Kazuuk's face lights up, "Oh, Rain in Cloudy Day? What a pleasure to meet some of his friends! He is quite a delightful fellow. Come, I'll take you to our tribe's enclave right away."
As soon as your group is ready to leave, Kazuuk starts off into the swamp. He chats with you as you walk: "Tell me, are you Pathfinders like Rain? He has been very interested in the ruins near our enclave. Are you all ruin delvers as well? Waht adventures have you been on? Come, marry tales make short journeys."
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A gnoll of few words at a time, Axel's answer has a length proportional to the excitement he has for making small talk about himself "Here for the money" walking with sufficient haste such that if anyone manages to get ahead of the pack for a fleeting second, soon he has passed them to reclaim a most frontwards position, walking with the presented air of someone who knows where they are going!
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Jaxon laughs. "He's with you! Oh thank you for keeping him safe. Is he ok? I hope nothing has happened to him. You will take us to him, right?" The ex-con seems to have taken the job of safeguarding the lost Pathfinder seriously. He glances at the lizardfolk's weapons just in case the tribe was holding Rain hostage.
"Well, I haven't been with this gang long, but we've beat the crap out of some bandits and creatures trying to ambush us! We even took on shadow creatures and sent them fleeing back to wherever they came from." He laughs, holding eye contact with the iruxi. "Gotta stand up and show people who's boss, you know what I mean?"
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Adding background context to Alaric's clarification "First day" looking over to see Kondai's huffing and puffing, Axel's ever-present grin curls into a profound, almost greedy smugness - the joy of which spurns him to share more of his experiences with Kazuuk, adding a whole nuther three words "Shot a frog" he mimics the motion with his gun, fully expecting the iruxi to be instantly impressed!
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Dyner blinks a few times at how quickly the frogs went down to fire spells there... She preens some at Kondai's praise, but bristles some at his criticism. "OI! That's an old family spell for lighting fires, even in a blizzard... I just used it here for the sake of it..."
She pauses for a moment as Kondai and Axel get into a fight over where to go. "Actually, I think Axel might be right in which direction to go. See there's some fabric on that tree over there."
She gives a small start as the big iruxi comes out of the tree lines. "Uh, hello... Adventures? Uh we did a lot in Absalom! I got to go to Minkai once too! They had interesting cakes made from smooshed rice and red beans! But I think the cooking in Absalom is interesting too..."
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"Yes. I have not spent any time in ruins, unless you count a condemned house in Absalom," Isurus confesses to the iruxi. "It was haunted, and we needed to put those spirits to rest. However, I am glad that Rain in Cloudy Day is safe. We had heard that he suffered many misadventures before setting out into the swamp, and we feared the worst."
"Ah, the Pathfinder life seems interesting, though it is definitely not for me. Our enclave, Tskikha, is just a few hours away. I don't anticipate any more trouble along the way."
Kazuuk leads you ably through the wilderness, and you come upon the enclave, which looks to be an assemblage of huts and semi-permanent structures built on several pieces of elevated land in the swamplands.
"Come, I'll take you straight to Chief Thakik." The iruxi leads you through the encampment and out the other side, taking you to a solitary hut a short walk from the larger enclave.
"Wait here just one moment while I explain your presence to the chief." Kazuuk ducks inside the building for just a moment before opening the door and gesturing you inside.
You see an [url-https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WvTt_hpJyNNpRPjKn-CCnzAyfqlKSn4s_elZAPzVJE4/edit#slide=id.g8f9cdd4868_0_5]older, gray-skinned iruxi[/url] lounging on a couch when you enter, though she rises to greet you. "“Greetings, Pathfinders. It is an honor to meet you. I am Chief Thakik of the Tskikha Enclave, and I am responsible for all who dwell here, including your lost friend, Rain in Cloudy Day.”
Before you have a chance to to engage the chief in conversation, shouts of panic come from outside. The shouts come both from the enclave’s main area and from just outside the hut.
When you rush outside, you see a fungus leshy screaming his adorable little head off,
Three human-shaped creatures that smell vaguely of death lope out of the swamp, hissing through pointed teeth.
The beleaguered Pathfinder runs toward the hut, then turns to shoult out a song of encouragement!
"Our foes will never fell us,
We punch like Farabellus!"
Despite the rousing song, two of the creatures close with the group.
Group Buff: Inspire Courage +1/+1
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Rain on Cloudy Day
Blue
Yellow
Alaric
Dyner
Isurus
Yellow
Jaxon
Axel
Kondai
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Alaric crinkles his nose. "Undead vermin." He raises his shield and points to the undead charging his way. A small lance of divine energy pierces into it's chest.
Alaric raises his hand and rocks a small explosion on the creature
HP 26/26
AC 20 (22 w/ shield raised)
Resistance: Mental 2
Spells (1) 3/3
Focus Points 2/2
Hero Point 2/3
Isurus's trident pierces the blue ghoul and Dyner blasts the yellow one with cold.
Alaric's blast of energy hurts him, but not very much.
The remining ghoul rushes up and bites at Kondai.
for
: Fortitude save vs. paralysis, then a fortitude save vs. disease. (Both DC 15). If you fail the paralysis, you can try again on the end of your turn.
Group Buff: Inspire Courage +1/+1
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Rain on Cloudy Day
Blue (-7)
Yellow (-10)
Alaric
Dyner
Isurus
Red
Jaxon
Axel
Kondai
Axel takes a bite out of yellow and Jaxon strikes down blue with a few well-placed strikes! Kondai manages to shake off any ill effects of the creature's bite, but he doesn't connect on his swing.
Rain ignores Jaxon's excellent advice and stays in the fight, urging you on:
"We bring the pain,
Like Kreighton Shaine!"
He also runs to get a better shot at yellow and fires to globs of spores at the creature.
for
The leshy's rhymes need some work, but his aim is right on target. He destroys the yellow undead!
Group Buff: Inspire Courage +1/+1
~+~Combat Round 2~+~
Rain on Cloudy Day
Blue
Yellow
Alaric
Dyner
Isurus
Red
Jaxon
Axel
Kondai
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Alaric keeps his shield up as he holds a few more tricks up his sleeve when it comes to the pesky undead. He looks over at Kondai. "A Prince huh?"
Alaric raises his hand and rocks a small explosion on the creature.
HP 26/26
AC 20 (22 w/ shield raised)
Resistance: Mental 2
Spells (1) 3/3
Focus Points 2/2
Hero Point 2/3
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When Jaxon drops the one ghoul, he turns to look at the remaining red ghoul, giving him a glare with a raised eyebrow. He points his morningstar at the ghoul.
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Dyner contemplates the battlefield for a moment and then decides to go ham with freezing effects. She raises one hand gathering frozen energy into the claws there, before firing it off.
She misses terribly, but does use her her second hand to guide and control the frost as it flies past the undead, driving it right into the chest of the thing, but weakening its effects as she does.
The remaining ghoul hungers, but it doesn't want to be hemmed in. IT darts behind Isurus and bites and claws at him triggering a blast of flames from Alaric.
for
for
Group Buff: Inspire Courage +1/+1
~+~Combat Round 2~+~
Rain on Cloudy Day
Blue
Yellow
Alaric
Dyner
Isurus (-16, 3 Fort saves)
Red (-24)
Jaxon
Axel
Kondai
The last ghoul falls after taking a bolt through the brain. Dyner's healing magic pulls Isurus back from death's door, and the swamp quiets down.
"Oh! Thank goodness you were here," the fungus leshy breathlessly stammers. "My name is Rain on Cloudy Day. Where are you from? I don't usually see outsiders in the enclave."
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The last ghoul falls after taking a bolt through the brain. Dyner's healing magic pulls Isurus back from death's door, and the swamp quiets down.
"Oh! Thank goodness you were here," the fungus leshy breathlessly stammers. "My name is Rain on Cloudy Day. Where are you from? I don't usually see outsiders in the enclave."
"RAIN! You worthless little-" it takes a moment for Kondai to collect himself. "We were sent from the grand lodge because we thought you were dead! You haven't checked in with Absolom for WEEKS! Now we find that what, you forgot? You didn't think it was important to alert the pathfinders that you completed your mission?"
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Dyner gives a small fluffing of her feathers. "Rain! You don't recognize me? We had 'Summoning from the Outer Planes 101' together? I brought you those shiitake mushrooms from Sakakabe? I didn't realize you'd forget me so easily. But I'm glad you're safe and happy."
Rain looks startled, "Sent to find me! Oh, but I was doing fine. Well, mostly fine! I suppose that I was so preoccupied with explorering the ruins that I...uh...forgot to send a report!"
Rain looks sad. "Explore, report, cooperate. How could I forget?! You would have remembered, Dyner--you were always such a great student! I wish this Confirmation sent as smoothly as our studies. I was delayed by bad weather, then someone stole my donkey. I was quite down about it until I met these Tskikha and got to start poking around the ruins! "
Rain becomes even more absorbed in his description as he talks about his finds so far. "I was able to decipher what few markers remained in the site. The settlement belonged to ancient Azlanti survivors from the time of Earthfall, and specifically appeared to be part of Nacar-Azen, an ancient Azlanti city-state."
At this point Thakik joins the conversation, having returned from checking on the rest of the enclave. "Yes, we were all very impressed with Rain's discoveries, though I'm afraid I have troubling news."
“Our scouts report that the creatures that attacked came from a larger set of these ruins, deeper in the swamp. They emerged from a partially submerged structure, meaning we have no idea of the threat within—but we assume the site is quite dangerous. I know Rain in Cloudy Day has been interested in investigating these ruins, but the risk is too great. However, our enclave can’t afford to withstand more of these attacks.” Thakik looks over the assembled group, as well as Rain. “Would you be willing to venture into this structure and find out what has agitated the creatures within?”
to Isurus and Axel, since I haven't given any in a qhile.[/ooc]
Thakik says, "You Pathfinders! Always so eager to rush off into danger. Please, the hour grows late. Eat with us and rest for the night. You can explore the ruins in the morning."
The Tskikha welcome you back into the main part of the village, and they share a meal with you of turtle soup and a sweet dish made of nuts and berries. (The iruxi also serve Rain a dish of dead leaves and decaying swamp moss, which he consumes with gusto.)
Over dinner, the leshy tells you what he has gleaned of the ruins, though the information is fairly preliminary. The settlement likely dates from after Earthfall, so the ruins likely represent Alzanti refugees, rather than a settlement of the empire at its full power. Rain hasn't been able to survey the full area yet, so there may be sites of various uses scattered throughout the swamp.
There is plenty of time over dinner to ask Rain or your hosts questions.
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Jaxon pokes at the turtle meat at first, but finds that he actually like the taste of it. "A little bit of a weird texture, but not too bad." He nods appreciatively to Kazuuk, assuming the hunter might have caught it. You see him watching Rain at moments to ensure the Pathfinder has not suffered at all during his time with the iruxi.
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At dinner, Axel stuffs his face with nuts and berries, then washes it down with hearty gulps of turtle soup. His manners are atrocious, and his portions sizable enough to satisfy two men. Even, or especially, if and as food grows more scant, so too do his greedy paws reach for yet more. He laughs as he eats, somehow managing not to choke.
When conversation turns to the Ruins "How far?" with a gracious belch, a table utensil being repurposed as a "pick" so as to fetch any stray bits of food from his sharp teeth, sucking down every last morsel.
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Just before dinner Alaric takes a moment to heal the wounded. "You should be just fine. It was little more than a scratch." He says to Jaxon who is squirming and trying to get away from the searing magic. Alaric spell causes small flames to flicker over the wound which burns the injury closed. This magic leaves behind no additional burns across the flesh, but it does hurt in the process.
Isurus knows more about the Azlanti than Rain, so all he adds to the conversation is that he believes the ruins are about 2 hours away.
When you reach the site, a stone platform sits at a skewed angle out of the muck, and rampant foliage covers most of it. A long stone stairway descends below the plinth and into the structure. The stairway looks like it would normally be obscured, but it appears recent movement of some sort of creatures has pushed the obfuscating foliage aside. The interior of the ruins has a ceiling 15 feet high unless otherwise stated.
The staircase descends into darkness.