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Valik, watches as the summoned entity, takes a running leap, slips slightly on the wet stone floor, but manages enough forward momentum to land on the other side. Valik, makes a few adjustments and follows the creatures lead, in jumping to the other side.
Upon reaching the other side, Valik will search his pack for his rope, and throws it down to his group in the pit.
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Now that there are ropes, take ten and climb out. Once out, take a closer look at the cloak. Is it magical, if so, check it out?
He holds the cloak out in the general direction of the two ladies, careful to keep it neutral and not looking either in the eye, "Pretty cloak for a pretty lady?" He then whips it away, twirling it around him, "or does it look better on me?" He bats his eyes at Belroar, Moadis, and Valik.
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Aurelia returns Mel's flirtatiousness with a coquettish smile, sure that his affectations would be going her way. She enjoyed the attention in any case. "Quite the dashing look, I must say," she murmurs, a twinkle in her eye.
A magical twinkle, to be exact.
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Ophelia stands on the edge of the pit, her booted toes hovering over the edge. She backs up a little, takes a deep breath, and then a running jump, landing heavily on the other side, a little clumsily. When she straightens, dusting off her tunic, the strange smile is back on her face.
As Mel holds out the cloak, she can't help rolling her eyes a few millimeters upward. Dear gods, hardly a day and he's already flirting with her. "It rather suits you," she replies with a chuckle. "One of my brothers had one very similar. When he danced, it shone like Desna's eyes."
The group eventually makes it across the pit with most of members using the rope provided, while Ophelia opts to make the jump despite not being the most limber person in her armor.
Aurelia discovers that the cloak is magical, but she cannot determine its function.
Moving 30 feet away from the pit, the passage curves and the group discovers a long, 3-foot-wide wooden plank resting against the cave’s wall.
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"But this plank means we are definitely in a passage that the gillmen (or someone) use to get to the surface. I guess that means we should also be on the lookout for more traps....traps.... why was there a magical cloak at the bottom of the pit but no body or anything else? And what does that have to do with the full moon? Maybe we should pause periodically to listen for water.
Mel notes the pit, the cloak, the board, and his questions on the paper. And if the party hasn't moved on yet, he probably starts doodling a female figure wrapped in a long, flowing cloak.
The tunnels continue on, leading deeper beneath the Kortos Mounts until they eventually open into a large cavern. What must have once been beautifully carved reliefs and inscriptions have since weathered heavily, their features dulled and softened to the point that it is hard to distinguish what each
once depicted. They are clearly of a different style than the petroglyphs seen earlier. A wide tunnel exits the cavern on its far side, and blue-burning torches line the passageway’s walls.
With some input from Moadis, Aurelia and Melufiuos are able to determine that that inscriptions are images and passages from from the History and Future of Humanity, the principle holy text of Aroden. The carvings focus on parables that feature Aroden’s 12 guises, meant to illustrate his hopes for humanity. The sections of the holy text depicted here are slightly different than those that appear in the known version of the text, which suggests that these might represent an earlier version of the work.
Only 4 of the carvings are still legible, these are:
• The Shepherd is depicted herding animals out of a crowded city to the pastures beyond, just as Aroden blessed leaders with the foresight to direct people to the tasks and places that best suit them.
• The Tailor is depicted sewing together a long cloth of featuring many patterns that wraps around a city like a moat, referencing Aroden’s proclamation that when the fate of all peoples is woven together, it shall be humanity’s greatest strength.
• The Farmer is depicted plowing four lines in a field, retelling Aroden’s prophecy that humankind would prepare the rocky earth for planting and over generations wear the pebbles down into fertile soil.
• The Fisherman is depicted hauling in an enormous catch of small fish to take back to Absalom, illustrating Aroden’s declaration that a great host of creatures could accomplish a great task, whether that be taming the wilds or feeding a nation.
* * *
Belroar discovers that the blue flame torches are an unnatural phenomenon-- they provide light without burning or shedding any heat. Melufiuos is somewhat certain that one can achieve this same effect by casting a permanent light spell on a torch, although he still is unclear why they are shedding blue light.
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I wonder if we could use one of the blue torches to our benefit. Since they don't go out, we can use one to light our path should the sunrise fizzle out? Of course that means we have probably been here far to long should that event happen. On a side note, interesting how there are only four carvings left. Too bad, if the others were as remarkable as the four present, it would have been quite the sight to see. , with that Valik will take out the appear, and write down a few things that the others have mentioned.
there were more carvings, most likely of Aroden's teachings. Only four remain, the farmer; fisherman; tailor; and shepherd. Research other principles when time permits. Also, found magical cloak in bottom of pit, in earlier part if cave...but no body was seen according to companions?!
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"Curious," Aurelia murmurs, staring at the wall sculptures with renewed fascination now that the others had helped her place them in history. A strange coincidence that she could read the parables on them. Calling Malgorrak over, she takes out her journal and quill from within his carried sack and jots down a few notes about what they have discovered.
Located an old form of Aroden's twelve guises carved into the wall within the gillmen cavern. Four of the twelve remain: the Shepherd, the Tailor, the Farmer, the Fisherman. I suspect these are from an earlier time as they are unlike any similar architecture I have seen in Cheliax.
Once that's done with, she'll wait for the others to finish their own note-taking before continuing south from this cavern.
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"Oh, you larger races don't have the ability to create light at will?" Ophelia asks dryly, picking up a stone from the cavern floor. She squeezes it as she mutters a short prayer, and when she opens her fist, the stone glows with brilliant lavender light. "Interesting." Her tone is wry, but her smile is in good humour. She, too, takes notes of the carvings on the walls - "Does anyone know what all of this means?"
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Mel leans in close to Ophelia as if to smell her hair but instead whispers, "He's really big... don't make him mad\n"
After that, Melufious pulls a torch from the wall and carries it over to the carvings. He is curious to see if anything changes. Assuming nothing happens, he then holds the torch beneath his chin, and goes "Ewwwaaahwaaa" as the cold, blue flames lick around his face creating a visage of horror .
Once he realizes everyone else is busy taking down notes, he sighs and begins taking some of his own.
Big cave with boring pictures on wall. Really cool torches that burn with heatless blue flames lead deeper. The (really big) orc thinks he's the only one who can see in the dark.
Nothing unusual happens when Melufiuos illuminates the carvings with one of the blue burning torches.
With the meaning of the carvings explained to everyone, notes jotted down, and torches picked up, the group eventually moves on to the next unexplored passage.
The soft light of the surrounding fungus mixes with the flickering glow of the nearby torches to reveal a grand chamber. A large pool of water along the chamber’s southern edge reflects the blue and green radiance to illuminate the massive stalactites that cling to the ceiling overhead. Two other tunnels branch off from this area, leading to the east and west.
Rising up from the pool is a column of rock with steeply sloped sides and a flat top, as if someone had sawn off the top of a massive stalagmite. A miniature city carved from this same stone occupies nearly the entire surface. Tiny trinkets such as ancient coins, polished semiprecious stones, and ornately braided loops of string are scattered throughout the diorama, and pale cave frogs clamber atop it. The smooth cavern floor is covered in gravel and pebbles along the edge of the pool, and several foot-long centipedes prowl among the gravel in their search for prey.
The city diorama is an intricately detailed model of Absalom, easily identifiable by its Starstone Cathedral. With Absalom's association with Aroden, perhaps there's also some connection with the images from the previous cavern and this tiny city.
Kneeling in the water is a medium sized male humanoid wearing a folded robe. He has large gill slits set in his neck. With his back turned to the group, he makes no reaction when you enter the cavern.
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Lets try to make peacefull contact. Moadis whisper to his companions. Stepping forward the paladin puts away his weapon and keeps his hands empty and in sight all times. He cleans his throat before speaking.
Err... Excuse me, hello.
Sorry to interrupt. We were exploring this caverns and were amazed by all the lore about Aroden depicted in them. I was wondering if you might be willing to tell us a bit more about them.
The creature appears startled when he finally sees Moadis out of the corner of his eye. Standing up swiftly, his eyes sweep over the rest of the group then return to the paladin as he watches him intently.
When Moadis is done speaking, the robed humanoid looks back over the others again. His eyes rest on a few moments on Melufiuos.
He is intently eyeing the cloak Melufiuos is wearing.
The robes the creature is wearing are of a similar style and color as Mel's cloak
After a few moment moments, he nods and repositions himself so he can see the entire party at once. He then begins to speak, his voice containing an atonal quality, ”You have entered a site sacred to my people, the gillmen. It was once sacred to the dead god of humanity Aroden as well. Over the past century the carvings in the nearby room have weathered and melted. I suspect soon that Aroden's influence will fade completely.”
”To complicate matters further, other creatures have been invading the caves and they are not as polite as you appear to be. I have not encountered them myself yet, but that is perhaps only a matter of time.”
The gillman merely shrugs at Belroar's question.
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Melufious notices that the dude is focused on the cloak he's wearing. This makes him feel very nervous and somehow guilty, so he blurts out "We just found it.....this cloak....we didn't kill anyone...in the pit...rolled up....there was no body...did you loose it?" He pauses, cocking his head to the side. His next words start out slowly but then end in an excited and triumphant pitch "Hey.... I'll bet you did loose it...I'll bet it fell out of your pack or something while you were climbing down into the pit!" But his excitement is short lived as a frown soon crosses his face, "But you would have been using the plank to cross the pit. That wouldn't have made the cloak fall out. How'd it get there?" He looks to his companions as if expecting one of them to have the answer.
The elf takes the cloak off and holds it before him, comparing it to the one the gillman. "Nice cloak, by the way" And then as an afterthough, "So why are the torches burning blue? Is that a religious thing or do you just like to keep it eerie in here?"
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Aurelia arches an eyebrow upon noticing the tiny carved city of Absalom, moving over to it to inspect it more closely. "This is quite impressive," she mutters, taking a few more notes in her journal about this discovery as well. She's much more interested in this than the gillman, focusing on it even once half the group has already started interacting with him.
Located a surprisingly realistic depiction of Absalom carved from stone atop a stone pillar in the gillman cave. Intricate details are quite impressive, with a very faithful depiction of the Starstone Cathedral. The creators must have been very familiar with the city itself.
By the time Aurelia joins the others conversing with the gillman, she's missed half the conversation and has to piece together what's been going on. However, she does immediately notice the similarities between Mel's cloak and the one the gillman wears. (This is probably at least partially because Mel starts going on about it.)
"Ah yes, hello there. Ummm... kumusta?" Presuming that the presence of Aquan on the wall carvings meant that gillmen spoke the language, Aurelia tries her hand at conversing in it. "Ba ang iyong mga tao gawin ang mga eskultura at lungsod?"
"Did your people make the carvings and the city?"
The gillman does not immediately appear to notice Melufiuos is speaking to him, but once he does, he moves closer to the elf and watches him closely, ”You'll need to speak more slowly, otherwise I cannot understand you. The cloak you wear is the same type that all pilgrims wear when they come to the caverns. I have nothing to do with those torches.”
When Aurelia addresses him in Aquan, he just shakes his head, ”If she is speaking Common, she has a strange way of forming her words.”
”My name is Uori. I made a pilgrimage here to listen to the sacred waters.” He replies to Moadis, seemingly most comfortable speaking to him.
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Mel's eyes go wide when the gillman approaches, but it somehow shakes him back to reality and the wonder of meeting a real, live gillman (who speaks Common!) dawns on him. Straightening and trying to speak more calmly, he asks, "My apologies, I've never met a gillman before. From which way did you get here? Beyond the carving room is a tunnel that leads to the surface, but it is blocked by a small pit. It was in the pit that we found this cloak." He continues, "I am not a pilgrim, but I meant no sacrilege by wearing the cloak. Is it forbidden? Or might I hang onto this cloak? It is very nice."
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Valik, pauses and his hand instinctually goes towards his weapon, but seeing their is no immediate threat his hands drops back towards his side. He watches intently as the gillman, states into the water, and as the gillman jumps as he spots Moadis, but Valik stand still and alert.
Valik, looks on as Moadis and a few others strike a conversation with the gillman and questions are exchanged. He cannot help but notice, the gillman is eyeing the cloak they found in the pit, but says nothing. While it was not theirs, it was a mystery why there was no body with the cloak.
Valik, steps forward, after a few moments and speaks slowly.
Hello, my name is Valik Frost. How many times have you come here?