The scorch marks appears to be arcane induced.
The arrows looked incredibly foreign. They also seemed to be crudely crafted. It almost looked like goblin arrows though there was a distinct feature of their barbed tips and raven black feathers that seem to make you think otherwise. Unfortunately your unable to pinpoint it belonging to any local race or culture.
Digging through the satchel you find a blood smeared journal, most of the pages are ineligible. But what you do make out on the last page is follows: There coming from everywhere, not sure how long we can hold against them at the armory. Our second group haven't returned, we fear they might have been killed. Coming here was a mistake...
There is a good passage of self loathing over this groups decision to try and retrieve the spoils of the citadel and what lay below. Then there is one final passage.
Their black as night. They strike at night. They don't seem to like the day, but day theirs a lethal mist. We are trapped, and tonight I fear the worst. I can feel them crawling beneath the citadel...
Upon closer inspection of the iron fasteners, your actually surprised as when you reach out to touch the melted iron they are still warm to the touch. Though it seems like they deformed quite heavily from what ever heat was present. They were not in a state that would make opening the door impossible.
Adornis looks again at the scorch marcas and the arrows.
"This were caused by some spell and these arrows... I have never seen them before. They are crude like a cursed goblin arrow but these barbed tips and raven black feathers... not sure."
Digging through the satchel, Adornis finds a blood smeared journal.
"This is quite damaged... lets see... "There coming from everywhere, not sure how long we can hold against them at the armory. Our second group haven't returned, we fear they might have been killed. Coming here was a mistake..." aaand here "Their black as night. They strike at night. They don't seem to like the day, but day theirs a lethal mist. We are trapped, and tonight I fear the worst. I can feel them crawling beneath the citadel..."
Adornis closes the journal and offers it to Augur.
"Here Mr. Augur, could you check if this journal has anything else to tell us that the men who wrote it forgot to mention? Nevertheless, looks like we are dealing with a whole new species living under the citadel, since I would surely recognize this arrows if they were from the citadel original inhabitants."
Inspecting the iron fasteners, Adornis continues.
"How is it even possible for this to still be warm? There were no record of anyone entering the citadel recently! Well, at least I think it can be opened... but will require a lot of strength!" Adornis finishes, looking at his big companions.
"Is there any idea of who wrote this journal?" Rhoman asks, looking at the door. Examining the scorch marks, he tries to identify them.
Looking over the door, he grips the handle, feeling the warmth. Looking over at Ciaran, he asks, "Would you lend us your strength, Sea Wolf?"
Oliver grumbles. "Blasted Roet, running off by himself."
He casts Detect Magic on the door, and detect evil, in turn.
Ciaran raises an eyebrow at Rhoman
"do you want my full strength or as I am now horseman?, if you want me any stronger I could get angry" he then puts one of his large hands on the iron fasteners, feeling the unnatural warmth he looks to rhoman again and gives him a questioning glance "we should hold off a little before opening it, untouched doors inside a cool building aren't normally warm" he then puts his ear to the door and listens for any noise on the other side
"That door bothers me, no magic on it, but something evil has attached to it." He begins examining the door in detail. "Anyone see hinges, or some other way to open it. There's something magical on the other side. Of course, it could be a demon."
"Gladly" Augar says pressing his free hand on to the book and summoning up the latent power within himself in hopes to pull the last vestiges of memory from the words not inscribed by pen but those by the sheer physic residue.
Ciaran takes his ear off the door but keeps hand on the door and stares at the door for a minute, he then turns to the rest of his allies "I kind of find the warmth relaxing Oliver, you absolutely sure its evil?"
"Evil is often pleasant and attractive... at first."
There are sounds are hard foot falls, you feel like your being jostled. It appears you were in the satchel of the owner of the book, despite not being able to see anything you can hear everything.
"Where... where are they?" a female voice panted. The jostling had stopped for a moment.
"I don't know... its like a maze down here. It was the only way we thought to be safer from the creatures, those things..." A male voice replied, you can feel the sadness lining his tone, "I-I don't think there alive... if they haven't been here like they said they would... it's almost been three hours. Those things were everywhere...."
You feel a sudden movement and a sound of sword sliding out of its scabbard. "There here! Run!"
The vision sudden blurred out. It didn't feel like the right time for when this satchel was dropped here, it felt like it was a little before. Though where they were was a mystery.
You feel your vision come back as your hand is still resting on the book.
Augar looks at the Adornis." It seems the barer of this book, was attacked via a swarm of these creatures. I did not see it but they seemed to have found this elsewhere and where to meet another group. Hopefully it all blends together. Or maybe not? It is jumbled as the sounds seemed off." He said a little worried.
Sounds better than my vision of the door, with the corrupted ooze and maggots crawling over it." He comments as Ciaran looks thoughtfully at the warm inviting door.
"Enough of this," Rhoman mutters. "We won't learn anything if all we do is look at this door." Moving to the steel barrier, the nomad sheathes his sword. Gripping the door handles, he pulls on them with all his might. "You may...help....if you...wish..." he strains to the others through clenched teeth.
cairn shrugs his shoulders.
"im with the nomad, no matter how many different visions we see or fantasy's we can come up with to try and identify whatever horror lives in there, it doesn't change the fact that we will have to open the door"
with that being said, Carson grabs the other door and strains his muscles to open the door. through gritted teeth he says "get your weapons ready lads, no sense going into a fight unprepared"
Oliver readies his rifle.
" Right"Augar says pulling out his maulaxe and nods ready to fight whatever came out.
The doors heave open slowly with a slow rumbling grind of metal against stone. It took both humans to pull the doors open, it was hard work and it strained the muscles but you were able to open it enough to file in if you so wished.
The room was dark, completely devoid of any light besides the light from the single window that was illuminating the hallway in a golden hue. You were able to see maybe only a twenty feet into the room with the dim conditions. What you could see was not promising, but there was a glint of light in the far back.
The room was stuffy, smelled slightly of mold but it was fairly warm. The heat was palpable as the warm air came out into the hallway.
The stonework seemed dirty as well from what you could immediately see.
Oliver checks for magic and evil...
Stepping through the doors, sword drawn, Rhoman muttered an incantation to seek out magic. Looking around, he strained his eyes into the darkness. "Can anyone see in this bad light?"
cairn pulls out a torch
"I can't lad, that's why I try not to go without torches, can you create any magical light?"
"Be careful in here, the whole chamber radiates evil. Like maggots crawling on the floors and ceiling." Oliver comments, as he reaches with one hand to dig a flint and steel lighter out of his belt pouch. "Always carry torches, best not cast a spell in here." He lights the torch, and then drops the device in the pouch before returning both hands to his rifle. "I suggest tossing it in."
Adornis lights his bullseye lantern, holds his crossbow in one hand and enters the room.
"Be careful gentlemen, and ready your weapons, just in case."
With the interior of the room lit, Adornis looks around.
The magic auras could be felt everywhere, but mostly above near the ceiling in which your torch light could not penetrate the darkness that far.
It was quiet in the room, not even the slightest noise besides the torch's fire and your voices.
Augar stands ready unsure what sort of thing would be needed from him. If it was spells he would give them if something more he would give them. the mystery would need to be solved and possibly here in this vault could be weapons needed to fight the secrets with in.
So the dwarf strode in shield before him with his maul axe low ready to lash out from behind the protective artifact some centuries old. Yes it was here he would fight and in doing so restore the histories of those lost or die trying.
Ciaran draws his blade and puts his unlit torch on his belt
"ok lads, lets do this"
The large room, supposedly what use to be the armory, was massive, the darkness almost suffocating and claustrophobic to a point of unease. It almost felt like something belonged here.
It only took you a couple feet in before the doors suddenly slammed shut behind you. Shutting all light out besides what you carried. A sudden deep unease course through you, making you feel suddenly hyper-aware of the situation.
Clicky-tick, clicky-tick came sounds from above and around. a voice raspy and hallow came, "My my, guess what my darlings have now?" And laugh followed which almost sounded like several sighs. "Dinner has finally come to great us darlings! Oh darlings oh darlings!" Suddenly the ground shook as something fell form the ceiling, a large black from shifting in the darkness as it approached you.
Light glinted off of many black objects that towered over you before your light was barely illuminating the beast before you. What it appeared to be a huge spider before you, its legs long and thick, covered in black hair. It's smell was moldy, its form massive and bulging.
"My darlings! It's dinner time!" It growled as it lunged towards the party with a high pitched, blood curdling scream.
Adornis looks astonished at the creature, trying to remember from his times at Academy's library if he had ever read about a it.
It talks, so it could be magycal...
...or perhapes a mutated creature...
...I'm almost sure it is not a simple creature...
... could it be from another realm?
'My darlings'?
Adornis flashes his lanterna around, trying to know if there are more creatures around.
As you swing your lantern around you immediately see several sets of eyes glinting in the darkness as they begin to surround you. So far they were smaller but it didn't necessarily mean they were the only ones to make their appearance.
"Be careful gentlemen! These are Deadri spiders... they have na incredibly venomous and pervasive bites. They are famous for making intricate web traps and are never alone... look around, there are several smaller spiders surrounding us!"
Adornis looks at Ciaran.
"I think it is time to get angry Mr. Ciaran!"
"Are they evil?" Oliver asks, bringing his rifle up.
Ciaran looks back at Adornis
"you know lad, I never did like spiders"
with that he closes his eyes and the air around him begins to chill, his hands become wicked looking claws. he re opens his eyes to show reptilian like pupils. his face is now hard set and he grips his great sword with both hands.
Str 22, Dex 13, Con 23, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 11
[/b]Offense:[/b]
CMB:+12
unarmed strike
attack: +12/+7
damage: 1d3+6
critical:*2
type: nonlethal, blunt
2claws
attack: +12/+7
Damage:1d6+6
critical:*2
type: slashing
Great sword
attack: +13/+8
damage:2d6+6
critical: 19-20/*2
type: slashing
Defense:
CMD: 23
hp:72
ac: 15
touch: 9
"I am still miffed about them talking? Spiders even big ones usually don't talk" Augar said as he looked at them before he whirled his maulaxe and shrugged.
"So what to do first"
The grotesque spiders were quick as they lunged at the party, wasting no time in attempting to retrieve their meals.
The largest one was surprisingly quick as it struck out against Rhoman Ke. "It's time to die my little walking meat bags!" yelled the spider in that raspy and disturbing tone. It lunged forward with its fangs, seeking out flesh and it would find its target. Fangs sinking into the armor of the plains warrior and injecting it's vile poison into his system.
The smaller spiders charged the group in unison, one going for Ciaran, but its lunge fell short as it took up a defensive stance. It began to taunt him as it attempted to find an opening, "Meat bag looks juicy! Juicy juicy juicy!"
Another struck out at Oliver, unlike it's sister it struck true, finding purchase on Oliver's leg and injecting poison into his system as well.
One jumped at Adornis, finding the smaller target a bit more to its liking, again this one finding it's target as it sunk its fangs into his shoulder as it injected it's poison.
And the last one charged at Rhoman as well, trying to gain the advantage of his distraction with its mother. It's fangs found its purchase on his lower leg, as its fangs broke skin and plunged into his calf.
Poisened! Make your fort DC 21 Save or suffer
Poisened! Make your fort DC 15 Save or suffer
Poisened! Make your fort DC 15 Save or suffer
Poisened! Make your fort DC 15 Save or suffer
Oliver snaps his rifle up, and fires off two shots at the giant spider!
The first round misfires, the hammer coming down with a distinctive 'click' sound. With a muttered, but pious, curse, Oliver fires again, but the shot is shaky, as he overcompensated for the non-existent recoil from the first failed round.
Adornis feels the poison slowing his movements. He steps behind, aims his crossbow at the spider and lets a bolt fly.
Seeing the others in the fray Augar raises his axe and calls out his battle cry!
Once the cry was done he quickly Steps in between the two spiders to strike with his maul axe
Ciaran stares at the largest spider, ignoring the smaller spiders around him his. his face shows no other emotion other than rage. with that he raises his great sword and strikes at the beast, bringing his sword down in a blur of motions and then stabs forward.