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Zinnifen scurries after Egg into the new chamber. "Oooh. This is interesting, too."
He practically skips over to the edge of the water. "Oh, hello there." While waiting for the gillman to acknowledge him, he takes out a small vial and downs the contents. Fine fish scales sprout across his face, is ears grow slightly larger and scalloped in the back, his fingers grow longer and webbing spreads between them, and a little tail emerges from under his belt.
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"Interesting?!? But.. Thamysa, don't you see what all this could mean?" Eoran almost yells, struggling to contain his excitement. "Look, see this?" As he points to the mural of the builder, one of the glowing orbs turns a bright shade of red and flies over to the carving on the wall. "This would probably be a reference to when Absalom was built, and this..." He points, and once again the glowing orb darts across the wall to the image of the trader"This could indicate the creators of the mural taking a part in Absalomi trade centuries, even millennia ago!" His arms almost flail about as his ramblings seem to reach a crescendo "Don't you see? For all we know, this cave could be evidence that Absalom was built with the help of the remnants of the ancient Azlantians!"
Eoran takes a few deep breaths before furiously taking the pen to his notes, eager to put everything he just said to paper.
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"Oh I wholeheartedly agree my dear Thimyra, the history of ones homeland does linger closer to the heart after all." Eoran replies, oblivious to the warriors utter disinterest. "I will not deny my fondness for Thassilonian history, or even for the ancient Shoanti on certain days. But do remember that history is like a web stretching through both time and space, it is all connected, and in more ways than we often care to think about..." He catches himself before getting into another lecture "But I do apologize, we're here to do a job, not discuss history. I'm afraid I will have to get back to your questions some other time." And with that, the elf walks towards the pool while carefully hiding his notes away in a scroll case.
Try as you might the gillman is deep in concentration and meditation.
Make a Sense motive check.
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Iantha's been quiet, left a little out of her depth by the discussion happening around her. Still, she's a little in awe of the carvings, and especially of the miniature city. She's similarly impressed by her companions, listening with interest to their conversation.
As the conversation wanes, she does find her attention wandering, specifically towards the gillman, seemingly ignoring their attention and movement.
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Egg, recalling his master's teachings not to interrupt one's meditations, silently walks by the gillman, wading into the pool and approaches the miniature city. Recalling the mural of the Thief, he says a silent prayer, and takes one of the polished stones from the diorama...he bows again and then retreats from the pool...
After a while the gillman looks up and is a bit perplexed. He looks at you warily.
The gillman replies."I am here to pray. And you disturb my prayers!"
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Zinnifen shakes the water off of himself once he has climbed onto the stone table. He invokes the magic gifted in his blood to cause several of the buildings in the diorama to become colored in swirling rainbows.
"There, that's be--" he stops and looks at the gillman who has finally woken up. "Hey! We left you alone to pray. We're just doing our own thing."
The gillman is warming up to you. "Well this water is pure and sacred to our kin. Why are you here?"
Iantha understands the gillman is deaf.
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Iantha turns her head to the side, at least partially trying to obscure what she's saying. Even if she isn't saying anything rude, she feels like she shouldn't be speaking about him where he might be able to read her lips.
"I do not think he can hear you. Maybe writing would allow clearer communication."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Eoran stands like hypnotized, staring at the diorama now swimming with colours, lost in his own world "Hmm.. yeah" He mutters, before sharply snapping back to reality. "No, wait. What? Nono, I meant: do you know how long they have been comming here? When did they discover the caves? Do they know who made the carvings, or how long they've been here"
Due to Zinnifens work the party is blessed:
All of the PCs get a +1 competence bonus on Perception checks to notice creatures.
Egg make a diplomacy check.
The gillman replies: "We do not loose our cloaks, but this one is definetly one of ours. The artwork is unique!"
Anyone else trying to befriend the gillman or do you prefer to continue?
The gillman waves his hand in a quarter circle with the hand outstretched. "Our pilgremmage is a lonely one. And as far as I know, we never venture deeper in the caves. What we seek is here, right here!"
He opens his hand so that his fingers are wide apart he shakes it."Also there is a bad smell I noticed from deeper inside!"
You want to continue southeast or southwest?
Egg has no problem and moves purposfully toward the bad smell in a cavern in the south east.
The cave’s damp air becomes increasingly stale as you continue down through this tunnel, and as they approach this area, the stench of decay grows increasingly evident.
The passage turns to the east and opens into a small cavern littered with bits of broken glass, rotting pieces of paper, and other unusable detritus. The body of a male dhampir lies facedown toward the back of the cavern.
You also see a few undead.
The living dead
Egg Fu
Eroran
Iantha
Skaf
Themyscira
Zinnifen
Unfortunately the skeletons win iniative and one charges egg, while the others shamble behind.
The first skeleton dies in the combined arrow and lightning.
And with one flask of holy water the skeletons are no more.
As you search the corpse you find an shield and an longsword, booth magical.
Among the fallen bodies, the PCs find a note
written by the dhampir that details plans to start an army of undead made from the “fish people” who have been frequenting this cave.
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Iantha almost deflates as the skeletons are dispatched with the holy water, almost disappointed by the combat ending without her help.
As the group examines the note, she motions back to the Dhampir's body, face-down in the cave. "If that is the one responsible for these undead, then it seems to me as if this 'army' will not see much more growth. But, I doubt that this was all of it."
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Eoran turns to Iantha, brow furrowed "You're probably right. These kinds of people always seem to attract others of the same ilk. It would not surprise me if there is a whole cult of them nested up somewhere."
He begins analyzing the magical flows around the sword and shield, and as his focus shifts away from thoughts of cultists and undead, his face seems to soften and his usual smile returns.
sword -
shield -
"But I wouldn't worry." He says with a smile "With companions such as these, I shan't fear a thing. And I'm sure there will be many a chance to prove our mettle in combat. Now let's see what happened to this poor fellow.."
Eoran walks over to the corpse, turns him over and tries to figure out the cause of death.
Its a longsword and a ligh wooden shield +1. And the dhampir was mauled to death by undead. Poetic justice!