Vexas's rapier glances off the creature's carapace. He recalls nothing about this foe.
Sho takes a step, concentrates on the creature, and takes several shots with her bow.
Sho puts two arrows into the beast, wounding it badly.
Brannart steps and readies to strike.
Enraged by the arrows, the Chuul surges forward to attack.
It runs into Brannart's ranseur, but this does not stop it. It keeps plowing ahead, brushing aside another strike, and claws at Brannart.
Off-balance from its many wounds, it fails to connect.
Round 2
Fenna
Sho
Sosche
Brannart
Vexas
Chuul -59
Fenna suddenly finds herself needing to backpedal due to the giant crab's charge. She moves slightly sideways to get out of its path while thrusting at it with her spear. She keeps up her (hopefully) encouraging banter.
Weapon Equipped = Greatsword
Conditions = Bless, Inspired
Greatsword: Attack: BAB 4 Str +3 Focus +1 Magic +1 (PA -2) Damage: Str +4 Magic +1 (PA +6) Crit: 19-20
Heavy Pick: Attack: BAB 4 Str +3 (PA -2) Damage: Str +3 (PA +4) Crit: x4
Javelin: Attack: BAB 4 Dex +1 Damage: Str +3 Range: 30’
Mnemonic Vestment (1/1d)
Spells Memorized (Caster Level 6, Concentration +11, DC 13+lvl)
. . cantrip: Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Spark
. . 1st (6/7): Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Divine Favor, Enlarge Person, Liberating Command, Remove Fear
. . 2nd (6/6): Burst of Radiance, Cure Moderate Wounds, Endure Elements Communal, Fog Cloud
. . 3rd (4/4): Cure Serious Wounds, Free Swim, Magic Vestment
Sosche 5’ steps into the space Fenna steps out of, and swings his blade against the carpice!
(bless, inspire)
(inspire)
I need to find a weak spot in its carapace... Vexas muses as she shifts to the side a bit to get a better look around his companions.
Fenna and Sosche combine to drop the Chuul, ending its threat.
The cave behind the waterfall is flush with glowing blue worms that shed light like candles. These tantalizing creatures cling in clusters overhead, barely moving except in subtle, squirming undulations. The partially flooded cave leads away from the roaring curtain of the waterfall.
The tunnel is flooded with water from the waterfall to a depth of about 2-1/2 feet. Midway through the tunnel is a clutch of stony-looking eggs (some already hatched), and the partly devoured corpse of a winged humanoid with dark skin. The corpse’s features have been mostly torn away by some sort of small creature and ruined by natural decomposition.
Fenna recognizes the corpse as that of a Strix.
There's something unusual about the cave wall as well. Fenna can't tell what it is, though she may be able to with some consideration.
A number of larval chuul - small, acid-spitting things the size of lobsters - attack you ferociously but are easily dealt with.
Near the corpse you find a MW composite longbow (Str 16), a quiver with 10 arrows, and a crystal amulet etched with small runes.
Can I see that amulet?
Vexas approaches the body and frowns at what makes a grotesque first impression on him. Dead is dead, but a strix's form with a decayed face seems to disturb him moreso than the odd corpse they come across.
The amulet does not register as magical.
It does look moderately valuable, however. A collector might pay 50 gold or so for it, based on the materials and craftsmanship.
It seems to not be useful, but gold is gold.
He stops to appreciate the glowing worms on the ceiling, smiling in wonder as he remarks nature's lights...
Vexas looks to Brannart for an indication that he's ready to lead the way with his sword. Just in case it gets darker, he casts light on the end of the fighter's weapon.
Shall we continue carefully down this tunnel?
Weapon Equipped = Greatsword
Conditions = None
Greatsword: Attack: BAB 4 Str +3 Focus +1 Magic +1 (PA -2) Damage: Str +4 Magic +1 (PA +6) Crit: 19-20
Heavy Pick: Attack: BAB 4 Str +3 (PA -2) Damage: Str +3 (PA +4) Crit: x4
Javelin: Attack: BAB 4 Dex +1 Damage: Str +3 Range: 30’
Mnemonic Vestment (1/1d)
Spells Memorized (Caster Level 6, Concentration +11, DC 13+lvl)
. . cantrip: Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Spark
. . 1st (6/7): Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Divine Favor, Enlarge Person, Liberating Command, Remove Fear
. . 2nd (6/6): Burst of Radiance, Cure Moderate Wounds, Endure Elements Communal, Fog Cloud
. . 3rd (4/4): Cure Serious Wounds, Free Swim, Magic Vestment
Sosche will collect the bow, as it suits him, but only if no one else needs it. ”My ranged capabilities are weak, but this will help a bit. That is if it’s not better in someone else’s hands.” He offers it around before shouldering it.
He knows little about the cave, not his area of expertise. So he keeps watch over those who do know so they can focus. He keeps his blade ready in his hand just in case as he moves about the cave.
When they go deeper, at Vexas’s suggestion, he too will cast light on his blade and move with Brannart at the front. Or at least as close as his slow movement allows… I really need to speed up!
Fenna checks the body of the strix visually without touching it, too many wriggly things around in the water to take risks. Mostly she's wondering how long the strix seems to have been dead and why.
Afterward, she takes a closer look at cave wall where it looks strange.
Fenna knows of vague rumors that some Strix, winged humanoids, live in Cheliax and are reputed to hate humans. She estimates that the body has been deceased for several weeks. It was probably slain by the Chuul and brought here to feed the larval Chuul.
On the wall, she identifies the presence of hewn stone behind ancient calcific growths. This location may have been a manufactured structure sometime in the very distant past. Possibly much older than the other structures you have found.
Moving on to the south...
This large cavern is composed of a combination of hand-hewn stone and natural cave features, as if the very stone of the walls were reclaiming an ancient structure. Enormous calcite pillars stretch from floor to ceiling, surrounded by bristling stalagmites and stalactites. Tiered, mineral-ringed pools of still water are tinted with a rainbow mottling of subterranean algae. Hidden by layers of calcite, mold, and luminous fungus are dilapidated, corroded, and crumbling picks, shovels, and other digging tools.
Two clockwork constructions are found in the cavern. They seem to have tools for digging and excavation. One was crushed by fallin stone, while the other has become encrusted with a hundred centuries of calcite deposits and rust. It might be salvageable by one versed in creating clockwork mechanisms.
Of note... These are archaeological tools from the Azlanti age. Whatever they were excavating predated even that ancient civilization.
You also find more Pathfinder sigils left behind by Durvin Gest. They say safe haven and historical significance. As well, there are coordinates to another site.
Finally, the Chuul had arranged a number of trophies in its den. Twenty-three skulls are stacked into a rough triangle against the western wall of this chamber. In the southeastern section of this chamber, six battered and rusted helmets are arranged in a circle surrounding an odd, elongated mask. Fenna identifies the mask as the kind worn by Mordant Spire elves. Against the wall, a dozen small piles of mundane adventuring gear (such as torches, grappling hooks, leather sacks, frayed and moldering rope, and cookware) sit sorted by material and shape. A small steel shield holds a rainbow of colored river rocks, among which are nestled eight cut emeralds and a tourmaline sphere ioun stone.
Two clockwork constructions are found in the cavern. They seem to have tools for digging and excavation. One was crushed by fallin stone, while the other has become encrusted with a hundred centuries of calcite deposits and rust. It might be salvageable by one versed in creating clockwork mechanisms.
Two clockwork constructions are found in the cavern. They seem to have tools for digging and excavation. One was crushed by fallin stone, while the other has become encrusted with a hundred centuries of calcite deposits and rust. It might be salvageable by one versed in creating clockwork mechanisms.
Craft Construct feat, actually.
Yes, fixed. Was on my phone posting earlier.
”Ooh, constructs!” Sosche is interested in them as well, though he doesn’t have the skills necessary to resuscitate the things.
He’ll move into the chamber and look around. When the ioun stone is found, he suggests it for Brannart. ”In case you go down. Gives me a little time to get to you.”
”Ooh, constructs!” Sosche is interested in them as well, though he doesn’t have the skills necessary to resuscitate the things.
He’ll move into the chamber and look around. When the ioun stone is found, he suggests it for Brannart. ”In case you go down. Gives me a little time to get to you.”
Brannart shakes his head.
"Give it to someone else."
Continuing west, the party finds the last room in these caves.
This small cave is relatively dry and cramped, with a low ceiling and uneven natural rock underfoot. Faint murals and carvings line the cave’s walls, depicting winged humanoid figures holding lanterns as they descend from a mountaintop. Smaller humanoid shapes are depicted kneeling and reaching up to these figures. An adjacent cave wall illustrates primitive human religious concepts and hunter-gatherer imagery.
"Give it to someone else."
Sosche shrugs, "Sure!" He passes it around the party to see if there are any takers. If no one wants it, he idly thinks aloud, "Maybe we can trade for it."
He's ready to head back to Talmandor's Bounty.
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As she pokes around looking at the cave's contents, Fenna becomes more and more engaged in what she's finding. She explains what she can to the others and sums up at the end, just in case the others don't quite grasp why the place is so exciting.
"As far as I can tell, this is the oldest thing we've found on the island. It looks like this was an Azlanti excavation. The excavation would be around five or five and one-half thousand years old. So, whatever they were digging for would be considerably older than that."
Pointing at the cave art, Fenna continues.
"These aren't Azlanti of course, and may be part of what they were uncovering here. I don't think anyone knows for sure how far back the Azlanti Empire goes, when it began, but I think we're talking some thousands more years."
"Now, I might be crazy but damn, looking at the the wall paintings it seems to me like there's a story here. Like, maybe the gods or something else showing up to teach civilization to humans. This might be the record of when it ALL started for humans. I mean before Azlant it was all just serpent people and cyclops... cyclops-es? Anyway, we're talking really, really deep time here. This, my friends is just f&$~ing amazing."
Fenna insists that people don't mess with the place too much, or break anything. Then she takes some time to map out what's there as best she can, and note what they've found in the cave and where it was located. Everyone will just have to wait until she's done.
Just humans, or humanoids?
Vexas clarifies.
Maybe halflings were always civilized. he adds, smiling.
He does take it in after his joke.
That is really amazing. I wonder if the Azlanti civilization has more writings about these discoveries in their old libraries.
Fenna is too intent what she's doing to recognize Vexas's comment as joking.
Well, as far as I know, the earliest mentions of halflings anywhere is from Ancient Osirion. There are elven texts that claim to have noticed halflings before Earthfall. So, broadly speaking around as far back as this excavation. But the elven texts are actually more recent than the Ancient Osiriani ones. They just claim earlier knowledge."
Brannart responds to Sosche, "Why don't you take the stone. You are also on the front lines but I have stronger armor than you do, as well as a shield. Or you, Vexas; some crafty foes may target the back ranks."
Fenna realizes that the site is likely over ten thousand years old, excavating a site even older than that.
She takes detailed records of the paintings and recognizes that this is indeed a historic discovery. Searching her memory she cannot recall any mention of the scene depicted here, indicating that this may be an original finding! (Unless, as Vexas suggests, you encounter an Azlanti library discussing this topic.) In any case, a true contribution to the field.
As it is about dusk now, do you wish to camp here and head back to town in the morning? It's probably another full day to get back. It will be a bit faster going back than it was getting here was, since you are developing a knowledge of the trails and paths.
---
At 4th level, the guide forms a bond with the land itself, enabling him to direct others in such terrain. When in his favored terrain, the Ranger grants all allies within line of sight and that can hear him a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks. Also, as long as they travel with him, the Ranger’s allies leave no trail and can’t be tracked. The Ranger can choose for the group to leave a trail, or even specific members of the group to leave a trail if he so desires.
"Wow, that's very cool Fenna. Fascinating stuff!" Sosche listens attentively, history always being one of his interests going way back. He'll even try to muster up a pointed question or two if he can manage anything intelligent.
to aid?
"We might as well camp here for the day and head back early tomorrow. Won't make much difference time wise, and we can examine the art a bit longer." he grins.
As they settle in, he suggests, "I've got lots of healing left, and can cast another lesser restoration if anyone still needs it."
Vexas agrees with Sosche.
We may as well rest before the long day's hike back.
The night passes uneventfully, as all of the local wildlife would know to avoid the Chuul's lair.
In the morning, you start headed back towards Talmandor's Bounty.
As you now know the trail through the Bleeding Forest to Nal-Shakar, that is the quickest way to go. You head up that way, then follow a river down the mountain on the other side.
It's about 10 miles as the crow flies, but perhaps more like 20 miles when you factor in switchbacks and detours. So it's a long day's travel to get back to Talmandor's Bounty, and Sosche needs to go unarmored to even make that possible.
You reach the settlement at night, about 9 pm, exhausted.
Sentries call you to a halt, then recognize you and let you in.
"Welcome back! Sosche, your group made it back yesterday with Malakar. They will be glad to hear that you are alive.
Fenna, Brannart, Sho, Vexas - Ramona said that if we were to see you, we should relay that she wants to see you. Not an emergency, but a situation to address. It can probably wait until the morning."
Sosche is tired from the exertion, and misses his family armor - as much a badge of station as protection. But he’s not as tired as his companions appear to be. Still, he’s very glad to be back after so grueling a descent. He vows that speed will be his priority once he gets some raw materials together. He does not like slowing his allies.
For now he’ll beg his leave from the group, ”I should show my face to my former team as a courtesy. But I’ll be back directly, assuming we’re going back out of course.”
He’ll rush, as fast as his legs will let him, to check in on his mates. Let them know he’s well and good and, hopefully, headed back out with the other group. When duty and civility have been accomplished, he’ll return to the group to see what he can do to help.
Vexas is a very tired halfling. He waves off the sentries message dismissively.
Yes, yes...
*Yaaaaaawn*
tomorrow.
He drags himself back to his abode and passes out in his bed.
Fenna briefly weighs the idea of stopping by to see Ramona right away so they can set a time for tomorrow late enough for a generous amount of sleeping in. But then she decides she can just sleep in anyway. She also finds her bed as soon as she can.
Brannart heads to bed, but finds something waiting for him in the house.
A finely-crafted suit of full plate armor, tailored to his measurements. Finished at last.
He then opens up his trunk, and takes out a sash. It has the red-and-blue of the Mendev flag, and is adorned with multiple medals. Several are sword-and-sunburst, granted by the Church of Iomedae. One has the Hammer of Torag, granted by Ingrit herself after reclaiming a temple of Torag. One even shows the Greatsword of Gorum, granted to him by the berserker priest Braganza.
He takes it out, looks at it, and lays it across the armor. He'll try it on in the morning. For now, he heads to sleep.
---
At a reasonable hour mid-morning, you meet with Ramona.
Brannart is bedecked in his new armor and his old sash; he moves well and comfortably in the plate.
"Good to see you all. Sosche, you are with this crew now? Great, you'll be an asset. I am afraid that the encounter with the giant crab turned most of your old group away from any further excursions, at least in the near future.
Have you found out anything about the missing colonists?
My own matter is not as vital as that. But, if you have time to investigate it, some records were stolen. Specifically, the ship's manifest and the colony's resupply schedule. They were in a satchel along with a leather purse containing about 50 gold coins.
I don't want to make a big deal of this, since I think it was a restless teenager. Medrinnah Harleau. Her mother Sighra is one of our soldiers. Medrinnah is, well, a teenager who is not particularly happy with being here. She's apprenticed at the tailor's shop, and if you can get her to return the stolen property we can close the matter without any trouble. We just need those documents back. The gold too, but especially the papers.
Before you seek out Medrinnah, though... what have you found? Any idea how an entire colony just vanished?"
Fenna is silent for a moment. She doesn't have an answer, or a good one at least, for what might have happened to the earlier colonists. She decides to skip around that issue and move to the teenager Medrinnah instead. She gives her ear a scratch as she thinks, then proposes a light touch.
"So... It seems to me having all of us roll up looking for Medrinnah is a bit heavy-handed. It could make things more fraught and difficult talking to her than they need to be. How about I go and have a conversation with her alone, or maybe Vexas comes with me. In any case, nobody suited up in armor and hauling big weapons needs to be there."
She glances at Brannart as she says the last part.
"It's a small place here. There's barely anything to spend money on anyway, and if she did find a way to spend some it would be noticed right away. The other stuff, paperwork and the ship's manifest, she can't use them for anything even she does know what they are, which is unlikely."
"Let me talk to her, explain to her that she's sort of checkmated herself, and see how she reacts. She might even realize the situation already and want to make it all go away. Can I tell her truthfully all's forgiven if she gives the stuff back?"
Fenna pauses again then adds "how sure are you that she's the one who took the satchel?"
Sosche is tickled to be formally a part of the group. He can't quite hide his grin as he thinks about the next steps. He too isn't sure about the missing colonists. Certainly there are plenty of dangers in the field, but there's safety in numbers. The community shouldn't just 'be gone'.
"We haven't found any solid evidence yet." he shrugingly admits. Or at least nothing he's remembered.
He agrees with Fenna, they'd overwhelm the poor apprentice if they all showed up. "You should have some backup though. Probably not me either, but someone who can move at speed in case you need to."
Fenna seems slightly offended, or maybe just surprised, by Sosche's recommendation that someone fast also come along as backup.
"I'm willing to bet I'm as fast or faster than anyone here. With a little magic I know added, I know for sure I'm well faster than anyone here. Besides, the whole point is to keep things friendly and easy so she doesn't take off in the first place."
Yes, I'm also curious how certain we are that Medrinnah took it. How much of a trusted eyewitness do you have? Vexas seems uncertain about it for the time being.
I agree the whole group shouldn't go plodding around looking for her, or she's sure to get frightened and evade us. I'd be happy to go with you Fenna.
"No, we aren't certain. But Sighra noted that her daughter had been in some trouble in Andoran - petty theft as a form of rebellion, it seems.
Of course you can tell her that all will be forgiven if she returns the satchel and purse. This does not need to be a big deal. Kids make mistakes.
And we absolutely don't want her hurt."
---
With just Fenna and Vexas, Medrinnah does not run when approached.
She looks up from her work at the tailor's shop.
"What do you want?" she asks sullenly.
Vexas smiles warmly as he approaches her. He decides to use a phrasing that gives Medrinnah an out.
We just need the papers back... no need to ensure punishment or otherwise litigate the past.
Hello there! We just got back from an expedition into the wilderness and we were catching up with Ramona, going over some boring logistical things. You see she lost track of some important papers and we suspect they may have been delivered to your home by accident. Did you recently receive some papers that you weren't sure why?
Fenna is of the same mind as Vexas.
"Yeah, we're asking around to find out if anyone has seen it. It's a satchel, and the stuff in it is mostly about the supplies getting shipped to us here. Without it, we might not get what we need. There could be shortages of essential things like food."
"Have you seen it, or has anyone mentioned seeing to you?"
As soon as Vexas mentions Ramona, Medrinnah looks around as if to run, but she realizes that she has let Vexas and Fenna get too close while she is still sitting down at her table. She sulks and listens.
"So why'd Ramona send you two?
Let me guess. The halfling because everybody thinks you're all thieves and she thinks I am too, so you could relate to me.
The elf because you're what, a hundred years old? And so you have such... great... wisdom to offer.
Yeah, I took the satchel. Bunch of useless stuff. 'Boring logistical things' is right, Vexas. Names of the other idiots stuck here. Who cares? And the dates when the ship is supposed to come and bring us decent food and clothes from the real world. I ditched it all behind the government house. Tell Ramona to look for it there."
Ramona certainly searched around the Government House and saw no sign of the satchel. You are pretty certain that Medrinnah is telling the truth about dumping it there, but it's not there now.
"You want the money back too? Fine. Nothing good to spend it on anyway."
She hands over the purse of gold.
She starts to turn back to her work, then turns back to you, and hesitates for a minute. After a moment, she bursts out, "I hate it here! Mother wanted to come so badly. But it's not Almas, it's not even Andoran, my friends aren't here, it's the middle of nowhere, it's hot and muggy, and we're probably all going to die just like the first ship did! Go on, tell my mother what I did! She'll be angry and hurt. GOOD! She should! This is all her fault! Tell -"
Wheels start to turn in her head. Her voice calms down a bit, as the girl realizes she has what she thinks is a terribly cunning plan. She points at Fenna. "That's it. Okay Fenna, tell Ramona and everyone else what I did. Spread the word. It will bring disgrace on my mother, and we'll be kicked off the colony and sent home."
She gives a smug smile.
"Go on. Tell them."
Fenna laughs in a good natured way when Medrinnah calls her an elf.
"I'm half-elven and 22 years old actually" she replies.
When Medrinnah has finish her soliloquy, Fenna feels she can sympathize.
"You know, I got moved around a lot when I was a kid and on up to your age as well. Turns out you don't have to leave Andoran to live in a place not much bigger than this. In my case is was up north among the flyspeck logging hamlets. I hated it every time we moved. Almost as much as I hated being where we were moving from, which was always just as bad."
"But I'll be honest with you, there was nothing I could do about it for a long time. Neither can you right now, might as well accept it for the time being. You know how I got away from all that? School. Well University, in Almas. Guess what we don't have here? A university. You know how to read and write? Some math?"
The girl shrugs and lowers her eyes.
"Whatever."
It is the 'whatever' of defeat, of a teenager who knows that the adult is correct but who remains too proud or stubborn to admit it.
"Look, I've gotta get back to work. Tell Ramona whatever you want. School might be less boring than tailoring. It's not the worst idea."
Ramona certainly searched around the Government House and saw no sign of the satchel. You are pretty certain that Medrinnah is telling the truth about dumping it there, but it's not there now.
Ramona certainly searched around the Government House and saw no sign of the satchel. You are pretty certain that Medrinnah is telling the truth about dumping it there, but it's not there now.
Vexas groans and sighs audibly once Medrinnah has stomped off with palpable teenage attitude.
Useless! So, we know Ramona already looked in that location, but I suppose we may as well look for clues of what direction somewhat might have gone after nabbing the satchel. I wouldn't expect the area behind that building to be heavily trafficked.
--------------------
Assuming they head there next...
Vexas does find some tracks, although nothing he can follow.
There are a range of humanoid footprints; some would be Medrinnah's, and some would be Ramona's. There are others as well, it seems, though Survival might be needed to try to figure out which ones came in which order and where they went.
If Vexas asks Sho to investigate, she can follow the tracks a bit.
A single humanoid's tracks go down to the beach, where they have long since been washed away by the tides. The thief either went into the water, or walked along the beach to emerge elsewhere.
Whoever took the satchel was clever enough to use the beach to cover their tracks.
---
