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"Please wait a minute, whilst I make one last effort to communicate with Donneld. If we go down into further danger, I would want Donneld's spirit with me, if nothing else." Norman with a tear in his eye, gets out a book and starts an incantation, to summon his dragon back.
As Donneld reappears, no the worse for wear, Norman goes over and hugs the dragon's neck, with a smile and much relief and great happiness. His face beams, his eyes twinkle, "You're back, I thought I had lost you. Oh joy, don't do that again, I was so worried." The gnone mounts his steed, proudly once more and follows the others down, taking up the rear. The wayfinder, hanging round his neck, spreading light about the two of them.
Dusty stone steps descend into darkness, curving around themselves and blocking the view of the floor below. Numerous footprints of varying sizes show that this passage was used recently in both directions.
The stairs seems to end in some kind of basement where you can see at least three doors, but you don't have full vision of the room from the stairs.
As soon as Seinto is pushed by Ketill to the end of the stairs, the plate where the aasimar steps is activated. Spikes get out of the floor all along the staircase.
Seinto feels the plate going down and very fast he dodges the spikes going up.
Ketill is ending his push on Seinto and is totally distracted by that when he feels the spikes going up over his feet.
Doneld is thinking on Norman's weight when the spikes go up and deeply sticking in its lower parts. The poor thing ends disabled and can hardly hold Norman's weight.
Bolger makes a good dodge but one of the spikes sticks on him opening a small wound.
As the others, Orik is catched flat-footed by the spikes. Most of them are avoided by his armor, but one finds a small opening scratching his skin.
As Ketill goes out of the stairs, he sees a small-sized, gray grub worm
writhing on the wall above the western door, held in place by a large spike through its center.
I am down with Ketill checking out the three doors.
As you get to the lower level, the worm over the door starts to cry with a tremendous tone. The level of decibels is so high you have to close your ears with your hands in order not to get stunned by the sound.
You know this is a kind of shrieker the deniziens of the dark lands use as alarms in their territory. It is kind of weird place for it to be, as it's not usually found in house basements.
It emits a piercing sound that lasts for 1d3 rounds whenever there is movement or a light source within 10 feet. This shriek makes it impossible to hear any other sound within 50 feet. The sound attracts nearby creatures that are disposed to investigate it.
Orik makes the worm to shut up with his axe. The worm gives a last misserable and creepy shout before lying dead over his chain.
A total of four doors can be seen at this room. The western one corresponding to the one where the worm was.
After a couple of minutes waiting for the attack, nothing happens. Neither you hear any kind of noise for more you try.
You open the eastern door, finding nothing more than trash in the room.
You open the door to another storeroom. This one contains the garroted body of a half-elf pathfnder huddled over a wooden crate marked “sunrods.”
Inside the crate, there are two dozen sunrods. The pathfnder possesses a composite longbow with 20 arrows, hide armor, a potion of cure light wounds, 100 sp, and 15 gp.
The next door is also a storeroom with excavation materials.
When you check the final door, where the worm was killed, you observe in the stone floor numerous footprints of varying sizes showing that this passage was used recently in both directions.
This chamber overfows with dusty relics of the past, some prominently displayed on shelves and pedestals, others piled haphazardly in crates, jars, and scroll cases. A massive stone idol looms in the corner, its fendish eyes sparkling with crimson beryls. An intricately woven Kellish rug, carefully rolled, leans against a shelf displaying ancient weapons from throughout Golarion. A somber pipe organ rests against the northern wall, its keys and pedals wet with fresh blood.
The room shall be some kind of lodge’s reliquary, housing its amassed collection of artifacts from various delves.
A lifeless body lies crumpled on the floor, riddled with dozens of stab wounds.
Additionaly, a pile of rags, clothing once worn by some creature, rests now on the organ bench, with signs of deflagration all around.
Finally, a box in one of the walls has felt scattering a half dozen shattered porcelain dolls on the stone floor.
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Orik enters the room, rushing over to the lifeless corpse. "I ain't nae healer, but this blook 'pears tae bae dead, tae mae. Fresh bloood though sae wae goot 'ere joost tae late tae help the man."
Orik looks over the man to see if he also is a pathfinder, or if he has anything identifying him or of significant value.
The man seems to have been killed two or three days ago. He could have been a pathfinder. Plenty of small stabs are all around his body.
When the others start entering the room, a loud sound starts to moun in the northeast statue.
Bolger tries to push the door next to the statue, but the door doesn't move. It doesn't seem to have a lock anyway.
The statue says "Piano".
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"T'blooke has dooz'ns o' wee stab woounds all 'roun'. Looks like soomun tried tae tarn him inta pincooshin, eh?" says Orik looking around.
As the statue speaks, he looks at it quizzically.
"Enchanted, p'haps? R'is t'piano trapped, lad? Might'nt want tae check it oot a'fore pushin' any o'them keys, laddie."
Orik takes a step back, ushering the rogue Bolger up front to try his luck on the keyboard. Orik keeps a wary eye on the talking statue, shielding the others as best he can.
As Ketill approaches the piano, the statues says "Play"
The tiefling suddenly fills compeled to fullfill such delightful suggestion from the statue. He sits in the chair just in front of the organ, first removing the ragged pile of burned cloths over it.
Then he starts playing.
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Norman and Donneld move out of the way, so that Ketill can get to the stool and start to play, as he seems so intent on doing that. the excitable gnome, looks at Ketill, "Oh, I never knew you could play. Can you play that one ... what was it called.. about a traveler.. probably a Varasian, was it Wild Rover?" he claps his hand on his leg in time to the music.
Donneld eyes Ketill warily, ready to pull him away from the organ at the first sign of danger.
Treasure Found held by Norman and Donneld.
two dozen sunrods.
a composite longbow with 20 arrows,
hide armor,
a potion of cure light wounds,
100 sp, and 15 gp.
Norman looks at the statue, then back at Ketill. "Do you really think you should be playing that?" he asks confused, "Look what happened to the last person who did that." He has the realisation that, if Ketill doesn't play well enough, he too might end up crisp and burned. "Donneld, pull Ketill back, don't let him start yet."
Donneld's neck extends and he tries to pull Ketill away from the keys.
Seinto says some magic words and stands still looking at the piano with his hand in front of him.
1st round: Presence of magic in front of you
What you see is a massive stone idol with fendish eyes sparkling thanks to crimson beryls. Other than the eventual words you have heard, it stands quite and still.
As Ketil starts playing, the statue says "Have you seen my doll?"
The entrance door suddenly shuts!
As the tiefling mechanically continues playing the piano a creepy melody of some sort, perhaps stored from his infancy in darker lands, starts filing the room.
After a couple of seconds a doll appears from behind the organ and listens delighted at Ketill. Then she starts singing following the music.