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Chalmers restrains himself from swatting at Kurik, recovering his feet after the blast, and extending a hand down to the paladin, Thanks, quick thinking there friend. Do you need healing? he glances around the battlefield, secure in the sense that no more enemies are present.
May the Dawnflower keep you safe as well friend Kurik, I owe you now. he solemnly swears to the paladin who knocked him from the blast radius.
A crumbling lumber mill, unremarkable except for the large wooden statue of Ng protruding from the front, stands to the north.
Carved alongside the statue is an inscription that reads “Like the Lord of Seasons, our hoods illuminate truth, while their masks shelter deceit. Let this be the sign of our covenant. -E
A voice from inside mill's door calls out.
“Take ye not a step further into Ng’s sacred realm. I am the Crocus Knight, sworn protector of the Thicket of Endless Fall and rightful successor to Ng’s chosen, Zaul Blystone. Are you here to join in the grove’s protection, or defile its splendor?"
The Crocus Knight is a striking figure, wearing a resplendent cloak made of many colorful leaves and crocus-emblazoned armor while wielding a silver lance. Her cascade of red hair catches the light, but her face is hidden deep within the cowl.
"Speak now, lest I add you to the great harvest.”
The Crocus Knight is not convinced that the party is not here to defile the grove. "Ng, Keeper of the Seasons, created this Grove of Endless Autumn. As its protector, Ng gifted me the Autumn’s Cowl, by way of Zaul."
The party can make up to five checks, one for each of the following skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana, nature, or religion), or Sense Motive. Anyone can attempt one of the skill checks, but each skill check can be attempted only once. Allies may use the aid another action on these checks.
Basically, decide if you are leading or aiding on the Bluff, then make the check. You do not need to have any ranks for these checks. Repeat for the other four checks. In the event that everyone 'aids' I will roll randomly to see who the lead is and do the math from there.
"Ah you have been sent by Ng to help guard the grove. This gift is obviously for you." She takes off the autumn cloak and hands it to the Pathfinders.
She also shares her story with her new allies. As a wandering huldra she discovered the thicket during Zaul’s absence and interpreted the phenomenon as a message from Ng the Hooded, one of the powerful fey deities known as the Eldest. Zaul, seeing an opportunity convinced the fey that he too was a follower of Ng, chosen to be the guardian of “the Thicket of Endless Fall.” He told a tale of encroaching lumberjacks conspiring to decimate Ng’s sacred “temple” and begged the huldra to help him keep the thicket safe. The huldra took the title of “the Crocus Knight” and swore to protect the thicket.
Together they created powerful wards to deter intruders. Zaul then left the Crocus Knight in the thicket, to recruit more allies. Zaul never returned to Arthfell Forest, confident his secret was protected, and the huldra eventually assumed that her ally had been slain by the supposed lumberjacks.
With that she leaves the grove in your capable hands, though she will answer an question you have of her.
"How long have I guarded this grove? Less than a year." It has been Autumn since she arrived, though it has also been about 108,000 days (270-280) years. She is fey, who is counting?
The Crocus Knight leaves the party with the Autumn’s Cowl. Removing the Autumn’s Cowl from the thicket ends the permanent season phenomena and the natural cycle resumes. As they emerge from the forest, Adelyn Rhinon asks what they found inside and disperses the thorn wall when told the woods have been restored, "Thank you, Pathfinders, for your help."
The claustrophobic tunnels outside of Rising Spire are carved with smoothed stone walls adorned with periodic arrow slits, twisting and turning until they converge at an open cavern about one hundred feet wide and at least twice as tall. At its center stands a tower carved from natural stone, rising up into the darkness.
A young dwarven woman with rock dust in her hair and stonemason’s tools hanging from her belt steps out of the tower. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” she says as she brushes the dust away with a gloved hand before extending it in greeting. “I’m Helga Silverbrew, head architect around here. Welcome to the Spire!”
A middle-aged dwarven man in leather armor steps out after her. “I’m Urgrin. Most call me Urgrin the Everyman. I haul rocks, patch up armor, feed the cat, whatever needs to be done around here. And you lot must be the Pathfinders we were expecting!”
"The abandoned hall we think she is alluding to is about 3 hours from here," says Helga. "It is just beyond the outer limits of our patrol. When your ready we can go, and I am excited to hear about any fascinating or strange locales you might have visited." She is also curious about the kinds of monsters you have slain.
Urgrin, for his part shows a deep interest with anyone who can talk at length about their profession or favorite craft. "What do you do when you aren’t actively working as Pathfinders, showing a deep interest with anyone who can talk at length about their profession or favored craft.
The forgotten cavern’s entrance begins with a simple stone archway. Its walls are made of smooth stone, completely lacking in decoration.
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"Let us not waste time - we can go right away."
Kurik is very focussed on the mission, but on the way he will make some small talk about his pathfinder life so far, mostly with Helga.
"So far I fought mostly humans, a jack-o-lantern and a few swarms - bats and insects. The latter are nasty enemies if you do not have an arcane caster with the right spells prepared... How did you come to be head architect here, Helga?"
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It is interesting to me that there are so many caverns and different places down here. Thank you for showing us around down here. I split my time as a mortician and midwife of sorts The reticent half-orc opens up about their most recent adventures, and travelling the length and breadth of the lands on their quest.
Peering down, the priest stares at the dirt floor. Small track back and forth, and some drag marks. This place is inhabited, likely by something living. He readies his warhammer and shield before proceeding.
"True. It's like my Grandma used to say 'have the right tool for the job and the job gets done right,' says Helga. "Both my grandma's had lots of sayings like that. I knew all the saws for wood, stone and other things before I could name all Five kings. They taught me a lot. Plus my father had six siblings, architects and engineers all. That is how I became head architect. A long line of stonemasons is even more significant when all those stonemasons share stories over a pipe. I learned my alphabet naming structures."
"Where now Pathfinders?" asks Urgrin. He looks a little ueasy about the potential occupants inside.
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Jessenia has largely stayed silent, taking in their surroundings. After lighting her torch, she snaps her fingers. "Ah, I had been trying to remember what this style of carving reminded me of. It looks like the work of the faithful of Droskar - no frills, just function.
She casts a Mage Hand to hold her torch to keep her hands free for her weapon, renewing the spell as needed as they go.
"Let me keep you company in the front, Ejtehah. This armor is made for taking hard knocks, after all."
Jessenia lights her torch then she and Ejtehah begin exploring the tunnels. Kurik and Chalmers follow then the two dwarves.
If you decide to go further forward:
Several dwarves bearing the symbol of Droskar are in the area and draw their hammers. One of them begins to mutter incoherently before turning his weapon on his brethren. Then, one by one, they all break into a riot of muttered gibberish and violence.
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"Hold on. I hear something... sounds like one or more people working", Kurik whispers. He turns to the two dwarves: "Is it normal that there is work done in here? What do you know about this cave - is anyone living in here?"
Kurik then draws his greatsword. "Can't be too careful, right? So, how shall we proceed? I'm not a very stealthy agent..."
Once a statue garden, these halls are cluttered with scorched and shattered stones. Short, dusty pedestals have little to showcase, save for rubble and the occasional stone foot. Several stout skeletons lie beneath the piles of ruin, their brittle bones snapped and scattered.
A single pristine warhammer rests on the floor to the northwest.
The noise seems farther away, barely audible as an echo that has faded. On the surface of the hammer reflections occasionally pass over it, though nothing is in the room to make any such reflections.
Kurik lobs a stone at the hammer. There is a metallic ringing, but otherwise the stone reveals nothing more.
Further up the passage you come to a fork, choosing left up some steps, or right. Both winding passages disappear around a corner after only few feet. The tracks of small feet can be seen down both passages, both coming and going.
, ,
The small tracks suddenly seem clear as the party comes face to face with their makers. "Enemies?" Enemies!" they scream in goblin and common. They pick up swords and bows and prepare for "Enemies!" The fastest among them pulls back the string of his bow, sending an arrow into the wall beshide Etjehah.
Fortunately both the ranger and the occultist are faster than the other two.
,
Round 1
Red (20): misses Ejtehah
Ra’geh Ejtehah (19): <--here now
Jessenia Gaspar (18): <--here now
Green (16.6):
Kurik (16):
Chalmers the Redeemer (15):
Blue (13):
Ejtehah slices the first goblin with a well placed claw that reveals more than one rib to the wold. Jessenia's naganita swishes through the air, but never connects with its target. .
Brave as the bravest of goblins this goblin targets what it thinks to be the weaker foe. The short sword arcs toward the half-elf!
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The sword also fails to connect, "Uh oh!" the goblin cries. It has over extended and two more ribs pop out. The goblin fall to the ground.
Round 1
Red (20): misses Ejtehah
Ra’geh Ejtehah (19): slices goblin
Jessenia Gaspar (18): misses goblin
Green (16.6): misses
Kurik (16): <-- here now
Chalmers the Redeemer (15): <-- here now
Blue (13):
The goblin in blue swallows nervously, "Boss?" he asks of Kudrik's offer.
The boss responds by stepping out of the darkness and stabbing at Kudrik. "Mudrook, does not surrender to the pinkies."
"Right boss," says the first goblin grinning as he drops his bow, draws a sword and also slashes at Kudrik. Red takes a moment to draw a weapon and also decides to gang up on the Paladin. She manages to draw blood!
+
Round 2
Red (20): misses Ejtehah
Ra’geh Ejtehah (19): <-- here now
Jessenia Gaspar (18): <-- here now
Green (16.6): misses
Kurik (16): <-- here now
Chalmers the Redeemer (15): <-- here now
Mudrook:
Blue (13):
Red (20): misses Ejtehah
Ra’geh Ejtehah (19): slices goblin
Jessenia Gaspar (18): misses goblin
Kurik (16): moves
Chalmers the Redeemer (15): moves <-- here now
Mudrook, & blue both miss Kudrik.
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"You dare to attack a paladin of the Everlight?! So be it. Feel her power, evil-doer!"
Kurik gets his smite on Mudrook and attacks him.
Once per day, a paladin can call out to the powers of good to aid her in her struggle against evil. As a swift action, the paladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is evil, the paladin adds her Cha bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her paladin level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of smite evil is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the paladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
In addition, while smite evil is in effect, the paladin gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the paladin targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect.
The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability.
At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Paladin, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.