Between the browbeating of intimidation and the diplomatic carrot a creature that appears to be a humanoid frog comes into view, looking around nervously, extending its hand for the food "Dangerous place outside, things try kill us. Safe here, but no food! You give food, you go" - you note the creature seems to have some recently healed wounds, maybe a week old, and it continues to look around you and past you as though expecting something to happen.
It is clear there are more still hiding in the building.
Lumki whispers from the bushes "The local boggards are not to be trusted, as they’ve attacked iruxi settlements several times in recent years"
The 'Boggard' takes the food, and throws some back into the building, you hear movement inside as another one (?) collects the food.
"Not leaving, unsafe. Not brigands, a monster. Kill us all!" it seems a quite animated about the last part, and continues to look past the party - at bushes, in the treetops - as though expecting attack.
"Injured on the hunt by metal hound, not a normal animal, we fled to the coast" it gestures to the recently healed wounds.
"Not safe to leave!" it exclaims, shuffling webbed feet in frustration.
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"So, let me see if I got this straight. The boggards are staying because they are afraid of something out there and have been attacking travelers because they don't have enough food in here." she surmises.
"If so, we should get rid of whatever is roaming around either on our way or when we get back, otherwise the iruxi will continue having trouble."
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"Yeahs, I's thinking so too," Pooka nods at Nazsnaga. "But a metal hounds doesn't really sound likes a gargoyle, either? There's a lot of nasty critters running arounds here!"
The little goblin tries to think if she's heard of anything that might fit the description of a 'metal hound'.
______________
Pooka knows of an elemental canine called a 'sod hound', but those are normally elementals made of rocks - that's about the only thing they remember hearing about over the bonfire one night.
The Boggard stands there eating the rations, still looking about "You leaving now?"
"If danger gone we can leave" The Boggard replies still looking around for any signs of danger, but now less animatedly so, "I don't know why metal dog trying to kill us, we out hunting and foraging for food and strange thing attacked us - never seen before. Kept hunting us. Didn't follow us inside" it gestures to the 'building' "Safe here, safe inside, but no food"
The Boggard seems happy with the food, at this point it looks like it is going back inside, much to the apparent consternation of Lumki "They can't be trusted, they need to leave - and not attack our villages"
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"Hey, sos...I know you guys don't like each others very much but maybe if we can kills this 'metal hound' then they'll just leave and no one has to get hurts," Pooka whispers to Lumki. "And if they won't leave afters that, then we can get roughs. 'Sides, even if we kicked them out right nows, we'd still have to find this metal hounds and takes care of it - it sounds too dangerous to ignores!"
Iustanus is in agreement with Pooka that they sound like the fabled 'sod hound', but has also only heard of these being made of rocks.
Wellby and Henri are pretty certain these aren't part of the natural realm of creatures, and Pooka and Iustanus are probably closer to the mark.
Lumki seems less than enthusiastic about the deal but can see the merit of the approach "Very well. As long as you tell them to stop bothering our villages too"
"Here, I have some potions - you can either use them yourselves or as bargaining chips later" - Lumki hands over four vials.
***
About 3 hours into the trek through the jungle, you find you need to cross a narrow, but deep and swift-moving, river.
A narrow river rushes through the area, shattering the quiet murmuring of the jungle’s wildlife with its chiming roar. A simple log, coated with moss is the only “bridge” in sight, leading to a small island in the center of the river.
Lumki makes a sibilant “tsk” sound before saying “You’ll want to be careful here. That log isn’t too bad for clawed iruxi toes, but it might be a bit slick for some of you. We should be able to walk across the log out to that islet, pull the log in, and use it to cross to the other side. Unless you have any suggestions for an alternative, I fear crossing here is the only practical route forward, treacherous as it may be.”
The moss-covered log looks extremely slippery - you'd want a good sense of balance, perhaps be a skilled acrobat! The river is looks about 10-feet deep at most points and flows from north to south with 15-foot currents.
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"Oh, that's no trouble at all. I can walk across water, though I think this river is a little too agitated--but a log is easy!"
Cascading Rapids hops up and begins to move over the log, before hesitating and turning back.
"I do have rope and some pitons in my climbing kit, if some of you find it more challenging?"
Cascading Rapids makes it across and secures a rope to the other side, making it a touch safer, but it still looks a touch treacherous.
More of the Pathfinders manage to cross without splashing to the flowing river below, all realise just how treacherous the log is and how wet they could have been.
Cascading Rapids - across
Welby Goodbarrel - across
Nazsnaga - across
Iustanus -
Henri Hart -
Pooka Palooka - across
…all eyes turn to the last to cross…
The Elven Sorceror makes their way across the pole, slipping momentarily before regaining their balance and completing the crossing. Everyone is able to breathe a sigh of relief as Iustanus completes the crossing.
As Iustanus looks back at the end of the log the cause of the slippage is spotted - a small mud-encrusted pouch that appears to have been stashed around the end of the log, on inspection you find it has some small uncut sapphires.
***
Once safely on the island, you are able to move the log to the other side (with a bit of effort) to complete the crossing and press on.
It is another four hours of trecking when you come across a clearing; a small, three-foot tall stone statue of a hooded iruxi with its tail curled at its feet rests underneath a tree. The dappled light shining on it glints off of a small plaque attached to the statue underneath the carved iruxi’s feet.
“The Guidepost! We’re almost to the Observatory. The building is about a twenty-minute trek right in the direction the iruxi’s tail is pointing.” Lumki points her claw in the same direction the statue’s tail points, while simultaneously imitating the statue with her own tail "The sign underneath the statue says 'Proceed hence for Oldstar Observatory' in Mwangi.
True enough, twenty minutes later the Observatory comes into view.
An ancient, partially ruined building looms. The stone walls are almost completely covered in creeping ivy, with a few glimpses of crumbling red sandstone and metallic fixtures showing through.
You have approached the Oldstar Observatory from the south, where you see a small flight of stairs leading up to a closed door.
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"Thinks it also works betters at night," Pooka remarks as she cautiously approaches the building. Assuming nothing immediately leaps out to eat her, she makes her way up the stairs and attempts to discern if the door is locked and/or can be opened.
If it looks to be locked, she'll attempt to pick it open...
Wellby doesn't find any recent tracks, the area looks pretty desolate. Wellby also notes a stairwell at the rear of the building that matches the front.
Pooka finds that not only are the doors shut, they have been welded shut and the doorhandles removed, and this is the same on the other doorway.
On the upside, it seems easy enough to get in via one of the holes in the roof.
***
You drop in from the roof to the rooms below.
This sprawling, oddly configured collection of rooms has barely visible, dust-filled metal grooves carved into the floor in concentric rings and criss-crossing lines.
Before you get too far into admiring the place, there is a shriek as a 'gargoyle-esque' creature made of steel and around the size of a gnome hurls a bottle and a rag in your direction from a dark corner of the chambers - oil and cloth it had been using to clean the rust...three other smaller ones also emerge from the darkness!
Welby
Henri Hart
Nazsnaga
Iustanus
Cascading Rapids
Pooka Palooka
ENEMY
R1
Cascading Rapids
Pooka
Henri
Wellby
Iustanus
Nazsnaga
ENEMY
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"Whoa! That's nots very nice!" Pooka scowls at Red. She tries to determine if these are they gargoyles they've been looking for as she spins up a song...
~There must be some kind of way outta here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I can't get no relief~
...and moves to stand next to Wellby.
The slick floors are very slick indeed, forcing Pooka to move much slower than she'd like, lest she slip and fall. But she still manages to slide over next to her halfling companion.
______________
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"Let me help you with the flames of Sarenrae!" Henri forges a temporary link between Cascading Rapid's life essence and his own .
He then attempts to remember if he has seen such creatures in the books he has read in one of the libraries he has visited.
◆◆ Shield Other with Cascading Rapids
◆ Recall Knowledge with Library Lore +6
Pooka knows that one is a Greater Steel Mephit (red) and the others are Lesser Steel Mephits.
Henri knows that these creatures have deadly breath weapons and can showe shards of metal in a 15' cone!
Pooka encourages the party but almost slides over as they try move - it is tough going!
After sliding a little, Naz lands two solid blows!
The creature gets smashed to the ground and lies motionless.
Drake also plays a game of 'duck, duck, dead' with two mighty blows striking with deadly precision! Another mephit is fallen.
R1
Cascading Rapids - TBC
Pooka - acted.
Henri - acted.
Wellby - acted.
Iustanus - TBC
Nazsnaga - acted.
ENEMY
R
O
Y Dead.
G Dead.