Oorgatch at least connects this time, but he barely does any damage.
Several on you see the Shadow slip away through a crack in the wall where it came from.
Perhaps several tense moments pass, but neither shadow reappears.
Carman looks stoically across the battlefield "See, I can wield it like a hero just like my ancestor. It deserves to be mine, not locked away in a museum."
Oorgatch (57/64) Enfeebled 1
Sendoski
Scarred One
Carman Rajani
Yan (64/73) Enfeebled 2
Yan will Seek to see if there are any more shadows around…
No shadows, just a Carman Rajani. "Tell you what, I'll go down with you, I'll help you do whatever it is you need to do down there and you can have the cash and I'll be on my way with the sword. How about that?"
Yan shakes his head. You are a strong warrior — why run away from your problems or drown them in a bottle? Your proposal would have you sneaking into the Lighthouse like a criminal. What would Vol say about her ancestor skulking back to Otari like a child clutching the cookie he stole from the jar?
What if you escaped town? People would come looking for you. You'd be looking over your shoulder forever. The sword would become your burden. Yan leaves it unspoken, but he is also worried Carman would eventually sell the artifact for drinking money.
It seems like you were taken advantage of by the mayor. If we can broker a fair deal for you to officially buy the sword, would you be willing? Then, you could lend it to us or come with us as you saw fit. You would also need to make amends for what you've done to the library.
In the end, Vol's ancestor could walk with pride in the town she founded, and have a hand in saving it — along with her old friend Otari himself!
Carman shakes his head "No way that stuff goat would sell it to me now. I think maybe I'll go to Nidal. Some day Vol was royalty of some such. I'd be nice to learn more about my ancestors. You've got a point though about being fair though. I saved up, well borrowed mostly, to make sure my journey could be swift and of ease, but I'm tough and could make it on my own. What If I sent you back with the money for sword? No? Fine, lets go be heroes first though? And remember I'll be thinking of you when the mayor laughs your proposal out of the room and throws me in jail."
Jail is not the path to redemption. I would do my best to keep you out. If anything, they mayor is to blame as well, for egging you on. Don't you want people to know that, too?
Let's do this, come with… but be careful.
"Seems a fine plan to me." says Oorgatch. "Person has the right to prove himself, I think. I've been doing that since I before I got here.
"Of course, sometimes a person has more to prove to themselves than anyone else."
Carman collects some things and nods.
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Scarred One spends the time patching his friends. He lets them speak with Carman. "We should go through the Mites entrance and head down. Circle Otari town, getting to close could cause problems." he says dryly
THen he whispers to Sendoski "Did Mayor really throw eggs at Carman? I would expect such behavior from goblins not humans."
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Heading over through the woods and swamp to Gauntlight your journey takes a couple hours. Yan is feeling better and the Mites are out and about playing with some sort of swamp monster.
YamCubed, Fromboard, TwoBloom and AndBlast are excited to see you.
"Who's the friend?"
"Uh oh, do we need rules for 5? Is puce a good color?"
"Wanna play ropeclimb? If you climb along the rope over the pond you don't get eaten by the pondmonster."
Carman here will soon be more heroic than he is now. He fought off a scary ghost made of shadow!
I like puce. So does Stingy, I bet. Yan looks around the swamp. I will play. He wonders what the swamp creature is; perhaps playing the game will draw it out.
There's a rope that's strung across the pond in Slide 6, A3. It's a pair of DC15 Athletics or Acrobatics checks to get across safely. If you fall in the pond, the monster that lives there tries to eat you.
"It's got big scarry eyes and lots of teeth. Poor Yamyam fell in and got eaten. YamCubed is really good though, she's been across 3 times without falling in!"
"Climb along the rope? How quaint."
Oorgatch climbs up, and then tight walks across the rope!
As he walks across, he does look down to see the pond monster.
There are a pair of large eyes sticking up out of the muck filled pond.
Scarred One looks at the pond
"In my clan, we had similar places, the kids loved it. But after you finish 6 years it was embracing to walk over one."
He turns to Carman
"Mites are our allies, they are a bit wonky, but at least they don't throw eggs at you."
Try to identify it! Yan whispers to Scarred one and Sendoski.
Along the way Yan pretends to have problems with his balance, hoping to give the mites a show and perhaps lure the creature a little further out. He stands on one foot and whips his scarf around like a person pinwheeling for balance.
Creature isn't visible enough to be identified, some sort of frog or crocodile or related creature.
Oorgatch and Yan both win the prize of not getting eaten!
Yay.
Heading down, you find the Mites have fully reclaimed the first underground level in addition to the top level.
It's easy enough to head down.
Yan chuckles nervously at how quickly the mites have spread. He waves and bows to the now ancient and "wise" SKRAWNG.
”Be ready.” warns Oorgatch.
Carman stares at many things down here in wonder, tightly gripping The Cooperative Blade and looking out for danger. You're able to descend safely down into the old dining room and from there though a secret door past the the old spidey lair and into the hallway of sarcophagi.
There the altar lies to the North, several blue lights flicking and glowing just underneath its surface.
"So, we're just supposed to lay the four items on the altar, or just present them?" Oorgatch pulls out Otari's tools.
"Only one way to find out." says Scarred One making sure that his shield is where it should be.
Scarred One moves forwards with his shield raised.
There are 4 lights.
Heading forward, the lights once again flicker out of the altar and little flicker wisps come your way!
The solid wisp quickly flies over and blinks in Oorgatch's face.
On a fail(or worse) you're confused and will attack... Sendoski.
The dashed wisp flies from further away and tries to shock scarred one.
However his raised shield protects him.
Initiative:
Solid-Wisp
Dash-Wisp
Scarred One
Carman
Yan
Oorgatch (Will 18)
Dot-Wsip
Mix-Wisp
Sendoski
Scarred One is up!
"More damned wisps. Just what we need." grumbles Oogatch.
Ape roars loudly and punches the flickerwisp
Scarred One looks at the wisp smashing into his shield. On his hands begin to grow long fur, and his fists grow even more as shield and his other weapons meld into his body...
Scarred Ape smashes a Wisp and it goes splat.
Carman moves up and shouts "For Vol! For the Rajanis!"
He works to distract the wisp from the next attack.
But doesn't get anywhere.
Initiative:
Solid-Wisp
Scarred One
Carman
Yan
Oorgatch
Dot-Wsip
Mix-Wisp -15
Sendoski
Yan and Oorgatch are up!
Oorgatch draws his branch and tries to move past the solid black wisp.
He then stabs at it, trying to finish it all at once!
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And Otari!
Critical Success Your marshal's aura increases to a 20-foot emanation and grants you and allies a +1 status bonus to attack rolls and saves against mental effects.
Success As critical success, but your aura's size doesn't increase.
Failure You fail to enter the stance.
Critical Failure You fail to enter the stance and can't take this action again for 1 minute.
He steps into a flank with Oorgatch and focus fires!
Oorgatch takes down a wisp all by himself!
Yan follows up by finishing off the mixed wisp!
The dotted wisp comes and tries to confuse Oorgatch.
But doesn't succeed!
Our heroes defeat the remain Eye of Empty death and things seem calm again.
Scarred One changes back to his form. "Ok guys, tools, pendant, or whatever that is, spell book and sword goes on the altar" says the old Orc.
"Seems like no one is wounded, which is good"
Yan places the holy symbol on the altar. Carman, the sword…
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Carman places the sword on the altar with the other tools and there is screaming as many souls of Belcorra's slain enemies that were powering the forcefield are suddenly released into Pharasma's embrace.
You can also sense that Nhimbaloth's presence no longer haunts this shrine. The tool sshould be safe to remove and in fact Carman snatches up the sword rather quickly.
You've also realized that despite your previous assumptions this isn't in line with the lighthouse, that room must be to the south and may not exist on this level.
Carman sighs "Deals a deal, guess we head back to town now."
We promised to help. Lets go with Carman together.
”I guess. But he needs to stay in town in case we need him and the sword again. Agreed?”
Oorgatch says this in a way that is talking to Yan and Carman equally.
Scarred One awaits a wave of monsters. When they don't come he turns towards Carman
"Deal is a deal, let us honor our end of the agreement."
"A non-honorable person could spin a tale that Carman was not responsible for the fire, he was just in the proximity when it happened, and he rushed inside to save the sword."
he wonders for a moment
"Then we can make him a hero, and put pressure on the mayor to sell the sword back to the rightful owner!"
"An honorable person would own up to what he did. Having done wrong, and making amends would make someone more of a hero, I should think."
Returning with Carman to town you quickly find him arrested for theft and arson.
Talking with the mayor...
"You want me to what!?! Sell him the blade after he lit the library on fire and ran off with it? Do you even think he could afford it? Not that it's for sale. Do you have any idea how many people he borrowed money from to finance his little run off with the sword plan?"
The Mayor, at least initially does not seem particularly receptive towards your plan.
Carman says you offered to sell him the blade, and then raised prices whenever he could come up with the money. Is this true?
He feels that he was victimized and goaded into his actions, and will tell others his tale. Some might see their mayor as partly responsible for what happened. At least making him a public and fair offer for the blade — or getting a third party to mediate — might be a saavvy political move… not to mention, if what Carman claims is true, fair.
"I agree with Yan. If story goes out, the blame would not fall only on Carman. He aid us in fighting, he did not flee but stood his ground against monsters that would make some to cry like babies. The battle is great redeemer!"
Says Scarred One looking at Mayor
The Mayor shakes his head "I never offered to sell him The Cooperative Blade, he sees himself as some great hero, descendant of the mighty Vol Rajani. To tell the truth is a washed up 2-bit thief who can't accept that he lost the mayoral election, what four times now and blames his problems on everybody but himself. He seemed to have finally put his life together running that little shop of his and I was glad to see it."
Pausing to consider "I'm glad that he got a chance to help you do something good and put his skills to a positive use, he's still got to make amends for arson. It's not only a crime against the library, but since fire can spread it's a crime against the entire town. I'm sure given our history an overly harsh punishment wouldn't look good and I'll make sure to consider his heroic work when recommending a punishment."
Changing the topic the Mayor continues "It sounds like you've been making progress down below. Seems like you dealt with whatever horrible creature that was sending spider monsters and animating our dead. Sounds like you've done that and I owe you another reward. I'd hope that you continue your quest against Belcorra and continue to explore and as long as you continue on that quest you're welcome to borrow the Holy Symbol."
One more note from the Mayor "I know I mentioned this earlier, but I'm still looking for some tutoring for my daughter Dorianna. She's hoping to attend one of Absalom's universities next year. Her academics are great but she could use some tutoring on how to handle other things."
There must have been a misunderstanding, as he swears you offered to sell it to him. Regardless, I will put in a good word for Carman. Keep in mind he helped us fight shadows and acquitted himself well in that battle when he could have simply run away; he went down into the dungeon with us to help; he turned himself in instead of absconding with the sword. That takes bravery. He knows he did wrong. He can be redeemed, and perhaps someday earn back the sword, but severe punishment and humiliation will only worsen his chances.