Dargys suspects that the lion represents a servant of a long-dead Kaskkari god whose obscure, forgotten name eludes him. The purpose of this small side chamber is likewise a mystery. If the statue was ever enchanted, the magic faded ages ago.
Varr is quite wise to inspect the ancient chest before opening it. Besides the fact that the container looks liable to collapse under even a single touch, Varr also recognizes that the wood is rife with poisonous yellow mold. Despite the danger, he can also spot a glint of metal within the fragile chest, so there is a reward to be had if the dangerous mold can be dealt with.
”Right! Who’s got a spell that can deal with this mold? Looks like profit is there if we can just reach it.” Varr said, his voice jovial.
The wizard says "Yellow mold? What is best way to remove yellow mold.." He tries to recall anything he knows about it. What it might be vulnerable to without harming them in return.
(Or)
If disturbed, yellow mold releases a cloud of poisonous spores. Even if not inhaled immediately, they can cling to clothes, armor, and other gear and come back to haunt you later.
The safest way to dispose of the mold is to burn it away. Fortunately, since the contents of the decrepit chest look to be metal, they will endure putting the mold and chest to the torch.
"We need fire, but I just used my burning hands and I'm not going to lob a fireball at it. Fire from a distance, disturbing it releases some rather nasty venomous spores" He explains "In this case, a torch throw from a good distance might do it too?" He backs up
”A good idea. I keep a few of these around should I need to see colors in the dark. But let’s give it a shot.” Varr said, as he pulled a torch out. He lit it, and then literally gave it a shot.
The torch strikes the lid of the chest, causing it to collapse inward. No sooner does the first plume of mold rise from the old wood but those spores immediately burn to harmless cinders. The ancient, desiccated wood of the chest quickly catches fire, taking the rest of the mold colony with it.
As the burned remains slough away, the contents are revealed. A matched set of armor pieces - helmet, bracers, and greaves - wrought from bronze tumble out upon the floor. A small heap of ancient coins also spill forth, cradling the freed armor like a carpet of precious metal. Despite its unquestionable age, the armor pieces still retain their luster and have resisted corrosion and tarnish.
As the loot spills over the floor, Claudia casts detect magic.
"It is magical, but i can't say what properties it holds, it was not my field of study."
"Might this have been a spare stash, for whatever warrior needed armor and finances..", she muses..
Dargys does like wise, and tries to identify armor bits
Dargys quickly deduces that the armor pieces, rather than being individual magical items, form a set. The core of the enchantment is housed within the bracers, but if separated from the helmet and greaves, they lose their power. Together, though, they afford a very potent protection.
”Don’t ye love it when the magic stays? Means good craftsmanship, it does. Anyone here able to make use of it?” He asked, already trying to imagine what he could sell it for to the right buyer.
"Oh yes, it is very well made to retain the energies. See, the home of the enchantment, the bulk of it, is within the bracers, but the power will slumber if not worn with the helmet and greaves. Quite potent." He is impressed, "Apparently arcane casters like myself can wear them... unusual."
"Unusual, but convenient. They might even look stylish, if you try them on."
"Oh! Yes, please do. He could look like a battle wizard.", Sargon chimes in, genuinely curious, if only for seeing it briefly.
"Well, the odds of getting a nice silk robe out here are slim" He tries it on
I think they suit you, Dargys. Mia says with a gentle smile.
"Thank you, Mia." He says, looking at himself, he finds the gear is not as alien to the feel as he feared it might. He can smith so perhaps that helps.
"But enough of my vanity eh? What next?"
To the east, a corbel arched doorway offers entrance to a much larger space. Four plain stone pillars rise to the high ceiling over this two-story chamber. A partially-wrecked balcony overlooks the chamber from above the east wall, which has itself partially collapsed down the middle. The floor of the chamber is covered with a tile mosaic. Time has only partly muted the once-vibrant colors of its patterns. Two skeletons lie in the middle of the chamber.
Past a pair of crumbling columns on the southern half of the room, you spot a large, empty basin - 4 ft. deep, with a 2 ft. tall step circling within its perimeter. Perhaps once used for bathing, all the water has long since dried up or slipped through the cracks in the bottom. The east wall is decorated with a large mosaic of what looks like a gatehouse.
These small rooms are featureless except for spiraling staircases. One staircase leads up, and one leads down.
"Cover my back, I want a look at mosiacs. Maybe a clue to more history." He moves in cautiously very wary of the skeltons and not going where they are per se in case the five foot area around them is a trap and that's what lead to the skeletons.
On the wizard's request, Sargon starts paying some more attention to the surroundings, ready to breathe electricity if anything hostile approaches.
”Good idea. It will help us sell all of this to certain buyers.” Varr said, approvingly.
The skeletons have bronze spearheads and pieces of bronze armor around them, but the rest of their possessions have long since been eaten or stolen away. Thankfully, you do not detect any traces of negative energy among their bones, and they do not rise to attack. These surviving armaments might be valuable to a collector or historian of ancient cultures.
Dargys finds evidence that this room was once protected by some manner of trap, and he discovers old, bent darts around the edges of the room. He also finds old remains of the forest goblins that must have crawled in through small cracks, triggered the trap, and become meals for the vermin that dwell within the ancient palace.
Dargys also discovers that the mosaic upon the floor is actually a map, depicting the larger ruins that you have been exploring. The palace, gatehouse, and well complex are highlighted in yellowish colors, indicating their significance. If you hadn't already resolved the curious mechanisms in those locations, this would've surely been a clue about how to access the other areas in the palace.
The staircases up and down are safe, but Dargys also finds some droppings that suggest unpleasant vermin may still be lairing in the upper level.
"It's a map." He says looking it over to find the you are here sigil. He gets out some paper and hastily makes a rough copy, unless someone can do better "Oh, some vermin be upper level from us. Not as nice as Plague here." A nod to his rat. "Where to next?"
"Down." Varr said. "Let's not tangle with vermin unless we have to. The way I see it, we may yet strike enough loot down there that we can't reasonably search up anyways. Best to get the easy parts done first. No reason to go looking for trouble."
"Down it is" He nods as Varr seems to have logic on his side, also, the half orc DID ask
You descend the winding brick steps, which take you down some thirty or forty feet into the ground. They eventually deposit you within a long chamber, some 60 feet by 30 feet in dimensions.
The walls of this long chamber are lined with bas-relief sculptures, spaced about 10 ft. apart, of male figures – warrior kings it would seem, by the look of their crowns and shields. Each carved shield bears a different design. On the flagstone in front of each sculpture, the same design is engraved.
Two hallways lead off from this chamber: one leads off to the east, while another one descends a shallow set of stairs to the south. Each of these hallways have filled stone recesses, suggesting that - like above - walls have receded into the surrounding masonry to open the way forward.
"Such aristry abounds." He says at the statues. He recasts detect magic.
”Aye. Proper respect paid. Torag’s blessing upon these long lost peoples.” The dwarf said. ”East first. Clear the level before going down.” He said, missing the obvious hypocrisy of respecting the ancient people while simultaneously looting their works.
"Sounds good." The Wizard is happy to follow the lead of Varr, who being a dwarf, is probably the expert on subterranean exploratory methodology
You find that the eastern passage forks awkwardly, with one route hooking north before continuing eastward, and a second route leading to another set of shallow stairs descending southward.
”Stairs last. If anyone has some chalk, mark the way we came so we don’t get lost. Slow and steady gets the most loot, aye?” He said, butchering the saying.
Varr's words prove prescient, for following the northernmost hallway - the one that includes no stairs - leads to a huge armory!
This large chamber - easily fifty feet square - is dominated by four long wooden and metal weapons racks, spaced with wide rows between them. They host enough arms to outfit an entire company of soldiers, including hundreds of weapons and dozens of armor sets.
It takes quite some time to make a full accounting, but you count 25 suits of bronze chainmail, 25 light bronze shields, 50 short swords, 100 spears, 150 javelins, 30 shortbows, and 300 arrows.
After all the counting is all done,
"An armory for a good number of people.
What had happened, that it was left here all this time."
"I have no idea. There are clues in the mosiacs I suspect but we need more time to piece it all together. A whole squad worth of armor and more here. We could distribute it to the warriors of Haven. If nothing else, they'd be well prepared."
More detect magics are cast. He doesn't expect to find anything, this much gear is a treasure in itself, but precaution
”Such beauty.” Varr said with a smile. ”Town’s militia can be outfitted for free with this. Even if it is only bronze. Could also sell it in bulk for some gold. Either way, this is such a blessed find.”
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The arms in this collection all bear similar iconography, but Claudia does not recognize them as originating from any extant lands or noble lines. However, she does draw Dargys' attention to select items from the arms and armor that bear additional insignias, perhaps indicating that they were meant for a noble captain. In all, this armory was probably designated for the retinue of the noble entrusted with guarding the palace.
When examined with the aid of magic, Dargys discovers that these particular items still bear surviving, ancient enchantments.
Varr took the enchaned spear and slung it over his back. He did not plan to use it, as it was for either selling or arming their own militia. But as he lacked an enchanted weapon, it was good to have it on hand before he parted ways with it.
"Grab what is needed, mark the rest down for later. We head for the stairs to the south." Varr said, his voice showing that he was clearly pleased.
The nearer stairs descend southward before hooking eastward. As you proceed, you can feel the air grow hotter and more stifling. Eventually it opens upon a broad chamber, fifty feet square, that is dominated by heat and fire.
At the center of the floor of this chamber is a 20 ft. diameter pit. Flames dance above the edge of the pit, reaching over 10 ft. high and halfway to the vaulted ceiling. The light from the pit is intensely bright and the heat coming from it is barely tolerable.
Your eyes can bear the intense light just long enough to notice that there is another doorway exiting this hellish chamber in the southwest.
"As you say." THen it gets hot and he hangs back "THIS could be a challenge."
Using some of his stored energy, Varr yelled "Going to check this out!" As he sprinted forward to get to the next door. His goal was to get there quick enough that his shield would hold, so that he could enter the door and go through. Thoughts of gold, gems and magical artifacts danced in his head. For what else could warrant such protection?
Once his wards are in place, Varr breaks into his fastest sprint. He can feel the waves of intense heat washing over him, but with his magic sparing him from burning, Varr likens the sensation to being buffeted by a heavy wind. He manages to round the far corner before the unnaturally hot fire pit overcomes his brief protections.
There, he finds three levers made from carved stone mounted upon the hallway wall. The first and third levers are in the upright position, while the second is in the downward position.
"The dwarf is a bit crazy. I am liking him."
Huffing from the adrenaline, Varr considered the levers. He had no idea what they did. Would one of them turn off the trap? Would pulling it doom them all? With no way of knowing, he decided to pull the second one into the upright position.
Lifting the second lever, leaving all three upright, seems to be the party's ticket to safe progress. The surrounding walls and floor rumble as a stone shell emerges from the floor around the terrible fire pit, closing like a clam and sealing away the dire heat and light - leaving the room safe to traverse.
”Ha! Double and triple bloody Ha! Let’s go lads! Must be good loot hidden behind all this effort.”
"Nice work, Varr," The wizard takes the now safe path
With the fire pit contained, the party is free to safely progress. Rounding the next corner, passing another barrier that your prior efforts caused to sink into the floor, you come upon another uncanny spectacle left behind by ancient Kaskkari.
A softly glowing magical light emanates from beneath a cloak hanging on a peg in the southeast corner of this room. Two other cloaks hang on pegs along the south wall. In the northeast corner is a folding screen, and in the northwest corner of the room is a raised basin filled with water. The floor is covered in woven mats, and there are three padded benches in the middle or the room, each with a wooden chest behind it.
Most surprising of all, each of those three padded benches hosts a sleeping human figure. One is a middle-aged man, one is an elderly woman, and the last is a girl of about ten years of age. They all wear very strange clothing, and their ethnicity is unfamiliar to you.
The half orc looks at the humans, and feels a bit awkward. Realizing no one else is taking action, he says "Hello. Please to be the meeting of you. I am Dargys Hungerflame of Haven. Sorry to wake you, but we were not expecting anyone here. Seemed rude to just stomp about like you were not present."
It takes a moment for Dargys to notice that rather than sleeping these people are actually in some manner of magical stasis. However, no sooner does he make this discovery but he notices the stasis begin to fade, presumably triggered by the party's approach.
The three humans rouse slowly, as though waking from the deepest of sleeps. It takes almost an entire minute for them to regain their senses and move from their beds. When they do, they take notice of the party and recoil reflexively. They appear quite taken aback by how different you look from them, both in appearance and garb.
The male - dressed like some kind of noble or official - is the first to speak, asking questions in an incomprehensible language.