Ku'Hania listens, grateful for Becky's translation, as the living statues relate what they know. "At least we know that this will be a safe place, should we need a campsite."
This all seems so strange to Braxton. Animated statues deposited - personally - by gods? This island is weird. "That is all quite fascinating." He says honestly. "You seem like nice ladies, and there is much our people would ask you. Unfortunately, we are on something of a rescue mission at the moment and do not have time to dally here just yet." While he understands - if these ladies were left here to proselytize but could not leave and few strangers come by these days - that might frustrate them, but greater needs call to them. "We are worried some of our number, who came to this island several weeks ago, are being held against their will in a structure to the north."
"We hate to be rude, but we really must be going." Sheathing his rapier, he approaches the statue sisters with a warm smile. Doffing his hat, he takes Illyrius' hand and bows, kissing he marble hand respectully. "I am sorry if those who came before us offended you our your goddess. We believe they were in some distress. I promise to return and hear of Acavna once we have assured the safety of our people." He is not really that interested in their goddess, but schmoozing amongst the locals is what he does, and statue ladies are as interesting as anything else they had found thus far.
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“You’ve actually been alive since before the Azlant empire fell!!” Ankha’s eyes are as wide and excited as if they were spherical squirrels overdosed on nuts, caffeine, and sugar. She didn’t really expect them to be alive during Azlant times—that was just wishful thinking—but now that her wish has come true ...
“Do you need to do anything to stay alive for so long? Special diet, exercise regimen, topical application of mildly poisonous flora or toxic heavy metals?” She rattles off the questions like kernels of corn popping in a bonfire, and in the blink of an eye the alchemist has fished out her formulae book in one hand, a quill in the other, and both are waiting eagerly to spring into action. “Not that I, uh, know the latter from direct experience,” she adds, in response to any judgmental looks she may receive. “Or do you just need to pray to your goddess, or maybe even do nothing at all?”
She makes a distracted, shooing gesture at Braxton without even looking at him. “You go on. I’ll catch up later, or else come back if you need me.” Her attention is firmly fixed upon the pair of statues. That Braxton is behaving just like Eliza—leaving immediately with promises to return and learn—does not cross her mind at all. Only one thing is on her mind.
“Please, tell me all about your creator Acavna. What must I do to have her grant me your longevity—or even immortality?--and eternal youth?”
"I'm just as excited as you, Ankha." Braxton says, probably not true. "But these pretty marble ladies have a lot more time left than our fleshy missing friends. And the children that were nearly snatched off the beach last night would like to remain... unsnatched. I have all the supplies needed for surveying and cataloging, and quite a lot of coffee to boot, in Blaudon's pack. I promise we can return and set up camp, you'll have as long as you like to interrogate these statuesque stunners once the froggy beings that intend us harm are dealt with." He appreciates her enthusiasm, but their settlement is under attack right now.
"He is right. The danger of the attackers is most our priority right now, and making sure they don't attack again, and possibly resuing anyone they have taken is our responsibility." Ku'Hania pointedly says to Ankha.
Becky seems to be ready to say something but keeps silent when Braxton and Ku'Hania chide Ankha a bit. "Yeah, we probably should scrub the stain of the skum off our island before it becomes permanent."
The two celedons give the distinct impression of wanting to be angry, but Braxton's words and charming actions convince them that he will in fact return.
"He's right, dear. We aren't going anywhere, and there is plenty of time for you to come back and learn the answers to all of your questions." Illyrius says, taking a few steps towards Ankha and laying a cold stone hand on the alchemist's shoulder.
"Go, rescue your companions and then we shall talk at length." Urlana adds, a smile breaking across her marble face.
Continuing along the path towards the tower ruins leads you back into the jungle forest beyond the celedon's clearing.
The forest gives way to shattered fragments of rock and stone, the barest recognizable remnants of a lost civilization. Jutting from the grass and shrubs is a stone promenade, ten feet wide with intermittent flights of short steps that climb up a gentle slope—miraculously unchanged despite titanic upheaval of the past. Walkways extend east and west briefly before terminating into hills of wind-eroded stone rubble that might have once been buildings. A solitary, seemingly intact tower is visible on the northern horizon, approximately a mile away.
Ku'Hania notices three separate hole entrances that look very similar to the ankheg field holes dug under the ground of the crumbling steps leading up towards the tower.
"Ewgh. Gross. More buggos." Before they get to close, Braxton unsaddles Blaudon, leaving the supplies on the ground next to a grain of sand. He wouldn't want them all to get killed and Blaudon to be stuck carrying their stuff around forever for no reason. He approaches the mystery holes, though hopefully not too closely, looking for track left from the familiar bugs. He remembers well his clobbering by the bug queen, and isn't eager to repeat the experience. "Bugs and frogs working together? No... It can't be..."
Ankha is somewhat downcast after reluctantly relenting to peer pressure, especially when even the celedons agree that her questions can wait. It doesn’t take long, however, for her to regain her usual cheery mood—after all, Braxton is correct that the prisoners can’t wait as long as a pair of eternal statues can—and she is humming a merry tune when they encounter the stone promenade.
“Ooh, more ankhegs!” she murmurs in a tone that is diametrically opposite from Braxton’s. “How perfect! I used up the last one for more experiments.” Just in case there’s a confrontation, the alchemist quickly mixes together an enlarging extract, then helps the swashbuckler search for more signs of the ankhegs. “Though I suppose we can’t dilly dally with the ankhegs any more than we could with the celedons—we need to focus on the prisoners first. Perhaps we should just toss alcehmist’s fire into the holes and be on our way?”
"Ankhegs...yes," Becky mutters, sounding as unconfident as you've ever heard her. "Right...."
Luckily for Becky (and unluckily for everyone else) the things that come crawling out of the holes aren't ankhegs. Instead, thousands of Fine steel ball bearings roll out of the closest hole, forming a large wave of metal caltrops moving down the hill towards you. As soon as you see them moving on the stairs you realize that the strange trail you found earlier was likely made by these...things.
Init:
14- Braxton
14- it
8- Ankha
8- Becky
4- Ku'Hania
"Well, tiny metal balls and frogs working together makes more sense than bugs and frogs working together." Braxton draws the alchemist's fire they had looted their first day at the colony. "That wand may come in use now, dearest Rebecca."
Ankha identifies the group of metallic ball bearings as something called a 'warden jack swarm', a construct swarm most likely intended to serve as a security system.
The swarm charges (not literally) down the stairs and rolls underneath the groups' feet. Braxton and Ku'Hania lose their footing on the carpet of bearings, and fall prone inside the swarm. The rest of the group manages to hold themselves together but Ku'Hania finds herself overwhelmed by the sheer number of things crawling over and around her.
Init:
Round 1
14- Braxton
14- it
8- Ankha
8- Becky
4- Ku'Hania
Round 2
14- Braxton
14- it
8- Ankha
8- Becky
4- Ku'Hania
Ku' Hania crawls away from the overwhelming swarm of metallic oddities.
“Ooh, so that’s what made those weird tracks! I think it’s a warden jack swarm—probably a security system for the tower. Our weapons are useless against it, but something like the flaming sphere wand should work well,” Ankha informs the others. “They can also extend nasty spikes like caltrops, so watch your step.” Without any means of harming the swarm, she muses for a moment, then hurries away from the horde of ball bearings while rapidly rummaging through her pack for the swarmsuit they had found. “Just stay out of the way for a bit while I put this on ...”
These heavy and overlapping layers of clothing, coupled with a wide hat outfitted with a dense, veil-like netting around its brim
A direct hit deals 1d6 points of fire damage. Every creature within 5 feet of the point where the flask hits takes 1 point of fire damage from the splash. On the round following a direct hit, the target takes an additional 1d6 points of damage. If desired, the target can use a full-round action to attempt to extinguish the flames before taking this additional damage. Extinguishing the flames requires a DC 15 Reflex save. Rolling on the ground provides the target a +2 bonus on the save. Leaping into a large body of water or magically extinguishing the flames automatically smothers the fire. Crafting this item is a DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check.
Becky identifies the thing, confirming Ankha's knowledge, then uses her performance and moves away from the swarm. "Have to spread out so we don't take as much concentrated damage from the swarm!" she cries out, moving a bit in the opposite direction.
Braxton throws the alchemist's fire but doesn't hit it in the confusion, and watches as it splashes over it dealing some damage regardless.
The swarm moves over to Becky, swarming underneath her again.
Init:
Round 2
14- Braxton
14- it
8- Ankha
8- Becky
4- Ku'Hania
Round 3
14- Braxton
14- it
8- Ankha
8- Becky
4- Ku'Hania
“Let’s get out of here!” Ankha urges. “That’ll give us time to regroup and put on the swarmsuit.”
Ku' Hania gets to her feet and retreats as well, falling back to where the constructs were unlikely to consider them a threat.
"Uhh, their little feetsie trails were quite far away the first time we came upon them. I don't think they'll not give chase."
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Becky fails to stifle a cry as she's again swarmed by the strange little thingamabobs. This time she steps on a couple of the wardens, loses her footing, and ends up on her back in the middle of the host. Giving another whine of pain and/or distress, she takes Ankha's words to heart, stands up, and races after the alchemist.
The group retreats from the swarm, and the swarm doesn't follow just as Ankha said it wouldn't.
“I think those other trails were made by another swarm,” Ankha responds to Braxton after everyone has safely retreated from the threat. “Warden jacks certainly aren’t unique.” She slowly puts on the bulky swarmsuit, then mixes one of her extracts.
“This suit will protect me, and I think you’ll all be safe if I carry you—these warden jacks are more like ball bearings than like spiders or centipedes that can climb up walls; I think they’ll have trouble rolling all the way up my legs. One of you can ride piggy-back style, and I can carry the others, one in each arm.” She quaffs the extract and her muscles almost immediately begin to bulge.
"We still need a way to deal with them once you set us down. Do we have more flasks with alchemists fire or acid?" Ku' Hania asks.
Ankha shakes her head. "No, unfortunately I don't have any, but maybe I could set you down on a pillar where the warden jacks can't reach you. Or perhaps you could use some rope to climb the side of the tower?" The alchemist seems a little disheartened. "Sorry I don't have a better idea."
Braxton hesitates. "Ankha, it is not as though I doubt your strength or the sturdiness of your stride, but I do not think trapping ourselves and potentially anyone we rescue betwixt the metal balls and whatever may be waiting inside the tower for us, pending a ferry from you, is wise. We have one more vial of fire, and I can summon alcohol. Most machines I know of are vulnerable to fire, mayhaps we can fashion some kind of torch, and you can simply burn the mecha-beasties from the safety of your suit."
"There's not much I can do...other than acting as a target and distraction," the teen mutters as she uses a charge from the healing wand to treat some of the wounds suffered at the hands (teeth?) of the jack warden swarm. "Well, at least the wand seems to be working again. Anyone else need some healing?"
“I’m not sure this swarmsuit is fireproof,” Ankha mildly demurs, “but I’d be happy to try whatever you think is best.” She takes a few moments to retrieve a torch from her pack and light it with her flint and steel. “Just tell me what to do,” she says, ready to follow the swashbuckler’s lead.
Whatever plan you decide upon enacting, the point proves ultimately moot as the warden jack swarm is now nowhere to be found upon your return. Perhaps whoever controls it has recalled it somewhere? Regardless, that's a problem for the future (maybe), and the path to the tower is open. About a mile left to the foot of said tower.
"Either someone is controlling those things and is watching what we do next, or they are triggered by something we did. No idea what though." Ku'Hania mutters as they move forward with no sign of the swarm.
“Maybe they left on a long range patrol, like when we saw those tracks far away from here?” Ankha suggests hopefully. “Anyway, we should take advantage of their absence. Just be ready to follow Braxton’s plan if they come back.” With her still lit torch held aloft, Ankha leads the way onward towards the tower, waddling awkwardly forward in the heavy swarmsuit as she glances about for the swarm or any other dangers.
"Alright. I suppose we will cross that bridge if the bridge comes back!" Even though the tower is still a ways off, Braxton doesn't want Blaudon to get caught by the bugs while they're in the tower, so he leaves the mule to his own machinations. His ioun torch already floating about his head, Braxton is ready to proceed.
To the north, the hills give way to sharp, rocky inclines. A solitary stone structure, a tower at least three stories high, is partially embedded in the rocky cliff wall behind it. The cylindrical edifice is oddly undamaged, however, as if the rock were only the tide lapping at the tower’s lower half, frozen in time. The structure has no windows or rooftop battlements. A metal double door is set in the base of the southern side and is slightly ajar.
"The door's partially open, ready to be dramatically kicked in!" Braxton doesn't kick the door in, however, since that would be rude. "Remember: this is hopefully a rescue mission, so identify before you cleave."
Ankha acknowledges Braxton with a nod. “Just give me a minute,” she mutters after ensuring that there is no sign of a swarm anywhere. She takes off the cumbersome swarmsuit and stows it away in her backpack. “Ooh, that feels so much better,” she grins at the sensation of being able to move freely once again. “Okay, ready when you are.”
The door opens easily enough, and Braxton pushes it open without much effort.
The spacious chamber beyond the door appears to have been designed to awe or impress the entrant. Pale gray tiles decorated with faint, intricate geometrical designs cover the floor. The walls of the chamber are pure white, illuminated by unnatural light emanating from the ceiling in a way that makes the chamber appear slightly larger than it really is. A large double door exits to the south (the one you entered from), and another double door leads to the north.
Following the others in, Ku'Hania keeps her spear held ready, while taking in the impressive chamber.
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"Hm. Nice digs. I would never use this much white, though. Too much cleaning." Braxton says, almost approvingly, as he peeks into the tower. "This could be repurposed, eventually. Maybe a lighthouse. But let us not be overwhelmed by the grandeur. Let us remained whelmed and assume something unpleasant is waiting for us." Rapier at the ready, he takes a tentative step into the structure.
Becky, too, steps into the tower's fabulous foyer, actively suppressing all the "Ooh!"-s and "Aah!"-s that want to escape her lips. Like Braxton, she examines the chamber more closely. Unlike the brewer, however, she's not looking for any unfriendly denizens--she wants to find wondrous artifacts from a bygone age!
“Odd that the door was left open,” Ankha remarks in a quiet whisper, cognizant of the unknown threats that might lie within. With her polearm gripped in readiness, she carefully examines the threshold and area around the entrance, looking for footprints or anything else out of the ordinary, then protectively follows the young bard.
Ku' Hania moves into the structure, silently studying everything around her as she watches out for some new, unanticipated danger.
As the group explores the foyer of the tower, Braxton coincidentally brushes up against one of the two white walls and is shocked to discover that they're not real walls: they're illusions!
Standing immediately behind said wall is another of those fishmen, a skum, and it stabs its trident at Braxton as he obviously reacts to it. Braxton can see that the other wall isn't real either (and holds another skum behind it), and can point that out to the group.
In its surprise at being noticed, however, the trident swing misses.
Init:
19- Braxton
11- Ankha
10- Skum
7- Becky
3- Ku'Hania
"Evil fiiiiish!" Braxton cries, stabbing at one of the wallfish.