Siolad merely nods. "I'll be happy to lend my assistance once again, sir."
Krojun merely nods, his assistance already given.
Zantus nods once in agreement with Pirknok's suggestion and then more as the rest of the party piles on their support.
"I'll do what I can to encourage the town to keep their distance from the site. Thank you again heroes."
***
Making their way to the center of Sandpoint, the party finds Sheriff Hemlock and Lieutenant Krojun coordinating a perimeter around an enormous sinkhole. The pit is roughly 30 feet across, reaching the diameter of the street and consuming a portion of the Garrison wall to the south causing several basement jail cells to hang open in the sloping southern wall of the sinkhole.
As they approach, a visibly shaken guard is giving his report. "...it looks to be about two stories deep sir. It's a rough climb but nothing too dangerous with proper equipment. We spotted a passage on the north side and moved across to check it out but... sir there was sounds coming from it. Unnatural sounds, like the winds of Abyss or something."
Krojun hefts his axe and smiles at the others. "Very well. Are we ready to enter the pit?"
"If there's something down there, I guess we have to!" Jessamy replies, more excitement than anything else in her voice.
Everyone's going to get to see what kind of hero I am again!
Pirknok nods slowly, wondering what the group is getting into now.
Siolad grips his staff and follows the others in.
"Can you tell us anything else about the sounds you heard?" Jessamy asks before they head for the pit.
"I'm sorry Miss Pierce, I don't know anything else. We didn't think it was wise to venture down into that tunnel without reporting back to the Sheriff."
Sheriff Hemlock, noting the party's eagerness to start exploring, sighs and gestures for them to go on ahead. "I'm certain my men can handle a simple sinkhole but knowing this town's luck lately... Just find out what that howling is all about and we'll take it from there. As long as it's not another dragon. It took a unit of men a full week to chop that scaly bastard up and haul him outside town."
After cautiously moving their way across the broken earth at the bottom of the sinkhole, the party approaches the tunnel described by the shaken guard a moment ago. True enough a eerie howling echoes from it that threatens to seize even the most stalwart heart with fear.
"Oh, HELL no!" Jessamy suddenly cries moments after the disturbing sounds reach her ears. She begins scrambling to get back out of the pit, completely understanding why the workmen didn't want to investigate any closer.
It sounded like a good idea at the time.
Unfortunately, that just makes Siolad follow Jessamy away from the pit much faster.
"NOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPE!"
Krojun feels his legs lock and his heart beat near to bursting as he feels the cold chill of death trickle down his spine. He turns and scrambles up and out of the pit, only stopping when he's safely away.
Ensu sighs and looks back at his group fleeing the other way. "Oh bother." he says.
Pirknok growls in response to the howling, glancing over at Ensu and nodding once even as he draws his blade. "That's not natrul."
Ensu's quick prayer helps the heroes shake off the terror caused by the unnatural howling and the party once against assembled at the tunnel's entrance.
Piknok isn't able to identify what would create such a terrible sound but it's not coming from any sort of hound or other beast he's heard before.
Making their way down into the tunnels, it's initially clear to Pirknok, Krojun, and Ensu that these are the smuggler's tunnels they explored months ago when the goblins were trying to siege Sandpoint. Last time the party was down here the tunnels were occupied by monstrous sinspawn and an insane mephit that were guarding the runewell that had created them. Judging by the fine layer of dust and debris coating the floors, it looks like nothing else has ventured down here since.
The party does notice another opening, seemingly revealed by the earth's shifting above. This new passage descends sharply into a well polished stairwell.
Krojun settles his axe on his shoulder and begins to move down into the earth, leading the way.
Pirknok eyes the stairwell a bit suspiciously, but hoists his sword and bravely trudges forward with the rest.
Jessamy holds out her hand as the others go to descend.
"Let me make sure it's safe!"
"OK, I think it should be good!"
With Jessamy confident that the way forward is 100% safe, the brave Shoanti lead the way down.
After descending roughly fifty feet, the heroes step through a partially collapsed doorway into a large chamber. The walls, floor, and even the arched ceiling of this place are covered with writing, the words spiraling and trailing in the ancient language of Thassilon. Some of the phrases are immense, with words nearly three feet high, while others are written in tiny, spidery script. The medium for the writing varies as well — sometimes dark ink, sometimes blood, sometimes carved into the stone itself.
One line stands out and looks somewhat recently scribed.
To old Runeforge must you retire!
For only there does wizards’ art
Receive its due and proper start.
Passageways to the north and east lead into fog-filled tunnels, and a pair of stone doors, their faces carved with an immense image of a three-eyed jackal’s head, stand to the south. To the west, light flickers in what appears to be an immense cathedral.
Pirknok growls, his skin prickling at the fog and other signs of unfriendly habitation. He stares at the wall, finding the meaning inserting itself into his mind as if he'd been reading all his life. Reading Thassilonian, no less.
The dwarf shudders and glances over at Jess, wondering if she's remembering their shared nightmare, too.
Having been quiet for the trip down, Siolad perks up when he notices the Thassilonian script.
"What's this?" He moves to take a closer look. "Huh... it says something about a Runeforge here. If you want power, the Runeforge is the proper way to go here, is the gist of it."
"Hmph. After seeing what we've seen so far, I think this Runeforge is a very bad place, indeed." Krojun rolls his axe haft in his hands, peering around into the tunnels.
"The Runeforge? What the heck is that?" Jessamy asks, wracking her brain. She has some experience with dark Thassilonian magic, and maybe some lost kernel of knowledge remains in the recesses of her mind -- where most of that experience belongs.
Stupid old empires. Don't they know they're dust, but they keep coming back!
"Which way should we go?" she asks as she turns to inspect the three-eyed jackal's head.
Siolad ponders what the runeforge could be...
Jessamy doesn't recall hearing the term 'Runeforge' before and she doesn't spot anything dangerous at the edges of the fog shrouded passageways.
Siolad has heard of a Runeforge before but only in passing. It's believed to be a laboratory with ties to ancient Thassilon where the world's greatest mages would study and research in seclusion. Most scholars that have even heard of it believe it to be a myth. Those few that believe it to be real (or once been real) believe it doesn't exist on the material plane.
Suddenly a voice calls out. "It seems unexpected visitors have found their way into my domain. Tell me, what's become of Thassilon? What nation has replaced it?"
The voice is male but shrill in a way that hints at madness. The sounds echo off the cold stone walls in a way that make it difficult to locate the source.
"Um, this is Varisia. Thassilon disappeared a while ago. Who are you?"
Krojun growls, deep in his chest at the mad-sounding voice. "Who are you, who speak of Thassilon as if you lived in it?"
The voice seems nonplussed by Krojun’s menacing growl.
”Varisia? Interesting… I am but a humble servant, borne across the ravages of time to tend these sacred halls and keep out the unworthy.”
”But perhaps you are worthy. We will see if you can survive my guardians…”
Suddenly the voice is gone and the chamber is silent again (besides the terrifying howling).
"Oh dear..." Siolad sighs as he casts an extended stoneskin spell.
Why didn't I cast that before we jumped down here...?
Jess pulls her swords and crouches in a combat-ready stance, edging five feet away from her companions to put some space between them and herself should the creature be a spellcaster.
Krojun laughs, a loud booming and defiant sound. "My worth is not yours to test, mad one! But send your guardians and we will defeat them."
The fog does not respond.
Holding his axe aloft, Krojun moves forward cautiously, looking about.
No attack immediately forthcoming, Jessamy peers around the area looking for the mysterious "guardians"...
Another spell waits on Siolad's lips and fingertips...
Pirknok glares about and moves slowly forward with the others, sword held ready.
Pushing through the dense fog the party arrives in an even larger chamber.
Although portions of this cathedral have collapsed, leaving mounds of rubble on the floor and crumbling walls, the chamber retains its sense of menacing awe. Four black stone pillars support the arched roof forty feet above, and on the floor between them the image of a three-eyed jackal seems to glower from striations in the stone itself. This image glows with a soft rusty light that illuminates the entire room from below. Alcoves to the north and south contain statues of a jackal-headed pregnant woman. Each clutches a pair of kukris crossed over her chest, and a reptilian tail winds down around her taloned feet. To the west, what once might have been a stone pulpit featuring other statues seems to have been partially buried under an ancient collapse. The walls of this room are densely decorated with hundreds of scribblings and sprawling runes.
A towering monstrosity with four arms ending in enormous deadly pinchers guards the space. The monster's eyes shine with a mix of intelligence and cruelty before it snarls and attacks!
AC 26, touch 17, flat-footed 26
Fort +6, Ref +13 (+3 vs. traps), Will +5
CMD 20
HP 93/93
Touch of good: 0/5; Hunter's Howl: 0/3
Effects:
Jess dashes forward, sword flashing out of its scabbard and into a silvery arc toward the huge demon.
Siolad pales as he sees the weird creature before them, casting a protective spell while racking his brain trying to figure out what it is!
Siolad recognizes the monster as a glabrezu, a demon formed from the soul of a mortal that was treasonous, false, or subversive in life.
Jessamy's quickness pays off as she dashes in before the demon can react and drives one of her blades between the plates of its chitinous hide. Foul-smelling black ichor spills from where she's struck but the demon doesn't raise a claw to strike back. Instead it retreats a step and calls down a pillar of unholy power on the party.
Mortal fools rushing to their own deaths, it projects into the minds of the heroes in a voice like silk. How tragic...
HP 114/140
Krojun feels the unholy energies slithering over him like foul snakes of rotten meat. He lets out a cry of anger and begins chanting the litany of the accursed, a list of fiends known by the Shoanti.
Pirknok charges the vile fiend, roaring in inspired anger!
AC 26, touch 17, flat-footed 26
Fort +6, Ref +13 (+3 vs. traps), Will +5
CMD 20
HP 67/93
Touch of good: 0/5; Hunter's Howl: 0/3
Effects: Sickened 3 rounds
"Hey, get back here!" Jessamy calls, swallowing the bile that threatens to spill out after the spell hits her.
She steps forward, and slashes furiously at the demon.
This time the enormous demon is better to defend itself and fends off most of Jessamy's attacks. One manages to get through but she finds that its flesh is at least partially resistant to her blades. Pirknok notices the same thing, barely, at the end of his roaring charge.