Whom or what were they sacrificing to? Should we check downstairs? Bron looks around for a safe way down.
"One way to get down there would be to shimmy down a rope. we should have plenty of that with us."
Kharamell unlocks the cabinet after finding no traps or hazards and finds a mass of treasure.
+1 Magical Dagger
244 silverdisks
pouch with cracked and flawed gemstones
a timeworn bracelet with blinking blue lights (11 charges)
a power cable
a metal binder filled with loosely organized papers
Try to figure out what all this is.
gemstones
timeworn bracelet
power cable and/or
Read the papers if we can.
Nyssa contemplates the bodies below. 'Shouldn't be too hard to get down and back, using ropes. Shall we have a look while they are looking through those papers?"
"We might as well have a quick look while the others are looking at all that fancy stuff. Can't understand any of anyway. I might as well go down first I'm the heaviest, with all my equipment. And I'm feeling in good form now, after the healing I've had. Nyssa and Bron, if you would be so kind as to cover me while I go down."
Čemifobbar will secure a rope on the railing and make sure it's well secure for supporting his weight, being the heaviest in the party with all his gear. Then he'll climb down, gear and all, to the floor below.
Nyssa nods her head in agreement with Čemifobbar, silently drawing her bow and an arrow, nyssa keeps watch while the dhampir climbs down.
Once he is safely down, Nyssa cases her bow and follows.
Nyssa and Cemifobbar head to the lower cavern.
The northern wall of this cave bears a crude but still unsettling cave painting of a strange, four-armed fined rising up from a mass of what look like dead bodies-whatever eerie pigment has been used for this painting glows faintly in the dark. A dozen real bodies of orcs and ratfolk and a few humans lie heaped against the base of the wall below the painting. The torso of each decaying carcass is split open, as if it exploded from within.
Taking a glance at the papers, Kharamell reads Kulgara's notes. She mentions Hellion's enemy, a god that hides beneath a mountain. She also mentions a god that came before Hellion, someone named Casandalee who disappeared somewhere near Iadenveigh after being chased by the Enemy's minions.
"I don't like the looks of this! Bodies exploding outward doesn't look at all right. There's probably something here waiting to attack us if we go back up the rope. Bron, I think you'd better warn the others of what we found here. We might need their help. I'd rather not get too close to those bodies either!"
Čemifobbar will pull out his falchion and look around (using his darkvision and low light vision) to see if he can spot anything animate (living or otherwise) in this cave.
"Yeah, It looks like the event shown in that painting has happened here. So we can expect to fight that thing, whatever it is."
"No reason to stay down here. I'll cover for you if you want to climb out first, Čemifobbar."
Nyssa moves to stand by the rope, her bow at the ready.
Valt helps Kharamell with the mechanical bracelet
A God under a montain, and two wannabe-deities at loose. That sounds a little weird. If I had never met Hellion, I would have ignored this
history.
Says Valt after reading Kulgara's notes.
Alexis reads the notes as well.
under a mountain. Which mountain? Could it refer to the silver mount? You would have thought there was a god there the technic league would have noticed. Maybe it's elsewhere.
I’m staying, not leaving you alone, not even for a second. Bron says while looking around.
Bow at the ready, arrow in hand, ready for any unpleasant surprises.
In the lower cavern, a red shape stirs against the cave wall.
"Wait. Do not leave yet, fleshlings. I have a proposition for you." The voice is a rasping whisper. From the darkness a figure emerges, reptilian and bug like, with four arms. Two of the creature's arms are holding serrated blades, while one of them is holding a technological gadget.
Alexis takes in the creature in front of her.
we are listening. But stay where you are if you want that to continue.
She looks at the technological device while talking
Tess keeps her bow on hand. "We're listening. Talk."
"Perhaps we have an 'the enemy of my enemy's enemy is my friend' situation?" Kharamel quips. "This does bear some investigation."
Eyeing the strange creature warily, Čemifobbar lowers his Falchion some, but keeps it ready in his hands.
He then says "You'll forgive me and my friends for beingof who and what we meet down here. So far, everyone down here has tried to kill us. But please, do tell us who, or what, you are and what your proposition might be."
"I don't really trust this THING, whatever it is. It must be what was painted by that pile of corpses."
What do I know of Iadenveigh
Also, missed these before
12 gray tubes (like toothpaste)
two vials of a strange bluish liquid.
Does someone want to try and Identify the magic items. Kharamell does not cast divination spells.
Aiming his bow at the unknown creature Bron again uses his powers of perception.
Nyssa simply stares at the bug-like creature through narrowed eyes, her bow at ready.
A power cable is a short length of flexible cord (typically no more than 5 feet long) that can be used to attach a technological device to a power generator. It takes a move action to attach a cable to a generator or a device—thus, it takes a full round to fully connect the two together. Once connected, the item draws power from the generator rather than from its internal battery stores. If an item can be recharged, it automatically replenishes its missing charges from the generator (up to the generator's available yield for that hour). This process is instantaneous. See Artifacts for more information on generators.
The red creature smiles showing several sharp teeth. "I am a Xill, a fiend from another realm. I have become cursed and trapped in this plane, in this cave, and have an alliance with Hellion and the Lords of Rust. He has promised to remove this curse so that I can return home. However, it seems that he has forgotten. Or is unable to do so."
The Xill takes a step forward. "If you promise to free me from this place, I will assist you in defeating this creature. If not, I will simply have to find something more interesting to do."
+1 Icy Burst Dagger
gray tubes are gootubes, filled with food paste
two vials of liquid are pharmaceuticals called cureall
cureall removes disease or poison and can restore ability damage or drain
Kharamell recalls that Iadenveigh is a large farming community to the southwest of Torch filled with technophobes. It is mostly non-Kellid.
"Where do you want to be freed to? We would like to help, but I don't know if we can."
Watch out Čemifobbar. Evil outsider. Hunter. Turning to the creature. Free you? How? And who cursed you and why?
Still wary of the creature, Čemifobbar, says "Well, Xill, if that's what you'd like to be called, it seems we have a common enemy. I for one am willing to listen to your proposition, if all you want is to go home."
Nyssa watches the alien creature closely as she waits for it to answer Bron's question.
"If any of you can cast Remove Curse, then I can shift from this cursed plane to my home. It should be a simple task, if you were to get this far. In exchange, I will help you defeat Hellion and the rest of his lords."
"Good. Let's see what we can do, then."
Čemifobbar then shouts to the others, without taking his eyes off the Xill:
"We are done here? Then we ought to join our companions... They call to us even now." Kharamell follows the sound of Cemifobbar's dulcet voice.
Freeing a lesser evil to help us destroy a possible greater evil. Bron says aloud to himself. I don’t particularly care, will be interesting to see how the others feel about this.
"It must be a fine advantage in a fight, having those extra arms..."
Nyssa really does not trust the creature, it's ability to lie convincingly might be greater than her ability to read people. Especially considering it's alien and bug-like features.
"What can you tell us about Hellion, Xill? It would help your cause if you convinced us that we actually need your help. So how powerful is this Hellion and Lords of Rust?"
When the rest of the party joins, the Xill stares at Bron and his religious insignia.
"Hellion is not of this world or this realm. His divine power is real, and he grants it to his followers. He is a creature made of metal and is able to control other robots with his words and thoughts. He is powerful, though you may be able to defeat him without my help-why take extra hardship? I have hunted you mortals for several centuries-I know the extent of your abilities. Will you accept my deal?"
"I'm willing to accept your offer, Xill. Since we have a common enemy.
Speaking to the others, Čemifobbar says:
"Who can remove the curse from the Xill? It will ally with us against Hellion if we remove its curse and allow it to go back to its home."
I can’t, never learned the art of removing curses. Maybe Dinvaya can?
"I will trust your word that you will remove this curse. If you betray me..." She glances at the corpses on the ground. "You can call me Zagmaander. Now, follow me."
The creature turns and walks with her back to you to the east. Staring at its back, you can see parts of its flesh are discolored and in certain parts its skin clings to its bones.
"We will do everything we can to fulfil our end of the bargain, Zagmaander. Lead the way!"
Looking at his friends on the landing above them, Čemifobbar says to them:
"No time to waste! Better shimmy down the rope over yonder that Nyssa and I used to get down here. Our new friend will help us against the Lords of Rust."
"I think we can trust Zagmaander. For now, at least. Turning her back on us tells me she trusts us. For now. And it looks like she's been suffering from being here too long and wants to leave our world with all speed. And I'll help her, I did give my word, after all."
This long, narrow cavern has a twenty-five-foot-high ceiling adorned with hundreds of stalactites. The cave floor slopes downward to the east. Patches of strange fungi and lichen cling to the walls and floor-between these patches on the cave walls, strange words have been scratched into the stone. On the south wall, portions of a buried metal structure protrude from the stone, particularly in the middle where a wide metal ledge rises fifteen feet off the ground to support a nest made of bones woven together by pale strips of supple leather and cords of braided hair. Two panels of glass, both smashed to fragments, once hung from the lower walls of the metal balcony.
"This is my lair. I broke those monitors so that Hellion could not hear or see us. I could not wait to interact with you, so I met you earlier, though I did plan on speaking to you here. I do not think that Hellion knows about my 'betrayal.'"
Čemifobbar raises his eyebrows in surprise entering the cavern. Taking in the sight, since he can in it quite well with his vision.
"I'm willing to trust you, Zagmaander. You could have attacked us earlier when we were completely unaware of you, but you choose not to do so."
"I'm glad you destroyed those panels. They caused us grief earlier. Curious that Hellion saw fit to enslave you. No matter. Finding a way to dispel your curse is all you ask. That is abundantly clear. What can you do to help us?"
"Before we go too far, Zagmaander. I have to tell you: My associate here." Nyssa looks at Čemifobbar, her expression is not one of pleasure."Is making promises that he may have a lot of trouble keeping. I don't believe that any of us has the power to remove curses. We know a person who may have that power, but there's no guarantee that they would do so."
Nyssa shrugs. "He does not speak for us all, only himself, and as for myself, I will make no promises that I personally have no way to keep. I am a team player though, so if the rest of my associates agree to your terms, I'll do my best to help remove your curse."
Čemifobbar looks briefly at Nyssa with a surprised expression, looking as pure as driven snow.
"Zagmaander here is quite intelligent. She knows full well neither of us can cast the spell she needs. But I, for my part, will keep my promise to do what I can to help her to secure the removal of her curse if she helps us all. Even if it means staying here as her hostage after defeating Hellion until one of our capable arcane friends remove her curse. It's the least I can do."
"We will uphold our part of the bargain." Kharamell supports Cemifobbar's promises.
Moving deeper into the caverns, Zagmaander leads you into a large cavern.
As large as this cavern is, the cave’s proportions are dwarfed by the immense buried structure that looms over its western half. This metal leviathan presents a filthy facade of sharp angles, doors stained and pitted with rust allowing entry into its interior, and a wide balcony overlooking the rocky floor fifteen feet below.
A massive mound of furs, rags, and refuse, a nest of some sort, sprawls in a sizable alcove to the southeast, while to the north, a 10-foot-wide tunnel curves to the northwest. Three areas of straight metal ridges protrude from the ground, marking paths from the building. Evidence of recent excavation work is apparent. An immense latticework of thick gray metal beams extends from the front of the buried structure, creating a wall of girders and struts that bisects the cave’s northern reach. These beams have been painted with images of demonic faces and spiked mechanical claws, and are further adorned with strips of sinew on which countless humanoid bodies have been hung like wind chimes.
"Are you fleshlings ready? Hellion's inner sanctum is close."
"I'm about as ready as I can get, I suppose. If the rest of you are ready, I guess we should follow Zagmaander to end all this."
Tessara casts invisibility and true strike on herself. "Ready, let's go."
"Wait. They have surrounded us. Prepare for battle."
Dark shapes seem to coalesce from the walls, some dropping down from ceilings or through holes in the cavern. There appear to be more than a dozen of them. Their grey humanoid bodies have long arms like tentacles that end in claws.
1. Alexis, Kharamell
2. Enemies
3. Nyssa, Cemifobbar, Bron, Tessara, Valt
Before@ i cannot remove curses.
With her blade in one hand, a wand in the other, alexis starts singing of battles victorious up great odds.
+2hit and damage to the party.