Brebork moves to the stairway and calls down to Dumah.
We see a curious object here for you to see, Dumah..
To Javra This is suspicious is it not? Let's have Dumah investigate also. He has expertise in this field.
Jarva warily walks to the corner where the mace lays, looks at the arrow symbolon the wall and picks it up.
The mace tingles to the touch.
Perception for the downstairs group.
1d20+4
Amid the gusting wind outside and the dust in the house, a waft of fresh cinammon and other fine aromas fills the air, as Eli opens a nearby crate.
Brebork can try to identify the item as well. Although Spellcraft is not his forte.
Spellcraft
Brebork moves to the stairway and calls down to Dumah.
We see a curious object here for you to see, Dumah..
To Javra This is suspicious is it not? Let's have Dumah investigate also. He has expertise in this field.
Hearing the call, Dumah quickly makes his way up the stairs, eager to be of use.
Spellcraft
This is indeed a fortune find. The mace is enchanted, with a benevolent power. Perhaps later in our travels I can try a more in depth investigation, but I believe it would be safe for one of our champions here to wield. I am detecting an additional force to it, perhaps the power of lightning to it, but the details of it elude me at this point.
Cautiously Eli cracks open a crate emitting the wonderful aroma of exotic spices. Thinking about what he has read on the subject of trade in Katapesh he tries to determine the value of his find.
That mace will be more effective than our scimitars against the likes of that Damned Skeletal Fiend we destroyed. We need to select a warrior among us to wield it. Any takers? Kyra, maybe. She earned it....and no doubt would swing it with passion against such cursed enemies!
What does Brebork see through the holes in the wall?
(other than a faceful of sand)
Positively beaming that he was able to demonstrate some usefulness, Dumah will also do a thorough sweep with Detect Magic on both levels, starting on the top floor where he is at now. He'll be careful to also direct it to the ceilings and floors. If the magic scans don't turn up anything other than the mace or the necklace from Renfro, then he'll join the others in a manual search, using a light spell on a coin to guide him. Any piles of decaying materials, he'll use his walking stick to poke through them and pull them apart.
1d20+5
What does Brebork see through the holes in the wall?
(other than a faceful of sand)
When he doesn't see sand, he can barely make out the ruins outside around you and through the south wall, the hill with the difficult slope where you came from.
Positively beaming that he was able to demonstrate some usefulness, Dumah will also do a thorough sweep with Detect Magic on both levels, starting on the top floor where he is at now. He'll be careful to also direct it to the ceilings and floors. If the magic scans don't turn up anything other than the mace or the necklace from Renfro, then he'll join the others in a manual search, using a light spell on a coin to guide him. Any piles of decaying materials, he'll use his walking stick to poke through them and pull them apart.
Nothing else radiates magic except the necklace and the mace. As you do the manual search, what becomes quite apparent to you and all, is that beside the crates, the weapons, the desert gear, the mace, the coins, and the necklace you found, everything else in this places appears to have been abandoned for many years.
Well, when the party finishes the search of the house and you feel you are safe, you gather on the 1st floor again. Kyra tells you that some of the insignia on the crates belong to merchant houses she remembers seeing in Katapesh, whose shipments were reported missing weeks ago.
These are probably the spices that Jevi the merchant and his sons were to pick up and transport to Solku. Perhaps they stayed here and then were driven off by the undead fiends only to be slain in flight.
Know local:
Know local: 1d20
Eli brings the contents of the spice create to the others, "We might be able to fetch 50 gold for this lot." He listens as the others contemplate the merchants and their demise. "Maybe the skeletons came across them and hauled the cargo here themselves."
Garavel, who has been attending the camels and listening intently, speaks: "I'm intrigued by your theories and it shows me that besides being formidable warriors, you are intelligent. Before we proceed, I'd like to say, thanks to you all for defeating the undead and their leader. I don't know how you did it, but I am impressed and more sure than ever that the lot of you will make my mistress Almah proud, in clearing Kelmarane of the gnoll menace. I have personally never seen the undead speak, only heard in stories, which I had believed were myth, till now. When they do, I have been told it is on rare occasion and only through the use of foul magics. Correct, mage? Priest? So someone or something created them. I don't know who these undead were or if you knew them, I was too far to notice those details. However, I think we can safely say someone's been using this abandoned house, perhaps to rob caravans such as the merchants, as Eli has suggested. It scares me to think they were that organized. If it was the undead, then we have stopped a great menace and you should feel proud of your actions. I can tell you're hurt and tired. I say let's eat and rest, for tomorrow we continue to the Sultan's Claw. And then, you may test your blades on the gnolls! Hopefully, this storm will pass soon. At least, we need not worry about coyotes on this night!"
Quzman surveys the room helps Garavel keep the animals settled. "I can help a little bit here." He will soothe the animals as possible, and try and rub them down a little while checking to see if any of them may have twisted anything on the way down the steep hillside.
After caring for the animals, he will take remains of Capt. Renfro upstairs and lay him to rest respectfully in a corner. After saying a quiet prayer over his remains, he will go down to talk with Brebork. "Good sir, would you mind saying a prayer over Capt. Renfro for Kyra and I please? He may have fallen far, due to foul magics, but he was a good man in life."
I doubt that the skeletons on their own would bring valuables back here; they are usually limited to simple commands. What happened to Renfro…
Dumah shudders at the thought of something like that happening to Haleen, and glances at Quzman and Kyla with increased respect, not sure if he could be so brave in their place…
I haven’t heard of such things occurring without the intervention of a priest or wizard of some sort. If that is the case, for someone to go through that effort, they would have to have a purpose to have those creatures here in the middle of the desert. That leads me to believe there is more to these ruins worth investigating if time allows once the storm blows over. Since the creatures came from this very building, it makes me uneasy staying here. Are we confident there is no basement here? Or secret passages?
Jarva recalled something the skeleton said in battle and responded to Garavel. "Um, that skeleton said something about being trained or given power by the gnolls, if I remember correctly. Guess we, ah didn't get too much of a chance to ask him about that, though."
"Um, that skeleton said something about being trained or given power by the gnolls, if I remember correctly. Guess we, ah didn't get too much of a chance to ask him about that, though."
Garavel looks up at Quzman, as he eats a piece of ration. "Captain Renfro? Isn't that the man, the one for which you and Kyra,... Garavel's words trail off. "He was the undead commander? I'm sorry, I did not know.... Given power by the gnolls??? Then, we will not be dealing with just gnoll warriors, but possibly gnoll priests or mages! Can they do that? Take the body of the dead and raise it to serve them??" Garavel shudders at the thought.
"Everyone, Brebork, Dumah and I found these 42 gold and this mace upstairs. It radiates evocation magic. I say we keep the gold as a fund for the group, to buy trinkets to make our job easier, when we find an appropriate marketplace."
Well, we can only speculate at this point, but it does seem that either a gnoll has been granted significant necromantic powers, or they have developed an alliance with a creature, or creatures, that do.
Brebork fetches the lamp which he had given to Javra earlier. He then motions his companions to listen and sits cross legged on the floor. He begins....
Firstly I think we ought to elect a treasurer to keep track of our common accounts and earnings. My vote goes to Dumah, as he seems to have a mind for calculations and excercizes good judgement in all things...however I wish to hear what all of you have to say on the matter.
On a more serious note...
We have heard accounts of Gnolls united under the banner of a "Carrion King"- a name which itself connotes foul necromancy - and then Renfro's risen corpse refers to the gnolls as if they were masters. Clearly the news for this land is bad indeed if such a dark power is rising here and uniting the tribes. Our errand to Kelmarane becomes all the more urgent.
And yet the mystery of this location remains unsolved despite everything else we fear. Where is the necromancer or dark priest who performed the ritual? Was he the dark power or an merely agent of it - as I suspect? And why did they raise the dead in this old ruin? Why are they not still here- or are they? All of this is deeply troubling of course, and we should be mindful on our watches tonight. There are other buildings here as well.
And there is more that weighs on my mind and heart. In my own fury, pride and hatred for the foul perversion which is Undeath - I ingored the voice of my own conscience. For the bodies and minds of these creatures once housed the souls of men. Men who were once children to their mothers...men who were once decent people and friends even to you Quzman. Please forgive me. friend. This is not the first time that you have chastened my pride with words of wisdom.
I will now pray for forgiveness. For myself, for the recently departed and for all of us who care to join. May the Light of Heaven bath us in her redemptive warmth....
Brebork then continues by singing a solemn prayer, and daily ceremony. Afterwards he tends to any wounds or ailments his companions may have.
Brebork can see that Kyra is still quite wounded.
6 out 12 HP.
He will call upon the divine benevolence of his deity, substituting the Divine Favour spell he had prayed for earlier with a Cure Light Wounds spell to heal HP.
That leaves 2 HP each for Kyra and Eli.
Brebork will keep the Healing Kit packed for now and will channel divine energies for the sixth time today (out of 7):
Everyone is ship-shape!
"Your words are wise, priest", says Garavel. As he speaks, you hear the gusting wind die down, as the storm moves on. "You make some worrisome points and observations. I have my own questions, which you should keep in mind":
"Why are undead hoarding gold, herbs and spices, waterskins, desert gear? They have no use for such items."
"By the looks of these caravan goods, have they been raiding long here?"
"Who or what created them and where are they now?"
"Gnolls have never been seen this far south, not since their failed invasion 20 years ago. Is this wave of undead here, so close to Solku, the first of many?"
"Many questions my friends, to which I don't have many answers. Hopefully, the dawn will bring us closer to them. No matter what, our time together certainly has been anything but boring!"
And with that, Garavel laughs, bids you all good night, and unrolls his bedroll in a corner.
And there is more that weighs on my mind and heart. In my own fury, pride and hatred for the foul perversion which is Undeath - I ignored the voice of my own conscience. For the bodies and minds of these creatures once housed the souls of men. Men who were once children to their mothers...men who were once decent people and friends even to you Quzman. Please forgive me. friend. This is not the first time that you have chastened my pride with words of wisdom.I will now pray for forgiveness. For myself, for the recently departed and for all of us who care to join. May the Light of Heaven bath us in her redemptive warmth....
Brebork's words bring soft tears to Eli's eyes as the clerics healing warmth cascades over him once again. "This is certainly a serious situation. Dead men walking, and horded treasure. I can understand the creates of stolen goods secreted away in the ruins, but do I understand that the coins and this magically enchanted mace were left precariously cast about upon the floor? Who leaves such valuable items unprotected? If the skeletons are acting on their own who created them and where have they gone. Likely they are still here, cut off from this building by the storm. We best be on alert with at least two to each watch, and the rest of us need to get some rest. First lets search again to be sure there are no secret chambers that this mysterious mastermind could be hiding in waiting to take us by surprise." Eli will search the lower floor again this time paying close attention to the floor and walls looking for the tell tail signs of a concealed chamber or tunnel.
"A magical mace just left here to be found ... ?"
"That strikes me as very strange, the owner might return to claim it."
"I agree on the vigilant watch tonight."
"First I must pay my proper respects to my former commander, give him the peace he deserves."
"Brebork, after the storm dies, will you help us bury him and give him the proper burial rites ?"
"As for the mace ... If no one else wants it ... I'll make good use of it!"
I don't mean to shirk my duties, but I need to rest through the night to regain the powers that I used this day. Once that is done, I'll be glad to take any duties needed. But I have to say, I do feel quite secure knowing that any of you would be watching over our slumber.
Let us assume the watch duties are the same unless anyone objects. Is the storm still blowing outside? If not we may consider having a look around a bit before we call it a night.
Before we do call it a night Brebork prepares spells:
Speaking to Jarva and Dumah:
As I beseach Sarenrae to grant me her power for another day, I shall pray for the power to Create Water . The two of you - or one one of you - may consider preparing different spells for tomorrow if you think it is wise...
Orisons: Mending, Guidance, Create Water
Level 1: Sanctuary, Bless,
Domain: Shield of Faith.
When Dumah doesn't speak up at Brebork's nomination as a treasurer Eli says, "I spend a lot of time recording things in my journal about my travels, it would not be any trouble for me to keep record of our bands financial gains found along the way."
Jarva listens to the group's discussions. At a lull in the exchange, he asks the group, "Um do you mind if I look at the necklace the skeleton was wearing?"
He casts Detect Magic again and his eyes shimmer crystal blue for a second before returning to their normal hue. Picking up the necklace, he returns to his seat, inspecting it closely.
Spellcraft
Eli has offered us his services as treasurer. It appears Eli is a record-keeper by profession and it is appropriate for him bring his expertise to the role. Let us now assume it is so..unless anyone objects or has another suggestion. (?)
Now that the storm has died down, and before retiring for my first rest - I would like to examine the area about this building a little more closely and look to an efficient burial of those remains. Shall we quickly go outside and look around?
Brebork walks out the door. What time is it? What does he see?
"Thank you for your confidence Brebork, I will do my best to keep an accurate account of all the valuables we find, where they were found, their worth, and how each is distributed." Eli sits down and pulls out the journal book he used to show Quzman the Badawi ruins now providing them safe refuge from the storm. He starts a record of the treasure they have found.
Thank you, Eli. I would be glad to act as treasurer, except that I have used all of my spare parchment before going this expedition and have not had an opportunity to replenish. Thank you for taking on the chore on our behalf.
If Jarva's inspection does not reveal the necklace's properties, Dumah will as for an opportunity for a closer look at it. He has an idea what it does, given his experience in the fight. I don't know if that might give him a circumstance bonus, but here is the roll without.
Spellcraft
Eli searches the house but finds no hidden doors or chambers.
When Brebork steps outside, it is night, around 7:30 pm. The storm has moved on and the starry night is cool, quiet and peaceful. He sees other ruined buildings (about 4) in the area, but all are 1 story and none have the roof or all 4 walls intact. He does not see the other skeleton's corpses, so he assumes they were blown away in the wind.
Presenting the brooch that was found on Renfro, Dumah says This brooch is enchanted with a protective magic. Perhaps you saw in the fight outside when I projected missiles of magical force? This brooch is enchanted to protect against that type of magical attack. It has a limited lifespan, however. I estimate it could defend completely against perhaps twenty or thirty such missiles depending on their potency. One of us should certainly make use of it, and you do not have to be a wizard to make use of it. Given that we are as likely to face undead monsters as we are gnolls now, perhaps the additional protection should go to our champion of Sarenrae, at least until we reach a point where we decide to re-evaluate how to parse out our findings on this mission.