Prickles steps between his pet and the monster, snarls, and bite at the monster's leg...
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Arin holds his face in pain as blood trickles off his chin.
He fishes his healing wand out of his bag and taps the side of his head, between his temple and ear.
and with that the gnome returns to his "clean" look, his face no longer sporting rake-marks.
Having dealt with the immediate pain, he takes a cautious step back towards Danicka.
I need some spaces between that thing and me if I'm going to have any focus to break through its spell defenses...
While one of the heads is still hissing in pain, Danicka throws another vial of holy water right in its face. The aim couldn't be any better, and caustic water gets in its eyes and down its throat, causing significant damage to the unholy thing. The other head fixes its gaze on Danicka, its eyes burning with a murderous hatred heretofore reserved for Arin. The fiend takes a step towards the paling wizard, exquisitely made kukris held tight in its grip. However, before it is able to do anything, Prickles jumps to his pet's defence, getting between the two with a menacing snarl. The ferocious Thuvian Desert Dog clamps his jaws tight around the Adhukait's leg and gives it a firm tug in an attempt to knock it off its feet. Unfortunately, with three other legs to help keep the fiend stable, and astonishing powers of regeneration, Prickles is unable to do much more than annoy the creature.
Meanwhile, the other head, severely scarred from holy water, is starting to regain its composure and spots Arin reaching into his bag. With lightning speed a kukri flashes at the glowing gnome's back, leaving a deep cut between his shoulder blades. However, the brutal attack does not stop Arin from retrieving the object he was searching for, and he wastes little time activating the wand, letting a strong charge of positive energy heal his beautiful face.
Even though Arin tries to step away from danger, he is unable to get out of reach of the Adhukait's kukri and it lashes out again, leaving another deep cut in the gnome's tiny body. With a snort of glee at the pain caused, the fiend starts an incongruous dance of disaster, spinning around and lashing out with claw and blade. Prickles grabs hold of an arm just before a razor-sharp kukri slashes across Danicka's face, but the courageous dog can only do so much as multiple flailing limbs start to pummel and scratch at his pet. Before anyone knows it, the fiend is at the back of the battlefield, standing face to face with the unarmoured and isolated wizard, claw marks deep in her arm and back. The grins on both heads are wide as the vile creature raises its kukri one last time and brings it down with unerring accuracy and speed at Danicka's neck...
Danicka feels a waft of air under her chin, but no pain, and opens her eyes to see the fiend looking at its empty hand with shock. A monkey climbs onto the wizard's shoulder, screeching in the adhukait's faces and waving the stolen kukri in its hands defiantly. Just then several other primates jump onto the fiends back, and pretty soon thousands of monkeys pour in through the temple's many openings and mob the asura. The wrathful screeching hits fever pitch as they crawl all over the flailing fiend, and even though the simians are unable to hurt the outsider, they do successfully disarm it. While the stolen weapons are passed between monkeys and carried off into the jungle, the primate on Danicka's shoulder ruffles her hair, screeches one last time at the adhukait, and hops away to disappear into the jungle with the rest of its gang.
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None of the Pathfinders were able to touch the dancing adhukait as it worked its way around the battlefield, slashing at Arin and clawing at Danicka. However, once they chase it down again, they make sure it pays for ignoring them as it tries to go after the less combat inclined of the group. Brock hits it with a powerful blow to the side, puncturing through the fiend's natural defences to leave another hole in one of its many sides, Yaiho almost flattens it with another sickeningly powerful blow, and Rook follows both attacks with another perfectly aimed bomb. The fiend screams in agony as the flames engulph both its bodies, and it's arms flail about wildly. "NOOO! I WILL NOT FALL TO MORTAL SCUM!" It yells angrily. As it starts to finally succumb to its wounds, the fiend desperately grabs out at something to stabilise itself, raking deep claw marks down Yaiho's arm as it falls to the ground with a thud. It lays there twitching as the flames die down until, finally, it stops moving, quite obviously dead.
The fiend's eyes suddenly open again, "WE'LL RIP YOUR HEAD FROM YOUR NECK, AND SHI-" Forrest rams his rapier through one of the adhukait's eyes, silencing it's angry ramblings once more. However, it's clear that this is only a temporary solution as wounds that would kill any other creature continue to heal at an astonishing rate.
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Danicka shrieks in pain as she gets cut up by monsters, still she tries her best to whack it with her quarterstaff as it flails around.
As the monkeys swarm in she smiles at them and squeaks out a grateful "Thank you!"
But then the scary monster's trying to hurt her again, and her friends starts beating it to a pulp. She pulls out a holy water, but it's already dead.
But it's not!
"Eeeeeeek!" Danicka shrieks!
Oh! It's dead again!
As the wounds on the creature seem to keep healing, Danicka pours her holy water all over it.
Prickles snarls and growls at the monster as it tears into his pet!
MINE!
Proud that he managed to bite the beast again, Prickle growls and snarls.
As it falls to the ground dead -- then not dead -- then dead again -- Prickles tears into it with his teeth, devouring the never-ending meal one bite at a time.
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Forrest gasps as the demon goes for Danicka. "Hey! Ssssshe's to nice too die!" He stabs at the fleeing monster with his rapier.
He runs up to the body as it falls. He is about to congratulate the group when it twitches again! His stab is almost instinctual.
Seeing the beast continue to regenerate, he looks up and blushes, almost embarrassed. "Danicka, maybe you ssssshould go... uh... loot the room or sssssomething. Over there." His scaly skin covers his small smirk. He makes it very clear he is going to continue stabbing Mr. Two Face until the group is ready to leave.
Then he takes a step back and starts laughing as Prickles goes to town on the buffet. "I always knew you were good for something! Aye, Rook, does your brain want a piece?"
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Breathing heavily as he watches the monster fall, then fail to stay down he curses in frustration.
"Danicka! Is there a way to kill this thing? Can we use fire, make a... bonfire? Acid?" sheathing his pick, Brock draws his scimitar.
"Maybe if we cut it into small enough pieces it will stay down long enough for us to finish here." looking to the jungle at large he thunders, "Hey monkies! You want in on this!"
Finished, he plies his curved blade in assisting Yaiho and Forrest in making sure the thing doesn't get back up any time soon.
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After the creature is truly motionless on the ground, Arin takes stock of his new wounds.
"Thank you simians..." he gurgles as he spits out blood with the words.
His face fades to white as flames grow to envelope it, hiding his injury and pain behind the golden light of fire elemental form.
The elemental form then moves over Danicka, letting his healing flames wash over her before they dissipate again leaving the little gnome kneeling next to her. They're both looking better already.
He won't stop until all of the marks are gone. He looks up, observing the retreat of a thousand monkeys as he taps Danicka with his hand to channel additional healing.
"That was a little too close." he whispers to her.
He looks around at the party.
Arin slumps back to the ground, tired.
"I really admire the way they worked together as a single organism. I wonder, since the thing will eventually revive, they must be used to doing this when they deem its opponents worthy enough. Clearly the prior looters did not meet that criteria."
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"Aye it just might. Needle have some fun and makes sure it stays down." he adds while moving to the enemy.
Rook takes his time experimenting with the fallen foe as the others hack away. Oddly quiet and calculating. Tests of regeneration and how chemicals react with the pieces. His eyes give away a sense of possibility.
Fascinating demon. Another example of extra limbs coming of use and the regeneration wouldn't help either.
While the majority of you slice, smash, eat, and experiment on the remains of the holy water doused asura, Arin gets to work healing everyone's wounds and Danicka sets of to explore and take some truly awesome notes. She heads south, towards a small shrine flanked by statues of threatening-looking human-sized monkeys. Both of them, however, are badly damaged. In the shrine, a large statue of a monkey-faced man sits on a pedestal facing south. The statue's arms and legs are missing, and deep scratches have been gouged into its face. Pieces of broken stone, rotting plant matter, and other assorted rubbish lie in heaps on the floor of this room. The smell of rot is particularly strong here. It seems that the adhukait has been wantonly desecrating this temple for decades, or centuries even.
Closer examination of the statue reveals that it is wearing a ragged belt, crafted like the tail of a monkey. In addition, there's a small cabinet in the pedestal below the statue which contains a veritable treasure trove of ancient yet surprisingly well-preserved richly illuminated codexes. They're all written in Vudrani, but by the light of her broom, Danicka puts her impressive linguistic skills to good use and is soon able to recognise them as the Vigrahin Patitraka, the Azvadeva Pujila and the Mizravrtta Brahmodya, Vudrani holy texts. They're clearly valuable. However, there is also a handwritten journal that seems to have belonged to a priest who had accompanied Khiben-Saldin in his conquest and colonisation of the Jalmeray island more than four thousand years ago. This must be what Venture-Captain Valsin was talking about when he sent you here, an invaluable find for the Pathfinder Society.
No one knows how to keep the fiend down for good, and the monkeys don't come back to help out when Brock calls them. However, by the time Danicka returns with her finds, it's clear that the fiend will not be coming back any time soon. With the temple fully explored, you retrace your steps back to the entrance of the temple. When you reach the entrance hall, however, you notice something has changed with the monkey carvings. It takes you a moment to spot it, but two of the carved monkeys are now kneeling and holding the exquisitely made kukris stolen from the asura. They hold them out as if presenting them to you as gifts or trophies.
The return journey to the hunting lodge where Baron Rudyahm and Count Matsanda are waiting is blissfully uneventful. "Haha! You've returned!" The baron booms as you walk into view of the lodge, "Did you find what you were looking for, my friends?" He asks as he ambles over to shake your hands. The count waves at you from across the yard, currently having an animated conversation with porters and staff at the lodge as he prepares for the journey home.
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Forrest gives the baron a deep bow. "Indeed we have, sir. In addition to some minor artifacts, we found an ancient journal. Inside will be rich historical details which the Society lives for. " He offers his hand to the baron for a shake. "It was an honor hunting with you, sir. Thank you for having us. "
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Danicka passes the monkey belt to Forrest. "Here," she squeaks. "This might suit you better than the snake scale..." She smiles, blushes bright red, and scurries off.
At the sight of the strange carvings, Danicka reaches out her hand hesitantly to touch the kukri...
"Thank you." She tells the carvings.
Then she hurries off after the others, slowed a bit by the books and treasure in her backpack.
"Come on, Prickles. Let's go home."
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Back at the hunting lodge, Danicka smiles brightly at the Baron and Count. "Oh, yes!" She goes into great detail about the temple, and the wondrous books she discovered, and the monkey spirits. As an after thought she adds, "Oh. And it was also protected by a pair of otherworldly destructive fiends. They were quite unpleasant."
Following Forrest's good example, she holds out her bony hand for a shake. "Thank you, Sir!"
She blushes brightly.
On the journey, Prickles stays extra close to his pet. She had been wounded. He could smell the blood even though the little fire monster has healed them. He shouldn't have let it happen. He'd be extra wary!
Mine!
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As his pet shakes hands with the old fat one Prickles growls loudly....
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"I found treasure before I even stepped foot in the temple, Baron. Knowledge and business are worth just as much as the books we found. And Danicka is right...that demon we fought was something else...this jungle is full of surprises. Watch yourself if you go on any more hunts." Rook adds in showing any samples or tests he was able to bring back without them wanting to grow into a full sized beast.
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As the group gets ready to leave the demon to regenerate, Yaiho lets his rage subside and the fatigue that follows. He starts heading out with the group but stops long enough to look back at the demon and complain. "Yaiho doesn't like leaving the demon alive." But knowing they have no means to stop it permanently he spits at it before turning his back on the demon and leaving with the group.
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Back at the base camp, Yaiho greets the Baron and gives a warning. "Stay away from temple ruins. Demon still there."
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As they depart the temple, Arin remarks on the regenerating demon.
"I hope this one doesn't track us down via the planes. If I obtain additional haunts i don't think I'm getting extra divine powers out of it. What a nightmare that thing was!" He unconsciously touches his face where there were scars a short time ago.
"The honour was mine, son!" The Baron says as he gives Forrest a firm handshake. "I've never heard of anyone hunting leopards by offering themselves up as bait before. Ha, you've got the guts of a lion and the reflexes of a... well, something slightly faster than a leopard." He then limps over to Danicka and listens patiently to her greatly detailed report. "Sounds like I missed some fun, eh?" He says to the blushing wizard with a broad smile as he takes her small bony hand in his large callused grip and starts shaking it firmly. "If only we had more guides and scholars like you during the- Whoa, boy..." He quickly lets go of Prickles' pet's hand and raises his own in an unthreatening gesture at the dog. "Haha, protective little fella aren't you?"
Once Prickles has calmed down, the Baron moves on to Rook. "That's more than true, son." He says with a thoughtful nod, "It was information and trade that won us the war all those years ago, not just my legendary leadership. Reconnaissance, guns, and- Good lord, what is that?" He's taken by surprise by the samples, but quickly regains his composure, and dismisses the idea of any more hunts. "Ha, don't worry about me... Now that the 'tiger' is dead, my hunting days are over. I'm just a boring businessman now." He laughs, patting Rook on the shoulder. Rudyham then turns to Yaiho, his jovial disposition not wavering one bit at the warning. "Ha! If the demon survived you lot, I'm certainly not going anywhere near it." He waves his stick at the big half-orc's weapon and muscles. "You're a powerful man, and it was a true pleasure to see you in action. If you ever consider joining the army, just let me know. We can do with good strong men like yourself."
Finally, he ambles over to Arin and Brock. "You're a quiet one, but your actions speak far louder than words." He says, leaning down to shake gnome's hand. "The way you care for your friends is admirable! And for bringing me back from the brink, you will always have a friend in Alkenstar." To Brock, he gives a respectful nod. "Keep your gun oiled, son. If only I were a decade or two younger, and this damned leg worked, I think I would have enjoyed the competition of a hunt with you."
He then turns to address all of you. "Thank you once again for your assistance with that devil tiger. If it wasn't for you I'd surely be dead right now, and that damned thing will still be out there somewhere, luring innocent people to their doom. I will never forget what you have done for me!" He says with an uncharacteristically solemn tone, before launching back into a hearty laugh. "Ha! In fact, I'm thinking of writing my memoirs now that I've retired from hunting. I hope you don't mind if it contains a chapter or two on you and your Society."
The rest of the expedition passes uneventfully, and after a few more days in the jungle and a brief stop off in Niswan, the capital of Jalmeray, you part ways with the noble family and board a ship for home. It's not until you have arrived back in Absalom that you find out that Count Matsanda had arranged for the leopard and guar brought down by Forrest and Brock to be stuffed and mounted (there wasn't enough of Yaiho's jackal left to do the same for him.) The large taxidermies are brought off the boat along with the rest of your supplies and you are presented with a letter of thanks from the count, not only for your services to the Baron, but also for helping him to impress and bond with his father-in-law. The word 'overjoyed' is repeated several times, and he pledges his continued support for the Society.
Back at the lodge, Venture-Captain Valsin listens to your adventures with great interest. He studiously inspects all the items you found in the lost temple, and he is especially thrilled with the journal recounting Khiben-Sald’s conquests and journeys. "Well done, Pathfinders! I'll pass this along to the Society's Vudran historians for analysis immediately. Hopefully, we can glean information about other lost sites the Maharaja may have built of visited during his travels!" He gets up, apparently signalling the end of the debriefing, and gets ready to head off, journal held lovingly in his hand.
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"Me?! In a book?! Oh, my!" Danicka smiles and blushes bright red. "I'd... be honoured!" she squeaks shyly.
"Eeek!" Danicka shrieks at the sight of the taxidermy trophies. "Oh! ...They're just... stuffed." she squeaks with embarrassment. She blushes in mortification and slinks away.
After reading the letter she smiles. "How sweet! What a lovely letter." After the others have read it she asks, "Do you mind if I keep it?"
Faced with yet more praise -- this time from her Venture-Captain -- Danicka smiles and blushes predictably. "Th-th-thank you, sir!" She stammers shyly. "Everyone did their best... We make a good team."
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Yaiho is glad to be back in Absalom. Who would think this island would be considered home, Yaiho thinks to himself.
After the meeting, Yaiho goes to his favorite tavern. A high class, gentry type of place. He is a regular there and orders some tea and honeyed bread.
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Virml takes a deep breath and walks back through the front doors of the Grand Lodge, ready to rejoin the Society now that his extended sabbatical finally over. In truth, he would have stayed away to concentrate on his music, only his parents have kicked him out the basement to make room for their wine. However, he's determined to make the best of things here.
The halls are crowded with idle Pathfinders looking for work, and fellow initiates who have apparently been tasked with keeping the resulting cornucopia of exotic pets from destroying the place. Not knowing what's going on, Virml smiles at a passing initiate, showing off his new teeth and waggling his eyebrows to get her attention. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford the gold teeth that he was promised would be a hit with the ladies and the look of disgust he receives as the young woman rushes away at the sight of his gold-painted wooden teeth doesn't bode well.
Despite the minor set back, as Virml signs back on for duty, he manages to find out that Pathfinder assets are still tied up with that recent worldwound business. Although, he is told, things have been looking up since the Society started working with third parties to help fund and organise expeditions a few months ago, and things are expected to return to normal in a couple of months. In the meantime, the libraries have been left in a state of disarray - thanks to an abundance of bored agents looking through old texts for something interesting to read - and Virml's first duty will be to tidy up.
After considerable therapy, Virml has stopped having flashbacks of floods, rhyming foxes, and terrifying tooth fairies. However, just as he starts to replace a stack of scrolls on the top shelf of the archives, an inexplicable bump threatens to rattle him free of the ladder and it all comes flooding back. "Aaagggh, not again!"
As his pet touches a tasty looking meat-snack, Prickles growls menacingly.
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In a seedy tavern in an even seedier part of town Brock lays passed out on a tavern table, spilled beer and drool forming puddles by his face.
Normally in an establishment like this a passed out drunk would be a perfect target for robbery, kidnap or murder but this particular drunk has gained such a vile reputation for retribution for simply waking him, let alone attempting to rob him that even the most desperate ruffian wouldn't dream of trying.
In fact, the wrath of Brock is a common boogeyman thieves use to scare other thieves with.
All at once, the tavern is rocked by a mighty bump, dishware and mugs rattling with the force.
The barkeep and patrons look in shock and horror as the drunk snaps awake, hidden dagger ready to rend and tear as he looks around blearily. "Huh, whazzat? Who wantsh fo die?"
Seeing nothing of note in the tavern, he shakes his head and mutters, "probably that damn fool Danicka miscasting a spell, or fainting."
Now officially "up" for the day, Brock glares at the barkeep and roars. "Barkeep, bring rum. And beef. Gods help you if you try to pass off horsemeat as beef again!"