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Once the final skeleton falls, Zithembe sheathes his blade and then takes the elk antler wand from his belt. He gestures with it in the air. After speaking an arcane word, he touches his hand to the dwarf's shoulder.
When the others come to apply their own restorative powers to the dwarf, he turns his attention to the rest of the room, seeking magical auras.
With the skeletons taken care of you're now able to devote some time to actually studying the chamber that you find yourselves in, particularly the broken columns. Zithembe detects no magical auras from them (or from anywhere else in the chamber) but they bear barely perceptible cracks that run vertically through the stone, and a faint smell of ash and char hangs about even though there are no signs of scorching.
Examination of the columns reveals that they were once magical constructs and that the magic that animated the columns is Jistkan in origin, based on the symbols carved into them.
You also notice that the symbols contain intentional flaws that would have weakened the constructs or caused them to lose control.
Neither of the two skeletons themselves were carrying anything except for their respective weapons, both of which turn out to be masterwork longswords.
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Hepsubia studies the pillars.
Been a few years since I last saw those symbols. Jistkan writing, I'll say. These columns were animated by magic, before. Strangely, those who carved the stone made mistakes in the symbols, either by mistake or voluntarily. The constructs would easily been uncontrolable.Hey, have you seen the craftmanship on these blades, Rumble? That's magnificent work...Can I get one of the swords, please? At least for now.
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Maria hefts one of the blades, making a couple practice cuts with it, before reuniting it with its sheath and handing it to Hepsubia. "Excellent quality it seems, I never went for the typical elven weapons other than my trusty bow. Preferred to spend the effort to make my body a weapon... but still working on that too."
She mumbles, "So much to do, so little time."
The elf points up the stairs, "I'd say stay the course and keep on our path till we run out of lefts." She steps back to get a vantage point to cover anyone heading up the stairs.
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"Thanks, tah all o' ye," Rumble says solemnly. I'll get one of those when we get back out, was so excited about Sledge that I forgot some of the essentials! "Before, skeletons jus' fell wit' ah swing er two, ya know? Nevah seen such strength in old bones."
The Dwarf frowns at Hepsubia's realization. "Aye've 'eard o' some scum runnin' ah racket thah sells questionable goods. Sabotage, ah quick gold piece, ye think up tha deed an' they could make it happen," he explains, shaking his head.
"Aye say up tha stairs," he says to Zithembe.
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"Makes total sense to me, Parison. It's sabotage. Someone wanted to undermine whoever set the constructs. Had to be someone smart too. One time at the circus Amazing Dave had his trapeze rope half cut through by Big Don the Halfling spear-swallower because Don thought Dave had cuckolded him. Didn't end well."
Resolved to continue on your current course as far as you can go - or as long as it seems prudent - you all begin to file up the northern flight of stairs. These stairs turn a corner to the north, leading to a broad hallway that enters into another chamber, with another set of stone stairs leading back down to the chamber floor. This chamber is relatively bare except for a pair of statues depicting men with hyena heads that block the single passage that exits to the north.
As you stare into the room it's hard to keep from staring at the two statues. Whoever carved them did an amazing job because they look incredibly realistic, almost as though they could be alive.
Wait.
Did one of them just blink? Because you're pretty sure you just saw one of the statues blink!
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uhoh…. we might be in trouble. I'm not totally sure, but I think I've just seen that statue blink to me. Be careful, all...
Just what it could be? Do I really want to know? Won't it hunt me in my worst nightmares? You know, like this creep with red and green clothes, a strange hat on his burned face and claws on his hand? That was a freaky dream… Desna help me!
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"I am not certain that constructs radiate a magical aura," Zithembe says as he steps to the ledge and concentrates on the auras within the room. "However, they certainly seem to be guardians but show no inclination of initiating battle, so it may be more prudent to trial the other hall first. There may be a secret to passing these somewhere."
Having already tangled with one batch of leftover guardians none of you are very inclined to potentially deal with another if you can help it. Zithembe attempts to scan the two statues for magical auras but doesn't detect anything. That said, Hepsubia remembers something from a book she read once about golems. While there are many types of constructs that can be made, some are more powerful than others. Caryatid columns are the 'lesser cousins' of true golems, created by spellcasters to guard objects or areas. She recalls that every caryatid column is programmed to guard an object or area when created, and once set, this command cannot be changed. Caryatid columns are often given specific parameters concerning whom to ignore and whom to attack, but since they have no special form of detection, such restrictions can be overcome with disguises...if the correct parameters are known.
On the other hand, both of these columns appear to have already suffered some damage at some point in time so if it comes to a fight they might be a little easier to deal with than they would be otherwise.
Maria also recalls a few things about these columns - namely that they're simply rather resistant to attack in general, given their composition of stone. While they don't have any special attacks that she can recall Maria does know that striking a caryatid column with a weapon, whether magical or nonmagical, will result in damage to the weapon and may actually shatter it.
Except...given the state the two columns are already in, Maria suspects that this innate ability to shatter weapons has probably been negated either by the passage of time or by a previous encounter with something.
There's not really any obvious way to determine what the activation condition is for these columns but given their positions blocking the northern exit, it's possible that approaching too close might do it.
So with all of this in mind, you decide to backtrack a little bit. You retrace your steps back to the first chamber you entered, where the symbols cover the floor. With Rumble taking the lead once more you proceed up the northern passage and into a small, rectangular chamber.
Like the rest of the ruin this chamber is dusty and dark, save for your light sources, and the very stones give off an air of untold ages since they were last visited. There is little of interest here beyond a chest sitting in a small alcove to the west and a flight of stairs exiting the room to the north. While the chest is locked the ages have not been kind to it and it seems to be in poor condition.
In regards to caryatid columns Hepsubia can also add that they have no particular weaknesses and that they're normally immune to magic. But she also knows that they can sometimes lose that particular property over the passage of time or as a result of direct damage to their forms. That said, there's no way to tell for certain without actually trying to affect one with a bit of magic.
When it comes to the more immediate task at hand, Hepsubia is much more confident in taking the initiative. After carefully looking about in the small chamber itself and making sure that it's clear of traps - which it is - she edges forward to inspect the chest itself. Finding no traps on it either, she sets about working on the lock with her omnitool. It's only a matter of a few moments before a soft *click* is heard and the lock pops open.
Within the chest are four onyx gemstones and dozens of small, dull gray stones of no apparent value. Many of the stones bear cracks, pockmarks, and divots.
Further study reveals to you that the stones were once flawless gemstones and that they were likely used as components in the creation of a spell or magical effect.
You deduce that these stones represent failed attempts at necromancy of some kind.
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"Ah vile place tah be sure," Rumble grumbles as the purpose of the stones is unveiled. For good measure, he offers a quick prayer to Torag and gives Sledge a brief kiss in conclusion. "Is it worth smashin' 'em tah pieces so anotha cannae do tha same?" he asks, standing at the stairs, ready again to ascend.
Resolved to not leave anything of potential interest behind Maria pockets the onyx gemstones and then reaches for one of the dull stones. As she picks it up she finds it to be fairly soft and brittle, capable of being scratched by a fingernail. Idly, she scrapes the surface of the rock for a moment and is surprised to see that the dust scraped off the stone falls into patterns on the floor that look like writing!
You recognize the characters and words formed by the dust that falls to the floor as Ancient Osiriani, but the messages are gibberish as though formed from disjointed ideas.
Now knowing that the gray stones were once gemstones used for necromantic spellcasting, Hepsubia is able to recall quite an extensive list of such spells that would make use of gems as components:
Animate Dead
Animate Dead, Lesser
Canopic Conversion
Create Greater Undead
Create Undead
Create Variant Mummy
Flesh Puppet
Flesh Puppet Horde
Sentry Skull
Spherescry
Torpid Reanimation
Given this, it seems like Parison's thinking is likely on the right track regarding the skeletons you encountered earlier.
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Sometimes, I'd wish I don't know or remember a few things. Too much dark magic used here, to create undead. No wonder my brain is sometimes at odds with reality, it strives to forget. I think I'll try to find and create beauty for a while, after that mission. Can't be enough beauty in the world, cause I can't be everywhere at once.
Despite herself, the elf gives a chuckle
+1 vs. traps
With the situation still about as clear as mud you decide to press forward in the hopes that you'll find something more illuminating further inside the complex. Still preferring to put off a confrontation with the damaged caryatid columns for the time being, Rumble leads the group up a short flight of stairs to the north which opens into another small chamber.
Detritus litters this 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.
The phrase ’I will seek the Dungeons, find the screams, remember your name, KILL YOU’ is repeated over and over and over again.
Though the room appears thoroughly destroyed at first, further investigation does yield some items and information of interest. A sturdy box sitting in the corner contains 8 flasks of alchemist’s fire and after poking through the scattered debris you’re collectively able to piece together that this room once held a table with thick leather restraints, a single stool, and a small writing desk.
You’re able to find enough scraps of parchment to determine that the pages contained Ancient Osiriani writing, arcane symbols, and sketches of gemstones and humanoid skulls.
You also determine that the writing dates to the Age of Destiny, around seven millennia ago.
From this chamber another passageway runs a short distance to the west and seems to open up into yet another chamber.
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Hepsubia collects enough pieces of parvhment to point out some patterns of arcane symbols, sketches of gemstones and skulls, and more Ancient Osiriani writings you have seen since last week.
Ancient langages… I really have to study that too. I know elves lives very lenghty lives, but this stuff seems older than my grandmother. And even for an elf, she died of a very old age.
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"It seems like with each room we've went over, we get another piece to a puzzle we have to put together," Parison says. "We have undead creatures, ancient languages, and altered constructs in a ruin that served as either a lair or prison to a div that can sense the power of Amenopheus's sapphire jewel.....and that it's looking for something just as equally powerful. But to what purpose?"
"You're right, my friend," the priest adds, giving Rumble a pat on the shoulder. "We can't let this div escape or find whatever it is it's looking for. We need to vanquish it, but we need to be smart about how we do it."
"You and me both, Hepsubia," Parison adds. "I've found that only being able to speak Taldan can sometimes be a liability in doing work for the Society."
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Maria collects the alchemist fires per pathfinder guidelines and then glances over Hep's shoulder to make a few notes and see if there is any additional information.
"Hmmm... more Ancient Osiriani writing and some diagrams. Not sure what it all means though. Zithembe, can you take a look? Maybe this stuff will make more sense to someone who understands the language."
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Effie follows along with the others, clearly not her usually upbeat self.
"Such a dark place... and after our trip to Heaven it could hardly be a greater contrast. What happened here? So much.. darkness. It's oppressive, even now. I don't feel any humour here.
There's a spell for understanding languages, I'm sure of it. Wish I knew it. Or owned a wand. Something to sort out back at the lodge."
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"It resembles madness," he comments to Hepsubia in the other room.
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"I will seek the dungeons, find the screams, remember your name, kill you," he says reading the carvings on the walls. "This is repeated with obsession across the walls in old Osirisni. There are similar repeated phrases in infernal and abyssal, and I suspect the content is similar but cannot say with complete certainty."
The shabti examines the scraps of parchment found and arranged by the others. "It looks like a necromantic text from the Age of Destiny, which precedes the founding of Absalom--not as old as the Age of Anguish, though. The div must have been trapped down here for over four thousand years, more than long enough to go mad."
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Oh, that's what the words means? I would have prefered something along "Eat at Joe's". So the mad Div want to find entrances in the dungeons, follows the screams to their source and put them to silence once and for all, because he thinks its his tormentor screaming, and he wants to remember his name, probably long forgotten, to curse him before killing him. Obviously. It makes sense now. At least for me. Maybe I'm too close to madness for my own good. But since I'm still able to say that, I'm not probably that close to madness yet.
A pause
Hey Effie, do you think "Can I play with madness?" would be a good title for a song?
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Torag's beard that is a lot of reading. How do they push themselves through that so quickly? "Don' leh tha darkness drain yer 'appiness away Effie, 'appiness comes from within," he explains proudly, happy to make some sort off a contribution to the conversation.
"Whah next? Do we 'ave tah burn tha pages o' tha book or sumthin'?"
+1 vs. traps
Finally beginning, perhaps, to have some understanding of the creature that burst shrieking from these ruins only a short time ago, you continue to press on down the hallway towards the next chamber. Everyone remains vigilant for traps and other hazards as you progress but nothing stands out as particularly noticeable or dangerous, which is a good thing.
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.
It seems that the bones once belonged to adult humanoids who suffered from multiple horrific and fatal diseases.
With further scrutiny you deduce that only magic or divine energies could have kept these people alive long enough to contract so many deadly diseases - and this same energy is likely what has preserved the bones.
There don't seem to be any exits from this chamber.
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I'd like to have good news. I don't. See these skulls and bones? These people died naturally and unnaturally. They were affected by diseases, plural, and deadly diseases too, not just a common cold. They should have died, and obviously, they died. BUT, the point is, someone used magic, dark magic, to bolster their health just enough so they could suffer more, be ill longer before dying. Not a pretty death, and a very cruel one. So thats why I said they died naturally and unnaturaly.
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Rumble jams a finger into his ear, giving it a thorough cleaning before listening hard again. "Any o' ye 'ear thah? There's like ah rustlin' or ah whisperin' or sumthin'..." he points out. Or I've been talking to Sledge too much.
"Think tha bones migh' be fixin' tah move?" he asks warily while limbering up his hammer-arm's wrist.