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Hinata's bomb lands and explodes on the statue, blowing away a bunch of its rocky structure. Yizzik rushes up and cleaves the statue with his magical axe, knocking off another large chunk of rubble and Poe shoots yet another rocky chunk away.
The statue throws a stone fist at Yizzik, nearly catching his jaw. When he dodges, it throws a second fist, and Yizzik twists his neck out of the way, the fist close enough to his face that he can feel a breeze from the huge hand as it moves past him.
Lilly tries cracking her whip at the statue, trying to get Yizzik a split second opportunity for his aim.
In an attempt to better ration her supplies Hinata would draw her rarely used spear hoping the statue wouldn't be too hard to hit as she stuck toward the creepy thing with it.
Poe racks the slide on Olivia, loading up another bolt and firing again at the thing.
And his bolt nearly hits Yizzik in the butt. Poe winces, hoping no one noticed how close that was.
Reeling from the consecutive blows the reptile had attempted to dodge, he could feel his bones ache and his scales bend now uncomfortable from the swings of heavy stone. He'd grit his teeth and snarl in determination to ignore the pain and once again chop at the stone with his adamantine axe.
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Hinata's spear has little effect on the statue, and Poe misses horribly, but enraged Yizzik cleaves the stone being along the front of its body. The creature's torso falls off of its rocky knees, and it tumbles forward onto the ground, crumbling into bits and spilling an array of stone and rock all over the tiled floor.
With the stone creature destroyed, the two ghosts suddenly fade, and dwarven voices are heard all around once again, this time, swearing, "We who court the ways of honor," before all is quiet.
"He will, he will, ROCK YOU!"
Lilly has a wide smile, as everyone is recovering from the brief encounter.
Poe, ratchets another bolt before what Lilly says clicks in his head. "What?!" he exclaims, turning to her. "What was that? Ah've never 'eard o' tha' song b'fore."
Yizzik would drop down to sit with his enemy now fallen, turning his head to spit out a bit of blood. He could feel his innards thrashed, body aching from the blows. He would live, but he was certainly feeling it worse than he would've liked. He just needed a second to rest before he'd continue.
The second the statue crumbled Hinata would rush to Yizzik's side trying to get him to drink various offers to heal him. "Was anyone else hurt?"
"Thanks Hinata..." he'd say as she offered him one of the extracts, smiling in gratitude as he drank the curative down. He felt some of the soreness dissipate as the healing magic sealed the internal wounds.
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The door to the north is covered with glowing runes, which those who speak Dwarven are able to translate as:
"Those who stand against injustice, those sired by the will to defend, announce yourselves and enter."
The door appears to be locked magically, and none of the keys you carry will turn in the lock.
"Nggh....NNgghh..."
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"Those who stand against injustice, those sired by the will to defend, announce yourselves and enter..." Poe translates to common, looking over the door.
"Did any a'ya happen ta hear what the password is?" Poe asks. "Ah mean we keep hearing phrases from those creepy ghosty things, but ah've no idea which means which."
Vingold grumbles and waddles up to Yizzik, handling the wounds.
Vingold spends a few minutes on the door, then grumbles and spits. "Ain't happening, it's unpickable."
"Thanks my friend..." the reptile said to the grumbling bard, stretching his body now that most of the soreness had been all but removed. He watched as the pair gave the door a look over, thinking of what Poe had translated before approaching as well. He gave it a look over before looking at the others in the room. "Would the key be as simple as announcing our names and intentions?"
"Mayhaps it is. But as we are in a big house of ancient dwarf defenders, wouldn't it ask for the name and work station of the person looking for entrance? Of a defender or a successor?"
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"Try both." Hinata suggested in a hushed tone afraid of the door or whatever was behind it hearing her. "Do introductions and then say the phrases, you know like a pledge or something?" Her tone made it clear she was suggesting the others do as she was not going to even attempt to delve into the haunted place any further unless her friends gave her no other option.
Stepping forth, Yizzik would clear his throat as he stood at the door, thinking over the things he had heard before giving it a go. "By sweat and blood, we have come. We who are born with blade in hand. We who are sired by the will to defend. And in the blaze of both, find eternal strength. We who court the ways of honor and wed ourselves to duty, pledge ourselves to the Firebrand and her mistress. I, Yizzik Uhari request entrance!" he'd announce dramatically, now watching intently for if his idea had been correct.
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As Yizzik speaks the phrases the voices had said during the group's travel through the Redoubt, the runes upon the door burn brighter and brighter, nearly blinding anyone standing in front before they suddenly blink twice, and fade to black. A distinct clicking is heard in the door's lock and the aura around the doorframe disappears, revealing a much more ordinary and nonmagical looking metal door that still appears to be locked.
"Hmm...that might've done it..." he'd say to the group, but mostly himself. Having confidence that they were free to pass, the large reptile would reach out to open the door and head inside.
"Try now, Vingold." poe says.
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If the door proves still stubborn, Vingold waddles up with his tools to coax it open.
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Vingold does what he does best and easily picks the now nonmagical lock, his tools softly clicking each pin into place.
As Yizzik leads the group into the room, he's able to notice the edge of a giant scythe peeking out of a crevasse. Just as he enters, the giant scythe swings across the room and slides across the front of his body, cleaving a deep, bloody wound from one shoulder, across his chest and over to the other. The scythe swings back and clicks back into the crevasse from where it came.
The room appears to be a large tomb containing ornate chests, tapestries, and geometric stone carvings. A heavy stone sarcophagus - its lid shattered and scattered across the floor - rests on a dais to the north. The dry air is heavy with the smell of cedar and berries.
Seven dead duergar lie sprawled around the room, their bodies contorted in unnatural angles and their faces frozen in screams of agony.
A ghost that you recognize as Delbera Axebringer floats above the sarcophagus. "Oh? And who are you? You don't look like duergar. Have more come to desecrate my Redoubt? ... Have more come.. to desecrate my Redoubt?" She seems confused as she repeats herself and her voices fades in and out.
Poe will wince as Yizzick is injured by the trap, and notes where to go to avoid it.
When he sees Delbera's ghost, he will lower Olivia, take a few steps forward, and drop to a knee, clamping a fist to his chest. "Delbera Axebringer!" he exclaims. "My name is Poe Quickhammer, son of Thorald Quickhammer, Son of Morne Quickhammer! Morne would have lost everything if it were not for you, and I have come to repay his debt!"
He lowers his head. "What can I do to help you find rest?" he asks.
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The ghostly form of Delbera turns to Poe. "I need... my heart, my connection to the divine. I need Firebrand. Can you bring it to me? I miss its warmth, and I cannot sleep when I am so cold."
"I... I saw those who violated my redoubt and stole my Firebrand. Vile duergar thieves and that... that woman. She looked so familiar, like Karexin's wisp of an apprentice, but older, more confident... perhaps her mother? I... it is difficult to put the pieces together... She held my axe, and her touch... the blessing of Torag and the symbol my soldiers swore their fealty to... I feel her fingers closed around it even now as if they were on my own throat.
"I do not know who she is, but I can feel the tug of my axe on my soul. It screams in pain over what she is doing to it... and through it I can feel the cold spite of the miserable creatures her magic has corrupted my soldiers into. She lies down the twisting narrows of the Blighted Path."
"By my family's oath, it will be done." Poe replies, standing.
Yizzik will grab hold of his wound, hissing in pain. He could feel his armor and body wrecked by the slashing of the scythe. Any closer and it would have been the end of him. His body had seen havoc, and all he could do now was sit and recover while Poe spoke to the fallen Axebringer.
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The ghost of Delbera looks a little surprised at Poe's willingness to help. "Thank you. Morne would be proud that his son turned after him, so loyal to our causes and with a willingness to help."
"As for the Blighted Path... Damn twisting, turning, narrow streaks of death. They were mines, old and forbidden when I was still flush with the gift of youth. The stone bled death, and coaxed back the worst pieces of those who died within. So we walled it off, but bleak things still crawl up through it from the Darklands below. We followed the Blighted Path to fight Karexin, and I can feel Firebrand being dragged back through those cold tunnels."
"We will pursue them, and recover Firebrand." Poe declares, glancing back at the rest of the group.
Hinata once again rushes to Yizzik's side trying to tend to his new injuries while offering the remaining of her healing extracts While Poe speaks to the specter.
Again, Yizzik would receive care from the kitsune, giving another smile and a nod of thank you. His body still ached all over, but he'd politely decline any other spells so they could be saved for his less defended teammates.
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Inside the room is a collection of items, and while most appear to be simply family heirlooms such as brooches, rings, and necklaces, Lilly is able to detect magical auras on a ring, a pair of gloves, two scrolls, and two wands. There are also 37 dwarf soldier figurines cast in bronze that may be of some value.
She identifies them as a ring of feather fall, healer's gloves, a scroll of darkvision, a scroll of magic circle against chaos, a wand of bless with 13 charges, and a a wand of jump with 32 charges.
Delbera's body is interred in the tomb against the wall still wearing her armor, but her ghost floats in front of the tomb as she attempts to dissuade anyone from touching it. Her expression has changed from surprised, to serious, and currently to agitated as you linger in the burial chamber.
"C'mon! No time fer sitting on yer duffs! Leave the lady's stuff alone and let's get ah move on." Poe asserts.
"Agreed, though we should stop in to report our findings to the town and see if they can help fill in some information about the Blighted Path," Yizzik offers, standing nearby as the others might want to take at least one of the wands to help the group in their journey.
Lilly takes the wand of bless, the scrollof vs chaos.
Whoever has heal can make use of the gloves.
The other items she can't use.
Lilly looks at the ghost, and probably invisible to the others, her haunt is shrugging.
"Miss spook, we're going to use these to free your tomb from evil dwarves, surely that is a good goal, yes?"
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Even with the ghosts request Hinata would much rather return to the safety of home but she would still never abandon the group no matter her wishes. "I should be able to resupply on the move if I can find what we need, it would be easier if we return to town first but if the brand is moving..." She trailed off on her undecided thoughts.
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At long last, you take leave from the haunted Firebrand's Redoubt, traveling towards the location of the Duergar Caravan as marked on the map. About a half-mile away from the Redoubt, you come across a side tunnel that opens to the marked large cavern.
Those with darkvision are able to see the strange glowing lights of two pack beetles inside the cavern. They appear to be chained to covered wagons. You can make out little else from where you currently stand.
Arriving at the new tunnel, Lilly is partially distracted by whatever voices are whispering in her head, as she sometimes mutters things 'to leave her alone'.
At the site though, her attention is drawn.
"Oh, giant roaches! Chained to a wagon, fortunately.
Squishing them is such a dirty business....and i'm not speaking of a line of work, though, one has to work to squish them actually....but that's beside the point.", as she has a finger on her chin, accenting her pondering her own lines.
"We can't be far behind now." Poe says quietly. "Yizzick, I'm right behind yeh."
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