Dorum reads them as well, thinking of his grandfathers stories as he reads on. If this power can bring back my friend, maybe the gods are truley real.
The dwarf suddenly stops reading and was in shock of the mutt talking and the gods return that he lost sight of his manners, "Sorry Mutt just realized I be acting like a gully dwarf and ignoring me manners. Da names Durom Stonehammer and what is yours?" He holds out his meaty paw to the dog.
Durom is amazed as a brown leathery hand returns the grasp. In a blink of an eye the mastiff has grown into 6'2" dark skinned humanoid with a mastiff's head I am Y'lendon, Marshal of the Fifth Golden Flight. Servant of Paladine. Tasked to guard this temple until the proper priests return. He pauses, turning to Janos Sir Knight. The world is in need of many faithful to take up their symbols and heed the words of Paladine and his consorts. No one man or woman can bear the burden of returning faith to all potential followers. There may be many who wear the mantle for each church: how you organize, how you structure your faith is up to each group. For now, the choice is simple- read the disks. Find a faith that you believe in, and select that god as your patron. I see your hearts are free of evil; you will be good vessels to return light to the land.
Rumal makes his way to the fountain, drinking until he feels better. He is both surprised and disappointed that it does neither returns his arm nor lets him keep his buzz. He takes another couple swigs of his own 'healing draughts' before he strolls past each of the statues in turn. He stops after passing them, giving a questioning look to the keeper, "Why izh it nat I don shee Reorx in dese?" *hic* "Accordin to the resursh at Mt. Nevuhhmine, he ish not olly a good god, hees a Great one!"
"Wow an I was rubbing yer belly, tha would be awkward now!"
Continues to read and study the disks.....searching for something that fits his normal ways.
|
I recognize the name, Paladine. The primary patron of the Knights of Solomnia, and head of the Order of the Rose. We call him Draco Paladine. Also the horned one, whose symbol is the Bison of Heaven, Kiri-Jolith, Sword of Justice, who also is sacred patron or the Order of the Sword and the Clerists order, and his brother, Habbakuk, sealord and Fisher King, know as the unlikely patron of the Order of the Crown. [i]I had always believed them to be important founds of the knighthood. Founders in a sense, though certainly mortal ones, made imortal through legend and fame. Didst thou speak to another elf, an elderly man some months or years back? And what meanist thou by "Marshal of the Fifth Golden Flight"? Art thou a knight?
I'd like to roll a
or
to see if I recognize either "Y'lendon" or the "Fifth Golden Flight".
I do not mean to be rude, but what art thou, Mr.(?) Y'lendon, and how is it that Master-Gnome Rumal is returned to us. I touched his body, myself. It was lifeless. There was not even the spark of hope of revival within him, and even so, his wounds where too fatal to survive. And yet, here he standeth?
Rumal, my diminutive friend, Reorx is a greater God. He shaped the world, after all. Yet, when it comes to the affairs of men he takes a more balanced approach: only when his children are threatened does he align with the gods of light and justice. The temple of he and his aloof brethren was to the east of here prior to the cataclysm. The missing disks include books from his church.
Trap finder, I might have enjoyed that, after all, I been trapped in this hall for centuries.
Sir Knight, the span of human life is short, yet still some memories carry on. Paladine and his sons are indeed gods. From time to time they have taken human form and walked among men. The founding of your order was one such visit. Forgive me for my explanation may be difficult for you to understand. I am a knight similar to yourself, however my home is not among mortals such as yourself. Rather, I am tasked to serve Paladine by fighting the hordes of Devils controlled by the dark queen.
Paladine has welcomed many good souls to heaven, even in the darkest of years. Now, however, he sees the dark hordes massing on earth and in hell. It is his healing that brought back Mr Rumal. Had either Reorx or Paladine or any other god lay claim to his soul, Rumal's spirit would not have returned to hide body. Only a will to live and an unfinished business would make the soul return on the ethereal path, and only divine energy can reunite soul to body.
The archon has arms of flesh, but wears an inscripted breastplate. A massive 2handed sword is strapped to his back. He is a nearly perfect, unblemished being to your eyes, one unlike you have ever seen.
"So you were trapped in here alone! With nothing to do? And no friends?"
"That sounds most horrible!"
Hu'tonkton considers dumping the waterskin, but he already spent what good water he had onto the floor. Holy water should taste no different than the normal kind. I hope.
The water spoils when taken from the fountain. I just need to bring father here, to this place then. Put his mouth to the waters and his flesh shall be knit whole again. A goodly plan, save the journey would certainly kill him. If he yet lived in the first.
He balls his fists in frustration. All these long years he'd searched. All the miles, finally repaid by miracle waters that might well have been piss, for all the good it did him.
"Which of these disks teach how to mend a broken body? How to put back the stuff of life? This is what I come seeking."
Y'lendon turns to Hu, putting his hand on the elf's shoulder Most of the deities here can grant healing magicks to their faithful, but mostly for small injuries and repairing damage on the field of battle. For the worst disease and other healings, only prayers granted by Mishakal to her most devout followers can help. She heals the sick and maimed. Her followers tend to be more likely to settle their differences with words than fists, however, so it may be difficult for your to earn her favor. Perhaps, when word of her returns to the world, you can find someone who is capable of being her voice on earth. That person may be able to channel the power capable of healing your father. I think, my friend, that the disks lost below us may hold your salvation. The sooner they are retrieved and distributed, the sooner we can begin to push back the veil of darkness that is passing over your world.
He turns to the others. I may be able to offer you some more help. There is a small cache of supplies that the temple collected. They were ultimately destined for destruction in Istar, but had not been shipped out prior to the fiery mountain falling.
He walks over to the statue of Paladine, and moves a panel aside. He pulls from the space a small bundle of goods. Pulling aside a tarp, he reveals a silver rapier, a copper colored dagger with a bird on the pommel, two small flasks, a wooden case containing three grey rocks, a wand, and a steel shield with Paladine's dragon embossed.
I think I will level to 4 anything interesting on the cleric side of things?
Hilarious!
Hu'tonkton examines the silver rapier without touching it. A truly beautiful weapon, one meant for his hand...
He glances at the others. "I claim this weapon as mine own." He waits a second for to see if challenge is raised.
Hu frees his short sword from its scabbard. The blade is plain, the steel notched at the base. A serviceable weapon. One who's time has come.
He dropped the sword and picked up the silver rapier. Testing the air with it, he can't help but grin. "A truly beautiful weapon. Let this one offer thanks." He bowed to Y'lendon.
"It is to Mishakal that I must needs pray, then. What of the god Chislev. Will I find words written of this one in these lost vaults?"
"Did you say a wooden box with grey rocks inside!"
"I want that!"
"Hey a short-sword!"
Rumal, remembering with the others about the items, grabs what interests him the most. The two vials are gripped in his hands, as he opens each in turn, swirling, sniffing, and investigating their colors before declaring what he thinks they are.
The steel shield is a light shield, not heavy steel.
"I feel different maybe I should lie down!"
The sun slinks low in the west. The lanterns give the temple a warm soft glow. The temple is safe and quiet; you know that it is a safe place to rest.
"If theres one thing a dwarf knows its rocks, let me take a look at those little one." The dwarf looks over the rocks and feels the difference in him, something he never believed would happen but his grandfather was right they did come back.
"You didn't each those mushroom's again did you Trap?"
If the Dwarf can't figure out what the rocks are, he'll just dismiss them and reload his empty clips and sharpen his bolts.
"Maybe we should stay away from tha mushrooms an one o us should give up drinkin."
Rumal looks at the two vials, impressed "Thish wun looksh like dey put the foutin inna bottle, but the other Ima study fur...*hic* furth...*hic* more." As he puts the bottles into his belt he heads over to the fountain, drinking until the throbbing in his missing arm stops again. He then grabs his pack, throws it on the floor where it and the fountain meet, and before long is snoring loudly.
"Trap take the rocks as well as the dagger wit me votes, and hey Rummy do you know anything about this stick?" He holds up the wand for Rumal to take look at, he asks after Rumal is done drinking though.
The hound archon shows you the back pathway down to the crypts below the temple. The statue of Paladine has a false wall that hides circular staircases. He warns that outside the sphere of the temple's protection, the pathway may become damaged or blocked from the upheaval of the cataclysm.
Although he doesn't know what's buried deep beneath the city, he can tell you that pre-cataclysm there was a series of crypts and vaults- one of which held the master set of disks. The neutral temple and the rest of the city must have collapsed inward into the space below. He senses the disks in close proximity to the massive evil of the dragon you encountered earlier.
Two other potential pathways down exist: the well- a dark deep shaft that you know the dragon can traverse.
The third is to go over the side of the cliff and see if there's an entry way where the cavern split open as the city broke apart.
Rumal looks bleary-eyed at the stick Durom holds in his hands, "That, my frendwarf, is a shtick. It loogs poiny, an can prolly be used as a weppin. My ma aways sed you could put an eye out wif one." He seems certain of his assesment, adding as an epiphany "Mebbe is mashicul too, an makes someone skilled at usin shticks to put out eyes. Souns powerful! I think I might hole onto that if you don mine?"
"Stairs, wells, or cliffses. Plese tell me I don haf to be the olny one to make the sober disishun an say stairs?" He asks worriedly
Rumal looks bleary-eyed at the stick Durom holds in his hands, "That, my frendwarf, is a shtick. It loogs poiny, an can prolly be used as a weppin. My ma aways sed you could put an eye out wif one." He seems certain of his assesment, adding as an epiphany "Mebbe is mashicul too, an makes someone skilled at usin shticks to put out eyes. Souns powerful! I think I might hole onto that if you don mine?"
"Stairs, wells, or cliffses. Plese tell me I don haf to be the olny one to make the sober disishun an say stairs?" He asks worriedly
Identify works as detect magic with a +10 bonus. You could also have a cleric cast dm. Option 3 is to try and activate it blindly with use magic device skill.
I propose a new house rule that allows alchemists to detect magic by sprinkling a mixture onto the object to be studied. The chemical reaction's color and intensity would indicate school and power level retrospectively. I understand not bothering with 0 level formulas, but for our game Rumal serves as our arcane master. Any objections to the rule?
Since we rested....
"Hey lemme see!"
casts detect magic
spellcraft
Durom shrugs at Rummy, "Just a stick ah? Magic be new to me, so I thought you may have more experience with that kinda stuff." He pats the gnome on the back, "I knew I shouldn't of asked the drunk, haha. With our current luck I would say we take the stairs as well."
He shakes his head at the kender, "So whats you think it is Mr. Barefoot."
S
"Hey this is a useful stick, layers of force to protect everyone."
"Who wants to try it out?"
points the stick at people......
"This reminds me of the kender game, involving owlbear s@#* and a stick and chasing gulley dwarves....."
The staircase down is 5' wide, with carved marble spiral stairs descending into darkness. The first step down you can feel the warmth and safety of the temple fading. Below, darkness and silence await.
The dwarf moves down the stairs with his crossbow drawn.
Goes first down the stairs
Initiative
Perception
To over-hear conversations
Automatic perception check within 10 of a trap
Stealth
Rumal appears curious at the mention of force, "Canna look athat? How you layer force, it dunent look like it perfidze torque? Mebbe issa tool to tiden armor joins."
Rumal follows Durom's lead and draws his crossbow, and loads it. Just what everyone wants a drunk with a loaded weapon.
"Shhhhhhh...."
Did we lose Janos and Hu?
Hu spends their day of rest outside, away from the others. Alone to his thoughts, he thinks over the long days that have brought him to this place. With these erstwhile companions.
He feels as though he's standing at the edge of an immense cliff, looking down into a dark chasm below. Something is glinting down in the depths. Something shiny with promise. For his father. And perhaps, himself.
...
"The stairs," Hu says when talk turns to how best to move below, in the dark vaults. He moves to take his place at the front of the group and is not surprised when the kender slips past him. Say one thing of kender - they are good trap finders.
Bow drawn, arrow nocked, he silently follows on Trap's footsteps into the darkness.
.
As Hu stares off into the sea, he notices something overlooked earlier. The huge trees that hang off the edge of the precipice have been outfitted with a series of winches attached to lifts. 400 yards below a small beachfront hosts a handful of rowboats. Beyond, anchored in the safety of the cove are half a dozen warships, each flying a red dragon wing banner. The sails are raised and the oars are tucked up... the host who sailed these vessels has moved ashore some time ago.
Leaning over the edge you can see an enterance to the collapsed city, halfway up the cliff face. A small ledge extends out, currently the counter weight lift sits upon it. The other lift basket is on top of the cliff. Just would be easy to descend via the lift, but also loud.
"Hey that is really cool, whose ships are those?"