I have these potions that increase my size, I can then reach up and hammer the piton in.
If this is agreeable, Hound drinks his potion of Enlarge and uses his reach to hammer in the piton and/or help others to the other side of the pit.
Nahia smiles at Hound and says "I may be small of frame, but I think I can handle this."
Turning to Rose, she asks "And do you have a second one I could have?"
Nahia places her satchel and shawl on the floor before taking the hammer, piton, and chain from Rose. She takes a deep breath and holds it as her cloths and hair start to ripple and billow, as if a gust of wind had flared up, though nothing else is disturbed. Lifting off the ground she hovers over to the mid-point of the ceiling before starting to hammer the piton in.
- - - -
Her work done, Nahia wipes the sweat from her brow.
Yes, now I remember why I had so many slaves...
She gently floats to the other side, where she does what she can to better secure the board.
Finally, she saunters across the board, a little extra wiggle in her hips, and says "Ok, enough playing handyman. That should be safe enough!"
The massive hounds trusts more in the chain and keeps a firm grip.
"A second what? Spike?"
"Oh. Right." Rose says noticing what Nahia was asking about and tossing her another spike.
With some clever thinking and the ever so prepared Rose , the villains bypass the ruined trap into the second floor of the horn.
Once inside, one thing is certain, this place feels holy… you feel as if you didn’t belonged in this place, and there’s that constant pressure of goodness over your body.
Following the corridor there are several doors and what appear to be the upper courtyard . This large courtyard with its forty foot tall dome was once a center of social life here in the Horn. The deathpriests of old would gather to debate the philosophical intricacies of pestilence, all the while plotting to unleash yet more virulent horrors upon the world. Those days are now long past. The only hint of this once powerful wicked society is the candelabra of three continual flame spells that burn an undying eerie green at the apex of the dome.
There is a magic fountain here that produces fresh water (it possesses a moderate transmutation aura). The fountain’s centerpiece is carved in the form of a trio of exultant hydrodaemons that vomit forth the water into the basin below. The great basin of the pool holds a hundred gallons of water and when it is depleted the basin is replenished at the rate of one gallon a round.
Despite the fountain’s sinister appearance and the fact it was created by a disease-loving daemonic death cult, the water is clean, fresh and potable. The fountain is part of the floor of this room and cannot be removed.
Following the corridor to the other side, the long L-shaped corridor extends almost 220 feet. Every ten feet is a new mural carved in larger than life detail. Together these murals depict a detailed history of the Sons of the Pale Horseman. Some of the murals have been defaced, but there is simply so much adornment throughout the Horn that after a while the knights in the Victor’s service simply could not deface it all. They instead contented themselves with annihilating its defenders.
Someone with a working knowledge of the Abyssal tongue and with patience could catalogue every major event in the Sons’ history -- from their founding in a distant land, their expulsion, their search for a new home, their building of the Horn, the summoning of Vetra-Kali and then the many years of serving the daemon prince.
It is actually an epic tale (though doubtless aggrandizing of the sons).
But there is more here than simple history. Anyone who takes the time to carefully read the murals will realize that there are detailed rituals described here.
Transcribing them into useable forms is time consuming. For every two days of labor, the transcriber can make one Knowledge (arcane), Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge (planes) skill check (DC 25).
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The ogre who had been silent until now address the villains Un' this place is odd. A lot of years it’s abandoned, shouldn't it have something besides that many doors?” he indicates one of the doors, looking at the Little Un’ to see if she’ll open one of them as she did with all others.
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hmm. There are rituals in these murals. Studying them may be useful. But it will take a while. After we finish our explorations.
She gestures behind them. Grumblejack is right. Let's check out these doors. The double doors looks like it may be important.
Mysty heads to the double doors and inspects them.
Searching the doors reveal nothing, they are partially open.
This is the smaller of the two temples (see 1-27) but is by far the grander. Six stately pillars rise to high vaulted ceilings. Images of winged carrion birds circle high above set into the stonework. stunningly beautiful, intricate murals cover every inch of the walls and floor of this place. At first glance, the murals appear quite lovely showing vast armies of supplicants, each exquisitely rendered in bas relief, walking arms outspread towards some unseen goal.
Only as you progress towards the throne and the eastern wall does the message of the murals becomes clear. The figures become more and more emaciated, worn and diseased. Around the throne can be seen cackling daemons herding them like sheep. Nearer the wall they are no longer supplicants but instead shambling undead marching in great legions. And on the eastern walls is the supplicant’s destination -- a throne carved in the likeness of a great skull and above it reads (in abyssal) “Lead the flock into the arms of blessed Death.”
If the throne (A) is searched carefully there is another easy to miss inscription here -- “Rah.”
There is a rune on the throne here. I do not understand it but it might be significant.
Nahia looks over the throne, and the word, and ponders over it's connection to the other. "Hmm, like this last one. Though this time R - A - H" Again, she is careful to avoid saying the word itself, or even its sound too closely.
Nodding at Hound, she smiles and adds "Yes, another good find."
Afraid of speaking the word and activating any of the magical properties in the throne, Nahia tells the others about the meaningless word they found. Examining the pillar, you discover it’s too seems to be hollow inside, but there’s no passage or door in it. With some thinking, it’s easy to notice both pillars are exactly in the same line, which means whatever passage is inside, it crosses both first and second floor.
With nothing else to explore, the group decides to check the smaller rooms, beginning with the one closer to them:
The first door, near the L shaped hall, leads to an abandoned room with nothing but a headless statue. Even a cursory glance reveals that the statue is very detailed.
The next room, has little more than a plain wooden table where many candles have burned down to nubs, there is also the drawn image of the sun on the wall. An inscription has been carved below that reading “Mitra lucet omnibus, Mitra omnia regit” – “Mitra shines on everyone, Mitra rules everything.”
It is this simple shrine, consecrated to mitra that blocks all evil spells and evil abilities.
Desecrating the shrine is not difficult. The cleric spell desecrate and defacing the shrine, offering a living sacrifice to Asmodeus or any other evil deity here (an animal will suffice) will accomplish it.
The next room it is largely empty with only a few remaining wrecked pieces of furniture remaining and nothing of interest.
The following doors lead to empty rooms , which probably housed acolyte.
So access to the floor above might be achieved from down below, something for a further examination.
Hound checks the map. So what else needs to be explored?
Rose glared at the alter. "Getting rid of this eyesore is priority one when we're done with our sweep."
Nahia takes a while to examine the statue, particularly the magic aura coming from it.
Her studies complete, she nods at Rose and adds "Indeed. It's quite... unwelcome." before spitting upon the altar.
Turning to Hound and Rose she replies "Sounds good to me. Let's enter this pathway and if there isn't a staircase I'll see what I can do about securing us some rope, assuming anyone has some... knotted preferably."
I have one length of rope. Hounds passes his over.
"If we need to make it longer have the rope from my net." Rose says.
Intrigued by the pouch, Nahia and Mysty decide to examine it. While Mysty notice nothing more than a stone pouch, Nahia however has some interesting insight about it.
The statue, seems to be someone affected by a magic effect that turned the poor sod into stone. That explains the level of detail. The magic aura, seems to be anything that was inside the pouch when the man was turned. Chipped it away, inside the pouch, there’s a huge emerald, in the exact same shape, of the one you found in the caves. A closer investigation of its magic properties reveals… nothing. The emerald has magic, but it seems something else is needed to activate its effect.
Hound checks the map. So what else needs to be explored?
There is still in the second level several other rooms to explore. With that in mind, the group goes about checking all the other doors.
This empty guard room connects to the Temple of the Priests (2-20) by the only obvious door and to the entrance hallway by a secret door (DC 25 to detect). It is otherwise empty.
This empty guard room has nothing of value in it.
This empty chamber once quarted a dozen temple guards charged with securing this level. Now it is empty, its contents and occupants long ago committed to a Mitran pyre.
This cage is directly above the entranceway to the third level (3-1). Unlike the other pit trap in 2-1, this trap is still in working order. It drops down into a cell with a good lock (DC 30). The lock current sits open with the key sticking out of it. Otherwise, this room is empty.
This barracks once quartered eight guardsmen. Nowit is empty.
Once the courtyard (2-16) was decorated with statues of priests and daemons. The knights smashed the statuesand piled them here .
This chamber once housed the private chambers of the guard captain of the Horn of Abaddon. Though most of the valuables and furnishings are gone, his bed still remains. This impressive oak four-poster bed is a mammoth piece of wood and a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
This room once quartered the Horn’s Master of Beasts. This chamber was thoroughly ransacked and then set afire. It is now choked with ash and rubble. Still, if searched and cleared, there are three stout lengths of chain bound to iron collars with good locks (DC 30) large and strong enough to cage a wild beast (for example a dire tiger). There is also an intact mural that shows the Master of Beast’s greatest triumph.
The mural shows two strange looking horned and clawed bear-like creatures being summoned from the nether planes and bound using plates of iron.
These creatures are Greater Ceustodaemons. The plates of iron are inscribed with their true names. Alas the mural is not detailed enough to reveal the true names.
This barracks once quartered eight guardsmen. Now it is empty.
This chamber has a human skeleton nailed to the western wall by a spear with a broken haft. Written above the impaled skeleton is the phrase: “The Master of Acolytes, stealer of children. Let all who would turn to darkness see his fate and return to the light.”
Once this chamber housed the finery and furnishing of the Master of Acolytes. It was ransacked like everything else on this level. But in this case, the ransacking including smashing murals that showed the Master do ing his wicked business and going amongst the people of Talingarde to steal children to serve the “Sons”.
The knights were so vigorous in smashing the murals, that there is now a sizeable hole in the western wall. Through this hole has come the agressive greenery of the Caer Bryr and now vines and creepers fill this chamber. The hole is clogged with foliage but still could allow someone of medium size to cut through and enter here.Two of the Caer’s more exotic inhabitants have already done this. A pair of verdurous oozes have crawled here. They have thrived by eating birds and other flying creatures using their control of vines to snatch them from the air and from their nests. They would relish larger prey.
These quarters once housed eight acolytes. They are now empty.
An extra head amongst the pile here, perhaps it goes with the headless statue.
"Good catch. Wonder if we can reattach it somehow."
If that one was turned to stone and then beheaded, I doubt reversing the spell will revive them. Best to just turn them back sans head so we can get whatever he is holding.
Nahia thinks at Hounds comment for a bit and replies "Not necessarily. If we used magic to repair the statue it might be ok. It would have to be truly made whole again, not simply stuck back together though. And it's too heavy for me my minor repair magics. Seren may be able to do it though, with a scroll from town."
In the room with the Master of Acolytes, Nahia rumples her nose at the inscription and runs her fingertips along the broken haft of the spear.
It isn't like I wouldn't have done the same... but still, knowing that THEY did it...
As they continue their search, Nahia examines the mural in the room with the iron collars. After a moment she says "Interesting. This mural, when it was in better shape, seems to have contained the real names of a couple of demons. Strong ones at that. Assuming that the names are correct, it would seem likely that at some point they may have had control of them. If we could maybe restore the mural, or maybe even just get by with this as the hint to some more research, it is possible that we may be able to do so as well... assuming that they still exist."
With the second level finished the knot debates where they should go next.
The only viable way into third floor is scaling from the second or flying, the same thing with the last floor, on the very top of the horn.
"If we're going to be living here for a while, I'd prefer not to break the place more than it already is. Seems like having Nahia fly a knotted rope up would be an easier solution."
The door could be down below, I doubt they would have some extremely confusing way to reach the floor above if they were going to do things like rituals and whatnot. But let us scout above and see if the pillar does extend up there.
@Kitara
Ever since your sister death, the circle destruction, hatred and rage burned hot inside of you. That same rage was the fuel that sent you in the destruction spree; no town, village, city escaped your fury... only it didn't meant anything.
The rage still burned inside you and no matter how much you punished and destroyed, your efforts made no difference at all. The Mitran Faith was stronger as ever, the Darian regime was still strong. Your raids were nothing more than nuisances.
During your travels, you caught wind of a Mitran knight, judging the innocent, burning then in pyres, accusing of consorting with demons, following Asmodeus. It only made your rage burns fiercer and you set in his trail.
Your travels brought you near the Caer Bryr, and from there, you decided to visit the old circle, where once you lived happy days.
Once at the place, you heard talk among threes, the Eldest had just been killed, the ancient guardian of the forest, protecting the cursed place. You interest picked, following the whispers in the trees was easy enough.
You reach one of the great stone spires. This one rises some hundreds of feet high , the trees surrounding it, gigantic in stature, seems to be nothing in comparison.
Walking around it, you find ruins of what once appear to be the entrance to it.
A boulder rests in the smashed top floor of a three‐storey stout, stone watchtower. A nearby rotting catapult appears to be the culprit. The remains of a thick, reinforced wooden door lie scattered on the wide, stone steps leading up to the entrance. Bits of broken weapons and armour litter the otherwise intact interior.
Past the tower, scattered blocks of obsidian, inscribed with the iconography of an evil deity, surround the foundations of a once proud archway. A few outlying buildings remain relatively intact.
The entrance seems to have crumbled in most of the parts, and it leads down to a series of dark caverns.
There are two stairways leading to some entrance 100ft and 150ft high.
There’s a cave entrance leading beneath the stone spire.
There is sign of native life, animals and something you judge to be a walking tree. Near the stairs, there is no sign of passage or anyone going up. The caverns however have sign of constant usage, by something that appears to be a big biped frog, only it is more than one.
Kitara sighed as she walked among the once proud trees. Damn their eyes, flaming Mitrans. Each step in this place, I hear the cries of druids past as their blood cries to nature. Every tree in this forest knows of the flames that were stoked here so long ago, and they have not forgotten.
As they spoke, she listened, heard how the mightiest of their forest was felled. Her curious nature took her, and she shifted, each step her body melding...
...Solana walked the forest. Her mane of red a firey cascade that tumbled down her shoulders to the middle of her back, elven ears that came to points even with the middle of her forehead. Her strikingly deep red eyes, the color of blood contrasted with the fire red of her hair.
They played against her armor and shield, made of the hide of a red dragon, her blade at her side as she moved through the forest, stalking, walking. Known as the Everflame, her vengence unleashed. She felt the fires of the wood burning on her skin even now, the warm soothing flames that claimed so many lives before her. The flames that caressed her into a deep dark sleep.
Solana, or Kitara, for that matter was never really good at stealth, and as such she moved with grace, though didn't really hide her approach. Her eyes of red reflected the anger deep within them, the hatred that tried to burn a hundred farms and a dozen cities. She found the stone spire, and resolved to enter the caves, and see what there. She mounted her horse Ithil'Dae, the Moon Shadow in the elven tongue, and rode for the caverns.
She knew that there she would find those responsible for the slaying of the great tree, and who chose to encroach on this forsaken place. Perhaps now I might find some answers. Perhaps I can find that which I seek, a means to avenge myself, and my sister upon the thrice damned Mitrans. Though why someone would disturb a place so..., tainted as this, I will never know.
@Kitara
You advance amongst the ruins trying to reach the caves, but your path is blocked by what was once a proud and strong living tree. Now it looks like an animated, yet dead, moss-covered tree. From Its bark, rotten blood pours out and no leaves appear on its branches.
The undead aberration charges right at you, ignoring everything else.
@All except Kitara
After briefly exploring the second level, you decide to venture into the third, using Nahia ability to fly to tie a hope at the entrance and allow you to reach it.
From your vantage point at the second floor entrance, you hear a commotion down near the cave entrance! Something or someone is fighting the undead treant Seren created!
”How dare it hurt my precios creation!” Seren yells in rage ”Grmble! Come, there’s a meal waiting you down there!” she says moving down in the stairs, towards the caves.
The ogre looks around to see what the others will do, but ultimately follows Seren ”Elfy would probably enjoy the meal too.” he says offering to carry Nahia down the stairs.
Maker's breath, that's what they did to you. Whoever is here sure deserves this place... Solana stares at the creature, urging her horse to back off from it. I know that I am no match for this thing..., this perversion of the forest. But how did this come to be, I wonder?
Solana stares for a moment as she withdraws. She considers reaching out to the flame, the glorious flames that burn and purify all things, the flames that could scorch the world. They tease at her skin, at her mind. Whispering to her that they could consume the beast. Come my love, let us stretch out, it is just rotting wood. It will burn easily. Stretch out your hand, and let us become one with this beast.
Solana shivered, hearing the flames speak to her as they somemtimes did. It was the voice of a lover, the voice of a confidante. A trusted companion, and it took her great restraint to not let loose on the great creature.
Backing out of the cave a bit, she finally gets to a point where she feels safe outside, and bellows out to the keep at no one in particular: "Who goes there? Who seeks the great stone spire?"
The frogs don't have the courage to do it, might be Mitrians. Hounds heads dwn. I'll grind their bones to make my bread.