As the discussion continues, Drusan comes bounding out of the swamp holding a ratty backpack, a broken short sword, and a heavy wooden shield missing half its circumference.
He looks around the area, reaches down into a stagnant pool, and grabs a handful of mud from a stagnant pool brimming with flies. He works the mud all through his hair and beard and then smiles widely.
The trail of the remaining cultists is easy to follow, given they left heavy impressions in the wet earth and many must still be bleeding given all the drops of blood scattered about.
After about four hours of marching, dusk is just starting to fall when Drusan, who had been walking ahead, starts jumping up and down and pointing. You emerge from the vine-wrapped trees to see two enormous stone doors, each thirty feet high and fifteen feet wide, covered in carved, vertical wavy lines. The left-hand door stands open, a complex internal mechanism of worked stone and metal clockwork gears visible along the door’s side about halfway up. The doors are recessed about ten feet into the side of a large, grass-covered hill and tilt slightly inward.
A firepit smolders beside the right-hand door, tiny tendrils of smoke still curling skyward from its coals.
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Trying to ignore the clearly crazy human, ting nods his beak in agreement with Rogarch. Taking one last untrusting look at the lizard, ting turned and started looking for the tracks again; walking slowly, standing for a moment on one leg, then transitioning to the other. Looking very much like a crow hunting for corn.
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Lifting his beak, seeing Drusan jumping up and down, ting realizes they may have found their destination. Not surprised that the crazy human would be staying outside of the large intimidating structure. Looking from the giant doorway towards the setting sun, he asks. "Tha sun'l'be down soon. Do's we's camp out 'ear er do we's 'ead on in ta tha bloody city?"
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Rogarch nods at the crazed man. She is glad for many reasons that he is staying behind.
"Well, if everyone is not too tired we can push on. We should take advantage of the fact that the doors are open and we can enter. That might change with time."
"We can find a suitable place to rest right inside the city if we need to."
@GM Jhaeman - I am assuming that our characters are up to continuing on but as the GM you should let us know if we are near the point of becoming fatigued.
"Goran. Candledark. Perhaps checking to see if the doors are protected by magic might be helpful as well."
(Detect Magic may be useful here)
Rogarch examines the doors for traps with Rawk-N-Role's help.
26 Perception on a take 10 to examine the doors with help included.
Rawk-N-Role stays with his master looking at the gate and the surrounds with interest.
Rogarch and Goran examine the doors for danger signs.
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AS Rogarch and Rawk look around, ting watches Goran focus on the doors. About to ask a question, he gives a wide yawn, opening his broken beak to an almost unimaginable width. Rubbing his eyes he adds, "We's been marchin' all days, wroight." Gesturing towards the smoldering fire, he adds, "'at seems loike as good 'o bloody place as any's ta camp. Why's don't we's take a sit-down, ear?" As he speaks, he moves over to the smoldering fire, picking up a stick and stirring the ashes.
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Rogarch nods agreeing with Ting. She knows that with her training that she can easily push herself but the others are likely to tire more easily.
"You are right. Resting is probably a good idea. We should probably get a rock or a log to stop the doors from closing easily. I would hate to have the doors slammed shut on us in the middle of the night."
The warrior looks around for a convenient object to delay/stop the possible closing of the doors.
Goran continues examining the doors with his mystical senses while Rogarch finds a heavy stone to make sure they won't close overnight. Ting gets a campsite ready. But just as you've all settled down to relax for the evening, danger comes calling!
Initiative (Surprise Round)
Rogarch+Rawk
Goran
Ting
Candledark
Terror Wolves
Bold should go!
Rawk-N-Role follows Rogarch but the slow moving elemental barely makes any headway through the undergrowth.
Move action taken.
Rogarch and Rawk-N-Role move into defensive positions!
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Still playing with the fire, ting see's the wolves creeping in the shadows. Considering what to do as he turns and warns the others, "Oy, we's got some o' 'em ugly dogs agains." Deciding the forest would hamper a bow shot, he moves towards the southeastern wolf. Drawing his exotic bastard sword as he pauses beside the cleric.
As Ting gets ready for combat, the bizarrely-mutated wolves move quickly through the undergrowth, waiting to pounce!
Initiative (Round 1)
Rogarch+Rawk
Goran
Ting
Candledark
Terror Wolves
Bold should go!
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Rogarch sees yellow dancing around the tree for cover. She draws forth her wand of Magic Missile with her left hand and activates it (bypassing partial cover and concealment). Three missiles stream towards the annoying opponent. Her spiked gauntlet stays at the ready in her right hand should the creature come too close.
Rawk-N-Role moves closer to Rogarch and readies a punch should a canine approach within striking distance.
Ting waits to move in concert with Goran as Rogarch sends a volley of conjured force spheres at the nearest threat! Meanwhile, Rawk-N-Role gets ready to defend their half-orc companion.
With just a piercing look, Candledark somehow makes the mutated wolf crumble into dust! Goran tries to shoot the other one with his crossbow, but the bolt thunks solidly into a tree.
The remaining beast charges, glistening black drool dripping from its fangs, towards Ting! But with one slash of his exotic bastard sword, the master tengu swordsman cuts it down!
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Rogarch puts her wand away and returns to the fireside with Rawk-N-Role.
"Those creatures are persistent. We will have to keep a good watch tonight. Once we are inside the city our opponents are likely to be far more challenging."
Rogarch hands out the potions keeping one of the yellow (Cure Light Wounds) potions for herself.
"These do no one any good in the party's sack. Still better not to get wounded in the first place."
"Goran, Candledark have a look at these bracers. See what they can do?"
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As the creature falls, ting prods it with the tip of his sword, before wiping the blade clean on its fur. Sheathing the blade, he walks towards Rogarch, lulling his tongue in a tengu smiles. "They's may be's persistent, But I's don't t'ink they's'll be tasty. Looks loike we's are back ta eatin' rations wroight?"
Reaching out he accepts one of the potions, tucking it in his pocket. "T'anks, I's completely forgot they's was bloody well 'air."
Returning to the fire, he decides to rest until it's his watch.
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3 dense, puffy old-Chelaxian-style loaves are already floating slowly and eerily toward Rogarch and the others before she even mentions them.
"I did take a look at those bracers earlier," Says Candledark, the first thing he's said in nearly as long. "In fact, I'm the one who told you there's more to them than meets the eye in the first place, remember? Beyond that, unfortunately, such artifice is not really my area of expertise."
Having fought off the mutated wolves and arranged food and watches, the Pathfinders have earned a good night's sleep. And despite its ominous name, the Isle of Terror provides one!
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Another day means another attempt to decipher the vexing magical scroll that has been alluding Rogarch. She puts her head together with Rawk-N-Role and gets to work.
Today is the day and the final scroll is finally understood. After her moment of discovery she adjusts her equipment and then turns to the others.
"Ready to get underway?"
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Having fought off the mutated wolves and arranged food and watches, the Pathfinders have earned a good night's sleep. And despite its ominous name, the Isle of Terror provides one!
"This is really not such a bad place," Candledark muses in the night. "It's really not so different from the Isle of No Return or the Isle of the Damned or the Isle of Extremely Naughty Tentacles; why, I understand all the isles have names like that over amid the fragrant and crystal-clear waters of the Sea of Multi-Iterative Skeletal-Imploding Doom!"
The Pathfinders get ready, form up, and enter through the open gates. Nothing remarkable is on the other side: just a smooth, winding tunnel disappearing down into the distance at a gentle slope.
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Nodding at Rogarch's comment, ting had completely forgotten about the bread. Turning he saw the puffy loaf of bread floating his way. Reaching up and taking the bread out of the air, he nods "T'anks Candledark, breads got's ta be better than festerin' wolf, wroight." Tearing the break off in great chunks with his beak, he begins swallowing with out chewing.
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Waking early ting collects his bedroll and readies his gear. Standing and shouldering his pack as the bloodrager asks if they were ready. Giving a sideways glance to Candledark, then nodding in agreement with Goran. "I's is ready too's"
As they form up, ting moves closer to Rogarch, asking. "Shall we's enter ta'gether?" remembering the little rock person he adds, "Lessen you's want's ta keep Rawky near's ya, wroight."
Rawk-N-Role is ready to earth glide through the tunnel complex. He will poke his head out of the rock face so he can communicate with Rogarch.
The tunnel goes underground for hundreds of feet with frequent switchbacks. After several minutes' walking, you arrive in a large rectangular room.
The floor here is sand and shows signs of recent foot traffic. The walls are all painted in enormous murals that depict a city in its prime.
The south wall shows hundreds of men and women in a marketplace, trading everything from fruit and livestock to construction materials such as brick and wood.
The north wall depicts row upon row of unarmed, uniformed men standing large in the foreground and growing smaller as their ranks disappear over the horizon toward the far right of the painting--a horizon over which an enormous golden sun rises. An exit from the room is here.
The east wall is a huge map that portrays a city constructed of three concentric circles and divided by canals of pure, crystal-clear water that flows from the city’s innermost ring; below this map someone has scrawled numerous notes and mathematical calculations in charcoal.
Finally, the west wall depicts a leader of some sort, crowned by a golden sun and speaking before a huge crowd of people wearing white shawls and golden togas.
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Rogarch and Rawk-N-Role examine the room for any secret passages or features of note. The fact that the floor is made of sand should facilitate this process as scrapes and foot prints leading into walls should be evident even to the untrained eye.
26 Perception on a take 10 with aid included
"Goran, see if there is any magic about. I don't want to miss anything obvious."
"Candledark see if you can make heads or tails about the calculations scrawled on the east wall."
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Pausing, ting turns and watches the half orc spread the jar of grease all over herself. Shuddering slightly at the idea, he waits until she is ready to go. Moving along with her down the tunnel.
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Entering the large room, tings beak drops open. slowly closing it as Rogarch and the little stony fellow search around. Getting his beak shut ting tires to aid them. Pausing, he looks at the murals and tries to read the scrawled notes below the map. Asking, "Oy, do 'eas notes makes any floggin' sense ta anybodies?"
As Rogarch checks the sandy floor for signs of a secret passage, Ting takes a look at the map.