"Many thanks, and I hope your family will be well. Do you have any plans?"
Damata says, "My family and I are going to take the first ship home and return my tribe's totems and hopefully actually get the railroad started."
Isaac smiles at Damata "I am looking forward to taking a ride on that train just for enjoyment of riding it and the pleasure of knowing one of it's creators. Good luck!"
"That will be great. Surely you will do much better than this railroad. No lines through monster territory? Hah!"
Damata says, "Thank you for the offer. If you are ever in Ber, feel free to look me up!"
You spend the rest of the trip looking out the window conversing with the other guests and then getting snacks and the like.
Fifteen minutes before the train stops in Sid Minos, Malia makes the rounds,asking you as usual to please return to your seats so you can keep an eye on your personal effects. Though the train has been assaulted by a monster and brigands, so far nothing has been stolen from the Very Important Passengers, and Malia wants to keep it that way. Again, she reminds you, the enclaves are busy, often
thick with thieves, and it’s easy in the commotion for someone to clip unattended valuables.
She leaves, and you approach down the coast toward Sid Minos, coming in
with a good hour of daylight to spare. Light rain obscures your view, but the air is clean, thick with the fresh scent of the sea and only the train’s own smoke to ruin it.
Perception DC 35
Iva returns to her second class seat, and chats with the other passengers in her car asking where they are traveling to, and what they know about Sid Minos. She keeps a close eye out for the gambling dwarf she had met earlier with Falko.
Cretien goes about his routine normally, inventorying goods and preparing/maintaining inventions.
This magical city of bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes, has been mirrored in the surface of the swan-filled Tava River for more than ten centuries. It juts out into the bay as you cross the bridge into the city overlooking the Avery Sea. Sid Minos' center remains a wonderful mixture of cobbled lanes, walled courtyards, cathedrals and countless church spires all in the shadow of her majestic millennia old castle that looks eastward as the sun sets behind her. Sid as the locals call it, is also a modern and vibrant city full of energy, music, cultural art, fine dining and special events catering to the independent traveller's thirst for adventure.
From the bridge you can see another one of the city's most lurid landmarks... The Isle of Odiem -a rocky spur a half mile off the coast marked by a lonely ruined lighthouse.
Cretien will stick with other party members but be rather insistent that they try the most tasty-looking food they can find, look at art through windows as he passes, and enjoy what he can of the place before he had to leave for the mission.
Iva looks at the amazing architecture from the windows of the train. "I'd love to take a tour of the city, and see what events are going on. I'll go with you Mr. Nevereth if you would like. Perhaps the lady with take us someplace interesting."
Cretien tries to keep a low profile.
Isaac takes his time and prepares a disguise for himself and then sets out with the others to follow Bree.
Iva's rolls Perception , Stealth
Angus rolls Perception Perception , Stealth
You can see that Bree, Verzubak, and Luc are travelling together with Ottavia leading through the enclave to a carriage house that provides taxi service. She picks an impressive-looking carriage with purple banners along its roof, and the group gets on board.
Iva tries to flag down a carriage to follow Bree in. "The purple banners will help."
Isaac's rolls Perception , Disguise
Angus rolls Perception Perception , Stealth
You get in your own carriage and follow Bree and her cohorts at a distance. Bree and her companions ride a carriage down to the harbor,
where Ottavia hands a note to the owner of a 20-foot long sailboat and the group of them get on the boat and head towards the Isle of Odiem.
Local or Gather Information DC 10
coast marked by a lonely ruined lighthouse—is a damned and cursed
place. Ships that sail too close at night are caught in a current of blood
that dashes them against shoals, and it is said that the drowned sailors
rise and devour any who linger on the island past sunset.
If Someone gets the info above, Religion DC 17
nearly a thousand years ago into a vault by the Clergy. There
they kept the most dangerous items found by their godhands, including
creatures possessed by demons, since killing the creature would only
unleash the fiend within.
Isaac asks some of the locals about the island and reports back to the group, "That's the Isle of Odiem they are headed to. About a half mile off the coast and has a ruined lighthouse. Just like their previous meet ups. It's said any ships getting close are caught in a current of blood and wrecked and the crew come back as undead. What do we do now?"
Falko
"Yeah, if you know enough about them, it is possible, but then you are cut off from us."
"Why would they go to a place that's said to be cursed? It makes no sense. They don't seem to have an issue with traveling there. The captain was paid well. Maybe we should risk following them. If Gauthier can pose as clergy, then we can be his guards for the trip."
Xambria mentions something through Falko's mouth, "Remember the ob has been very interested in Lighthouses."
"I am willing to risk it. Let us see what they are doing. Maybe it has something to do with Lighthouses and messages."
Isaac stand and paces for a moment. "Knowing what they have done with the lanterns I wonder if they have a plan to scale it up and use it on a city. If not they lighthouse must be symbolic somehow but I don't know why they would meet in a place with a reputation for danger like the Isle. We should probably go and check it out and see if we can find out what they are doing. The big question is, Is this helping us on our mission or is this just a distraction although a good one?"
You are able to convince a captain to bring your group over to the Isle of Odiem. You see the rocky spur a half mile off the coast marked by a lonely ruined lighthouse. Upon your arrival, your boatment gives you a quick blessing and promises to return come morning as he hurredly rows away before the sun sets.
The island’s surface looks rocky from a distance, but up close there
are countless tiny outcroppings of rusted and pitted metal. Powdered
rust mingles with gray mud to coat the ground. Once on shore, Bree’s
trail is fairly easy to follow, because everywhere they stepped the mud
has been churned to reveal rust red wet footprints. They lead to a tall
structure at the southern edge of the island; it was once a lighthouse, but
it has rotted out in many places, and parts of the wall have fallen away.
They head inside. As you get closer to the lighthouse you can a lone woman at the top of the wrecked lighthouse. From there she can
look out and watch your party’s approach, as well as keep an eye on the
descent of the sun.
When you come within 100 feet, she addresses you telepathically:
“I am Ottavia Sacredote, oracle of the Clergy, and my task is to protect the man
you pursue. He acts for the betterment of civilization, and he has deemed you a
threat. But unlike some in my faith I do not rush to judgment. If you can defend
your aggression, do so, and I shall listen. If you cannot, let he who is willing to risk
his life to harm my charge be the first to step across the lighthouse threshold.”
Ottavia speaks through your minds and says "I know the Ob is fragmented into different groups but mine is trying to build a protective item with the use of lanterns. The lantern is designed to be attuned to the different planes, not just Nem but also Jiese and Mavisha."
Another voice—feminine, sultry, and breathing heavily—whispers
into the party’s minds as Ottavia speaks. “The priestess’ sermon will
see her foes dead. Her rivals, visitors to this island, are welcome below, where it is safer.”
"Some doors are best left closed, once opened they are quite difficult to seal once more. We are doing fine without the doors open."
"While that may be a good use of the lanterns to open gates to other planes does not sound like a wise course of action to me. Iva responds to the cleric.
"May we go below? I don't intent to harm your charge. Let us go below, please."
Ottavia says, "I was transferred between cells about five months ago and before I was working for the Golden Cell which has a significant religious component and I was looking for banned texts about the former gods and their powers before they were banished. I had no idea I was working for some larger organization until my former supervisor asked me to switch to the Planar Cell or Lantern Cell. I have been working for the guys just shortly and they have mentioned a possible resurgence of the old Gods coming back to take Lanjyr or something about aliens. Scuttlebut, is that an alien attacked Flint recently."
The other voice says, "You shan't dally, the sunken horde are starting to gather on the beach."
You look back towards the beach and you see scores of half eaten, drowned creatures that used to be people massing together at the beach.
Ottavia says, "Why did I come to this island? I came to this island because my charge Mister Jierre was sent a sending that we were being followed by a team of RHC, which we deduced was you. Our dwarf had some suspicions and caught out your Elf friend in Cherage and then there was that strange man who could not keep his story straight. We thought it may have been that porky slave trader but she stayed in Nalaam. Sure his Uncle is the Sovereign of Danor and is afraid of being followed by Risuri agents. So he asked me to bring you here to follow me and my cohorts to this location for the night. But let us go underground before we get swarmed by the horde of drowned undead coming our way."
You can see upwards of 500 undead at the beach and more coming out of the water. The first two drowned dead who accost the party still retain some semblance of their appearance in life, These are, a burned, punctured, and twisted orc wearing glasses and a fancy wearing battered hat, and , heavily bearded and fat man, but about the handsomest damned zombie, you have ever seen.
The orc groans, "Well, met I am Meoric Shadowleaf, I wish I could stop the compulsion to attack you but it is a damned state that these water have put me and my now friend in."
The fat man zombie says, "Darren Morrissey, formerly of the SS Tribune which sunk not to far from here, this is a damned unseemly existance and I do suggest you go underground, so as not to become like us."
You climb down the Stairs that lead down from the Odiem lighthouse to the centuries-old vault. You can tell The foyer once provided a place of worship and reflection. Ottavia tells you that there are Warnings written in an archaic language covering the walls, but most have been defaced. A pair of bronze doors hangs open, warding sigils scraped and melted off. A makeshift iron door-bar leans against the wall, formed from three swords melted together, sufficient to bar oneself inside the vault to keep out the drowned dead.
The same feminine voice speaks into your minds. “Religious magic marks this crypt forbidden, but visitors may find shelter, wisdom, and wealth below, if such they seek. But more precious by far is the chance of escape, for at the center of the Vault of Heresies, its greatest prisoner offers freedom from the curse of the Isle of Odiem. These strangers are bidden to enter, lest in the grasp of the dead they shall drown by dawn.”
Seeing the horde of thousands of undead drowned creatures, you proceed forward. You close the heavy doors into the next chamber and in front of you appear seven conjured gold drinking vessels that have fallen to the floor because the stands meant to support them were long ago stolen. Each vessel can hold a pint.
Water drips in the darkness, and puddles splash as the party walks. The walls show signs of being slashed and burned long ago, but this evening nothing stirs.
Inscriptions on the wall describe the purpose of each chamber. The inscriptions are damaged and vandalized, but the general gist of the remaining pieces is that this vault houses creatures, items, and people that contained evil, and that rather than destroying them and releasing their evil back into the world, the Clergy entombed them here. The inscriptions warn that those who enter must be strong in the seven virtues, and that they must resist temptation of the seven vices, for those who enter will be judged, and those found impure will never be able to leave.
Virtues and Vices. The walls briefly detail the Clergy’s seven virtues. • Honesty. Purity of word and thought.
• Temperance. Restraint and moderation.
• Charity. Generosity and self-sacrifice.
• Diligence. Zealous, steadfast, and careful worth ethic.
• Mercy. Resolving conflicts with peace.
• Humility. Modest and selfless behavior.
• Bravery. Courage to undertake dangerous tasks for the good of others.
And then its seven vices.
• Hubris. Ambition and a sense of superiority.
• Gluttony. Obsession with physical pleasures.
• Greed. Rapacious want of material possessions.
• Sloth. Failure to do as one is required.
• Wrath. Uncontrolled hatred and anger.
• Envy. Bitter desire to deprive others and take what they have.
• Melancholy. Lack of joy toward life.
Ottavia says, "The Vault of Heresies, I have heard of this before but I never beleived this could be real."
The shaking and rattling of chains can be heard a ways down the right passage. Much like the sound of someone struggling against their bonds.