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Marcos looks on, amused. "You are really brave. Most other Pathfinders will take this opportunity to heal and get ready. Well, it's your funeral. Of course, your opponents haven’t been the most impressive, have they? No, I’ve changed my mind. If you want top marks from me, you’ll have to fight something more ferocious. Prepare yourselves! " With that, the gate creaks open one last time.
What appears to be a dragon stalks into the arena. "Are these the runts I'm supposed to battle today, Marcos? Sigh... I better get a feast in the kitchens later. That blue one doesn't even look like a mouthful. Of course, when you add that gigantic egg in the stands..."
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before your Turn:
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Those with ** may go
**Bitty Blue - AC 17, 15/17
**Loompecker - AC 18, 21/21 (Magic Weapon)
**Cath - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 17/19 (Magic Weapon)
**Konbu - AC 15, 17/17
Thoralox
Thull Ashun - AC 14, 14/14
Corabee - AC 18 (20 parry), 13/19
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You realize that Thoralox is a River Drake. These are pretty resistant to acid, since acid is one of their weapons.
Konbu moves forward, warning Thoralox of the dangers of messing with Egg.
"Really? The contents must be really yummy. I shall enjoy eating it then..."
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before your Turn:
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Those with ** may go
**Bitty Blue - AC 17, 15/17
**Loompecker - AC 18, 21/21 (Magic Weapon)
**Cath - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 17/19 (Magic Weapon)
Konbu - AC 15, 17/17
Thoralox
Thull Ashun - AC 14, 14/14
Corabee - AC 18 (20 parry), 13/19
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Cath strides forward and growls a threat at Thoralox. Thoralox looks a bit startled at the threat and appears less sure of himself.
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before your Turn:
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Those with ** may go
**Bitty Blue - AC 17, 15/17
**Loompecker - AC 18, 21/21 (Magic Weapon, Rd 2/10)
Cath - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 17/19 (Magic Weapon, Rd 8/10)
Konbu - AC 15, 17/17
Thoralox (Frightened 1)
Thull Ashun - AC 14, 14/14
Corabee - AC 18 (20 parry), 13/19
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Bitty runs up to Thoralox, as she draws her arm back to strike the drake, Thoralox swings its tail at her!
Bitty takes a tail strike to her body but manages to poke her rapier at Thoralox, hitting him in the ribs. Thoralox roars in pain and lashes out with tooth and tail.
"Mmmm... I think I'll have a nice boiled egg later."
Thoralox retreats to the back wall, content to let you all come to him.
Marcos calls from the stands, "I think you can all learn from your friend -- charging headlong into a foe is not the best thing to do!"
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1-2
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before your Turn:
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Those with ** may go
-2-
**Loompecker - AC 18, 21/21 (Magic Weapon, Rd 3/10; +2 damage)
**Cath - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 17/19 (Magic Weapon, Rd 9/10)
**Konbu - AC 15, 17/17
Bitty Blue - AC 17, 0/17 (Dying 1)
Thoralox (-19)
-1-
**Thull Ashun - AC 14, 14/14
**Corabee - AC 18 (20 parry), 13/19 (+2 damage)
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Konbu runs up and fires a cold burst at Thoralox. The drake turns to Konbu in time to get smacked right in the face.
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1-2
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before your Turn:
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Those with ** may go
-2-
**Loompecker - AC 18, 21/21 (Magic Weapon, Rd 3/10; +2 damage)
**Cath - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 17/19 (Magic Weapon, Rd 9/10)
Konbu - AC 15, 17/17
Bitty Blue - AC 17, 0/17 (Dying 1)
Thoralox (-33)
-1-
**Thull Ashun - AC 14, 14/14
**Corabee - AC 18 (20 parry), 13/19 (+2 damage)
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Bee watches with concern, but also with a calculated manner of experience. :Long reach and quick reflexes. Mister Man-of-swords wasn't kidding when he said 'something more challenging'.:
Bee runs forward, then reconsiders as he gets closer. He gets into a guard position as he approaches closer. He ends up right next to Bitty and looks down to see how the young Gnome is doing.
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Bee runs up to where Bitty lies on the sands. He assumes a defensive posture and checks on Bitty. Bitty lies unmoving, blood leaking from where Thoralox bit her.
"That's how you'll be, little one, when I'm done with you!" Thoralox calls, trying to clear the ice from his face.
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1-2
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before your Turn:
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Those with ** may go
-2-
**Loompecker - AC 18, 21/21 (Magic Weapon, Rd 3/10; +2 damage)
**Cath - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 17/19 (Magic Weapon, Rd 9/10)
Konbu - AC 15, 17/17
Bitty Blue - AC 17, 0/17 (Dying 1)
Thoralox (-33)
-1-
**Thull Ashun - AC 14, 14/14
Corabee - AC 18 (20 parry), 13/19 (+2 damage; AC 20)
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Ashun sustains his spell on Loompecker and rushes to Bitty's aid.
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 2
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before your Turn:
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Those with ** may go
**Loompecker - AC 18, 21/21 (Magic Weapon, Rd 3/10; +2 damage)
**Cath - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 17/19 (Magic Weapon, Rd 9/10)
Konbu - AC 15, 17/17
Bitty Blue - AC 17, 0/17 (Dying 1)
Thoralox (-33)
Thull Ashun - AC 14, 14/14
Corabee - AC 18 (20 parry), 13/19 (AC 20)
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Cath charges Thoralox and brings her sword down on him. She suddenly feels her sword get turned aside but Thoralox drops to the arena sands. Marcos jumps to his feet and roars his approval.
"Masterful! You have done well, Pathfinders! Top marks! Top marks I say!!"
Thoralox gets up off the sands and looks somewhat disgusted. "Tell the kitchens I'm coming, Marcos! That last blow would have removed my head were it not for the spell on the arena!"
Thoralox turns to Konbu, "I believe you now, little one, though I wonder what makes that large egg so special?"
Healers are summoned and you are all healed to full. Marcos leads you to a large tent set up beside the arena and provides you with a big feast with plenty of food and drink. You return to the Grand Lodge. Once the group returns, the Master of Swords takes his leave, heckling some trainees he spots and demanding they accompany him back to the rented arena.
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You head over to Kreighton Shane's office where he leads you to a large carriage parked outside.
Kreighton Shaine speaks as the carriages get underway. "We’re off to a facility in Absalom that the Society rents out and uses for training purposes. The location was formerly the domicile of a conjurer with some rather unpleasant plans. That got all sorted out, of course, but it’s still conducive to summoning magic!" As Shaine continues his explanation by going into detailed history of the building’s previous owners and their relatives, the carriages come to a halt outside an abandoned locksmith’s shop in the Coins district of Absalom. Shaine exits the carriage and quickly unlocks the front door, gesturing to a dusty glass-fronted cabinet in the main room, which opens to reveal a descending staircase.
The Master of Scrolls steps briskly down the stairwell into a worked stone dungeon. Ambient light comes from two glowing patterns on the floor, but Shaine doesn’t pause for these curiosities. After a short trip northeast and down another flight of stairs, he halts in a long chamber containing more of the glowing circles. Two circles rest at either end, with others in nooks along the northern wall. The circles come in five colors; red, blue, green, yellow, and violet, with each of the five nooks featuring a different color. "This whole dungeon is really an interesting place, and it’s worth exploring in full sometime, but that’s not what this trial is about. No, I’m not interested in seeing you untangle traps and unlock doors. This isn’t about what you can do or your physical skills. I’m grading you on what you know. Each of the northern circles is a two-way teleportation device. Four of them, all but the green one in the center, are currently active. Stepping inside an active circle brings you to a matching circle elsewhere in this dungeon, and waiting in the vicinity of each of these is a summoned creature. Four creatures, of four different types. Each of them has an amulet you have to retrieve for me. But this isn’t just a brute force test of forcing them to hand it over! No, no. This is the Trial of Scrolls, and we do things with more... finesse."
"Any questions before we begin?"
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The orc sheathes his necksplitter which hasn't be so useful as expected. But nevermind. They defeated the would be dragon. The Bitty's egg was save (how long will it be?). The first trial was done.
Now they have to wander in a dungeon to retrieve four amulets stored by four different creatures.
So if we can't split their skull in half to retrieve the amulets, this must be another way to get them. Should we sing them a lullaby? Offer them some cookies? A discount over some merchandising?
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Bee winces and rubs his own neck watching the vicious attacks from Cath and Loompecker. "Enchantment or not, that must have hurt."
He puts away his sword and turns his attention to Bitty. "Hey, young one. Let's see if we can get you back on your feet." He waves the healers over to tend to Bitty first.
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Picking her blade out of the sand, Cath smiles and bows towards Thoralox after sheathing the blade. "It was an honor to share the battlefield, and reminds me to not be as reckless as I was. What I did was a gamble, now that I think of it, but I saw red when you knocked Bitty around. Perhaps we could train another time?"
"So, fighting isn't the key here. I mean, we could ask nicely for the amulets!" She looks at Loompecker and the others with smile. "I'm not the best at talking with folks, but I can always try. I was told once before that not all battles are with physicality."
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Bee listens to the challenge being described. He comments to the others, "Sounds like a test of how much we have studied books. Sort of like the riddles with Zandyk, we are being tested on what we know. But this time it is what we know about these various creatures."
He heads over and looks at the portals. "Anyone have any preferences on which one to try first?"
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After the fight, Ashun gives back the potions to their respective owners since they weren't used.
Now, going down the dungeon, the witch boy looks at the patterns and circles with fascination, really curious about the meanings and workings of each.
"Any questions before we begin?"
"Quite a few. I am not as versed on the magics as I wish I would be, although I do have a bit of knowledge on the field, it is not my area of expertise.", taking out his formula book and pencil, opening it at the middle, showing a bunch of notes and doodles similar to his glyphs that get better each page, similar to someone practicing their signature, with the same enthusiasm as a curious kid but still maintaining his respectful and soft demeanor, "If I may... I would like the know how was the conjurer and what were their plans? The glowing patterns on the previous walls seemed intricate enough for me to ask their purpose. Does it have any meaning or is it just for decoration? And for the teleportation circles, I suppose they are both ways, but how were they written? If it is similar to the spell in any way, would not it be necessary the caster to be present? It does seem really masterful if the creator managed to link not only two, but eight circles in pairs. What about the green circle? Was it not completed, does it have another purpose, or was it disabled? Very rarely would an arcanist leave their work undone, specially, if fantasy books are correct, an evil one. They do tend to be quite paranoid, which leads to everything having to be neatly perfect. he pauses, taking any notes.
"I'm not the best at talking with folks, but I can always try. I was told once before that not all battles are with physicality."
"Anyone have any preferences on which one to try first?"
"Um. Do we get any clues to start off with?"
"I am alike you in regards that Cath. My words tend not to be the best, but like you said, I find it easier and safer to tend to try to solve most of what troubles me with talking. Which is why I agree with Konbu-san, we may need more clues before deciding on each circle... But you all know I am parcial to the violet one.", he shrugs with a smile. Then turns back to Shaine, "So, which creatures and what does the amulet look like? And in the vicinity means directly near the circle or somewhere not too distant from it?"
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Kreighton Shaine chuckles. "Of course you get clues. I will give you a clue/riddle and you determine what creature it is that holds it. Then you will try to use your wits to get the amulet. ()"
There are four teleporting circles of varying colors. Red, Blue, Yellow, Violet. Each circle sends you to another room within the dungeon where a creature waits.
"A being of law and order has one of my amulets. It's one of the least of the inevitables, aeons bound tightly by rules and constraints."
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Bitty takes Bee's hand and gets up with a groan. "That was really dumb of me. Grampa Ifekube said that dragons who battle out of their weight class need to use superior tactics, and I didn't.." Bitty sighs. "I let my heart get ahead of my head. I promise to be smarter in the future."
Bitty straps Egg into her backpack, and then says, "Yes, let's find out what's waiting for us in the Yellow Circle. If it's not the right one, we'll come back here."
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"That was really dumb of me. Grampa Ifekube said that dragons who battle out of their weight class need to use superior tactics, and I didn't.." Bitty sighs. "I let my heart get ahead of my head. I promise to be smarter in the future."
Bee nods and pats Bitty on the back. "Yeah. That's the tricky part. Knowing when to use your fury and when to keep it under wraps."
"That was a pretty good hit you got in on him though," Bee says with a smile. "He'll be feeling that one for a while - enchantments or not. Though not as much as the one that Cath gave him afterwards."
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You step into the Yellow teleportation ring and are whisked into a hallway. Several other glowing circles dot this hall’s length, and magical script lines the floor.
You recognize the script as rudimentary preservation magic to keep the area clean
You see the following creature () flits excitedly up and down the corridor, constantly fascinated by the way the stone walls remain solid and unchanging.
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Bee follows the others into the portal. When he sees the flying blue snake his hand starts going to his sword. He pulls his hands away with a bit of reluctance and crosses his arms to keep them out of trouble.
When Loompecker has a pleasant conversation with the thing, he relaxes a bit. Then follows them out of the gate again. "OK, that was a lot weirder than I was expecting."
He follows Ashun into the red portal.
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Bitty confirms the identification, then thanks the protean for their very nice manners. "It was lovely meeting you! We'll see you soon!" Then she smiles and says, "I have a tail too, but mine's connected to the plane of Air rather than that of chaos! What's your name? Mine's Bitty!"
She leaves with the rest of the group, and then heads to the Red Portal. "This feels like it would be a great training game for children. Run to different portals, talk to different elemental creatures, do a scavenger hunt... I'll have to bring Egg back here after they hatch."
As the portal activates, she grins and says, "See, Egg? This is fun. Wheee!"
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[dice=Religion]1d20+4
Bitty confirms the identification, then thanks the protean for their very nice manners. "It was lovely meeting you! We'll see you soon!" Then she smiles and says, "I have a tail too, but mine's connected to the plane of Air rather than that of chaos! What's your name? Mine's Bitty!"
She leaves with the rest of the group, and then heads to the Red Portal. "This feels like it would be a great training game for children. Run to different portals, talk to different elemental creatures, do a scavenger hunt... I'll have to bring Egg back here after they hatch."
As the portal activates, she grins and says, "See, Egg? This is fun. Wheee!"
That would have easily caused me to spit my coffee laughing...
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Before being whisked back to the first room, Bitty hears "Dancer..."
Following the others into the Red portal, you arrive in another mysterious place. This room was clearly once a confluence of the various portals that pepper this dungeon, as all five colors of glyph are symmetrically arranged here. Only the red circle in the southeastern corner is currently activated.
Another strange creature () hovers in the room’s precise center, slowly revolving and analyzing the room’s symmetry.