Realizing they are fast losing this war of attrition, both kobolds flee.
COMBAT OVER!
After healing Magdalyn back to consciousness, you enter the abode of Remaio's cousin and start exploring and documenting what you see, room by room.
The Dining Room
Thick rugs cover baseboards worn smooth by years of occupation. An unfinished meal sits on a polished oak table. Broken dishes and overturned bookshelves chairs clutter the floor. Books and sheaves of parchment are stacked haphazardly in and around the fireplace, some charred beyond recognition.
The kobolds sacked this room for useful goods, paying little mind to the priceless family porcelain now shattered on the floor. They planned to use Vereena’s extensive document collection for fuel once they ran out of wood, and some manuscripts are already lost.
Naruda spots a wax seal with a pegasus motif on one of the papers in the fireplace. This motif matches the wax seal on the letter from Remaio that the party has received at the beginning of the adventure. Closer inspection reveals a letter signed “Countess Honaria Alcasti”. After spending one hour sifting through the mess you find a dozen letters to and from the Countess, as well as a leather-bound notebook detailing her experiences leading a battalion in the Even-Tongued Conquest.
The Museum
A broken grandfather clock on the southern wall announces the hour with a distorted chime. Shards of glass carpet the western half of the room around a series of shattered display cases. Paintings and tapestries cover the walls from floor to ceiling. Jagged rips and tears deface a grand painting of a heavily armored human woman slaying a red dragon.
Vereena kept most of her family’s heirlooms in this room. The western half of the floor is covered with broken glass and discarded knickknacks. It appears the kobolds ham-handedly picked through this room for anything of use. The image of a human triumphing over dragonkind no doubt enraged the kobolds, so they vandalized the offensive painting but left the others intact. Much of the artwork depicts portraits of men and women who bear a noticeable family resemblance to Remaio Alcasti.
The contents of the smashed display cases now lie discarded on the floor. Though kobolds moved most shiny objects to their den in the bedroom, they missed a few items. Among the bric-a-brac is a silver signet ring depicting the pegasus sigil of House Alcasti. A gilded buckler and a mahogany case of calligraphy pens bear the same symbol.
The Bedroom
The kobolds piled everything deemed shiny enough to be valuable into a hoard under Vereena’s bed. Among the coins and trinkets are a few items of note: a set of silverware printed with a pegasus motif, a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles, a snuffbox with a gilded scarab attached to the lid, and a magic figurine of an alabaster pegasus with a golden bridle. One of the pegasus’s wings has broken off. The small statuette is a broken figurine of wondrous power (alabaster pegasus). Its statistics will appear on the Chronicle sheet.
CONCLUSION
The records found in Vereena’s house provide detailed information about Honaria’s leadership, depicting her as a skillful leader with a brilliant command of tactics, and also reference her repeated inability to receive sufficient resources during some of her campaigns.
Remaio greets you all warmly upon your return to Oppara. Over drinks, he inquires about Vereena’s health and lifestyle…
What do you say?
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"We also found this statuette."
Naruda carefully unwraps the statuette and sets it gently on the table. "It's a magical statue and such things are known to become the creature that is depicted in stone. We haven't tried to summon it because as you can see, it has a broken wing. We can't be sure if summoning it in this condition would bring it pain. There were many items in the house with pictures of this creature, so we believe that it was very important to her."
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Garr is silent as well, unsure sometimes of how to relate to the more civilized folk during such times. Doing his best to show as much respect as possible if asked about his involvement with the kobolds, Garr is otherwise eager to assist Remario in whatever inquiries he has, the only way Garr is sure how to comfort a human
Upon hearing the sad news concerning his cousin, Remaio is crestfallen, and discusses plans to host a proper burial and memorial service for her as soon as possible. "Of course, you will be all invited for the funerals, if you are still in Oppara at the time. With the travel distances and preparations involved, it won't be for a few months I'm afraid. Still. Without you, memory of both her and Honaria would have wasted in the forest in a kobold campfire. I cannot begin to repay you with this contribution to our family's memories! In a few days, if you're still willing, I would have yet one more task for you all before I present my claim to the Court. Until then, please rest, drink and see to any of life's needs that we often overlook in favor of the greater picture..."
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Garr heads to the Inn to catch up some much needed relaxation and good food. Once there, he settles down and orders a huge lunch. Finishing up by ordering a few drinks to pass the time and starts pounding away on his war drum. Happy to be doing what he loves most.. eating and playing with his drum. He takes the days off to attend to his armor, cleaning the armor back to an acceptable state, the claw marks from the bear and giant scorpion giving Garr a small smile.. his time with the pathfinders, and so far, his new team.. had been the next chapter in the half orcs life he was so desperately craving. Other than that, he swaps war stories with Magdalyn and hounds Naruda to teach him how to "GROW HUGE LIKE A GIANT"
After a few days, as one of you checks in at the lodge, the Venture-Captain hands you the next letter from Remaio Alcasti, as well as a vial of holy water and a mausoleum key, "Mister Alcasti dropped these two items earlier. Perhaps you should go over that letter and check out the city's libraries to research the next stretch of the mission."
If you take a few hours on this, you may learn the following with the corresponding skill check:
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Know. History
Using the library was the key for Perrine. She lucked upon a perfect history book and found a bit of information. She read the passages aloud to the others.
”Taldan nobles, as the empire waned, started building out of the way tombs to keep their stuff from vandals and grave robbers. These tombs had guardians and even curses to protect them. Some of the guardians can only be harmed by weapons from the house they have been assigned to guard.”
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"Gar, I cannot teach you to grow; I barely understand my powers myself. I can do it to other people, though. It does take longer and it doesn't go away as quickly, but if you would consent, I could use my powers on you. It could be a useful trick for if we did encounter some kind of perilous encounter of this next adventure."
Naruda demonstrates by casting enlarge person on Gar. "Wow, you're big! How's the weather up there, Gar?"
For maximum secrecy Remaio waits on the day of your departure to provide the tomb's coordinates. The heroes' long journey through the foothills of the World’s Edge Mountains is uncannily desolate, and a lonely pall hangs over the entire trip.
Finally you see a white marble tomb emerging from the shadow of a low mountain. Two composite columns frame the tomb’s tarnished silver door with cracked hinges. The rain-streaked relief of a pegasus head sits in place of a keyhole.
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"Gar, I cannot teach you to grow; I barely understand my powers myself. I can do it to other people, though. It does take longer and it doesn't go away as quickly, but if you would consent, I could use my powers on you. It could be a useful trick for if we did encounter some kind of perilous encounter of this next adventure."
Naruda demonstrates by casting enlarge person on Gar. "Wow, you're big! How's the weather up there, Gar?"
Garr nods in understanding and looks down at his oversized impressive frame! By Gorum's blade! I could get used to this!
Garr unsheates his greatsword to almost devastating effect, the orc suprised and also impressed by the size increase to his favorite weapon as well! "Naruda I could kiss you! If I didnt think youd surely slay me afterwards... you have my consent. In this form theres not a creature on this continent that could stand up to me!"
Garr takes some massive tromps around for a couple seconds before reverting back to his normal size, clearly quite enjoying the comrade with the ever impressive cleric, Naruda
When the water is poured on the door, a keyhole appears in the pegasus' forehead. The locks of the door turn effortlessly, and the door opens inwards.
Inside, a large granite tablet covered with names and dates stands in
the center of this small room.
The tablet provides a chronological record of the Alcastis buried within the tomb. About halfway down the stone the list stops, ending with “Honaria Alcasti, 4049 ar–4123 ar.”
The door to the east is ajar. Perrine can see a statue of a soaring pegasus rising above the pool of stagnant water in the center of the room.
Nothing happens... it's just a plain old pegasus statue!
To the northwest:
Somber statues of Alcastis past line this hallway, their hands
broken apart and lying at their feet. A pile of shattered rubble
lies strewn across the floor, the stone pierced through with
abandoned spears and swords. The air is thick with dust and
neglect.
...notices distinct features in the
shape of the stone, such as a paw and an ear, that suggest
that it was once part of a statue of a dog. The weapons all
came from the hands of the Alcasti statues—spears from
the statues on the south wall, and swords from the statues
on the north wall. All of the weapons bear a pegasus crest
upon them, which matches the wax seal on the letter
you received from Remaio. There are 3 longswords and 4 spears.
...you can hear scraping and crackling noises through the door to the
next room to the west
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Perception
Perception
As Perrine looks brought the rubble, she gasps when she realizes the statue used to be a dog! ”Remember what that book I said found, that guardians might only be harmed by weapons from the noble house? All of these weapons have the Pegasus symbol. We all need to take one to protect ourselves,” she says as she grabs a spear
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”Are you all deaf? Remember what I just said? We need weapons from this house to defeat guardians from this house. And those weapons with Pegasuses on them are from this house. Everyone either grab a longsword or a spear. There are three of each right over there. I swear,” Perrine huffs.
Muhahaha!
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Garr grabs a hold of one of the longswords, nodding approvingly to Perrine. "Not as heavy as muh Greatsword.. but this'll do." Garr mumbles, clearly unhappy with having to sheath Gorums fury, his blade. "The last of our trials stands before us! Steel yourselves my friends. I have stared death in the face twice now with you comrades, and would gladly welcome a third!" Garr echoes the statement by beating his orcish chest with one arm. The loud thump reverberating throughout the room.
Lets do this!
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"Perhaps well be lucky and the guardian just wants to chat for a bit..." Garr laughs whole heartedly as he finishes the statement. Knowing full well whatever is that is behind that door most likely wants to rip there faces off. "Well.. only one way to find out! Lets go say hi." Garr grabs the handle of the door and waits for the team to give him the go ahead before breaching
Moving on west:
Stairways lead up to a marble dais, where rotted wooden offerings lie in splinters. The tiles of the floor are scorched black, and the smell of magical ozone fills the air. A sickly pale glow sputters amid a pile of debris, illuminating a shattered sword upon the ground. In the chamber’s walls, rows of niches bear ceramic urns labeled with bronze plaques. A repetitive grinding sound echoes through the chamber, erratic and yet unceasing.
The shattered sword has the same design and style as the longswords you just found in the previous room.
The urns hold the remains of members of the Alcasti family.
The grinding sound and pale glow come from the tomb’s last remaining guardian, who was smashed into pieces centuries ago. Despite the smasher's best efforts, the ruined guardian clings to life, vainly attempting to perform its duty. Formerly a statue of a proud, doglike creature, it now lies in fragments, only able to move its intricate metal frame with its magical animating force. The guardian’s jaws spark wildly as the disparate pieces drag themselves towards you, struggling to destroy the intruders.
As you spot the ruined guardian, you note that it is magically unstable and likely to explode. The remnants of the tomb’s magical wards also animate three of the stone hands from the statues in the room you just were.
Inititiative [bold can go]
Perrine
Kinshasa and Kokina and Soldier's Glory
Magdalyn
Keandre
Naruda
Garr
guardian dog and crawling statue hands