Dot here before we begin!
Roused from sleep and herded aboard the Winking Wyvern, the party sails urgently for Rivenrake Island and the ruins of Xin-Bakrakhan, ancient capital of the Thassilonian Runelord of Wrath. A note from Venture-Capitain Sheila Heidmarch informs you that a Society-funded dig team has uncovered a totally intact temple that appears to be associated with the goddess Lissala, buried for 10,000 years. Given the fresh revelations that this long-thought-dead cult is thriving and allied with the Aspis Consortium, it's a truly wonderful find, providing an unprecedented opportunity to gain knowledge of this forgotten faith. Even if the site turns out not to be dedicated to Lissala, learning more about the faiths and practices of ancient Thassilon always provides an abundance of knowledge. Often the items they use in their rituals lead to clues about the cults.
By now the work crew has finished clearing the site - the time to explore its secrets is finally at hand. The Society has no exclusive contract tot he site, and Aspis Consortium agents scour the countryside seeking such ripe targets, so time is of the essence. Archaeologists Halla Beusophis and Kovo Murse can answer your questions in the site. A fellow Pathfinder ranger called Riemme Batelle is already on the island, ready to join this exciting endeavor.
Your mission, Pathfinders, is to eliminate the ancient temple's dangers to that Society scholars can study the ruins safely and bring back whatever knowledge lies within.
In the meanwhile the crew prefers to avoid you when possible but you can speak with the captain, Haerla Skolet, a female dwarf who likes to spend her waking hours with an unlit pipe in her mouth. You can speak with her if you want, or just think about the details in the Venture-Captain's note.
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Fey goes shopping before arriving on the boat. "Come one Wolfie it will be fine. It's just a boat. We won't be on it long."
Sitting on the boat with her back to Wolfie she watches the waves go by as the ship cuts through the water. "Where is Rivenrake Island?" Fey asks Hearla when she gets a chance to speak with her.
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Dusklord pulls his black cloak tighter around his black robes as he huddles against the wind. Despite looking cold, the wizard seems upbeat.
"I am always fascinated when we explore the ruins of ancient Thassilon. As you know, I am a specialist at their lost magic. It is the most powerful this world has known," he says with a wistful look.
Dusklord's familiar, Vermithrax, jumps up on his shoulder. The beast seems particularly frail.
"We will be there soon," he tells it.
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Rereading the message, the gnome frowns under his helmet. "Underground huh? That could be problematic. Let's hope there's not a large need for climbing."
Later, Hastard and Nord approach the dwarven woman. With a slight bow, the short man speaks. "Captain Skolet, names Hastard. If it's not too much trouble, I'm curious to know if you've ferried any of the Aspis to the island ahead of us."
Haerla seems busy at first, barking commands at her sailors (some of which are huge men double her size), but eventually stops near you on the deck. "Rivenrake island? It's better known as the Hollow Mountain. Not that I'd care. I wouldn't enter that mountain whether it's hollow or not." She emits a gargle which seems to be her way of chuckling. "Tell me, have you ever seen a dwarf that doesn't want to go underground? Well, if not, I'm the first one. Was raised by pirates, you know, and ever since I started sailing the open sea I realized I couldn't get back into those gloomy dark halls." You sense she could go on and talk about herself, but fortunately, she agrees to answer questions.
She eyes Cody, squinting at him for a few seconds before answering. "Runelord what?! Do I look to you like a historian, boy? No? Good. Didn't think so!" It's hard to tell whether she's enjoying the banter or not.
She nods towards Hastard. "A fellow shortie. Good company you're keepin' here. Aspis you say? Never heard of them!" she exclaims while making the most obvious wink you've ever seen.
You begin considering that the captain might not be completely sane when one of the sailors yells "Land!", and a few moments later the distant island comes into view.
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"Admittedly, you're the first dwarf I've encountered without a preference for the dirt. Well met, m'lady." he replies.
Glancing ahead at the announcement, he nods. "Seems we're soon for our destination. Thank you for the transport and I hope life finds you well."
Scratching his boar behind the ears, Hastard leads him to the side of the ship.
Lissala, instead preferring to pay homage to a number of fiendish patrons. Earlier in Bakrakhan's history, Lissala was widely worshipped, but as Alaznist came to power, the popularity of the faith waned in the nation. During this time, many of the temples were repurposed to venerate various demon lords.
Haerla grins. "You're not done with me shortie!" she laughs. Who else is gonna get you land lubbers out of here? I've been paid good coin to do so, so you'd better come back with me!" She then leaves for her business as the island comes into sight.
Haerla's crew, despite their captain's quirks, is very professional and sets said directly towards the harbor. Since the old harbor silted up, the Winking Wyvern drops anchor and sends you ashore in a pair of launches. As you enter the launches something on the coast seems to have gone awry. Only six bedraggled people come forward to meet you from a camp that could probably house thirty. The leader of the residents, a grim-looking woman in work clothes and signs of emotional and physical fatigue, greets you, clearly relieved that you have arrived. "Thank goodness you've arrived," the careworn Pathfinder begins. "Two days ago workers at the dig site were attacked, by what or whom I don't know. I was here at the camp when it happened. Only a single worker escaped - Shadaq, who crawled back here, bleeding from a dozen terrible injuries. The wounds were mortal and none of us here possess the skill to aid him. Before he died we got little information. He told us of the attack, said everyone had been 'gutted like game birds.' His last words - as his eyes violently rolled back in his head - were 'Lissala is angry, but so am I'.
The six of us are all that's left - myself and these five hired excavators. They've refused to go back to the site and I didn't dare go alone. We've been huddled in these damned tents since Wealday, waiting for your arrival. I'll take you to the dig myself, but I don't know what we'll find. If Shadaq's words are true, it won't be pretty. Only the gods know whether those same attackers lie in wait".
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Dusklord furrows his brow in thought as he considers what has happened.
"Lissala was the goddess of fate, runes, and reward of service, and was especially prominent in Thassilon. While a much more disciplined faith in the early days of the empire, her worship grew more reckless and decadent in Thassilon's waning years. Veneration of the deity was thought to have died with Thassilon itself," the wizard concludes.
"To have an attack that this man attributed to Lissarla would be...interesting, to say the least. What kinds of wounds were they? Has he been buried?"
The woman, who identifies herself as Halla Beusophis, a Pathfinder, answers your questions. You feel that she is a bit exasperated, but you find it difficult to blame her for it.
"I'm an archaeologist, not a doctor. I can say that he had a lot of wounds, and there was more blood than I'd ever seen. Before he died he said that "hairless humanoids, with grasping mouths" attacked him, whatever that meant. We buried him nearby if you want to further examine the corpse. As for the others - I just don't know. I hope they're alive but they're most likely dead, and near the temple. I haven't checked by myself, but would take you there."
Halla nods at Dusklord's history lesson, managing a weary smile to someone who is well-versed in academic topics. "You sure know your history, friend. I'll add that towards the end of the empire her worship actually became corrupted into a more brutal affair. Uncovered evidence shows that there was also a fair amount of demon worship taking place in Bakrakhan. Some of the carvings on the temple suggest human sacrifice and otherworldly creatures, though I need more time to study those carvings for real certainty. That's why you're here-to make it safe for us to study."
Halla nods cautiously as you clarify that you would want to move on. The extensive ruins of the ancient city begin a mere stone's throw from the shore, but the dig site itself is a 2-mile trek. Halla guides you to the temple site, and it's an uneventful trip. Hulking mounds of the long-dead city are all around and the presence of Hollow Mountain and a huge hateful visage carved into the mountainside glower high above. Halla notes on one of your short breaks, "The temple of Yamasoth we found here is an impressive free-standing domed structure, made of fitted tan stone, remarkably well preserved-unnaturally well preserved. There are two possible entrances on a pillared portico, both of them bricked over with stone and hardened clay. There's also a circular opening at the peak of the dome, an oculus about 5 feet wide, but we stayed clear of that
after discovering it during the excavation. Our work has consisted almost exclusively of moving away debris so the temple can be explored." When you get nearer the temple you find evidence for her claims - the area surrounding the temple, littered with rocks, loose soil, and bits of excavation debris, make reaching the site slow and tricky.
The temple's breathtaking edifice, constructed of tightly fitted blocks of brown stone, looms ahead as you approach the digsite. Upon even a cursory glance, you notice that its blocks are covered with intricate engravings depicting humans engaged in acts of terrible self-mutilation. A pillared portico girds the eastern front of the great temple, the carved columns resemble fat, coiled serpents. The structure stands about 20 feet tall, though a great dome rises out of the center another 20 feet. How this place could be more than 10,000 years old defies logic—some sorcery must have preserved the stone.
The stench of blood is the only greeting upon arrival at the excavated temple. Before an imposing stone structure lie a few stripped and eviscerated bodies bearing terrible wounds that go far beyond the marks of battle in their viciousness, and furrows in the fresh dirt indicating that others have been dragged inside. Halla covers her mouth to stifle a cry, then rushes to the side of one of the bodies, falling to her knees. "Kovo! Oh, Kovo, look how they butchered you!"
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Before they head out the warpriest will share what he knows Thassilon was the ancient empire that encompassed all of modern Varisia and beyond. It fell into ruin at teh advent of Earthfall 10,000 years ago. It was ruled over by seven runelords, extremely powerful wizards which employed Thassilonian sin magic. Bakrakhan was the province of Alaznist, Runelord of Wrath, and Xin-Bakrakhan was her capital city.
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"That is quite excessive." remarks the gnome, looking down to the body. "This can not be allowed to continue...I would hope the Aspis wouldn't even stoop this low."
Riding the boar up to the far side of the corpse, he keeps an eye out ahead. "I do hope we are able to find a peaceful means of ending this."
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Dusklord looks at Cody, clearly upset. "I have no desire to animate the corpse of this man. I want these dead to find their rest, not disturb it! To take control of undead already created, and then to shepherd them to their rightful place in the afterlife...that is a good thing. As I have said before, I practically follow the code of the paladins."
As they travel toward the temple, Dusklord tries to remember any creatures that could be described as "hairless humanoids, with grasping mouths."
"What do we have here?" the wizard says as he examines the corpse with interest. Hopefully, the wounds would clarify what kind of enemy they faced.
Feybella examines Kovo's corpse but can't tell what inflicted his wounds - there's simply too much blood involved.
Cody notices that the northeastern portico has been breached, while Hastard finds a curved tooth (definitely not human) in the corpse.
Dusklord looks at the corpse and can think of many monsters that could have mutilated it but cannot identify the shape of the wounds.
In the meanwhile, Halla gathers herself. She looks around, then begins to walk between the corpses, listing those she finds. After a few minutes she turns to the group, "There were more people here. Pathfinder Riemme Batelle, Pel and Saala - two dig workers, and another four laborers. They're not here. We have to find them!"
When Cody calls attention to the breached portico, Halla seems puzzled. This is strange. I was here yesterday and the portico was sealed and all the exterior surfaces were intact. The demolition must have been recent! The excavation team was supposed to wait until you arrive before they'd remove the barrier!"[/b] She then falls silent, thinking about the situation.
Feybella examines Kovo's corpse but can't tell what inflicted his wounds - there's simply too much blood involved.
Cody notices that the northeastern portico has been breached, while Hastard finds a curved tooth (definitely not human) in the corpse.
Dusklord looks at the corpse and can think of many monsters that could have mutilated it but cannot identify the shape of the wounds.
In the meanwhile, Halla gathers herself. She looks around, then begins to walk between the corpses, listing those she finds. After a few minutes she turns to the group, "There were more people here. Pathfinder Riemme Batelle, Pel and Saala - two dig workers, and another four laborers. They're not here. We have to find them!"
When Cody calls attention to the breached portico, Halla seems puzzled. "This is strange. I was here yesterday and the portico was sealed and all the exterior surfaces were intact. The demolition must have been recent! The excavation team was supposed to wait until you arrive before they'd remove the barrier!" She then falls silent, thinking about the situation.
Dusklord notices that the wounds were inflicted by bladed weapons, claws, and teeth. He's distracted from his examination by the others who seem to be moving in.
As the group nears the now-open entrance, Halla calls to you, her voice clearly broken with something between despair and grief "I'm not going in. I'm sorry, but I just can't do it know. I'm sure I'll just be an extra burden on you all." She falls silent for a few moments, then continues, "I'll wait for you at the seaside camp. I hope you return safely."
Everyone else slowly edges up to the now smashed entrance, and Hastard peeks inside. There large oculus at the top of the dome which illuminates some of the dark interior. You can't make out much, but it seems like there are several large pillars inside. Everything seems to be quiet, so you take a hesitant step into the destroyed temple.
Eight great pillars each about 25 feet tall, larger versions of the serpentine columns found at the pillared portico, encircle an enormous mosaic on the floor. The tiles of fading greens, reds, and yellows form a seven-pointed star. The dome peaks about forty feet overhead, its center pierced by an oculus five feet across. Near the front of the temple are the remains of a marble statue, smashed to bits. What it once was is unclear, as the vandal did a rather thorough job destroying the ancient work of art.
Toward the back of the wide open space, a long, five-footdeep pool lies in this western alcove, empty now, though the irregular red-brown stains on its surfaces leave little doubt as to what once filled the basin. Standing at the center of the pool is an eighteen-foot-tall marble statue of a strange being. Its body is a tangle of tentacles and eyes surrounding a circular maw filled with jagged teeth and barbed stinging tongues. Each of the thing’s tentacles ends in a claw, pincer, hook, or some other implement of pain. Ancient paint flakes from the grand effigy, but glittering in the light are dozens of onyx gemstones adorning the statue where the being’s eyes are carved. It appears that something is strapped to one of the writhing appendages with red silk ribbons. On the floor of the pool itself are dozens of small stone figurines.
While those that enter adjust their eyes to the darker environment, Feybella and Wolfie make a bit more noise than the rest. Cody, Faybella and Dusklord all seem to notice black feathers on the floor. Nothing seems to happen immediately, but after a few moments you hear a soft distant tune. It begins faintly, barely discernible from the background noise, but it grows stronger until it is clearly heard by everyone. The source of the noise seems to come from the top of the pillar, but you don't see enough of whatever is emitting the tune.
Cody recognizes the feather as belonging to a harpy.