Again Gerion hesitates, but glad to not have to do battle he then quickly nods.
"You are most generous, High Priest. Your terms are acceptable. Can you tell us more about the Eye?"
Taeral stands by silently, listening to the conversation and the terms of the agreement between the two ancient followers of Vetra-Kali Eats-the-Eyes.
"As it rests here, the Eye emanates an eldritch hatred against Mitra and his followers, but restored to the statue in the Sanctum it will glow to identify if any divine spells are cast by followers of Mitra within the Horn. When combined with the powers of the other Eyes, they are a powerful force against the followers of Mitra."
Oh, and here is the loot:
- Ornate silver belt studded with obsidian (belt of giant’s strength +2)
- A plain golden ring (ring of mind shielding)
- An ornate teak wood box holding a glass lens (a lens of detection)
- A walking stick of hard black wood adorned with silver fixtures and green semi-precious stones (rod of elemental metamagic [acid], lesser)
- Two iron plates both carved in abyssal that read “Aticus” and “Andian”
- A ton (yes, 2000 lbs) of solid silver furnishings -- plates, silverware, goblets, candelabra, cirlets, jewelry and the like worth 10,000 gp total
- 800 lbs of similar golden items -- worth 40,000 gp
- Six chests full of mixed coinage from dozens of nations worth 5,500 gp total (approximately 550 lbs of coin)
- A carefully packed crate holding a dozen potions of cure moderate wounds (labelled as such in abyssal)
- And of course the gem is the Eye of Hatred
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Unless, I am wrong, you have now recovered two of the three Eyes needed to conduct the ritual.
I am equally positive that you have encountered the third eye, but failed to recognize it as such.
You are getting quite close to being ready to kick off this ritual.
Here is the actual text from the Dirges of Apollyon where the ritual is described.
The Dirges of Apollyon
Behold our shame that we, the Sons of the Pale
Horseman, failed in our darkest hour to defend our
prince the undying and ever malevolent Vetra-Kali
Eats-the-Eyes. But I have seen it! I have seen the
road to repentenance! 666 prayers. Three per day
will break the hated Seal. With each prayer bathe
the seal in unholy water and intone the dirge.
At the stroke of midnight each day call forth the
Supplication to Darkness. Pray to the darkness so
that we shall be forgiven. Upon the first midnight
make the first sacrifice -- one of our own blood -- so
that Vetra-Kali will know we are repentant.
At the first light of each dawn call forth the
Cursing of the Light. Answer the spread of the
shining lord’s light with our unyielding defiance.
Upon the 111th Curse make the second sacrifice --
a true believer of Mitra -- so that the cursed god of
the invaders will know that we fear him not and
that his power to hold our master at bay is ending.
At dusk as darkness returns each day cry forth
the Call Across the Void. Recite the name of Vetra-
Kali so that he may hear us and return. With
the final Call offer the third sacrifice -- one of the
Victor’s own blood. By the same blood that caged
him so shall our master be freed.
Let ye with wisdom understand. Once the final
prayer is uttered upon the 222nd dusk, Vetra-Kali
will begin his long traverse across the great wheel.
At the stroke of midnight on that day he will
emerge into his Sanctum and the Seal shall shatter.
Blessed day! Be ready, my brothers. His eyes
have been stolen from him. Return them and the
Prince will honor ye with one task for each.
For the Eye of Vigilance ask only for his mercy
upon we mortals and plead that he do ye and yours
no harm. For his wroth will be great.
For the Eye of Hatred ask for his greatest gift --
the Tears of Achlys so that once more every corner
of the world may know his mercy.
For the Eye of Withering ask what ye will for
in his gratitude he must answer your charge.
And then behold, the Prince restored. All shall
know his blessings of pestilence and despair.
-R.Kappelbrenner
"We need to find Mitrans I think,"
[Dice=Kn religion]1d20+5
[Dice=Perception]1d20+9"We need to find Mitrans I think,"
"I believe once the word gets out that something is happening in the Horn, we'll have no shortage of Mitrans as they flock here to investigate."
"Don't these iron plates look awfully familiar? "
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Gertart takes out one of the journals and begins making notes of tasks that need accomplishing.
Gertart collects the key from working capture pen (2-5)
"Good eye Mordecai, there was a mural below that showed binding bear like-creatures with them." (2-9)
Spending a day in the hall of murals Gertart [EDIT: doesn't] translate the following. (2-21)
Ok, I just posted the text and links from my post #2975 into a spoiler up above. Does that satisfy the request? I can modify what is in there however you guys want.
You can absolutely sell stuff in town, and buy stuff, and get raw materials for crafting. You've now got quite a bit of loot, and soon you will start 222 (no doubt boring) days of waiting, before anything interesting could possibly happen. What could go wrong?
1) Room 2-19 - Broken Statue that is very detailed. There is a head in room 2-7 Statuary Graveyard
2) If the head matches, we use the stone salve from room 1-18 Alchemist Laboratory on the two pieces. What is the result?
3) If we cannot find the correct head, what affect does the stone salve have on the belt pouch in room 2-19?
I believe you have 3 doses of stone salve, so one is sufficient for this task.
Indeed, the statue in room 2-19 does, in fact, match the head in 2-7. Placing them together, and using stone salve, leaves you with a quite alive individual. This individual is known as "Halthus the Flayer." Gerion, no doubt recalls him as one of the many "death priests." Halthus is quite surprised to be alive. Halthus is not technically a cleric, or other spellcaster, but not all of the death priests were.
The last Halthus remembers, enemies were everywhere, brothers were dying all around him. He even heard that Vetra-Kali himself had been slain, and then some wizard petrified him.
Of particular note, Halthus has a ummm, The Withering Eye in the pocket that detected as magic.
"We seek to free Vetra Kali, Halthi. Join us and you will have ample opportunity to slay Mitrans"
A different day translating the murals....
Xeram can help with the translations.
In downtime, he can work on any wondrous items.
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Over a week, Taeral is able to translate the Murals 4 times.
Success earns the researcher one of three rituals: Call Forth the Hounds, Call Forth the Steed and the Cauldron of the Earth. These rituals can only be performed once a year.
Call Forth the Hounds: If three guard dogs (25 gp each) are poisoned with a very speci c preparation (cost- ing 2400 gp in total) and then ritually slaughtered, they will rise as hell hounds in life-long service to whoever cut the guard dog’s throat.
Call Forth the Steed: If a ne heavy warhorse (worth 300 gp) is slain and then set a ame with a very speci c and exotic mixture of incense, powered gemstones and prayer strips (costing 3000 gp) then from the ame will emerge a nightmare who will serve whoever lit the pyre. e creature who emerges calls itself Carnitheria Rex and will serve faithfully for the life of its master.
Cauldron of the Earth: is ritual must be performed over a pit of boiling mud (C8 above). A specially pre- pared concotion of rare earths and powered obsidian (worth 1200 gp) must be poured into the boiling mud while reciting a prayer to the Lord of Evil Earth Elemen- tals. is calls forth four mudmen.
So, I believe you have access to all three now!
Taeral ensures that everyone is aware of the three rituals.
Room 3-2
Additions to what was given previously:
The secret door took a DC 15 to find because the door has been seriously damaged. If this room were cleaned, the door patched and closed this could again be a well concealed secret door (DC 30).
Taking 20 finds no traps on the door.
Room 3-3
This room once held one of the greatest collections of blasphemous and evil tomes ever assembled on this plane. Now it contains only ashes. When the Victor discovered
this chamber, his words were terse: “To the fire.”His order was obeyed. Every scroll, tome and treatise was consigned to flame. All that remains is an inscription in Abyssal that reads “Behold the secrets of death. Use them for my glory.”
There are no secrets here anymore. Only ashes and memories.
Presuming there is nothing more to this room: "I think that covers just about everything. Time to start rebuilding these defenses?"
Gerion follows along, always alert, always ready for an attack that never seems to come. Still, his wariness never falters.
Room 3-12
The narrow spiral staircase that runs from the hidden chamber in the lower caverns (C5A) terminates here into a landing. This room is empty and bare. There are two badly deteriorated skeletons inside broken worthless suits of what was once masterwork full-plate. The ruined armored is covered in symbols similar to those that adorn the Horn itself.
You will note that 3-12 is not a location previously explored, as it cannot be reached for the other side of the walls of rooms 3-2, 3-4, and 3-5
"Mordecai, I think you will want to look more closely at those two."
"I believe both the mud men and the hounds are worth the gold. The steed i do not think we have any need for? " he suggests as he is told about the rituals
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No, those skeletons are nothing special.
Lawful evil, not lawful wastful. I think killing steeds & trained dogs is a waste of resources.
Everyone is LE.
"Mordecai, I think you will want to look more closely at those two."
"Perhaps they were knights or guards when they were still alive... Nonetheless, I can bring them to undeath once we get supplies from the city. "
"Should we investigate the sanctum above, before we commit ourselves to building the defenses? Perhaps these stone tablets play a role in there... "
Errrr, but once you allied with them, they would let you up. I believe you didn't go because you had other places you wanted to explore first.
When I say "they" I mean just the one, the other isn't back yet.
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"Ready to attempt the fifth level then?"
"Ready," says Gerion firmly.
"Then let us clear this place out, and claim it for the cause."
"Yes, let us continue."
"Mighty Vexor, the masters are ready to ascend," the boggard bows and indicates Mordecai and Taeral. "Are their other applies above or any dangers that might hinder our returning Vetra-Kali you wish to inform them off? Gertrart follows the masters after checking the door is safe of surprises.
Vexor knows nothing about what is above his chamber, he has never been up there.
Ok, so the spiral staircase goes up several hundred feet from Hexor and Vexor's room.
You arrive in room:
S-1, The Sanctum
This large domed chamber is baroquely decorated and everywhere adorned with jagged daemonic iconography and visions of spreading pestilence and mortal suffering. It is a grand chamber: eighty feet across at its widest, ninety feet long and rising at its apex to a dome fifty feet high. Low partition walls section off two ritual preparation chambers (A and B). And dominating the chamber is the statue of Vetra-Kali himself carved from hard green alabaster. He holds three knives and three bowls and leers eyeless over the altar before him. He presents a figure of brutal alien malice.
The green stone of the altar is stained black in many places, doubtless from the countless victims who met their end upon its block. There is a reservoir at the base of the statue and any water placed there is instantly polluted and transformed into unholy water. The statue radiates evil.
Circling the dome in perpetual motion is a huge creature of living energy. This lightning elemental is a conglomeration of magical energy spontaneously achieving life. There is so much raw magic here that the elemental formed years ago and has been growing ever since.
Completely out of place is the heavy silver chain that bind the altar and connect to a heavy argent seal pressed with the holy sunburst of blessed Mitra -- the Silver Seal. The chains and the seal are a powerful divine artifact and cannot be moved by any mortal agency. And as long as the seal persists, Vetra-Kali will never again manifest upon this mortal plane.
S-2 The Balcony
This open balcony overlooks the surrounding countryside. From here you can see the other strange jagged hills that rise around the Horn. The hills seem almost to be bowing as if each of these ancient stone giants recognize they are lesser than the grand and magnificent spectacle that is the Horn of Abaddon.
If someone were to be thrown off this balcony, they would fall 50 feet before smashing into the side of the Horn (taking 5d6 damage). At that point, this individual would have one chance to avoid falling further. They could try to grab onto one of the countless jutting lesser spires that thrust from the Horn. They should make a DC 18 Reflex save. If they succeed, they stop falling and can climb back to the balcony using the many handholds and ledges (DC 10). Fail and the victim plummets three hundred feet to the canopied forest floor below (taking 20d6 damage).
I am guessing that Gerion was in the lead, so the Elemental charges him!
The 1d8 is electricity
The elemental has 15' reach, so it is not right next to Gerion. Luckily Gerion has 10' reach, so he can 5' in. The rest of you might want to watch for AOOs.
The party is up!
Ask more questions if you rolled high enough.
"Ah...that's one huge lightning elemental, to say the least."
He calmly states.
Xeram points an accusing finger at the elemental.
"Lightning eh? Feel the fire!"
Xeram's first ray misses, but the second hits. Unfortunately, elementals are immune to crits!
Elemental - 11