"We might as well take the first one," Kenzo says with a shrug as he walks back toward the group, leads them around the corner and down the hallway.
"Go slowly," Jessa advises, "And keep a sharp eye. Maybe we can learn something about what lies ahead...or draw out any more of these monstrous beasts before we're ambushed by anything. I'd like to prepare myself further if another fight looms ahead. And it's also a good idea to have a plan for retreat if things go wrong."
The long tunnel, about fifty feet long, widens into what appears to be a small shrine. To the northeast of the chamber, directly in front of where the party enters, the room is dominated by steps leading up to a platform of gray stone. Sitting atop the platform is an ancient altar, little more than a jagged block of marble.
Examing the altar reveal a shallow concavity on the top. The basin is filled with what looks like dirty water.
To the south-east, a short hallway leads to a set of double doors which stand closed. There is a strange icon drawn on the doors, in what looks like dried blood. The symbol is that of a iconic canine head with three diamond eyes.
Examing the altar reveal a shallow concavity on the top. The basin is filled with what looks like dirty water.
"Hmmm...could be a cleansing font?" Jessa surmises as they examine the basin, "To wash or bless some kind of proceeding before..." Her voice trails off as she turns and sees the set of double doors down the hallway.
To the south-east, a short hallway leads to a set of double doors which stand closed. There is a strange icon drawn on the doors, in what looks like dried blood. The symbol is that of a iconic canine head with three diamond eyes.
"That doesn't look good," Jessa comments, with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, "A-are we going in there? If so, I think maybe now might be the time to prepare a few more defenses. Come here, Kenzo..."
I am posting from my iPod, so copy/paste is not an option. religion check was a 13. I will get it linked in the morning after I get some sleep.
I am posting from my iPod, so copy/paste is not an option. religion check was a 13. I will get it linked in the morning after I get some sleep.
MAGAZIN:
Religion skill check. (1d20+4=13)
"It looks like this may have been a temple or a building desecrated to Lamashtu, the goddess of monsters and monsterous births. That would explain some of the things we have seen down here."
I look at the blood to see if I can tell if it is something from the original building or if it has been added more recently.
The blood on the door has been dried for some time, but nothing like hundreds of years. Hundreds of days... maybe.
"So . . . do you think there's a twisted priest still hanging around down here? Of are we talking about the distant past? I'm hoping the latter, but at this point, nothing'll surprise me down here."
The air in the room, you each notice, has a slightly acrid smell, mingled with just a hint of sulphur.
"So...do you think there's a twisted priest still hanging around down here? Or are we talking about the distant past? I'm hoping the latter, but at this point, nothing'll surprise me down here."
"This place is certainly ancient...and everything we've discovered so far could have been here for ages," Jessa concedes, "But much like we found our way down here, someone else could have done the same. Perhaps there's a foul cultist seeking to reinstate whatever dark powers served in this place?"
"This place is certainly ancient...and everything we've discovered so far could have been here for ages," Jessa concedes, "But much like we found our way down here, someone else could have done the same. Perhaps there's a foul cultist seeking to reinstate whatever dark powers served in this place?"
"I certainly hope note," Keliwyn replies, "a murderous goblin army is enough to deal with at the moment." With that, Kenzo approaches the door, looking back to make sure everyone is with him.
"Right there with you," i nod.
As Kenzo pushes on the doors, they swing easily and noislessly open. The room beyond has an ambient sourcless light, mixed with a hellish red glow that eminates from the rear of the vast room.
The huge room looks like nothing more than an immense underground cathedral. There are stone doors to either side of the main entrance, but beyond these two doors, the walls are covered with large spiky runes that Jessa recognizes as Thassilonian in origin.
In the center of the room is a large pool of water. In the center of the pool the water looks deeper and this deeper water is surrounded by a ring of polished human skulls balanced on stone spikes.
At the far end of the room, a pair of stone stairways leads up to a large stage. A second pool of water is visible on the stage, for the water within it bubbles and churns like a translucent red lava and what appears to be whisps of steam rises from the second pool. Despite this, the room is frigidly cold.
For a moment, Kenzo thinks he sees a tiny, twisted white haired woman with dark skin kneeling next to the bubbling pool. The figure raises its head, sees the party and then simply vanishes. The room perhaps is playing tricks on Kenzo's vision.
The huge room looks like nothing more than an immense underground cathedral. There are stone doors to either side of the main entrance, but beyond these two doors, the walls are covered with large spiky runes that Jessa recognizes as Thassilonian in origin.
"What manner of place is this...?" Jessa's small voice competes with the sound of the bubbling water from the distant pool, "Misshapen creatures. Tortured zombies. Skulls on spikes. And a horrific...cathedral?"
She hugs her arms around herself to ward off the iciness of the room. But nothing prevents the chill running up her spine. Something just seems wrong!
"Nothing I've ever read about Thassilon makes sense of what's here," she tells the others, "And it's not at all like I imagined the ancient glory of the Thassilonians and their ruins would be..."
I start wandering into the room, staring around in horrified fascination.
"Did, uh . . . " Kenzo mumbles as he looks around. "Did, uh, anyone else see that woman? Up there by that bubbling pool," he says while pointing toward the stage. "I thought I saw an old woman, gray hair and all, but as soon as I saw her, she vanished."
"Did, uh . . . " Kenzo mumbles as he looks around. "Did, uh, anyone else see that woman? Up there by that bubbling pool," he says while pointing toward the stage. "I thought I saw an old woman, gray hair and all, but as soon as I saw her, she vanished."
Jessa scans the upper floor of the cathedral again. "I don't see anyone," she offers, "Maybe it was just a trick of the light..."
As the explorers enter into the large chamber, strange chanting can be heard being whispered near the back of the room.
Then...
"Who are ye ta be violating the sanctity o' this place," calls out the same high pitched, hoarse voice that had been chanting. The sound echoes around the room, making the location of the speaker a bit hard to pinpoint.
Spellcraft check... (1d20+8=25)
"Who are ye ta be violating the sanctity o' this place," calls out the same high pitched, hoarse voice that had been chanting. The sound echoes around the room, making the location of the speaker a bit hard to pinpoint.
"Please!" Jessa calls out, searching for the owner of the voice, "We're from Sandpoint. Sent here to follow these tunnels and search out the goblins who attacked our town. I recognize this place as a remnant of Ancient Thassilon. But everything we find here has proven monstrous and unwilling to talk. Who are you to make your home in such a place? And will you please speak with us? I have so many questions..."
"Extraordinary place this, what is it?"
i step protectively just to the front of Jessa with my hand on the hilt of my sword.
Both Gyorgy and Jessa recognize the spell that was just cast as Shield of Faith, a spell of divine power.
"How dare you invade the Mothers sanctum!" shrieks the voice and a tiny figure, a twisted, winged 'woman' with white hair, gnarled black skin, bat wings and black horns appears. She is clearly not human but neither is she goblin. Her large claw-like hands are gripping a small shiny dagger as she flutters in the air above the bubbling pool.
"What you call monsters are the blessed of the Mother and they will end your pitiful existance this day!"
She slices her own wrist and drops of black blood descend into the red, foaming water below her.
The glow in the pool diminishes and a clawed hand shoots out of the liquid, flesh forming upon it before the very eyes of the companions.
A head emerges from the water, the head of one of those strangely jawed monstrosities. It roars in delight and hops, fully formed from the still bubbling water.
Sense Motive check... (1d20+2 = 18)
Perception check... (1d20+3 = 9)Initiative check... (1d20+2 = 20)
Both Gyorgy and Jessa recognize the spell that was just cast as Shield of Faith, a spell of divine power.
"A protective warding...divinely-inspired..." Jessa murmurs as realization dawns about the magic being invoked by the unseen speaker. She looks askance at Gyorgy, seeing by his eyes that he recognizes the significance as well. But then the shrill voice calls her attention again.
"How dare you invade the Mothers sanctum!" shrieks the voice and a tiny figure, a twisted, winged 'woman' with white hair, gnarled black skin, bat wings and black horns appears. She is clearly not human but neither is she goblin. Her large claw-like hands are gripping a small shiny dagger as she flutters in the air above the bubbling pool.
Jessa gives an audible gasp at the sight of the source for the voice. "Desna's stars!" she exclaims.
"What you call monsters are the blessed of the Mother and they will end your pitiful existance this day!" She slices her own wrist and drops of black blood descend into the red, foaming water below her. The glow in the pool diminishes and a clawed hand shoots out of the liquid, flesh forming upon it before the very eyes of the companions. A head emerges from the water, the head of one of those strangely jawed monstrosities. It roars in delight and hops, fully formed from the still bubbling water.
"Oh no..." Jessa backs away as the creature rises from the pool, "So this is the source of those terrible things!"
I cry out; "Some kind of priest or spirit, brace yourselves!"
sense motive (1d20 2=21)
initiative (1d20 3=6)
perception (1d20 2=9)
Gyorgy:
Battle Below Sandpoint - Round 1
Eugen: Initiative - 24
Jessa: Initiative - 20
Tiny witch: Initiative - 15
Monstrosity: Initiative - 12
Kenzo: Initiative - 10
Gyorgy: Initiative - 6
Magazin: Initiative - ?
in that case, i move to the edge of the water and ready an attack.
in that case, i move to the edge of the water and ready an attack.
Jessa trails behind Eugen, hoping to somehow gain access to the magic pool the hideous bat-winged creature used to summon another of the hulking brutes they'd fought in the tunnels. Staying behind Eugen, she lets fly an arrow at the beast emerging from the pool.
"If we can get past this thing, maybe I can figure out that pool and whatever Thassilonian magic powers it!" she yells to Eugen, "Then maybe we can use it to our advantage!"
I pull yet another twist of wool from my now tatty-edged cloak and give the imp my lewdest wink.
Concerned by the little witch I cast Daze at her/it.
Kenzo moves up next to Eugen as Jessa unleashes an arrow at the bizarre monstrosity. The arrow strikes and the creature roars in pain, just before pulling it out and leaping from the raised area to the floor below.
Meanwhile the tiny flying female starts shrieking out a spell, waving her oversized clawed hands even as she blithely ignores Gyorgy's attempt to daze her.
A pulse of dark energy radiates out, threatening to overwhelm the companions with fear.
Then she dissapears from sight, still shrieking angrily.
A pulse of dark energy radiates out, threatening to overwhelm the companions with fear.
Jessa stands strong in the face of the dark energy, recognizing it as an enchantment designed to overtake the mind, the type of spells Jessa is quite skilled in herself. She can only hope her companions prove resistant to it as well. And then the young witch starts preparing her own strategy for helping deal with the bat-winged spellcaster.
Dark magics overwhelm my mind...
"augh!"
Coming out of my daze I realize we are in danger!
On my turn I move up behind Kenzo and Eugen and cast Bless!
Battle Below Sandpoint - Round 2
Eugen: Initiative - 24
Jessa: Initiative - 20
Magazin: Initiative - 19
Tiny witch: Initiative - 15
Monstrosity: Initiative - 12
Kenzo: Initiative - 10
Gyorgy: Initiative - 6
Eugen, acting first, must drops his weapon and turning tail, head out the door.
Eugen, acting first, must drops his weapon and turning tail, head out the door.
"Eugen! Wait!" Jessa despairs as she sees the big warrior fleeing. She too feels less than sure of their odds given the obvious power of the spellcaster and the approaching horror she summoned.
Out of the corner of her eye she recognizes a similar panic on Gyorgy's face and she knows he'll soon follow after Eugen. "We have to fall back!" she tells Kenzo and Magazin, "I'll cover our retreat..."
She unsteadily draws her bow again and fires another arrow.
Jessa's longbow attack... (1d20+1 = 20 to hit, 1d8 = 2 damage)
Seeing it only graze the beast, she then backs away toward the doors again.
"Yeaargh!"
I flee, in a most cowardly manner.
The monster charges at Kenzo, its bizarre mouth roaring out in rage and anger.
The young monk manages to duck underneath the enormous claw.
"Kill them, kill them!" shrieks a disembodied voice from overhead and this command is followed by a series of strange words.
A monstrous spider appears in the doorway, partially blocking the escape route for Magazin, Gyorgy, and Kenzo.
The spider, smelling faintly sulphurous, attacks Gyorgy as the sorceror runs by it. Its red eyes shine evilly as its head darts at him.
Spider attack of opportunity on Gyorgy: (1d20+4=20)
Damage: (1d6=2)
The spider's venemous bite rips through Gyorgy's leggings and though the damage is slight the frightened spellcaster can feel the poison burning on his skin.
My crieraises become yet more garbled as i flee in more terror, but I have had a little luck, praise Desna!
Following hard on the heels of the fleeing Gyorgy, Magazin and Kenzo both flee the chamber. The monstrous spider is so confused by this that it doesn't bite at either of the other two as they race by it and through the outer chamber.
"Kill them! Kill them!"
The long limbed monstrosity that rose just moments earlier from the bubbling pool roars and gives chase.