Lacking any real scholarly training Hengeist keeps an eye on their surroundings as the group studies the crater.
Managing to not walk into a tree with great skill.
"Whoa," Lara murmurs as the party approaches the crater. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she aligns her now over her shoulder and creeps closer for a better look.
the group slowly approaches the crater, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary and wrack their brains for any bits of information they can remember. unfortunately, most have never seen anything like this before.
Lara is very curious about the crater, but it just doesn't fit into anything she has experience with.
however, while looking into the crater you spot something of interest part way down the slope of the hill. it looks like there are some symbols carved in one of the ancient pillars about half way down. they look much more recent than the destruction of this area, likely left by someone well after whatever event caused the crater.
Kragg tries to think through possible causes of a massive crater like this, and quickly rules out any interplanar activity. he does think this was caused by a meteor impact, and it looks like one that was a long time ago. However, no one in the group feels confident enough to assert whether this might be as old as Earthfall (as Thame suggests) or another smaller meteor strike at a different time in history.
as you look around at the stones, you do see soemthing interesting. it is not the working of the stones themselves that gets your attention, but something on their surface. you see humanoid shadows burned into the stone of one of the crumbling walls.
combined with your knowledge of what happens in a meteor strike, you can piece together that this is the after image of a person burned into the stone from the intense heat and light of the meteor impact that bleached the stone white and left this shadow as a dark photonegative of their demise
as you all peer down into the crater you can see that after a steep slope for about 80 feet the bottom of the crater falls away into a cavern. likely the sunken lab you are looking for. it is not too steep to climb down, but once you get to the bottom of the crater you may need rope or something to get into the lab safely. you can't tell from here how far of a drop it is, but it looks to be at least 20 feet or so.
"It looks like there's writing carved into some of those pillars," Lara observes as she looks over the ledge, pointing at some broken pillars about halfway down the crater. She shrugs her backpack off her shoulder and fishes a coil of rope out, then reshoulders the pack and the coil alike.
"Looks like there's some climbing involved at the bottom."
Trieste volunteers to head down the rope first. "I can see in the dark and I don't weigh as much as Kragg. Just make sure you pull me back up if there's trouble."
Thame rushed over to investigate the writing Lara had found, wondering if any of it was relevant Azlanti history.
Regardless of the outcome, he frowned when it becomes apparent that they'd have to descend to the bottom of the crater and likely further. The wizard is all too happy to let Trieste descend first, not having darkvision or much of an appetite for getting ambushed in a dark, enclosed space.
Hengeist takes his rope and grappling hook out and readies it for when the party reaches the area it will be needed.
Thame makes his way down half way along the slope of the crater.
He takes a look at the markings and is able to determine that the markings are not a language he knows, but a series of glyphs. his own skill is not enough to make out the message being shared, but he does know enough to recognize that the code is one used by Pathfinders to leave messages for each other.
there are 2 messages here. the first indicated a simple message:
"Warning: Undead Below!"
the other set of glyphs appear to be a set of coordinates. (make a survival or knowledge geography check to get more information about where they are pointing. the coordinates are labeled "Bone Town"
Lara follows suit down the slope, her coil of rope sling over her shoulder.
Pathfinder warning glyphs! the Pathfinder archaeologist silently exclaims. Were there other Pathfinders here beside Carter and herself? Or was this extremely ancient history? Maybe Durvin Gest himself had come through?! Lara speculates.
Thame scowled, the frustration of almost knowing what was inscribed on the columns more irritating than complete ignorance. As the others made their way down, he motioned sharply at a nearby marking. "Any ideas on this? My guess is the Pathfinder Society, which I suppose makes sense, considering Carver's interest."
Regardless, when the decision is made to start lowering Trieste, the wizard stays close by anxiously, his imagination creating all sorts of horrors residing in the dark chasm. The illusionist grabbed onto the rope, knowing his strength paled in comparison to any of the others, but wanting to help hoist the brave druid out should she be in trouble.
Lara nods. "It's a warning glyph. 'Undead below.' And this," she says, pointing to another set of glyphs, "Says 'Bone Town.' If I had to guess, I'd say it's quite a lot of undead."
Trieste steps back. "On second thought, maybe we should pass this place by then. Or figure out a way to rain holy water down below."
Thame was more than ready to agree with Trieste's assessment of the situation, but the fact remained that not only was this possibly a treasure trove of Azlanti secrets, it would have to be delved into at some point, regardless. Not wishing to rock the boat with the ladies, the wizard waited expectantly for the steadfast Kragg or the newcomer to push for continuing to explore.
once Lara explains the meanings of the glyphs, you are able to piece together the coordinates on the second message ("Bone Town"). the location appears to be on the far north coast of the island. how it is connected to this spot is still a mystery.
if someone hits this DC I will add a new letter to the map indicating this location
I am sorry, it has been a hell of a week! i somehow breezed right over that check and didn't see that you had made one... yes you passed the DC and know what is in the spoiler above
"Odd, though. The coordinates for 'Bone Town' are way up on the north coast. I wonder if there is a tunnel down there that connects to that place?"
Kragg thoughtfully considers everything that they knew and the wisdom in descending into the black pit before them. I am not sure that raining holy water upon them at this height would work. We do not know exactly where they are and would waste precious resources for nothing. I am afraid that we have no choice but to go down and inspect the pit directly for signs of the undead.
Perhaps I am just being an optimist but the Bone Town reference may not mean a host of undead reside down here. It is possible that this area was once a graveyard or city that was destroyed by whatever left this crater. The bones are the remains of that civilization or cemetery and a few undead have taken at their lair. We need to be wary though and prepared for an ambush. If possible we should lower 2 people down at the same time or affix multiple ropes to be able to descend together.
Depending on whoever is the boldest to descend first Kragg volunteers to go second as he is not much of a climber at his age and will need help to be lowered down.
Thame was torn between wanting to go first (and therefore be lowered by someone and not have to climb) and last (and be the last to enter possible danger). Seeing Kragg volunteer for second and assuming that Trieste was still going to take point, the wizard volunteered, "I'll go in next after the first two."
Once the order was fixed and they had their two coils of rope knotted and in place, the wizard stood anxiously at the lip of the crevice, hoping to hear nothing but the sound of the all clear below.
Hengeist offers to go first and deal with anything waiting below? "Me first and Kragg next. Send Kragg fast if I start screaming."
the group works out a plan for getting down and starts to get ready for a descent.
Hengeist prepares a rope and ties it off to as sturdy an anchor as he can find (there is plenty of pretty solid half-buried stonework items, it is easy to find a suitable anchor). there are multiple volunteers to go down first, but eventually an order is more or less decided.
[ooc]the spoilers below are 2 different things, roll separate checks for each. the first is on the ground near Hengeist, the second is the surrounding area.
you spot a body partially fused to the stone near where the rope is tied off. while most of the skeleton's gear is fused to it's remains and ruined, you are able to spot an elaborate brooch with a faceted sapphire. the setting itself is ruined, but the gem can be removed and is worth 875 gp
you see movement out of the corner of your eye. you turn your head and see several of the blast silhouettes moving and flickering, as if they are shadows being cast be creatures running in panic around the area.
the sky darkens and you see streaks of light form in the sky above.
"Is that...Is that a skeleton?" Lara asks, pointing to a spot near where Hengeist anchored his rope. "That's quite the jewel in that brooch."
Lara spots a very nice gem and snatches it up. it falls from its housing very easily.
"That's not all. Heads up people! There's some sort of shadows moving toward us!"
Kragg follows Trieste’s pointing as he tries to spot the shadows as well.
Perception
Yeah I see them too. They don’t look friend,y that is for sure.
Know religion/planes to identify (+4 If not religion/planes)
Thame's eyes lit up as Lara found the valuable gem close to where they landed in the cavern, the prospect of easy loot always appealing. The wizard then groaned as Trieste pointed out the inevitable bad guys that would be around to guard said loot, readying himself to fight whatever was moving at them.
Kragg immediately recognizes the sight as a haunt. you are about to relive whatever traumatic event happened here so long ago! Kragg and Trieste can act before that happens. you have one shot at destroying this haunt before whatever this is happens!
Hoping to alert the others before the haunt affects them Kragg calls out to the others. Run if you can before it is too late! He then targets everyone but himself with a communal protection from evil spell hoping to protect them from whatever may happen. Abadar protect them!
this is still up top. a rope has been tied off, but so far no one has made the climb down.
Kragg yells out and casts a protection spell, but there is no time to escape.
the sky darkens significantly. streaks of red light appear against the dark sky, and the smell of burning permeates the area. the blasted shadows of people resolve into images of people running, panicked and looking to the sky. some are just kneeling on the ground crying.
the ground shakes as something big hits the earth. more impacts shake the ground and you feel the ground beneath you shift. a series of smaller meteors fall among the party, rock blasting apart into a molten spray that sears your skin
Hengeist and Lara take near direct hits from falling rocks, while the others are able to jump back or find some measure of cover.
the firey storm continues around you. the best cover appears to be available by descending into the pit, but the warning of the glyphs is firm in your mind. do you take your chances with undead, or retreat up slope through the fires of Azlant's last days?
Not sure what lies beneath but hoping that is safer than another meteor blast Kragg grabs the rope and repels down as fast as he can to get to the relatively safe hole in the ground. Once down and if the others follow he channels energy to heal the party as best he can.
Channel
Lets hurry and explore while we can as that protection spell is only going to last a minute.
Thame managed to squirm behind some cover, hissing as the heat threatened to overwhelm him. Not overly excited about the hole but even less so about being immolated, the wizard hurried after the dwarf and others, hoping they weren't being herded by some malevolent force.
Noticing the shadows and preparing for an upcoming fight, Trieste casts bull strength on herself. And then manages to dodge a little bit of the fire. What is it with this place trying to burn my hair away?! With her boosted strength, she follows Kragg down into the hole.
Lara covers her head with her arms and scurries toward the hole before rappelling down.
the group follows Kragg's lead, pushing forward and sliding down into the darkness.
inside, the room is lit with dim light coming from the hole in the ceiling. as you descend the rope, you see that this was once a structure of some sort, but it has collapsed and is in major disrepair. a portion of the chamber is flooded with water flowing from streams coming down from the open ceiling that you are coming down through.
The floor, partially obscured by piles of stone and debris, consists of corroded, interlocking tiles of brass and copper lined with delicate silver threads. a pair of steel doors is set into the wall to the North, and a break in the eastern wall reveals another chamber that is completely dark.
"interesting," Trieste says peering at the metal floor. "I wonder if there's more beneath this," she says tapping on it gently. "Lara, can you shed some light so you and the others can see better? I think you should have a look at this door."
Careful with the door Trieste. There is a broken area in the eastern wall as well. We should check that out before opening any other doors at the moment. By my great great great great uncle Balin's beard we do not want to get trapped down here.
Kragg casts detect magic before moving as well to find if there are any magical auras. If the area seems clear then he moves towards the opening to see what threat that might pose.
Thame looked at the embedded metallic threads in the flooring, cocking his head as he studied them in the dim light. He searched through his memory to see if he could dredge up some kind of arcane purpose for the circuitry.
Regardless of what he discovered (or didn't), the wizard nodded sagely along with Kragg's suggestion. "Securing the open area seems like a great idea, Kragg. Um, I'm right behind you."
the dim light makes it really hard to make anything out, but you spot something moving in the shadows. it looks to be made of... more shadow. nothing has jumped out to attack you, but you know in your gut you are being watched and stalked
Kragg detects magic and finds that there are indeed magical auras coming from the metal door. focusing on the auras he finds abjuration and transmutation magic, but both are very faint and seem to be from spells that were placed very very long ago.
Thame studies the floor and door, tracing the circuitry. he knows of no spells that use symbols like this, and isn't able to determine the use of the metal. it appears to be more mechanical or technological in nature rather than magical.
Global Condition: None |
Global Condition:
Hengeist HP: 19/40 - AC: 17/12/17 Status:
Thame HP: 12/22 - AC: 12/12/10 Status:
Lara: HP: 7/28 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Kragg HP: 21/31 - AC: 19/10/19 Status:
Trieste HP: 20/30 - AC: 19/10/19 Status:NPCS:
Trieste continues to peer around the darkness, giving her eyes a little time to adjust.
"I don't think we're alone here," she whispers to Kragg. "I can't quite make anything out, but there seems to be... something moving."
Thanks Thame for covering me.
Is it another haunt Trieste? If so we can’t take another haunt like that. Otherwise let us light a stone and toss it over to where to saw it to illuminate what ever is down here. That will give the rest a chance at seeing it well in the light.
Thame nodded nervously to Kragg before turning his attention to Trieste, peering into the darkness with squinted eyes. Determining that extreme caution couldn't do anything but help, the wizard muttered a quick spell, a trio of duplicate Thames popping up to hang out with the original.
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Hengeist hangs back uncertainly, letting the more scholarly types try to figure out what the significance of this room could be. he looks around into the darkness, weapons ready.
At Kragg's request, Lara casts Light on a rock and chucks it in the direction of the crack in the wall where Treiste saw motion.
the rock clatters to a stop and lights up the room. shadows evaporate with the magical light. all but two of them that is....
no without darkness to hid them, two humanoid shadows stand in the open. they appear to form from shadow, but take a more solid form once the light reveals them. smoke rises from their forms, and bright red embers sit deep in their eyes...
Luckily, the party is ready due to Trieste's keen eyesight
these creatures are known as Blast Shadows. remnants of the people who lived here when the nation of Azlant was blasted to pieces by Earthfall. though they look insubstantial and wreathed in smoke and flame, they are not incorporeal. they cause fire damage, are immune to fire, and are undead.
in addition to the information above, you also figure out that they are vulnerable to cold attacks, and that they will explode quite violently when destroyed
even though they are surprised at being spotted, the creatures are still faster than anyone in the party.
both of them in turn glow faintly like embers of a dying fire, and a cloud of smoke emanates from their bodies.
the first one walks up to Hengeist and slashes at him with a wicked claw
Hengeist is slashes and his skin wrinkles as it burns at a touch
the second one attacks Thame
The whole party may act
Global Condition: None |
Global Condition:
Hengeist HP: 22/40 - AC: 17/12/17 Status:
Thame HP: 22/22 - AC: 12/12/10 Status: mirror image (2)
Lara: HP: 20/28 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Kragg HP: 31/31 - AC: 19/10/19 Status:
Trieste HP: 30/30 - AC: 19/10/19 Status:NPCS:
Shadow 1 HP: ??? | AC ???
Shadow 2 HP: ??? | AC ???
Trieste steps to the side (to allow the wizard a retreat) while she casts a spell causing thorns and spiny vines to burst from her arms and torso (casting vine strike). Jobert issues a threatening growl as he grows in size (now medium) and shuffles out of Trieste's way.
know religion
Careful everyone. Although they look like shadows they are solid and burn upon contact. He then blesses the party to aid them in their attacks while he steps to the north to bring his longspear to bear should Hengiest retreat and keep the shadow at range.
Hengeist feels the burn from the touch of the shadow creature and flies into a bloodrage. Grunting with the effort he grips the falchion in both hands as he brings it down.
bloodrage power attack with +1 falchion for
Thame yelped in terror as the flaming shadow creature popped one of his illusions, gladly taking the escape Trieste offered and retreating behind Hengeist. Feeling a little badly about possibly subjecting the warrior to both of the shadows, the wizard chants a short incantation and touched Hengeist's back. The bloodrager's form begins to shimmer slightly upon the touch, affording him a bit of protection from the enemies.
Lara quickly nocks an arrow to her bowstring and lets fly at the northern shadow.
Confronted with a new and unknown threat, the party quickly turns to face the creatures and prepare themselves for a fight. Kragg brings the blessing of Abadar, Trieste grows sharp thorns, and Thame tries to help Hengeist avoid being hit.
Hengeist swings a mighty blow with his Falchion, sure that he is on target. unfortunately the choking cloud of ash surrounding the creature makes it hard to pinpoint where it is, and Hengeist is unable to connect.
Lara adds a shot with her bow at the same creature, but is not able to hit.
the creatures press their attack. the one fighting Hengesit just slashes twice at him with both clawed hands.
the cloud of fire and smoke around the creature burns Hengesists flesh, but its claws do not find purchase.
the second shadow steps closer to Trieste, swinging twice at her
the creature lands ne blow on Trieste, burning her skin. both Trieste and Jobert are burned by the fire and smoke swirling around the creature
bold may act:
Hengeist, Thame, Lara, Kragg, Trieste/Jobert, Blast Shadows
Global Condition: None |
Global Condition:
Hengeist HP: 19/40 - AC: 17/12/17 Status: blur
Thame HP: 22/22 - AC: 12/12/10 Status: mirror image (2)
Lara: HP: 20/28 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Kragg HP: 31/31 - AC: 19/10/19 Status: Bless
Trieste HP: 17/30 - AC: 19/10/19 Status: Vine Strike
Jobert HP: 12/15 - AC: 16/11/16 Status: medium sizedNPCS:
Red Shadow HP: ??? | AC > 17
Yellow Shadow HP: ??? | AC ???
Lara curses as her arrow misses, but quickly nocks another. She angles for a better shot, then releases the arrow to go speeding at the same target again.