Oozulla chanted several words and stopped for a moment, analyzing the auras around items.
studded leather armor (faint abjuration)
light wooden shield (faint abjuration)
pearl (faint transmutation)
wand (faint conjuration)
+1 studded leather
no idea for the Shield
pearl of power (2nd level)
no idea for the Wand
Ryzztyl tries to determine the nature of the items, but is unable to peirce their core.
"Indeed, let us away to the sanctum, although it may behoove us to place a guard on the egg if we cannot contain it and take it with us... It could be dangerous for any who touch it."
Focusing again his attention to the big Egg artifact who now stays near the pool and is continuously chaining its scales'colors; Ghaz of the Redscales nods to Ryzztyl's affirmation
"I'll ask our chief to place a guard here, to avoid it being touched. In the meantime if you wish to follow me, I'll lead all of you to the wyvaran's sanctum."
Slowly Ghaz starts moving, leading up the way to the other size of the Elk-shaped hill.
Moving forward and waving a rattle and dancing a quick healing dance Embereyes calls for the spirits to heal Yighuks wounds.
Embereyes magic dance is able to restore 9 hit points to Yighukishar.
Seeing you are restoring your team, Ghaz of the Redscales stops from moving on the other sides of the hill, and patiently waits for you.
"Magic requires patience to understand its weave, but I can say that this studded leather armor is slightly enchanted and is effective as Ternock's chain shirt. This pearl can recover some arcane energy and help to call for magic once again if used. So far, I cannot say nothing about wand or shield," - Oozulla shared her discovery with friends and then called for shadow to help with her wounds.
Casting two more spells Embereyes shows how strong his ghosts are.
Oozulla's hex heal her of 8 hit points, while Embereyes's spell completly heals Ternock.
- I'll take his wand and this pearl, - said Oozulla, - probably, I can find the concealed magic in them later. Ternock, you may take his shield. I don't know, what is magic inside, but I think shield will work anyway. Pack wyvarian armor for later use.
Ghaz of the Redscales moves on, and lead your team to the other side of the hill. There you found an hidden entrance, and are able to enter into the freshly dug tunnels.
You can easily deduce that those tunnels are quite young, about 1-2 months old, perfectly corresponding to the story of the Redscales you already knew.
At one point you start entering into a secondary tunnel who is going deeply underground.
When told of the armors magical properties Yighukiskar steps forward and examines it, happy to see it shrink in his hands. The expert make of the armor is evident and the kobolds avarice immediately demands he claim it. Removing his chain shirt he laces the armor on enjoying the extra flexibility it allows. Tossing his old armor to Vrek he sets out with the rest of the group.
Once in the Redscale tunnels the warrior keeps a sharp eye out for traps, ambush or other surprises.
"How extensive have your tunnels become? What do you know of the prophets sanctum?" he asks their guide.
Vrek accepts the chain mail shirt and replaces his battered leather. His motions are mechanical and utilitarian as he does so.
"Thank you my lord" he rasps
Ghaz replies to Yighukiskar's questions:
"This is the longest and the deepest, the sanctum is the only chamber at the end of this tunnel. The prophet insisted that the sanctum has to be very deep inside the hill. The rest of the lair is not so vast and deep yet."
"What of the humans temple? Have your tunnels run into their excavations? Has the temple been searched?" the warrior asks as he walks.
"As you saw the temple is in ruin, only the columns'scraps and the elk face on the hill are the marks left of its past presence and magnificence.
The cave was hosting a Grizzly bear who used to lived here as some kind of guardian. The wyvarans crushed it, and so he reversed to his old human body before crumbling to dust....
The prophet also wanted to change the shape of the elk face to match the symbol of the Dragon god, but we needed to first establish a secure lair before focusing on this task." Ghaz says pointing the prophet's shield now in the hands of Ternock.
"Anyway our tunnels didn't went so far, and there was nothing of value left in the ruins we could use. Probably you discovered the only valuable treasure, the egg in the pool. We didn't know of its presence until today."
Casting his runs again and again... the oracle speaks up. "Safe nests and food... safe nests and food. We have to find good, good hunting places, secure them. We have to find all wandering monsters and take care they do not endanger us. The tribe will prevail! But only if we go out and take this land as ours!"
Not completely able to understand Embereyes's words, Ghaz replies saying:
"I'm sure our Chief will gladly speak with you about claims and territorial extensions for our alliance, once you have finished dealing with the wyvaran's sanctum. I'll leave you in this tunnel now, mine lords, it's a straight way to the sanctum's door and I'm sure you want to be down there alone and undisturbed."
Saying so Ghaz wait for a gesture to be dismissed.
Yighukiskar waves casually to the red. "You may depart. We will see to this sanctum and then return to receive the tribes fealty. Have a guide wait at the top of the tunnel for our return."
After Yighukiskar's permission, Ghaz of the Redscales nods and moves up leaving the chosen ones and their servants alone in the tunnel.
Drawing his axe and shield Yighukiskar strides purposefully down the tunnel. His eyes constantly scan ahead for signs of danger.
Without a word Vrek falls in behind his lord, sling in hand.
Yighukiskar ventures down, followed by Vrek ,
he doesn't see any sign of danger, at least for now.
Weaving a quick spell Embereyes casts light on his walking stick.
Ryzztyl mutters a quick spell and follows along with the others, slowly, keeping his senses open.
Yighukiskar and Vrek are followed by Embereyes and his tiger, then comes Ryzztyl and in the end are Oozulla, Ternock and Til'verth.
A part from the magical auras of your team's equipment and Embereyes's light spell, you saw no magical auras forward in the deep of the tunnel. Neither the door (see below) is magic.
You all can see now the end of the tunnel. Some kind of iron door is placed there, showing many draconic figures on its center. From the signs on the external borders you all can presume that it was placed here recently and that it wasn't forged to properly fit this tunnel.
There are no visible signs of a lock or a handle.
Yighukiskar steps near to the door but leaves a cautious distance between himself and it. Looking closely at it he searches for signs of traps or methods of opening it. Finally he peers at the dragon motif.
"Is there magic upon it?" he asks no one in particular
The draconic figures of the door are in high relief, and you are pretty sure that some of them could be levers. You don't see any signs of a possible trap.
"I see no signs of mundane traps. These sculpted dragons" he traces a clawed finger through the air a few inches from the ironwork, "it may be that they are levers. Does this scene mean anything?"
Oozulla was looking into image of the dragon. It certainly rang some bell of long forgotten tails, she heard and she need to recover them fully. She raised a finger to bring everyone's attention before she started to talk.
The scene is a variation of the standard sacred representation of the Myth of the Third Brood.
Dahak slew nearly as many chromatic dragons as he did metallic ones. This great atrocity soon caught the attention of Dahak's father, Apsu, as Dahak had hoped. When Apsu came down to release the dragons (chromatic and metallic alike), Dahak ambushed his father and nearly slew him. Yet Apsu prevailed, and forced Dahak to flee.
In this version of the myth Apsu is pursuing Dahak and not creating the first kobolds from the sparks of life remained.
Tiamat, not mentioned in the standard version, is looking at the scene from outside the universe.
Some dragons (levers) indicated by Yighukiskar are still upright instead of being dead. This is the biggest inconsistency in the scene.
Ryzztyl shakes his head. "There is no discernable magic upon the door. Whatever protections this door may have are of a more mundane type... or the magic is expertly hidden."
- This picture, - said Oozulla, - I remember the history behind. This is from the Myth of the Third Brood. Apsu is pursuing Dahak, which is fleeing. Those dragons, - she pointed to levers, shown by Yighukiskar, - are Dahak allies. They should be dead, but they are not.
"So then perhaps they should be turned to look the part? Are these specific allies or do they represent numerous dragons? If they are known, did they die in a particular order?"
"Maybe they were sneaky, sneaky and fleed!"
- Mythos does not bare their names or particular order they died. Those were chromatic and metallic dragons, which Dahak spawned, but then decided to destroy. Probably, they are alive, because Apsu came before Dahak destroyed his offsprings. When they were dying, the spark of life in them was to small to fill the dragon body and that's why Apsu created kobolds to hold the spirit of that life
Vrek adds something about the myth too:
"I heard this story many times, but I don't remember Apsu chasing Dahak after the ambush, that's a different story... What I'm sure is that all those dragons should be dead."
"Dragons strong, and wise, oh wise. And clever. Never be sure dragon dead... till dragon eaten! And then still doubt!"
With a shake the shaman rattles again and looks dreamy ahead, lost in thoughts.
The warrior considers the white scaled kobold for a moment before turning his attention back to the door. After a moment he reaches forward and moves the dragons beneath Dahak.
Pulling down the dragon-levers activate a mechanical mechanism:
In the main scene on the door you can see a mighty winged kobold, you all recognize him as Old Sharptooth, coming out from Tiamat and moving into the universe near the bodies of the dying dragons. Then from the dragons he takes the sparks of life and create the first kobolds.
The door then opens, revealing a chamber.
MAP
you can see a pentacle of five small pillars of different colors: red, white, black, green and blue.
Upon the red one lies a dagger.
Advancing into the chamber imperiously Yighukiskar moves until he's able to see the entire room.
Marked with number 2 on the map is some kind of sacrificial altar, adorned with the same symbol of the prophet's shield.
Beyond the altar, in the south-western wall are some unfinished paintings of a draconic scene.
Seeing no obvious threat the Champion moves to the pillars and looks tat the dagger.
"See to the room." he calls back to Vrek without looking at him.
"Of course my lord." he responds with a slight bow before beginning to look about the rest of the chamber.