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I was just looking and seeing this campaign has been going for almost nine years now. :D Think we'll finish before the ten year mark?
Fin stealthily climbs the path ahead of the rest of the party. It reaches a point where it climbs between two spurs of rock onto a wide ledge in front of a high-ceilinged cave. Five bizarre creatures--ogre-sized, vaguely humanoid beings with vertically-aligned mouths full of fangs and arms that split at the elbows into two forearms--occupy the area, one of them keeping watch not far from where Fin is peeking around the rock spur while the other four gather around a smokey fire in the back of the cave.
Baba Yaga's directions lead you up the passage on the northeast of the 'cauldron' (as much as such directions apply in this strange space). It leads into a maze of canyons, which she leads you through with occasional brief telepathic directions. After a while, she directs you to climb up a short cliff to a trail along the canyon wall.
Selena gets an image of one of the side-passages off of the chamber with Vigliv's tree in it.
Are you wanting anything from me for starting the next day, or are you just going to narrate that yourselves?
Ooof, hope you feel better quickly!
Anastasia seems about what you'd expect from a sheltered noble pre-teen in shock from her whole family and herself being murdered only for her to be resurrected and then subjected to the past few weeks of craziness. Actually, she's probably doing better than Quasit would anticipate given that litany of madness she's survived, but it's not hard to see that Anastasia is just barely holding things together in spite of the brave face she's putting on everything.
"That is strange," Anastasia agrees when Quasit talks about the similarities between worlds, though she doesn't seem too interested in the fact. She frowns at the questions. "I don't... think I've noticed anything like that? I had the usual lessons for a young lady in etiquette, dancing, and the like" After all of the other questions, the question about jambalaya seems like a surprise to her. "No, is that... French?"
Anastasia starts slightly at Quasit's entrance, though she quickly tries to gather her Grand Duchess Dignity about her. "A walk would certainly be welcome, as much as I enjoy these diversions I am feeling somewhat cooped up in here."
You climb back down into the Hut and find things much as you left them. After looking around the rooms you find Anastasia being entertained by the Coffin Man doing some card tricks that are rendered all the more impressive by the skeletal nature of his hands.
When it's clear there aren't any questions for her, Vigliv slips back into the tree.
Once doll and crown are submerged, there's a loud crack, and the doll splits open... revealing another, smaller doll. A sudden surge of power washes over you, along with the weak voice of an old woman that seems to fade in and out. "Finally, you slowpokes!. Could you be any slower about it! Fine, I can help you poor dears a bit now. Vigliv, tell them about my death."
Summoned by the Witch's call, Vigliv steps out of the tree and speaks. “Your bravery has won through, even against the treachery of those who would steal your prize. But your quest is not yet done. You have recovered Baba Yaga’s fate and her power, but now you must seek out her death. As she rose in power from a mere mortal, Baba Yaga used great magic to ensure that death would not be able to swiftly find her through misfortune or betrayal. “Baba Yaga placed her death in an athame, a witch’s knife, which she then hid in a chest within a corpse, which she buried under an oak tree on the mystical island of Buyan. Even if Baba Yaga was slain, her death would still need to be recovered and released back into her body in order for her to truly die. And so Baba Yaga plucked the island from the ocean and stored it in one of the many hidden realms of her hut so that none could stumble across it, and her death, without first facing her power. “Now, to free Baba Yaga from her prison, you must go to Buyan, find her death, and bring it back here to her cauldron. She is gaining greater awareness as you free her and will be able to guide you to some extent; heed her counsel. Now go; the death of Baba Yaga awaits you.”
You return once again to the grotto with its spring and tree. As you approach, Selena gets another mental image, clearly sent from Baba Yaga--the matryoshka doll, submerged again in the water, with the crown lowered around it.
The crown has powerful but non-specific magic.
When you place the crowned head in the cabinet, the whole group finds themselves suddenly standing back in front of the cave entrance through which you first entered the tent, with Quasit/Fin holding the crown in their hands.
Mametqul wore 7000 gp worth of fine silks and jewelry. (The silks may need a bit of magical repair before sale) The six other divs each had 1000 gp worth of jewelry. Beyond that, the tent and its furnishings would probably be worth an additional 8000 gp... but the total weight of them would be over a ton. The coffee supply and assorted implements for preparing it would, on their own, be much more manageable to take. In addition Mametqul had a large-sized +1 falchion. The cabinet is not hard to find, standing along one side of the tent. It's currently empty.
Mametqul staggers under the onslaught of attacks, then topples to the side, several arrows sticking out of his chest. He falls dead to the ground.
A flurry of fierce attacks lays low every div save for Mametqul, who is slashing frantically at the threat suddenly in his face (that did hit him).
Ah, that is a rather distracting thing. :D Hope the move's going well!
Anyone want to bot Bulvi for this round, or should I?
Yes, I'm sure that will be fine. XD Have a good campout!
I was going to ask myself, thanks for saving me the time. :D
All but one of Fin's arrows strike home, but the lioness-like div is still standing at the end of his attack. Maka strikes home with all of her fiery blows... but the div simply grins at her, entirely unharmed by the flames. Bulvi's sword, however, proves much more effective, cutting down the fireproof div and then slashing her companion with his final attack. Sakitu attempts a spell, but feels it slide off of Mametqul's defenses. The div attacking Quasit growls in frustration and attacks wildly . The divs also continue their assault.
The lioness div sinks her claws into Fin and tries to lift him from the ground but he manages to squirm out of her grip.
Quasit narrowly dodges the claws of the div attacking her.
Bulvi's armor shields him well from the attacks of the two divs focusing on him. Mametqul takes a step back and points at Fin, a ray of green energy leaping from his finger towards the elf.
In the chaos of the melee, however, he fails to properly keep track of his surroundings, bumping into one of the poles holding up the tent just as he attacks, spoiling his aim, resulting in him disintegrating a 10' square of the side of his tent rather than his enemy.
Fin annihilates one of the lioness-like divs in a hail of arrows before anyone else can even react. With a snarl of rage, the other one runs around the rest of the group to slash at Fin with her claws.
The nimble elf feels the brush of fur on his nose as he just barely evades the attack. The smaller blue-skinned divs crowd in around the party and attack.
They have no more luck than their companion. Mametqul steps up behind his 'harem' and swings his large blade over their heads.
But even he misses.
As soon as you enter, you see Mametqul and his 'girls' armed and ready for battle, much as you'd anticipated. Fin is the only one fast enough to react before they attack, however.
You have no trouble getting back to the tent. As you approach, Mametqul steps out and spreads his arms wide. "Ah, the conquerors return! Come in, come in, we will speed you on your way." He turns and reenters the tent, waving you to follow the whole way. Sense Motive 38: He was definitely sizing you up like a target while he was looking at you.
Let me know when you've made your preparations, I suppose. :D
Oooo, exciting! Have a good trip! Don't worry too much about us, I'm sure we can have Fin shoot everything if we need to :D
Kalchine vaguely remembers that divs are, supposedly, corrupted genies, turned into something evil in some ancient betrayal or conflict or something. They're dedicated to not just destroying but corrupting and despoiling mortals. What type of div Mametqul is he's not sure.
As you discuss the div Mametqul, Selena gets a brief vision--his severed head, wearing Bremagyr's crown and set on a shelf within an ornate cabinet she recognizes from the tent.
Eight wooden crates each hold 10 gold ingots worth 200 gp each. A small mahogany coffer, itself worth 70 gp, holds six potions in velvet pouches sewed into its lining [ooc](DC's to identify potions are low enough I'll go ahead and tell you what they are: displacement, fly, good hope, haste, heroism, and nondetection). A platinum casket (worth 2000 gp) holds a magic ring, a magic book (wrapped in 50 gp worth of fine silk), a non-magical necklace with emeralds and topazes (worth 5200 gp), and a magic ruby on a gold chain. The suit of armor on the armor-stand is half-plate and also radiates magic.
The crown has the heft of real gold, and the gemstones also look genuine. Even if this isn't the repository of Baba Yaga's power, even if it has no magical qualities whatsover, the crown would be worth at least 15,000 GP.
Within the sack is a masterfully made gold crown, set with fine gemstones.
Below the flagstone is a low-ceilinged stone stairway, that leads down to a small room. It looks to have been a hidden treasury, based on the crates, coffers, an armor stand, and... a burlap sack.
Glad no one died there. :D
Yeah, the Blightfire is the entire reason this enemy was CR 17. It's an extremely nasty affliction, especially since it's drain rather than damage. That wand of restoration would do the trick for keeping him alive, though.
Neither the crown nor the necklace are magical. Fin's keen elven eyes pick out one of the large, heavy flagstones along the southwest wall of the room that seems to have an oddly large gap around its edges and scratch marks consistent with being levered out of the floor repeatedly.
You destroy the remaining undead without further issue... but the 'flames' on Bulvi and Maka don't go out.
When Quasit picks up the crown, she notices it's... oddly light for a gold crown. In fact, looking at where it fell on the ground, the slight scratch it received reveals the crown is made of gold-plated copper. On the bright side, it looks like Bremagyr had a valuable necklace on her.
Maka and Sakitu destroy the two archers that had already emerged, while one of those still in the passageway gets grabbed by Selena's conjured tentacles, blocking the hallway. It struggles valiantly to break free, but fails, so its companions can't get out to attack.
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