Ruine walks over to Booralu to comfort him, placing a hand on his shoulder "You have nothing to fear while in our company, my friend. We will always protect you, fear not."
With Booralu in tow, you head into the town of Castinlee. Castinlee is renowned for its orchards and is surrounded by hundreds of acres of apple, pear, plum, cherry, and pecan groves. A cleared patch of land between two sweet-smelling apple orchards provides an excellent spot for the Circus of Wayward Wonders to set up. As in Matten Cleave, the you quickly make arrangements for the Circus of Wayward Wonders with an introduction from Opper Vandy. Julpin Crags, the local mayor and a wealthy cabbage farmer, is excited about the circus and grants you leave to set up your tent.
Asking around town, you garner several rumors:
“Castinlee is the apple capital of the Inner Sea; nobody grows an apple like the Castinlee Crisp! I just hope the blight over by Matten Cleave doesn’t make it this far. The orchards are already producing less.”
“The Liferoot Stone is an old, ruined tower, like those others they call towers throughout the Swardlands. It’s in worse shape than the others, though. An old foot trail from the Hollows follows the base of the hills all the way to the stone.”
“Would-be conquerors of Absalom took up in it in the old days to plan their attack on the city. It’s said they created statues from stone and clay to smash the city’s walls. Of course, it went about as well as it did with the rest of ’em over in the Cairnlands, and now the tower’s upper half is rubble. Most of the statues too. Word is that some have been stirring again of late.”
Grelda spends a week in Castinlee promoting the circus, building up anticipation for your performance.
As the day of the show approaches, a storm begins to brew. Much like your second show in Escadar, though, if you are able to put on a fine performance, the payout will be large, indeed!
"I think we should get a bigger tent." Ruinë suggests. "We've been filling up the other one and turning people away.
Looking at the approaching weather, the cleric frowns. [b]"Looks like rain is coming. I do not like it when it rains during our shows."
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"A BIGGER TENT IS A GOOD IDEA!" Ashlion agrees, seemingly pleased by the prospect of larger crowds and more money!
"YOU WILL BE WELL LITTLE FLAME! YOU WILL BURN BRIGHTLY AND MAKE PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT THE WEATHER OUTSIDE!" Ashlion opinions brightly. The children are amazed by Gigi and the half orc suddenly flushes as he remembers that he will be performing with Evora again. Then he remembers what Evora performs in and has to rearrange his trousers.
Seeing her husband’s discomfort, Grelda smirks and leans on his shoulders. ”Something troubles you, my love?”
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"NOTHING YOU COULD NOT HELP ME SOLVE?" Ashlion replies, waggling his eyebrows as he turns to embrace his witch wife.
Later, after a long 'problem solving session' he admits the original cause. "I WAS THINKING OF THE PERFORMANCES TONIGHT, AND EVORA'S COSTUME." He admits. "SHE IS STRONG, A FINE WOMAN INDEED."
Suddenly his eyes narrow and he looks at his wife, half covered by the blankets. "A FEW NIGHTS AGO... DID I SEE YOU PUTTING COINS INTO THE POT AROUND THE CAMPFIRE?"
Grelda laughs and rolls over to look at Ashlion. ”Yes. She is a strong woman indeed, my love. And even with me and Tygrah having a claim, there is plenty of Ashlion to go around. You were meant to have many strong children. Children of destiny. Why would you not wish to have one with Evora as well?”
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"BECAUSE I ALREADY HAVE TWO BEAUTIFUL WIVES WHO I WISH TO KEEP HAPPY AND SATISFIED!" Ashlion replies promptly, demonstrating his often-overlooked intellect. "EVORA IS A FINE WOMAN BUT I HAVE TWO FINE WOMEN ALREADY AND I AM NOT GREEDY." When Grelda laughs again Ashlion grins sheepishly.
"WELL, NOT VERY GREEDY."
He does, cautiously, broach the subject with Tygrah later however.
Tygrah likewise gives Ashlion a grin. ”Three is a magic number, husband! We always talked about establishing a family here in Avistan, but with more wives and more children, we could establish a whole new tribe! The Ashlion tribe! Does that not sound wonderful?”
The half-orc winces slightly as her big belly shudders. ”Ooh! Your son likes the idea!”
As the performance begins, Tasha chooses to let Booralu make his debut as the opener.
For the build-up, she directs Ruinë and Ashlion to take the ring.
Booralu starts off his act quite strongly, delivering a touching dirge as the fireflies dance about. As the act reaches its climax, though, a firefly accidentally flies into his mouth, causing the shoony to cough and sputter! A quick appearance by the circus's clowns distracts the audience from the hiccup.
Ashlion and Evora come out next, whatever awkwardness between them temporarily put aside to put on a stellar performance. With Grelda in the wings helping to coordinate Gigi's role in the act, the half-orcs successfully wow the crowd!
Ruinë's amazing performance streak comes to a screeching halt when her hands slips from the wet bar and she nearly falls. Catching herself, he manages to finish out the performance but her confidence is shot and she only manages to do so barely by the skin of her teeth.
A timely intervention from the clowns saves Ruine's act from being a complete disaster. Luckily, the crowd is focused on the antics of Ashlion, Evora, and Gigi.
For the main act, this time, Tasha brings back an old favorite - Elizia and Mister Tickles!
For the finale, she brings Ashlion back into the ring, along with the Majestic Mistdancer, and the plucky Fidget.
The Majestic Mistdancer
Fidget's Fireworks
The rest of the acts are a bit with the crowd, leading to another successful show!
After the show, Evora finds Ashlion, still dressed in her tight tutu. ”We did good together tonight. I look forward to our next performance.” Her expression is carefully neutral, but she flushes slightly.
Knowing that Ruinë is probably beating herself up over her performance, Tasha is next to her as soon as the show is done, taking her in her long arms. "I am so proud of you, Milaya. You persevered where others would have given up," she says. She reaches down and lifts the half-elf's chin just enough to lean in for a light press of the lips.
"Now for the clean-up and then dinner!"
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After the show, Evora finds Ashlion, still dressed in her tight tutu. ”We did good together tonight. I look forward to our next performance.” Her expression is carefully neutral, but she flushes slightly.
"YOU WERE A WONDERFUL PRINCESS!" Ashlion booms. He pauses for a moment, gathers his courage and presses ahead. "I THINK IN THE STORIES THE PRINCESS KISSES THE ONE WHO RESCUES HER?"
”Um... Right...” Evora shifts on her feet, then the burly half-orc leans down (and down!), closes her eyes, and pushes her lips against Ashlion’s.
What started as a nervous kiss becomes a full fledged make out session. At length, Evora pulls away, panting heavily, pupils dilated. ”Ashlion... You are married! What would your wives say?”
”I am sure she will not mind!” Evora laughs heartily. She kisses Ashlion again, then she scoops him into her arms and carries him into her wagon!
The next morning, you head southwest from Castinlee to investigate the aeon tower known as the Liferoot Stone. Uneven ground and sporadic foliage mark the edges of the Sulwen Hills. A break in the scattered copses of trees provides a view of the tower known as the Liferoot Stone just beyond the next ridge. Its basic shape of a stepped pyramid is still discernible, but much of its upper portions have collapsed, leaving only a broken fragment of its former immensity rising above its first tier. Along with this destruction, it’s apparent that the years have not been kind to this structure. Nevertheless, hundreds of feet above the ground, its shining orb still floats in the air completely unsupported, giving off light as a beacon visible for miles in every direction.
The area around the Liferoot Stone is scattered with pieces of crudely carved, articulated statues destroyed long ago. Studying them, Grelda realizes that these pieces were once clay golems and stone golems. Tasha remembers the story of a pair of dwarven wizards named Luko and Jormir Grundryn. Many years ago, the wizards used the tower as their base of operation from which to tap into the power of the aeon orb and launch a campaign against the city of Absalom. Like for so many would-be conquerors before and after, their gambit ended in catastrophic failure—but not before they had constructed scores of stone and clay golems with which to assault the city. Exactly what doom befell Luko and Jormir, none can say, but their golem army was scattered and their base of operations atop the Liferoot Stone was obliterated, along with the top portion of the great tower itself. When the dust cleared, the wizards’ golems were strewn about like broken toys and the unharmed aeon orb continued its silent, serene orbit high above.
As at the Wellspring Tower, Grelda renders her familiar invisible to scout ahead. Basil the faerie dragon is gone for several minutes before returning to report back. He tells you that a group of four xulgath and a hulking tyrannosaurus are patrolling the area between here and the tower itself. At the base of the tower, two stone golems are on constant patrol at opposite sides. Each takes about 3 minutes ot make a complete circuit, so if you are swift, you may be able to avoid them.
Two platforms stand outside the tower's entry. The xulgaths have camped on the northern one--Basil spotted three of them there, along with a clay golem. Past the entry stairs was a magically darkened chamber that the dragon could barely see in, and past that, the collapsed core of the tower. Basil tells you that you can either access this area through the tunnel, or you could try to fly up or climb the tower's broken walls.
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Soon, Tygrah comes waddling up, grinning at the shorter half-orc. "There is much money exchanging hands around the fire! It seems our husband is making Evora his own. Or perhaps it is the other way around!" She cocks her head at Grelda. "What are you doing back here?"
"Nudging fate along our desired course," Grelda says, opening her eyes. "I am giving Ashlion an extra edge, not that he likely needs it. He has proven himself quite potent so far." She touches her lower belly as she gazes at Tygrah's protruding dome.
Tygrah puts her hands on her hips and proudly pushes her own belly forward. "Indeed! Ours will be the first of many children to come!"
A particularly loud groan comes from the wagon. Both women share an envious look. "There is a downside with having to share our husband with yet another woman," Grelda remarks.
Tygrah nods. "Yes. But just because he is having fun does not mean the two of us cannot." She takes Grelda's hand. "I have been watching Ruine and Tasha for some tips on how two women might entertain one another. Come along and I will show you."
Grelda blushes as she follows Tygrah back to their own wagon...
***
Grelda purses her lips as she listens to Basil's report. "Those golems will be difficult opponents. Not only are the immune to most magic, they are resistant to weapons not made of adamantine. Perhaps we should acquire one for Tasha and then return, if we have the funds? Otherwise, we could try to bypass the golems, but we should at least take out the xulgaths so they cannot continue attempting to sabotage the aeon orb. Thus, we will still have to fight the clay golem in their camp."
Tasha's kiss is met with halfhearted enthusiasm. "I almost messed it up for everyone. I don't want to use excuses, but the weather made it more challenging than I expected. Perhaps I should be practicing more."
”If you have money left over after buying that fancy mask!” Grelda says, smirking at her husband.
”I didn’t say it was bad, simply expensive,” Grelda says. She neglects to mention the fancy butterfly-winged cloak that she spent most of her own savings on.
You return to Castinlee, visiting the markets to purchase an adamantine rapier for Tasha. You leave it with an arcanist overnight so that he can transfer the magical runes from her old blade to the new one, then you head back to the Liferoot Stone the next day.
Once you are near, Grelda uses several of her daily spells to render you all invisible and grant you all the power of flight for a few minutes. She uses her cloak to transform herself into a butterfly and flaps ahead of you all to guide you through the air over the tower. The xulgaths and golems are far below, unaware of your stealthy passage.
As you draw near the aeon orb, its power resonates with you, granting you a reflection of its might!
ABJURATION EARTH MAGICAL
Your body is infused with the resilience and durability of stone. You are protected against the effects of severe cold and severe heat. In addition, you can also focus this durability to gain an additional effect.
Activate [two-actions] envision; Frequency once per day;
Effect You cast stoneskin as an innate divine spell, heightened to a spell level equal to half your level rounded up.
The truth of this tower’s failure to weather the passing ages is apparent when looking below. At some point in the distant past, the tower’s inner core of fill material collapsed, causing the mudbrick exterior of its highest level to fall inward. The result was the total collapse of the upper portions of the tower into a great central pile of rubble within the intact sides of the tower’s remaining lower tier. Tumbled stone, broken bricks, and centuries of tangled overgrowth fill the tower beneath the aeon orb, which continues to orbit serenely nearly 200 feet above the pile.
You land among the rubble as the flight duration runs out, though you are still invisible. As you do so, though, the rubble shifts as a huge creature burrows out! It resembles a 20-foot-long mole with a pale snout, four thick-muscled legs that end in serrated claws, and a stubby pink tail. It sniffs at the air, having picked up your scent!
The creature sniffs some more, turning its four beady eyes towards you. It rushes at Ashlion, its fangs gnashing the air mere feet away from him!
Grelda hurls a rock at the thing as she nudges her husband’s fate.
The rock bounces off the monster’s thick hide!
"Hey, now! None of that kind of talk," the tiefling says as she taps her lover's chin with a disapproving finger. "We all make mistakes and we all fall down occasionally. We're a family, though. Nothing ever sits on one person's shoulders alone. We carry each other's burdens." She leans down and presses a kiss against the woman's forehead again. "Come now, everyone else will think we're rutting like Ashlion and one of his wives."
"What kind of beast are you?" Tasha questions as she approaches the creature with her usual swagger. "Trick question, because it doesn't really matter. We shall defeat you no matter what you call yourself."
Ruinë nods to Tasha after her speech, but it's clear she's frustrated and upset with herself for not nailing it after her two previous near-flawless performances.
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"Indeed. May Sarenrae's fire make your death swift!" she declares rather boldy before shooting a ray of fire from her hand.
Tasha and Grelda miss the creature, but Ruine scorches it and Ash hits it with his second swing. The thing shrieks and retaliates, scoring two critical hits that tear through the barbarian and his armor! Only luck keeps hims safe from the final blow.
Moving quickly to Ashlion's side, Ruinë patches up some of his wounds.
The creature proving much tougher than she had anticipated, Tasha stabs viciously at it and then tumbles past it to attempt to flank with Ashlion.
Grelda activates her lovers gloves, strengthening her bond with Ashlion. She boosts his vitality and grants Tasha guidance.
While Ash fails to hit, Tasha delivers a precise strike that leaves the beast bleeding as she tumbles around to flank it.
The monster turns to confront her, though, chomping and clawing at the tiefling! She dodges its claws but its fangs pierce her skin!
Grelda gives Ruine guidance before focusing her baleful gaze on the beast, afflicting it with the curse of death!
Feeling emboldened by Grelda's guidance, the cleric tries to burn a hole through it with fire once more.
Ruine’s fire ray scorches the creature, but Ash and Tasha fail to land any good hits. The monster turns back to Ashlion and tries to take him down, rending him with tooth and claw!
Ash was taking a beating in this fight and so she pivots from her attack to give him her full attention.