Lamtheer asks for a red wine from Corentyn.
He drinks it while sprawling a bit on the cushions and looking appreciatively at his surroundings.
"This is a nice place. We don't have much of these in the woods."
After thinking a bit, he adresses the female gnome.
"It may be a silly thought, but tell me, Esmee: is there in this city another party, besides the trolls, who does divination and auguries ? Perhaps we need a supplemental advice concerning our future ?"
Even though the group is lead by a gnome, Ragnar must place effort and concentration into keeping up. As they step into the bar, Ragnar pauses just outside the door, and dons a long cloak that reaches the ground.
With practiced steps, Ragnar steps in. At the bar, he orders whiskey of Valarian - it smells like deer piss - and quietly joins the group, taking a seat in the corner farthest from the door that faces it.
He relishes the smell and throws the drink back, reveling in the momentary pleasure of it burning down his throat. Stifling a cough, he looks to Esmee, and says:
[b/]"Obliged to you. I needed a drink. And to the rest of you..."{b] here he pauses to look each one in the eye, [b] "I'll follow along -- if you'll have me." [b\]
Vorg nods slightly at Ragnar.
"You seem like you can handle yourself in a fight, fine by me."
Spike decides to follow them into the bar, having nothing better to do, and curious to see if any of them will have more insight into what the young troll told them. He asks:
"I will have an ale, thank you."
When the ale arrives his face lights up, and he downs it in one gulp. After wiping his face he has a almost goofy content expression, and looking around, collects a couple nearby cushions placing them near the others. He falls onto the cushions contently, still listening to the others conversing, not responding to Ragnar but thinking to him self how he'd have no problem having a seasoned warrior along.
Lamtheer looks at Ragnar.
"The more the merrier" he says with a smile at the corner of his mouth.
Addressing Lamtheer,"Divination. Well let's see. Probably not much available on the Street of Little Gods, lots of clerics and priests, but usually those of us stationed there are new to the calling. Those tax collecting bullies, would have the ability, as would the devil worshippers."
She pauses, and twirls some of her hair and sips at one of the strangest looking drinks you've ever imagined. It seems like their are least 12 colors in strange swirling patterns, and some of those colors don't look like they should be in a glass you'd drink.
"You seem to be a little fresh for a delve into Ankar Te, so I'd imagine the necromancers and the child-goddess worshipers might be out of your reach. That's probably a good thing, they scare me. I suppose your best bet would be ol' Carthagos, he doesn't work with the Arcanist Guild so his prices would be reasonable, if you can convince him to prepare a spell other than for weapon making or enchanting."
Tax collecting bullies = Abadar worshipers
Abadar and his followers wish to bring the light of civilization to the wilderness, to help educate all in the benefits of law and properly regulated commerce.
Devil Worshipers = Asmodeus worshipers
He preaches strict discipline and unwavering devotion from his worshipers; the strong should rule the weak. He is a devil and lawful evil.
"Down? I'd not guess my nephews for down. They always were interested in the high places. My inquiries were related to how to find my nephews. Esmee, you seem to be vary familiar with this city, or at least familiar and friendly enough to answer questions"muses Aikio, while awkwardly trying to drink a pint of a very dark and aromatic stout.
"What is down from here? Under the city as it were."
Esmee sips more of her crazy looking drink(did the colors just change?) and sighs contentedly. She then screws up her face and belches a purple sparkly cloud!"Ah! Harv makes the best drinks"exclaims the little gnome.
She takes one final sip and says,"I'm not a Duskwarden or a Brother of the Seal, yes they accept women in the order, but I ain't one. So, I only know what everyone knows, or at least what anyone who asks about such things know. There is the Undercity which really is just the basement levels and some tunnels and corridors, they just happen to be slightly below ground level. Deeper down, they say there are many chambers and catacombs filled with all sorts of monsters and treasures."
Standing up and pacing about the area, her voice takes on a lecturing tone,"There is the Chambers of Truth, the Godsmouth Ossuary, and the Halflight path. I'm fairly sure that the Shrine of the Seal is down there somewhere and I've heard rumor of a forest so far down that you would be below the level of the low grounds below the Storval Plain. With the exception of the rumored forest and the Halflight Path, all of those areas are forbidden to normal folk and the only known entrances are fiercely guarded."
With her lecture complete, she jumps backwards into her chair with an oomph and noisily enjoys her drink.
A bespectacled young man walks into the tavern eyeing the crowd, the snap of the metal tip to his cane a shocking rhythm to his otherwise calm appearance. The long leather overcoat he has seems to be a mixture of elegance and function; well made with an abundance of pockets that strain to contain their contents. He walks around the room addressing the other patrons in quiet tones, leaning in to speak with them as a confidante would. Occasionally he hands a sheet of paper to those that don't dismiss him outright, but it seems that most of the patrons of this establishment want to return to their imbibing of their libations or they aren't buy what he's selling.
Finally the man approaches the gathered group.
"Well then," he says in with only the barest hint of a Chelish accent to his otherwise crisp Taldan, "by the look of you all you might just be the type of people I'm looking for on this fine day. I'm seeking those of stout-heart, sound mind, and with bravery in their soul. Would you be interested in joining me in my investigations in the Godsmouth Ossuary, the burial catacombs beneath our fair city?"
"I shall not join you on such a quest, however as a learned man about town, have you happened to come across any creatures such as myself?"says the tengu as she cocks her head to the side to more closely examine you. "Perhaps once your investigations? are complete, I may be able to request your assistance, with proper compensation of course, to track down my wayward nephews."
To the rest of the group,"Thank you for the drink, and the company. I wish you well on adventures you may have, and don't take prophecy so seriously, it generally fulfills itself whether you act upon it or not. I'm off to Ankar-Te to follow up on Esmee's information. Farewell."
With that said, the tengu gives a short bow and then leaves the tavern, presumably to head off to Ankar-Te.
Ragar perks up a bit at the mention of a quest. He grasps his coin purse - it is painfully close to empty, and his armor, while functional, is ill-fitting, and not suited at all for ventures of revenge against the wizard who cast him into his current state.
"Who benefits?" His voice was like a low growl, and he cleared his throat - loudly - and continued: "And what does it pay?" At this, and with some effort, Ragnar stands and stretches to his full height, and steps, painfully, closer to Vaethic - hoping he presents himself as intimidating, and not crippled.
Ragnar orders another drink, which is prepared and placed in his hand with remarkable speed, smiles at the corner of his mouth, stares directly at Vaethic, and downs his drink in one gulp.
The fire that fills his throat and belly tells him immediately that it is NOT what he ordered. Red in the face, the flush spreading across his neck and down his chest, Ragnar, by sheer force of will, manages to not grab his throat reflexively, but smashes the glass on the floor and belts his war cry fiercely.
He looks around and the members of this... party. Who did that? he thought to himself...
Vorg raises a hand to salute Aikio and bows a bit, then turns to the weird looking man with his cane.
"Can you tell us more of this place and of what you are investigating please? I'd like to hear more before making any decisions..."
Lamtheer bids farewell to Aikio, the tengu, by raising his half-full cup of wine.
Then, as he takes a look at the newcomer, he's surprised by Ragnar's battle cry.
By the gods ! One shouldn't drink if one cannot take one's liquor with a bit of restraint !
Lamtheer eyes Ragnar cooly and then returns to the well-dressed newcomer.
"Hello, stranger. My name's Lamtheer. The loud gentleman is called Ragnar Blackfoot. This is Esmee Drimplegatto, learned gnome and occasional healer of trolls. That other gentleman with the hawk is Vorg Palan. And our saurian friend here is... hrrmm... I'm terribly sorry, I didn't quite catch your name, lizardkin..."
"Anyway, I second Vorg Palan's request, and for the same reasons" the half-elf concludes.
Perking up at the young half-elf asking his name, Spike stands up making his presence more well known.
"My family callssss me Spike!" He exclaims, somehow properly pronouncing his name, with an odd amount of pride.
Spike turns his attention to the newcomer, noticing Ragnar acting intimidating he decides to settle into a more comfortable hunch, attempting to make himself less intimidating. He decides not to speak more, and wait for the man to answer the others' questions, being curious in their answers.
"Greetings Mr.Investigator! Have a name?"exclaims and questions Esmee.
Placing the remains of her drink on the table, she stands up and with hand sticking out walks up to the stylish man,"Hello. I am Esmee Drimplegatto, High Priestess of Brigh in Kaer Maga. I would very much like to join you in an investigation of the ossuary. I've been trying to get in there to explore for ages, and those grumpy Pharasmans never let me in the front gate! Along with great technological skills, I am a competent healer. Will you have me?"
Realizing what she said, blushing furiously, she glances at Vorg and mumbles,"Not like that, I prefer men more fitting of my stature... so no ideas you..."
Vorg chokes on his drink, really curious as to why the gnome thinks he is a man of discutable virtue.
"Why me, m'dam ? I'm really not that kind of person, I assure you."
The young man is confused for a moment, assessing the gathered people.
Oh, they'll do just fine.
"My name is Vaethic Brand. To answer most of your questions I shall provide you the letter that I received from the Pharasmans. Also I hope that such a letter will assuage any thoughts of deception or withholding of information that you have."
He reaches into the interior coat pocket and produces a letter. Opens it for all to see and hands it to the war-crying gentleman.
The letter reads:
Esteemed Investigator,
My associates have assured me that you are the man I need for a special job. I cannot provide details in this missive, in case it is read by unwanted eyes, however we have a mystery that needs to be solved. I need you to investigate a problem we are having in the Godsmouth Ossuary and am prepared to offer 500 gold pieces in exchange for a speedy resolution to this issue. I will also offer a bonus of 250 gold if you can clear the ossuary of any monstrous presence. Also, any items you find that are not of obvious Pharasman interest you may keep as you see fit. You may bring with you a few associates to assist you in this matter.
Please meet with me this midnight at the Godsmouth Cathedral in the Bottoms, and I will reveal the details you need to proceed.
Your reputation proceeds you, and I trust in your discretion in this matter
Yours in Faith,
Valanthe Nerissia
Ragnar reads the missive to himself, and passes it to Vorg.
"I'm in." he says simply. Moving back to the chairs, he gives a dismissive wave and says, "And you can buy the next drink!"
He sits, leaning back in the chair, throwing his robe over his blackened foot, and lights up a cheroot. Several long pulls later, with a heady puff of delicious smoke filling the room, Ragnar looks at Vaethic impatiently:
"Well"?
Lamtheer spends a good deal of time in the tavern, drinking beverages of choice, and getting to know his fellow "associates" a little better.
He's interested in Brigh (or maybe in Esmee), in knowing who is this family that Spike is a part of and in learning how Vorg Palan got his falcon. He's curious too about this wizard that Ragnar is searching, but won't press the matter. And he wonders about who is Vaethic Brand.
All in all, he appears as an amiable chap, who likes to reassure himself about those he's throwing his lot with. He doesn't speak about himself a lot, at least for now.
When he's had enough drinks, he leaves the tavern to find a bath-house to pass some more time - anyone who wants to join him there is most welcome - before heading out in search for a temple (or most likely a shrine of some sort) dedicated to Iomedae, the Inheritor.
There he prays for the success of tonight's enterprise, whatever it may be.
And after a hearty dinner, he's at the Godsmouth Cathedral in the Bottoms at midnight.
Already having decided to find work after running out of his savings, Spike agrees to help the investigator, after which he lounges on the cushions for a bit.
When Lamtheer asks about his family Spike almost excitably begins describing his mischievous foster father and kind foster mother, who while humans and only technically a few years ahead of him you get the idea that he cares for them deeply as if they were blood parents. He avoids talking about himself and his childhood, mostly talking about his parents, and briefly mentions their father who was never too fond of Spike. He ends his stories by proudly showing off the engraved blade he was given by them when he left his home.
After talking about his family, Spike stands up and excuses himself, nodding to everyone. He smiles very slightly at Lamtheer, happy he got to talk about his family, and decides he approves of the half-elf, and then glances at Vorg, wondering if the man is still intimidated by him. Spike heads out the door to find a secluded spot for him to get some exercise in, practicing maneuvers with his sword and shield. When it's time he heads to the Godsmouth Cathedral.
Vorg tells the investigator that he will be a part of his job, very curious about the mystery that needs to be solved.
He then stays a bit with the gang. At Lamtheer's question about his hawk, he says that Thunder found him one night, and that since they've been inseparable.
After a while, he goes outside and lets Hawk fly around, trying to find a place that's not too crowded where they can be alone, and he relaxes. When the time is right, he joins the group a the cathedral.
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Ragnar takes the drink purchased by the Investigator. He likens his upcoming adventure to the human game of chess, and begins thinking of various strategies and move to make given what may happen. He carefully plans the order of purchasing upgraded armor and weapons, and is pleased to hear there may actually be some of this loot upcoming in the Ossuary.
Ragnar lounges until well after dark, quietly takes his leave, and finds a secluded spot to stretch and warm up his muscles, overly stiff from the hours spent in the tavern. Stupid fool he thinks to himself, A simple request, and already you rush in headlong. This is a problem he's had his whole life -- and while it serves him well in a fight, his charge-first-find-out-details-later approach led to his current, sorry condition.
Ragnar is pleased to see that, apart from the constant throb in his foot, and stiff thigh, he can still maneuver very well. It's been awhile since he's had the chance to fight FOR something. Finally, slick with sweat, Ragnar bows with his greatsword in front of him and breathes a prayer to Gorum. Ablations completed, he makes his way to the Ossuary entrance to meet with his new allies.
You followed the scent of the fresh breezes and eventually come upon a bit of a park near the top of the outside of the high walls of the Bottoms district. As your hawk enjoys the updrafts along the cliffs face, you rest in the open air park soaking up the last of the autumn sun's warmth. After a while, you notice your hawk seems to have found a companion in a strange triangular shape wheeling and turning in the air. To your amazement there appears to be a rather portly person attached to the kite? An hour after you notice this the, kite makes a wobbly by successful landing in the little park with you. Seeing the contraption up close, you can see a rotund but somehow still very agile gnome climbing out of a harness. He approaches and greets you,"The names Uri. Proprietor of Kites and Crows. This your bird?"indicating Thunder as the hawk heads toward you."You ever wanna fly with him, let me know! I have human sized man-kites, too! Guaranteed to fly every time, or your money back."
He then heads off into the warrens of streets lugging his kite like contraption.
Hunting for a secluded spot, you find your way to a yard between two buildings in the Bottoms. One appears to be a tavern and the other some kind of warehouse. The side lot is clear and the hard packed ground is of dirt instead of stone. You begin your practice and are lost in the movements, and after a while you refocus on your surroundings to find about fifteen men standing around watching you. The are all similarly dressed, very clean but poor clothing. All of them are tough looking and well fed, a lot of strange burns and scars on their hands and forearms. "Not often we get a lizard in the class. You here to learn to defend yourself or to teach? Wasn't expecting you either way. Care if we join you?" says a burly fellow who has enough scars a missing eye and a nose broken so many times you can tell that fighting is his life. You sense that they mean you no harm and that you happen to be in their practice spot. The large man offers you a waterskin, then continues,"I'm Black Marin and I teach this motley crew of Freemen how to defend themselves from slavers attempting to recapture them. You're welcome to join us for some sparring and we'll be headed to the Common House for dinner and drinks after."
A couple of hours at the tavern and you find yourself alone, you head out to the Bottoms where the cathedral is. You find a secluded abandoned lot to perform your exercises and abulations to Gorum. You see something strange as you finish, before heading to the cathedral.
Three very skinny men with well made plain clothes, walk up to the corner and then stop. You can hear a lot of strange whistles and clicks, and they are waving their hands and arms about wildly. One of them does a strange little dance step and the you here more clicks and whistles. Finally, you notice that their mouths seem to be sewn together with great black stitches.
Esmee excitedly talks about Brigh for as long as you can stand then ten minutes more. Hearing your plans for a bath and a prayer, she decides to tag along with you. As soon as you leave the tavern, she takes the lead and explains that public baths are probably a little dangerous in this part of town and that you should come back to her house, where a bath can be had for free. Her home in the Tarheel Promenade, is small by human standards but giant for a gnome. "After you're done, I'll take a bath too. No peeking!"she admonishes the half-elf though you get the feeling that she might be slightly drunk and a little bit interested in your attentions. Baths completed, she leads you to the Street of Little Gods, where her temple is and then directs you down the road to the inheritor's shrine.
"My apologiessss, I did not realize this place belonged to anyone." He ponders for a second.
"I will take your offer on the practice, I haven't had anyone to sssspar with since I left home. However, I will have to decline on the meal, assss I have a meeting not too long from now I mussst attend."
Vaethic wanders the City of Strangers lost in thought for a few hours before settling into tavern that looks none too rough but none too posh.
If you could only see me now, Father. Working for Pharasmans, hiring a priestess of Brigh. The bills need be paid and I can't discriminate simply because 'they' place their trust and faith in the Gods. I shall surely not fall down that path. That way lies ruin.
He settles in at the tavern and takes out his journal to inscribe the day's events.
My Answer:
Perhaps they are performing some strange ritual to their god. Perhaps they are waiting for him to show himself, blocking his way to the cathedral. Perhaps they are colleagues of Vaethic -- whom, thinking on it further, he realizes he probably shouldn't trust farther than he could throw him.
Nonetheless, his ablations had washed him with a sense of well-being and calm, and he thought it wise not to act. Keeping to the shadows and making his way to the cathedral, Ragnar wondered idly if they might be the clientele, and his interest grew piqued at the prospects of what, exactly, they would ask of him.
With the moon hidden behind the clouds, this night is dark and frightening as you approach the looming edifice of the Godsmouth Catherdral. The walk through the bottoms to the immense structure, was uneventful though many of you felt the touch of hidden eyes caressing you then deciding to let you be this evening. The nights in Kaer Maga are much different than the day, where there is a slight restraint on violent behaviors.
After a terse greeting by an acolyte, and being escorted to a side chapel off the main Cathedral, you find the rest of your group waiting in the room. Several minutes later, a matronly human woman in very fine robes enters the room and addresses you all.
"Greetings, I am Valanthe Nerissia. Vaethic, I presume?"nodding at the investigator."I see you've acquired a fine team to investigate our little problem and I hope that you can keep it little as well. It seems that bodies are being stolen from the Ossuary. The people who reside in our tombs pay a lot of money to have the finest of resting places, and their families cannot find out the bodies are missing. We need you to enter the catacombs and track down our missing cor... honored dead."
Sighing a bit and then shaking her head, she continues "There is only two ways out of the main tomb area, one is sealed and the other is on heavy guard at all times. The guarded door has had its guards increased three fold and still bodies have disappeared. ...and before you ask, we have prepared these bodies with the divine aid of Pharasma to prevent them being animated and walking about on their own. Any questions?"
Vaethic nods a greeting to Valanthe Nerissia, "Yes, mum. I have found these good people to help investigate this problem that you have."
The young man takes out a small journal and begins furiously scribbling the details of the problem.
"Uh-huh...uh-huh...I see. Let me see, firstly, I would like access to any and all maps of the Ossuary that your Church may have in it's possession. Secondly I'll need to speak with the, he begins scanning his journal," nowdidyousayguards yes, guards. It is guarded by I assume members of your faithful, so we'll need to speak with them. Now when did you first notice that the corpses were missing and who discovered they were gone?"
Vaethic looks up from his journal. His eyes begin darting to and fro whilst he turns in a circle scanning the chapel from bottom to top, taking in the architecture and absently he begins gesturing around the room as if creating art in the air.
Maybethereisatunnellingcreaturethatconsumesthedeadthatburroweditswayintothe Ossuary.Maybetheguardshavebeenboughtoff.Couldbethatsomeoneisperformingmedic alexperimentsandtheyneedcorpses,nothefreshlydeadwoulddobetter.PerhapstheGod shavetakenthebodies.Hahaha,gods,yeahright...
Once he has finished his circuit he adds, "Oh and whatever questions my companions have too."
Lamtheer politely greets the matron after she's introduced herself.
He takes a good and curious look around him, while Vaethic gets his mind to the investigation.
Too much stone here for my taste. The woods are a much more gentle place for the Dead to rest.
At Vaethic's invitation, he adresses Valanthe Nerissia.
he starts, then stops, surprised by the humongous resonance of his voice under the stone vault of the chapel.
"Hrmm. Sorry about that... I was saying: I'd like us to inspect the sealed way out too. Just to be sure."
Vorg stays silent behind a bit, amazed at the profesionalism his companions show.
"Thunder, we will likely go underground, I hope you won't find the experience too much for your taste..."
"The rotation of "guard" duty is a 4 hour segment that every member of the church participates in, all the way to the highest to the newest member. This is a great honor for us filled with a short ritual every hour and a tour of the crypt."replies Valanthe.
Taking a breath and adjusting her stance to be more open,"The first body disappeared two weeks ago, and then a few more a couple of days later, and finally there were two bodies taken last night. They disappeared during my watch. I had taken an inventory of that section at the start of my shift and then at the end and those two honored dead were missing. I am convinced that whoever is stealing the bodies, is entering through the sealed door that leads to unmapped and unexplored areas beneath the Ossuary."
She then heads to the door and quietly whispers to an acolyte, who hurries off. She comes back and informs,"That young man is heading to get you a map of the known areas of the tomb. You may be aware like much of this city, we use these structures for our modern purpose not necessarily knowing what the previous ancient function of these structures are, such is the case here. As a secondary mission to solving our disappearing dead, we would like you to map and clear out the level below the tomb so we can expand our operations."
Finally, she responds to Lamtheer,"I will be happy to show you the sealed door, would you care to study the maps first?"
Spike watches and listens to Valanthe, deciding his companions have asked all that needed to be. He wonders why someone would go through the trouble of stealing bodies from a well guarded room, when there should be much simpler ways to get a corpse.
Ragnar, still feeling the calming power from his recent ablations, decides to ask a question. "Who are the 'honored dead' that are missing? Is there anything similar between them we should know about?" There was something there - perhaps just outside the shadow of knowledge -- but Ragnar sensed there was more than any of them were being told. And the problem went much further than bad publicity and some lost sales.
Ragnar surprised himself with the clarity of voice when asking the question. He noticed for the first time the throbbing in his thigh was not even noticeable, and felt almost no discomfort while standing on his black foot. What in the name of Gorum was in that drink? He thought again, then pushed the thought aside -- thankful that the contorting pain was not -- for this moment at least -- his constant companion.
Puzzled, he stood a little straighter, and waved for one of the maps to be handed to him.
"Who has access to the sealed gate? When was the last time somebody went in there? Why do you think that the bodies are being removed through there?", bubbles forth the questions from Esmee, barely able to hold her excitement at getting to enter the Ossuary. So much forbidden knowledge to uncover and things to see that I bet no one has ever seen... wait, somebody had to see it when they built it! so no one has seen it in a long long time! Squee! Awesome!!!!
7.Neth.4714 12:15:00 AM
Current Location
After looking over the maps, which show a grid about three hundred feet long and about 200 feet wide, with straight corridors that create a grid with 10x10 squares, with small series of numbers written by each side. There are stairs marked on the east and west side. On the 3rd floor down, some of the walls lack the numerical markings. There is also a door marked on the North wall.
The Cryptmistress anwsers,"The individual bodies that have been taken, have no connection in life that we can tell. The only thing we can connect is that the bodies were all rather robust individuals who had no obvious deformities or damage to them when interred. As to the identities of the missing, the church would prefer not to share this information unless you have some pressing need for this information. We are payed a great deal to keep the bodies here and preserve their privacy as well as their dignity."
Giving Vaethic a pointed look, Valanthe sighs and then responds to Esmee's questions,"The only key is in my possession. Though I'm sure a skilled tinker such as yourself could figure a way through such a lock, if not with your tools then with magical help. The way has been sealed for years, no one in living memory has passed that gate. The last person to pass through nearly didn't make it back, though his memoirs are lost to us."
Catching Esmee wandering off and trying to get the door to the East open."Stop! Don't open that door. There is a private service going on in there!" Once Esmee stops, she continues,"We keep the crypts very clean and near that particular gate, I noticed a smudge and some dust in the entryway."
After having perused the maps a little, Lamtheer marches resolutely towards the sealed gate.
He passes his hand all around the frame of the gate, and examines it closely, to make sure (to the best of his abilities) that it's not been tampered with.
Then, kneeling down, he searches the floor, looking for any signs of passage in the room.
Well, I never liked tracking quarries on stone floors !
The two guards look at Lamtheer strangely, wondering what he is up to. "You here about the private matter? You might should have the Cryptmistress escort you into the Ossuary proper."
Lamtheer perks up while he's being adressed.
Then he stands up, straightening himself and brushing some imaginary dust from his clothes.
"Hrmmm... I have a... special method for tracking down malfeasance ! I would explain it to you, but I don't have time for that. Duty calls !"
Walking away with impeccable dignity, the half-elf rejoins the adventurers' group.
I hate maps ! Who understands them ? Who needs that kind of scribblings when one roams in the great and deep forests of the world as I do?
He then speaks to the cryptmistress, with a forced smile:
"I don't know about my comrades in arms, but I am ready for you to show us the gate to the Ossuary proper !"
Vorg tries to sound confident and adds :
"So am I !"
He doesn't move tough, waiting politely for a clear sign that everyone, including the cryptmistress, is willing them to move.
Spike looks over the map carefully, putting every marking into his memory, and decides they need to inspect the sealed door and the area around it, He takes a small step forward after Vorg speaks to show he is also ready to be led to the proper.
Cryptmistress Valenthe, gives a slight bow to the investigators,"The Ossuary entrance is through the mouth of the of one of the Godheads that adorn the cliff face, the route is smooth and wide though has no railing. Let us head to the crypts so that you may investigate as you will. There should be plenty of time for questions after and in the morning, I'd rather you not wake the priests of the midwife aspect."
Valenthe leads you out of the cathedral through the north entrance and down a path that is heavily used and very well maintained. Along the path to the cliff face there are many tasteful arrangements of plants and other holy statues and stone carvings. A sense of peace washes over you on this short walk.
The path leads right over the cliff face with a gently sloping ramp that passes through the open mouth of one of the heads on the cliff.
The faces of the cliffs.
Inside the mouth is a short tunnel that leads to a pair of very ornate and gilded doors, depicting scenes of Pharasma in all three of her aspects. Behind the doors are a grid like pattern of catacombs, the walls lined with horizontal shelves cut three high into the rock of the walls. The stone is very well polished and above every stack of shelves is an everburning torch.
The Cryptmistress leads you to the next level down and to the far back of the crypt. About 30 feet away, she stops. "The sealed door. From the records there is a tight spiral stair case behind it that leads to a lower level. Feel free to examine the area. I shall wait here as to not disturb your examinations."
"This is... marvellous, grandiose!", whispers Vorg as he walks slowly to look at everything he can.
"Thunder, loose your wings while you can"
He shoves him off his arm and the hawk flies around for a bit.
Just in case :
Ragnar noticed that the dull ache was slowly returning to his thigh, and his foot was already growing sore. Nonetheless, he straightens, and walks slowly toward the door.
Perception: 1d20+2 = (14)+2 = 16
His senses felt acute -- almost tingly -- to him. His pulse quickens; he takes a deep, practiced breath, and slows his pulse down. Now some 20 feet from the door, the hallway well lit from the everburning sconces on the walls, Ragnar looks carefully.
Intuitively, he widens his stance, and flexes his knees; almost imperceptibly, he tenses slowly. Unsure of what lies before him, he waits, ready to spring...
Spike takes in all the sights as the group is led into the cliff face and to the sealed door, impressed with all the sights having never seen such carvings before. As the cryptmistress leaves them all to their own devices, Spike walks up to the door and looks it over, trying not to miss a single detail.
On the floor near the door you can just make out a smudge of some sort. There is also some dust or dirt on closer inspection. The Cryptmistress assures you that these areas are cleaned often and methodically. The door has what appears to be clever locking mechanism built into it.
On the floor near the door you can just make out a smudge of some sort. There is also some dust or dirt on closer inspection. The Cryptmistress assures you that these areas are cleaned often and methodically. The door has what appears to be clever locking mechanism built into it.
"Cleaned often, huh?"