"We need resources against the undead, and possibly the derro again," says Melianthe, nodding.
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Seren wakes up in the middle of the night, bolts up in bed, "Did that crazy woman have a spell book?!"
He settles back down, grumbling to himself and prepares for heading to the Dead Warrens again in the morning.
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Before turning in, Absinthe takes a brief trip to one of the upscale weapons shops she knows. When she leaves the establishment, she is a goodly chunk of cash lighter - but two brand-new, crossed scimitars ride on her back.
"Abby, those are strange markings on the smoke bombs. Do they signify something? They are not magical."
Seren will investigate the orange runes on the smoke bombs if proffered.
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"One shall attempt to decipher, friend Seren, though one is not exactly a master linguist..."
Absinthe does not recognize the symbol as any kind of script or language. After studying it closely for a minute, you realize it is actually three stylized horse flies or maybe scarab beetles, facing inward. The shapes on the back of each suggests a skull.
***
Your overture loosens them up somewhat, but the response is mixed. "I heard the name a few times, 'specially after you lot broke up that derro lair in the Gray. Good luck findin' him tho... no one I know's seen or heard of him since. He must be holed up somewhere deep, or he scampered off to 'nother city."
***
"Why are you here?" a guard asks, cold but not unfriendly.
The barbarian stands before these men openly, his tribal markings clearly displayed. I am in need my brothers. There are enemy within this city that threaten it and all the plains around. I am honor bound to resist this enemy with all my strength and even my life if need be. So I have come for a weapon of superior quality and craft; one worthy of a name. I hope my coin and my previous deeds will be enough to at least be granted an audience for our leaders to consider my need.
You have my thanks. He offers the man his hand before heading down the street in search of Loh-Chet's shop. When he finds it he makes his desire known. Loh-Chet, I am Segang of the Shriikiri-Quah. I have sworn a blood oath to end the plague here in this city so that it cannot gain a foothold and spread to our lands. In this quest I have fount many fights already. Fights against deep dwarves and skin shifters and hags and even undead that drink mortal blood. And I have sometimes found my weapon ineffective against these foes. I go now to face the maker of false men some call golems. And I seem a weapon that would strike true against such constructs. I seek a weapon of power. I have this masterwork earthbreaker and this bag of gold to pay with. And I will swear a debt oath to you if you have such a weapon that this payment is not sufficient.
Note he has enough gold to outright buy an Adamantine Earthbreaker in a 'normal' market.
Segang admires the weapon. It is a thing of beauty. It would be an honor to to carry it into battle. With such a hammer I will forge victory from battle. Does it have a name? What price do you ask?
Examining the symbol, Cherias realizes, "These look like the Pallid Princess's symbol. I wouldn't be surprised if they spread disease or something." He shudders.
Segang readily agrees, asking only that Lo-chet, as the smith and crafter, name the weapon.
Segang only nods and places his old earth breaker and the bag of coins in Lo-chet's hands. He strides away carrying his new weapon with a new purpose in his step.
Seren will buy the ioun stone and the lesser extend rod. He will buy back the masterwork thieves tools and the assisting glove.
He'll create 2 scrolls of mage armor (50gp) during the day and if possible would like to find someone to teach him the following spells (or buy scrolls if he has to)
Levitate & Stone Discus. (80gp to scribe / 120gp to learn)
If he learns levitate, he will then make a scroll of it. (75gp)
After his shopping trip Segang returns to the party eager to show his new weapon. He carries an adamantine earthbreaker, a magnificent weapon with a stout oak handle wrapped with a tight leather cord. Its is head carved with the Shoanti runes for strength and battle.
After organizing your loot and re-equipping, you reconvene in the afternoon to head to the Gray and the Dead Warrens. The Gray is much as you left it a couple days prior, but the priests of Pharasma have been very busy -- two new mass graves have been dug, and there are stacks of wrapped corpses awaiting internment. A quick count tallies more than a hundred. The priests hardly take notice of you as you pass.
You find the mausoleum easily. Unlike before, its entrance is now boarded up securely.
I can remove this barrier, but it will not be quietly done. Segang offers.
"No need to start smashing," Absinthe says as she pulls a toolkit from her pack. "One's chosen profession comes through once more."
Absinthe pulls a saw from her carpentry kit and gets to work.
Segang looks on unhappily. He is not too sure that the sawing is much more quiet that his hammer would have been. Still this allows him to stand guard and be ready.
No one disturbs you as Absinthe cuts a way through the boards. A few minutes later, you enter the mausoleum and follow the familiar path down into the warrens. The place remains dimly lit by the patches of blue luminescent mold, and though the reek of rotting flesh has diminished since your last visit, the air is still heavy with stink.
You follow the long hallway and stairs down into the ossuary. It remains much as you last found it, and in fact appears undisturbed.
The crude hole is still there.
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I can go first but I will need a light. Segang offers as he readies his spear.
Cherias casts light, and touches whatever Segang would like to have as his light source.
With his armor providing light Segang enters the tunnel, his spear leading the way.
Melianthe waits for the barbarian and Abby to enter the warren before following, her wand of Ill Omen drawn and at the ready.
Cherias will be right next to or right behind Melianthe.
Segang leads the group, moving forward through the low tunnels cautiously. You find the first few rooms deserted and emptied but for pieces of moldy furniture. All the derro bodies are gone, along with any equipment or tools you left behind.
The first living thing you encounter is in the southern corpse dump.
"M'narrr!" the otyugh roars, bursting from its refuse pile, which you notice is significantly depleted since your last visit. It waves its tentacles menacingly as it charges forward, but after a few feet it stops. It's eye stalk blinks a few times and peers at you closely. "The New Feeders... you are back! Did you bring warm food?" It looks around you, high and low, desperately.
"Bless us, are you still here?" Absinthe asks. "Woe for thy hunger, friend! Have none of the Old Feeders returned? Alas, 'tis not safe to bring thee warm food! Hast thee not learned that the city above is wracked by pestilence most foul and unnatural? Any corpses ferried doen unto thee now would most certainly carry its seeds, and it kills within no more than seven days! With thy mighty appetite, thou wouldst certainly be wracked by the disease if thou wouldst devour warm food from above."
Segang tries to judge the creature's demeanor and stands ready to defend the group. I have iron rations that might sustain you but you will not like their taste I fear. Still they are yours if you want them.
The otyugh seems confused by Absinthe's words, and instead of calming down, leans forward closer as if to pounce. Only Segang's offer of food snaps it away. "Food? Feed me! Yes!"
Without dropping his spear Segang produces 5 days worth of iron rations and tosses them to the creature. We can bring better food later today. We must pass this way to hunt for you.
"We can get... him? A hog or a goose or something at market."
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The otyugh gobbles the offered rations as quickly as Segang can pull them from his pack. "Many thanks, but how do you eat these things? Tastes awful." the beast grunts while chewing, its opinion on the flavor hardly stunting its appetite. A few moments later, it backs up a few steps and regards you. "After we last met, I was trapped in here. Food lasted a couple weeks, but you never came back!"