Hound nods to Mysty and strides over to grab one boggard who insulted him. Rage fills him as claws sprout from his hands and his teeth lengthen.
Hound drags the squalling frog over to the acid pool and dunks it's feet into it. He then throws it back into the group of frogs.
Hound then looks at shaman. Make them know that any more insults means a death for each on that reaches my ears.
He then looks at Rose. Guess we'll have to search this place ourselves.
Rose smiled, her own helm under her arm now. "I love it when the alpha dog come out to play." she said to the other ladies.
Nahia giggles at Hounds uncommon display, clearly getting more than a little joy from the creatures pain.
The creatures now properly fearful of them, Nahia approaches the shaman, curtsies, and says "Zikomo Hears-the-Father, would you be so kind as to tell us about our new kinsmen?", her face showing an impish smirk.
Hound drags the squalling frog over to the acid pool and dunks it's feet into it.
The frogs have absolutely no idea what Hound is saying, but the language of violence is well known to them. They watch impassively, and almost ‘happy’, as the alpha dog goes about punishing his talkative subordinate.
While Hound deals the frog, none of you notice the Shaman walking away, so when Hound turns to him to demand obedience from the tribe, the drug addicted frog is nowhere to be found.
Let us find this shaman and see if he knows what lies within.
Nahia nods at Hound and asks "Would you like to lead the way, my chief?"
Hound sniffs out the trail.
Following the shaman trail is easy, his footsteps dragging in the muddy and fetid floor gives a clear trail to follow. It passes for a cave, which save for a walkway around the edge is covered in a mix of mud and boggard manure. From this foul mixture grows a field of barely edible mushrooms that the boggards reluctantly consume when they can’t get anything alive to eat.
From there, it leads into a large and high-vaulted cave drips with water so constantly it seems as if it is perpetually raining. Fetid pools and luminescent algae combine to give the chamber an ominous greenish glow and a lingering stench. The chamber is dominated by a large and impressive mud and stick hut that is surprisingly sturdy.
The entrance is decorated with bones and leather strips cut from dozens of creatures (many sentient).
The temple itself is a single room almost thirty feet across. Inside, countless bones from those who have died upon Dagon’s altar decorate the place. A crude stone block is encrusted with old dried blood. Above the block, drawn in vibrant luminescent paint distilled from rare marsh plants, is the mad spiral rune of Dagon himself surrounded by countless scribbles of daemonic iconography copied from the Horn’s exterior. A fire pit burns in the center of the temple.
Zikomo seems to be in a trance when you arrive. He emerges from his trance long enough to stare you glass-eyed and pronounce “The cave of the blue slime conceals your future. Learns its secret or fail at ye master’s charge.” Suddenly the drug-induced fatigue seems to lift from him in one manic burst of energy. He leaps to his feet and starts dancing and screaming his terrifying croaks about blue slime and the fury of the master. The fire that burns at the center of the temple changes color to blue in response to his frenzied abyssborn prayer. Zikomo laughs like a mad fiend.
Rose looked exasperated. She looked to Nahia and Seren for their take on what the idiot frog's ritual nonsense was about.
Since there is a cave full of acid here, there must be one covered in slime. Let us explore more and leave this oen to his madness.
Nahia watches the shaman dance, studying his movements, while she replies to Hound "Don't underestimate madness. It can definitely bring its own sort of power."
After a moment she continues "Do you want to go searching, or should we stay for a bit and cement your relationship with your new subjects?"
Exploring ahead, they party reaches yet another wet empty cavern , notable only for its very distinctive blue slime mold that covers the western wall, the vibrant blue slime is neither poisonous nor dangerous but is visually striking.
Hound just snorts at Nahia and heads off with the others to the cave with the slime.
You backtrack once again and follows arrive at the room of the blue slime. Nothing has changed, no new tracks, just one passage forward you didn't go last time you were here.
This is seemingly yet another wet empty cavern notable only for its very distinctive blue slime mold that covers the western wall. The vibrant blue slime is neither poisonous nor dangerous but is visually striking. Otherwise, at first glance, this cavern appears uninteresting.
Actually, this cavern conceals a great secret. There is a miniscule little tunnel that leads from the base of the southern wall. It is very easy to miss. No creature bigger than tiny can pass through this small passage to the room beyond.
Huh. Not even Mysty can slip through that. Seren, would you send your snake in for a look?
Nahia twists he head to the side and begins making a series of soft hissing noises.
"Well? Would you be willing to take a look for us?"
The serpent hisses back...
"If it's necessary... which is seems to be."
... and begins to wind it's way down the witches body.
As Andros approaches the opening, Nahia hisses again.
"Be careful! And if anything looks dangerous, don't hesitate to return!"
The serpent stops just before the opening to hiss at Nahia...
"I am no child nor an invalid... Though your concern is appreciated."
... before sliding into the opening.
:o
[
Andros follows down the path for some feet until it opens into a cave room, there a lime encrusted human skeleton leans against the south wall clutching a heavy leather bound book. Besides the skeleton, still glittering amongst the muck, a huge emerald.
Andros looks around for a moment.
I'll bring the book first. And while they investigate, I can come back for the gem. As I told her, this isn't THAT difficult.
Biting the book, he drags it back to the group, hissing to Nahia "Here, I found this. It might be worth a read. I'll go back for the rest."
Andros, drops the book before going inside again to get the emerald.
This heavy leather bound book is perhaps the last surviving copy of “The Dirges of Apollyon” upon this mortal plane. It details the long history of the “Sons of the Pale Horseman” and recounts their efforts to transform this world into a daemon’s playground. This rarest of tomes is made utterly unique by the last page of text within.
Behold our shame that we, the Sons of the Pale Horseman, failed in our darkest hour to defend our prince the undying and ever malevolent Vetra-Kali Eats-the-Eyes. But I have seen it! I have seen the road to repentenance! 666 prayers. Three per day will break the hated Seal. With each prayer bathe the seal in unholy water and intone the dirge.
At the stroke of midnight each day call forth the Supplication to Darkness. Pray to the darkness so that we shall be forgiven. Upon the first midnight make the first sacrifice -- one of our own blood – so that Vetra-Kali will know we are repentant.
At the first light of each dawn call forth the Cursing of the Light. Answer the spread of the shining lord’s light with our unyielding defiance. Upon the 111 th Curse make the second sacrifice -- a true believer of Mitra -- so that the cursed god of the invaders will know that we fear him not and that his power to hold our master at bay is ending.
At dusk as darkness returns each day cry forth the Call Across the Void. Recite the name of Vetra-Kali so that he may hear us and return. With the final Call offer the third sacrifice -- one of the Victor’s own blood. By the same blood that caged him so shall our master be freed.
Let ye with wisdom understand. Once the final prayer is uttered upon the 222nd dusk, Vetra-Kali will begin his long traverse across the great wheel.
At the stroke of midnight on that day he will emerge into his Sanctum and the Seal shall shatter.
Blessed day! Be ready, my brothers. His eyes have been stolen from him. Return them and the Prince will honor ye with one task for each.
For the Eye of Vigilance ask only for his mercy upon we mortals and plead that he do ye and yours no harm. For his wroth will be great. For the Eye of Hatred ask for his greatest gift -- the Tears of Achlys so that once more every corner of the world may know his mercy. For the Eye of Withering ask what ye will for in his gratitude he must answer your charge.
And then behold, the Prince restored. All shall know his blessings of pestilence and despair.
-R.Kappelbrenner
--
Andros goes inside again, and pick up the emerald, and drops at Nahia feet.
Amazing! That gem can supply us for quite some time.
"Tedious, but not entirely unexpected. Demonology is full of this sort of numerology stuff. I don't really know why. Most demons can't even count." Rose said with a shrug.
"Alright. So we need to get our hands on three sacrifices. One of the blood of the Sons of the Pale Horsemen, one true believer of Mitra, and one of the Victor's bloodline."
"Hope this place has a record of who the Sons were. Tracing their genealogy will be tough if we don't have any points of reference."
No doubt the city is full of believers we can grab for the second sacrifice.
"True believer is pretty specific. I think we're going to need someone who actually has miracles granted to them. I wish we'd hung on to one of the Ballentyne knights, or the fat priest."
Hound rechecks the map. There seem to be some passages here, So let us continue to explore.
When Andros returns Nahia picks him up, cleans him off, and places him back around her neck, hissing softly to him "Where would we be without you! You're amazing, as always!"
While fetching the serpent a piece of meat, she looks at the book over Mysty's shoulder, considering the pages meaning, and adding "Well, I'm sure that we'll be able to find someone Mitran nearby. My concerns are about the other two: one of the Pale Horsemen and the other of their victors."
She softly asks herself "I wonder if that last part means anyone involved in their defeat or a descendant of Markadian the First himself?" before being brought back by Hound's remark and responding "Lead the way, chief!"
Hounds heads over to C-9 to explore the tunnels.
As a last resort, yes. Let's try a less costly route for now and see if any of them escaped into the city and settled there.
C5- This non-descript cavern is empty and mostly dry. It seems to be heavily used passage by the boggards. The floor is solid rock so building a pit trap here is impossible without magic.
C5A – the southern passage into this chamber is very narrow. Medium sized creatures can still enter here, but this square counts as difficult terrain. Anything larger cannot pass here. Smaller creatures can pass through here without penalty.
C6- This relatively dry cavern would make a perfect lair for any number of beasts. The floor is solid rock so building a pit trap here is impossible without magic.
C7- Another relatively dry cavern and again a perfect lair for a beast. As the two caves previous, this floor is also solid rock. There is a perch at the back that would make a fine place for the beast to sleep.
C8 - Geothermal activity below the Horn of Abaddon has created a natural cauldron of boiling mud here. Across the mud pool there is a natural shelf and upon that shelf is an old mud-splattered metal chest. The chest is empty and open, its lock ruined.
After exploring the area near the village, the alpha dog, the pack leader, the chief, the man of actions and small words, the frog master leads the group past the church of the drugged priest.
C22 - The boggards have constructed a crude holding pen here. This is where victims captured in the swamp are dragged and held until the proper moment for them to be sacrificed to Dagon and then eaten. Currently it is empty save for a few scattered bones from an unlucky Iraen trapper the boggards captured weeks ago.
C22A - This is the crude door to the holding pen. It is made of salvaged bits broken of metal that have been lashed together. There are no hinges or locks, it is simply wedged in place and tied to several holes in the rock.
C21 -The floor of this cavern, save for a walkway around the edge is covered in a mix of mud and boggard manure. From this foul mixture grows a field of barely edible mushrooms that the boggards reluctantly consume when they can’t get anything alive to eat.
C20 - An empty nondescript wet cavern. The southern pool used to have cave fish in it, but the boggards long ago ate these tasty little creatures. This is too travelled to make a good lair.
C19 - Beautiful diamonds sparkle along the far wall of this room. The cave floor slick patch is made of flowstone.
C18 - This wet cavern is full of bones of both animals and sentients. This collection was largely cobbled together from everyone the boggards have ever murdered plus dozens of bodies found scattered about dating from the destruction of the Sons of the Pale Horseman eighty years ago. An enterprising necromancer could sort through the bones and find intact human, half- elven, elven and dwarven skeletons in this pile that could be raised by animate dead into skeleton minions.
C17 - The next generation of boggards swims about and grows in this murky pool. The little boggard tadpoles are noncombatant and confined to the water. They actually look like strange little fish at this stage. Most of these tadpoles are the descendants of Kumanda Slays-Nine-Men and his consorts.
C17A - A crude stone statue of a great bloated tentacle boggard watches the pool. This is of course a statue of Father as the bane-wogs perceive him
Does anyone know if the diamonds in the wall are valuable?
In response to Hounds question, Nahia approaches the wall and examines the glinting stones.
Answering Hound’s question, Nahia enters the room and walks towards the far wall, to examine the glinting stones.
However, walking down the room, the ground breaks and startled, Nahia tries jump out, to avoid falling , but she isn't fast enough.
The witch falls through this thin “cave ice” onto a floor of jagged stalagmites thirty feet below.
The lithe woman falls down below right on top of one of the stalagmites. The magic protection wasn’t enough to protect her, as the spike pierces the woman, cleaving its path through flesh and clothes.
Down there, in the ground, Nahia stays, gasping for air, stunned by pain.
Grumblejack pokes his head over the now exposed pit and asks ”Elfy, you all right?”
Nahia attempts bound to solid ground but the floor collapses under her faster than she can move. She lets out a quick, deep exhale, her descent slowing, but not providing her enough time to avoid all of the sharp rocks below. And as she lands with a light thump, a spine of stone scrapes the back of her leg and pierces her backside.
She sucks air through her teeth and grunts as she lifts herself from the stone, an inch of bloody rock appearing. Her hand goes down to staunch the blood soaking her already crimson garments.
Smiling at the appearance of Grumblejack, she replies "I've suffered worse. No meal for you yet!"
Taking a moment to collect herself, she asks back "Can someone toss a rope and haul me out of here?"