To herself: [b][smaller]"...blood sacrifices..." She gives an involuntary shudder.
"These pagan gods, it seems, demanded tribute in blood. This bowl served as a place of Offering. See how there appears to be a drain at the bottom of the bowl? It passes through the hand here, then down the length of the statues's arm."
"This nest is relatively recent, and it looks like the creature was alone."
Jack quietly follows behind Xarafine and Bein, looking about in all directions.
When they find the egg/sphere, Jack leans down and very, very gently lays his hand upon it. Is it warm?
He shudders silently at Xarafine's description of the sanguine purpose of the bowl.
When they find the egg/sphere, Jack leans down and very, very gently lays his hand upon it. Is it warm?
The sphere is warm - slightly below body temperature.
Is it reasonable for him to assume this is the creature's egg/offspring? He figures, beak... maybe it lays eggs. But I overthink stuff like this, so, trying not to jump the gun.
** spoiler omitted **
Yes
"Perhaps it will be best to setup camp in these ruins for now and allow for more... Detailed searching while we have a secure place to rest. At least there will be room for the draught beasts within this place and it is somewhat defensible." He looks down on the egg for a moment, wavering for a moment, before turning on his heel and proceeding to gather up there horses and bring them closer to the old caves.
As everyone settles in for the evening, Xarafine retrieves the jar of from her healer's kit.
She uses a dose on each of the injured party members (Finnabar, Bein, and Jack), and checks each of their conditions.
While still kneeling by the egg, Jack looks up at the others with a concerned gaze. "I think it did have offspring. It is just not yet born. It seems odd, but it did have bird-like features..."
He frowns. "It is still warm. I... I hate to... to let it go, but... I've no idea if we could care for it." Jack looks down. This is his fault, for going too close to the cave with the light.
Bein grimaced at the sun having just passed its zenith only a short time before, they were camping early but in their condition continuing onward could be fatal. He rubbed at the nagging pain in his side before purging it from his mind, he had better things to be doing. Finding Jack still worrying over the fate of the egg, he frowned, he had very little idea as to how to take care of it himself.
"If anyone can figure it out it would be either you or our Teacher, perhaps the answer lies before us and we are not yet comprehending what we see. The creature is bird like yet not a bird and the egg is..." He pulls off a gauntlet and feels the eggs surface lightly with his unmailed hand. He noted that the eggs temperature was cooler then his hand. He grimaced, not many things could survive without warmth... But if he was wrong the egg would perish. "Such a strange thing... Perhaps we should focus on keeping it warm? I know of few creatures that survive without heat, especially they're young." He stood then, moving to dig in his saddlebags before shortly returning with his bedroll. "I can stand a few cold nights, besides this is far more important then my comfort."
Jack nods at Bein. If the others are willing to try to care for it, then... he searches his mind, trying to think of how best to take care of it--or if the effort would work at all.
Xarafine seems to have lost interest in the egg, instead focusing on the statue.
She raises the Speaking Staff and intones in Canari:
"We'll have to check the other alcoves comes morning. I do not think there, I do not think another predator shares the temple with this animal. Maybe we can also keep the pelt, even if it's in bad condition."
If we're going to skin the thing, we should do it soon. Otherwise, we need to dispose of the carcass before it starts to go foul. The stench in here is bad enough as it is.
Xarafine looks at the corpse of the creature, and wrinkles her nose at the suggestion of skinning it.
"I suppose the pelt could be of value to the right buyer...I wonder what the meat tastes like...gamey, no doubt."
Xarafine looks at the corpse of the creature, and wrinkles her nose at the suggestion of skinning it.
"I suppose the pelt could be of value to the right buyer...I wonder what the meat tastes like...gamey, no doubt."
Xarafine stands before the statue, obviously conflicted. After a moment, she turns to face the group.
"Gentleman, I must say that I am troubled as to how to proceed. There is an enchantment upon this statue, one that I believe is activated by placing an offering of blood into the bowl. What will result from this offering, I do not know. It would also mean that we were offering sacrifice to an unknown diety; something I am very reluctant to do, even in a purely academic exercise. I do know that if we do nothing, nothing will likely happen, but we will equally likely learn nothing of its true purpose."
She looks down on the bear-creature's corpse.
"I do not believe the intent of this altar is to receive human sacrifice. Were that the case, I feel reasonably sure the carvings would depict that. Instead, I believe this may have been dedicated to a god of hunters...and so..."
She looks from the bear-creature, to the group, and back. She then gives a small shrug and awaits their response.
"The skin could be of great use," Jack says as he works with Bein to move the egg carefully into Bein's bedroll. "And I imagine most pelts around here must be at least somewhat valuable, or there wouldn't be poachers."
"Gentleman, I must say that I am troubled as to how to proceed. There is an enchantment upon this statue, one that I believe is activated by placing an offering of blood into the bowl. What will result from this offering, I do not know. It would also mean that we were offering sacrifice to an unknown diety; something I am very reluctant to do, even in a purely academic exercise. I do know that if we do nothing, nothing will likely happen, but we will equally likely learn nothing of its true purpose."She looks down on the bear-creature's corpse.
"I do not believe the intent of this altar is to receive human sacrifice. Were that the case, I feel reasonably sure the carvings would depict that. Instead, I believe this may have been dedicated to a god of hunters...and so..."
She looks from the bear-creature, to the group, and back. She then gives a small shrug and awaits their response.
"Teacher, I know little of things like this, but to me you seemed disturbed when you first discovered this thing's purpose. You are a woman who seems gentle and compassionate. If your gut reaction is to be upset by this kind of thing, then I'd say we'd best leave it be for now. We could sketch it, and send word back to your order when we return to civilization, to see if they think it is worth testing further."
Healing salve...
Bein and Jack tuck the egg in the bedroll and, once it was securely wrapped, Bein moved it somewhat closer to where their fire was located. It was going to take some work to keep it warm and avoid cracking but it was something that could be done with ease. It was just time consuming.
Listening to the conversations going on around him Bein began darwing his sword, just showing a few inches of steel, as he spoke. "If you wish its destruction I'm sure we can remove it here and now, but if it is in need of a sacrifice..." He looks to the bear-like creatures corpse. "All this corpse will do is bleed when we start to strip its hide and even its blood will go to waste soon, right now though it will flow when cut albeit more slowly. This is merely a suggestion, I have no qualms with just leaving the altar be Teacher."
"The beast's blood will, in all likelihood, serve as a sufficient sacrifice for the idol. This is one of those moments of quandry, at least for myself. It is a duty of my office to learn, be it through study, experiment, or observation. But it is also my duty to honor The Nine, and not offend them by giving homage to some other Entity."
Bein turns the egg slightly, keeping with a newly formed routine, before he stands and sheaths his blade. He approaches Teacher Xarafine and bows his head respectfully. "That is why I am here, not only to protect you physically but to ensure your reputation remains intact as well. So allow me to do this for you, I am not bound by the Nine, only by my word to you and the others that I would protect this group. Especially our leaders, from harm even if I fall in the endeavor." As he raises his head again, he turns and faces the strange altar. "Make your choice and I will be your bearer, no matter the cost."
He moves back to the egg and inspects it momentarily, he was still at a loss as to how to take care of it. But with Jack here he wasn't at all worried about the egg failing. "Thankfully your woodland knowledge is better then mine Jack, I'm best at raising horses not eggs~" Bein chuckles momentarily before awaiting everyone's decision on the altar.
Xarafine nods at Bein's statement.
She turns to Finnabar. "Captain, do you have a preference as to how we proceed in this matter? If not, I will err on the side of caution and send correspondence back to my Order, and await their instructions."
She turns back to Bein, nods again, and smiles warmly.
"Thank you for your offer, Master Bein."
He moves back to the egg and inspects it momentarily, he was still at a loss as to how to take care of it. But with Jack here he wasn't at all worried about the egg failing. "Thankfully your woodland knowledge is better then mine Jack, I'm best at raising horses not eggs~" Bein chuckles momentarily before awaiting everyone's decision on the altar.
Jack smiled wryly. "Well, in the caravan we handle more horses and camelids than creatures which come from eggs. Even now, in a situation like this, I can imagine my cousins arguing whether to save the egg, sell it, or eat it." He seated himself by the egg, watching to be sure it did not get too warm. "We can only do our best."
As Xarafine awaits a reply from Finnabar, he addresses the priestess. "Do you think this whole complex had a religious purpose?"
As Xarafine awaits a reply from Finnabar, he addresses the priestess. "Do you think this whole complex had a religious purpose?"
"Until we've thoroughly explored the site, I cannot be completely certain, but there seems to be significant amounts of symbolic and supernatural artwork, and very little pointing to the mundane. Unless we find hearthstones and remnants of multiple sleeping pallets in the other caves, I would say this place was probably a temple."
"Shall we set-up camp then, gentlemen?"
That's fine with me. Once we've skinned the beast, we should find a good spot to dispose of the carcass. Stench aside, we don't want scavengers coming too close to our campsite.
In the stillness of the cave you set camp, rolling out your bedclothes and starting a small fire. As the flames crackle and spit they throw strange shadows onto the walls of the room, making the lithe figures carved in the wall seem to dance and sway stragely.
As dusk falls outside you hear a rushing, flapping sound from the main entrance hall as inumerable bats stream out of the cave's entrance. The room you are in warms rapidly and the night passes comfortably and without incident.
15th Day of Pharast
Xarafine greets the dawn by performing her martial training exercise, then sets up the portable Shrine outside the cave, where she performs the morning Service to the Nine. Once she has stowed the Shrine, she checks the wounded of the group for their health status.
Jack lends Bein his own bedroll and sleeps close to the egg in an attempt to keep it warm (but not burned by the fire).
Once Xarafine finishes tending to Jack's bandages, he--if stiffly--gets up to help clean away the campsite and works on finding a way to stow the egg safely and warmly.
"There were bats in the night; we should take care not to disturb their rest as we explore this place. Should we rest another day to tend to our wounds, or keep on?" By his tone, he seems more interested in the latter.
"If we are going to continue exploring, we should be all the more cautious. The three of you are in no condition for any dangerous encounters."
"To reply to your earlier questions, this indeed looks like an old worship place to me. And Teacher, I agree with you. Let's not do anything hasty that would anger or wake up these foreign gods. Let's write that back from your order.
In the mean time, I suggest we finish exploring this place and then we go back to the bandit camp by the river to check for newcomers and to finish exploring this part of the forest."
Bein hisses quietly through his teeth as he pulls on his armor in the morning. His side was sore, as well as it should be, and he was going to have a fun ride this morning when they started back up again. "Understood Teacher, lets hope we don't find any newcomers today."
Unless this cave is deeper and more complex that it seems, you'd think we'd have stirred something else up by now anyway. Anything dangerous would have also gotten hungry, don't you think?
"Shall we start exploring then? Let's not waste the daylight."
Holding her staff in a cautious, defensive position. Xarafine slowly moves into the other niches of the cave, trying to use the daylight from the entrance and the slow adjustment of her eyes to the dim light to make out any unusual details.
"Could someone please bring a light, and accompany me?"
"Shall we start exploring then? Let's not waste the daylight."
Holding her staff in a cautious, defensive position. Xarafine slowly moves into the other niches of the cave, trying to use the daylight from the entrance and the slow adjustment of her eyes to the dim light to make out any unusual details.
"Could someone please bring a light, and accompany me?"
That's the spirit!
Volpe grabs a torch and steps right up. Once again, holding the torch high to provide the best view and not interfere, Volpe feels a bit proud of himself. He's clever enough to apply his newly acquired skill as a field nurse to his task as an archaeological assistant as well.
Bein draws his sword and takes point, his armor clattering as he hurried to catch up, grimacing as his bruised ribs protested to the armor slapping into his padding. "Please excuse me Teacher but you are far to important to be taking point."
"Let me walk ahead, I can... see a little farther than most, as long as it's not completely dark."
Jack steps forward, favoring his mauled side as he does so, but ready and eager to help scout. "Maybe we can start with the next entrance in--the one I was trying to see into when the thing attacked us."
Yup, 2 HPs.
"Let me walk ahead, I can... see a little farther than most, as long as it's not completely dark."
Jack steps forward, favoring his mauled side as he does so, but ready and eager to help scout. "Maybe we can start with the next entrance in--the one I was trying to see into when the thing attacked us."
"Good point, Jack, take the lead, with Bein in support.", says Finnabar, buckling his armor and drawing his axe.
Xarafine steps aside at Finnabar's command, allowing Jack and Bein to move ahead of her.
Looking into the opening you can see a corridor which streatches into the darkness, seeming to open up somewhat about 15' from the opening. The corridor is 5' wide and the walls are smooth and unadorned however the centre of the passage's floor has a slight dip, as if worn away slowely by the passage of feet over centuries.
Jack takes a few steps in, trying to note if there are any signs of recent passage by other creatures (animal droppings, disturbed lichen on the stone, etc.).
Jack takes a few steps in, trying to note if there are any signs of recent passage by other creatures (animal droppings, disturbed lichen on the stone, etc.).
1d20+8
1d20+9
The dust on the floor of the passageway looks as if it hasn't been disturbed for a considerable time.
Jack says in a quiet voice back to the group, "I don't think anything's been down here recently, but we should still stay alert."
If the party is amenable, Jack will continue through the hallway, sticking close to Bein and Xarafine behind him, and see where it leads.
After 15' the corridor opens up into a circular room, 15' from side-to-side. Along the wall a long bench, about 1 1/2 foot from the ground, circles the room. Other than the entrance you are standing in the only other entrance is a doorway to your right. The borders of the door are carved with images of naked, animal headed women of all ages, from newborn to ancient. Inside the doorway steps lead downwards into the darkness.
Xarafine raises the Speaking Staff towards the archway.
"These carvings may be ensorceled, as well."
In Canari:
"Master Fillan, reveal the evidence of the Craft."