A low stone altar, its sides carved like coiling snakes and its top carved to resemble a yawning viper’s maw, sits in the center of this room. The walls of the chamber are carved with images of anthropomorphic serpents using strange, pointed megaliths of stone to work great feats of magic—transforming an army of humans into zombies, calling down flaming bolts of lightning from the stars, or parting the waters of the sea to dash human ships upon the exposed rocks of the seabed below. This final image seems to have been recently cleaned of dust, and several lines of text have been made more legible via the application of inks and perhaps blood.
DC 20 Knowledge(geography)
DC 20 Knowledge (history)
DC 25 Knowledge (nature)
Numerous Aklo carvings remain on the walls, but only those near the carving of the receding tides are legible.
Smaller carvings nearby depict serpentfolk splashing blood on curved runes carved on upright stones before a red mountain, and then holding venomous snakes against the blood that they might lick the stones, pouring water onto a pyramid-shaped block of red stone from a bowl, and standing before the pyramid of stone with arms upraised and mouths agape as if shouting to the heavens as a bolt of lightning arcs up from the stones into the sky.
DC 15 Knowledge (geography)
Inscription in Aklo
Empower the Four Sentinel Runes with the Blood of a Thinking Creature Tempered by the Kiss of a Serpent’s Tongue.
Anoint the Tide Stone with Waters Brought from the Sea in a Vessel of Purest Metal.
Invoke the Lord’s Sacred Name to Wrap His Coils around the Sea Itself that He Might Lay Bare What Lies Below and Cast Down Your Enemies on the Waves above.
Helga stares around in astonishment at the room, peering closely at the carvings and inscriptions.
Knowledge(geography)
Knowledge (history)
"These are very, very old," she murmurs. "Maybe as old as fabled Azlant, or older."
Knowledge (nature)
"And these are the serpent folk, I think this woman who seduced the captain must be one..."
Knowledge (geography)
"This is the mountain on this island, it must be."
Helga whispers the words of a spell and the letters shift and warp and she recites aloud:
"To Command the Very Tides to Rise Up and Eschew What Lies Below:
Empower the Four Sentinel Runes with the Blood of a Thinking Creature Tempered by the Kiss of a Serpent’s Tongue.
Anoint the Tide Stone with Waters Brought from the Sea in a Vessel of Purest Metal.
Invoke the Lord’s Sacred Name to Wrap His Coils around the Sea Itself that He Might Lay Bare What Lies Below and Cast Down Your Enemies on the Waves above."
Atzi stares at the images of the serpent people, realizing that they did indeed depict the ancient serpentfolk and not cultists in costume or else. "What have we found here... These depictions are that of the Ancient Serpentfolk people..."
She stares in wonder for a moment before shaking her head and focusing. "Let us clean out this nest of evil and worry of runes and history later while we are fixing the light house."
"And what of your betrayer?" Helga asks. "She has gone to the mountain, for a purpose we can only guess. It is surely an ill one for us, though - I like not this talk of tides rising up. What of this mountain, what secrets lurk beneath it? What treasures await us?"
Atzi nods to Helga, acknowledging her words. "I would seek her out if we could and thwart her plans. But that is just me, all I know is for now we should continue forward and make our plans once we are firmly back in the light of the lifebringer."
Setebo, distracted from his job of guarding the entry follows the more knowledgeable party members as they inspect the room.
"This place is old....different than the sea caves. I wonder if those dead things even come here. But if they don't then who cleaned these?"
Natalyah's mood dampens with every word Helga relates from the symbols on the wall. Snake men, ritual talk about controlling the oceans and scenes of high magic. Probably rituals and temples too. And it pointed towards the mountain on this island. Knowing the stronger wills of this group they would bound headlong to the mountain to oppose what ever they thought was there. To clense it of evil. Natalyah snorted as she continued to listen to the bard. The snort caught in her throat however when Atzi retorted. Natalyah was caught off guard when the druid began talking about ignoring the temple and rebuild the light house. A flicker of hope rose in the morose and brooding ranger. A hope that was soon snuffed out along with her surprise as Helga quickly talked the mwangi girl into investigating the mountain.
"What treasures?!" Natalyah blurted out. Her disappointment was fueled by the death of the hope she felt just seconds ago. "The prize you should keep your eye on is a way of this island!"
"Who else but the woman your captain wrote of?"
"Girl has a point. If the woman caused you to be stranded here from the start nothing stops her from making trouble while we're waiting for a ship to pass by close enough to investigate."
Atzi looks at Caithan. "Have we forgotten that this woman traded the captain to something down here for safe passage. A something that is just as dangerous to us and the others stranded here? So lets talk of this somewhere else and be done with this place..." Atzi was uneasy talking in the dank dark of this underground place, so far from the light and just feeling plain wrong to her bare feet...
"The most wise thing you've said all day", the brooding Natalyah says and walks to the exit. She keeps her blades close and senses alert. The denizens of this cave are a closed chapter as far as she is concerned, but if she should encounter more on her acent she wasn't going to back away.
Atzi looks at Caithan. "Have we forgotten that this woman traded the captain to something down here for safe passage. ...
"And that something is still down here. I do not want to stay in this place but we have to find that something or else face the risk of seeing our friends end up like your captain. There was another passage from the water room."
"Let's go then."
Atzi tilts her head, perhaps it was they way she speaks that makes people misunderstand her. She planned on burning this hole completely before leaving it and nodded to Setebo spoke of another passage. "Then let us find where that other doorway leads." Picking up her javelin lightly she turns and starts heading towards the water room.
Natalyah stops dead in her tracks with a sigh. "Fine. Make it fast", she says and tries, and fails, to hide her frustration. She looks at Setebo. "Well? Go!"
Setebo walks quietly down the next passage from the water room on the same wall as the passage to the old templeish place.
Atzi waits uneasy in the darkness as Setebo works on leading the creatures to their choke point.
As the path spirals downwards there is only one way to approach the other exits..Setebo heads off down the first and finds himself in a wide narrow cave..another exit leads from here.
Putting his right hand on the wall Setebo continues through the exit as the someone is about to die music rises in the background.
A second cave this one containing a lone ghoul who hisses at Setebo and flees down another passageway
Setebo bolts after it. His bandy legs eating the space between them.
Ghoul initiative
You follow quickly the ghoul staying barely out off reach until you enter a second larger cave in which squat a further 3 off the undead
fortunately they don't seem to be reacting quickly
"Ah, excuse me. Have to see a man about a dog."
The Barbarians extra speed manages to take him back to the party well ahead off the Ghouls..well about 20 feet ahead.
Natalyah 26
Caithen 18
Helga 15
Ghoul(1) 14
Setebo 13
Atzi 11
Ghouls(2-4) 6
Amisi 5
"Four" Setebo manages to gasp out as he enters the water room.
If there is room he will take a left out of LOS for the larger group of baddies at least before turning and drawing his saber.
Helga sings a snatch of song that whispers of the cold north, and slick ice coats the passageway behind Setebo.
Reflex Saves
1
2
3
4
Waiting for Natalyah and Caithen to post actions..
Natalyah starts to tense noteably when she hears the first steps coming towards her through the tunnel. As Setebo bursts through the tunnel Natalyah moves in between the ghouls and the party with three confident strides. The ranger looks poised to defend herself against the first onslaught then retaliate in kind.
Caithan and rollo ready an action to cut down any ghoul that passes between them.
Greatsword powerattack
Greatsword Damage
Rollo Attack
Bite
Trip
The first ghoul to enter the cavern slips and falls on the ice at Natalyah's feet.Unfortunately her defensive stance prevents her from taking advantage of this fact for now.
Caithen steps forward, his Greatsword descending with inexorable force and the ghouls head is split in two
Round one?
Natalyah switches her stance the moment the ghoul leaps out in front of her. Unfortunately the ranger did not expect the ghoul to slip and fall. Her twin blades flashes in the light of Helga's conjoured orbs in wide arcs, hitting nothing but air.
Setebo..As caithen and Natalyah occupy the front rank and there is nowhere to go beyond them but the ice you launch an ieffectual javelin at the next batch of charging ghouls.
Atzi is up
Atzi hanging out in the rear of the group drops her Javelin as she sees the onrushing abominations. Just as her Javelin hits the floor Atzi brings her hands together in a loud slap, as she pulls them apart sparks and flames leap from her hands as she summons forth the cleansing flames of the earth mother...
With the flame dancing across her hands Atzi glares at the oncoming ghouls and decides to target the closest on in their ranks, hoping to damage it before it reached Natlayah and Caithan. "Amisi, help me kill them before they reach us!" As she tossed a ball of fire at the frontrunner she growled low and menacingly as she prepared herself for the worst. "Burn Abominations..."
Atzi's ball of flame strike one Ghoul on its shoulder but it manages to keep it's feet along with one of it's companions.The third slips and falls to the ground.
The ghouls attack Caithen and Natalyah
Caithen Damage DC 13 Fort. Save required
Natalyah
Fort Save
Caithens arm goes momentarily numb as the ghouls slashes it but he manages to remain mobile.
Amisi
Natalyah ducks underneath the ghoul's claw. Midway through the motion she converts her evasion into a attack, brining her dagger down on the creature's femur. As she rises back into her defensive stance she brings her sword back in a powerful arc, slashing at her enemy's throat.
Natalyah ducks underneath the ghoul's claw. Midway through the motion she converts her evasion into a attack, brining her dagger down on the creature's femur. As she rises back into her defensive stance she brings her sword back in a powerful arc, slashing at her enemy's throat.
Amisi throws a small ball of light at the Ghouls but it sails harmlessly past..
Disrupt Undead
Round 2
Natalyah 26
Caithen 18
Helga 15
Ghoul(1) 14
Setebo 13
Atzi 11
Ghouls 6
Amisi 5
Natalyah despatches her opponent with ease.
Helga starts singing a song of deep fury and resolute courage, her voice flowing like a cool wind around the cavern.
Caithen is up and wont get the bard song addition.
Grimacing CAitahn simply steps into position and cleaves his foes.
Attack against first Damage
Attack against Second Damage
Rollo will move around the slickness and try to bite one.
CMB to trip if hits.
Round 2
Setebo waits anxiously. His weapon held ready in case one of the dead men breaches the line or a separate attack comes from an unexpected quarter.
Caithen cuts down the standing ghoul and cleaves into the prone one ending the unnatural existence off both. The brief flurry of violence ends almost as soon as it had begun.