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-Poison
-Entangle
-Hurricane Winds
Kormei cries out in pain as the creature clamps onto his leg, the pain being slightly dulled from the healing magic of Zallara. He clutches down at his leg in agony as the burning sensation grows more and more intense, accompanied by an overwhelming fatigue.
Tears freely fall from Kormei's face only to be quickly lost amongst the ferocity of the wind and rain. He lashes out with his good leg and is able to avoid the clutching grasp of the vines.
Kormei wildly slams down on the creatures claw with his bare fist, attempting to free his damaged limb from its hold.
Freeing himself from the beasts claw, Kormei will struggled against the lashing wind and mud and limp as far as he can to the left, away from the wagon, clear himself from the damnable vines. He then uses what little energy he can manage to throw up a quick magical shield before him.
Zallarra soothes Kormei's pain even as the reefclaw's venom spreads through his body. She grants Flikk a small boon as well.
Endra sends a ray of chill wind and water into the centaur's chest. He bucks and shakes his mane as he reconsiders his opponents.
Kormei manages to break free of his foe by striking it on the claw. Unfortunately, as he tries to move, the mighty winds knock him down and toss him across the rocky beach. He finds himself next to an entirely different reefclaw, picks himself up, and wards himself with a shield of force.
Thrass nearly kills his prey, but his second strike glances off of the carapace.
The storm releases a bolt of lightning that forces Vengeant Thorn to roll out of the way to escape the worst of the blast. It seems the artifact and the resultant storm is more indiscriminate than the centaur would like you to believe.
The reefclaw near the front of the wagon snaps at Flikk. The goblin almost pulls his foot clear in time, but the aberration catches his ankle. The claw injects its venom, refuses to let go, and squeezes tighter.
Encounter! Round 3. Bold may act.
Blue Reefclaw (-25 hp; -10 ft speed)
Scale
Flikk (14/20 hp; guidance; grabbed) (Fortitude vs. DC 16 poison [more damage + enfeebled 1]) (then basic Fortitude DC 16 vs. bludgeoning damage)
Jei'Balt
Vengeant Thorn (-17 hp)
Red Reefclaw (-24 hp)
Zallarra (22/29 hp)
Endra
Kormei (15/22 hp; +2 vs. mental, shield; prone, enfeebled 1) (Fortitude vs. DC 16 Poison Track)
Thrass (21/30 hp)
With the advantage of Kormei's distraction (that being the hurricane blowing him across the beach to land behind Flikk's reefclaw), the goblin brawler punches the chimeric crustacean in the face and crushes its horrific face. Unfortunately, some neurological process is triggered by its death, and the creature spasms and snaps its pincers back at the goblin. Flikk catches one in his armored hand and tosses it away. Then the reefclaw is finally dead.
The other reefclaw is terrified by Flikk's glare.
Encounter! Round 3. Bold may act.
Scale
Flikk (2 actions left) (8/20 hp)
Jei'Balt
Vengeant Thorn (-17 hp)
Red Reefclaw (-24 hp)
Zallarra (22/29 hp)
Endra
Kormei (15/22 hp; +2 vs. mental, shield; prone, enfeebled 1) (Fortitude vs. DC 16 Poison Track)
Thrass (21/30 hp)
Flikk retrieves and drinks a barely functional potion of healing.
Jei'Balt fights against the storm to reach the remaining reefclaw and cuts off its lobster head with a two-handed chop.
The centaur concentrates for a moment and then the grasping vines recede . He then chants and gestures before thrusting his palm toward Endra. A whirling vortex of fog and lightning slams into the elven warrior.
Encounter! Round 3. Bold may act.
Scale
Flikk (10/20 hp)
Jei'Balt
Vengeant Thorn (-17 hp)
Zallarra (22/29 hp)
Endra (Basic Reflex save vs. DC 16, 8 electric damage; + Clumsy 2 on a failure and 1 persistent electric damage)
Kormei (15/22 hp; +2 vs. mental, shield; prone, enfeebled 1) (Fortitude vs. DC 16 Poison Track)
Thrass (21/30 hp)
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- Poison
Kormei groans in pain after being tossed along the rocks. He steels himself against the burning agony coursing through his leg. Reaching behind him and pulling out his lute, Kormei hobbles over to get closer to his friends and begins to play with all of his energy. Channeling his mystical powers into his music, Kormei gives a quick prayer hoping that his melody can reach the ears of his friends in the midst of the raging hurricane.
Thrass struggles against the wind, rain, and mud to move toward the centaur. Endra fires a ray of frost toward Vengeant Thorn, but it misses the mark. Kormei sings to inspire his companions, the lyrics carried on the wind, creating a ghostly effect. Zallarra soothes Flikk's pain and grants Thrass occult insights.
Lightning falls from the clouds and strikes Jei'Balt.
Encounter! Round 4. Bold may act.
Scale
Flikk (15/20 hp; +2 vs. mental)
Jei'Balt (Basic Reflex DC 16 vs. 6 damage)
Vengeant Thorn (-17 hp)
Zallarra (22/29 hp)
Endra (12/16 hp)
Kormei (15/22 hp; +2 vs. mental)
Thrass (21/30 hp) (guidance)
Flikk struggles against the wind.
Jei'Balt demonstrates his draconic superiority and pushes against the wind to make it before the centaur. With the wind catching against his blade, he still manages to land a harmful if glancing blow.
"You will not stop me from claiming what is my due!" The centaur swings his staff at the kobold who managed to strike him. Jei'Balt blocks the blow with his arm, but it hurts. Vengeant Thorn rears back and kicks with his hooves. One of those hooves cracks the kobold in the snout, nearly knocking him out.
Encounter! Round 4. Bold may act.
Scale
Flikk (15/20 hp; +2 vs. mental)
Jei'Balt (1/16 hp)
Vengeant Thorn (-21 hp)
Zallarra (22/29 hp)
Endra (12/16 hp)
Kormei (15/22 hp; +2 vs. mental)
Thrass (21/30 hp) (guidance)
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"If we have something that's yours, just say it! You don't have to beat us up for it!"
Sending somewhat of a mixed message, Thrass then casts Ki Strike, and goes to town on the Centaur.
And then, for good measure, Thrass punches once more.
Kormei continues to sing as he struggles forward against the wind. Endra conjures another ray of cold, but a flash of lightning momentarily blinds her at precisely the moment before release and the magic sails into the darkness. Zallarra uses her magic to restore Jei'Balt's vitality, and revitalized he feels, indeed! But then the hurricane blows the gnome off of the wagon and into the mud.
"The scale is--!" Vengeant Thorn begins to say in answer to Thrass' instruction before the iruxi hammers him in the face with his fist. The centaur is taken aback by the power in the fist when Thrass delivers an upper cut that lifts the bandit centaur off of the ground by a foot. Vengeant Thorn collapses in the mud. A jade amulet around his neck twinkles and fades in time with the fading wind.
The hurricane abates as quickly as it came. Though the rain persists, the intensity is back to miserable rather than murderous. The scale floats gently down from its place in the air to land in the middle of the ruined tarp over the wagon.
The moment Endra picks up the scale, she feels a thrum of power surge through her and then fade. The storm stops at this same moment. The clouds part and dissipate, revealing the stars above.
The scale itself is covered in faint runes too far faded to determine their language or purpose.
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Flikk falls forward out of the wagon and into the mud as the wind he struggled against ceased unexpectedly "Whu... woah!" SPLAT He pulls himself up and out of the foul mess by the wagon's axle. "Flikk not like mud... but maybe this rain wash off.." Just in time for Endra to end the rain.. "Or not."
"What we do with horse face? Roast him over open fire and party like big Chiefs?" He rings his hands with eager anticipation. He's heard of the amazing parties that come after defeating horses and he wants in!
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Exhausted after those last punches, Thrass slumps and sits down into the mud. After a few minutes (and several refreshing frogs) he gets back on his feet. "Thanks Zellarra, your help kept us on our feet, much appreciated." He makes a somewhat awkward formal bow towards her.
"And everyone else, thank you too. This was a tough fight. I think Mister Horse-butt has some explaining to do, he seems to know more about what exactly we're carrying."
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Kormei limps over to his companions as the hurricane abates. He leans up against the wagon and lets out a long sigh of relief.
"Well then... that was exhausting. Im glad to see everyone came out okay. Things got a little close there."
Kormei wipes at his face, hoping that whatever tears were shed lay hidden amidst the falling rain and splattered mud across his cheeks.
"I dont know about you all, but I feel that I could benefit from a hot bath, and a nice comfy bed."
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Jei moves to strike the horse man after being rejuvenated by Zallara's magics, but he stops short as the entire creature is brought up and then low by the might of Thrass. There is a tense moment after the fighting settles where he is conflicted about what he should do. But after a moment he relaxes and drops the blade tip first into the muck resting on it with a weary gasp.
"Never have seen storm so fierce that sky bolt try to hurt me. Thank you Gnome friend Zallara. Good work everyone we show bad horse man that we strong together, stronger than willy magics and curses."
He helps tie up the centaur and aid the injured back into the cart for their final leg of the journey, giving up his front seat to the others to walk along-side.
"Me would like long hot soak, good for weary scales. Sewers have many hot waters... though not all clean, but with society name me get to use upper bath."
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Flikk walks along with the wagon, once and a while getting emboldened to poke the horses with a long stick if they don't do what they're told. A victory (even if he wasn't directly responsible) over a horse man will embolden any goblin.
"Maybe we can just eat one back leg? Kormei and Zallara use their magic to fix him up as a three leg horse? We all get something good eh?" Look so tasty.. and I hear all goblins that eat horse get good luck for life!
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Zallarra tries and fails to get some of the mud and who knows what else off her.
"A long hot bath when we get back to town sounds amazing to me! Good job all. I have to say that I think that was the roughest fight i've ever been in. This whole sordid affair has been just numbingly brutal."
She pulls out the scale, looks it over and shakes her head, "All over this. It seems like nothing now but the power he pulled out of it was amazing and horrifying."
If you are so inclined, you could tie the centaur's hands and hitch him to the back of the wagon to lead him back to Absalom once he wakes up. Or you could hog tie him and put him in the back of the wagon, though that seems a bit risky. As you consider the ways of restraining the powerful primalist, you notice a piece of broken jade hanging from a string on his neck. The piece of jade has runes that look similar in shape to some of the runes on the scale.
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Details: Endra ties the centaurs hands behind his back, and then they hitch him up to the back of the wagon. At worst he could still provide opposite resistance to the wagon moving forward, but being dragged behind it (even slowly) should prove un-appealing.
If the centaur shows resistance, Endra will threaten with her longbow, but never resort to *actual* violence. If force, she might send an arrow by him, missing on purpose and hoping to make the point. When he speaks to the Pathfinders, she doesn't acknowledge verbally.
Vengeant Thorn eventually comes to, hitched to the wagon, and curses you. "Thieves! You are not worthy of what you have taken!"
While he is neither cooperative nor pleasant, you gather from his occasional insults that he is a devotee of Gozreh, and he is responsible for the traps and halflings that attacked you on the road. They were druids, also. However, you gather that he had nothing to do with the frogs or the hawks. He clearly feels the Scale is his by right.
Upon reaching Absalom, you are able to turn Vengeant Thorn over to the guards, who arrest him as a known bandit that has plagued Immenwood.
At the Grand Lodge, a wizard comes to remove the Scale from your care using telekinesis and carries it away toward the vaults. Zarta arrives and says, "We will be studying this artifact under isolated conditions. Endra, Zallarra, we will need to examine you as well, since you touched the scale."
She tells Flikk, "The scale will be stored under Skyreach once its secrets are understood so that no one uses it and it is available in case we need to use it." She does not appear to appreciate the self-contradiction.
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Flikk scratches his head a bit trying to follow Zarta's explanation. Lucky for him he's a goblin and is used to words not making sense all the time. "Huh. So we get to eat horse man or what?" He does look pretty disappointed at the revelation. Not looking good for big feast... F%&*!
He holds his rumbling tummy and stomps off towards the Grand Lodge mess hall for some gastric vengeance of his own.
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"You know what, I think we've all deserved a treat after this. There must be a butcher in Absalom that sells horse meat. My treat. I'm quite curious myself."
Flikk slams on the brakes as he hears Thrass's idea "Not as good as eating horse man that attacked us, but that sound good. Flikk never had horse meat and a party is just what the shaman ordered!" He alters course to join Thrass, waving a good luck goodbye to the ladies.