Torra steels herself against the ferocious noise from the boggards.
She again sends a spark out to her enemies, aimed at the green and orange boggards.
Then she swings her sling to send a slug at the green boggard.
for
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One of the boggards collapses due to the shock from Torra. Croakchief doesn't resist as his body is thrown back from the force of Urdda's fists. Bangy takes a chunk out of the wounded boggard in front of him.
Torra (63/63)
Utek
Scratch (68/70)
Renthiel (46/46)
Urdda** (85/85)
Bangy Piper** 61/81)
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Boggards (Orange -27)
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It takes a while but the overwhelming chorus of croaks finally gets under Scratch's leathery skin. "Blast it frogs, shut it!"
Utek watches closely after Urrda. "Be careful!!. Those things terrify me!"
◆ Sustain Nudge Fate on Urrda
◆◆ Cast Telekinetic Projectile on red
Renthiel stares at the boggard .
Steps, and then stabs at the boggard.
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Renethiel skewers the boggard through the chest, killing it in a single strike. The remaining pair seem scared but fight on.
Torra (63/63)
Utek
Scratch (68/70)
Renthiel (46/46)
Urdda** (85/85)
Bangy Piper** 53/81)
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Boggards (Orange -27)
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Urdda grumbles to herself as the boggarts continue to ignore her in favor of attacking her very loud companion. Suppose there's not much else to do...
Scratch raises an eyebrow as a metal point sticks out of the back of the red frog Kill stealin' eh? We used to have a game back when I was a young pup... snipin' goblin whelps after school fer fun... kinda sad that's frowned on nowadays." He shrugs his shoulders and works his crossbow to help cleanup the last couple.
Looking over the group and seeing that she'll need to tend to Bangy and Scratch after this fight, Torra sends more electricity through the two boggards that refuse to give up.
Then she reloads her sling.
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The boggard warriors continue to resist. Not wanting to displease their chief, even in death, they raise their clubs. Urdda's fists kill one quickly as Scratch's bolt.
With the Boggards defeated and the Archive of the Sun cleared of threats you finally have a minute to look around and appreciate your surroundings.
Croakchief carried:
The chest that Globblit uses to elevate his bizarre chair contains the croakchief’s treasure:
To the east stands the room of the upper sun. An enormous sun symbol carved into the floor of this room glows with a warm light. The symbol is a loose spiral with triangles surrounding it like rays. Two holes pierce the stone floor in the symbol, one at the symbol’s center and the other at the end of the sun-spiral. The walls are carved with intricate runes and myriad shapes of animalistic humanoid warriors, and it takes only a moment of examination to realize that these shapes represent the Pillar-Watchers around Kibwe. A raised dais at the far end of the room contains a pedestal for a statue, but no statue is present.
The wall carvings use pictograms to explain a power-generating ritual using the sun symbol here and in the chamber below. The hole at the center of this symbol looks down onto the end of the spiral of the lower sun, while the hole at the end of this spiral looks down on the center of the lower sun.
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Bangy pockets the several pieces of fake jewelry (passing up the rest of the equipment) and looks at the missing statue (not) upon the dais, thinks back... He looks at Scratch "Uh oh..."
"These carving are in an older Mwangi. And some of the Pillar-Watchers aren't here - maybe destroyed or lost to time" he leans closer... " “Boneseeker,” “Crykeeper,” “Fallowbringer”, "Cursebreaker", others... looking just like Abayone described!"
"Indeed.." Renthiel mumbles as he studies the carvings. "At least two ritualists are needed..."
Torra immediately moves over to begin tending to Scratch and Bangy.
for
Then Bangy: for
Torra moves back over to Scratch.
for
"OUCH! Sonova biscuit Torra!" Recoils Scratch as Torra gets sloppy. "What did I do to deserve that!" He gives a quick glance at Urrda as if to say Don't answer that!
After some time to heal he joins the others in the best part of the job: LOOT! "Wonder if this stuff is payment for guarding this place or just stuff they plundered in here." He questions, but only slightly, not intending to leave anything behind. "So how come that fat king bullfrog didn't wear this nice breastplate? Too bad its so clunky."
As far as the statue goes, Scratch raises an eyebrow at Whiskers No way.. can't be.. trying to get a better idea on just how big a statue needs to go there.
"Hmmm. Let me take a look."
"I'm just not seeing it Bangy.". Utek scratches his head. "You say two ritualists are needed? What kind of ritual?" Mita hangs on Utek's shoulder, bobbing up and down.
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To the orc's question, Bangy just blinks, looking at him first, then over at Torra Shest, then back at him.
He was about to say "Isn't it abvious?" when he remembers that his PI - Renthiel Simnan - knows basically everything about everything. Or so he was sold.
Excluding himself, Gramma Urdda, and Scratch Steeltoe altogether from consideration.
"Yes, a sun ritual of sorts," Renthiel mumbles more as he continues deeply scrutinizing the walls. "Torra would be best I think.."
"Well, the ritual needs its focus and that is missing," and pointing to the empty pedestal, Torra frowns. "I know I was looking as we went through these few rooms and I didn't see anything that could be Cursebreaker as it was described to us. We need to find it as soon as possible, though."
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"Torra Shest - I believe Cursebreaker to be a Person - the Person we Freed!"
Freerat - thinking he heard his name - pokes his head out of a pocket, and seeing nobody addressing him directly, tucks himself back, and continues to gnaw on the fake jewelry...
"Hmm...unlikely Bangy. I suspect that the statue has been removed by the Aspis Consortium. It would have been a smart move on their part," Renthiel postures
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"Well shoot. Guess we get this place wrapped up n call it a day eh? Probably should go cash in some of this stuff for easy carrying... then maybe head down to the tavern for a solid lunch and a few beers?"
Scratch helps everyone get loaded up with loot. After some extra thinking time and cash counting time... Scratch gets adventurous "We should think about headin' to that old temple we read about, could have that statue there." And probably a few extra barrels of gold to collect at the same time!
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You return from the Archive of the Sun to meet with Abayone, the representative hasn’t been idle. While the heroes have been busy exploring the ancient building and dealing with its challenges, she’s been following up on information about the Khalibi Caravan House and the Aspis Consortium agents that operated it.
“The leader of the Aspis Consortium in Kibwe, an unsavory human named Tomil Jabrin, is dead. But oh, he was a busy man before he died. He recently left town with several Aspis agents for a long trip and returned nearly three weeks later by himself. He had a heavily laden wagon when he left, but he returned without it. Rumors say he ventured to the demon-haunted city known as Holy Xatramba in the jungles to the southeast. Evidence is that he took something large—perhaps a heavy statue—there."
“And this is not the first time Tomil has been connected with that evil place. There have been persistent rumors for as long as he’s been in the city that he was raised in Xatramba among wicked cultists who revere the demon lord Angazhan. Tomil never formally disavowed these rumors or Angazhan’s worship, so perhaps he retained some connection with his homeland. Explorers tell of a complex called the Plaza of the Feasting Fiend on the north edge of Xatramba, where humans venerate Angazhan with horrid sacrifices and schemes to dominate those around them. It sounds like Tomil didn’t stray far from his upbringing."
“Tomil prepared for the release of this vile curse by stealing away and hiding the only thing that could break it. We need that statue back.”
Abayone wastes no time in arranging for mundane provisions, a large wagon, and oxen to pull it. A sturdy wagon will be necessary to bring the statue back to Kibwe once you recover it, and she doesn’t count on you stumbling across the wagon Tomil used to take Cursebreaker there.
"We need to return this statue. If demons are involved though...". Utek shudders at the thought of demons and demon worshippers. "Is there anything else you could tell us about Tomil or Xatramba that would help us?"
Renthiel couldn't help but be smug that his estimations were correct, though he does so silently.
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"Abayone Munme, this clarifies much" he looks around the group "We are ready to leave immediately" and crawling up onto the large wagon "It's like a Ship!" the "sea rat" is excited here before realizing he has no idea how to operate it "How do you get the animals to move?" asking to see who knows how to drive...
Bangy Piper @ Untrained
Gramma Urdda @ Untrained
Renthiel Simnan @ Nature (Expert) +14
Scratch Steeltoe @ Nature (Trained) +12
Torra Shest @ Nature (Trained) +12
Utek Shul'm @ Nature (Trained) +9
Bangy Piper @ Untrained
Gramma Urdda @ Survival (Trained) +12
Renthiel Simnan @ Survival (Trained) +12 w/ That's Odd
Scratch Steeltoe @ Survival (Expert) +14 w/ Forager
Torra Shest @ Survival (Trained) +12
Utek Shul'm @ Survival (Trained) +9
Bangy Piper @ Crafting (Expert) +12 w/ Quick Repair & Tinkering Fingers
Gramma Urdda @ Crafting (Trained) +9
Renthiel Simnan @ Crafting (Trained) +12
Scratch Steeltoe @ Crafting (Expert) +12 or +13 w/ Specialty Crafting Woodworking
Torra Shest @ Crafting (Trained) +8
Utek Shul'm @ Untrained
10) Tomil - an Angazhan cultist by birth, and leader of the Aspis Consortium in Kibwe - has stolen the Cursebreaker statue, dragged it 140 miles into the demon-haunted city known as Holy Xatramba in the jungles to the southeast perhaps to the complex called the Plaza of the Feasting Fiend - all to curtail efforts to stop the spread of ooze disease
0) Central Market around Adayenki Pavilion, Kendi Laughs-Long spontaneously transforms into Black Pudding - Abayone Munme who lives in the "rhino house" hires party to investigate on behalf of Kibwe
1) Mafzat A’Haddin - an Expert on Nex, distrustful of Kibwe government - mentions an unknown shipment from Nex, but became angry at our snooping
2) A brute in the Bekyar Block named Grisshuk - friend of Matala (see below) - keeps turning people who cross him into oozes, and is seeking redemption from Grandmother Grace
3) Elven healer named Numu in the Bwamandu Camp has been treating people suffering from a strange slime sickness - including a woman named Matala
4) Matala - Numu's patient zero! - works for someone in the city named Khalibi. Her dying words were "Crimson Asp" the name of a street in Brass Block
5) A mystic named Baats’ulan preaches in the Adayenki Pavilion every sundown. Several have apparently been afflicted with this transformation.
6) In the warehouse on Brass Block, there is evidence of a crime - stolen valuables of Chelaxian Nobles "Altiers" (who dies of plage ~2 months ago) locked in garage
7) A box shipped from Oenopion in Nex to Tomil Jabrin at the Khalibi Caravan House in Kibwe has 10 "steeped" gemstones and a note describing Curse getting worse
8) Ancient "Archive of the Sun" (in the southern end of the Mozimba Camp neighborhood) tended to by Pillar-Watchers contain Cursebreaker which we might be able activate using Golden Token
9) Boggards (w/ Lizard) had sludge in troughs and a statue that looks petrified and were waiting for Tomil
Scratch is so taken aback by all the prep work Abayone has done he sheds a tear. "You've already gotten a wagon together? And supplies? To leave immediately?" He sheds another tear. But a comfy bed and a bottle of Slack Jaw's Gin... a four star meal... The old Dwarf wipes his eyes and blows his nose.
"If we must." He nods to Bangy's exuberance.
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The city of Holy Xatramba is a sprawling, ruined city. Founded in 3699 ar, the city was once the capital of a sprawling empire of which Kibwe was only an eastern provincial capital. Holy Xatramba warred with the now-extinct neighboring nation of Rastel, which summoned legions of demons to defeat their enemy. Though strong in their worship of hero-ancestors and the goddess Pharasma, the people of Holy Xatramba were overrun and the city fell. The few survivors fled, principally to Kibwe, and left behind many ancient secrets and powerful relics. Demons have cavorted in the ruins of Holy Xatramba ever since, in mockery of the city’s former name. Evil cultists also flock to the site to openly worship demon lords. However, a green dragon named Olohimba—a devout Pharasmin who labors to unlock the city’s many religious secrets—still dwells at the heart of Holy Xatramba and fights against the demons, cultists, and ghosts who all occupy the fallen city.
*******
Angazhan appears as an enormous, muscular, and savage red-furred ape with six long fingers on each hand, capable of complex manipulation or tearing a human limb from limb. Angazhan's ape-like demonic visage is completed by his fanged maw, twisted horns, and tiny bloodshot eyes; this gives him a unique appearance amongst his simian followers.
Angazhan's domain of Ahvoth-Kor is a seemingly-endless jungle that runs along both sides of a long Abyssal rift. The two jungles meet ten thousand miles down, at the base of the rift, where Angazhan's black stone ziggurat palace sits atop yet more rifts leading deeper into the trackless Abyss.
*******
The Aspis Consortium is an unscrupulous multinational trade organization based in Ostenso, Cheliax, but with interests in many parts of Golarion.
*******
As for the journey it is mostly thick and copious jungle with a worn path leading into the city.
Torra points out the map of the highway to Xatramba that they found at the caravan company's office. "It looks to me like we know exactly where we need to stop on the way. If these points were important to them, we should check them out as we travel to find the statue. It could be left at any one of them. Or none, of course."
"An excellent idea," Urdda rumbles, her stoney face expressionless as she reties her handwraps and adjusts her pack. "Let's be off then. Sooner we leave, less chance of coming back to a town of slime."
Listening in to the details of Xatramba and Angazhan, Utek flinches. Being an orc, Utek is used to evil and evil doings. Though his tribe has slowly civilized and is trying to evolve past its evil past, Utek has seen his fair share of demon worship.
"Yes, agreed Urdda. We should leave sooner rather than later."
Once his shopping is complete Scratch joins the others for the trek through the jungle. While he seems like an out of place hill billy in town, he totally fits the bill out the jungle. Its pretty clear he's spent WAY too much time in the wilds alone.
"Come on Renny, its just a beetle, good eatin', just ask Bangy!" He holds up an oversized black beetle the size of a gold piece offering it to the others. "Little buggers are nice n crunchy, and they don't have that stink like the grey ones do. Try 'em!" He gives another downed log a kick and plucks out a couple more.
You think he's a bit too zealous when he finds beetles, flying squirrels, and of course baby feral swine, but there's no stopping him when he spots a good fresh fungus growing out of the side of some fig tree. "Ho boy, gotta stop for THAT B-E-A-U-T! Where's the rope n grapple Urrda? I know yer hidin' it on me again!"
UnLuckily for everyone, Scratch likes to teach and share his forged harvests.
Forager: (Feat 1): General, Skill, Source Core Rulebook pg. 261 2.0
Prerequisites trained in Survival
While using Survival to Subsist, if you roll any result worse than a success, you get a success. On a success, you can provide subsistence living for yourself and four additional creatures, and on a critical success, you can take care of twice as many creatures as on a success.
Each time your proficiency rank in Survival increases, double the number of additional creatures you can take care of on a success (to eight if you’re an expert, 16 if you’re a master, or 32 if you’re legendary). You can choose to care for half the number of additional creatures and provide a comfortable living instead of subsistence living.
Multiple smaller creatures or creatures with significantly smaller appetites than a human are counted as a single creature for this feat, and larger creatures or those with significantly greater appetites each count as multiple creatures. The GM determines how much a non-human creature needs to eat.
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Knowing the threat that the Slithering curse possesses you press hard and hit the trail early the next morning. The trip from Kibwe to Holy Xatramba is 140 miles. Fortunately, an ancient road that once connected the capital of Xatramba to the provincial outpost of Kibwe is still evident, albeit in terrible disrepair. Vegetation grows wild over the path, but because Tomil passed this way within the last month or so, overgrowth and deadfalls haven’t yet had time to reobscure the old highway.
As the sun begins to set on the second night you come across the crumbled remains of ruins of a large stone building. Most of the building’s side wall is gone, and plain evidence of past campfires is scattered inside.
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"Ssshh!" Tucking Freerat back into his pocket with a gentle thump, Bangy insists "Follow me" and leads the party into the stone building - if they be willing!
Individual
Bangy @ Stealth (Expert) +12
Scratch @ Stealth (Trained) +12
Renthiel @ Stealth (Trained) +12
Torra @ Stealth (Untrained) +2
Urrda @ Stealth (Trained) +12
Utek @ Stealth (Trained) +10
Follow the Expert
Bangy @ +12
Scratch @ +12
Renthiel @ +12
Torra @ +10
Urrda @ +12
Utek @ +10
w/ Quiet Allies
Party @ +10 (one roll)
Urdda nods and follows the talkative ysoki. Don’t want any surprises in the middle of the night...
Utek and Mita hang back and watches the ysoki scout ahead. When Bangy gives the clear, Utek will stealth up to join him.
Nice to see some of these fellers can keep quiet when need be... kinda like Scratch! The old Dwarf draws out his crossbow and sneaks along behind the other a few paces.
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Bangy leaves the wagon and scouts ahead to make sure that there is noone nearby. Not spotting anyone in or outside the shelter he takes a good peek inside. Inside he finds a half-buried leather knapsack near the cold campfire. It contains a darkwood music box carved with cavorting animals worth 20 gp, a lensatic compass, a minor elixir of life, a vial of lesser antiplague, and a wand of teeming ghosts.
"Makes sense enough to stay here for the evening."
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Bangy distributes:
1) The Lensatic Compass to Scratch
2) The Minor Elixir of Life to Renthiel
3) The Lesser Antiplague to Urrda
4) The Wand of Teeming Ghosts to Utek
5) The Darkwood Music Box to Torra
He smiles and claps his hands together "Well that's done!"
"Thank you Bangy. Wonder what this does." Utek takes the wands and inspects it. "The carving is unique. Never seen anything like it."
Utek watches the sun set. "Looks like others have stayed here before so it must be safe." 'Right?'
"Could be safe, could be a death trap. Hard tellin' not knowin'." Blurts out Scratch as he starts canvasing the area for tracks and signs of recent passage.
"Cool compass, thanks Banger!" He flips it open and smacks himself on the forehead "How come I never got one of these before?" He gets himself orientated then goes back to looking for tracks.
Torra shrugs and begins preparation for staying the night here, setting up her bedroll and starting a new campfire utilizing left-over wood and coals.