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"I'm glad that is settled." Aelwynd says with a firm nod.
As everyone readies to move on from the Throne, Aelwynd swims over to the door he noticed in one of the coral rooms. He looks it over for danger before opening it and moving through. He also listens for sounds on the other side of the door, knowing that sound travels better in water.
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Aelwynd smiles at the confident, and slightly off, follower of Zon-Kuthon. They are a strange lot for certain, but I'll be damned if they aren't entertaining.
Not one to be out done, Aelwynd swims forward, kicking through the water and up to the same door as Nachts.
Motioning for the others to come up if the door and hall is free of danger, he calls to them with a good natured tone and grin, "Come on down. We don't want to leave you behind." Once the others move into the hall he will proceed to open the door to the first room.
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Hearing nothing behind the door Aelwynd opens the door to find, hundreds of skulls adorn the walls of this room, belonging to humans, sahuagin, sharks, whales, and other stranger beasts. Near the back of the room, an eight-foot mound of coral is artfully shaped into the image of four sailfish holding aloft a flat altar. Hack marks and crude scratches mar the once beautiful altar. Four rotting heads, apparently human, rest atop the altar, surrounded by a cloud of nibbling eels.
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Aelwynd swims in, looking to see if they can possibly repair the damage to the altar, much like they did in the previous room. "This is a shame. Such a wondrous place, wrecked by the callousness of the Baron. Some people have no respect." he says to no one in particular.
Shaking his head in disgust, he shoos the eels back and removes the rotting heads from their position atop the altar and nods to his team as he swims past, "These were likely from the Baron and his ilk, as I don't see Lysianassa having much use for them. Anyone want to say a few words for them before I let them go to the currents?"
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Nothing magical or particularly noteworthy other than what has already been mentioned. Aelwynd thinks with a little cleaning up and some light repair, the alter could be restored.
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Aelwynd takes the proper precautions before entering to find, a layer of coral covers the walls of this room from floor to ceiling. Carved into the coral are twenty square niches filled with dead seaweed, each big enough to fit a sleeping human. Shards of refuse and shattered stone litter the floor.
The stone shards were once jugs that held special salves and unguents used for anointing the dead.
This room was used for embalming the dead.
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You continue on to the next room; again Aelwynd uses care. You find a glass sphere several feet wide is set into the peak of a large coral mound in this room. Inside the sphere, crimson blood roils and bubbles. Thousands of clear, trembling eggs are stuck to the coral surrounding the glass sphere.
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Aelwynd takes the time to clean up and repair the altar. "The oceans have always been good to me and mine, and any good lord of water deserves my respect. Thanks for understanding friends."
In the room after the altar room...
"These stone shards look like they were once jugs. From the residue that clings to them, they appear to have held salves and unguents I have seen that are used for anointing the dead. That leads me to think this room was for embalming."
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You continue on to the next room; again Aelwynd uses care. You find a glass sphere several feet wide is set into the peak of a large coral mound in this room. Inside the sphere, crimson blood roils and bubbles. Thousands of clear, trembling eggs are stuck to the coral surrounding the glass sphere.
Aelwynd swims up to the sphere and inspects it, avoiding touching it or the eggs lest he trigger something unexpectedly. Replying to Nachts' question, "You know Nacht, I don't know what they are. This sphere seems out of place for a good lord of water, so perhaps it's a later addition of the Baron's. Whatever it is, and whatever these eggs have to do with it, sends a shiver down my spine. Anyone have any ideas?"
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”That’s definitely an idea Lore. Maybe we should destroy it all. The only thing holding me back is that I keep thinking about the altar in the earlier room and how it was marred and made to serve a new purpose for the Baron. Maybe that’s the same sort of thing here. The baron could have corrupted it somehow. I’m just not sure if it’s corruption or something completely new and exactly how it works. You know me, violence as a last resort.”
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After swimming around and studying the sphere and the coral for a few minutes, the pirate captain stops, his eyes wide with sudden comprehension.
He spins to face the group, an urgent question upon his lips, "Does anyone have access to a bless spell"
-Posted with Wayfinder
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"Well, not exactly." Aelwynd replies to Thunderhoof with a light shake of his head.
Looking to Lore, he adds, "Actually, either a bless spell or a consecrate spell would work for the ritual I have in mind."
Once again talking to the group, "The spell is just to power the ritual, which should cleanse the sphere, returning it to what it once was. As for the fish eggs... they might not survive."
Then with a mischievous grin he adds, "The knowledge one picks up in brothels, houses of royal families, and far flung pirate havens never ceases to amaze me. This one time, at a camp for royal musicians, I... but that is a story for another time."
Aelwynd then starts preparing, explaining what is needed to be successful, and asking for everyone to participate in the short ritual to cleanse the sphere...
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"Don't worry yourself love." Aelwynd says to Ariana leaning in close. "Erastil will be lucky to have you if you ever decide to take that leap. Might I throw Cayden's name in the hat if your shopping around for a god to dance with. His people really know how to throw a party."
Looking to Rowanna, he offers, "Thank you fair Rowanna! I do so hope it comes to that, as your knowledge is far greater than mine and should lead us to success."
His face taking on a more serious expression, he addresses the rest of the group, "But, since it seems we don't have access to the spells needed, I don't see a way to do the ritual right now. As Lore suggested, we can just come back tomorrow after her morning prayer. That is unless someone has something else to add, like a hidden scroll or something?"
If no one pulls a surprise out of the air, Aelwynd will swim on to the next room with its double doors.
The shell's compartments should be getting smaller the further we go. What would require double doors here? Is it for practical or for aesthetic purposes?
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Despite the lack of a bless spell Rowanna skill magical touch, seems to perform the required ritual. As she completes it the blood red begins to slowly transform into clear water, which glows with a soft green light.
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Aelwynd examines the next door seeing no traps and hearing nothing inside. Although Lore notices that the two great bronze doors are engraved with warning symbols written in Aquan. Something to the effect of 'Danger'.
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Nachts follows the back and forth on how to re-consecrate the sphere in it's coral reef, letting the other pathfinder agents perform their deeds. His focus is upon the eggs. Sahuagin eggs according to his more knowledgeable companions. He slowly turns his head away from them, to check back with his companions. "Heh. Hehehe... Tell me Dawnflower's child. How do you feel... about the slaughter of the innocent? Do you... believe that redemption... exists? I ask... because my conscience is clear."
*Abject begging upon the snow.*
"There is no redemption. No... "becoming a better person".
*She looks at him, her tears mirroring his own.*
"There is only... descent. I can avoid... you... losing more of your humanity, if... you truly believe there is no... hope... for these things. But you must be able to... live down their slaughter."
*"For crimes against the Revolution and the People, your sentences are death..." states the Gray Gardener*
"So tell me. Lorelendral. Is your anguish... Palatable" asks the Warpriest, the omnipresent demented grin having died down to a simple smile, belying the very serious question the half-breed asks.
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"The race is evil... however if they could be raised to be good, nurture might overcome nature I suppose... but if they just hatch and swim free, I have little hope for their redemption... If someone with time and desire to claim them for good would undertake their care, then I have no qualms about them growing and hatching. But who would undertake this?"
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"Sahuagin..." Aelwynd starts with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Just let the eggs be for now. Once they hatch they will have to fight each other for food, and more than half will be that food for the others. I won't claim to know whether they are redeemable, but I can honestly say I have never met a Sahuagin that wasn't blood thirsty." he offers to the group, his eyes drifting downward toward the end.
When he looks back up, his stare is cold. "Just remember, sharks don't crave blood because it's how they're raised... It's just in their nature." And with that he swims on to the next room, leaving the eggs behind... for now.
As Lore explains the warning written on the doors, Aelwynd grins, "Danger you say? That sounds like an invite to me if ever there was one!"
He checks to see if they are locked, and if not, he quickly thinks to activate touch of the sea from one wand and then divine favor from another before throwing open the doors and moving in, blade drawn. "Well?! Show me this danger you so kindly warned us about!" he says as he moves into the room, looking around for anything that stands out as dangerous.
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Initiative
Leaving the eggs be for now, Aelwynd enters the double doors peering around he sees twinkling blue gems, like azure stars in a purple sky, stud the coral gardens throughout the chamber. Something is curled atop the reefs near the roof of the shell, it slow begins to move as if being awaken from an ancient slumber, and then a second moves further into the room.
These are Coral Guardians - Advanced coral golem constructs.
Round 1
Map
Aelwynd
Rowanna
Coral Guardians
Lore
Nachts
Ariana
Thunderhoof
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As the constructs begin to animate, Aelwynd glances back to his friends and quickly shares what little he suspects about them before he dances forward to engage one.
”They’re some kind of golem made from coral! Intriguing! It’s a shame, but I think we’ll need to dismantle them before we can go further.” and with that he makes two swift thrusts toward the nearest golem.
Immediate action
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Rowanna gives the golem misfortune. The golems seem to move slowly, the bluish-hued golem creeps up on Aelwynd, while the pinkish one attempts to rip him with its massive claw, but the ever quick Aelwynd parries the attack and delivers a riposte that hits the golem vital parts, it breaks apart.
Round 1
Map
Aelwynd
Rowanna
Coral Guardian, Pink 107 dmg - dead
Coral Guardian, Blue
Lore
Nachts
Ariana
Thunderhoof
Round 2
Aelwynd
Rowanna
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"Well done ladies! Now let's see how this one feels about being flanked!" he says aloud with obvious joy.
As he slices through the water and twists around the large coral creation,he presents an open invitation to be attacked. "Oh no! what a terrible miscalculation on my part! Whatever shall I do?!" he says in mock fear.
Immediate action
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Lore stands back and lets Aelwynd do his stuff. "Wow, he's fast and so skilled... " While she doesn't quite swoon like a fangirl, she is appreciative of his abilites. In case something horrible happens, and Aelwynd hasn't killed it by then, she draws her scimitar and moves close to Ariana to assist her next attack.
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Thunderhoof begins his thundering chant and changes his stance to assault the remaining construct.
+4 morale bonus to strength
+4 enchantment bonus to strength
+4 morale bonus to constitution
+2 morale bonus to will saves
The ability to perform a savage dirty trick 1/round (more on that below).
No spellcasting
-1 penalty to AC
Blinded -> Staggered
Dazzled -> Dazed
Deafened -> Staggered
Entangled -> Anchored in place and unable to move from that square
Sickened -> Nauseated
On a failed Fortitude save, the opponent takes this additional penalty on top of the dirty trick’s original effect. The additional penalty lasts for 1 round (though the initial penalty lasts as long as normal), and can be removed with a move action. The initial effect cannot be removed via mundane means until the additional penalty is removed (though magical effects like remove blindness/ deafness work). Removing the initial effect also removes the additional penalty. If the target is immune to the initial penalty, then it is unaffected by the additional penalty.
Regardless of whether he had succeeded at his saving throw, the opponent still takes the 10 damage (unless he has damage reduction or would otherwise be able to prevent this damage).