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Lazarus picks up the satchel next to the body, pulls out the scroll, draws a clear crystal prism out of his spell component pouch and casts read magic. "It's a scroll of resist energy."
The samsaran surveys the surrounding area, but the ancient buildings and their contents are a mystery to him.
He glances at the collapsed passageway, but the wizard-priest isn't built for much in the way of the manual labor necessary to move that much earth. Though, Desna willing, I might one day possess the arcane means to make such a task light work.
Looking down into the well, Lazarus spots something at the bottom, some thirty feet below, reflecting the light of their torches. Thank Desna, someone else is willing to descend into the depths to take a closer look.
While the rest of the group pokes around the ruins, Denair braves the well and scrambles down to the bottom to see what she can see. Once she reaches the bottom she has no problem spotting the source of the mysterious glint - a cold iron dagger of exquisite quality, featuring a raven-headed pommel.
To your surprise, the dagger appears to be of Jistkan design; a remnant of one of the first human kingdoms to arise in the Inner Sea region after Earthfall.
Other than Denair's discovery of the dagger, you find yourselves largely stymied by the ancient buildings and artifacts littered about the area. However, Jan does notice something odd as he patrols the chambers - the weathered stucco on the nearby buildings actually isn't weathered at all. Instead, it looks as if was simply painted to appear weathered and then added to the outer walls for some reason. A perplexing discovery, to be sure!
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"Good job, Denair."
"Shiny dagger. Huh, a raven on the hilt." Meredith tries to ascertain its value. "A few gold pieces... maybe?"
When Jan points the painted buildings, she readies her longspear. "We might have stumbled upon someone's base of operations. Keep your eyes peeled for Aspis."
Meredith prepares to approach the building.
Denair turns quiet as a mouse and follows.
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"Lazarus, do you think it's possible that this whole site has been staged to look ancient... maybe so the regional powers who are competing for dominance could make claims of a long-standing presence or maybe something similar?"
(If Jan has a chance to see the dagger), , "This dagger is really old, if I'm not mistaken, it's of Jistkan manufacture...why would this be here?"
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Frankie looks around, confused as the others start talking about 'fake' ruins. "They sure do look real to me! There's rocks... and holes.. and sand storms! And camels!" He pauses for a second, eyes going wide "Is Sal going to be ok up there without me? I hope so, you guys need me down here super bad!"
His moment of indecision ends quickly as a cool looking dagger comes out of the hole from Denair "Woah cool! That looks much different than mine. How come?"
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Lazarus casts detect magic, testing the relic for any magical auras. "I've a functional cold iron dagger of my own, though not as magnificent as this." He looks at the available exits from the chamber. "In the interest of time, shall we begin our search in a clockwise fashion from the northeast passage?"
Lazarus' examination of the dagger reveals a faint aura of abjuration magic, though as to its purpose he isn't certain. Still, the dagger seems solid and the group's handling of it hasn't produced any ill effects that you can see.
As you ponder the meaning of Jan's observation and the strange dagger found at the bottom of the well, Denair and Meredith slip closer to the buildings to make absolutely certain that nothing sinister lurks within. A cursory examination of the exterior reveals little else of interest besides the fake stucco and so the pair risk peeking inside each building using one of the open windows; judging from the interior and personal effects within it seems likely that the two buildings were once used as homes. Further exploration of the buildings reveals nothing else of use nor any snakes, literal or metaphorical.
With little else to do but press on, Denair and the Unseen Servant advance ahead down the northeast stairs. The winding stairway descends to a dim chamber below. Four alcoves hold marble statues of grim soldiers from ages past, two on either side of a faintly glowing statue of a regally appointed man who towers in front of the southern wall. Two golden lion statues stand at guard in front of the god. The roof has collapsed at the northwest corner, where a large stone slab lies on the floor below the opening - which you now realize connects to the room you were just in moments ago.
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(Jan will put away his bow and ready his axe and shield), "If you would like for me to lead, I would be honored to do so... although I can not see in the dark like some of you."
"Also, we should be vigilant and watch for trip-wires and such, but I must admit I am no trapsmith."
(Jan will activate his Ioun Torch).
OCC- I really don't have any preference towards marching order. Jan is willing to go wherever the party needs him.
"I can go in the front and scout ahead. I can be really quiet."
As Denair stands at the bottom of the staircase she takes a moment to blend into the shadows as best as she can, eyes open for more skeletons, Aspis, anything! But the newest chamber appears to be empty except for herself (and possibly the light held by the Unseen Servant).
Denair creeps into the room. With no threats apparent, she looks at one of the statues.
With the coast clear, she finally calls down to the party. "I don't see anything dangerous, come on down!"
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When Denair calls out that the way is clear, Lazarus, wand of bless and wand of magic missile in his hands, follows everyone into the next chamber, careful to stay near the rear of the formation. He casts dancing lights, looks around at the room's contents, then casts detect magic, scanning the room with care.
Fairly certain now that the chamber is safe the rest of you file down the stairs, ready to see what other clues or information you can dig up. There are several things that might be of interest here - the four alcoves and the statues they house, as well as the large, softly glowing state in the center of the room and the two lion statues that flank it.
The statues are of Taldan make and seem to represent four different soliders, their expressions grim and battle-hardened.
You actually recognize the faces from a book you once read - these statues are of military leaders who served under General Coren in Taldor's Third Army of Exploration. But wait...all four of these men died before the founding of Corentyn - which was supposedly the launching point for the original group that founded this colony.
Upon closer inspection these statues display minimal wear and discoloration, making it likely that they were carved within the last century or so.
These two aged and weathered golden statues depict lions, the national symbol of Taldor.
Or are they? You lean in closer to inspect one of the statues and realize that it looks ever-so-slightly lumpy and uneven in certain places. As you reach out to run your finger over one of the bumps a small bit of the statue's gold coating chips away under your fingernail. Then it hits you - these statues have been modified with plaster and gold coating to look like lions! You suspect that the plaster additions could be chipped away to reveal the true statues beneath, given a little time.
Now that you get a better look, you can tell that this statue is meant to represent the god of commerce, Abadar. It's large and impressive but there otherwise doesn't seem to be anything out of sorts with it.
As you scan the room, the central statue lights up with a pretty magical aura. From the looks of it, it's a statue of Abadar, god of commerce.
As you look around the room, you notice bone shards near the slab of collapsed ceiling in the northwest corner.
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Frankie tries to race off down the stairs to play some good old fashioned hide and seek, but Meredith apparently had other ideas, her hand holding fast to his collar. "What the..." He looks around, then up with a slight scowl that quickly turns to a smile as he instead takes the opportunity to rifle through her belt pouch.
Frankie smiles as his little hand makes its way out of Meredith's belt pouch with a pair of gold pieces, which he quickly drops at her feet.
"Meredith, I think you just dropped some coins? There!" He points at a pair of gold coins that just clinked off the stone. He makes use of the distraction to bolt her grip and head down the stairs after Denair.
Frankie's first stop in the statue in the alcove next to his partner in crime, Denair. "More boring statues... you'd think they'd at least give them funny faces or buck teeth or something?"
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"Huh? Oh." She picks them up. "I thought I kept the coinpurse shut... thanks, Frankie."
Getting down to the bottom, Meredith starts using Detect Magic to look for auras.
Not that she can tell what they are.
Whether by fate or luck, Meredith begins inspecting the glowing statue. "This is Abadar, right?" she finishes putting her coins away. "Huh."
Denair looks at the northwest corner and its collapsed ceiling. "Hey. Bone shards. Do you see that?" She scampers over to take a closer look.
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Scanning the chamber with detect magic before entering, Lazarus spots an aura. The wizard-priest steps closer, examining the statue with care. "This central statue, I think it represents Abadar, god of commerce. It's magical, but I can't quite identify its specific aura or function, if any."
Lazarus wanders about the room, appreciating the detailed and individualized statues of Taldan soldiers, grim and battle-hardened expressions on their faces, as well as the two aged and weathered golden statues of lions, the national symbol of Taldor. "Magnificent statuary, obviously meant to impress the viewer with Taldor's former glory."
When Denair calls out that she's spotted some bone fragments, Lazarus joins her, peering at the remains with intense concentration.
As the rest of you poke about the room and ruminate on the mystery of the magical statue - that somehow eludes both Lazarus' and Meredith's understanding - Denair draws the group's attention to bone shards near the collapsed ceiling in the corner. Peeking under the stone slab as best as you're able, some of you can see what looks like an outstretched skeletal hand, a ring glinting on one of the finger bones.
After studying the bone shards for a moment and peering under the slab, Lazarus' comes to the conclusion that this individual was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time and got crushed when the ceiling gave way. Both he and Meredith also note that the ring radiates a faint aura of magic. It looks like it would be possible to move the slab off of the body with sufficient effort if one wanted to retrieve the ring.
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Frankie's head perks up from eating an absconded muffin as the others seem to be deep into something "Hey watcha guys doing over here?" He says as he hops up on the edge of the stone slab they're grunting over. His weight is perfectly placed as the slab teeters and tips over with a crash. "Woah neat! I found a ring!" He says as he leans over to pluck it from a bony finger.
"Yay! Frankie did it!" Denair releases her hold on the rock and begins clapping.
The rock doesn't budge as she begins clapping. Meredith releases her grip and realizes she wasn't contributing, either. She grunts in frustration.
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Sid peeks out from Lazarus's robes. *No s@#t, Sherlock, it's a ring! Don't swallow it or stick it up your nose, kid!*
"Yes, child, it is indeed a ring. Mind if I have a look?"
His familiar's irritability disturbs the wizard-priest's concentration. "Meredith, can you please take a look at this? Perhaps, you can deduce its function."
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Brayden stands up, still grunting from exerting his strength. "Frankie, your methods are unique, yet strangely effective." He cracks his knuckles and shakes off the sprain, then draws a deck of cards from his backpack. "While they're pouring over that ring, how about a quick card game? Denair, care to join us?" He shuffles and gives the deck to Frankie to cut.
"Yay, cards! It's that game Frankie always wins!" Denair flops down and carefully grabs some cards.
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Frankie's chewing slowly grinds to a halt as the deck of cards makes an appearance and he swallows hard "YES!" He happily takes the deck and splits, bridges, and shuffles it all in one quick motion. "What shall we play? Go fish? War? Three card Monty?" His eyes instinctively start roaming toward coin purses before he shakes his head and takes a drink of cocoa.
"How does this money thing work, again?" Denair scratches her head. "Oh well, Meredith can pick up the tab."
7 of Clubs
4 of Diamonds
King of Spades
9 of Diamonds
2 of Clubs
"What did I forget again... ugh."
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Frankie scratches his head as Brayden explains the rules. "Umm... three cards.. isn't that 31? But we're playing 21 with 5 cards?" He shrugs his shoulders and starts drawing cards.
He fumbles a bit and drops an extra card as he's drawing. "Oops. I think your cards are sticky or something."
"Denair do you have any 5's?" Asks Frankie.
"Oh yeah, sometimes Frankie grabs sticky cards!" Denair cheers. "Oh well." She slaps her cards face up on the ground. "Bingo! ...did I win?"
Clearly bored with the exploration of the underground ruins, Brayden, Frankie, and Denair settle in a nearby corner for a game of cards. The game seems to get off to an unsurprising start. Meanwhile, Jan and Dalen keep watch - rather nonplussed by the sudden card game - while Lazarus and Meredith study the ring. The ring is crafted of platinum and adorned with the head of a hound and seems to radiate the same abjuration aura as the dagger from the well. With Meredith's assistance, the pair are able to divine something new about these two items - the magic woven into them seems to have been designed as a means to bypass some sort of ward or wards.
1=Dalen
2=Jan
As Dalen carefully patrols the room's perimeter, she suddenly trips as she draws close to the Abadar statue. With a yelp she throws out a hand to catch herself on the statue...and catches nothing, her hand passing through it as she tumbles to the ground.
"Ow..." she groans. She looks up, thoroughly puzzled and rather embarrassed, too. "What happened? I should've been able to catch my fall...?"
A-hah! That's what the magical aura is! The entire statue is just an illusion - and as this thought passes through your mind, the statue vanishes and you see a pair metal double-doors in its place. The doors are decorated with the etched image of a serpent and are locked with a thick, heavy chain secured by a padlock.
The serpent is the symbol of the archdevil Geryon. The stinking swamps of Stygia, the fifth layer of Hell, are the dominion of the Serpent—Geryon — source of all great heresies.
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Frankie blinks a few times as Dalen hits the deck. He then gets up from his card game and heads over to the statue, helping Dalen up as he does. "You've broken it! You broke the statue and now all that's left are a pair of metal doors.. with a big lock! And snake carved into it!" Frankie checks it out thoroughly.
All of a sudden everyone hears the sound of a lock falling to the floor and the clink of chains "Oh cool, it was just dummy locked! Some people just don't expect you to look close I guess..."