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As Hskoro picks up the first horn, his eyes momentarily turns cloudy white (For a couple seconds) before it returns to it's normal state.
As you reach in, and your hand comes in contact with one of the horns. Immediately you receive a flash of a vision. You feel as if you are a disembodied, floating being, always in the presence of a woman dressed in Ancient Osiriani garb. Any distinguishing features of the woman blur and shift. The voice, you recall to be the same as the one that spoke when you entered into the ruins. The spoken language is Ancient Osiriani, but you seem to understand it even if you normally don't.
The woman stands surrounded by the aftermath of a great battle in the desert. She examines the wounded and dying with interest, ignoring their cries for help. She kneels by a dying man, places her hand on his forehead, and says, “Were you one of ours? One of theirs? It matters not. The Plague loves all of you the same. Do you feel it? As your body dies, does your mind cling to life? Yes—I sense it. Wonderful! I must try again. Soon even the Lady of Graves will have no hold over my fate.”
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Salron steps back as requested. Once the chest is opened he casts Detect Magic as he looks at the horns within. He spends time studying the objects but avoids touching them until he can be sure that they are not harmful.
"No one touch them until we are able to verify they are not harmful." Unfortunately his words are just a moment to late as Hsokoro picks up one of the horns.
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After putting down the second horn, Hskoro shakes his head to clear it and then tells the others what he saw. "The second horn reveals the woman experimenting on her guards and then demands more 'recruits' for her Dungeons of Ever-Dying from a training ground. She is complaining that they are dying too quickly."
Hskoro waits for a moment and then takes a deep breath before grabbing the second horn. Again he is drawn into a vision. He winces in pain from this horn before the vision finally clears.
Taking a minute before revealing what he seen, he finally opens up. "These horns were designed by the woman to preserve memories. The horns belonged to something the woman called 'a creature fundamentally obsessed with knowledge.' But also called the owner of this horn a traitor."
He looks to the others, "It is a bit confusing to me. But it seems the woman wanted to become undead or something like that."
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A thorough search of the room yields no new results, and Salron strongly believes the horns to belong to that of a lesser div, more specifically a doru. Typically doru's are disembodied and bestial head covered in lashing hair and curling horns. Dorus are the divs that whisper in the night, the foul inspiration that drifts upon fetid winds, the messengers of pretender gods.
Realising there's nothing else, the party backtracks their steps towards the entrance and then continue down the unexplored path into a series of small chambers. A chest, made of wood now rotting, sits in the first room’s western alcove. Although in a poor condition, looking easily breakable, the locks surprisingly hold.
Within are mostly dozens of small, dull gray stones with no apparent value. Many of the stones have cracks, divots, and pockmarks. Four onyx gemstones stand out as possibly being valuable.
The stones were once flawless gemstones and that they were likely used as components in the creation of a spell or magical effect.
These stones represent failed attempts at necromancy of some kind.
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Further in, Detritus litters the next room, including bits of metal, broken furniture, crushed glass, leather strips, and shredded parchment. The walls, ceiling, and floor are covered in deep gouges forming words and phrases in multiple languages. You attempt to decipher the words written covering very surface of this room. An opening leads west towards the next chamber.
“I will seek the Dungeons, find the screams, remember your name, KILL YOU”
“I will seek the Dungeons, find the screams, remember your name, KILL YOU”
“I will seek the Dungeons, find the screams, remember your name, KILL YOU”
Taking some time to study the room, you decipher that the room once contained a table with thick leather restraints, a single stool, and a small writing desk.
You note scraps of parchments that contain Ancient Osiriani writing, arcane symbols, and sketches of gemstones and humanoid skulls.
Although illegible, these musings date back to the Age of Destiny, around seven millennia ago
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Salron ponders over the many phrases that are written here. Even with his keen intellect he is not able to decipher some of them. He does however translate at least one of them for the everyone to know. Translating from Infernal he says “I will seek the Dungeons, find the screams, remember your name, KILL YOU”
He has also been picking up various scraps of parchment and paper as he has wandered the room. Laying them out he muses "Although these are written in illegible Ancient Osiriani writing, they show arcane symbols, and sketches of gemstones and humanoid skulls. These musings date back to the Age of Destiny, around seven millennia ago." He gathers it all up and carefully stows it for later reporting.
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"Those gems we just found might be failed parts of the gemstones mentioned in the writing you were able to decipher Salron."
"Seven millennia ago. That is a lot of time for the creature that fled here to be. Maybe they were trapped in that room with the chewed on scrolls. If they were stuck here for so long, they might have gone insane."
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Intrigued by your discoveries, you traverse once more deeper into what seems to be a curving hallway leading to a dead end. Over a dozen small alcoves line this hallway, each containing rusted shackles bolted to the walls and copious amounts of dust. Three of the alcoves contain brittle skeletons hanging from the shackles. Frantic whispers echo around the otherwise-silent chamber, seemingly originating from the skulls of the deceased.
You know that unquiet spirits can be put to rest through spell use (bless, consecrate...etc), or possibly holy water if one is able to say the right prayer.
The bones once belong to adult humanoids who suffered from multiple horrific and fatal diseases.
Only magic or divine energies could have kept these people alive long enough to contract so many deadly diseases, and that force is likely what preserved the bones.
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Agis again uses his mind to soak in the sights, sounds, and smells of the area. It includes using his power to hold the skulls aloft as he takes down notes.
"These bones once belong to adult humanoids who suffered from multiple horrific and fatal diseases. Only magic or divine energies could have kept these people alive long enough to contract so many deadly diseases, and that force is likely what preserved the bones. It's horrifying."
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Salron quickly jots down some notes as Agis speaks. Closing his journal he turns to the group. "It would appear our trek here is finished. Let us go and inform the lead scholar of this dig site know what we found. Hskoro, if you would be so kind as to lead us out. Aldarion you shall have the honor of providing our report to the site foreman."
"After we get done here we still need to figure out where that hideous head creature disappeared to and stop it from causing further problems. We may also wish to put in some time at local library or temple for research on who the women may have been in life."
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Although there are a few questions left unanswered, the ruins seemed to have revealed as much as it can to you. Satisfied with your discoveries, you thread back to Obahar who waits patiently and eagerly for your return at the entrance of the ruins.
"Well, what have you discovered?" He immediately asks when you emerge. He head nods rigorously as you relay every detail you can to him as he frantically jots and goes through his notes of the ruins and incidences that have taken place. "Mhmm. Mmm."
"I have not heard of the Dungeon of the Ever-Dying, but there must be a means to discover this." He states his thoughts, ever so eager to learn more of the situation at hand. "You should rest for the day, let me compile my notes on the leads for you. I suggest you visit the Thrice-Shrouded Necropolis in case the reference to the Lady of Graves is significant. Come back to me when you have enough clues and maybe we can figure out where this Dungeon is."
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Starting the day off early, the group heads over to the Temple of the Redeeming Sun in search for more answers to the menace that is causing nuisances locally. This temple is the largest in the city. It boasts a massive courtyard where the faithful congregate to pray under the open sun. The gold plating on the surrounding buildings focuses the rays of the sun inward on a tremendous altar at the center of the courtyard, it's been told that the heat at the apex is so intense that the priests require protective magic to survive giving their sermons.
One of the side buildings, providing shelter from the burning sun is the hospice wing where the sick are kept. Inside you are able to find Mauta, the woman mentioned in the briefing as you are escorted to by a priest named Herhut. Mauta lies in a small room separate from the other patients, and her mad screams echo through the halls. The priest explains that Mauta started rambling in garbled Ancient Osiriani shortly after arriving at the temple. They are doing their best to care for her, but they are unable to ease her wild ramblings and hallucinations. She is strapped down to her bed, in her mad state, she yells incoherently, as if she's lost the ability to speak properly.
You discern the words “seek,” “she,” “spiral,” and “death."
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With the Caelhal's silver tongue in attempting to calm her to her senses, she slows down and attempts to speak slower. Perhaps she understands you, and wants to help, but her madness has not left her. She continues to repeat her words, but she speaks with a bit more clarity.
من به دنبال کسی هستم که مارپیچ مرگ را می پوشد! من احساس حضور او را دارم! خادمان خورشید سعی داشتند فرشته ها را مخفی کنند، اما آنها باقی مانده اند! آنها کجا هستند؟!"
“I seek she who wears the spiral of death! I sense her presence! The Servants of the Sun tried to hide the Dungeons, but they remain! Where are they?!"
“spiral of death” is reminiscent of Pharasma, the Lady of Graves, whose holy symbol is a spiralling comet.
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Salron casts Guidence on himself once again as he attempts to understand the woman's speech.
“I seek she who wears the spiral of death! I sense her presence! The Servants of the Sun tried to hide the Dungeons, but they remain! Where are they?!" Salron gives a shake of his head as he finishes the translation. "Do any of you understand who she is speaking about?"
"Obviously “spiral of death” is reminiscent of Pharasma, the Lady of Graves, whose holy symbol is a spiraling comet."
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Salron pulls out a copper piece and gives it a flip. Catching it in his palm he looks at it for a brief moment before looking up. "First we will stop to see the alchemist who saw the demonic face and then we shall make our way to the Thrice-Shrouded Necropolis to see what they might make of all of this. Hopefully we can put this puzzle together before presenting any of our findings."