"I don't that the body was ever here ta begin with, Ratchet. Didn't one of them murals show one of these windy dukes getting sucked into oblivion? That could've been this Zosiel duke." Travigan shrugs and shakes his head, "S'all just guessin' though." He then draws the items out of the sarcophagus and lays them out for the group to inspect. "Any o' you make any sense outta these things?"
Erethyn examines the boxes carefully to try and identify what the glyphs mean.
"I may not know everything, but I believe the glyphs to be of Miska the Wolf Spider." His brow furrowed and his voice became strained. "She is the Demon Queen of Chaos. This does not bode well."
He then set aside the down the pewter box and tried to examine the auras surrounding the Diadem.
After about thirty seconds he shook his head in defeat."Whatever it's enchantments, I can't seem to make them out. Though with more time, I'm sure I could."
Casting a detect magic
It is a periapt of wisdom she says with a smile
"I know little of these things."
"Mebbe if'n ye put that thing on, ye'll know a little more." Ratchet says to Ulfak with a grin.
"I am willing." The shaman waits to see if anyone else is keener.
Travigan offers with a chuckle, "Ye'll not get me ta put that dainty little tiara on. S'all yers, Ulfak!"
He will don the periapt gingerly then.
Erethyn nodded but said nothing more for the moment.
Ulfak moves back to the air column ready to leave, hoping he can descend easily.
"Well I don' rightly know what th' rest o' this stuff is, but we might as well gather it all up an' take it back ta' town. Might even catch up with those broken-legged fools from earlier. Ha. That'd be a fun walk back, wouldn't it? Ha!"
"Yes, a fun walk indeed." Erethyn says dryly.
Ratchet takes one last look around and starts the trudge back outside.
Collecting your booty, we make your slow way out of the cairn. Emerging back out into the sunlight, you find the trio of Greyhawk adventures busying around their small campsite. Khellek, now conscious, rebuffs any offer of aid. He insists that they will return to Diamond Lake in their own good time and will do so with out any bothersome walking. Tirra, leg propped up in the air, just shrugs with a rueful smile and Auric barely acknowledges your presence, as he digs graves for the fallen expedition members.
Your return to town is much easier this time around, though you take a few jabs and catcalls from the locals, mostly some variation of, "Almost didn't recognize you with all your blood on the inside."
Returning to the inn, you settle in for a little rest and relaxation. A relatively uneventful week passes, with two exceptions:
On the day following your return a letter is delivered for by one of the local children. When asked who asked him to deliver it, he says, with a gapped toothed grin, that it was from Alustan the Wizard.
I'm glad to see that you have all managed to return relatively unharmed from your exploits. I imagine that you found some things of interest during your nosing about and if you would like a second opinion on their significance, do not hesitate to stop by to say hello. I am a bit of history buff and would love the opportunity to see what you have found.
Alustan
On the fifth day, a uniformed officer of the town militia drops of a summons
"Har, har! Yerself was plainly recognizable what with all that stupid still painted on yer face!" Travigan barks out similar retorts to any other insults as the group moves through town.
"Alustan? Can't say I've 'eard o' 'im. Thanks anyhow, lad." Travigan pats the delivery boy on the head and flips him a silver piece for his trouble.
---
Later, when he's met up with the group once more, Travigan rumbles in between large bites of crusty bread, "So I got from some fellah named 'Alustan'. He's seemingly 'eard what we done in the cairn an' wants ta look o'er what we found. I wouldn'a mind th' extra set o' eyes, truth be told. What do th' rest o' ye think?"
"Ah yes. I have heard of Alustan. A learned man from the area, and the mayor's elder brother. He's only recently retired from his days of being an adventurer.
I think it would be beneficial to us to see him about some of our discoveries. Preferably before we meet the mayor about our involvement in local business. We did raise quite a fuss. Maybe we could convince him to smooth some things over."
Indeed, he can also help in our investigation into the Kyuss Worm
"Smooth things over? Bah! If'n their intentions were as noble as they were claimin', after we found 'em in a pickle mind you, then they needn't 'ave been so blasted rude ta us 'lesser folk'. They got what was comin' to 'em an' we saved their arrogant heads ta boot. Things're as smooth wi' them as they should be." The aged half elf then turns to Sandra, "An' you, still goin' on about them weird lil' worms? What's got you so fascinated with 'em?"
I know a ting or two about undead and these are just... unheard off and if these could be cultivated well entire kingdoms could be "turned" i would herald of new type of living dead
"Bah. I'm sure it's not as bad as all that, lass. Filch was prob'ly th' last we'll see o' that mess, an' good riddance! Can't say I cared overmuch for the little blighter or 'is macabre 'patients'. He's ah whackjob through an' through, that one."
"Lets hope yer right." Ratchet said, knowing full well that unfinished business tended to come back around at the least opportune time.
When the letter comes he grumbles.
"Aint never good when the people in charge take notice o' ye. Lets go see what he wants."
"See wizard first. Then maybe he talk to his brother for us. Not what you know..." mumbles the druid. He regards the paper as something like a cross between rubbish and a snake.
The wolf shaman has to spend his early mornings out and running away from Diamond Lake. He cannot stay in one place. He does look in on Maginnis at the soup kitchen and talk of Alustan a little. But talking is not his speciality, not even close.
"Maybe these horns are worth somethin' ta Alustan? After all the grief we went through ta get 'em, it sure would be nice if these turned out ta be priceless relics. Ha! Maybe there're worth enough ta move outta this mud hole an' to th' city. That'd be somethin'." Travigan continues to make such small talk as the group meanders there way to Alustan's.
Well lets get to is then. she says with a smile
You head to the Allustan's modest house on the outskirts of the town. A single level stone house sits in a large well manicured garden and as you tramp up the path, the man himself comes around from behind the building.
A tall man with a dark beard streaked with grey, Allustan waves a hand in greeting and come to meet you.
"Ah, I see that you received my invitation. I am Allustan and this is my humble abode. Was there anything particular that you wanted discuss, or are were you just dropping by to say hello?"
The Elf gives a friendly smile and inclines his head.
"Well met, Master Allustan. Yes, we received your invitation and we have come to speak with you on several matters of note. Our first order of business here, is to show you an interesting worm we came across. Sandra, I believe you have the specimen."
indeed i do she hands over the container
"Don't forget why his brother wants to see us. And the empty observatory." says Ulfak from the back. He has little trust for the authorities in Diamond Lake and what these uncivilised house dwellers can justice.
"Worm matters less than bars and jail."
"Mostly, we were curious what you wanted t' discuss with us." Ratchet said to the wizard.
"Do all o' ye play cards with yer hands showin' ta th' whole table too? Boil my blood!" Travigan runs his hand across his face in consternation and shakes his head bewilderedly. "Too young an too eager fer their own good sometimes," he mutters into his palm. With a sigh, he shakes his head softly once more before looking back up to Allustan. He shrugs then adds, "Aye, it's as they say. If'n ye'd be interested ta discuss these things, we'd be interested ta hear what ye might know."
"I will not lie. That is what he can do. Why I am here. Not Filge's Observatory or the bits from the Cairn."
"I prefer dice." Ratchet shrugs. "I'd rather play odds than people."
Alustan takes the jar and gives it a swirl, watching the worm writhe. "Interesting specimen. Can't say what it is off the top of my head, but if you leave it with me, I can make some inquiries."
He looks up, "As to why I wanted to see you, it's simple enough. You've been pillaging one of the local wind lord tombs and I was curious as to hear what you found. If it's been pacified, I'll probably go muck about in it a bit. My brother on the other hand probably wants to see if you need to be arrested. You've been messing about with Balabar Smenk's business and word is that you roughed up and robbed his pet necromancer."
"Oh? Is that what the word is then? An' these people are to be arrested? This mud-hole's right and truly backward in that case. Roughin' up necromancers sounds like any good citizen's duty if'n ye ask me." Travigan crosses his arms but gives Alustan a look that says "I-know-that-you-know-and-you-know-that-I'm-not-confessin'-or-admittin'-to- nothing".
"Who is this Brabadar Smenk? He town chief not mayor from what you say."
"His pet necromancer robbed the grave of a child to make an abomination. The child's ghosts was one of the folks we ran into in that temple. He asked us to set things right and we did. Now there's one less child ghost in the world and a few less monsters made outta kids. You really think that's something' we should feel bad about?" Ratchet said taking a swig of his flask.
"As for the tomb, yeah sure. It's clear. Still dangerous if ye aren't paying attention, but nothing's going to actively try to kill you now."
"Hmmm? Smenk? He's a mine manager. Pretty much the big bug in town."
"Well I'm not sure following the instructions of a ghost is really something that is going to stand up in a court of law, but be my guest. Regardless, I don't care to discuss the morality of the situation. Necromancy, while often distasteful, is not technically illegal. Besides, even if it were, I wasn't aware that you were law enforcement agents."
He gives all another once over, "Didn't think so. Anyways, I doubt much will come of it. Balabar is more the type to see you in a shallow grave, than behind bars. I'm sure he's just playing some angle. But enough about your legal woes, was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"
Sandra just shrugs her shoulder with an expression that says sure let them try coming against us
"We found a few items I think we all know are prob'ly valuable, but I don't know that any o' us have any proper idea why other than the fact that it's all really old." Travigan produces the horns from the spiderwolf and shows them to Alustan. "Foun' these in a tomb belongin' ta some ancient figure by th' name o' Zosiel, if that means anything."
Allustan shrugs, "Zosiel doesn't mean anything in particular to me. Ahh, what have we here? That his a lovely set of demon horns you have there. Very useful for magical experiments. I will give you 100gp for the pair. "
"Well if'n those interest ye, there was this box we found too. Ye can take ah look at that as well if it pleases ye." Travigan fishes the pewter box out as well and extends it to Alustan.
Allustan takes to sealed box, "Hmmm, interesting." Taking a small knife from his belt, he picks at the metal solder that seals it. Wedging in his knife blade, he manages to pry off the lid. Inside there is an ugly metal rod that ends in a rough hoop. "As I live and breathe, I never thought I would see one of those. This my new friends in a control rod for a sphere of annihilation, an orb of pure nothingness. Their very touch will tear you from the fabric of the multiverse. A very interesting find, though not particularly practical unless you happen to find a sphere."
He hands it back to you, "You should hang on to that. It's a fitting trophy of your exploreation."
Will do she says grabbing the rod
Ratchet nods. "A hunnert gold it is." Ratchet says agreeing to the deal.
"Aye, so that's what we found an' were able ta bring back wi' us. We'll keep th' rod, but don' judge me fer hopin' I never see one o' them spheres ye describe; they sound like a good way ta have yer day ruined if ye ask me." Travigan shakes his head at the thought of such devices and how they would be used. "Did ye have any questions yerself, Alustan?"
"Questions? No. I'll confess that I may have been spying on you a little. You know, magic and all that," he waggles his fingers suggestively. " I just wanted to see what you were like in person. I have a vested interest in keep tabs on worthies in the region and you seem to me like people worth knowing. While I have no official position in the region, and do have several unofficial ones. If the need arose, would you answer a call for aid?"