Hakata calls on the spirits, moves to get a clear shot, and fires at the creature.
for
Valda flies forward behind the party and emerges with a triumphant strike that critically wounds Hobji.
Catamoch kicks and slashes, but fails to connect with the sneaky morlock.
Hakata's arrow ricochets off a stalactite in between he and the enemy, missing.
Strongjaw rouses Kadosh, who manages to slip out of the choke hold, grab his weapon and bury it into the morlock.
Flying into a rage, the morlock swings its warhammer wildly at Kadosh, Valda and Catamoch, but misses all three targets.
HP 14/28
AC 18
Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +6
Hero points: 1
Effects:
Coughing furious, Kadosh grabs his bell and then brings his axe to bear! Unfortunately, he's too busy still trying to get air through his bruised throat and doesn't even come close to the morlock.
Valda hacks and slashes!
Valda is relentless. Over and over again she slashes the morlock until he collapses in a bloody heap before her. His possessions consist of chalk, specialist snare kit, and a +1 warhammer.
Over on the effigy, the party finds the missing hat, a candlecap.
Dibs on the chalk!
"A fancy warhammer for a sneak and killer. I don't feel any compunction in taking it." Hakata examines the rune on the weapon. "We should return that hat to its rightful owner."
"Ouch. Yes," Kadosh moans. "Thank you, Valda. Again. I think I might need to rest before we go on to find Syarstik. I know we don't have much time, though..."
"Mn. Don't nod off in a hat like that if you're a restless sleeper."
Valda nods to Kadosh. "I am glad you are okay. Let us return the cap and then rest."
The scouts make their way back to the blindheim leader, the magical candlecap in hand. They enter the chamber where the blindheim leader and her groplit companion had remained, their presence immediately drawing the leader's attention.
Kadosh steps forward, holding the glowing candlecap with a sense of reverence and accomplishment. The blindheim leader's bulbous eyes widen with recognition and excitement. She hops forward eagerly, her gaze fixed on the prized possession she had longed for.
Gently, Kadosh extends the candlecap towards her. The moment it touches her hands, a wave of relief and joy washes over her. She turns the cap over in her hands, examining it as if seeing a long-lost friend. With a swift, almost reverent motion, she places the cap back onto her head, where it belongs. Her posture straightens, and she radiates a sense of regained dignity and purpose.
Strongjaw, miming the actions of combat, conveys to the blindheim leader that Hobji, the morlock who terrorized them, has been defeated. The White Rabbit is seen making exaggerated death sequences of the morlock. The message takes a moment to sink in, but when it does, her entire demeanor changes. A sense of peace and gratitude replaces the fear and anxiety that had plagued her.
In a surprising gesture of gratitude and respect, the blindheim leader approaches Valda. She removes the candlecap from her head and, with a gentle but deliberate motion, places it upon Valda's head. Bowing deeply, she acknowledges the scouts' bravery and kindness. The blindheims around, sensing their leader's joy, join in a chorus of soft, croaking sounds, an alien but heartfelt expression of their collective relief.
The White Rabbit turns to Strongjaw.
Why did that scene from Jedi when they made friends with them ewoks fellas just play out in my head?
The Goblin nods.
"I think you just became their chieftain," Kadosh whispers to Valda, hoping she'll appreciate the honor.
"Thank you," he says to the blindheims, though he's not sure they'll understand him. Hopefully the tone of his voice will convey the message.
"So now even they don't want the cap?"
Catamoch chuffs in dark amusement as Veshka seethes.
Hells take them anyways. A darkened spirit awaits us."
The candlecap looks silly, but Valda knows better than to insult the blindheim. She thumps a fist to her chest and returns the creature's bow.
She turns to Veshka with a helpless shrug. "Their ways are strange to us, but surely ours are strange to them as well. At least now we have made peace. But you are right. A great battle awaits us. We should rest to be sure we are prepared."
As the scouts settle into the relative safety of the chamber near the underground lake, they begin to camp for the night. The echoes of dripping water from the lake provide a soothing backdrop as they prepare for their rest.
As night deepens, they take turns keeping watch, ensuring their safety while the others sleep. Their quiet conversations are hushed, a mix of strategy planning and comforting reassurances.
Come morning, the scouts awaken with a sense of purpose. They pack up their makeshift camp, douse the fire, share a quick meal, and set off deeper into Red Cat Cave.
As the scouts traverse into new territory, they find that the winding cave’s walls have been painted with three floor-to-ceiling iconographic illustrations: one of a mastodon, one of a dinosaur, and one of a great cat. Humanoid figures wielding spears and axes swarm the mastodon and great cat. Near the dinosaur, more hunters emerge from the fingertips of a handprint smeared on the wall. Above the animals, a series of dots are reminiscent of stars.
"Such an unusual and intricate painting," Hakata observes as he studies the images, his nose close to the cave wall. "The artists used magic to their advantage in the hunt. And look," he points to the ceiling. "The globe of the sky picked out in detail. They captured the stars of a springtime midnight, long ago. It is a shame that such a dark spirit has taken over this place."
Strongjaw stands slacked jawed at the cool depictions on the Cave walls. His lips are moving.
The White Rabbit nods as if expecting nothing less.
Tanngrisnir seems not to give a tuff of grass whatsoever...
Kadosh nods in agreement, sure Hakata is right.
"We should go see what time it is now," he suggests.
As Hakata leans in, his eyes tracing the intricate details of the ancient artwork, he's captivated by the skill and story depicted in the cave paintings. The hunters, frozen in their timeless struggle, seem almost alive under the flickering light of their torches.
But as he examines the painting of the great cat more closely, a chill runs down his spine. The missing limbs of the hunters, the splatters of paint that too closely resemble blood – it's unsettling. As he peers at the gruesome scene, the air around him shifts, thickening with an energy that seems to pulse from the cave walls.
Suddenly, the painted great cat stirs. At first, Hakata thinks it's a trick of the light, a mere shadow play, but then the impossible happens. With a fluid, terrifying grace, the cat leaps off the wall, its form gaining horrific dimension and substance as it lunges towards him.
Its roar fills the cavern, a sound that echoes with the rage and sorrow of centuries. The painted cat, now a spectral beast of claws and fangs, strikes at Hakata. Its ghostly claws swipe through the air, aiming for him with a ferocity that belies its two-dimensional origin.
Strongjaw screams like a little Goblin! The White Rabbit smacks him! Tanngrisnir chews on some steam tufts of foliage.
The Witch snaps out of his momentary lapse of reason. He begins shoveling dirt at the now blank wall!
Hakata takes a deep wound from the painting. "Ah! my blood stains the floor, like those hunters."
He calls on the spirits of stone that he communed with this morning to help him disperse the baleful energy of the spirit.
"Quiet, be gone! There is no prey here."
Veshka snarls right back at the beast, chanting in dark tongues to bind the spirit back to its wall.
"Rest spirits," Kadosh says soothingly, but the quaver in his voice betrays him.
Hakata is frightened of what he sees and begins to flee from the spectral cat. He feels like he can exorcise these spirits, but he just can't compel himself to get close enough to do so. As he moves away, Strongjaw, Veshka, and Kadosh both try to soothe the kitty but aren't successful.
The spectral cat targets Veshka next, snarling and and slashing at her, rending her badly.
Hakata regains his composure, turns and confronts the spirits, exorcising this time and forcing the haunt to disappaite.
Once ready, the scouts push forward into a cavernous chamber, their torchlight dances across the walls, illuminating a gallery of monstrous paintings. Wyrms coil menacingly, wolves snarl in mid-pounce, and mythical creatures of all sorts seem to vie for dominance on the rocky canvas. The images are both awe-inspiring and unsettling, speaking of a world filled with danger and marvel.
Their attention is drawn to the southern wall, where a lone stalagmite has been carved into a pedestal. The remnants of ancient carvings, flames and smoke, encircle the stone, telling a silent story of power and reverence. The pedestal's top is marked with a halo of black scorch marks, a stark reminder of what once rested there: the Primordial Flame.
The air in the chamber feels heavy, charged with an unseen energy. A sense of foreboding fills the room, as if the painted monsters on the walls are mere echoes of a much more potent and real presence.
Suddenly, the temperature drops, and a ghostly chill sweeps through the cavern. A low, guttural growl reverberates off the stone walls, growing louder, more tangible. From the shadows, a spectral form coalesces: the massive, ghostly figure of a saber-toothed tiger, its eyes burning with an otherworldly light. The ghost of Syarstik Painted-Tiger manifests before them, an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight.
The ghost tiger's appearance is majestic yet sorrowful, its ethereal form flickering with shades of anger and regret. The scouts can sense the weight of the tiger's unfulfilled duty, the shame of its defeat, and the fury of its untimely death. Syarstik's ghost, still bound to the place of its demise, raises its head and lets out a haunting roar that echoes through the chamber, a clear signal of its readiness to attack.
Hakata breaths a silent prayer and conjures a spear of ice to fling at the fiery spirit cat. Afterward, he invites in the spirits of battle.
for and and
Strongjaw, the White Rabbit and Tanngrisnir begin weeping at the cursed cat spirit's perdition.
The icicle, glowing with a cold light, sails through the air, but the ghostly tiger, moving with an otherworldly grace, easily evades the attack. The spear shatters against the cave wall, leaving a frosty residue.
As the ice spear dissipates, the cave itself seems to respond to Syarstik's presence. The scouts watch in a mix of awe and horror as one of the cave paintings, a depiction of a great cat like Syarstik, begins to move. The painted figure's limbs stretch and contort, mimicking Syarstik’s movements as if the painting itself has come to life. The eerie animation casts a disconcerting aura, making the scouts feel exposed and vulnerable.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Syarstik moves with supernatural speed. In a blur, the ghostly tiger strides across the room, its form flickering between the physical and ethereal. With the agility of a predator, Syarstik pounces on Valda, who is momentarily caught off guard by the animated painting behind her.
The ghostly fangs of Syarstik find their mark, sinking into Valda with a chilling force. The impact of the bite sends a jolt of negative energy coursing through her, the pain of the spectral wounds far deeper than any physical injury. Valda staggers under the assault, feeling the weight of the ancient guardian's wrath and sorrow in that single, devastating strike.
Valda cries out in pain and anguish as the tiger's fangs wound her. She calls upon her divine spark to heal some of her injuries, then roars a battle challenge and strikes back with her enchanted blade! Her mark begins to glow a bright silver.
Veshka reaches out to grasp Catamoch by the tusk, squeezing until her blood trickles down from her fingers to bless the demon-boar as he would understand it.
"Show that stalking ghost what Wrath is!"
Surging forward, Catamoch races around the spectral cat's flank, raking his newly sanctified tusks through the fur and remembered muscle.
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Hakata steps over to the awakened painting, diverting his attention from the spell and the tiger, "You must quiet! You're driving him mad," he hisses at the animated figures.
Strongjaw wets himself. The White Rabbit is seen wearing a hazmat suit. Tanngrisnir looks pissed!
Strongjaw Commands Tanngrisnir to Stride them to the further away painting they can Stride twice to. Away from the scary real cat!
The Witch begins doing graphic design on the painting!
HP 28/28
AC 18
Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +6
Hero points: 1
Effects:
"Valda!" Kadosh calls out. Turning his attention to the paintings, he tries to calm the spirits animating them. His bell ringing slightly, the painting seems to focus on it, the music soothing the savage beasts.
Valda channels her strength into a decisive blow against the ghostly Syarstik. The blade, empowered by the rune, seems to connect solidly with the ghost, causing it to recoil with a sound that's a mix of a growl and an ethereal wail. Syarstik's form flickers under the impact, revealing that Valda's attack has indeed wounded the spirit.
Kadosh follows up with an attack of his own. His weapon, less effective against the ghostly form of Syarstik, manages only to graze the apparition. However, Kadosh's knowledge of the esoteric allows him to quickly identify a vulnerability in Syarstik's defenses and use that to his advantage.
Catamoch, attempting to follow Valda's successful attack, lunges at Syarstik. But his tusks pass through the ghost, failing to make contact.
Meanwhile, Hakata turns his attention to the awakened painting that has been animating behind them. Focusing his will, he compels the painting to cease its eerie movements. The figures on the wall slowly still, returning to their original painted form.
The spectral tiger, undeterred by the previous efforts of the scouts, animates another cave painting. The figures on the wall seem to come to life once more, moving in a haunting, eerie dance that distracts and disorients. Using this chaotic environment to its advantage, Syarstik launches another attack on Valda. The ghostly tiger, with a swift and vicious pounce, sinks its ethereal fangs into her. Valda winces as she feels the cold, numbing pain of negative energy coursing through her, a sensation that's as much spiritual as it is physical.
Kadosh attempts to intervene with his bell. He rings it and hopes to deter Syarstik's tormented mind, but the spirit is resilient against such tactics.
15
The cold nearly brings Valda to her knees, but she remains standing. "Bad kitty!" she declares as her blade glows and she slashes again, the light returning to her mark afterwards.
---
Valda delivers an even more powerful flow that knocks the wrath right out of the spectral kitty. The large tiger staggers backwards a few steps as its rage abates and it lays down on the ground for a few moments, coming to its senses. Once the ghost of Syarstik has calmed down, he shakes his head as if exiting a daze. The saber-toothed tiger takes a long breath (or looks like he does despite being a ghost), sits on his haunches, and bows his head in submission. “Forgive me my wrath,” he intones, “and accept my surrender.”
A deep, rumbling voice emanates from the ghostly tiger and echoes off cavernous walls. “I am Syarstik Painted-Tiger, guardian of this cave for many centuries,” says the voice. “It has been at least one hundred winters since I was bested by one of your kind. Before then, no mortal dared challenge me. Indeed, your people came here often to consult the stars before migrating east."
“That all changed after the Great Quake. Some of your kind, their eyes full of fear, came here with a sacred light.” The ghost turns his massive head to the side, reflecting, and then nods toward the empty pedestal. “I agreed to protect your holy lamp, the one which once lay on that rock.”
The spectral cat paces the chamber as he speaks. “Not long after, another human arrived—a man with the heart of a demon. He called himself Metuak of the Burning Mammoths, and he challenged me for the artifact. I fell, and he took it."
“With my dying breath, I cursed the lamp that led to my ruin by placing a piece of my own soul inside it. As long as Metuak lived, whoever wielded that terrible fire would suffer horrendous agony if they ever parted from it. Through the piece of my soul in the lamp, I saw the demon-man flee through the eastern mountains before my vision clouded with rage. And then you arrived.”
"So, there is little chance that we can recover the flame and restore our following's honor--at least not now." Hakata observes, sadly. "You should rest, spirit. I apologize that our family has brought you so much trouble. You were good to promise your aid. One of our elders told us that the following was in dire trouble when they brought the flame to you."
Hakata considers the "demon-hearted" man that stole the flame. "Do you know why Metuak wanted the flame? We had heard its sacred purpose was to protect the tribe; it seems like it would not be useful for a demon."
Strongjaw just nods in agreement to the whispering in his head.
“I do not know the reason. He fled through the same mountain pass your people have always crossed. ‘Lost Mammoth Valley,’ I believe you call it? If you have forgotten the way, no matter. Your ancestors would come here sometimes to consult the stars in the next chamber, to chart their course.” He indicates the room to the west. “Beyond that, I do not know the fate of the demon-man or your sacred lantern.”
"A piece of my spirit still lingers inside that sacred lantern. If you retrieve it, beware—you will not be able to part with it until Metuak is killed. All I know is that somehow he still lives, even after all these years. Had he died, the cure would have been lifted and the rest of my soul returned to me."
"Of course it was the Burning Mammoths!" Kadosh exclaims. "Everything seems to come back to them.
"Syarstik, I don't know if we can help you -- we are fleeing from the Burning Mammoths, who have attacked us -- but if we can, we will try!" he vows.
Strongjaw seems to be inspecting the newly found chalk by drawing himself, the White Rabbit and Tanngrisnir speaking with a great cat.
The White Rabbit is seen also testing the newly acquired chalk by including flattering depictions of Valda, Hakata, Veshka and Catamoch and Kadosh to the scene.
Tanngrisnir seems to be eating some of the newly acquired chalk....
Sounds like wees bees need'n ta check out next cave fer directory.
Veshka takes this news in with a deepening scowl. Glaring at Catamoch she asks, "So should I just talk the Glimmering Shining Perfect one into hitting you with her bleeding sword? This one's straightened right up."
Moving on to the next room, you enter a chamber riddled with hundreds of tiny holes, each no wider than a finger. Through the holes, tiny shafts of light from the outside leak into the dark interior. Lines of thin, white paint connect nearly every hole, creating a tangled web of constellations. Scattered among these holes and lines are dozens of faint symbols of animals and terrain: elk, bison, and mammoths, plus mountains, forests and lakes. The overall effect is at once painstakingly precise and absurdly convoluted.
The holes in this room have been bored directly into the limestone of the cave and pierce all the way through to the top of the hill above. The painted lines between the holes are made from white pigment combined with tiny flecks of reflective mica; the mica glimmers when even the smallest amount of light plays over it. During the day, enough light streams in through these small holes to illuminate this cave with dim light. Furthermore, the mica chips catch and reflect the light, making the entire network of lines glow softly. The effect is beautiful at all hours, but the strange ceiling’s true purpose becomes apparent after sunset. During he darkest hours of the night, the moon and bright stars line up perfectly with the holes in a variety of configurations depending on the time and season, causing different painted lines to light up. The effect creates a dazzling map of the central Realm of the Mammoth Lords that can convey dozens of different migration routes.
On this illuminated map, a symbol of a cat’s face in front of a cave at the far western edge of the valley glows brightly—this symbol represents Red Cat Cave. At the far eastern end of the map, a symbol of a mammoth between two mountains indicates the location of Lost Mammoth Valley—the valley where Metuak supposedly took the Primordial Flame as he fled to the east.
Although the map isn’t detailed enough to reveal specific terrain features between Red Cat Cave and Lost Mammoth Valley, it does give the scouts the information they need to retread their ancestors’ ethgir route through the Tusk Mountains.
Hakata points at the ceiling and mutters, almost reverently, "There, traced in the sky, is our path. We'll reclaim the Primordial flame and bring prosperity back to the following."
"Amazing!" Kadosh exclaims. "Our ancestors did this! This is our legacy!"
Strongjaw is seen copying the route that they will be taking the hoard....errr....following.
The White Rabbit is seen wearing a proper perfectly perfumed painters outfit complete with an Eye-Tail-Youngs mustache.
Tanngrisnir is seen chewing on some purple fungi.