Once you are in position, the gate on the opposite side of the arena slowly grinds open. Out slithers a long, sinuous black-scaled dragon.
"Thoralox shall give you a run for your money!" the pony-sized dragon calls out in a booming voice.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Squish
Feno (15/16 hp)
Bugtussle
Cornelius (17/18 hp)
Dragon
Peter (not hidden)
Gnimish
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Raising his eyebrows when he sees the black dragon, Father Cornelius sincerely hopes his mouth isn't hanging open too wide. "Oh dear. Be wary, my children." The good Father races across the battlefield, with swift movements belying his age.
He aims to take a position with some cover from a pillar, while keeping within earshot of Peter's inspirational ditties. When he reaches his position, the old warpriest raises his shield.
Nice. Eat my 20.
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"Wow! Please do! Our battle will be the stuff of legends! Or at least the hot topic over dinner tonight!" Bugtussle responds, awe in his voice.
For once, the leshy seems to exercise some caution. Though he swiftly closes some distance between himself and the dragon, Bugtussle moves up and takes cover behind one of the nearby pillars.
______________
The drake beats its wings and slips low across the arena sand to the north side. As it lands, it spits forth a bucketful of sticky mucus, which lands caustically upon Cornelius and Bugtussle.
"Certainly!" he taunts back at Feno. "I shall enjoy the crunch of your bones!"
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Dragon (**)
Peter
Gnimish
--2--
Squish
Feno (15/16 hp)
Bugtussle (Basic Reflex DC 17 vs. 14 acid, plus -5 Speed and 1d6 persistent on fail)
Cornelius (17/18 hp) (Basic Reflex DC 17 vs. 14 acid, plus -5 Speed and 1d6 persistent on fail)
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Seeing the sticky acid spewing towards him, Father Cornelius dances out of the way to avoid some of it.
With Peter's music inspiring him, and not wishing to get any closer than necessary to the beast, the warpriest looks to the sky, "With Sarenrae's guidance...". A beam of divine light shoots towards the enemy.
He then raises his shield.
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◆◆ Stride x2
Feno rushes up to the river drake. "Did you know elven bones don't crunch. It's due to our diet.". He playfully taunts the drake back as he rushes forward to it.
◆ Strike
"This has been pleasant." Feno says as he slams down his oversized club on the creature. "No hard feelings, I hope."
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Bugtussle's quick reflexes allow him to dodge the worst of the little drake's acid but he's still left with noticeable burns just the same.
"Yikes! That's some fearsome morning breath you've got," the leshy exclaims as he circles around to flank with Feno. "My turn, haha!"
The leshy focuses power into his fists and then attempts to deliver a flurry of punches to the drake's snoot!
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"Ow!" the drake cries as Cornelius' holy light pierces his soul. Despite his slightly disadvantageous position, Peter manages to land an arrow between the drake's dark scales.
Thoralox grunts in pain as he suffers an acute headache. He snarls as Feno club him in the side. Then Feno feels like he got hit with his own club. "Take that!" growls the drake. Everyone else saw the drake slam Feno in the head with a whip snap of his long tail. Bugtussle runs in and gives the drake a couple of love taps.
"Whose turn?" Thoralox snarls as he whirls around to bring his bite to bear on Feno and his tail nearly crushes Bugtussle as it flails. The drake's fangs drive through Feno's armor. The champion's vision fades as the loss of blood overwhelms his ability to stay conscious. Then the thrashing tail comes back down on the staggered leshy, flattening him.
With the two foes at his side unconscious, he wings over Cornelius and loops around the column to land between Peter and Gnimish. "Hello!" he says with a feral and very toothy grin.
Encounter! Round 2/3. Bold may act.
Bugtussle (0/20 hp; unconscious)
Feno (0/16 hp; unconscious)
Dragon (-22 hp) (*)
Peter
Gnimish
--3--
Squish
Cornelius (10/18 hp)
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♫ I fear not the near drake
But for my team's sake
I shall move to within thirty
Of my fallen friends, face down and dirty! ♫
Peter makes a brilliant tactical repositioning movement that happens to coincidentally be indistinguishable from fleeing.
He casts Soothe on Feno.
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Father Cornelius looks on in horror as the black lizard takes out his companions. "Oh dear! My children!" He's slightly heartened when he remembers they're just unconscious, but he must act quickly if we have any hope of defeating the beast.
From his current position, the warpriest calculates he's just out of reach of the drake. He summons the power of Sarenrae and casts a healing aura to encompass himself, Bugtussle, Feno, and Gnimish.
The drake raises his scaly left brow as Gnimish forcefully summons a puddle of water at the beast's feet.
Peter strategically flees and then soothes Feno's many wounds. Cornelius releases a wave of divine healing. The combined result is that both of the fallen heroes wake on the arena floor with the battle still very much active around them.
Encounter! Round 2/3. Bold may act.
Dragon (-22 hp) (*)
Peter
Gnimish
--3--
Squish
Cornelius (18/18 hp)
Bugtussle (2/20 hp; prone held items dropped *pfft! monk*)
Feno (15/16 hp; prone, held items dropped)
The drake ignores Squish's attempts to scramble his mind with draconic willpower and swoops over to the middle of the arena. "I think I will clean out my mouth!" he shouts and then makes a horrendous hacking sound as he clears his throat and spews several gallons of mucous toward Peter and Cornelius.
Encounter! Round 3/4. Bold may act.
Dragon (-22 hp) (****)
Peter (Basic Reflex DC 17 vs. 13 acid damage +persistent 1d6 and -5 ft speed on fail)
Gnimish
--4--
Squish
Cornelius (18/18 hp) (Basic Reflex DC 17 vs. 13 acid damage +persistent 1d6 and -5 ft speed on fail)
Bugtussle (2/20 hp)
Feno (15/16 hp)
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With Sarenrae watching over him, the blessed Warpriest avoids the worst of the drake's acidic sputum. He helpfully shouts to Peter beside him, "Duck, my child!" After a quick blessing for the bard, Father Cornelius summons another bolt of divine energy and fires it at the beast.
Cornelius sadly shakes his head as his bolt of energy hits a nearby pillar. He shrugs and raises his shield.
Peter gets the worst of the caustic bath of mucus. He manages to ease his pain at least long enough to get a shot off in retaliation. Sarenrae continues to watch over Cornelius as he avoids Peter's fate, but his aim of the spiritual energy is distracted.
Feno moves to engage again and receives another crushing blow to the back of his head as he swings his club, which the river drake deftly avoids both times.
Encounter! Round 3/4. Bold may act.
Thoralox (-25 hp) (****)
Peter (8/17 hp; +1d6 acid persistent, -5 speed)
Gnimish
--4--
Squish
Cornelius (12/18 hp)
Bugtussle (2/20 hp)
Feno (6/16 hp)
With a mighty geyser of water, Gnimish knocks the pony-sized drake over and across the arena sands. There the dragon lays, knocked out cold.
"Ho ho!" Marcos shouts. "Well done! Top marks! I'll buy you all a round of drinks!"
Peter burns a bit more from the acid but you're able to get it cleaned off of him before he passes out from the pain. Thoralox eventually rouses and slinks off toward his gate. "Farabellus! I'm going to the kitchens now. Make sure the cooks are ready!"
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In his rusty Draconic, Feno calls out to the drake
Feno looks around at the others and moves over to Bugtussle. Feno will lay hands on the leshy while trying to learn more about him.
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♫ I took a bath in acid but I survive
They don't know that I'm forever alive ♫
10 hp + 2 temp
vs DC 10
♫ I must look like such a mess
I don't know how I'll catch a lass
Looking like this ♫
8 hp + 2 temp
vs DC 10
♫ Now I'm free of dragon spit
But I'm wounded, I feel like-
"Oh, I guess it's time to go." Peter reluctantly leaves the acoustic sweet spot in the middle of the arena.
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As the drake is washed away, Father Cornelius runs up to Gnimish. "Oh, well done, my child." He claps the gnome on the back. "The situation was looking grim till your timely spell." He is about to wipe off his scimitar, but only now realizes that it's still as clean as it was before the battle started.
The good Father looks around at his battered party. "So who needs healing?" He prepares his healer's tools to treat wounds.
Marcos gathers you from the arena. "Congratulations once again. I'm going to have to fight someone tougher than Thoralox for the final challenge for the next bunch of novices I test!" he says with a booming laugh. He then leads off of the main road, "Here! This way."
He brings you to a hole in the wall several blocks from the Irorium. "Take a seat. I'll get us those drinks I promised you and some food!" The Master of Swords goes to the counter and speaks to the bartender. The dining room smells of baking bread and olives.
Marcos returns with a trio of mugs in each hand and one cradled in the crook of his arm. He sets the six down on the table. It's not bad ale. "So tell me what you're looking forward to in the Society."
A short time later, a waiter brings over a wooden tray upon which sit a large, round, flat bread covered in melted cheese and various meats and vegetables peaking through. "Yum! Eat!"
---<>---
Once you've finished your meal and conversation, the Master of Swords leads you back to the Grand Lodge. "You'd best go find one of the other deans," he says before swiftly becoming distracted by another group of inexperienced looking Pathfinders. "Hey! You there! I was looking for you. Come with me to the Irorium!"
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"소심한 말? 당신이 이것을 세지 않는 한 우리는 우리 자신의 언어를 가지고 있지 않습니다! 일반적으로 우리는 우리가 만든 땅에서 사용되는 언어를 선택합니다," Bugtussle answers Feno as the brave champion mends some of his wounds.
"The leshy word? We don't really have our own language, unless you count this one! Usually we pick up whatever languages are used in the lands we're made."
For the benefit of the rest of the group the leshy switches back to Common as he adds, "Bugtussle was made in the Mana Wastes! Some druids really like living dangerously, you know?"
****
While waiting for their meal, Bugtussle uses the opportunity to re-center himself after the challenging battle. When the food is brought forth, he regards the items with interest before spearing a piece of meat on one of his spines and popping it into his open mouth.
"Bugtussle normally just exists on sunshine and water but eating people food is still fun to do sometimes," he explains.
When Marcos decides to make some small talk, the leshy immediately pipes up with, "Bugtussle looks forward to seeing many new places and having many great battles! The world is much bigger than a plot of land in the middle of nowhere that is the Mana Wastes."
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"Bugtussle is happy to go wherever his allies want to go," he remarks cheerfully. "We got to fight so Bugtussle is content. Now it is time for others to get to do what makes them content...hopefully!"
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Gnimish looks up from the food, "I'm pretty much looking forward to the same thing as Bugtussle. But also exploring the wide world out there and meeting other Pathfinders."
Gnimish looks less weary from the fight, the good food revived him somewhat. "I'm just happy to lend a hand in what task we have next."
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Before leaving the battlefield, Father Cornelius gathers the group together, pulls out a scroll and casts a group heal for all.
When the group begins the refreshment portion of the mission, the Warpriest plops down into a chair. Those nearby hear his old bones creaking as he finds a place near Bugtussle. Looking him over, he tends to the leshy's still-serious wounds.
When the group is discussing which Master to visit next, Cornelius suggests, "Earlier, Gnimish mentioned Sorrina, Master of Spells. In honor of his heroic effort, let's visit Sorrina next." He finishes tending to Bugtussle as the group decides.
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"Do you mind if I record some of your thoughts and impressions, Peter? A recorded history of the last moments of Vigil are very valuable.". Feno pulls out a notepad and starts scribbling.
"And Bugtussle! What was it like living in the Mana Wastes!" Feno furiously records notes. "I hope you don't mind. Your Sylvan dialect is unlike any I've heard before!" He exclaims in nervous excitement!
"I do wonder what they have next for us though."
You find Sorrina Westyr, the Master of Spells, in her office. "Good afternoon, initiates!" she says with a smile as you arrive. "Let me take you to the training room that we set up for this test." She rises from her seat, the halo of aeon stones wobbling on its orbit as she moves, and bids you to follow her.
Sorrina leads you down the hall and to a chamber in a quieter part of the lodge. An odd array of magical fixtures fill this spacious chamber: a wooden platform floats in the air halfway down the hall, a fountain spewing violet water sits in one corner, a wooden scaffolding holding fake walls in place creates a miniature room within the larger chamber, and several doors leading out the sides of the hall have glowing runes upon their surfaces.
“What I have here for you is essentially an obstacle course,” says Sorrina, sounding rather proud. “Each part of the course represents a different sort of challenge you’d possibly encounter in an actual mission. I’ll only award your final scoring for this trial when everyone has overcome the challenges. So, think of this as a group assignment.”
Sorrina gestures to a long table holding several closed satchels. “You aren’t expected to take on all the tasks we have available here. I’ll be assigning you three of them. Your group can also pick one of the supply satchels. Each satchel contains a different set of tools, including some magical items you would otherwise be unable to access from our storerooms. There should be an item or two in each that can help overcome all of the possible challenges. Your task is to decide which of these tools suits your group in besting the challenges you’ve been given. Some tools might be more appropriate in certain challenges than others, and some might seem useless for your particular tasks, but there’s no ‘correct’ answer here. I’m observing and grading your creativity and success, not seeing if you’d do something the same way that I might in the same circumstances. Any questions?”
"I will be your only audience, I'm sorry," Sorrina says with a brief chuckle. "You are not required to use the tools, you may use your own tools that you have with you, your own abilities, whatever you can think of limited to you six Pathfinders to overcome the challenge."