Pilzip is terrified of the dragon, but tries to stick with the fight.
His scrambling mind attempts to remember something about the creature.
for and
Patizamo feels fear from the dragon's display, taking deep breaths he moved closer to the dragon and then wove spell into blade to strike at it.
Ubasu lifts his hands and hums a healing song.
The dragon avoids Patizamo's attack, though Mokhasi's scree batters them with full force. Pilzip can't recall exactly what the dragon might be, and his ray of frost goes wide. But Baldrek lands three hits, pulling the dragon closer to him!
The badly wounded dragon hisses and glances at Mokhasi. "Perhaps you do not have to fight me," they growl. "I have claimed this bridge as my territory, but if you pay me the proper deference, I will allow you to pass over it! Do you have anything tasty to eat?" The dragon remains wary as it glares at Baldrek, but it refrains from attacking for now...
Patizamo pauses, then asks, "What do you consider tasty to eat?"
Baldrek pulls his ranseur back. "I'm more than happy to not fight you." He says as he pulls a piece of crocodile jerky from his pack and offers it to the dragon.
”My favorite things to eat are giant dragonflies! But I ate all the ones around here,” the dragon says remorsefully. They gratefully accept the jerky from Baldrek, gobbling it down.
”Mmm. Yes, tasty! I declare this proper tribute! You may pass through my territory.” The dragon slips back off of the bridge and dives down beneath the water.
"We should find him some giant dragonflies as a thank you." Patizamo says, as the dragon allows them to pass.
"Well, at least he didn't try to snack on us." Pilzip mutters to his fellow students.
"Let's continue on to see if we can still catch up with the boss."
You finish crossing the bridge and approach the final hut. The door is reinforced, but Baldrek is able to force it open. The interior features a cozy hammock, several crates of food and goods, and a full-length mirror on one wall.
A grippli wearing a robe and clutching a wooden staff stands at the ready in the hut, giving you an angry glare. "You made a mistake coming here and messing with my operation," he croaks. "Now, face the wrath of Froglegs!"
Baldrek spies the second grippli hiding behind the stack of crates, ready to ambush you...
"There is another one behind the crate." He says before closing the distance between himself and the robed grippli.
"I'm also uncertain who is the real Froglegs."
Baldrek wounds the robed grippli, who croaks in pain. He steps back a few feet and casts a spell to try to frighten all of you.
"I am Froglegs, and now you will pay!" the second grippli cries as she pops out from behind the crate briefly, hurling a pair of daggers at Baldrek before taking cover once more.
Ubasu activates the magic within the crown and shields Baldrek from harm. He then barks an Alijae warcry, but where his voice normally is like steel, there's a fragility to it now. The grippli's magic is to blame.
"Haha, no I and Froglegs!" Pilzip titters nervously. Screwing up his courage, he calls on the earth to open over the robed figure and timidly protects himself with a shield.
Cast somatic, verbal
Range 60 feet; Targets 1 creature
Saving Throw Reflex; Duration 1 round
You tear open the ground then slam it shut. The target creature takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage with a Reflex save.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The target takes half damage.
Failure The target takes full damage, is flat-footed, and takes a –10-foot circumstance penalty to Speed.
Critical Failure The target takes double damage and is flat-footed and immobilized. It can attempt to Escape against your spell DC. If it doesn't Escape, the target takes an additional 2d6 bludgeoning damage when the spell ends.
Heightened (+1) Increase the initial damage and additional damage by 2d6. (6d6)
Baldrek endures the pain and presses forward, moving in a way to give other space to flank their foe.
The magical fear fills Patizamo, even as he moves up towards the robed grippli to take advantage of Baldrek's flank and casts a spell, weaving magic into his blade as he stabs at him.
Both gripplis avoid some of the effect of the crushing ground spells targeting them. As Ubasu protects Baldrek and begins his performance, Patizamo moves to flank the spellcaster, gouging him with a magically-enhanced strike.
As Baldrek prepares to strike, tattoos on the robed grippli's body swirl and shift in mesmerizing patterns. It makes it difficult for Baldrek to accurately target the grippli, but despite the distraction, the fighter delivers two solid blows that drop the spellcaster!
Froglegs curses as she hurls two more daggers at Baldrek and ducks back behind the crate for more cover.
Ubasu groans when Baldrek gets struck. The pain lasts for but a split second, but the traumatic shock reverberates within his body and soul. He channels the pain into a song and freestyles a chant that is not from his Alijae collection of war songs.
The area around the mesmerizing grippli is crowded, so Pilzip tries to remember if he's seen the creature before and then hits it with a ray of frost.
for and
Baldrek presses his hand against his wounds before darting forward to deal with the sneaky Froglegs. He strikes with his spear, trying to move the enemy away from the cover.
Patizamo moves towards the hiding Froglegs before he casts a spell, vanishing from where he is and teleporting into a flanking position on Froglegs, striking as he does so. He then captures the lingering magic and channels it through himself, making him quicker and more accurate.
Pilzip knows all about gripplis, being one himself! This knowledge helps his aim, allowing him to just manage to strike Froglegs with a ray of frost! Mokhasi's acid arrow comes up short, splattering against the crate Froglegs is taking cover behind.
Baldrek quickly patches himself up, then stabs Froglegs with his spear, dragging her out into the open. Patiazmo then teleports to flank, slashing the grippli.
Froglegs curses as she draws two fresh daggers and slashes at Baldrek legs! She scores a hit, then follows up with a critical slice!
Ubasu nearly topples over when the excruciating pain Baldrek is put through is mentally shared with him. He uses the last of his powerful healing magics to soothe his soul and body, and continues to hum a powerful defensive chant.
Patizamo again weaves Magic into his blade, stabbing at Froglegs as his sword shifts into a raking claw before he conjures a magical shield before himself.
Baldrek retaliates as Froglegs draws their daggers and then presses forward with two other strikes before he steps back.
Pilzip moves in and slices at the gang leader.
for
for
Patizamo, Baldrek, and Pilzip each land good hits on Froglegs, leaving the grippli quite badly injured. She sighs, then throws down her weapons and raises her hands to surrender. "Okay, you’ve got me, you can arrest me. But you should know that the chief criminal in this city isn’t me—he’s at Magistrate‑Mayor Asanda’s house."
"Are you really trying to claim the Magistrate is a bigger criminal than you?" Patizamo was incredulous, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd seen a public official involved in crime. When he was about 10 or so, it had been discovered that a judge was secretly running one of the largest smuggling operations in the city. The scandal was all anyone would talk about for weeks.
Froglegs nods. "My people have said the magistrate-mayor isn’t... exactly who he appears to be. Quite different, in fact. It’s been like that for some time, ever since the flood, I think. It’s not just that he’s hiding out, shirking his duties. He’s been making secret trips across the city onto the Magaambya campus. At least, he did, but he hasn’t recently. Some opportunity he was pursuing there just dried up, it seems, and I suppose you lot had something to do with that.
“People who visit Asanda’s manor just disappear. Trust me to know what it looks like when you’re disposing of people who threaten to expose you. I bet he’s a lot more like me than you’d like to think.”
"There may be bigger crooks in town, but that doesn't mean you aren't guilty. Off to the guard with you."
Pilzip glances around the hut to see if there's any contraband or stolen property, then quietly mentions to the others, "We should check in with the faculty before we accuse someone as prominent as the magistrate-mayor."
The stolen goods here are of little monetary value, though their owners will no doubt be glad to get their possessions back. A strongbox beneath the hammock has 400 gp in various gems, a bismuth leopard wondrous figurine (the poltergeist Gerrus longs to see it once again) and a warcaller’s chime of blasting. Froglegs herself has four +1 daggers and Habu's Cudgel.
***
Not long after turning Froglegs over to the authorities of Nantambu and reporting what you have learned to the staff of the Magaambya, Janatimo calls you to his office once more. "I think the time has come to fully investigate the magistrate-mayor. After speaking with the faculty, we are in another position where taking direct action could be politically harmful. Nantambu has its own leadership, separate from the Magaambya, and we respect that independence. Conversants can more easily inquire and take any necessary action without the political risks. I know that you can handle yourself in challenging situations, so I feel confident sending you in our stead. We don’t know what awaits at the magistrate-mayor’s mansion, but something villainous is going on there. The magistrate-mayor has long jeopardized Nantambu with his inaction, but we see now he may be behind the deaths of Nantambu’s citizens. We can’t ignore this any longer. Get as much information as you can, respond to any threats, and return safely.”
Ubasu will take a scroll of restoration from Janatimo to aid their efforts in undoing whatever is going on at the magistrate-mayor's mansion. The school's willingness to share these valuable magical tools also underscores the importance and danger of their mission, but Ubasu has not much to say about that. For now. "Understood."
Pilzip takes a scroll of gaseous form, figuring it might be helpful in infiltrating the manor.
"We'll get to the bottom of this--and rescue anyone that we can."
"Consider this done." Baldrek replies with a smile, hiding his worry for the mission. Much like Ubasu, he takes a scroll of restoration.
"Let's return that statue to the poltergeist, Gerrus, before we do anything else. We should put his spirit to rest."
Upon showing Gerrus the figurine back in his home, the poltergeist sighs with relief. He thanks you earnestly, then fades away, finally able to rest. You are free to keep the figurine or leave it in Tokku’s house, as you see fit—in any case, the poltergeist is gone for good.
***
When you are ready, you travel to Magistrate-Mayor Asanda's home. The road to the manor passes through a dense orchard and is therefore somewhat isolated. Asanda’s large manor itself seems quiet and lifeless. Both the north and south sides of the building have collapsed walls, with the remaining walls supported by makeshift scaffolding. An air of neglect hangs about the manor like a fog. The orchards around the manor are waterlogged, with fruit rotting on branches. Weeds grow wild and grass grows tall, even on the main path leading to the wide front door.
Three guards stand at the main entrance. They wear heavy cloaks with deep hoods that obscure their features.
Pilzip motions the other students to the side of the street. "We could try to circle around and bypass those guards," the grippli suggests. "They look like nasty characters."
Ubasu ponders the situation and weighs their options. "I can cloak us with an invisibility spell, but we'd still make noise ... and with how waterlogged this place is, I'm not terribly confident in our ability to remain quiet enough to escape notice if we attempt to get in with those three around."
"I'm not particularly good at moving silently," Patizamo said. "Do you think the guards would let us in if we said we were here to discuss some Maagambya business with the Mayor? Maybe about a special performance in his honor or something?"
"You can follow me, I'll show you where to step. Some, let's circle around to the south, out of sight of the guards. I'd rather not hurt anyone to get to the bottom of this."
Ubasu shakes his head from side to side when Patizamo suggests approaching the guards. "We are here to investigate what is going on. To immediately give away our presence might be disastrous to our efforts when we still have other avenues of approach left to us. If we get close enough, I can turn into a small animal, for example, and have a look at what's what."
"Alright, then, sounds like a plan. The marshy terrain might make some noise, but hopefully they can think it's just some small creature if they don't see anything. Should we use the invisibility sphere?"
Baldrek nods in agreement with the plan.
Cloaking yourselves in invisibility, you move together as a group along the outskirts of the manor grounds. As you pass by the guards' position, though, one of them turns in your direction. He pulls his hood back to reveal a burly, bald human man. "Is somebody there?" he calls out, raising his longspear warily. The other two cloaked guards remain in position by the front doors as the first man takes a few cautious steps in your direction...
Ubasu freezes when the guard takes a step forward. Surely the man will trust what his eyes are telling him: there is no one, nothing. Ubasu keeps thinking this thought over and over, hoping they somehow reach the man's mind.