Simon needs a couple of moments to answer that.
"Yeah I guess so-mi. If they have to die - and I know that's the reason they were raises after all - then they should be ... How did you say ... Fulfill a vital need-iii?
Feels like a waste of life for me, and I don't like it-grrr.
If possible ... I will try to salvage any ... Remains for food and resources-miaur.
Feathers can be used to make arrows, or blankets to keep us warm if it gets cold-mauu."
He sounds a bit depressed and feeds them a couple of old bread he took from the inn.
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When talk of using the psycrystal to scout are mentioned Marco reaches into a pocket to pull out a small milky white crystal which then grows spindly legs and begins to speak in a thick accent "are we t'ere yet? Be it time t' run ta bastards through?"
Marco fondly rolls his eyes "I could also provide someone to help scout"
the rock seems to object to this "'m on scouting duty again? when'll ya let ma run some punks thrugh"
"maybe when you actually have a weapon or power to do so"
"I'll bite their ankles off"
"you don't have a mouth"
Ignatzia: Your sensor appears and you look around. The place looks just as depressing here as it did on to of the hill. There is a fresh grave site nearby . A large statute of a heric looking dwarf , the ornate well of legend , and tombstones everywhere. No ambushes can be seen.
All stone in the area is the same sickly green. The mausoleum is more elaborate than the other two smaller structures and features horrible runes, spiked architecture, and at least a dozen grotesque gargoyles (in the same green stone) posed in various states of suffering or gloating.
"Vuzi is right. Iffin we could clear out one of dem side buildings it'd serve us well." Dalkk would study the Dwarven statue. If not done on their own he'd request someone check not just the door to the main building but also the doors to the side buildings.
After some light wandering Dalkk would see something that strikes him as curious. He returns to Maglin and unceremoniously tries to take the mage's new crossbow. If successful he checks the sights and inspects the build while speaking, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. "Do ye find it curious Magsy that der be a well here? In a graveyard? That cannot be good for the water cannit? In the mountain we only drank movin' water so I dinnae know aboot dis."
"All clear!" Ignatzia says cheerfully as she opens her eyes and stands up again. "Nothing living-or undead, for that matter- lies in wait for us at the top of that hill."
As the woman finally gets up, however, she noticed that her psi crystal has wandered off on its own right over to Cain, seemingly forgetting that the man tried to kill it just last night. "Hello, fellow sentient piece of crystallized mineral! How do you do? I'm Araquiel!" The piece of flint begins to introduce itself to the other psicrystal.
Ignatzia patiently listens to the dwarf talking to the elf but only shrugs. "If that's the strangest thing we encounter here, I will consider us to be rather lucky indeed. In any case, my vote is that we just stay away from the thing. We've all heard the warnings to not go in the well."
"Anyways- I say we clear out a side building first and give ourselves a place to fall back to before trying anything else else. Anyone have a preference as to which small maluseem we go to? I vote for that one over there." Ignatzia says, pointing to the one on the right. "And honestly- I would say we should clear out both before doing anything else. I don't want to find anything unexpected waiting for us when we come back out of this place."
"Seems sensible to have a fallback point and to do as much as we can to ensure we aren't attacked from both ends. I can't be everywhere at once"
The rock Jumps down from cain's outstretched hand to land in front of the other stone "ta name's Skeets, ma boy, I'm doing right Cracker Jack now that we finally get off our collective keisters for some real adventure!"
Simon bows down to examine the two talking 'stones' more closely, his eyes filled with curiosity and wonder.
"Are this ... Are YOU actually alive-iii?
Not jus magic tricks-iii?
I've once met a man in funny clothes that could make a puppet speak - but it was just a trick-raur.
You are funny little ones-miaur!
I thing I like you-prrprr."
+++ After possible near certain replies +++
Turning away from the two fun stonies, Simon fixates the first building.
"Shall I head over there and look what's in there-iii.
I can smell danger if its close, no need to expand your powers too early-mii?"
Shifts his focus to Ignatzia, I agree entirely o'course, but in the same interest it may be good to see what the opening be like. I ain't sayin' we poke around, but if the water be tainted or not der at all, perhaps it best we seal it so ne'er... infected or disease Escape while we're nah 'ere tah see it."
He pauses for awhile in thought. "an if'n der be no water, perhaps we toss a chicken down before closing it. E'en better if someone 'ere can color iz feadders diff'rn then tah rest."
The party makes it's way into the sunken graveyard and weaves among the innumerable headstones to their goal. Some headstones are old, as old as the buildings themselves. Some are much fresher with names and epithets in various states of legibility.
Both of the buildings are made of the same green stone as the main mausoleum. They lack the intricate carvings and the green stone gargoyles of that building, but that doesn't seem to make them any less intimidating. The doors on each of these buildings are standard locked iron doors.
Simon inspects the locked doors.
With a grin he pulls out a fabulous set of tools.
He sets to work on the locks after checking the door for possible traps.
"Just cover me, this will take only a few minutes-purrpurr."
Ignatzia climbs up the hill with the rest of the group, and Araquiel, having made his introduction to the other rock, scurries back over to Ignatzia's shoulder. The psion follows Simon as he heads over towards the door on the right and nods her head at his request for someone to cover him. Putting her mace back in it's sheath, she unhooks her crosboow and keeps her eyes open- in particular looking at the strange objects and the door both with her eyes and her ability to detect magic of all forms.
The mystery objects seem to be rat holes, which makes sense for a graveyard. What's odd is their size. Some are 2 or 3 feet in diameter!
The doors are clear and Simon picks them. They're complicated and slippery, but some tricks he picked up recently allow him to keep them where he wants them.
The doors swing inward to reveal a single room filled with numerous destroyed sarcophagI. A quick search yields nothing of interest, not even a scrap of treasure.
Marco looks into the holes and looks to the other psionic party member "maybe we should check the holes out with our psycrystals?"
Dalkk grabs his own crossbow, a heavy contraption with a winch underneath the bolt shaft wound with silk rope. Atop a rack of 5 Durable Bolts lock into place. The string is pulled and with a lever the first of 5 fall into place. Two vials are fastened to the left side of the stock. Satisfied he does a once over of his other two crossbows, one loaded with a Pheromone Bolt and the other smoke, before letting them dangle back at his side. He keeps his repeating crossbow at the ready and approaches the well. Dalkk picks up any loose stone and tosses it in the top of the well without looking down it. He focuses his ears, waiting to hear a splash, a thud, or a lack of bottom all together.
The stone's splash echoes up to you just shy of three seconds later.
An ornately-carved well is located on the other end of the sunken graveyard, opposite the mausoleum. The finely crafted artwork of the well is diminished only by the horrific images of demons, devils, and undead things that form the bas-relief carvings. Runes and scribbling adorn the spaces empty of these carvings. Anyone gazing down inside sees large, grooved scratches along the interior stones, as if something tried to claw its way up the sides. The well ends in water some 90 ft. below.
Edit: The well measures about 20' across.
"Yeah I guess so-mi. If they have to die - and I know that's the reason they were raises after all - then they should be ... How did you say ... Fulfill a vital need-iii?
Feels like a waste of life for me, and I don't like it-grrr.
Well yes, but you see, they are fulfilling a vital need. They're helping to keep us alive, and to be honest, they're probably doing a better job of it than if we were to eat them. Maglin tries to put this as gently as he can, though he doesn't seem to be too fond of the chickens or goats.
He returns to Maglin and unceremoniously tries to take the mage's new crossbow. If successful he checks the sights and inspects the build while speaking, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. "Do ye find it curious Magsy that der be a well here? In a graveyard? That cannot be good for the water cannit? In the mountain we only drank movin' water so I dinnae know aboot dis."
Maglin relinquishes control of the crossbow easily, a resigned look on his face. He seems to be getting used to the dwarven antics.
"an if'n der be no water, perhaps we toss a chicken down before closing it. E'en better if someone 'ere can color iz feadders diff'rn then tah rest."
I can make the chicken glow bright green if you like. Wouldn't be any trouble at all, just give me a moment. Maglin makes a tight fist with his left hand, slowly loosening and expanding it. Relen he utters, and the lucky chicken begins to shine. He then gestures some more with the same hand, a much more complicated pattern, chanting Victo cristo aido. And the chicken turns green.
Should last a few minutes, might as well toss it in now. Anyone got a mirror? Would be a bad idea to lean over the edge and watch, I think.
Right, nothing of value in this particular building. Maglin looks around for other windows or entrances aside from the door they picked. We could set up some stones or something so that it's easy to barricade the door in. That way if we escape some terrible monster and need to fly here, it won't be able to get in.
Shall we explore the other building? I cannot tell if the dead are here, sadly I never learned how to see them magically. Perhaps there are secret doors in one of these? When we've made sure both are clear I can brew up a little vial which would make any secret entrances apparent.
I'd also like to learn what we can about those rats, they're likely large enough to cause problems. Perhaps we can just heft the lid from one of these sarcophagi over the entrance and trap them in.
The well is not out of place, especially considering the daunting architecture of the buildings. The runes are abyssal. They generally praise Orcus and glory in the death of his enemies, though you can't make out specifics without actually knowing the language. They make your mind itch just looking at them.
These rat holes are consistent with dire rats, and big ones at that. They would be capable of chewing through (or more likely burrowing around) a stone blockage.
The chicken is not a good flier. It flaps and flutters down the well with crazed clucks and screams. It lands with a splash and you hear it floundering desperately for several minutes. Nothing obvious attacks it.
Ignatzia is at the well, scanning over the thing with detect psionics and transcribing the abyssal into a journal. When she finishes, she provides a translation to the text, and if she knows any of it's context, she shares it.
Nods his head approvingly at the chicken. He collects the now bright green bird. "we dinnae need the whole bird nah more seeing as it'd just get waterlogged now dat we know there's nah solid ground." He jerks with his head gesturing towards Simon off at the buildings to their south. "Besides... I get the feeling we're pushing our luck wit those Baby Blues der as it is." He pulls a handful of feathers from the caged bird, with those presumably still just as light, and returns the caged clucker to the giant gecko. He pets the lizard and comes back, handful of feathers in one hand and mirror in the other. He looks back up to the Elf, "Doubly so if yer spell wont last too long. Let's get to it."
Dalkk coordinates with Maglin's idea, following as directed by him to give the best a view. On his mark he tosses the feathers over, and waits for Maglin's report.
"After dis be over what say ye help tie some rope or such across the well, just enough tha' anything that comes through knock it down. Ye could write down how many wraps we do aroun' each statue too in case they really smart. Iffin don't change on the way back I'd feel safer 'bout sleepin' 'ere."
"Ye know Mags... I been having dis' sickly feelin' both times I been 'ere and I don't think it's nerves. Ye feel it too? How about you Ignatzia"
Regardless of whether it was feathers or the whole thing, noting happens. :)
The text is a prayer of supplication to Orcus and a call for all true believers to enter the "Sanctum". It's unclear what exactly that is as its referred to as if below the reader.
Vuzi casts mage armor on herself, and follows the group with her long spear in her hand.
Dis vuld take some kleaning to make it presentable. It might be a gud place to hide." She looks around carefully for doors in the floor.
"Look at de claw marks. Something tried to get out uf there. Many people said do not go down the vell." she's sort of ignoring Dalkk with her comments. Not speaking directly to him. She's still upset with him.
She shakes her head at the chicken being tossed down the well and drug back up.
He returns to Maglin and unceremoniously tries to take the mage's new crossbow. If successful he checks the sights and inspects the build while speaking, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. "Do ye find it curious Magsy that der be a well here? In a graveyard? That cannot be good for the water cannit? In the mountain we only drank movin' water so I dinnae know aboot dis."Knowledge (Whatever), identifying if the well is out of place, including +2 from DW: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33
Maglin relinquishes control of the crossbow easily, a resigned look on his face. He seems to be getting used to the dwarven antics.
I don't think the well's actually out of place, to be honest. Might not really just be for water, though.
"Many people said do not go down the vell."
That's probably a good indication that going down the well is a terrible idea. I could cast several spells on a person, make them invisible and able to levitate, but I'm not sure what we'd gain. If there is a beast down there then it'll know when you touch the water even if it can't see you, and from the looks of the scratch marks it'd catch you before you were able to get high enough to be safe. Better to stay clear.
"After dis be over what say ye help tie some rope or such across the well, just enough tha' anything that comes through knock it down. Ye could write down how many wraps we do aroun' each statue too in case they really smart. Iffin don't change on the way back I'd feel safer 'bout sleepin' 'ere."
Maglin watches the mirror closely as he speaks, not looking away for a moment. It would be better to use string or wire than rope, I think. We've got more rope but it's also more valuable, and a monster would be less likely to notice something smaller. I don't see anything down there, though.
He keeps watching closely. Still nothing, I'd guess that whatever it is doesn't care to make itself known. Means it's rather intelligent.
"Ye know Mags... I been having dis' sickly feelin' both times I been 'ere and I don't think it's nerves. Ye feel it too? How about you Ignatzia"
To be honest I'm very nervous. I cannot tell if there's any sort of other feeling, it seems like it's just general uneasiness.
You know what might actually work well to deal with those rats is to pour some lantern oil down the holes and set it on fire with a bomb. He pats a satchel at his hip, someone brought oil, right? It would burn quite nicely, I think. The holes look big enough to act like a chimney. Or we could leave them alone.
The Well is completely non-magical. The second smaller mausoleum is also locked, successfully picked, and completely devoid of anything worth carrying.
"Should we look to examining the large mausoleum then?" Vuzi looks into the distance at the spires and the gargoyles sitting along the roof.
Dalkk puts away his mirror. "Aye ye be right. I'm sure ye seen plainly too that the diameter here is aboot 20ft. Fergiv'a'me fer repeatin' the obvious but wit the circumf'rence at just shy o' 63 ft that be as you put it an expensive amount of rope." He looks around pondering more creative solutions. He takes a stick and starts drawing in a patch of dirt in front of Maglin. "I tink we could cut some corners inta dat though. Check my math but we could put some string like this and wedge some sticks 'tween ta rope and ta well. Wouldn't be much mor'an a trip wire, but than we'll know if anyt'ing has passed? 'specially if you sketch the shape down first and you could compare it later?"
With Maglin's approval they set about putting together the trip line. Once done and after final inspection Dalkk lets out a small satisfied chuckle and claps a heavy hand down on the elf's back in approval. It was the first even hint of joy the mono toned Dwarf expressed since coming here. It would seem making something had a positive result on his mood.
After Maglin suggests using lantern oil for the Rat Holes the dwarf grabs the Elf's robes and stops him dead. "Magsy if ye suggesting dat rather than continuin' on this adventure where there be fortune and glory and instead spend what will likely be weeks makin' bombs and blowing every patch of dirt so high dat ta birds could eat ta grubs right outta ta sky wit'out e'en comin' close to ta ground..." the dwarf's eyes grow huge as saucers, pulling Maglin closer "Then I'll get the ale... friend"
Dalkk returns to the main building or where ever the group had settled. L'nshpad trails behind him. "Thanks ta Mags we should know if anyone or anyt'ing come through ta well." He readies his crossbow once more after stretching his arms and neck. "Sounds like the outter buildin's been checked." Dalkk turns his head to what may very well be their grave. He misses his goblin's back home and the comfort of the caverns of Mt. Canard. He knows that this mission is essential to preserving that though and prays this venture yield what he needs. Dalkk does his best to put the perils out of focus.
"I guess it's aboot time someone open tha' door."
"Check my math but we could put some string like this and wedge some sticks 'tween ta rope and ta well. Wouldn't be much mor'an a trip wire, but than we'll know if anyt'ing has passed? 'specially if you sketch the shape down first and you could compare it later?"
Hmm...the diagonal of the square couldn't be any longer than the square root of two times one quarter of the length of my string. And that comes out to just a bit over seventeen, so not enough for this well. A triangle would fall short by a little less than a foot, but we could extend it to the necessary length with...five and a quarter feet. Plus a little slack for securing. I suggest we loop it around rocks and place those at three points around the walls.
"Magsy if ye suggesting dat rather than continuin' on this adventure where there be fortune and glory and instead spend what will likely be weeks makin' bombs and blowing every patch of dirt so high dat ta birds could eat ta grubs right outta ta sky wit'out e'en comin' close to ta ground..." the dwarf's eyes grow huge as saucers, pulling Maglin closer "Then I'll get the ale... friend"
Maglin looks down at the dwarf gripping his cloak and turns towards the holes. Picture the flames, he begins, hoping Dalkk turns to imagine them and thus relinquish his grip, I honestly think that if we just pour oil we'll get something more like a pillar of fire than an explosion. But I suspect the others don't want to wait, and much as I enjoy crafting bombs neither do I. Better to do something quick or nothing at all.
The burning plan would work well if these holes connect to a much larger cavern down below. Then the flames and the hot gasses could be got to go down the hole seeking said air and toasting any rats in the process, just like in a stove.
"Thanks ta Mags we should know if anyone or anyt'ing come through ta well."
It was your idea. Maglin stands well back from the door but closer than Dalkk. I'm ready.
He does not look ready.
Looks to the side and out to the field. His grip on the elf loosens with some dissatisfaction. "I'll be honest, I dinnae think a barrel o' oil be enough fer ta' job ye be talkin' aboot." He pats the elfs chest twice and looks back up with a grin. "We best be quick aboot it 'fore anyone else figures that out and spoils our fun." He releases Maglin fully and runs off to prep a torch for Maglin.
While the wizard and the alchemist stand at the rat holes contemplating something explodey,
Simon follows the action with the glowing duck on rope with perplexed gaze, saying nothing. It's just so disturbing and crazy. Words escape him and he instead checks the second smaller building, leaving the dwarf and elf to their weird actions.
After checking the second small building, he turns around to see the two of them walking around the well, discussing things in the intellectual language no on except them seems to understand.
What Simon gets is unsettling. "Why would you burn poor insects alive ... in their homes. They have done nothing wrong..."
After a short, he decides that those two are just performing some weird war game. Instead trying to follow their conversation he focuses on the big mausoleum - the last unchecked building.
Murmuring a few well chosen words he carefully approaches the big building.
Not daring to do anything intrusive yet, he just scans the door, sniffs the air and searches for traps. If he finds nothing, he will turn to the others, clearly questioning what to do now...
It was a beautiful thing to watch really- a growing friendship between an elf and a dwarf out of a mutual respect for pyromania and a perfectly understandable assumption that everything underneath them from here on out ought to be considered an enemy. But as happy as she was from that fact, she had little talent where fire was concerned. Her grease was better saved for smaller things.
With the others working on their project she joins the group around the large mausoleum, setting up her detect psionics power and observing it for any thing that might be of interest.
"You know, Simon, I don't believe you ever mentioned what your reason was for exploring this place. Ignatzia speaks to the catfolk as they pass eachother while scanning the building.
When the various pyromaniacs get excited, Marco backs up to the mausoleum, wanting to be as far away as he could without going off alone
As if on cue, with Maglin standing alone before the rat holes, there is the slightest squeak. Suddenly over a dozen rats pour from the holes, swarming at the mage with a flurry of squeaks and bites and scratching claws!
It week take the party, standing mostly away at the mausoleum, several servings to come to his aid!
"You could have seen my reason along the way we took.
Something ... evil is down there and destroys the nature on this island-grrr.
The villagers did not notice it ... yet.
It's influence is still deep in the wilds, but it will spread over the whole island if no one stopps it-grhrr.
Mhhh, you hear that-iii?
What have they done now-iii?"
Maglin recoils as the rats spring forth. There is a great rush of energy as they do, a sense of accomplishment, and for a second Maglin is so ready to meet them that he doesn't step back.
That was stupid. They shred his pants and bite his ankles, which hurts. Maglin stumbles backwards, mixing a bomb from his satchel with shaky hands and tossing it at the swarming rats. friends! Want to help me He seems to have some difficulty controlling his volume, which fluctuates rather significantly.
Marco springs to action, trying to run to aid
Alchemist's vials are notoriously fragile. They're made that way. But a rat is small and squishy. Maglin's bomb boundes off a rat's little skull and lands on the ground slightly to the right. This throws off his area calculations and he ends up only frying 6 of the rats. A full dozen strong are still coming at him, beady eyes screaming "lunch!"
This time Malgin isn't just standing there like one of Magnimar's monuments and the rats have a much harder time getting at him. All save one, however, who lands a vicious bite right on his Achilles tendon.
Maglin shakes off the rat, still stepping backwards. He mixes another bomb, again aiming to do the maximum amount of damage. That really smarts, he says, sounding almost surprised.
Another 3 rats burn to death and three more survive in spite of being super crispy (as rats aren't known to run in boxes) leaving nine left, mostly under his feet. Those are going to be harder to get rid of.
The rats swarm under Malgin's feet and around his ankles, biting and swarming like crazed demons. They are all so close that he, or Dakk, will have to risk burning himself if another bomb is used.
Vuzi is standing near the main mausoleum leaning on her longspear as if it's a waking stick waiting to see if Simon and Ignatzia find anything dangerous.
She'd lost interest in the well discussion, and didn't notice when the alchemist and the wizard stopped to look over the rat holes.
"There is something evil here Simon. I agree with that. It would be good to find out what it is, and stop it. It appears you both have the same mission. Find what's making this place evil."
She turns quickly when she hears Maglin call out, and begins running back toward him and the dwarf.
When she gets within 35 feet she fires a blob of acid at one of the rats hopefully one not in melee with the wizard.
Simon nods at Vuzis words, but then, time for Smalltalk has run out.
Without any words, Simon and Emil starts a rush towards the attacked group members, leaving behind the others at the mausoleum with their quick run.
It is the first time that you see Simon run, so it may come at a surprise that he uses a kind of four-legged jumping run rather than a normal, upright sprint on two legs.
As they near the fight and the attackers get visible, Simon shouts towards Emily:
"Rats! Dinner time for you, my loyal friend!"
The two of them charge into the fray, Simon pulling out one of his curved blades during the last couple of meters.
ROAARRR!!
Marco runs forward as bone spikes extend from his forearms, becoming akin to spears that he throws, embedding them in a pair of rats
Roars out "Maglin! To me!" The only lightly encumbered dwarf Runs and pauses only a few seconds to release a bolt at the closest rat to Maglin, well within the 120ft range.
In the following moments he continues his run stopping just so he has enough space to throw a bomb, hoping to clear a path.
Edit:
Such a common reason for adventuring, the destruction of evil. I wonder how their own lives measure up to that... As much as Ignatzia would have liked to begun looking for potential hypocrisy, it wasn't her job.
"I'd say there is more than one evil thing down in these depths- I'm fairly certain the entire dungeon is dedicated to the demon lord Orcus, in fact. He's a rather nasty one of the abyss's masters, so much as anyone can be a master of that chaos. I agree- stoping what's down there would be good for everyone." She agrees with the two companions nearby.
As the commotion breaks out nearby, Ignatzia begins running towards the fray. She stops at around 80 feet away from the rats, takes a moment to swap out the silver bolt in her crossbow with a standard one, then fires at the rats.
Next turn:
Standard action: fire crossbow
Move action: reload