"Your work again, eh?" Corin muses quietly as he looks upon the etchings on the halberd's head, bringing to mind the man in blue and white.
However, he is suddenly pulled from those thoughts. As if they had ears of their own, the gashes left by kobold spears upon his trunk and limbs make themselves known when Milton mentions "wounds." He clutches one particularly angry wound upon his flank.
"I would appreciate your aid, friend," he groans.
"Darion, can your magic find any trace of the children? I fear these small, scaly fiends have obscured any tracks with their own damnable feet."
Milton Corindus and I are both injured. If you can spare it I’ll take the healing if not then I’m sure that we will manage until things are more severe
Darion looks uneasy as he fully expects other creatures to emerge. Still he settles his nerves enough to cast the familiar detect magic spell. Utilizing the spell to locate anything magical throughout the battlefield and the adjacent room. After searching everywhere he will settle on Corindus and the obviously magical halberd.
Milton places a glowing hand on Corindus and then Darion. "I am happy to take care of some of the damage done to you. I have a wand as well we can use after a fight such as this. While you look for magic I will look for evil." Milton then scans the room and area slowly for more signs of evil.
Milton places a glowing hand on Corindus and then Darion. "I am happy to take care of some of the damage done to you. I have a wand as well we can use after a fight such as this. While you look for magic I will look for evil." Milton then scans the room and area slowly for more signs of evil.
Corindus' muscles unknot themselves and his nerves feel less fire as Milton's healing flows through him. Feeling more at ease, he kneels to sift through the chaotic swirl of dust and dirt upon the floor caused by the recent melee. Even if any footprints have been obscured, he might find some other trace of the children: a handprint upon the wall, a bit of candy, or some sliver of evidence.
If no clues are forthcoming, he will suggest first searching for the children in the old shrine directly ahead from the front entrance.
You all enter the shrine room,
Pews of darkwood lie smashed and in splinters
on either side of this ancient shrine.
At the far end sits what was a large ceremonial anvil,
now smashed in a pile of rubble and destroyed.
Darion looks around the room remembering this as vaguely familiar
If light is necessary he casts the spell almost upon instinct
"Children? Are you here?" the sheriff calls out, just loudly enough to be heard within the shrine room.
As he scans the room, looking for signs of hiding children or evidence that they'd been in here at all, he keeps the newfound halberd clutched tightly.
Milton enters the room and looks around and on his second sweep he tries to detect if there is anything evil in the room. "A shrine of some sort. What did you learn about this room the last time you were here?"
The anvil was a symbol of Torag, Dwarven god of the Forge.
Corindus and Darrion check the room and see no real evidence the children have been in this room, but do see a drag mark near the doorway.
Before looking for clues in the hallways Darion tries one more spell to see if any magic emanates anywhere in the room. Recalling that before Corindus found something magical here the last time they were here. The intensity is higher now with the children missing so whether magical items or traps Darion wants to be sure
No Magic as the shrine is destroyed.
Corindus examines the drag marks by the door and follows their course into the hallway. With such a definite lead, perhaps the trail will remain distinct enough to have endured the erstwhile chaos in the hall.
Corindus has a bit of a hard time, but does find tracks leading down the hall into a Room
This small study looks like it has been lived
in long ago. Gnawed bones litter the floor and
tufts of gray fur can be seen here and there. An
old stone desk sits in the center of the chamber,
scratched and cracked in many places.
And a Drag mark in the Dust leading into another room.
Those who, visited before know the next room was the Den of Mr Wolf.
Milton looks around the room and sees the drag mark. He points in that direction and heads to the door. "Looks like they went this way."
"We fought an intelligent wolf here, many years back," he explains for Milton's benefit. "It fell prey to whatever wickedness haunts this place and became an undead monster. As you can guess, that experience has long made me reluctant to return here."
Corin swallows a lump in his throat. He leads the party into the next room, ensuring the head of his halberd precedes him.
as you enter the room
Gaping holes in the roof allow faint light to
enter this ruined chamber. One of the stone
columns that once supported the ceiling is
toppled, its broken pieces littering the floor
along with bones found across the floor.
a thin fog covers the floor.
as you go about the room, a set of stairs going down below is found in a corner, and this seems to be a source of the fog as it seems to climb the stairs to get out.
Darion peers into the room and notices the fog and the stairs. I suspect that our journey will likely take us down those uninviting stairs. But first we should investigate up here further. So as to not be followed by any nasty surprises, and to be sure. The children are not on this level somewhere
Darion casts the familiar detect magic spell surveying throughout the room
"If they descended, we may not have time to spare exploring up here," Corin politely counters his friend's suggestion.
Balancing upon the haft of the halberd as though it were but a walking stick, the sheriff examines the ground around the stairs - looking for confirmation that the children have gone below.
Corin's knuckles tighten upon the halberd as he grows increasingly frustrated with his own ineptitude.
Corindus see at the top of the stairs a sign that something was dragged down.
"Something was dragged down into the depths," the sheriff confirms, rising back to his full height. "If it was the children, then they are truly in danger. There's also the matter of that seal..."
Corin shakes his head with a bitter thought.
"Do you suppose those kobolds might be aiming to sacrifice the children? Like some sort of blood rite to break the seal?" he grimaces.
I wouldn’t put that past the realm of possibility. Many rituals and especially dark magic require a sacrifice or a material component to complete the spell or ritual. Many powerful beings require some form of payment for an agreed upon service. So that could be a possibility too. Either way the children are likely in very real danger
Not detecting any magic in this room Darion looks around for more clues and then says Should we descend here or should we scout around more before going down. What is the party’s consensus?
When Darion reminds Corindus of the vision their old companion Thorian had in his own enigmatic dreams, the sheriff begrudgingly accepts that a detour may be necessary.
He idly, angrily kicks a pebble against the wall.
"We should at least scout the library," he concedes, ready to lead the party back into the monastery halls. "Whatever he saw in there may not help the children, but it may be needed to save the whole town."
Corindus and Darrion take the lead to the library.
The double doors leading into this chamber
are shattered and broken, one of them lying
on the floor. The room beyond is in an equal
state of disrepair. What was once a library is
now a shattered mess with one corner being
completely collapsed and dominated by a wide
pool of stagnant water. Thick fungus grows
on most of the books that still remain on the
shelves lining the walls.
Milton looks around the room trying to find the container that was in the dream.
Darion looks around and also attempts to detect magic in the vicinity. Being careful not to touch anything unnecessarily. Knowing that stagnant water and fungus are potentially as much a threat as a monster
Fear of what lurks within - and beneath - this monastery leaves the sheriff's senses heightened to their peak. Of course, he is perhaps more alert for danger than traces of what crucial key or treasure might lurk in this forsaken library.
"What's that over there?" he whispers tensely, aiming the sharp point of the halberd head in the proscribed direction.
Milton finds the metal container hidden where it was, the container is in pristine square and looks as if new and bares a "λ" symbol on it's lid.
Darrion find another hidden space in the Library containing a +1 Compassionate Silverwood Quarterstaff.
Corindus heard some laughing on the winds along with the sound of whispering muttered sounds or words.
Also Know(Nat) or Know(History) to know more about silverwood
Curious about the quarterstaff Darion studies it over. Not wanting to touch it until he knows it’s not cursed or corrupted he investigates as best he can
He also try’s to recall anything that he can about silverwood
Milton picks up the container and says "It's here. Shall we open it now?"
The sheriff tenses up and brandishes his halberd at the empty air as he hears the laughter and muttering upon the wind. He scans the room, turning both his own head and the weapon's head as he does. When no danger presents itself, he relaxes - although not entirely - and eyes the metal box with his compatriots.
"Is it dwarven?" he asks, striving to disguise his anxiety. "Are they known for trapping such containers?"
@Darrion
Staff is fine, it is not cursed.
@Group
Container is Not Dwarven in material, make, or design.
The Hidden "λ" Book in the archive is closest.
That mark on the box is very similar to the book we found in that room of mirrors. I suspect they may be related. This scares me mostly because I don’t understand the magic associated with it. However I am with you whatever you choose to do with it
Darion tries not to look tense as he eyes the container with the strange rune on it. He decides to take up possession of the magical quarter staff and pretends to analyze it further while the rest of the party decides what they want to do.
Milton shrugs and says "Ok, here goes nothing." Milton examines the box and then opens the lid if nothing is found.
The box is locked and it's hard to find the locking mechanism, or the method to open it.
The group decide to open the box in a more safe environment then these ruins and heads hack to the room with the stairs leading down.
"If this place wants to keep its secrets, I'd almost be willing to grant its wish," Corin grumbles as he leads the party back to the stairs. "Too bad we'll probably need that box's contents, whatever they may be."
Standing atop the stairs, staring down into the darkness, the sheriff tries to hide as he swallows the lump in his throat. He turns to his companions.
"Please keep the light going. I don't fancy being caught in the pitch black down there."
When the others are ready, Corin will lead them down to the monastery cellar.
As Corindus decends the stairs
Corindus's right side opens up revealing the room as he decends forward to the bottom of the stairs with statues nearly reaching the ceiling and looking as if they are watching the way on this floor.
As Milton descends he takes a good look at the room they come into.
Milton Spots a kobold hidding on top of a statue next to the stairs.
As Milton points out the scaly ambusher lurking atop the statue, the sheriff's nerves get the better of him.
His muscles tense up, slowing his reaction time.
Milton spots the kobold and readies himself for more of them.