In amongst the spoiled goods, Dr. Lazarus finds a Decanter of Endless Water.
Tarcog is excited by the decanter.
“Could I carry it? That would be great for putting out fires!”
This time, when the threats are eliminated, Turiik's more bestial transformations regress--his muzzle, his claws--but his white hair and black eyes remain. His fingernails retain a dark coloration as well. He cracks his neck. "It is so much better when he feeds me."
Looking to the kobold, he says, "You wished to know how to address me? I am the One who Hungers. And I am the one who keeps that boy alive." He pulls out several poultices from his satchel. "Here. The boy would want you to have these. I sneak season into them." It is unclear if the other personality is joking while he hands out poultices of various sorts.
"Lest anyone accuse the One who Hungers of being stupid," he growls as his jaws and hands transform and runs along the western edge of the cavern to draw the bulette's attention.
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Looking to the kobold, he says, "You wished to know how to address me? I am the One who Hungers. And I am the one who keeps that boy alive."
“Pleased to meet you. In battle that would be quite the mouthful. Is there a shorter name we could use for you?”
The one who hungers rages and then strides towards the bulette.
★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★
Snorting, the bulette does a leaping charge, which includes two claw attacks, neither affected by Multi-attack penalty.
Both claws sink in as it leaps! Then it bites the delicious barbarian.
◈◈ Leaping Charge
◈ Bite
★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★
Turiik (-49, Temp Hit Points Used)
Bulette
Meadow + Silence
Dr. Lazarus
Jayma
Tarcog + Amvolwatt
Tarcog and Amvolwatt move as one into the room.
Amvolwatt releases a bolt of electricity towards the landshark.
Eidolon’s Opportunity
(deadly d8, finesse, magical),
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Looking to the kobold, he says, "You wished to know how to address me? I am the One who Hungers. And I am the one who keeps that boy alive."“Pleased to meet you. In battle that would be quite the mouthful. Is there a shorter name we could use for you?”
”Hunger!”
”I have you right where I want you, meal!” he growls before trying to savage the armored monstrosity.
Tarcog brings up their protective magical shield.
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Jayma is taken aback by the speed and ferocity of the creature. "Uh oh. I have a bad feeling about this." When poor Turiik is raked by the bulette's claws, Jayma draws a sharp breath. "Oh! Poor Turiik. His shirt is stained again... what's left of it."
A quick comparison of the creature's size with the width of the hallway tells Jayma that her current location is quite acceptable, especially as she can see the bulette clearly. Not knowing just how hard the creature's skin is, she decides to stick with the tried and true. She quickly slams the end of her staff down onto the floor six times "<Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!> brutal bolts blast bulette."
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Entering the cavern with the bulette, Dr. Lazarus nods knowingly. "Ah yes, my colleagues. Meet the bulette ... the subject of our investigation. Hopefully you recall my tutorial from earlier." As poor Turiik is getting mauled, Lazarus forms an attack strategy. "Hang in there, dear boy."
Dr. Lazarus thinks he sees an opening in the creature's defenses. He also knows he must advance to heal the injured barbarian. Toward that end, the Doctor moves in and flings his hammer from point-blank range.
+1 Striking Returning Cold Iron Grabthar's Hammer (w/ Stratagem): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30
Then using his free hand, the good Doctor patches up Turiik as best he can.
Hunger bites the Bulette back once, and misses the other time. Than he steps back.
Then Amvolwatt's electric breath weapon strikes the bulette.
The Bulette snorts in surprise as it critically fails its Reflex save.
Then Jayma casts a heightened Magic Missile straight at the Bulette.
Dr. Lazarus realizes upon studying the Bulette that it has been empowered by some of the same magical abilities all of you have. However, he theorizes that cold damage would stop its regenerative abilities.
Then Dr. Lazarus throws his hammer, just barely hitting the bulette, then he patches up Turiik's wounds.
★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★
Turiik (-20, Temp Hit Points Used)
Bulette (-95)
Meadow + Silence
Dr. Lazarus
Jayma
Tarcog + Amvolwatt
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“”
That almost sounded like a villain laugh.
"Wow he's pretty big isn't he?"
Meadow studies the beast for a moment before unleashing a barrage of arrows.
on first hit
Reroll first shot
Tarcog gloats, Meadow has a flurry of misses and the GM remembers that she planned to shower you all in Hero Points before this fight.
★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★
It's the bulette's turn, and it has barely used its magical superpowers. If you're a monster, you've got to use your magical super-powers!
◇ High-Speed Regeneration
A musical chime resonates through the area as it heals some of its damage.
It leaps forward towards Dr. Lazarus, and then realizes that Dr. Lazarus is not worth eating. In its disgust, it lets out a sonic blast that catches Targcog, Jayma, Meadow and Silence!
Then it blasts backward, pushed by its own sonic energy.
★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★
Turiik (-20, Temp Hit Points Used)
Bulette (-77)
Meadow + Silence
Dr. Lazarus
Jayma
Tarcog + Amvolwatt
Tarcog is rocked back on his feet by the force of the scream.
Deciding to trust in what Dr. Lazarus said, Tarcog fires off a freeze ray.
CS: double damage and –10-foot status penalty to its Speeds for 1 round.
As Tarcog is casting his spell, Amvolwatt bounds up to the creature and then attacks it with his tail.
(agile, finesse, magical)
Eidolon’s Opportunity
(deadly d8, finesse, magical),
Meadow calls upon some hitherto unknown capability and attempts to stop the bulette's sonic assault.
Meadow clutches her head in pain.
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Jayma sees the bulette go through it's strange dance with Thurston before its beady eyes look in her direction and it let's out a blast of sound...
...but somehow sensing what was coming, she manages to slam her hands over her ears in time to avoid the worst of the damage.
With tinnitus still ringing in her ears, she looks down at her hands and sees blood... her blood. She stares at it in disbelief for a second before her remaining blood starts singing with rage. "How dare you! You'll pay dearly for this you overgrown armadillo." Not bothering with subtleties, she slams her staff down six more times. "<Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!> Power punches pound prodigious pangolin."
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Dr. Lazarus nods appropriately to the team. "Well done, dear colleagues. I daresay we have the beast on the ropes. Ah, did I mention that cold damage would be effective?" He sighs and continues, "So many facts. It's a blessing. And a curse." Remembering the bulette's distaste of elves, Lazarus confidently devises a plan of attack.
Always the battle strategist, Lazarus strides into a position opposite Amvolwatt, allowing a similar position for Hunger if the barbarian desires. "Enjoy some flanking, dear boy." He then swings twice with his hammer.
+1 Striking Cold Iron Grabthar's Hammer (w/ Stratagem): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (15) + 16 = 31
Both Tarcog and Amvolwatt both miss. Meadow just barely manages to counteract the sonic energy, sparing her compatriots as she absorbs the sonic burst. Then Jayma throws all her actions into a Magic Missile, and Thurston manages to slice deeply into Bulette.
The Bulette crashes to the ground, but it is still regenerating...
★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★
Turiik (-20, Temp Hit Points Used)
Bulette (-128, unconscious)
Meadow + Silence
Dr. Lazarus
Jayma
Tarcog + Amvolwatt
"Silence. Get in there and help our friends. Go for the bulette's eyes."
"Screech!" Silence flies towards the beast and slashes at it's eyes with his talons.
Once Silence is in position, Meadow fires a brace of arrows at the landshark. She moves into the cavern.
extra damage on the first hit.
Tarcog and Amvolwatt move to better positions and then Tarcog tries again to cool off the landshark.
CS: double damage and –10-foot status penalty to its Speeds for 1 round.
CS: double damage and –10-foot status penalty to its Speeds for 1 round.
Amvolwatt tries to strike it with his tail.
(agile, finesse, magical)
"It's flesh regrows! More to eat!"
You all take turns tearing up the Bulette corpse until finally Tarcog or Jayma manage to get in that shot of cold damage, and the Bulette stops regenerating.
But wait... Isn't there one room left? Is the Bulette truly the cause of all this chaos? You hear a creepy musical sound chiming out of a room to the North.
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With the beast shredded, and eventually freeze-dried, Dr. Lazarus looks around to see who's injured. Seeing the barbarian, the Doctor sighs, "Ahh, dear boy, why am I not surprised? Hopefully the in-battle healing helped keep you afloat." To everyone's astonishment, the Doctor makes his way to Turiik -- without being chided by Jayma -- to administer some first aid.
Packing up his tools, Lazarus notices an eerie melody coming from the north. "I say ... does anyone else hear that?" Considering the music may be behind the mystery, he takes a minute to pursue the source of the music as an investigative lead.
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The creature crashes to the ground and hearing that it will take some cold damage to finish it off, Jayma moves quickly into the cavern and closer (but not too close) to the not-quite corpse of the bulette.
She waits for Thurston to provide his Guidance and then closing one eye, points a finger at the bulette and says, "freeze flesh." The temperature around her drops several degrees as a bright blue light flashes from the finger and plunges into the fallen creature.
vs Unconscious and Flat-Footed
The cold ray drills through the bulette's near-impenetrable carapace and freezes it's heart. With one last long breath, it finally settles into death. Satisfied, Jayma gives it one last baleful stare. "Never mess with a princess".
While Thurston makes his medical rounds, Jayma does her own to clean everyone up. Whatever that eerie music was, it wouldn't catch them dishelved. Getting to Turiik, she sees his shredded shirt and tut-tuts. "What am I going to do with you Turiik? My spells can only do so much." Nevertheless, she does what she can to spruce him up for the final reveal.
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Tarcog waits as Dr. Lazarus heals Turiik.
During that time, he looks over the corpse of the bulette.
The corpse of the bulette just lies there, robbed of the energies that gave it life force.
★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★
Eventually, the chiming becomes irresistible. You simply have to look.
The walls of this room are marked with countless magical runes, glowing and dimming in alternating patterns. A massive bone marked with similar runes rests on a stone altar in the center of the room. The southeastern portion of the room has collapsed, opening out into a large cavern. A humming fills the air, cloying against the skin.
The bone appears to be a monstrous jawbone, covered in runes of its own, and every time you attempt to enter the chamber, the magic on it tries to compel you to leave.
Tarcog tries, but he just can’t get to the jawbone.
Amvolwatt also tries to approach but fails.
Meadow is also unable to approach.
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Jayma, disappointed at being robbed of the kill by Tarcog, pouts prettily for a second, but the call of the music pulls her to the formely sealed room.
She attempts to enter the room, but something magical tries to impede her progress...
...but she will have nothing of it. "Bah! You think your magic is strong enough to stop me? We'll see about that." Brushing away the magical barrier with a thought, she enters the chamber.
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Heading into the northern room, Dr. Lazarus marvels at the magical runes. "Fascinating." But he quickly focuses on the subject of his lead: the strange humming jawbone. He says pompously, "Ahh, yes. It's just as I suspected. This jawbone could be the explanation for all the trouble here."
As the first of the group attempts to enter, Dr. Lazarus provides more information, offering assistance. "You see, my friends, the runes on the jawbone have a musical effect that..." His voice trails off as he really doesn't know precisely what he's talking about.
As the Doctor is a quick study of such relics, he has little trouble resisting the magic. Turning to Jayma, "Shall we, dear lady?" The tall elf enters the chamber with the little gnome. Once inside, Lazarus studies the magical runes on the jawbone to get more information.
When the bulette finally succumbs to the onslaught, the One Who Hungers swallows his last mouthful and steps back from the corpse. His bestial features regress shortly afterwards while the white hair and black eyes remain. He deigns to allow Lazarus to tend to his wounds while eyeing the elf in a way that could suggest he is considering which parts are the meatiest.
When the Pathfinders move on to the opened room, Turiik's hair and eyes return to their normal color. He frowns and holds his hand to his stomach for just a moment before belching. "Oh, we're here. The source of that music," he says while ignoring the elephant in the room. "That didn't take long."
He cannot bring himself to step forward. In fact, he turns back the way you came and says, "Job well done. We'll be heading back now, right?"
Jayma and Dr. Lazarus enter the room.
As they do, Dr. Lazarus realizes that the resonance from his power could temporarily shut down the magical barrier for the rest of his team if he only touches the jawbone.
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Impressed by the jawbone's magical vibrations, Dr. Lazarus calls out to the others in the doorway, "Given my vast understanding of such relics, which, by sheer happenstance, I learned from an ancient tome called ..." Realizing his audience doesn't care about such minutia, he interrupts himself, and instead says simply, "I believe I can disable the magical barrier by making contact."
Turning to Jayma, Lazarus says, "In the unlikely event that I'm mistaken, there's a healing potion in my bandolier." The forensics professor reaches out and touches the jawbone.
The magical barrier drops, and meanwhile the jawbone begins to shudder and buckle under Dr. Lazarus's touch. The song pauses, for just a moment... and you all feel a little of the pressure within you subside, for just a moment.
As everyone enters the sealed room, Tarcog and Amvolwatt realize that the runes on the room combine to be both a warning and magical seal, trying to protect the room from this... relic?
Meanwhile Turiik recognizes that this jawbone does not belong to an animal, but a demon.
And Meadow and Amvolwatt spot a set of pictures in a decorative border.
Picture One: A Falling Star
Picture Two: People flying, shooting beams out of their hands, lifting huge things.
Picture Three: A Demon with an enormous jaw growing, and growing.
Picture Four: The Demon howling or singing, and people falling and dying.
Picture Five: A man tracking the demon to the mountains.
Picture Six: An enormous fight.
Picture Seven: The jaw bone being buried underground, and the hero writing runes.
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Jayma looks around the room absorbing all the architectural details and then the pictures in the decorative border that Meadow points out.
"These pictures seem to recount the events that Edibaro told us about earlier. The first seems to be the Earthfall meteor. The second is probably the hero-gods of Xopatl. The rest seem to refer to the events surrounding the appearance of a demon that caused great havok and the creature being tracked down by someone, probably Yllaldo, into the mountains, where he confronted and defeated it. For some reason the jaw bone of the demon was then buried, presumably in this room, which Yllaldo then sealed with some runes, presumably the runes we're looking at now."
"I suspect that the bulette's breaching of the room is what caused the rune barrier to fail, perhaps only partially, allowing the malevolent magic of the demon's jaw bone to escape beyond, to affect the locals... and us."
"Perhaps there is some way to repair the rune barrier and reseal the room. If not, then either we destroy the jaw bone, which apparently even Yllaldo failed to do, or we take it back with us for the Vigilant Seal to deal with."
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"Well the jawbone is a relic of the people here. We should probably first try to repair the rune barrier and seal it back up. Only if we can't do that should we attempt to destroy it or take it back to the Society." Meadow examines the runes once more.
"Perhaps there is a way for us to use the energy of our new powers to reseal the... oh no! "
She stares in horror at her cloak with the embroidered owl and lizard (or is that a cat?). Its deep green hue has vanished only to be replaced with a drab, dull grey. "My beautiful cloak that Matthild made for me! It's ruined! This is terrible!"
“Is there anything to be gained by preserving the jaw bone?” Tarcog asks.
“Maybe we should just try to destroy it and the power in it rather than patch a seal that is already damaged.”
Gesturing to the pictures, he adds “We should make copies of those and preserve the other things in the room. I do not see value in preserving the skull if we can destroy it.”
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"I agree with Meado--," Turiik pauses as the half-elf becomes distraught by her own cloak. "Um. We should try to reseal this, if we can. If not, maybe Edibaro might have some guidance on how to reseal it."
As you think it over, the jaw continues to buckle and strain under Dr. Lazarus's touch.
Distracted by the mystery of the cloak, Tarcog asks “May I examine your cloak more closely?”
“Strange, only the color is gone. All of the embroidery is still in place and there is no damage to the fabric.”
“It may be possible to dye it again, but I think perhaps it would be better to try reconstruction magic like the Mending spell. That may work better.”
Seeing the jaw strain under Dr. Lazarus’s touch, Tarcog gets out a small vial with Apsu’s emblem on it. “Do you think washing the bone with this would help? It is water blessed by a priestess of Apsu.”