Argus looks at the wand carefully. It seems it is not part of the statue, but rather a magical wand for what his party members previously said.
Dailung observes the cabin. There is room for at least 4 medium creatures inside.
Argus gets the wand without problems.
When looking to the shaft, he cannot see the bottom. It's all dark farther away of his darkvision.
Climbing down shall not be easy , but a hanging knotted rope is something you have used before during Pathfinder training.
Kalkamedes remains waiting in the cage suspended in the air.
You can just see here the shaft, the cage and the lever. Nothing else after vastly exploring the room.
When the lights disappear the floor still cannot be seen.
Although it looks foreboding, the ancient lift mechanism is quite safe. It still functions well, even millennia later, hinting at a level of engineering now lost to the continent. So when Shagruk and Dailung start manipulating the levers, the cage descends with the rest of the party without problems.
The lever in the console presently sits in the middle of three positions. When Shagruk moves the lever down the cage closes its mouth and moves downward with the party inside.
After 200 feet descend the cage safely arrives to the bottom. The party descends and Kalkamedes waits for some seconds before resuming moving. An identical lever stands near the bottom of the shaft.
You are in a tunnel excavated directly in the rock. Ardain brings some magic light in the otherwise totally dark environment, and you are able to see a big cavern ahead were Kalkamedes starts waddling to.
When Shagruk and Dailung hear the cage movement stopping, they place the lever up and the cage comes back up. They activate the lever down just a moment before Dailung darts in while the mouth closes.
Palm-sized shards of jagged steel jut from halfway up the walls of this large cavern, bathing the cavern with a dark green light. A set of natural rock columns support the chamber's ceiling, which rises to a height of twenty feet. A small tunnel leads to the northeast, and several rounded alcoves branch off from the main cavern.
The main cavern rises to a height of 20 feet and it seems to have been carved by creatures rather than sheer nature (every surface is scarred by claw marks of various sizes). The tunnel that leads from the lift to the cavern is only 10 feet tall.
As soon as Kalkamedes reaches the large cavern, he hastens ahead towards an extension of the cavern that opens on your right. There is another cavern opening to your left. Which one will the party take?
Ahead, the half-orcs darkvision allows him to observe a circular alcove budding off from the larger cavern to the north. An elaborate set of concentric circles inscribed in dull metal of different colors occupies much of the space within the room.
As Shagruk approaches to the cavern he sees a gnome in the middle of the circle. The gnome is dressed in threadbare clothes and has an unkempt mane of fuchsia hair. As soon as he sees the half-orc he starts calling out his attention "Ei! Please! At last! Yes! Come help me!" the gnome starts jumping inside the circle with a great smile and eyes up to the point of crying "Help me! Rescue me! Please, you rescue me!"
Silas focuses in the gnome for 3 seconds. He is suddenly hit by an overwhelming evil aura.
The gnome pleads desperately for help. "Please! Let me out of this circle! I was imprisoned here centuries ago by an organization known as the Thrallkeepers. They bound me here in the keep known as the Black Edifice to use my fey essence to power their magic. They have all long since died, but the wards that bind me have kept me young. All I want now is to be free so that I can taste fresh air once again, die at last, and perhaps travel back in spirit to the First World from whence I came."
As Ardain walks following Kalkamedes he sees another circle in a new alcove. Faintly glowing lines trace the platform’s floor in concentric rings in this alcove.
This circle lines seem still fairly fresh and strong. Inside the circle, there is a beautiful, elven warrior-woman, collapsed unconscious to the floor and totally full of wounds.
You can attempt: K. planes or K. arcana checks
You can attempt: K. local, K. planes, K. history or K. arcana checks
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Argus follows along with Kalkamedes and Ardain, his eyes scanning the darkness where Ardain's light doesn't get to.
Upon seeing the elven woman, Argus moves up to the edge of the circle making sure not to touch it.
Ardain, I don't suppose those lines are some kind of healing circle?
Oi, lass can you hear me? Argus calls to the woman.
Ardain does not recognise this kind of magical structure. It is definitely something ancient, and it is clear it's power is still strong.
The elven woman does not answer at all to Argus. She seems alive, but unconscious.
Kalkamedes continues walking passing the circle lines and finally laying next to the woman, there resting peacefully sleeping at last.
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"I don't know what they are." Ardain watches as Kalkamedes finishes his journey. "It didn't harm him at least. I really don't know what to make of it."
Ardain sends his lights out in an expanding search. Perhaps there is some sort of clue elsewhere in this cave.
"What happened to Shagruk and Silas? They were just here."
Ardain dancing lights fly over the floor of the cavern in total silence. From here, you can see a small pool filled with water. For the rest the cavern is empty.
The gnome insist on being freed "I have passed centuries here trapped, it is so fantastic to see someone at last! How things have changed outside? Is there anything you need and I can help you with?"
"Oh! No don't be fooled by appearances! I intend you no harm! Please, free me of this horrible prison. Destroy the circle, I will reward you with one wish, I can cast one for you. Please help me! The Thrallkeepers captured me to get my magical essence. I've been here trapped since. Don't abandon me here!" screams the gnome in desperation.
"I am not tricking you in anyway. I will reward you and then go away." says the gnome as he feels his hopes to be thrown away after so much time waiting.
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Leaving Kalkamedes for the moment Ardain heads back over to where the others are conversing with the apparent gnome.
"You're not sleeping. Interesting." Ardain frowns in concentration. "Another magic circle." Ardain suspects there is some kind of link between the two, but he does not say so in the hearing of the gnome.
Ardain tries to remember if he has seen this kind of circle before, or at least if it the same as the other one.
Ardain can see both circles are same, but this one magic lines seem much faint. The magic of this circle might be fading away. It seems still strong enough to maintain its function whatever it shall be.
"The keepers told me the magic will maintain me youth and alive without need of nurriture. The other circle... you should be talking about Sulianna, my travel companion and adopted sister. I haven't heard here for long time ago, I don't know what is her state. Should she be in bad condition I have magic that can save her if you free me."
Ardain finds out different mixed magical auras coming from the bottom of the pool.
The mud and poor light conditions make whatever the objects are hidden to the wizard eyes, avoiding any possibility to identify the type of auras or the powers of the magic objects.
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"There is some kind of magic under the water of this pool." Ardain tells the others excitedly. "I'm going to try something I've never done before." Ardain casts his dancing lights again, then sends them under the water. The pool would reflect the light. Sending the lights under the water should solve that issue, though it will not help with muddy or murky water.
Looking at you totally mad the gnome starts shouting "You could have just helped Koth'Vaul, but you choose to die! This circle will not last for long, I waited for thousand's of years, I can wait for a couple of months. What a pity you won't be here to observe my raising! Illvaster! Finish them up!"
As Ardain sends his dancing lights below the waters of the pool, he sees a pile of corpses, gold and magic objects, and all over them, the corpse of a dragon.
At the shout of Koth'Vaul the waters open and the undead dragon raises splashing water all around. The skin of the other time black dragon is now putrefied, and his eyes look at you without spirit, but the scales and claws are still sharp and hard. Below the dragon, a group of cut off hands, long ago dead and as putrefied as the zombie dragon, walk out of the body crawling through the floor.
The dead dragon starts flapping his bony wings. Even if apparently the dragon is fully fleshed, the bones crack as they move filling the cavern in a horrible sound. Illvaster starts gaining height and clumsily advances in the air towards Ardain.
The thing roars miserably at the wizard and lands in front of him. Even if only a bit higher than Ardain, the beast is still menacing.
The hands starts crawling out of the water and approach also Ardain.
The crawling hands move towards Ardain entering in his vital space and providing him with an opportunity to attack.
One of the hands crawls up the wizard legs while the other two tries to grab him from the floor.
One of the hands succeeds at his purpose and scratches Ardain trying to hold him from his ankle.
And the hand snatches him grappling him in place.
Dailung and Silas darts towards Ardain slashing out the hands that were crawling over his legs. The wizard feels relieved but still one hand is moving up his body.
Illvaster steps towards the party with a roar. His bones crackle as he moves his neck towards Ardain trying to bite him!