Fuchsia opens another door.
This long room is a stall large enough for a fully laden wagon, with double doors leading west and east. The double door to the west, which bears a sign reading “Authorized Agents Only” in Common and Mwangi, stands slightly ajar and reveals a sandy courtyard behind it. Shelves contain tools for repairing wagons, such as crowbars, hammers, and spare wheels.
"These supplies might be useful should we need to venture out to that ancient city in the course of our investigation."
Fuchsia looks around for any traps then, if it's all clear, steps inside to fully investigate the room.
Zarke remains mounted and keep an eye out for trouble while his allies do a more thorough search.
Fuchsia finds nothing else of interest in this room.
On to the last! And then I'm ready for a good night's rest.
"Agreed" Asta says, eyeing the door ahead.
You open the last door.
Double doors stand in the west and east walls of this room. The west door bears a sign reading “Authorized Agents Only” in Common and Mwangi. Shelves contain several old boxes and rags along with a greasy wagon axle. A puddle of glistening yellowish oil, nearly 12 feet across, covers the floor in the center of this room.
DC 15
Zarke looks worriedly at the puddle...
"Another ooze?" he wonders aloud.
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Asta moves to examine the puddle. After looking at it for a moment, he dips a finger in and tastes. "As I suspected. Sunflower oil."
Of course, says Fucshia as dips a finger in the oil, and tastes it.
Yuturr's suspicions are much like Zarke's and he is relieved to find it's not another puddle person. That looks like more than just a spill, he observes.
He tries to look about the room, but can't seem to get the puddle of oil out of his head.
While a very big spill, Yuturr can find no indication of it being anything else.
"I'm at a loss here... what did we learn?"
Zarke answers a bit "Well it looks like the Aspis pulled something dangerous out of the jungle, maybe demon related... we've still got that book, right? And whatever they brought back has been turning people in oozes. I bet it may have some answer for us."
The ratfolk nods. Well, we could open the book with a little blood. Do you think it's evil to do that?
"Can't see why it would be. Go for it, I say."
Fuchsia slices her finger along the blade and grimaces. If I must, I'll suffer sooner.
Fuchsia's finger bleeds for a bit, but with so many skilled healer's around, she is soon patched up.
The book contains records of a shipment of several magical bloodstones coming from the city of Oenopion in Nex with what could be used to inflict a fatal curse called the slithering. The slithering affects only humans and transforms them into mindless oozes, but Tomil plainly thought he could control the curse and target only his enemies. The names of several human targets, including most of Kibwe’s Representative Council, are listed within the book.
The last page bears the words “Cursebreaker could be a problem?”
The clasped book also contains a scroll of nondetection and a bearer’s note from a moneylender in the Iwisa Block for 250 gp.
Fuchsia chuckles and tucks the bearer's note into her pocket. Another well-earned payday for the team! We deserve like, three times this much but this will do for a start. She glances at the scroll and then forgets about it. It flutters to the floor.
I guess we should tell Abayone someone is targeting her and her friends. I wonder what Cursebreaker is.
"Interesting news," Jack says, taking the scroll of nondetection. "If no one minds? I'd like to see if I can learn the magic."
So, let's go warn our client and see about next steps.
She begins making her way to the eastern market beneath the rhino-horned Pillar-Watcher.
Fuchsia slides the hit-list across the councilwoman's desk. Not much time for formalities here, Abayone. Tamil from the Khalibi Caravan is an Aspis agent. Seems like all the bad ones are, right?
Anyways, he wants to kill you and most of the council with some ooze curse he calls the “Slithering.” But like so many ancient demon-curses — because of course it’s an ancient demon-curse — it’s out of control! Luckily, like so many Aspis agents, he left us clues and wrote down his plans — because not only are the Aspis mostly evil, but mostly stupid too… seems to go hand-in-hand, really. For example, this “Cursebreaker” he wrote about may be useful for breaking curses. And any councilmembers conspicuously missing from Tomil's hit-list are probably working with the Aspis. There's also some out-of-town stuff we could follow up on, and they were going on an expedition.
She munches on her apple, talking with her mouth full. Anyways, luckily I’m safe. Considering my Ysoki heritage and amazing skill, you might even say I’m the perfect lady to save this whole damn town.
Abayone looks at the document and gives a grim laugh. “So, those who would release the curse upon their enemies have fallen victim to it themselves? Such is the price of malice. But this curse is spreading, and Kibwe is plainly in danger. Fortunately, those who built this city made many preparations to save it.
“The statues on the walls and columns around the city are the Pillar-Watchers. They are old, old magic. Some we understand; others we do not. There is an abandoned archive, built even before Kibwe was merely a provincial capital in a large empire. It was called the Archive of the Sun—and still is, I suppose! There is a Pillar-Watcher inside it with the head of an eland. It is called Cursebreaker, and its function is to obliterate any curse that would threaten the city. It will work to stop the spread of this slithering curse. You must go to the Archive of the Sun to find and activate Cursebreaker. Though, I'm sure you can get a good night's sleep first. You look like you need it."
Abayone provides you with directions to the Archive of the Sun in the southern end of the Mozimba Camp neighborhood. She also gives you a gold token she wears on a chain around her neck. She explains that these tokens are held by the leaders of Kibwe and used to activate the Pillar-Watchers in times of need. She believes you should be able to use it to activate Cursebreaker, although she isn’t sure how to do so—no one has activated a Pillar-Watcher in decades.
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Before resting, Jack sits down with Nutmeg and begins collaborating on writing a special scroll. He uses the nondetection scroll as a reference, doing his best to interpret the magic in a way that can be absorbed by Nutmeg.
(Success. Cost is 16gp)
Satisfied that the scroll is complete, he hands it over to his big sister.
And she eats the scroll.
A convenient name, Yuturr observes with a smile. Sounds like an excellent Pillar-Watcher to have on one's side.
The Archive of the Sun is an impressive building made of ancient stone abutting the city wall. Its entry is a square tunnel in the structure’s south side. A single door to the west and a double door to the east are set deep in the shadows of this entry.
There is a hole in the door to the west set at eye level for a human, but peering in reveals very little. It seems like a room filled with junk.
Fuchsia gazes into the room, then opens the door with the hole in it after her friends check it for traps.
The door seems free from traps.
This large room has only a single entrance. It is bare except for two old bedrolls—indicating that squatters have slept here—and a realistic statue of a woman with a disgusted look on her face. The statue is on its side near the door as though it had been simply shoved out of sight.
Yuturr slips past Fuchsia into the room and takes a closer look at the statue. Perhaps it's a recognizable likeness.
Asta moves in to examine the statue, hoping to recognize its likeness.
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Zarke keeps his eyes out for the sort of trouble that might suddenly try and kill them.
Neither Yuturr nor Asta recognizes the likeness on the extremely realistic statue.
Looks like she just peeked into the kitty litter… Fucshia does her best impression of the statue. BLECH!
She strokes her whiskers. Anyways, this can't be the watcher. The job can't be that easy. I'm sure this isn't even a clue or anything. Whatever.
Shrugging her shoulders, she moves to the double doors.
Asta begins to walk away, then pauses and turns back to the statue.
It's so realistic. I wonder....
C'mon, Asta. We gotta keep moving, irregardles of old statues.
She impatiently scans the door for traps.
Asta thinks the statue could be a result of petrification, but can't say for sure.
Fuchsia checks the next door for traps, finds none, and opens it.
This large chamber has double doors leading north and west. The southeast corner is filled with rubble, indicating that part of the building has collapsed. Three large metal troughs have been dragged into this room and pushed against the south wall. They are filled with slick mud and smell foul.
Six frog-like creatures lounging in the room suddenly jump to attention as you enter. Three of them were soaking in the mud-filled troughs, and two of them were trying to make two rats tied with strings fight each other.
"Hey, you're not Tomil!" "Get them, get them! They must be enemies!"
Initiative!
Zarke
Jack
Yuturr
#3
Fuchsia
Asta
#1
#4
#5
#6
You're not Tomil either! Yuturr replies, drawing his rapier and advancing. Are you sure you want those as your last words? Instead of something like crying for your mama or surrender?
Hey those rats are FAMILY. And I’m cousin Karma.
FF on crit; deadly
FF on crit; deadly
Zarke rides in and immediately knocks out #1. Jack crits with a ray of frost on #2, taking another boggard out. Yuturr surprises one of the rat-fighters.
The last one in a trough gets out, draws a weapon, and gives the trough a mighty shove.
Unfortunately for the poor boggard, it doesn't budge.
Initiative!
Zarke
Jack
Yuturr
#3
Fuchsia
Asta
#4, -8 hp
#5
#6
Asta draws his sword from his cane, striding into the room and quickly evaluating the situation, especially in regards to the other rat-fighter .