“...While we do not understand what drove them to violence, we must pray that we do not continue to perpetrate the cycle.”
One of the xorns cuts in here. Maybe so, but if you find more caravans like this, let us know first! We are supreme xorn! Don't trust those others! We get first looks at all caravans!
"It sounds like our bandits have ties to the Plane of Fire then," says Cade as he turns to the Xorn. "Have you seen any creatures or people that wield intensely hot blades?"
The originally-shouting xorn turns to Cade.
Eh? Nah. We don't descend upon scenes like this when we suspect the action might still be hot. In this case, no-one remained. Just us and this enticing box!
He taps it again suggestively for Dusk.
Eltran listens to the Xorn and Chunhua's exchange and looks at Dusk.
"Well, I can help you with the lock in case that is necessary. I recently learned a new trick!" he says eager to support.
The xorn at the lockbox vibrates a bit and Eltran swears the three-side maw smiles somehow... if that's even possible.
Dusk moves forward to attempt the lock.
Dusk barely needs the help as he makes short work of the lockbox. When the lock pops to the open position, the giddy xorn's enthusiasm bubbles over.
Yeeeeeah! Oh my gosh! I would have taken all day breaking into that!
It clambers up over the edge and begins quickly extracting gems from the box. All variety of colors come out of it, but before you can identify them they quickly go into the disturbing, gaping maws of all three of these creatures.
Contented, the talkative one turns back towards the party.
Wow, you all are the best! Hey, you know what? I know these passes pretty well! What would you say to us guiding you the rest of the way to... where was it you were headed? Anyway, you get the most direct routes, we get the first right of refusal on any further caravans we find, win-win! Honestly though, you don't look like gem-biters, so probably no contention on that. What do you say?
It looks at all of you expectantly.
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“Well personally I say ‘yes’ to a partnership. Though I note you haven’t given us any information about the Sundered Stone bandits yet.”
Chunhua goes cross-eyed trying to maintain eye contact with the tri-eyed trio. “However, I am only one voice in our party of five.”
“Many humanoid groups like ours work under a democratic system, where everyone is equal, and each member may have their say and cast their own vote. Generally the majority view prevails, though some parties aim for a consensus before accepting a proposal.”
If she receives blank or incredulous stares, Chunhua continues, “Democracy. Heard of it?”
“Perhaps the worst form of governance there is — except for all the others!”
I don't know much about your Sundered Stones. We just wait for your kinds to fight with each other and leave behind salvage! But we like you though! We'll still guide you if you want.
One of the xorn's eyes (which you presume is where its focus is coming from) squints, and it questions the concept in an unsure voice.
Democracy? If everybody has to talk how do you ever get to doing? Our kind often have Elders, we sort of trust them to take care of the rest of us!
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Democracy? If everybody has to talk how do you ever get to doing? Our kind often have Elders, we sort of trust them to take care of the rest of us!
Yeah, my elders sold me into slavery. But that’s beside the point.
Chunhua chuckles. “It takes longer to get things done alright.”
“However, we feel the time taken is worth it because the final decision is fairer for everyone involved.”
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"In my opinion democracy is an option but not always a solution."
"Yeah, nah, I agree with you, Eltran."
Chunhua twists one side of her face, keen to be understood. "Democracy is far from perfect, and there are many situations it is not suited for -- set-piece military operations for example."
"I'm just saying as a form of authority or control, I think it's better than all the other processes."
She grins. "And as a 'moral warrior' I will no doubt fail to remember the fallen 'amoral scholar' bleeding out on the battlefield has rejected cosmic morality, while I attempt to rescue his butt under fire."
“However, we feel the time taken is worth it because the final decision is fairer for everyone involved.”
While the xorn are guiding the party, they are at no risk of getting lost. The xorn do, however, take a short detour along the path to snack on a gold vein. Here, the party is able to collect loose gold nuggets.
Before you can reach the Sundered Stone camp, you must travel for a few days along the Crystalmaw Pass. Rivers of molten rock cut through the landscape here as if raked by giant fiery claws. Blackened weapons jut out from the ground and ashen skeletons lie scattered in hollows left by past explosions as lone crystals still glow meekly among the destruction. The Crystalmaw Pass snakes through the war-torn vista.
As gravity returns to normal, you can take a rest to recover from previous hardships.
On the third and last day of this leg of the journey, as you draw closer to the planar border, you reach a place where encroachments from the Plane of Fire are impossible to avoid entirely. The air becomes blisteringly hot, and clouds of poisonous gas vent from rivers of molten rock. It happens swiftly and catches you off-guard at times.
Chunhua, Dusk, and Eltran are the most ready for it, noticing patterns of bubbling on the surfaces of molten rivers before the gas vents from them.
While Chunhua has a keen eye for the gas vents, she's overly occupied trying to keep Dhovahk from stepping right into the spray of blistering hot vents. However, at Dhovahk's "just flow with it speed", they both end up getting hit in the face quit often. The party fears the watery druid may evaporate into vapor before they clear Crystalmaw Pass.
Chunhua and Dhovahk suffer and , and are fatigued.
Eltran, also noticing the gas vents, fairs a little better assisting Dusk. It seems that there is a surprise gas vent at every turn and they go along dodging them for much of the day. Then Dusk happens to dodge away from one and right into another. Eltran lunges to shove him aside but they are both burned badly. Insult exchanges ensue.
Dusk and Eltran suffer .
The mithral in Cade's chain shirt keeps him light on his feet. He bobs to and fro, avoiding every spurt of poisonous gas, and avoiding any effects. The resentful mood amongst the rest of the party earns him the nickname "twinkletoes." Savage.
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Resting in normal gravity heals Chunhua’s non-lethal g-force damage in 7 hours.
On the third and last day of this leg of the journey, as you draw closer to the planar border, you reach a place where encroachments from the Plane of Fire are impossible to avoid entirely.
*sigh* “Here we go again.”
After Dhovahk and Chunhua are thoroughly scalded by the random airvents, the weary warrior takes a moment to drop her pack and seat herself atop a warm outcrop.
She pulls a scroll of lesser restoration (5) from a wooden case, and hands the papyrus sheet and her wand of CLW to the Aquatic Druid.
“Dhovahk, please use as many lesser restoration spells as you need, and feel free to heal yourself and Dusk with my CLW wand. It’s got lots of charges.”
An insult exchange.
“Dusk! Eltran is not a classic example of the inverse ratio between the size of the mouth and the size of the brain!”
Feeling much better, with hands on hips she addresses the amoral scholar.
“And Eltran, Dusk is NOT the reason Erastil created the middle finger.”
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“Dhovahk, please use as many lesser restoration spells as you need, and feel free to heal yourself and Dusk with my CLW wand. It’s got lots of charges.”
The druid nods as he finishes guiding the energy stored in the papyrus into his companion. “Your foresight leaves me humbled,” he answers as he begins the process again.
“I am grateful though that I at least have this.” He pulls his own wand from his pack and begins tending to his burns and blisters.
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The mithral in Cade's chain shirt keeps him light on his feet. He bobs to and fro, avoiding every spurt of poisonous gas, and avoiding any effects. The resentful mood amongst the rest of the party earns him the nickname "twinkletoes." Savage.
"Halflings have a long history of climbing up volcanoes... although it's usually for need, not sport," Cade offers.
Cade places his pack on the ground and starts to make a small workspace. Using a concave piece of granite, he starts to add various vegetation and then proceeds to grind it down with the pommel of one of his kukri.
"Here, try this. This ash and plant mixture won't do much for the wounds, but it should help relieve some of the pain."
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“Dusk! Eltran is not a classic example of the inverse ratio between the size of the mouth and the size of the brain!”
“And Eltran, Dusk is NOT the reason Erastil created the middle finger.”
"I never said 'classic'" Dusk mutters under his breath.
Dusk will then hand the druid his own clw wand to take away the worst of the burns.
"That's an expensive meal... do you supposed they, um, deposit that on the way out? I've heard of people doing this with coffee beans."
Helping each other as they do, and exchanging magical tools, the party makes it as if they were never burned by the poisonous gas vents.
The next day...
As you traverse the hot, narrow tunnels, you hear a conversation ahead echoing through a large cavern.
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The tunnel opens up ahead into the broad cavern. As the party steps forward into the cavern, your xorn guide burrows away, explaining that this area is too dangerous.
It's been real skinbags! Our deal is at an end. Proceed at your own peril.
A stone bridge spans a 30-foot-deep rift in the ground. Clusters of stalagmites sprout from the ground, some of them soaring fifty feet into the air. Luminous crystals embedded in the stalagmites fill the chamber with a soft green glow.
The cavern is 200 feet high and extends for hundreds of feet in all directions. The high ceiling of this cavern allows heat from the stifling tunnels to rise—the caverns are still uncomfortably warm, but not nearly as unpleasant as the tunnels you all have just traversed.
How do you wish to approach the bandits?
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Chunhua grabs Dusk and Cade’s forearms and attempts to move the party back from the brink, to where they can discuss tactics without being heard.
“I think we should buff up here quietly, and then move straight into attack.”
She hands Dusk a potion of fly. “We can warn them if you really want to, OR begin by attacking with non-lethal damage, but I don’t think they’ll play ball.”
“We will also want at least one prisoner, who can tell us where Grave Treader is.”
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Eltran casts a message spell linking the group so that they’re able to talk quietly and tells the team what he learned in Terran.
Eltran is not sure if an attack is the right path.
“The shoanti woman is still part of this group and thus I’m sure that it’s possible to reason with them. Ehhh … Dusk has been good to lead with diplomacy but … but if Terran is a necessity then I can start negotiating as well!“ he says but it’s clear that he’s rather let someone else do the sweet talking.
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Dusk accepts the potion from Chunhua. "I could use this to fly over the bridge, near the ceiling, perhaps unnoticed by the other group, but perhaps we should not begin with violence - unless we can determine their motives."
Turning to the group and keeping his voice low, Dusk asks, "Do any of us possess magic to determine if these others hold darkness in their hearts? It seems that they were not merciful to the caravan we came across. If they are aligned with darkness, then I agree with Chunhua - we should strike quickly before they are aware of our location. If they are not yet fully consumed, we should allow them the chance to make a better decision."
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“Well, Cade … ehh, stealth is really not my expertise. I’m clumsy even without armor. I sometimes trip over my own legs. But I have a scroll of comprehend languages that I can cast on anyone that wants to sneak and listen. The spell lasts 10 minutes. I hope that is enough!?“ he asks and looks at Dusk.
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“I’m all for creative solutions, so if Dusk wants to fly (or tunnel?) stealthily to the … strangers to find out more about them, I can work with that.”
Chunhua runs mentally through her inventory, checking for any item buffs that could help her friend.
She screws up her face. “I don’t think there’s much else I can give to help with your reconnaissance, Dusk. Unless you could make use of my snapleaf?”
“I do have a second potion of fly. So if you get into trouble I can assist you with some short range suppressive fire at least.”
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“Well, Cade … ehh, stealth is really not my expertise. I’m clumsy even without armor. I sometimes trip over my own legs. But I have a scroll of comprehend languages that I can cast on anyone that wants to sneak and listen. The spell lasts 10 minutes. I hope that is enough!?“ he asks and looks at Dusk.
Dusk nods at Eltran. "It should be enough. I like the idea of making a tunnel, if we can use the wand. Is there enough power in the wand to tunnel to the other side?"
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“…Is there enough power in the wand to tunnel to the other side?"
Dhovahk shakes his head sorrowfully. “The reservoir within this wand is suitable for smaller pieces of stone. I fear we would consume it all and have barely set our feet underground.” He smiles softly. “However, it is within my abilities to remake myself for a time. By soaking in the strength of the stone beneath us, I should be able to merge with it.”
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Dhovahk tucks his scroll back into his pack, nods, and closes his eyes. His body glows faintly as it melts and reshapes itself into a smaller, rockier version of the undine's usual form. "I had... forgotten... the rigidity... of this shape," he croaks, voice rougher and more grating than usual. Silently he sinks into the ground and begins making his way through the rocky bridge and towards the camp.
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Dhovahk swims through stone until he thinks he is past the guards, then slowly moves upward into one of the stalagmites and carefully brings the side of his face to the rock’s surface. If I can hear something to help convince the others they would be reasonable and willing to talk, it would be wonderful, he thinks to himself. Or perhaps where their main camp is, and where Grave Treader might be. Eltran said the ifrit was not the boss, so perhaps Grave Treader herself is leading this community…?
Dhovahk notices a tent at the outskirts of camp. Sitting outside of it, minding her own business is a shoanti woman with face tattoos that match the description you were given for grave trader.
She does not yet notice you. What do you do?
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Would I respond positively to a strange creature speaking to me from hiding if I had been living in an inhospitable place for years and had to fight tooth and nail to survive? Dhovahk ponders to himself as he notices the tattooed woman. If they identified themselves as a friend? Perhaps. As a colleague? Perhaps moreso.
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Dhovahk quietly swims through the stone once more. Slowly he raises himself partway out of the rocky floor near Grave Walker, stone hands held above his head. “Explore, report, cooperate. It is good to see you, Grave Walker. I am Dhovahk, and like you I am a member of the Pathfinder Society. We are here to help you return home.”
The woman looks up, a little quizzical at first. Her hand is already at her weapon as she stands. After that brief instant, she processes what was said to her and squints while looking at you, focusing to distinguish your elemental form from the surrounding stone environs.
A Pathfinder you say. Surely that is not your true form then. And where are the rest of your companions? I suspect you are not alone. I recall "cooperating" in groups of four, five, or six.
Her voice is sure, but calm. She seems more curious of your presence than directly threatened.
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Dhovahk bows - though the effect is a bit odd given that his lower half is still underground. “You are correct. They are waiting outside of the camp. We did not wish to endanger lives with needless violence. Perhaps you can speak with the guards and I will speak with our colleagues, that we may all speak together and find common ground.” He waits for her response, arms slowly lowering.