Othello tends to the injured agent. The deadliest wounds are mended and pathced as the woman regains consciousness, though she still looks quite pale.
Ah, good ta see ya. The others, they...? She looks around at frowning faces and the corpses and sags. See. May they race right along with the Strong Man then. Name's Nona. Checkin out the area when we found that lot there she indicates the frozen pile you pulled her out of. Hard to tell in the ice n' cold, but think some're a bit fresh. Not much time to check it out though, 'fore we got ambushed by those dead things. Took out Alec and Gid right off, but think they were keeping me and those here for food for later. Guess you proved a bit tougher ta chew on than they were expectin'
Nona gives a quick laugh, then winces. Eh. Still a bit bashed up. Can you bring me back to base? Kline's gotta know there's dead walkers about.
---
After eventually getting Nona to safety, you set back out. this time towards the section Venture-Captain Jirneau had heads faint footsteps and voices down. True to her description, the area is indeed icy and snow covered. Tunnels similar to the one you just fought in wind and widen as you seem to be moving a bit outside of the carved stone sections of the ruins the Maze transported you to and out into more of the surrounding region.
Exiting a narrow tunnel, you see a small and completely frozen pond ahead of you, with other tunnels branching off of a large chamber. At the far western end of the space is a riased ledge about 10 feet higher than the rest of the area. And atop that ledge: four figures.
Two are some sort of strange animal, though none you've ever seen before. Loosely resmebling a snow leopard, these beast's faces have four eyes and end in a bearlike snout, while a pair of antlers rise up from their heads. The other two are ratfolk, though dressed in unusual garb. And as you enter the space they start at your arrival, then begin yelling out in a strange tongue.
Fgnl gurer! Jub ner lbh?
The male ratfolk be a roughly carved stair raises a club and readies it. The other ratfolk - a female - yells again out at you. The chittering sounds now remind you a bit of the language 'Yoski' you've heard some ratfolk speak around the lodge, but you're not able to understand this either.
Jnvg. Lbh - lbh'er gur zntrf gung oebhtug zr urer, nera'g lbh! Jul?! Jul ner lbh va zl qernzf! Jul unira'g lbh yrg zr erfg? Vg'f pehry. Lbh'er pehry!
Lynn waves to the ratfolk, and speaks in her own strange sounds. The pair are still tense, but the orc's tone and Miladistra's body language and pantomimes seem to be calming them somewhat.
Jung fgenatr gbathr ner lbh fcrnxvat? Vf guvf cneg bs lbhe zntvp? Pnfgebiryvna: jung vf lbhe terra-fxvaarq sevraq naq jul ner lbh uhznaf fb cnyr?
You seem to be getting some sort of rapport with them, but they are still a bit confused. Further establishing your bonafides or explaining your situation and intentions could be done with Diplomacy, Deception, Society, or Performance checks (and unlike the kobolds, this one does allow for the same characters to try checks again, though failures could worsen the situation)[/ooc]
Lynn takes a few more steps forward. Her delivery may be a bit stilted, but through basic repetitions and gestures the two ratfolk slowly calm down as well.
Lbh gnyx fb fgenatr. Ohg lbhe ibvpr vf fb pnyz. Lbh, lbh ner abg gur fbhepr bs gur qernzf. Jub ner lbh? V nz Fipp, guvf vf zl oebgure Cog. the female says. She then repeatedly reaches up to her breast and repeats
Fipp
before gesturing several times to the male ratfolk and repeating
Cog
The two ratfolk lower their weapons and approach you, still a bit confused and nervous, but no longer hostile. The two strange beasts follow them at a distance. The male ratfolk is mostly silent, but the woman ontinues to speak in a quick staccatto pace - though it is not always clear whether she's trying to talk to you, her companion, or herself.
Lbhe pybguref, gurl ner fb yvtug. V xabj guvf vfa'g gur Jvagrrynaqf ohg lbh jbhyqa'g ynfg n jrrx urer va gubfr. Juvpu zrnaf lbh zhfg unir n pnzc arneol. Ner gurer zber bs lbh? PBt, unir lbh rire frra n perngher yvxr guvf bar. Naq ure oveq: V guvax V'ir frra fbzrguvat yvxr vg va fgbelobbxf, ohg jul jbhyq vg or urer.
Hayrff...ner jr qrnq? Vf gung jung unf unccrarq? Unir gur ivfvbaf frag me straight to Hell? Oh no! ohnoohnoohnoohnohno but I have not ever seen the Arch! I wanted it to stop plaguing me. Is it too late? Cog, is it too late?!?!
Suddenly each of you realize that the ratfolk's words are beginning to make perfect sense. You turn around to see a fellow pathfinder behind you: leaning against a wall and panting heavily with a wand in their hand.
Sorry...came fast as I could...thought you might have a language gap...but you're so fast...fastest Pathfinders in the world...
While the mage with the comprehend languages stick tries to catch their breath, the ratfolk notices the changed expressions on you all.
Wait...can you, can you understand me now? Grandmother's gift! Who are you? Did the Arch call you here too? And from where: I've never seen someone like you in the Winterlands. she asks, directing that last remark squarely at Lynn. But your tusks...are there different forms of shobad in the southern hemisphere?
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"Thank ya kindly!" Miladistra waves at the Pathfinder. "It gets a bit easier when you can use words instead of grunts." Deroff whines a bit.
"I'm Miladistra. We're part of the Pathfinder Society. This is... did you say shobad?" She pauses and scans Lynn's tusks. "I'm not familiar with that word, sorry. We came from the Woodsedge Lodge in Galt. Did you say Arch? Looks like we have lots of time to exchange stories."
Shobad, yes. the male ratfolk – Cog – pipes up Mean yer obviously not one - too short, too green, and too few arms – but never seen anyone else like ya before. Or such pale humans…are they from Castrovel? He asks this last question of Miladistra.
Meanwhile the woman – Fipp – keeps talking. Galt? Haven’t heard of it, but Fipp and I aren’t from around here. At all actually. We’re up in the Winterlands, but months back I got a nightmare, a really really bad one. And then it just kept happening! Strange energies, explosions, scary beasts, and in almost all of them this weird ruin with a big dangerous arch in the middle of it pulsing with power. That thing, its just an object but it scares me. I can…feel it pulling, and in my nightmares I can sense it sending souls all around to the past or the way off future and just leaving the body to sit and rot! Scares the Hells out of me, but the visions wouldn’t stop! So Cog and I set out to find the place. We’re just trying to get the nightmares and visions to end so I can rest and go home!”
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"An... arch? Hmm. We did find a large arch when we entered the Maze of the Open Road." She slowly climbs off Deroff. "Maybe that's what you're looking for. The Pathfinder Society is investigating it. You can rest at our basecamp for a bit."
That might be it! Fipp's eyes widen.
Her brother Cog is still scratching his head a bit. A whole Society of you, huh? Where are you from? I haven't heard of you, or this 'Galt' before but...hmm 'Pathfinder' rings a vague sort of bell. Any of you from Arl? Over on that old plateau?
You're not on Golarian anymore. You're on one of its neighboring planets!
You're from a different planet? Fipp says shocked. How interesting! Does that mean on your world gurer ner bgure engsbyx gurer? Orpnhfr lbh qvqa'g frrz fubpxrq gb frr zr bs Cog
Suddenly the ratfolk's words return to the unknown dialect of before. The PAthfinder behind you shakes their head.
Sorry about that. Only had a quick translate trick on hand. We'll have other agents able to communicate for longer coming in soon. For now keep going, see if there are any other locals around who might know about this place.
---
Your group leaves Cog and Fipp to wait with the other Pahtfdiner agent as you keep moving and exploring the area. After a few twists and turns through more icy tunnels, you find yourself in another large chamber. This time you have come across a massive, red stone cave. The ceiling collapsed long ago, revealing the starry night sky and letting snow and wind into the ruins.
At the far end of the chamber, a glowing purple rift sits it the air right before some stone. It looks similar to the one you've seen ebfore below, but this one is markedly larger. You hear a familiar voice call out and echo around the cavernous room: the same depp feminine voice you heard by that other rift earlier:
“Felise! Where are you? I don’t know where I am! I don’t even know when I am... Felise! Can you hear me?”
Across the room and standing in front of the rift is a humanoid woman. She is looking at the rift intently, and if she also heard the voice she doesn't react to it.
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Miladistra nods and points to the Pathfinder member. "They can take care of ya. We have to go." She waves goodbye. "Well that was nice. We didn't have to kill, for once."
---
"Uh, howdy!" Miladistra tries to pull the woman's attention from the rift. "Are you trying to close the rift? Maybe we can work together!"
Close? The woman turns around. And why would I want to close this? There's power here, power to be drawn. In fact, I suspect growing this will only further unleash more raw energy. I only need the proper fuel source...
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"Oooo great the time traveling rip in space is being controlled by an someone who thinks that opening it up is a great idea. Let's create the end times why don't we. Exasperate our potential demise....," Lynn whispers to herself
" You know you stop the potential apocalypse this may cause...," she replies back sarcastically.
The woman cocks her head.
I have exceptional hearing you know. she grins, sending her mouth into an unnerving smirk. And while I'm not as dramatic as all that, it occurs to me most energy sources require fuel sources...
She turns towards you, one of her hands starting to glow an omnious green energy. Perhaps feeding the rift some living beings woudl provide some kindling.
Initiative
Amiri
The snow is difficult terrain, and the thick blue ice Uneven terrain on top of that. HOWEVER you've all gotten accustomed to moving and fighting on the ice, and for this encounter can ignore those terrain problems (just announced condition - you and several of your other teams did a great job clearing out beasties in the ruins)[/ooc]
Now now, you'll be a part of something more. the woman says as she approaches angry Amiri. In fact if you remain conscious throughout that would be an interesting discovery.[/b]
Her glowing hand then shoots forward and a globule of sizzling green launches from it to hit Amiri. The barbarian's skin sizzles as acid splashes on and eats into her.
for plus 1 splash
Initiative
Amiri 51/50 hp, raging
Lynn
Othello
Miladistra
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"Ugh." The woman's words rot faster than a smashed pumpkin. Miladistra doesn't need much reason to tell Deroff to approach the woman.
Meanwhile, Miladistra's hands smell like garlic and mint as she rubs them together. A burst of bright, smelly particles flutter towards the woman- how does she react?
The woman looks annoyed at Miladistra’s attempt at a spell – How pretty – but does seem to feel Amiri’s hit.
I see you’re a bold one. Well, fair’s fair.
She strikes out twice in response to the raging warrior. As her fist connects with the Kellid, Amiri’s muscles start to feel sore.
for
for
Then she moves away
Initiative
Amiri 40/50, need Fort save
Lynn
Othello
Miladistra
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Miladistra enhances Deroff so his >Magic Fang< can bite harder. "Let's cut her off before she does something stupid." Deroff runs across the ice, a bit surprised he can do so without trouble.
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Amiri's expression changes as the blow hits but Amiri quickly recovers as the coward runs away. Using magic to sap my strength and running away? What a joke! She says as she suddenly charges, this time using her ally to surrond the witch. Her charge ends with another swing of the blade followed by one last swing.
Redemption. The glittery woman spits as she dodges both of the barbarian's swings and one of Ezra's pecks I will not apologize for my ambition! Not when there is power ready to be grabbed only a few more corpses standing in front of it!
She steps back and turns towards Amiri and the mounted Miladistra. Her jaw opens, distending unnaturally wide as she exhales out a dark green cloud that washes over the barbarian mage and wolf.
[i]Initiative
Amiri 40/50, enfeebled 1, need Fort save
Lynn
Othello
Miladistra, both she and Deroff need Fort save
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Amiri, still feeling weak gets caught in the draining breath of the woman and almost succumbs to it. She feels her knees get weak and she is about to collapse but she remembers her plans with the kobold's she helped saved... that there are people relying upon her. She can't fail here; not yet and manages to hold herself together, resisting the breath!
Ambition? Maybe work on your morals before you give give in to ambition... and maybe work on your skill since you seem to be lacking in that too! Amiri snips as she steps back into position to try and cut her up.
Deroff shakes his head as the fumes weaken him. He cares not and steps forward, ready to take a bite out of evil.
The woman winces as again a peck from Ezra breaks through her guard, then again when Othello's slash cuts into her. Blood begins spilling on the ground, through it is a sickly green color.
That weapon must be tiring boy. she snarls as she strikes twice at Othello before stepping out of the flank. Perhaps you should set it down before it gets too heavy.
for
for
Initiative
Amiri 40/50, enfeebled 1
[ooc]Woman 54 damage
Lynn
Othello 28/60, need 2 Fort saves
Miladistra, enfeebled 1; Deroff enfeebled 2
Deroff barks and runs ahead to protect Miladistra from this foul woman. This predator doesn't smell right, she's clearly not thinking about food.
Deroff whines as his strength fails him yet again.
The woman dances around the worst of Miladsitra's shocking arc while a tired Amiri's swing comes close but is blunted by her armor.
Ezra's peck continues to hit its mark at least. She looks quite peeved.
SKDJEUfuwSESCBKF
Initiative
Othello 28/60, enfeebled 2