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Squint takes a vicious slice, then almost immediately gets healed by Kylee.
"Many thanks!" calls out the front-line summoner. "For Chaldira!"
The halfling ducks behind Ulyi's head to hide his sly summoning, and a mass of diminutive spiders blossoms from Squint's free hand.
"Ulyi! Press our advantage!"
Squint's always yelling stuff at monsters. Maybe I oughtta try it.
"For, uh, for the people of Magnimar!" Huh. That felt... awkward. But motivating, I think.
Barkot tries to recover his balance from his last wild swing and slashes again at the giant. He stumbles and slams his sword against the floor.
A series of attacks fail to injure the giant, who continues attacking her chosen target.
Barkot
Squint -28
Ulyi
Giant -73
Paeral
Deric
Kylee
(19/20) bless, flank
(19/20) bless flank
One arrow and one sword hit and the giant drops to the ground, dead.
Reminder of the room description:
The open door reveals a long, grand marble hall featuring a single row of pillars down its center . The vaulted ceiling thirty feet above is painted
with lewd frescoes depicting giants and humans engaged in carnal acts set among pastoral scenes. To the south, the hall widens before rising up in a series of steps to a white marble throne. Six large treasure chests sit next to the throne.
Barkot snarls and sheaths his sword in disgust. "Tell you what, guys, I'm gonna ditch the armor and sword and just get myself an artist's smock and learn ta paint pretty pictures of... anatomically unlikely couples."
He pulls out his journal and starts sketching the frescoes.
Barkot draws some stick figures of varying sizes and spills ink on the page.
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Kylee pulls out her healing wand to attend to Squint's wounds.
"Varisia is a land of giants. The Thassalonians bound them to their will as Rune Giants to act as their slaves. It was one of the ways they came to dominate this part of the world. At least that's what I remember from my classes in Absalom." She looks sadly at the fallen giant. "She may have been here a very long time- preserved by the magic of this place. It's becoming clear now that Sorshen used powerful magic to bind many sorts of guardians here--demons, the dhamphir, constructs, and now this giant. I'm beginning to think perhaps they are also enchanted to desire their slavery here."
"The question is, are they guarding an empty palace, or is there someone still at the center of all this?"
"There, good as new." she says, smiling down at Squint. She looks over the tears in his clothing. "If you'd like, I can stitch that up for you when we make camp later."
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Barkot snarls and sheaths his sword in disgust. "Tell you what, guys, I'm gonna ditch the armor and sword and just get myself an artist's smock and learn ta paint pretty pictures of... anatomically unlikely couples."
Kylee looks over the murals with a weary eye. "Normally I'd say this sort of thing was just lewd fancy given artistic free rein, but one wonders if Sorshen would have forced her slaves into these loathsome acts just to amuse her vanity and her boredom. Tyrants thirst for the pain and humiliation of others."
She looks over Barkot's shoulder at his sketch, then regards him with a concerned sideways glance. But she says nothing, and instead moves on to pray over the fallen giant, asking the gods to give the creature a quiet rest in the afterlife.
The giant is wearing filthy Large sized hide armor and wielding a Large battleaxe.
As Paeral approaches the treasure chests, he notices a foul stench of rot. Carefully throwing open the lid of one shows it to be filled to the brim with rotting meat and bones. The stench of the opened chest makes him want to retch.
Deric appears slightly amused at Pae and his treasure. He strides back and forth in thought keeping his distance from the booty. He is going over every action and timing of the last encounter. He will do this again to put himself to sleep tonight. "Perfect! Perfectly timed and in rhythm with each other. We acted as one. I cannot recall a mistake. In fact every action was brutally efficient. This is the best fighting we have done so far."
Deric appears slightly amused at Pae and his treasure. He strides back and forth in thought keeping his distance from the booty. He is going over every action and timing of the last encounter. He will do this again to put himself to sleep tonight. "Perfect! Perfectly timed and in rhythm with each other. We acted as one. I cannot recall a mistake. In fact every action was brutally efficient. This is the best fighting we have done so far."
Barkot's shoulders jerk up in sudden tension; he starts muttering to himself under his breath.
The half-orc counts backwards from ten, then flips to a clean page in his journal and makes another attempt to make a halfway competent sketch of the frolicking depicted on the frescoes.
Deric takes the giant's battleaxe and uses it to search through the carnage of the remaining treasure chests.
Kylee detects no magical auras on the giant, the throne, or the chests.
Paeral finds no evidence of a secret door, but does notice a platinum plaque on the back of the throne which reads (in Thassilonian):
“A gift for my Mistress Sorshen from her humble servant Ayandamahla, dedicated this celebrated day, the 25th anniversary of her ascension to rulership in Eurythnia. Present: Runelord Sorshen, Ayandamahla and her daughters Ashamintallu and Erixadallax, Lord & Lady of the Burning Bright, the Sisters of Charming & Delectation, and the Baron of Calamities, along with all slaves, servants, and supplicants in this, the Lady’s Light. May she reign unchallenged forever.”
As Kylee and Paeral are performing these searches, Deric comes and begins rooting through the rotting garbage in the remainder of the chests.
The stench is unbearable, and all three are Sickened.
In one of the chests, Deric sees a few purple gemstones interspersed in the rotting filth.
Barkot quickly copies the inscription into his journal, then backs away from the throne and tries to keep from retching. "Gods above and below! I guess ancient Thassilonian preservation magic don't work inside those chests!"
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"Thank you, Kylee! Again! You're a legend." Squint looks very pleased.
Squint avoids the chests, but expresses interest in the platinum plaque.
"That'll be worth some coin, and we wouldn't have to barf to get it," the halfling remarks. "Barkot, do you recognise any of these names?" The summoner considers the names, attempting to piece through his knowledge of the outer planes for any sparks of recognition.
The name Ayandamahla seems familiar, but Squint doesn't think that familiarity comes from book learning.
"No treasure left behind. Yegads, let's get out of here." Deric retrieves the stones and heads out of the room.
Deric looks at Paëral and pukes again.
"Thank you, Kylee! Again! You're a legend." Squint looks very pleased.
Squint avoids the chests, but expresses interest in the platinum plaque.
"That'll be worth some coin, and we wouldn't have to barf to get it," the halfling remarks. "Barkot, do you recognise any of these names?" The summoner considers the names, attempting to piece through his knowledge of the outer planes for any sparks of recognition.
Knowledge Planes]1d20+9
"Good thinking, Squint. I was distracted by that GODAWFUL STENCH. Let's see if I recognize anybody."
"And if you wanna try and pull the plaque off the throne, I'm game. Let's see if Paëral's ready to ... oh." Seeing the elf leaning against one of the pillars to retch, Barkot pulls out his thieves' tools, asks for Soralyon's guidance, and sets to work.
Barkot also thinks the name sounds familiar, but again not from books. Maybe he met someone with that name?
There are 20 tourmalines worth 2,000gp in total. The platinum in the plaque is worth 750gp, it would likely be worth more to a knowledgeable collector.
The historical artifact has been successfully defaced. ;)
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Kylee is just putting away her wand as the stink of rancid meat washes over her. Her hands go over her mouth and noise and she reels back, fighting sudden nausea.
"Ugh..." she chokes as she staggers from the room.
Once able to breathe again, Kylee ponders the familiar sounding name on the throne.
"Say... wasn't that a name we saw?... Yes, remember the Red Door with the sky metal panels? Ayandamahla was one of the names --Paëral, you were the one who read it I think, it was in Thassalonian on the central panel, wasn't it? I think it was the name of a succubus who had been bound here."
Paëral’s eyes light up as the script appears; he reads it aloud, murmuring the translation into Common, ”Ayandamahla is bound to the Light for all ages…”
He pauses before continuing, ”…I guess Ayandamahla was the name of the succubus…”
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After clearing his throat, Paëral’s eyes light up and he nods. ”By Erastil’s hooves, you are right, Kylee! I’m afraid the offal smell has addled my brains, I should’ve remembered…and I’d guess the two daughters mentioned were succubi as well…and perhaps Ayandamahla also. I wonder what the gift was?”
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"Who cares about a big chair? It's not magic or anything --- THAT REALLY REEKS. I don't care about those gems in the least; we should leave them."
"The gems can be washed off. And they aren't doing much good left here." Kylee smiles lightly, though she's still looking pale and glowing a little with perspiration from the wave of stink.
"Is it me, or was there no other exit from this room? Should we perhaps go over the walls more carefully one more time looking for secret doors? Or shall we just get back in the boats and continue up the stream?"
Deric notices Kylee's approach as he is washing the jewels in the water. He continues his work.
"Huh. Maybe you wanna take another quick look, Paë? If I were some kinda jumped-up wizard-king or queen and I had a big fancy throne in a big fancy throne room, you can bet I'd put an escape route right next to where I plant my royal keister."
Barkot takes a look for secret doors himself on the dais around, under , and behind the throne, but doesn't expect to find anything that the rogue might have missed.
Barkot and Squint do not find any secret doors.
Deric finishes the cleansing of the stones and says "You seem to have a better sense of direction than me, Dumaren. This is what I recall." Deric uses a spear to draw out maps of the levels as best as he recalls. "I am at a loss. Do you have a sense of what this place is shaped like? What direction might be the best?"
Paeral does not find any hidden doors.
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Deric finishes the cleansing of the stones and says "You seem to have a better sense of direction than me, Dumaren. This is what I recall." Deric uses a spear to draw out maps of the levels as best as he recalls. "I am at a loss. Do you have a sense of what this place is shaped like? What direction might be the best?"
Kylee stands by the boats and looks around. "Well... we appeared at that dock over there across the way, by the waterfall." she answers, pointing back north. "And the water seems to flow off to the west. I don't know, but I'm guessing we'll find more of this complex off that way. And I don't think it will be hidden. Subtlety is not what Sorshen is about."
Still feeling a little sick, Kylee squats at the waterside and splashes a little cool water on her face and neck.
"I look about this place, and I feel like I'm looking at the last frozen moments of a calamity. When people of great skill and learning just simply surrendered themselves to their worst impulses and abandoned their care for their fellow men. It's all such an awful waste. What led them to this? What awful path did their civilization walk to end up with a woman like Sorshen on the throne? Were they just corrupted by demons, or was there something more ugly and insidious at work? I imagine they probably came to this degradation slowly, over centuries, forgetting all the things that made them great once, until fear and cruelty were all they had left. And they must have had countless chances to turn aside from their ruin-- and just never did."
She stands again, and dries her hands on her dress. "What would I have done... what would any of us have done, if we had lived in those times, I wonder?"
Deric jerks his head west and then looks back at Kylee. "So obvious." Followed by a chuckle. He holds one of the dry jewels between his vision of it and Kylee seeing it as if it were on a necklace. "Jewelry. I suppose you refrain from than as well as razor blades. Methinks the lady doth think too much of herself. Your lack of a razor began my curiosity of hair growth on elves and half elves. It had nothing to do with you personally. And, I understand many clerics' deities require an oath of celibacy. Does Sarenrae require this? Asking for a friend."
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"Jewelry. I suppose you refrain from than as well as razor blades. Methinks the lady doth think too much of herself. Your lack of a razor began my curiosity of hair growth on elves and half elves. It had nothing to do with you personally. And, I understand many clerics' deities require an oath of celibacy. Does Sarenrae require this? Asking for a friend."
"My, so many questions!" laughs Kylee. "Let me see... as far as jewelry goes, we have no rule against it, and I in fact quite like a nice necklace or some earrings. But you must understand that when I'm not adventuring, I'm working in an orphanage and a soup kitchen back in Magnimar. Wearing gaudy jewelry when trying to lend aid to those who have nothing can be an unnecessary distraction. And it doesn't quite seem appropriate when scrounging about in an old ruin like this."
"I actually used to wear quite a lot of jewelry, before I devoted myself to the Lady of Light. It just doesn't seem as important any more. Is that vanity on my part? I hope not. And as I mentioned regarding the razors, I have such things back home. I just don't bring them on missions like this."
"And as for celibacy--no, I've taken no such oath, nor is it generally required of our faithful. Some of the paladins do. They find their redemption through discipline. I try to find mine through kindness."
She cocks her head a little at Deric now, and her smile morphs into a bit of a smirk. "I must seem like a terrible prude to you. Would it surprise you to learn that I was raised in a temple of Calistria? My father sold me to them when I was quite young, and I was raised to be a devadasi and eventually became a hetairai in her service. I was quite good too. But eventually I came to feel that life should be for more than such things, especially when there is so much pain and despair in the world. Being pleasant for rich men was a shallow existence, though I have no regrets. The Daughters of Joy gave me many gifts."
"Calistria?" Deric does seem surprised. He ponders the terms she mentioned not knowing their meaning, but the context tells him all he needs to know. After a few awkward moments, he says "You have done well to seek out Sarenrae. I am proud of you for that." He looks to the westward waters. "Shall we venture in that direction?"
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"Calistria?"
Kylee shrugs and lifts her eyebrows in acknowledgement.
"You have done well to seek out Sarenrae. I am proud of you for that."
"Well, thank you. I think so too." answers the priestess.
He looks to the westward waters. "Shall we venture in that direction?"
Kylee nods and looks back toward the smelly throne room. "Hopefully the others will be ready soon. Pyu! That dreadful smell!" She covers her mouth and nose with her hand and moves back to the doorway. "Any luck? Or are we ready to move on in the boats?"
Deric grabs a paddle from his favored vessel. He sits and contemplates on what Kylee just told him while examining the workmanship of the wood. He then stands and looks back at her by the door. He says a few things out loud that no one can hear from their distance and then returns to his sit with the paddle.