"Hide, kids!"
Thorax strides up to the opening left by Adalan and stabs twice at [red]
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Bair charges back, and clubs Purple once.
Mara stabs at Purple as well, drawing a line of blood.
Dran'Thor draws his axe and swings, but only lands one strike.
Adalan Conjures a blast of flame...
...and is shocked when all four take AoOs!
...his blast is easily dodged.
Thorax then moves back into the gap, and stabs twice; his first hit is ruinous, but the second is easily dodged.
Deshacerla Strides back, and heals herself...
The crocodile-headed warriors continue to try and nom on the party...
...thoroughly enjoying their feast!
BV (-24, -14, -, -25)
Deshacerla (-30; Enfeebled 1)
Bair (-)
Mara (-29; Enfeebled 1)
Adalan (-43)
Thorax (-7)
Dran'Thor (-70; Unconscious; Dying 1)
"Come back, kitty! Dran'Thor needs help!"
Thorax stabs twice at [red] , before risking to heal the fallen Dwarf.
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Deshacerla draws the life-force out of Yellow, causing it to start to smoke, and blacken.
Bair...
...clubs Green hard, but misses with his back-swing.
Mara shanks Purple three times, causing it to fall .
Adalan heals himself, then tosses his fire sphere at Red...
...who gets scorched.
Thorax stabs Red once, and then wakes Dran'Thor up.
The three remaining crocodile-headed humanoids attack in a frenzy!
Thorax is bitten twice.
Bair receives two ruinous bites; it is clear that these things enjoy goblin flesh!
Meanwhile, Dran'Thor barely manages to stay conscious.
BV (-43, -52, -32)
Deshacerla (-; Enfeebled 1)
Bair (-48)
Mara (-29; Enfeebled 1)
Adalan (-29)
Thorax (-37)
Dran'Thor (-65; Wounded 1)
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Red is horrifically scorched, but stays standing.
The subsequent gout of acid leaves Yellow badly burned, but still vertical.
The din of battle is harshly interrupted by a booming, gravelly voice. The voice speaks first in Mwangi, and then in Common:
“By the authority vested in me by the sovereign, I hereby extend the hospitality of the Bhopanese kingdom to these strangers—I command thee to stand down!”
With chattering, muttering, and growls, the fey assailants meld with the jungle’s green. A patrol of twelve individuals, most of them with doglike faces, emerge from the foliage. Their beautifully enameled armors seem to consist in equal parts of living plant matter and metal, and the same holds true for their weaponry. Their leader, an armadillo-faced woman, performs a perfect curtsy and extends a hand in greeting, “Hail and well met! My name is Thadie Yabi Yulunga, but you can call me Thadie, if you prefer. I’m a commander of the Bhopanese Greenwatch.”
She then frowns.
“Please be so kind as to excuse my being so straightforward, but what might bring you to our realm? We *really* don't get visitors that much...”
Dran'Thor realises that the Pathfinder Chronicles entry referencing the Bhopanese as “dog-faced” is obviously only partially correct, and in fact somewhat ignorant; if anything, they seem to resemble various animals or fey, though a few do in fact have canine features. The faces of the soldiers in this patrol resemble the faces of pugwampi gremlins, a type of fey associated with accidents, cruel tricks, and misfortune.
Adalan and Mara think that the behavior of the soldiers and the quality of their equipment are signs of their belonging to a highly sophisticated society. Behaving as befitting of a court might be a smart move.
Thorax, on the other hand, thinks that shaking Thadie’s hand and patting her on the back seems like a valid response.
Deshacerla (-; Enfeebled 1)
Bair (-48)
Mara (-29; Enfeebled 1)
Adalan (-29)
Thorax (-37)
Dran'Thor (-65; Wounded 1)
"Thay-dee... Yeah-bee-you... Lunga!" Thorax tries to pronounce the name slowly so he gets it right. He looks to his allies, and kids, and then takes out his medical equipment.
"Shake hands in a moment! Allies badly wounded. Then clean up so can pat you on back!"
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"It is a pleasure to meet you." answers DC as she catches her breath. "While it would have been better to have met without the battle, we are thankful it didn't escalate further."
Cautiously stepping forward, she offers a curtsy. "My name is Deshacerla. We came to your land in search of answers. One of our own visited years ago and perished...presumably to your soldiers. Any answers you may be willing to offer would be appreciated. While we are here, we would be remiss if we didn't attempt to form a formal relationship with your kind as well."
=Charming Liar Feat=
Your charm allows you to win over those you lie to. When you get a critical success using the Lie action, the target’s attitude toward you improves by one step, as though you’d succeeded at using Diplomacy to Make an Impression. This works only once per conversation, and if you critically succeed against multiple targets using the same result, you choose one creature’s attitude to improve. You must be lying to impart seemingly important information, inflate your status, or ingratiate yourself, which trivial or irrelevant lies can’t achieve.
Thorax finishes putting fresh bandages on Mara, then packs everything up neatly, and walks straight up to Thadie and extends his hand.
"Thorax Toothlicker! Of Crookedtoes tribe. And this Mara, Bair, Tiger, Jydno, Orica, Dran'Thor and Adalan."
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The woman nods thoughtfully.
"I can understand wanting to know what happened to an old member of your adventuring party... or did you mean a member of the Crookedtoes?
Regardless, I would like you to accompany me and my patrol to the safety of Hoba Dukuza; our sovereign will want to talk to strangers such as yourselves as soon as possible. I will formally request that you refrain from spellcasting or engaging in acts that might be considered hostile."
Thorax lowers his ears and signals to Jydno to put the butchering knife away.
"Ummm. What you consider 'hostile'?"
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The woman raises an eyebrow.
"I need to explain to you what violence is, after that display?"
The jungle path broadens to allow a clear view of the mouth of a river delta formed by titanic trees, with a small harbor situated among the massive roots. Rock and wood seamlessly blend with massive bulbs and flowers that sprout from the trees to form dwellings. Gigantic, cart-wide vines connect these flower and bulb buildings to small houses on massive floating leaves, perpetually held aloft by invisible winds, finally linking them to the earthen floor, where dwellings of mulch and rock jut from the red clay earth. In the distance, the center of this wondrous city is clearly visible—beyond the tree-formed delta, a pristine lake acts as the heart of the city of Hoba Dukuza, its waters slowly but steadily feeding the harbor. An island in the middle of the lake contains a majestic castle with four budding towers surrounded by meticulously groomed gardens.
The access to these wondrous sights is a vine street flanked by tree towers, the way ahead guarded by heavily armored, individuals wearing crimson helmets and ironshod boots and wielding massive scythes. Thadie greets the grim sentinels by saying, “Winter brings peace,” and pricks her thumb on a thorn of her armor, spilling a single drop of blood on the floor, to which the red-helmeted guards reply in unison, “And summer brings prosperity,” before similarly wetting the ground with drops of their blood and stepping aside to allow the party passage onto the vine streets of Hoba Dukuza.
The bridge to the castle’s island, made of meticulously interwoven vines covered with blooming flowers, are guarded by a whole regiment of Bhopanese soldiers. A gold-plated, avocado-like plant carriage awaits, drawn by four horse-sized cicadas that occasionally let out a burst of sound before being hushed by the carriage’s driver. Thadie opens the carriage’s door and states, “Winter brings wisdom.”
The inside of the carriage is luxurious, upholstered in what looks like a green pelt. An aardvark-faced man in courtly finery gestures to the seats. “Spring brings new beginnings.”
As soon as the party take their seats, they can feel that the “pelt” growing from the carriage is actually a mass of fungal tendrils that moves in soft waves over them. As the carriage begins moving, the man, Lelzeshin, introduces himself. He is genuinely excited about the party’s arrival, and he hopes to establish a rapport with you.
“Don’t be alarmed by the carriage’s fur—it’s actually cleaning you, removing the mud, blood, sweat—and, as you’ll notice, it also provides some basic grooming and adds a fresh mango scent to your attire. Handy, don’t you agree? Oh dear, I’m forgetting my manners over all the excitement of your arrival! It is just so very rare for us to have visitors from beyond the island’s shores.
My name is Lelzeshin. I am one of the stewards of the Eternal Bloom and an advisor to His Majesty King Webhekiz, Fourth of His Name, Chosen Sovereign of Bhopan by the Grace of the Four Seasons.”
Bair thinks that the carriage is far from alive. In fact, it is an undead creature covered in a veneer of common moss. The fur is the remnants of a recently slain beast, there to keep the carriage well fed so it doesn’t eat its occupants.
Dran'Thor and Mara, on the other hand, think that the carriage is a living plant creature, with finery fused to the outside.
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Adalan frowns slightly when Thadie mentions the prohibition on magic use, but doesn't voice his irritation.
He is evidently impressed by the verdant city, though he gives Thadie and the guards a strange look as they do their blood greeting. Do they all have healing magic here or something?
Once inside the carriage, Adalan adopts the most courteous demeanor he can muster and begins talking to Lelzeshin. "It is very rare for us to visit a land so wondrous. I am Adalan, agent of the Pathfinder Society. And I must agree entirely about the usefulness of the carriage's tendrils. A valuable innovation, though it pales in comparison to the splendor of the city. It must take great expertise to employ plants so effectively in such a multitude of roles."
"On a slightly different subject, how exactly is your great Sovereign Chosen, if I may ask?"
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Bairs eyes get wider and wider as he realizes what they are riding in. But his allies don’t seem to be worried. Hmmm... y day calm? Mebbe day tinkadis nawt hungrah? Oooh, I knows whaddado!
He turns to Thorax’s butcher kid and whispers, ”goddany fresh meat? Godda feeddah ride.”
He plops the fresh meat down next to him for the carriage to enjoy.
When Jydno looks confused, his twin sister answers, "Dad's favorite bag sits at home so momma knows he'll always come back for dinner."
Thorax pats his kids on the head.
"Jydno cut some roots before we left that fight! Haven't cooked them yet, though." He hands Bair what looks like a hybrid of a green onion and a carrot. It squirms.
He reaches out to shake Lelzeshin's hand and pat him on the back. "Anyone from your city leave island? Never seen Animalshanks like you before."
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Lelzeshin wrinkles his nose in distaste.
"I would be careful whom you mention your affiliation to; the Pathfinder Society has a fairly bad reputation around here. It is not my place to say more, but if you wish to press the issue, the King may say more."
When Adalan asks about how the King is chosen, Lelzeshin looks surprised.
"You don't have hereditary rulers where you come from? Our aristocracy is based upon primogeniture."
He then turns to Thorax.
"Generally speaking, no; we are between two worlds, here - the First World, and Golarion - not truly part of either, we feel somewhat uncomfortable in both."
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The carriage comes to a halt on a massive dance floor after navigating the gardens of the Eternal Bloom’s isle. Here, a crowned man with long, batlike ears dressed in royal finery oversees the preparation of a lavish festivity. He pulls out a fan to cool himself, sending powder drifting from his wig.
"So. It is true that we have outsiders here. Most interesting. Who are you, and what has brought you to Bhopan?"
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The dwarf follows the procession along the wilderness, the city and the garden to come in front of the king. That's not his cup of tea to speack with a king. Maybe a dwarf's king, but some other... I prefer to let Deshacerla speaking, or Thorax. Well what does the Pathfinder Society? Now a dwarf begins to be dependent of a goblin... Incredible. On the other side nobody will know what occurs here. The people here don't go outside of the realm and the other member of the party won't tell... They would not, would they?
Anyway. He prefers to let Thorax speak than himself. He can speak, but he would say things as a dwarf would say. He would tell that the paths are not sure in this realm as they were attacked twice in 2 minutes. So perhaps better to let others takes the lead and explain things to the sovereign of the region.
Thorax swallows hard when Lelzeshin mentions that the Society isn't well regarded here. He'd heard that before. Many times. And even just before departing for this mission. Directly from the mouth of a Venture Captain. But it didn't sink in until just now.
Thinking quickly, he begins to spin an easy falsehood. "King We-bee-kids! We come to you from the City at the Center of the World! Absalom! We follow tales that the famous merchant, Selmius Foster, the genius who convinced the nation of Vudra to open up its lucrative spice trade, may have come here to do the same! We seek connections, we bring information, and most of all, I'd like to shake your hand!"
He reaches forward and grins ear to ear.
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The dwarf stays stoic. But he doesn't know what to think. On one hand the goblin is very "natural" and speak to the king the same way as if he met him in a pub. But on the other hand he tries to introduce them in a funny way that - dwarf's hope - should help them to get a suitable contact with the king. A king rules. So as much as he rules in their interest. If he rules good for friends he should rule for them impeccable. But for now they are standing waiting for the king's reaction. Shake hand or not shake hand, that's the question.
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The king’s strange mien darkens briefly. “We indeed remember Selmius Foster, and the Pathfinder Society that he was associated with; not only did Selmius and his henchman Adolphus kidnap our Princess Ganjay, they also committed a crime most heinous and unspeakable, for which Mr. Foster summarily paid the highest price. That being said, we are a just ruler, and neither we, nor the enlightened kingdom of Bhopan, believe in holding people accountable for the actions of those that came before. We are cognizant of this news putting a strain on our relations, but it is our ardent hope that you trust in the justice of our actions.”
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Eyeing the city and it's people with intrigue, DC keeps silent as they travel. 'Why is Bair setting rotting meat on the seat?'
As they arrive at the Sovereign, she clears her throat to speak...catching on her words a moment as Thorax chooses a path. 'Umm...hmmm...I can work with that'
"Sovereign, it's our pleasure to make your acquaintance. As my companion stated, we seek to open up trade between our nations and yours. Add to it, we've heard stories of others that ventured this way and never returned. Any information on such would be beneficial so we don't find ourselves in the same fate."
Offering a curtsy, she smiles as innocently as possible.
Your charm allows you to win over those you lie to. When you get a critical success using the Lie action, the target’s attitude toward you improves by one step, as though you’d succeeded at using Diplomacy to Make an Impression. This works only once per conversation, and if you critically succeed against multiple targets using the same result, you choose one creature’s attitude to improve. You must be lying to impart seemingly important information, inflate your status, or ingratiate yourself, which trivial or irrelevant lies can’t achieve.
"No worry about kidnapping princesses! Sets bad example for kids."
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With a nod, DC chimes back in "Naturally, we'd wish to follow your laws. It wouldn't be appropriate to do otherwise. Any laws we should know about, outside the standard assumptions?"
"As for kidnapping, wouldn't dream of it. My people have had a rough enough time through history dealing with big folk thinking we're tools to be owned. One should never take someone against their will."
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Adalan's expression darkens at Lelzeshin's response. "No, primogeniture is quite common in our homelands. I was merely hopeful that you might have a different sort of monarchy, though evidently my hope was misplaced."
He stays silent upon meeting King Webhekiz, leaving the diplomacy to his companions for the moment.
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The king nods.
“Tomorrow evening, Bhopan will be celebrating the annual Masquerade of Seasons, and you are hereby cordially invited by the grace of the Bhopanese people to participate in our most sacred custom. Steward Lelzeshin will be responsible for you while you are our guests. Kindly refrain from leaving his side when you are not in your chambers. We understand that you wouldn’t want to be disarmed in such an unfamiliar place, so consider this a courtesy and an extension of our trust. Proper attire for the masquerade will be provided by our light-weavers. You are hereby dismissed.”
With a wave of the king’s bejeweled hand, Lelzeshin escorts you out of the King's presence.
"Please, come with me - I will take you to one of our finest restaurants."
Despite the many "improvements" in Thorax's overall manner and behavior since reuniting with you all, the table manners and appetite of both himself and his children haven't changed much.
At least Thorax loads up his plate with an assortment of foods, while Jydno focuses more on meat and Orica more on fruits.
"*CHOMP, MUNCH* So, you work for King long time, *LICK, SMACK* What did Selmius do that made King so angry? *SWALLOW, BURP*"
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Thorax hears that apparently, Selmius and his henchman Adolphus kidnapped Princess Ganjay to force her to help them break into the royal vault, to steal the crown jewels. Selmius was executed by means of a very large and acidic pitcher plant. Adolphus escaped consequences by playing upon the princess’s sympathies to appear to be just another (mind-controlled) victim of Selmius.
After dinner, Lelzeshin takes you back to your accommodation - a massive suite, with a central lounging area surrounded by a small private bedroom and bathroom for each party member.
Additionally, the king has had servants deliver a collection of Bhopanese desserts to your rooms. The desserts include spicy frozen treats and a cake covered in intricate sugar petals with a pronounced taste of fine alcohol. The desserts are decorated with silver accessories for you to keep.
Once you are settled, Lelzeshin clears his throat. “Before we talk further, let me fulfill my duty to explain what awaits you. Tomorrow night is the annual Masquerade of Seasons. We will gather in the grand plazas of the Eternal Bloom and be merry; this, one of our most sacred customs, culminates in the opening of the Eternal Bloom’s flowers to the sound of the Grand Dance, its pollen ensuring prosperity and peace for all of Bhopan. Know that His Majesty doesn’t expect you to perform well in the dance, as it is in fact a somewhat complex affair for those not familiar with the proper steps. That being said, if you do rise to the occasion, you’ll be able to dance and glide among the spires of Hoba Dukuza, and even right beneath the grand anther if you’re particularly graceful!”
"There won't be hungry plants there... Right?"
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When he hears about dancing the dwarf changes his color. That's a sketch. That couldn't be. That's torture to force anyone to dance. That's not natural to dance. The animals don't dance. They chase, they run, they cry, they play, but they don't dance. That's the civilization which invented the dance. Nobody knows the reason why. Hopefully it won't be necessary that everybody dance.
The dwarf listens clearly the words of Deshacerla. He's also very interested to know that. If it's the case he has perhaps better to try to escape before they need to dance.
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Mara's been mostly quiet as they've been shown around the city, her naturally-paranoid nature warring with her desire to relax and enjoy the pampering. Immediately taken to see the king. Each of us given our own suite. Fancy food. Are they trying to lure us into a false sense of security? Given her experiences in the Society, that seems more likely than that the Bhopanese people are actually just that welcoming.
If it is a trap, it's a well-baited one. Those cakes are irresistible.
Munching on one, Mara nods at Deshacerla's question. Smiling as sweetly as she can manage, she adds, "We'd hate to do anything...improper, during your most sacred custom. If there is anything we should avoid doing, or should be certain to do...customary prayers, kneeling at a particular time, avoiding walking on a certain path...we know so little of your culture." Knowing for sure that some crimes warrant being eaten by a carnivorous plant...Mara doesn't want to risk getting on the wrong side of these people!
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Lelzeshin looks surprised.
"The social embarrassment of looking like an utter prat in front of everyone wouldn't be bad enough? That said, it is a magical dance - if you screw up *truly* badly, their may be transformative consequences."
He then clears his throat...
“I have... become aware of more, particularly pertaining to why you are here: The official story is that Princess Ganjay was kidnapped by Pathfinders, who forced her to lead them to the royal vault — for it is during an attempted theft from it that Selmius Foster was caught and summarily executed. The truth, as redacted accounts of the time and other records of the princess’s personality would suggest, was rather different. The princess desperately wanted to liberate her people from the burden of cultural stagnation. When the group was caught, Selmius was accused both of kidnapping the princess and of breaking into the royal vault. The queen at the time had no interest in letting anyone know that the princess was an active participant in the heist rather than a victim of cruel outsiders. The only proof, or any clues about what Foster was hoping to find, would lie in the vault, but that’s not something anyone has been able to check. The vault, you see, requires at least four people to open. Doing so is lethal to Bhopanese people who are not of royal blood, but far less perilous for outsiders. The survival of Selmius Foster and Adolphus attests to that, particularly compared to the death that has come to every Bhopanese person who has attempted to bypass the vault’s wards. I am a student of our histories, and while I had heard many negative things about Pathfinders in those official accounts, I’ve begun to doubt them. Meeting people like you makes me suspect these stories were told to further an isolationist stance and keep us from learning of the outside world. If you need help accessing the vault, I would be willing to help you. Indeed, it might be the only way for us to learn the truth and uncover our past. It might even reveal that Selmius was innocent of his crimes...?”
Thorax turns to both of his kids, "This the difficult part of being Pathfinder. Knowing what's right! These people need help from outsiders, and we need know what happened to Pathfinder before us."
The two children contemplate his words with open mouths before nodding.
Thorax grins, "Besides! Haven't broken into vaults for years! Getting rusty!"
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Opening her mouth to speak, she shuts it quickly and looks up and down the hallway. Grinning slyly as Thorax explains to the younglings the conundrum, she nods.
"I would find that of interest meself." whispers DC as her mind wanders back to days of old...before she'd joined the pathfinders.
"Granted, I cannot say I've kept those skills as honed as I should have."
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Mara leans forward slightly, chin in her hands. "Let me get this straight. You want us to help you break into the Royal Vaults. In the hopes of finding some clue about what happened to Selmius Foster, over four centuries ago. What makes you think any relevant clues would still be there? No offense intended, but we just met you. From my perspective, it seems less likely that you're just looking for answers and far more likely that you're trying to take advantage of our ignorance for your own gain. I understand from your story that the queen of the time wanted to hide the truth, but what about the monarchs since? Have you considered simply asking for permission to look around?"
"Again, I don't intend to cause offence. It's possible you're telling the truth, and if so I apologize for doubting you. But you have to understand how this sounds." She gives the others a Look. "Our orders were to look for information about Selmius Foster, yes, but while being discrete and tactful. This scheme sounds like neither of those things."
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Mara feels that the man is being truthful.
Lelzeshin snorts.
"Don't be naïve. I'm not suggesting this out of a sense of altruism - if the evidence *is* down there, I will be able to use it as a catalyst to unmask the sins of the past, shatter the existing order, and establish a new, egalitarian regime that doesn't rely solely on an accident of birth. I see it as being a mutually beneficial arrangement. Moreover, it carries no risk to me - if things go badly, it is your necks on the line, not mine."