Kip makes a mental note to see if he can convince Danide to reveal the identity of the intruder...
Same goes for Casimir. If an opportunity to talk to Danide without any other centaurs around presents itself, he will casually inquire to the disturbance. He will also ask about the fact that all the warriors are female.
Malthir nods his head and follows the other out.
Hopefully we can build on this...we will see. We have their permission to enter their taboo land and we have a direction to go I think this was a success....so far.
Let's get some rest and see where this takes us.
They appear to be an honorable and strong race, these centaurs, Kalev remarks, once the Guardians have set up camp. And they live, it seems, in respect of the natural world. I would not want them as enemies. Regarding this "Valley of the Dead", I don't like the sound of it, though I've faced the undead before*.
"Thank you, Lady Silverfire," Fenna nods to the priestess before leaving, "it is gracious and wise of you to grant us entry to Olah-Kakanket. Are there any preparations or rituals we might undertake to mitigate this unfortunate, if necessary, breach of taboo?"
The gnomish councilor's thoughts briefly touch on the same matter as Casmir's, though she silently links the lack of males amongst the armed host with the mention of Varn's men hunting the centaur warriors.
Simply your oath to despoil no graves unless you must the war-priestess replied.
The group had no chance to speak to Danide Thunderhoof on her own as they were fully surrounded by a centaur escort. The next day, however, it seemed the female warrior would lead them to the Valley alone.
Kip is fascinated and truly excited to be spending time with the centaurs, even if his interaction is limited by his desire to not cause another incident.
As the day winds down, he focuses his thoughts on the possibilities of tomorrow... and the trek to the valley.
Waiting for one of the people interested in speaking with Danide to speak up on the ride over...
As the group rides, Kip makes an effort to engage Danide in some friendly banter. Asking her about herself. Telling her about himself. Making sure to work into the conversation his affinity for all things nature and the multitude of creatures and wonders he wishes to meet and experience. He tells a joke or two. If she seems receptive and friendly, Kip works a question about the interloper "out of curiosity".
We should do what we can to prepare, before we head into those ill-omend lands.
Accompanied by Danide, the group set out early the next day. Heading southwest towards the mountains known as the Tors of Levenies, the group left the plains of the Dunsward and entered hilly terrain. Cresting over a particularly steep hill, Danide gestured to what lay below- the skeleton of a beast of great and majestic size. A herd of mighty bull mastodons roamed nearby the skeleton; the bleached white ribs protruded up into the air like strange trees and the moss-draped skull provided nesting grounds for dozens of families of shrikes.
Behold another divine place of the Nomen! It is good that Mother Moon, through her servant Aecora Silverfire, has seen fit to show you our sacred places so that you do not encroach upon then. A mighty linnorm was once slain here by heroes of our tribe. When we hunt the herds around this area, we do so to honour the mighty hunter's spirit; an offering of meat and wine is often given to appease his mighty soul and keep his ghost from rising.
Casual inquiries as to the thing the patrols were hunting were easily dismissed by the loud warrior woman. When Casimir inquired as to why the tribe was so female dominated, she grinned down at him.
Because the males of our tribe are weaklings, better suited to tend plants and raise children... she proclaimed. It sounded to the group as though she genuinely believed this, but that there was also more to it.
Travelling on into the early afternoon, the group came across the Valley of the Dead. The entrance to the wide valley was marked by a series of posts decorated with bones and skulls every 50 to 60 feet— a wall of warnings apparently erected by the Nomen that ran for the entire 6-mile opening to the valley.
Danide warned the group-
I can accompany you no further. You will soon see why this place earned its name; while no Nomen in living memory has entered this place, stories tell that it is home to the graves of thousands...
Malthir unraveled his Lance from his belongings. Thank you Danide. In helping us be assured you are helping your own people. Once we are done here we would like to learn more of your folk and how we can learn to be friends...or at the least, allies. We will do everything we can not to disturb your sacred place.
Though we may look like Varn and his people we are not like Varn and his people in many ways, which I hope you have already begun to see.
With that Malthir waits for the others to say any goodbyes before thundering off into the Valley.
Kip nods his good-bye and joins Malthir...
Kip urges his pony on, riding as fast as he can to catch up to Malthir...
Malthir keeps riding...his lance at the ready...gallop...gallop..
Kalev bids the proud female centaur goodbye and stoops down to examine the ground for any signs of what might "live" in this place.
Kalev found a disturbingly large amount of tracks coming from further inside the valley. Hundreds if not thousands of skeletons marched through here. It seemed very likely that this was the source of the undead that attacked Kardas... And perhaps overwhelmed the people of Varnhold, assimilating them into the army as it went.
The trail seemed to lead towards the mountains themselves. The group decided to follow them and explore the valley as they went...
Beyond the warning wall of bone totems, the valley doesn’t seem much different than the surrounding foothills. Yet the further one travels toward the mountains, the more a strange feeling of oppression grows; the wind seems oddly muted as it flows through the trees and grass, the birds and insects grow quiet, and the unusually regular crags along the surrounding mountains seem almost to crouch in expectation of the Guardian's approach. A mile past the bone totems, the first of the gravestones appears. These 6 to 10 foot-tall stone steles are badly weathered— many are partially or wholly collapsed, but each bears strange runes... By the time the group reached the first of these, they could see hundreds more scattered around the valley in dense formation. The valley was, perhaps, home to thousands of these grave markers...
Kalev shares his discovery with the rest of the group before they head on.
Reaching the steles, he takes a closer look trying to make sense of the ruins.
Kip examines the runes to see if he recognizes them...
Fenna brings Dandelion to a stop to take a closer look at the markers, and more particularly the ground at their bases, curious if these graves are the source of the horde.
The text on each stele seems to be a list, but none of the group can determine its origin language. Travelling on, the Guardians reached the western edge of the valley, where the stele had become even more dense. At the farthest point, the ragged mountains known as the Tors of Levenies rose 300 feet above the foothills and stele below them. A visible crack in the mountain, fifteen feet wide, seems to lead to a stone stairwell that winds up into the mountains...
Kalev continues cautiously on foot, a little ahead of the group so as to be able to examine the ground for tracks before they are disturbed.
Kip casts message on everyone...
Nothing, just draw out my longsword.
Kip should you fly and scout up to the top of the steps and see what is at the top?
As you wish...
Kip casts fly and rises into the sky...
...rising up higher and higher following the stairs from 100' above.
Ricter watches Kip ascend, preparing his weapons as he does so:
"Asmodius keeps his deepest pits open for those who flout Pharasma's laws. No matter what manner of being raised that undead army we must kill them where they stand"
Indeed Ricter. Undead and Demons make up the worst of evil and whatever great evil has raised such an army will certainly be a force to recon with. Luckily some of my most potent abilities have been given to me by Iomedae to end such creatures as these.
The Guardians will always be a bulwark against fiends such as those that would kill entire towns for their own terrible ends.
Malthir has liberator out as well.
Kalev, do you think we can bring the horses up these stone stairs? If who we seek isn't near the top the horses will be left unguarded for any manner of beast to come by and claim them.
"Nice to know we have both Heaven and Hell on our side in this. I suppose the rest of us will just hang back here and mind the horses while you sweep this place clean, eh?" Casimir notes wryly as he monitors Kip's flight.
I was thinking more like cleaning my undergarments while we do the heavy work! Malthir says in a rare moment of jest and a rather large grin...
Kip messages back to those on the ground below, Nothing so far...
Fenna takes on an almost vacant look at Malthir's joke, as though recalling something from long ago. When she speaks, her words have the odd sound of a recitation, "Washing them hardly seems necessary, given the scent of roses which emanates from your blessed nether regions."
Kalev tries to gauge whether bringing horses up the path would be a good idea, using his wilderness skills.
Kalev can tell that the horses would struggle with the steps, despite the width of the stairway. Kip swiftly found that the stairs wind very slowly up into the mountains. It looks like it would take the group hours to ascend on foot. Flying and musing as he did so, he could probably find the top of the stairwell without following its winding route and see what is there.
Kip relays his findings and continues up in a straight line path to the top. An ominous feeling overcoming him, he ascends to 200' above the mountainside...
If you guys are coming up, you better get started. It is a long climb to the top!
Kip flew up, soaring above the edge of the cliff and looking down, seeking where the stairs met the top of the cliff. The stairs led up to a small portion of flat ground before meeting the the Little Sellen River. At the end of this river, the water surrounded a small, strange island. This island protrudes dramatically from the pool, almost like a stony finger pointing into the sky. Looking down upon it, this was certainly the island mentioned. Kip could still recall the words...
And so it was, high upon the Torres and well above the Vale's stairs, where rises from the high water a stony island of dire report. Known as Vordakai's island to those that do live thereabout, some legend of its name doth come down through the locals. For they speak of a guardian that doth destroy all who would set foot upon its accursed shores. They did name no fewer than a twelvecount of their hero-knights who had left their bones upon its rocky shores over the years after having tested their mettle against its dread warden, 'til none would any longer go there for fear of its hidden terrors. And the name of this terror was given unto this island...
The circumstances were a dumbfounding mystery to the Halfling but he was suddenly aware that he was under attack as a vicious mottled black and grey claw that looked like it was made out of the very essence of evil and shadow. The creature the claw belonged to materialised in the same moment that the claw struck; a wispy, black smoke cloud that appeared to be corporeal, albeit barely. It hovered beside him malevolently as Kip reeled from the claw's touch- it did not rake his flesh but its very touch seemed to cause Kip to see agonising depictions of his own death; death at the hands of thousands of tiny beings that tore his flesh from his skin, his soul being placed into a gemstone that would trap him for eternity...
Round 1-
Ordered Initiative-
Kip-
Assassin-
Active Effects-
Kip has about five minutes of Fly left.
Action-
It was the most harrowing wound Kip had ever had inflicted upon him, the very touch seeming to inflict madness and insanity upon him, sapping his will and yet causing no physical trauma. Very little of his sanity was left untouched and his fight or flight instinct was flaring strongly in his mind... He reacted just moments before the being's two claws were raised once more to finish him off...
Kip reacted purely on instinct, reeling away from the outstretched claws that promised him eternal doom. Even with his mind addled from the foul creature's touch, he found it within himself to quickly repeat the words and make the motions necessary to cloak himself in invisibility. He then turned and dove, fleeing back down the mountain as fast as he could...
Kip was dismayed to see, as he looked desperately over his shoulder, that the floating black cloud seemed to be following him; with a flight speed and maneuverability far beyond what Kip's magic granted him.
However, despite its speed he got the distinct impression that it could not actually see him, despite apparently being able to follow him. It paused periodically, raising its vaguely head-like shape as though sniffing the air or examining it in close detail as it hovered.
It took a total of three Vanish spells and some frantic flying to get Kip back into Message range of the party. The creature had fallen behind somewhat- it was about 130 feet away from Kip but was still following. Kip was 100 feet above the party, invisible as his voice suddenly became audible to them...
As Kip zooms down on the party invisibly, he messages a warning, Incoming nasty killer cloud from above! Beware of its touch! It is... it is... madness!
Kip then casts vanish once more.
Kip are you hurt? What kind of creature...cloud is it?
Do we see anything?
A slightly confused answer is given. No... yes... I'm not sure. I don't know what it is!