krodha, and Kallie, the group is able to finally get going with their search!
Thanks to the soft forest floor and Cheshire having only recently run away, the trail is surprisingly easy to follow. As everyone draws closer, Aurealia also starts to hear some very... tigerish sounds. Eventually, the Bloodmarked skinwalker notices a bush shuffling. Krodha also points his snout in that direction and flares his nostrils, tipping off everyone else.
The head of a small tiger with snow white fur and piercing blue eyes pops out from the leaves a few seconds later. There's a mild wound on her head; it definitely looks like she was hit by a small stone. Despite the injury, Cheshire appears to be merely... curious.
"Wait. That's Cheshire. That means--"
Kallie looks rather annoyed all of a sudden. She turns to Croquelle and Aurealia, folding her arms across her attractive chest. "Gali's here, isn't she?"
Hey, Cheshire, good kitty." Aurealia says, crouching to offer her hand for a sniff. "What have you been into girl?" she whispers, looking at the animal's wound with concern.
She answers Kallie absentmindedly. "Gali? I didn't realize you two were on a nick-name basis. I believe the Treeslayer's daughter accompanied her, yes. Is there drama between you two?"
"I've always wondered: Why is she called Treeslayer? Treerazer wasn't a tree after all, shouldn't it be Treeslayerslayer?"
Kallie's lips press tight as Aurealia asks her about Gali and her. Finally, she says, "If I say no, you won't believe me, and if I say yes, then you'll want to know more. So how about I don't answer?"
Grateful for Jaya's distraction, she beams a bright effervescent smile and says, "The most accurate is Treerazorslayer, but that's a mouthful. That's why I call her Gramma Jeevie."
Kallie's lips press tight as Aurealia asks her about Gali and her. Finally, she says, "If I say no, you won't believe me, and if I say yes, then you'll want to know more. So how about I don't answer?"
Aurealia raises an eyebrow, and makes a curious face, but ultimately decides to let the matter go for now.
"That's a good question, Shalelu; 'Treeslayer' makes me sound like a super lumberjack or something, doesn't it?" Jeevika remarks with a grin as the two take a brief break from more serious matters to just catch up. "I was actually deemed 'Champion of Kyonin' after the war, but people wanted to give me a unique title that reflected my accomplishment. Several ideas were floated, but they were often a mouthful. Eventually, Elthariel and Zoli thought of 'Treeslayer' as a sort of pun on Treerazer's name. It is fairly short and sweet; it also (somewhat) captures the nature of the feat. Most importantly, Queen Edasseril really liked it, so... 'Treeslayer' stuck."
Cheshire tentatively sniffs Aurealia's offer hand. After a moment, the tigress recognizes the elder Andosana sister and starts making a purring-like sound of approval. She begins to gently rub her head against Aurealia's hand.
Mission accomplished?
echoes loudly through the forest, so much so that birds start flying from the treetops!
Cheshire instantly perks up, recognizing the feminine voice which cried in pain. Her prominent blue eyes stare intently in the direction of the noise. After a few seconds, she utters a fierce, protective growl.
Meanwhile, the smug cackling from earlier increases tenfold...
"Could that be Mr. Retch? C'mon guys, let's go check it out!"
Aurealia runs towards where she thinks the noise is coming from.
Cai'nan looks to Kallie and Jaya, not sure what to do other than tag along at this point. He looks to the white tiger cautiously as he moves, just in case it takes any sort of aggressive action.
"So...who is this Gali? Another friend of yours?" he asks his two traveling companions as they go. Even so, his eyes are immediately drawn away from their surroundings to more attractive sights in closer proximity...
Kallie glances over her shoulder at Cai'nan when he asks about Gali. "She's another Kailani. There's a bunch of them, you know. Heck, there's even one in service to the Goddess of Failure, so there's that.
"But I wouldn't necessarily call us friends..." she trails off while keeping her eyes out for whatever is causing the cackling.
Cai'nan's eyes widen.
Kailani...Gali Kailani...no...it can't be...
Cai'nan picks up the pace as he moves through the brush, a look of eager excitement and hope on his face.
"I'd bet mama's best bowstring that that's Mr Retch alright. Last one there is a rotten ranger!"
With that, Croq takes off running in the direction of the commotion, drumstick in hand.
As you all start moving toward the ruckus, Cheshire protectively growls again and takes off running. Luckily, Kallie is more than fast enough to keep pace with the feline. The rest of you just follow the centauress, and very soon, you find the cause of the commotion. You all arrive at a modest forest clearing. Of note, your eyes fall on three individuals. Well, two people and a creature.
The first one is a towering, powerfully built half-elf Ulfen (going by her braids) woman wearing Silver Sentinel armor. Her form is perfect; she almost appears to be a statue. Weapon drawn, the blonde warrior is standing protectively in front of her half-elf ward. Upon your arrival, the Silver Sentinel quickly repositions herself to protect her charge from everyone else present.
The second individual looks quite similar to Jeevika Kailani. Same height, same face, and similar facial features and body build. The main differences are her dark black eyes and hair, which is styled in a sort of bob. She is dressed quite finely.
She is nursing what will soon be a black eye.
The creature? Standing around a foot tall, he looks like a cross between a rat, an opossum, and the ugliest orc on Golarion. Covered disorderly in dirty grey fur, the many bald spots (including his head) you can see reveal filthy pink skin. He also wears a reddish brown vest, a piece of rope as a belt, and a necklace of bones. This putrid thing is the definitely source of the cackling. Near the edge of the clearing, he is currently sitting on a low hanging tree branch.
"Nice try, Gali girl, but you've gotta do better than that to catch Rim Retchlock!"
The young woman nursing her budding black eye grit her teeth angrily. Unlike her Silver Sentinel escort, she appears to be too focused on her foe to notice you all...