Hound lets Mysty check the area for any surprises like traps, wards and lightning spewing daemons.
Chuckling a little at her own joke, she continues "It's a good that that you know Ignan though. Aklo shifts suddenly between as singing slash hissing set of sounds and throaty, gravely sounds, much like Ignan, and for someone unaccustomed to it, it can be quite hard on the throat."
- - - - -
Nahia awakens that morning with a stretch and a yawn.
I miss that bed already... if if HE owned that mansion... Well, hopefully I can sleep somewhere more comfortable soon...
After a bit of freshening up, including freshening her protective spell, she moves to join the others as they prepare for the day.
- - - - -
Standing at the base of the cliff, Nahia nods at Mysty and Rose, adding "If the rest of you can climb, I'll head up there and serve as a lookout. Sound like a plan?"
Rose nodded. "Be careful. We won't be able to back you up until we get there."
Then she turned to her sister. "Let's do this."
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Kitara stretches out slowly in the morning, spending a significant amount of time in meditation. As she does, a soft corona of light and licking tongues of flame dance across her body. None of them hot to the touch, or at least do not appear to be to Kitara in her less than modestly clothed form. Once finished, she stands to her feet, stretching out and yawning, before donning her armor and gear once again. "Remind me Sissy, I need to do some shopping if I am going to help you all out like this again."
She looks around and slowly starts to gather herself. Her voice starts to take on a chittering, clacking sound as she utters rasping tones in an old world language.
Brood Mother, answer the calls of Nature's hand. Imbibe us with the power to walk as the children of the web do.
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Mysty tests out the spider climb, and then with a whoop starts crawling down the mountain to the targeted level. On nearing it. she stops ad carefully examines the entry for traps and surprises.
Hound follows after Mysty, walking down the wall being quite the experience.
Before the party uses the spell to climb the outer face of the horn, Nahia flies ahead, scouting for any foe, and finding none.
After getting into the landing, Mysty starts to search for any trap protecting the entrance.
Startled by the trap, the hung at each other for support, and both fall down into the cage with bars on the second floor .
==
Once inside, the entranceway is a large hallway with five doors. The baroque decoration continues and everywhere is found bas-relief carving showing the doings of daemons. There is a great deal of abyssal writing here as well.
The carvings in this hallway tells the tale of the ascension of the daemon prince Vetra-Kali Eats-the-Eyes.
It is revealed that Vetra-Kali is a leukodaemon who through his savagery and remorseless cruelty rose from the ranks to be appointed an Archdeacon of Pestilence in service to the Pale Horseman. This hallway exalts and praises the many ruthless deeds done by Vetra-Kali to gain this prominence.
Six green ominous flickering continual flames (one beside each of the single doors and two beside the double doors at the end of the hall) light this hall.
Rose was concerned at first when Mysty and Hound fell into the trap doors. She ran to the edge to look down, and then started laughing.
"Let's see if we can wedge these open. A couple rope ladders would be a lot easier to deal with than climbing the outside."
When they reached the mural Rose looked at it for a bit and seemed confused. She hadn't bothered to put her helmet on today, so er confusion was clear on her face.
"I'm.... not following this." Rose said. "I read the language, but I don't really get what it's saying. Something's being lost in translation."
Hound shrugs at the words, not knowing what they are.
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EEK! (two thuds on the ground far below, one big, 'tuther small)Ow! (a fair bit of swearing in halfling, common and ignan. It's quite inventive). That's it. Feather fall. I'm learning featherfall. Come on Hound, time to climb.
On arriving up top mysty asks Any healing? I ache a bit. That's quite a drop.
Nahia giggles gently at Mysty's reply to Kitara, nodding and adding "Yes, I'm quite versed in a number of languages. I've always found them fascinating, personally. And I'm willing to teach them in trade. Maybe you have a language I've yet to learn? Or some other... services to trade?"
She smirks as she looks the new girl up and down with an expectant face.
- - - - -
Nahia watches as Hound and Mysty scout around for traps and rushes towards them as they disappear into the floor. Looking down the hole, she sees them, groaning and moaning, at the bottom of the shaft, but they seem to be in one piece.
She keeps lookout while the others arrive at the cliff face, and while Hound and Mysty find their way back up the chute. And when Mysty asks for healing, Nahia giggles and replies with a grin "Just be happy that Hound didn't and on you. Then we might be having halfling jelly for lunch."
Turning to Seren, Nahia says "If you'll take care of Hound, I'll take care of Mysty."
Her attentions back on the little one, she reaches a hound out, bows her head, and starts to chant "Spirits that float in the wind of life, please, come and grant her your blessed energy..." Again, green pinpoints of light appear and slowly swirl around Nahia's hand as little gusts of wind flick to and fro.
Reaching over, Nahia smiles and traces a hand along Mysty's cheek, the little motes of light drifting into the halfling and creating a gentle warmth inside of her, easing her aching bones and muscles.
- - - - -
Their companions gathered together, Nahia sets about examining the carvings and writing. It all seems quite interesting, at least at first glance, though a little difficult to comprehend.
She reaches up to her neck and pets the little serpent, before hissing softly at him. Andros looks up and begins to scan the writing as well. The two of them alternate between silent contemplation and a variety of hisses and tongue waggles, Nahia pointing to lines as Andros waves his head and tail around.
Finally, after some time, Nahia turns to Rose and explains: "Ok it's no wonder you had trouble with it, because it isn't standard Abyssal. Verta-Kali isn't a demon he's a daemon. This isn't 'from the Abyss' Abyssal, it's Abaddonian Abyssal. It looks like it's a summary of Vetra-Kali's history, his rise through the daemonic ranks, lots and lots of lines going on about his remorselessness, his cruelty, yata yata. In the end, he ended up becoming the Archdeacon of Pestilence to the Pale Horseman himself! Basically, we're not dealing with some small time entity here. Vetra-Kali is, or at least was, a big deal... and I feel we should tread carefully in our plans here..."
Rose nodded. "Great." she sad sarcastically. "I really hope Vetra-Kali isn't as obnoxious as Hex and Vex."
Feeling it’s time to continue exploring, the knot moves searching the smaller doors before going into the double one at the end of the hall. Everyone knows that trouble is always at the double doors.
They start at the first door to their right, which leads into a chamber wrecked by a tremendous explosion . Immediately, most of the group notices a secret door it partially cracked open.
Opening it and exploring behind, you find what must have been one of the biggest evil libraries in the world, burned to ashes .
This room once held one of the greatest collections of blasphemous and evil tomes ever assembled on this plane. Now it contains only ashes. When the Victor discovered this chamber, his words were terse: “To the fire.”
His order was obeyed. Every scroll, tome and treatise was consigned to flame. All that remains is an inscription in Abyssal that reads “Behold the secrets of death. Use them for my glory.”
There are no secrets here anymore. Only ashes and memories.
Rose walked along the shelves poking at old ashes, stirring up long untouched soot. "Given the number of storybook cleches we've already seen, who wants to bet one of these shelves hides a secret room or something?"
Indeed, it might very well be right in front of us, waiting to be discovered.
Hoping for a cliché, Mysty, Rose and Hound busy themselves searching for a secret passage in the secret room. But nothing is found, only ashes and burnt remains of books.
From there, they move to the next door and find an empty and bare room, with no secrets at all.
Leaving the double door for last, they more to the other side of the corridor and open the next door in the line .
This room has no furnishings. The walls and floor of this chamber are covered in abyssal script. The phrase “Receive the wisdom of Abaddon” is written prominently on the curved northern wall. There is a circle of such script in the center of the floor that is the nonsense word “nen” repeated over and over again.
The ground sheds a moderate conjuration aura.
From there, they move into the door next door, inside the same room .
A great magical battle was fought here between the wizards of the “Sons” and the priests of Mitra. The deep gouges cut into the stonework reveal where powerful spells once blasted out again and again. Now, other than its scars, this room is empty and unremarkable.
"If I have my bearings, this door over here should connect through to where Hound and Mysty decided to fall through the floor."
Hound is ready to breach and clear with Mysty.
'Nen', does that have something to do with those other nonsense words we have found?
Rose froze and looked at the floor. The dangers of summoning circles had been drummed into her head from the time she was a child. "Where?"
Nahia looks over the piles of ash with a frown, shaking her head. "Tsk tsk tsk... I may not like who these people were, but I hate seeing so much lost knowledge in something as rare as the dark arts... Though the inscription is oddly fitting, for the secrets are staying secrets, and there is no glory to be pried from them."
She watches as her companions search for a moment, before taking another flask and kneeling before the inscription and collecting some of the ash. "Though maybe through use they may contain secrets and bring glory once again..."
- - - - -
Nahia's jaw drops at the script covered room, her eyes wide as she surveys writings odd litigiousness interspersed with frothing rants and unholy righteousness. "More of that abaddonian script... They liked to keep busy, didn't they..."
Walking over to the circle, she stays outside of it but crouches down to examine the writing closer. "Another one of the nonsense words, just like the thrones. Except this one is repeated over and over. N - E - N... They could be related... it has a similar magic aura to the thrones as well... But the circle arrangement is so different, I can't imagine that they would change their design without a cause... Hmm, conjuration... maybe this was used in summoning rituals? And if it was then the thrones might use some other aspect of conjuration magics... something to ponder..."
Maybe trying their luck with the unknown don’t appeal to the others, as Mysty question is answered with silence and blank stares.
Rose opens the door and peek inside revealing an empty room, devoid of anything interesting or valuable.
The other door, leads to a long row of six cells (A-F) having stout steel doors and good locks (DC 30). Here the “Sons” kept their sacrificial victims and playthings until the moment was right to offer them to their daemon gods. Now it is empty.
From there, to the door at the end, leads to what appears to once have been great brothel chamber of the high priesthood. The rewards for serving Vetra-Kali were doled out here in sumptious excess. When the Victor raided this hall, he ordered the erotic murals defaced and the great chamber purged of any hint of its original purpose.
Now it is simply a gigantic empty room. The only hints of its former uses are a few defaced murals. A close examination reveal hints of the wanton excesses once depicted here. Most disturbing are the hints that not everyone who visited the brothel was human or even humanoid.
So back to the hall with the pit trap.There is a door to check.
Rose nodded and kept walking. "Weird place for the brothel. I'd have put it closer to the front entrance."
Hounds waggles Mysty at the door to deal with the traps. ;)
Nahia shakes her head at Mysty and replies "I don't think that is a good idea until we've seen the rest of this place... and maybe not even then."
But as they enter discover what the brothel once was, Nahia starts to giggle. "I like how you have to walk through the prison to get here though. Was that to get the clientele in the right mood? Or to further torture the prisoners? Or just easy access to new... toys..."
With a grin she adds "I'll give them this, these people were definitely creative."
Considering this was a place of worship for a daemon of disease, your organs would start falling off and bubbling very quickly.
With nothing else to explore, the party moves to the double door and enter the inner temple.
As ornate and baroque as the entryway hall (3-1) is it pales before this expansive and vaulted chamber. This is the Horn’s third temple -- reserved only for the High Priest and his elite retinue. Most of the Sons of the Pale Horseman never entered this temple and never experienced the strange rites conducted within. The fane is adorned with a riot of lurid color. Brilliant bas reliefs depict daemons of every sort engaged in countless acts of wanton evil, callous destruction and inhuman savagery. Rows of pews allow a congregation of the chosen to gather. The podium is doubtless where foul sermons of Abaddon’s wisdom and bile were delivered to those gatherings.
At the front of the chamber are four shrines (A-D).
A – A white shrine decorated with bas relief depictions of open pits of the dead and lepers crying in anguish.
B – A shrine of red stone decorated with cruel iron weaponry and scenes of slaughter.
C –A shrine of black stone decorated with images of mortals wasting away from hunger and starvation.
D – A shrine of pale green stone adorned with a skull with two coins over its eyes and an inscription of jagged abyssal writing which reads “Behold a pale horse. Its rider is Death and all shall follow him.”
E – A large bas-relief image of Vetra-Kali sitting cross-legged holding his greatest work, his masterpiece, a vial of some sort. Below the vial is inscribed a name ‘The Tears of Achlys.’ Vetra-Kali also holds three blades and a strange jagged key with an Abyssal inscription “Hail Vetra-Kali”. The three eyed daemon prince pays homage to the four shrines, but there is no doubt that this fane is built primarily to honor him.
Aha! We have found the visl.
Hound coughs a bit. Bit of blood in my throat from the fall.
Hounds will begin to examine the area carefully.
Through the whole thing, Solana tagged along. Not entirely sure of what this place is, or what the purpose her sister had in being here kept Solana quiet and watchful. The mentioning of daemons and demons didn't do much in the way of settling her nerves. Dealing with such creatures is always tricky at best. Mind you, I normally won out when it came to me and my sister, but those were just child's games. What ever in the bleeding hells have you gotten into..., Sissy?
At the vision of the fane, Solana blanches a bit. She notices the symbolism and the images, and remains very quiet, somewhat in awe of the chamber that they are in. She spends her time carefully taking stock of her companions, trying to determine what exactly the nature of their visit to this place happens to be.
"I don't know if we are going to find the Tears here. I got the impression that was why we need to break Vetra-Kali out of hell. Then we bind him and get him to make it for us."
Rose looks over to Nahia. "Do I have that right?"
On all the other walls are litanies of the deeds of this monster. It was Vetra-Kali who crossed the great void and came to the prime material plane to establish the Sons of the Pale Horseman. It was he who oversaw the construction of the Horn of Abaddon and it is because of this that the Horn superficially resembles this horror from another world.
As the party opens the door and enters the place, step inside to explore, an eerie voice greets you ”Ah, it has been long since my last meal. It’s a shame that the Elf escaped me, only to die at the daemons hands. The Phlegethian Knot, were they called? Shame I only learned of their intentions after consuming them.” a pause while in the middle of the room a strange large mass of swirling shadows gather ”What are you? Another meal perhaps?”
You know the its undead plus incorporeal traits.
Hound gets his greatsword ready and prepares to strike.
"You will find no meals here, creature." Rose said fiercely, raising her axe and backing up to form a defensive line with Hound.
"We are here to fre the Daemon Lord who's temple you reside in. Are you a guardian, or an uninvited guest?"
Nahia looks over the new temple and for a brief moment her (nearly) everpresent smile fades before returning.
I'm all for hellish decorating but this place doesn't sit right with me. We need to be careful in this room... but I can't help but feel that it is going to become oh so important in our mission. I'll be glad to either leave this room or see it re-purposed... and rededicated to a more deserving Lord.
Leaving her thoughts behind, Nahia nods at Rose and replies "I doubt Vetra-Kali is in Hell, or else our Dark Prince would be speaking to him right now. No, he is probably sealed up in that statue upstairs."
She runs a hand through her hair and grins, but not cocksuredly. "To be fair, we may not have to bind him to get the tears... but I doubt we'd survive to use them if we didn't..."
- - - - -
Nahia looks at the mass of shadows, shivering at the new chill in the air. She slowly inches a hand to her pouch, waiting to see how Rose's discussion works out.
"Ah, the Knot of Thorns. Cardinal Andrastus Thorn bullies..." the shadows begins to thicken as more shadows begins to appear in the room and the voice becomes stronger and stronger. ”...And how you plan to do that? For I'm neither guardian or uninvited guest. Erza I was called, High priest I was.”
"High Priest of Vetra-Kali?" Rose asked, just to be sure.
Kitara's eyes locked onto the shadows that now started to gather, and her ears itched at the words that she started to hear. Bleeding hells..., The clever one, the firey one, the silent one..., and Sissy. I had better speak up before one of them gets us all into trouble. But what to say..., to some creature that has haunted this place..., wait. Maybe that's it..."
Solana looks at Rose, and tries her best to redirect her short question into something more of an inquiry. "Perhaps, or perhaps to one of the specific images here. You say you came across the Phlegthian Knot? How long ago were they here? And what became of their number?"
She casts a curious glance back around the room. "A shame you learned of their purpose too late? Do you wish to aid us in our endeavor, or simply to be another thorn in our side?"
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Mysty keeps herself loose. This thing is dangerous in more ways than violence. There has been a leak. she thinks to herself.
Thorn in our side. That's funny, considering Mysty says, falling into a halfling habit of talking to cover nervousness. And to make people underestimate them.
It's a pun you see she explains to the spook. Knot of thorns...Ah don't worry, it's not important.
Hound keeps a strike readied.