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When the others cut the web bundle open, revealing a person inside, barely breathing, Ashun draws another glyph in the air as Bea's eyes glow once more, "This may feel a bit uncomfortable at first.", and the same glyph appears on the floor under the changeling, then quickly expands to cover most of the room, giving everyone a cold feeling in their veins similar to an IV fluid that quickly fades.
healing in a 30-foot emanation.
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◇ Bitty drops her rapier as a free action.
◈ Bitty interacts to draw her bow.
◈ Bitty strides to where she can get a clear shot on the spider.
◈ Then she shoots!"Poisoning people and trapping them in webs is not right!"
"That works too."
Bee puts his sword away and rests his head on his hand, his elbow on his knee, and his foot on the dead spider's rear end. He stands there like that for several seconds. Then straightens up and comes over to check on everyone else.
"Hey Bitty, how are you holding up? And how is your egg? I have been meaning to ask, but haven't gotten around to it yet - but what type of egg is it? Or do you not know?"
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"Egg is doing fine! He - or she? - will be a velociraptor. Velociraptors are small, fast predators that fight well and are very brave."
Bitty, who is not always brave, talks about dinosaur bravery with a bit of awe. "The grippli tribes in the kaava lands near home raise them as village guard animals, so they're highly trainable. They sent an egg to my grandfather, Ifekuba, as a goodwill gift, but grandfather told me that he was too dignified to scoop dinosaur poop, and didn't want a dinosaur in his hoard. So, he gave me the Egg." Bitty's draconic tail curls protectively around Egg as she sits down and chats with her fellow gnome. "I probably could use a bit more medical care before we set out again."
Then she turns to the person that was encased in spiderwebs. "Are you alright? We found your backpack, and your journal, and a lot of other things too!"
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"Egg is doing fine! He - or she? - will be a velociraptor. Velociraptors are small, fast predators that fight well and are very brave."
"Oh that sounds like fun. And probably a lot of work."
"I probably could use a bit more medical care before we set out again."
"I have a medical kit. But I am not wonderfully good at using it. Not terrible though either. I can try to help if you want."
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"I think we should try and patch everyone up as best we can. I just have a slight headache from earlier, but does anyone need to use another potion? I do have an extra," she mentions while readjusting her shield to be more easily carried.
Listening to the two gnomes talking, she smiles a bit, "Your grandfather might consider himself dignified, but I think any beast that would be a companion would be excellent to tend for."
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"I think we should try and patch everyone up as best we can. I just have a slight headache from earlier, but does anyone need to use another potion? I do have an extra,"
I do ... have .. another potion as well
"Well," Bee comments as he digs through his pack, "that is probably a better option than having me fumble around with gauze and needles and ... whatever this is." He pulls out a small tin of something from his pack and looks at it curiously. "Seriously, I have no idea what that is," he says as he drops it back into his pack.
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Ashun casts a healing spell. At once those who were previously injured feel better.
The unconscious form of the lorekeeper stirs. Her eyelids flutter open and she recoils in shock at six pairs of eyes staring at her.
"What... what happened? Who are you?" she asks as she rubs the back of her head, and then moves her hand to look at the blood that is caked in her hair. "Oh... The last I remember is heading into a cavern system, looking for signs of ancient ruins. I found a cave... there was a loud shriek... and a spider..."
"Where are my manners? I am Unzgrin, lorekeeper for the Urgir Society of History. Might I trouble you for some water please? I am exploring the caves to find any sign of the dwarves who fled here thousands of years ago after the fall of Koldukar. After this long, any bodies would likely be gone, but I hope to find historic relics they left behind, or perhaps another ancient ruin of some kind to which they had fled. I believed I was on the cusp of an important breakthrough in understanding the history of the dwarves of Koldukar. In my eagerness to discover something significant, I got careless."
Bitty Blue hands Unzgrin her canteen. Unzgrin gratefully takes a sip. "My thanks! My backpack! You found it! Thank you muchly, friends. My pack contains my notes about the caves and what dwarven relics I found. Unfortunately, this system of caves has been a bit of a bust. I haven't found anything, aside from trouble. Shall we head back to the surface? I will probably head back to town and get more supplies, as well as see if there are any expeditions in this area."
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"I agree that we should head back to the surface. There's no telling what else might be in these caverns, and without a group, things could go south pretty quickly," and with a sigh of relief, Cath places a hand on her hip. "You should know it's not safe to go into places like this by yourself. The next time, try to bring a few more trustworthy folks that can help defend eachother."
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Same as Cath, Ashun lets out a sigh of relief seeing Unzgrin regain consciousness, agreeing with others, he goes back to his always soft voice tone he says "Indeed we should head back, at least to the entrance. I could try my best cleaning and treating your wounds to check for any poison and avoid infection before we start walking back.", he nods with gentle smile and proceeds, "I am Ashun, it is nice meeting you.", then turning to Bitty, with a slightly sterner demeaner but still soft spoken throught a smirk, "The same goes for you, I am not done with that arm yet."
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As you move back toward the exit, a sudden disturbance manifests in front of you, blocking the exit. A spectral pile of dust, broken shards of pottery, and bones materializes from the ground.
Upon seeing this, Unzgrin exclaims "That wasn't there before. These must be the ruins and relics I was looking for! Astonishing!" Before Unzgrin can approach the disturbance, skeletal hands suddenly reach up from the ground and grab at you.
Five tiny crawling hands also suddenly appear and attack.
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before your turn:
DC 17 Will Save vs 1 Negative Damage: Bitty Blue, Dar Lek, Corabee, Ashun, Cath
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Those with ** may go
**Cath - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 19/19 (AC 20)
Pink
Red
Rinshu - AC 16, 15/15
Bitty Blue - AC 17, 13/17
Thull Ashun - AC 14, 14/14
Haunt
Blue
Green
Corabee - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 19/19
Dar Lek - AC 17, 17/17
White
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CONDITIONS AND EFFECTS REFERENCE
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CS: unaffected
S: half damage
F: full damage
CF: full damage, slowed 1 (1 rd)
Each attempt requires 2 actions.
Religion(T) to speak the proper burial rites,
Occultism(T) to exorcise the lingering souls,
Intimidation to scare the fearful souls away.
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Good idea. So we will see if this is still raining. We'll be able to eat something as well. Not a good thing to eat down here with all these dubious plants around.
"Ooh, something tasty sounds fantastic right now." Bee squirms uncomfortably and starts squelching towards the exit. "And definitely somewhere that is warm and doesn't involve water."
As the apparitions appear, Bee mutters under his breath, "You are neither warm, nor tasty."
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Looking down at Bee, Cath snorts and laughs, "A warmnstew and an ale sounds quite nice right now. I dislike these caverns, but at least we did a good thing with our bookish friend here!"
Glaring at the hands, Cath grips her shield with white knuckles in anger and fear and shouts at the skeletal hands, "Leave us be! Go away! Did you not see what we did to those spiders?! Shoo!" Drawing her sword, the woman begins banging on the shield with the flat of her blade.
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Red skitters up to Cath and attempts to claw at her.
Pink runs up to Bitty Blue and also tries to claw at her.
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
Active Conditions:
Before your turn:
DC 17 Will Save vs 1 Negative Damage: Ashun,
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Those with ** may go
Cath - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 18/19 (AoO pending)
Pink
Red
**Rinshu - AC 16, 15/15
**Bitty Blue - AC 17, 12/17
**Thull Ashun - AC 14, 14/14
Haunt
Blue
Green
Corabee - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 18/19
Dar Lek - AC 17, 17/17
White
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CONDITIONS AND EFFECTS REFERENCE
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CS: unaffected
S: half damage
F: full damage
CF: full damage, slowed 1 (1 rd)
Each attempt requires 2 actions.
Religion(T) to speak the proper burial rites,
Occultism(T) to exorcise the lingering souls,
Intimidation to scare the fearful souls away.
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Still slightly shivering due to the skeletal hands, Ashun moves forward just enough so he can see more of them and the spirit swirl, "I am sorry you all are stuck here instead of passing on, let me try to help you." and starts focusing on empathising with the spirits, and trying to give them closure on their needs and feelings, he pulls out his Shelyn necklace and begins whispering funeral chants to soothe the haunting ghosts.
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Cath yells at the spirits to leave them alone. The spirits waver and the haunt appears to flicker. It comes back, slightly weaker, but still there.
Cath attempts to swat Red as it approaches. She almost catches it, managing to clip a fingernail, but Red keeps coming. Ashun steps up, barely managing to shake off the effect of the skeletal hands. He pulls out his necklace dedicated to Shelyn and chants a funeral rite to put the souls to rest. The Haunt wavers. Like a mirage disappearing, it fades away with a loud groan. The hands disappear with it.
You all return to the surface, much to Unzgrin's relief. She has you accompany her to another cave where she stashed additional supplies, as well as your reward.
"I’m a bit disappointed in my findings, to tell you the truth. I’d hoped to find something more insightful: perhaps some ancient artifacts or ruins. I also hadn’t expected to run into as much trouble as I did, and I have you to thank for getting me out of there alive. I'm heading back to the city to see if there are other explorers and join up with them instead of going solo."
As you prepare to depart, she happens to call after you, "Unless, of course, you'd like to come with me..."
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As the haunt subsides, Bitty draws a weapon, and then calls out the burial rites of Cloudspire.
"Ashes and smoke curling up from your biers
Your descendants come, offering honor and tears
Mortals are built of stars and sky
And to these we return when we die
Let go your mortal pain, woes, and fears
Let go the memories built over years
It is time, my friends, for your soul to fly
We weep with joy though we say goodbye."
◈ Draw Weapon
◈◈ Disable Haunt
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Your adventure begins in the Docks district of Absalom. You are in a local inn, the Rabbled Rouser. The Rabbled Rouser is located on a busy waterfront near Absalom’s harbor. The streets are crowded with legions of taverns and warehouses; each full and echoing with sounds of sailors, travelers, and dockworkers. There are hundreds of ships scattered along the dock just waiting to set sail on their next journey. The inn is crowded full of travelers from all over Golarion, but it doesn’t stand out much from other taverns nearby. You are relaxing and enjoying your time off from adventuring when you notice a distraught man wandering from table to table and making his plea for help.
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Your adventure begins in the Docks district of Absalom. You are in a local inn, the Rabbled Rouser.
Bee savors another bite. Then comments, "I don't even remember whose idea it was to meet up here for food, but I have to say it was a good one."
When the man approaches their table, Bee keeps an eye on things, but is happy to let others take the lead on the conversation itself.
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Spooning another bite from her turnip stew, Cath swallows before speaking up, "Aye, it was a good idea, whoever's it was."
Noticing the man after hearing Dar's, interesting speech pattern, places the wooden spoon into her bowl of hot food and speaks up, "Dar has the right of it. What is troubling you?"
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The Shisk arrived to Absalom with the people he met this raining day. Going to Absalom was a good deal. There he could find some work on whatever a ship. He’s at a table drinking a goat milk with his companions of travel when he hears the guy. This one will come to their table for sure. So he observes him discreetly.
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This is what it means to have friends to adventure with! This is why Grandma Beryl and Grandfather Ifekuba were so insistent that Bitty and Egg go adventuring. When you have brave companions, you can be brave as well! Bitty swings her feet happily as she sits next to her fellow gnome, Bee. He's kind of cute. Even if he's not part dragon.
Then she blushes and keeps eating her fish stew. "This is really different than the fish stews of Cloudspire, but it is still really good. I'm glad we came."
When the gentleman that is going from table to table comes their way, she almost wants to hide under the table again, but she takes a deep breath and stays put. Maybe he's hungry. "Um... do you want some stew? We could probably order you some."
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It doesn't take long before he makes his way over to your table.
The troubled man speaks quickly, "Please, please! I need help! I could tell from across the room that you’re a group of honorable adventurers and I have been desperately searching for such folk to help me in my quest for justice! I beg you, help my poor elderly parents. A dishonorable Taldan nobleman has tricked my poor, naive parents out of everything they have! Their coin and any items of value were swindled from them, but their pride won’t allow them to ask for help."
"So, I must ask. My parents are good people who didn’t deserve this treatment. They’re kind and try to help others, and this is the thanks they get for trying to help someone they thought was in need. Please, won’t you help me retrieve what was taken? I know it doesn’t look like I have much of a reward to offer, but I promise you will have one from me and my parents at the end of this."
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Bitty's tail wags with excitement. "Your poor parents! Why if anyone tried to rob my grandfather and grandmother, they'd be dead!"
Bitty doesn't say that would be because Grandfather Ifekuba would eat the miscreant, after a fair trial in the courts of Cloudspire. Grandfather gets testy about his hoard sometimes. The only person that ever managed to steal from Grandfather and get away with it was Grandma Beryl... And even so, it caused trouble for their early relationship.
"Um... Please sit, and tell us more about this noble."
Bitty pushes the remainder of her stew to Bea, because dinosaurs need lots of food to grow healthy and strong.
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Silently drinking a sweet low-alcoholic beverage, Ashun sees the man approaching them and asking for help. He looks at his colleagues, then back to the man, "Slow down a bit, you do not need to give us praise, I am sure we can help your parents." and he nods to Bitty in agreement, "I am Ashun, care to tell us your name, and more details if possible?"
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Bitty beams at Bee and Ashun, and then strokes Egg. "I know! It's much better to collect dinosaurs!"
"Yeah. See, that is so much more interesting. Currently I am collecting recipes. And no one needs to steal them from me. If they want one, I can let them copy it."
"But still, as strange as humans are, it isn't good for them to have their collection stolen either."
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"I am called Wiston Drent. My parents, my father Lom and my mother Andrea, are at our shared home in the Coins district. They’ve been too distraught and ashamed to leave, but I can take you to meet them."
"A fortnight ago, a nobleman named Malcolm Stanian said he needed some funds to build an orphanage in Taldor. My parents take pride in helping others without receiving anything in return, so of course they agreed to help. We only found out that this man was a fraud! I can only guess he did it because he knew he could and that my parents wouldn’t fight back. This is why it’s such a horrible thing to have happened and why I truly need your help to bring them justice. My parents would feel horrible asking anyone, let alone strangers, to help them retrieve their valuables. But it’s all they have so I must go against their wishes and beg for help."
Only the most desperate of Taldan nobles would have the need to prey on commoners in a foreign land. There’s likely more to this Taldan noble than meets the eye.