"A risky proposition, Captain, but a risk that holds the possibility of enormous benefit."
She looks at the statues again.
"Each statue may only hold enough power for for one casting, or may be able to unleash the power any number of times; though I find that unlikely. Conversely, this could be a trap that draws its power from anyone who touches them; weakening them or dulling their wits. We need to test it."
She reaches out and slowly, apprehensivley touches the ivory bow in the hands of eagle statue.
Use Magic Device (if necessary):
"Bull's Strength..." Jack trails off, looking at the statues. "But the qualities you describe don't match the items they are holding. The bull holds the math formula, while the fox... who is cunning, you said, yes? holds the hammer. Shouldn't it be the other way around?" He points at the others. "Same for all of them, they all seem out of place. Can you remove that bow?"
Xarafine nods in acknowlement of Jack's suggestion, and closes her hand firmly on the ivory bow. She attempts to remove it from the statue.
Being in front of her he stops her from proceeding. "Teacher, I know not what you plan but we can't allow you to be harmed. You are able to heal us, guide and aid us. If you were to fall I would have failed in my duty, this would be as well if his Lordship fell. Please direct me and I will perform the task."
As Bein carefully removes the bow...
Nothing happens,
The bow is light and, now that you're holding it, its clear that it would be of no use as an actual weapon. The statue now stands empty-handed.
"It's so evident, why did I not think about it? Good thinking Jack." says Finnabar, slapping his face with his hand.
"Bein, you should remove all the items first, then start with the shield and the bear, then move on to the bull and hammer."
He nods as he is given directions, removing and replacing the items as his comrades told him too.
As the last item is removed from its statue a huge stone door, matching the one blocking your progress forwards, slides down, blocking the arch leading back to the surface and sealing you in the corridor. Seeing nothing else to do Bein places the shield and the hammer in the arms of the Bull-headed and the Bear-headed statues respectively.
"So our trial begins," Xarafine says softly.
"The hammer should go in the Bull's hand. The shield belongs to the Bear, and the bow with the Cat. Then place the tablet in the Fox's hands, the heart with the Owl, and finally, the mirror with the Eagle."
He nods and does as asked.
Jack waits, actually holding his breath in anticipation of what happens. In the back of his mind, he wonders why the elves would have left this sort of puzzle? trap? art piece? here.
You move around the room, placing the items in the strange statue's arms. As the last item is placed, the stone slab blocking the archway leading further into the mound slowely grinds open, releasing a shower of dust as it rises.
Behind the arch is revealed a smaller 10ft. long by 5ft. wide passage with three niches in each wall. Each of the niches holds what looks like a large (head-sized) bird skull. Beyond the small passage the area opens up into a larger dark space. On approaching closer you can see that the space is a circular room about 30ft. across.
Around the perimeter of the room are 11 platforms each of which has a man-sized shape lying down on it. In the centre of the room stand two motionless emaciated humanoid forms, their dry,gery skin drawn tightly over their skeleal forms. Each of the figures appears to have the head of a skeletal bird, and each holds a large two-handed curved sword.
Seeing what strange creature stood before him elected instant and aggressive response. He drew his greatsword in a single motion, holding it in a defensive stance as he prepared himself for combat. Seeing their way out blocked off he gave a low grunt. "Again into the breach..."
Initiative
"I guess these are the ones I detected before" says Finnabar, pointing at the the sword wielding corpses.
to identify the undeads.
Initiative:
Knowledge (religion):
"Let us be cautious. They have not attacked. Perhaps there is a way to keep them inert. A command given in Elvish?"
She looks to Jack for concurrence.
Jack looks around with open curiosity. He eyes the bird skulls. "I wonder if they have any connection to the little 'birdlings' we dealt with earlier."
He nods to Xarafine, speaking quietly, "Perhaps, but what command, I do not know. What would you say? Sleep? Stop? Friend?" He then repeats those words in Elvish.
The skulls in the niches are larger than those of the birdlings and, now that you examine them closely, have a hood of leather attached at their base. The figures do not move in response to Jack's words - and remain motionless in the centre of the room.
The motionless figures most closely resemble wights - but the bird-skull heads are suggest something subtly differnt - you are not sure what.
The skulls in the niches and the heads of the motionless figures resemble those of crows or ravens.
Ravens were, in the distant past, and in some druidic mythologies considered to be guides and guards of the dead.
As Jack muses over the bird skulls, something strikes him. "Wait... they look like the heads of giant crows... Ravens, maybe. How odd. Have any of you heard of such a thing?"
"There have been accounts written of unusually large varieties of otherwise ordinary creatures. We have encountered some of them ourselves; the centipedes and the spiders. They tend to be found in primordial lands, or areas of ancient and powerful magic."
She turns to look at the two bird-headed things.
"Captain, are these the two sources of evil you sensed before?"
Upon Xarafine interrogation, Finnabar once again tries to detect the sources of Evil coming from this room.
"Ravens are known to be guardian and guides of the dead. These two look like guards. However, this corridor is arranged like the precedent one. There may be another enigma/trial in here as well."
Lifting his shield hand in the air, Finnabar calls for Belam to enhance his vision and see what's hidden.
"If you're right, I wonder if the dead stay at rest as long as we pass the trials?" Jack mused.
"But if so, I wonder what this one would be. Maybe something to do with the three heads in the alcoves there or... those bodies on the platforms." Jack shrugged. "Well, we have to either turn back or risk disturbing them if we want to keep going. I don't want to endanger anyone without reason but I'd like to take a closer look at the platforms. Is that alright?" Jack was not about to put the party in peril without their consent, but they had to do something at some point.
Tightening his grip upon his long blade he readied himself for combat. If these were guards they would more than likely come after Jack the moment he stepped into the room. So He prepared to charge if that came to pass. Everything else that they talked about merely passed over his head, birds, ravens, guardian's of the dead was all good and grand to know. But these creatures were armed to the teeth.
All he knew was to expect a fight and if there wasn't one he'd kissed the Teacher's hand and thank her gods for escaping harm. "I will watch you back if you do this Jack, mind they're weapons are large and the blow if struck will be worse then a smaller blade. Also what else can the dead do? Other then defy staying a corpse..." He wish he had his destrier, his lance and the sun at his back as these walking corpses were disturbing to say the least.
Jack nods. "I'll be careful. I know you have my back, Bein." Jack steps forward, examining but not touching the platforms. He tries to determine if the apparent bodies on the platforms are real and of what race they would be if they are. He also tries to pay attention to the way they are laid out, both as individuals on the platform as well as how the platforms themselves are arranged in relation to each other and the two raven headed guardians.
Finnabar conecentrates hard and lets his eyes lose focus, slowly bringing the auras magic present in the area into focus.
Five of the 11 platforms have a glow of magic about them, but whatever the mounds are on the table blocks your sight and you can't identify the school of magic or see the items themselves.
The six head-sized bird skulls shimmer with a faint aura. When Finnabar examines them closely he finds that each has a leather hood and a strap of leather attached below - possibly so that each can be worn as a helmet. After a minute or so, he looks up...
Each of the helmets has been enchanted with Hide from Undead, however, the effect is restricted to the adjoining room.
Coming out of his trance, Finnabar's arm snaps out, catching Jack before he enters the circular room. "Wait, Jack, I think we need to wear the bird head hoods. With them, we should be protected against detection from the undead guardians."
Turning talk into action, Finnabar puts on one of the leather hoods over his head and ties the lace under her chin.
"Let's move in. I've also detected that five of the platforms are magical" he adds.
Xarafine removes one of the hoods and places it on her head, securing it with the strap.
She moves into the room and then towards the nearest magical platform.
Drawing on the power of the Nine, she examines the surface and its accompanying auras.
Spellcraft:
Warily he pulls off his helm, hanging it on his side before pulling on one of the hoods and following after the others. He sticks close to Finn and the Teacher just in case. Keeping his massive blade drawn and ready.
You move carefully into the room, skirting around the edge to keep your distance fron the cadavorous figures. As you approach the first of the platforms, it becomes clear that the mounds on top of them are not corpses, but are instead intricately carved statues of naked dead elves of mixed sexes. The statues lie in the fetal position and are amazingly life-like, seeming almost as if an elf has merely fallen asleep on the stone.
As Jack nears the first platform he squats down, examining the top of the stone where a series of elven letters are carved into the stone. Looking up, he announces that there is a hair-line crack around its rim. The top is a seperate slab of stone.
Xerafine: The auras are coming from within the stone platform. You wont be able to identify their sources without opening them.
"Captain, should we open the sarcophagi? They seem to contain objects of power."
Xarafine's tone communicates distinct unease.
"Captain, should we open the sarcophagi? They seem to contain objects of power."
Xarafine's tone communicates distinct unease.
Finnabar takes the time to think through Xarafine's distaste
"I understand your reluctance at opening a tomb, cousin. What I'm more worried is why would someone put in all these protections with the undead guardians and, in the mean time, allow anyone who can read magic auras to proceed unhindered. This means this tomb was made to be protected from non magic users while available to magic users or ingenious beings. There must be a reason behind that, and it may be possible that what's in is there to be used by later generations.
If you recall the saga you cited us: we've found where the hills of the fey-blooded dead, found the hidden way and the "helmeted" fey-blood dead. Maybe the scream is related to their raven head. He fought the dead guards and found an enchanted lance and used it for the good of all.
So we will have a look and see what we find, but we will leave any bones or corpse exactly as it is.
Jack, let's look if you can open them with a mechanism or if we need to lift them. Bein, help him. I'll keep watch on the guardians."
He nods and proceeds as asked his large blade at the ready. Always.
"Before you open it, Jack..."
Xarafine places her hand on the ranger's shoulder and whispers a short prayer to the Nine.
She does the same with Bein and Finn, in turn, the finally crosses are arms across her chest and shoulders, saying one final prayer for herself.
Jack nods in thanks to Xarafine. It mentions Raven as ushering them to death, and the Doe as an entity of rebirth. Something else to keep an eye out for."
He looks carefully for a mechanism that will open the platform--as well as any traps that might go along with it.
Jack carefully peers at the stone slab, running his hands around the rim of the carvings and the covering stone. Not finding a mechanism, he carefully pushes at the cover-stone and, finding that it moves easily he begins pushing it sideways...
As the rock slab slides to the side you can see the light sparkle off silver, a dark coloured cloak and dark-red gems surrounding a naked corpse with dry drawn skin over its skeleton. However, as the lid opens wide, a sudden puff of smoke jets from within the sarcophagus, enveloping the room and filling your nose with a strange, acrid smell.
Colours seem to shift and dance in front of your eyes and the masks of your companions and the motionless guardians seem momentarily identical, your companions seeming to take on the appearance of the undead soldiers. Coughing, you manage to still your mind and shake off the strange effect. (no effect)
Colours seem to shift and dance in front of your eyes and the world seems to shift uncomfortably as each sound tears at your ears, seeming to morph into screeches which climb the scale into inaudible terror.
For a moment you can't remember where you are or why. You are simply surrounded by death, In the centre of terrifyingly emaciated undead creatures which seem a mix of man and bird. Two stand in the centre of the room motionless, three others crouch near you making screeching noises, their forms impossibly shifting from man to bird to skeleton.
Will Save:
Initiative:
"Blessed Nine help me!!" Xarafine screams, pulling her staff up in a guard position. Eyes wide with sudden terror, she lunges at anything that approaches.
Attack:
Damage:
Jack's eyes widen in terror, and he draws his sword. "Stay back! We... we meant no disrespect!"
His back to the stone, Finnabar turns his head at the hissing sound and inhales a lungful of smoke.
Coughing, he passes a head across his eyes trying to chase the weird images on his mind.
Init order:
Jack (25)
Finn (10)
Bein (6)
Xerafine (4)
Finn: Not a spell effect, but seems similar to confusion in its effects.
Jack shakes his head, as his more mysterious half of his heritage asserts itself, and the blood pumping through his veins burn away the effects of whatever he breathed in, before he could fully succumb to its effects. He puts away his sword, his eyes and nose still tingling with whatever he had taken in.
"I thought you were all dead..." he breathes, and turns to see Xarafine still on her guard, waving her staff at the others.
"Xarafine, can you hear me?" He starts to approach, but she swings at him, looking upon him in terror. He assumes she still sees what they had begun to. Wondering what could get rid of the dust's effects, he does the first thing he can think of, trying to act fast: he pulls his waterskin off his belt and sprays its contents at her.
Seeing Jack has avoided the worst of the trap effect, Finnabar gets ready to intercept Bein and disarm him if necessary.
Bein stood there, the shifting lights made him squint and the screeching in his ears made him wince but it didn't deter his resolve. He stood firm ready to fight but as his eyes refocused he was shocked as to what ill fate had befallen his comrades. Before he had much time to react one of the aggressive bird men skeleton's took up a defensive posture. Such an action only indicated what he feared the most and taking hold of his massive blade he stood ready to face them all.
"Return my comrades to me NOW! Or face my wrath!" He didn't care if it understood him or not, for in the next few seconds he would decimate them all. For now he took up a defensive posture, holding the flat of the blade in a way he could deflect multiple blows.
As Bein seems to be taken by the same spell but only moves defensively, Finnabar aborts his disarming attack, waiting to see if Jack strategy has paid on Xarafine.
Xerafine gasps with terror as the water splashes into her eyes and she stifles a scream as she lunges forward clumsily at Jack. Her strike is wide, however and she fails to land a blow.
One of the creatures hurls some sort of liquid into your face. It seems to burn like acid.
At the start of your next turn Will Save DC 18 to shake off the effect.
Round 2:
Jack
Finn
Bein
Xerafine
At the start of your next turn Will Save DC 16 to shake off the effect.
As Xarafine still looked terrified, Jack assumed the jet of water failed to either wash off the powder, or she had inhaled enough that it didn't matter, and the cold spray was insufficient to shock her to her senses.
"They do not see us, but something terrible," he says, "So what will happen if they do not see us at all?"
Jack backs away slowly, toward the entrance, taking whatever cover he can that is convenient to remove him from Xarafine and Bein's line of sight.