Tanith undoes Filge's binding and claps the necromancer on the shoulder. "Remember what I said. Leave Diamond Lake and never come back."
Filge straightens. "Trust me, I've seen enough of this s!+~hole to last me a lifetime."
The necromancer quickly departs.
Carina watches Filge leave, fingering his spellbook before stashing it away. Having not found a light crossbow among the fallen skeletons, she simply sets about gathering the bones of the old skeletons for reburial.
"Could someone give me a hand with this, please?"
Cuetzpalli galdly helps Carina. Then he straps the bones to Spiny's back for ease of transport. "Let's go bury these poor souls, and then head back and finish clearing out the Cairn? I for one would like to assess the threat this Ebon Triad might pose to Diamond Lake as well once we're finished in the Cairn."
About halfway through her first plate, Astraden groans and stands. She isn't used to such rich food. When she heads back into the dining room and sees Carina struggling with the bones, she unclasps her cloak and helps the tiefling load two or three sets in. "We should've had him re-reanimate them and let us walk them back to the farmstead."
As she's loading, she also takes off their armor and weapons. "There's no way they were buried with those." She dumps her light crossbow in the pile and takes one of the heavier ones.
"Let's be sure to rest another night before the Cairn, though. I'm out of spells and Spiny's a bit damaged, isn't he?"
Tanith happily joins for the heavy lifting, happy to show off his strength.
"The boy's going to laugh when we tell him this story."
Carina gives the others an appreciative smile as they help her gather the bones.
She picks up Astraden's light crossbow and some bolts from the skeletons.
"I would also like the opportunity to examine Filge's spellbook in greater detail. That, and I think I ought to try and housebreak Edgar."
"I'm fine with resting a night first, but Spiny's only scratched a little. He'll be fine by morning, your earlier healing took care of the worst of it."
"Let's bury the Lands first. They've waited long enough to be put to rest."
"I agree with Tanith."
"Of course."
Carina watches Filge leave, fingering his spellbook before stashing it away. Having not found a light crossbow among the fallen skeletons, she simply sets about gathering the bones of the old skeletons for reburial.
"Could someone give me a hand with this, please?"
The burial goes smoothly. Gertia, Anders and Bemissa—and, of course, Alastor—are finally put in the ground together.
Astraden nods. "I'd like to wash my cloak sooner rather than later."
She takes the food on the hike, snacking occasionally. When the group gets to the Lands', she helps shovel and cracks a few awkwardly grim jokes.
During the rest of the evening, she pulls the owlbear corpse out of the abandoned building and feeds the missing limbs to Carina's owlbear. She also searches for a well in which to wash her cloak. After dusk, she sits down to pray.
Carina breathes a sigh of relief once the business of the Lands' bodies needing reburial is resolved.
She nods in thanks to Astraden when she gives Edgar some owlbear meat to eat. She spends most of the evening afterward playing with him.
When she gets up the next morning, Astraden goes over the loot again.
Carina breathes a sigh of relief once the business of the Lands' bodies needing reburial is resolved.
She nods in thanks to Astraden when she gives Edgar some owlbear meat to eat. She spends most of the evening afterward playing with him.
Edgar is in a good mood, and plays with his 'mother' eagerly.
When she gets up the next morning, Astraden goes over the loot again.
Potions of cure light wounds.
[dice=Spellcraft (syringe)]1d20+5 [dice=Spellcraft (syringe)]1d20+5
Astraden still has no idea what the soupy liquids inside the syringes do.
[dice=Spellcraft (silver instruments)]1d20+5
[dice=Spellcraft (worm jar)]1d20+5 [dice=Spellcraft (carpet)]1d20+5.
Not magic. The rug will require someone with understanding of magical creatures to identify.
Read magic on Filge's scroll.
Scroll of animate dead.
Seeing that Astraden is at a loss as to what sort of creature was made into the rug, Carina steps over.
"Mind if I take a look at it?" She asks, scrutinizing the rug with an analytical eye.
Carina looks up.
"This rug here? It's a lammasu pelt. Kinda proof that Filge likely wasn't a nice guy. Lammasus are firmly on the side of good, and commonly found in deserts."
She stands up. "If you were so inclined to sell it, it'd be worth about 400 gold pieces."
Seeing that Carina is at a loss as to what sort of spells were made into the book, Astraden steps over. "Mind if I take a look at it?" she asks, scrutinizing the book with an analytical (and magical) eye.
Astraden gestures at one of the potions, putting the other in her backpack. "These are healing potions like the others." She also shows the scroll to Carina. "This has a spell for reanimating corpses - probably the same as Filge uses."
1st—Cause Fear, Chill Touch, Identify, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement
2nd—Command Undead, Magic Mouth, Scare, Spectral Hand, False Life
"Okay, there's a bunch of stuff in here. Carina, I think the only one you can use is here -" Astraden says, flipping to the page "- it gives the caster temporary unlife, which will protect them from harm a bit."
"If we ever want to sell it, it's worth about 200 gp."
Carina looks at the page Astraden points to.
"I can't use that animate dead scroll in a formula, Astraden, but the unlife spell? I think I can make that work, certainly."
Looking at the utensils Robin procured, Carina smiles.
"Those things look pretty valuable. I bet you'd get 200 gold pieces for those in town."
Tanith boggles as yet more treasure is added to the pot. They were truely going to be rich!
"Let's get back to the Cairn. We're not done yet."
"What is this gunk?"
Farrukh tastes the substance in one of the syringes, but aside from tasting utterly foul, its secrets remain a mystery.
Tanith boggles as yet more treasure is added to the pot. They were truely going to be rich!
"Let's get back to the Cairn. We're not done yet."
The following morning, the group sets out once again for the Whispering Cairn.
The adventurers arrive back at the Cairn and make it to the "ballroom" where they met Alastor without delay.
The thirteen-year old (or forty-six year old) ghost waits there. He looks strained. "Hey," he rasps, "y-you did it."
"Yup. There was some trouble with your folks but we took care of it. Is something wrong?" the big man explains.
"Yup. There was some trouble with your folks but we took care of it. Is something wrong?" the big man explains.
Alastor smiles weakly. "Yeah. I—I mean, no. I'm being pulled back home. Just...wanted to hang on long enough to thank you guys. The door's unlocked."
Carina has a relieved smile on her face when she hears Alastor is going home.
"Be at peace, Alastor. Say hello to your parents for me."
She gives him a small wave goodbye.
Tanith climbs down into the pit and muscles his way back up on the other side. He places one hand on the door and tries pushing it open.
Alastor gives a little wave back. His form starts to get harder and harder to see. "I never...should've...left them..."
He fades from the Material Plane completely as Tanith reaches the other side.
When he pushes, the door swings open. Tanith and the others can feel from the stale air beyond that they are the first living souls in hundreds—or thousands—of years to make it this far.
This cavernous chamber consists of a large stone walkway around a deep chasm that leads into darkness.
Four platforms lead from the walkway to a central ring, but two of these platforms are broken. Bright light reminiscent of a summer's day filters down from the ceiling about forty feet above.
Four wide galleries extend from the outer walkway, their far walls covered with enormous bas-relief vistas. A sighing wind emits from a huge pillar of rushing air at the center of the chamber. The wind column extends from the floor to the ceiling, cutting through the room's central ring.
Tanith beams with the door opens under his touch. He turns to say something, only to see that the ghost has departed.
”Thanks for the help kid”, the big man mutters sadly.
***
Studying the area, Tanith frowns. "This place doesn't look too sturdy."
Astraden climbs up after Tanith. She brushes Farrukh's and Carina's shoulders, whispering something in old Oeridian, and holds her own arm. She also jabs Farrukh's temple, invoking Olidammara's blessing, and the Ketite shimmers into nothingness. "Those should keep us hidden, for a bit. Farrukh, do you want to go have a look around?" she asks the empty air.
Farrukh slips around to being directly behind her and says right in he rear.
"Can do!"
He snickers and then gets serious again, creeping around the area, keeping a lookout for traps and other dangers.
Carina follows, preparing a shield potion.