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Before moving through, Leira will note the outline of the secret door. She would be able to find it again if necessary. The party will be led by the Giantess down a set of stairs to a broad oval chamber. Dust covers the floor and cobwebs drape the walls. Near the center of the room stands a pillar of cemented soot-blackened stones illuminated by the waxy lumps of crude candles and surrounded by a ring of mystic symbols fashioned out of metallic dust sprinkled on the floor. To the south stand a large chair and a table laid with a single place setting, a clay bowl, a pitcher of water, and pot of gruel. A large framed box filled with straw and covered with a couple of heavy quilts and a few over-sized pillows lies farther east beyond the pillar.
"Mistress Etena, I have brought you a group of small humanoids. One of them wields Agrimmosh," the Giantess calls out into the darkness of the vast chamber.
A much older Giantess emerges out of the darkness and from behind the vast pillar of soot-blackened stones, "Yes. I sensed it presence when it touched the forge." She peers around the pillar. "The prophecy will be fulfilled."
"Yes, my mistress. It is just as you foretold. You said Agrimmosh will be returned to the forge," the younger Giantess responds.
"Let me see Agrimmosh. I must hold it," the elder Giantess calls out.
"If you do not want to show them I will back up you Ulfgard. Do not feel forced" Leira whispers to the dwarf. She then speaks up from behind Kaos shoulders.
"W-what is all that prophecy about? You knew we were approaching? how is that even possible?"
Haskyll pauses to watch the healing energies pour into Ulfgard,
Seeing that the worst of the hurts were gone, He taps him again.
With a smile, he looks at Ulfgard
Next time, learn to duck.
Haskyll passes the information about the Statue to the rest.
Yes I agree, please let us know what you intend to do with Agrimosh and what prophecy that you are talking about.
Ulfgard looks at the giantess and grudgingly holds it out.
"You can touch it. But by Torag I will keep it in my hand!"
As Haskyll restrains his urges to kill these Giantesses, Leira and Kaos seeks more information about the prophecy. The elder Giantess then nods to Ulfgard. Ulfgard approaches and allows the elder Giantess to touch Agrimmosh.
Etena let's out a long sigh, "“In times now lost, my ancestors built the sacred forge in the cathedral above to honor He Who Makes and Unmakes. Minderhal’s Forge is a repository of awesome power, but long have its fires lain cold. Only with Minderhal’s great hammer Agrimmosh—which I just pleasantly touched—can the effects of long ages be unmade and the flames restored."
The elder Giantess scans the party, “I, Etena, am Keeper of the Forge. I inherited my position from those who walked this world before me, and those before them. I am the guardian of the sacred forge, but I am not its creator. Were that the case, I would have long ago renewed its fire, but this task is beyond my ability. You, however—you, the bearers of the Hammer of Unmaking—you have the power to relight the forge. But first, you must learn its history and what must be done. The prophecy says that Agrimmosh would return to the forge. And that has happened. Now, the forge must be relighted.”
Does the prophecy give any information on how to relight it?? And what will happen when it is ?
Haskyll shakes off his urges caused by the nail mail, and is genuinely curious.
He deliberately walks around remaining over 30' from the giants.
"Aye, how do we relight the forge. And what will happen next!"
Etena offers a smile, “According to the sacred texts, four ancient heroes first brought Minderhal’s Forge to life. The first was Mymrith the Maker, priestess of Fandarra, who prepared fallen warriors for the afterlife by anointing their bodies with sacred clay. She lined the forge with the clay to contain the fire within."
The elder Giantess takes a breath, “The second was Aduromi, the Priestess of Crystals, whose veins ran hot with molten metal and who could temper steel to a hardness that would cut diamonds. She brought with her the secrets of the fire geodes, which once ignited would burn for a century."
She continues, “The third was Jogrothir the Hunter, guardian of the sacred horn Drakesbane, which he used to call the ancient drakes native to the surrounding peaks. Jogrothir brought the forge to life, for he alone was able to capture the dragon’s breath, the only flame hot enough to ignite the fire geodes."
Etena takes a deeper breath, “The last was Rosag, the Preserver of the Forge. A great priestess of Minderhal, Rosag held the secrets of water both its ability to temper metal as well as its capacity to quench the sacred flames. She performed the Blessing of Rosag, the final incantation that stoked the fires and sanctified the forge."
She looks studiously at Agrimmosh, “Only by following in the footsteps of the blessed ancients, by repeating those acts which have been undone, shall the fires of Minderhal’s Forge once again blossom.”
"With Agrimmosh there is no metal that cannot be worked, even metals that contain powerful magic. And in that, nowhere in the whole of Golarion is that possible but by the relighting of Minderhal's Forge and used in conjunction with the Hammer of Unmaking."
So what you are saying, is by doing those 4 steps, we can relight the forge. But what I was wondering is will there be anything bad happen once it is lit.
Ulfgard will rummage through their collected findings if anything fits the bill.
Etena will look more closely at Haskyll.
And without any fear from Haskyll's armor or general appearance she will respond, "The relighting of the Forge will be a grand event. For there is no other Forge in all the realms as great."
Upon presenting the Fire Geodes, Etena becomes excited, "Yes. That is part of what is needed. We also need the Sacred Clay, the Drakesbane Horn, and the Blessing of Rosag. They are likely scattered throughout Minderhal's valley. Go and find the remaining items, and we will relight the Forge."
Etena then turns to the younger Giantess, "Ferin, show them the way to the Dark Passage. It may help them find what they are looking for."
"But Mistress, how are we to pass by Urathash?" Ferin responds to the elder Giantess.
"I care not about Urathash. All that matters is relighting the Forge. Agrimmosh has returned as foretold. We have the Fire Geodes. We are too close to fail," Etena declares.
Anga stays quiet, and watchful.
"All that is good Mistress, but what ensure us the giants will not use the forge to create weapons to kill more humans or dwarves?" Leira looks at the elder judgmental from the boldness of her young age "In fact the reason we did come here is to put an end to the Storm Tyrant. Where can we find him?"
Etena looks at Leira, "I am Keeper of the Forge. It has been dormant for centuries. I care only that the Forge be relighted to the glory of Minderhal. As to this Storm Tyant, I do not know where he is, nor do I care." She is singularly focused on relighting the Forge. The candles and symbols around the pillar are more akin to an alter, and Etena is the priestess.
What or who is Urathash?
Haskyll moves up slightly towards the now excited giantess.
He then looks at the others.
Shall we go back to get those other lumps of mud that we left behind ?
He inquires of the party.
Etena looks at Haskyll, "Urathash. Bah. He is of no consequence."
Ferin then looks at Haskyll, "Urathash is a Stone Giant. He has usurped the Cathedral to use it as a base to muster an army for the Storm Tyrant. But I think he is mustering the army for his own devices."
So if he is removed, will the stone Giants outside disperse, or can you convince them to depart once he is gone?
Leira retains to herself the giantess has not answered the question about using the Forge to create weapons to kill humans and dwarves, but she does not insist in asking. For now.
"Tsk! That's a pity if the Storm Tyrant himself is not in here..." Leira looks deceived "If we finish that Urathash first, it will be easy for us to go pick the elements we need. If we agree to light the Forge..."
The girl nods to Kaos and looks to the giantesses "Have you seen any human or dwarven prisoner around?" then she adds "And what is Urathash exactly?"
Etena goes about maintaining the candles.
Ferin answers Haskyll, "Etena stays down here in the Forgeheart. I bring her food, candles, and tend to her needs. We have no influence over the other Giants." The young Giantess takes a deep breath, "Urathash is their leader. Without him they may likely disperse, or they could seek to avenge his death. I know not."
She then looks at Leira, "Dwarves? No. There are humans up in the Central Spire, above Urathash's quarters. They are in the Inquisition room, for Urathash is an Inquisitor. Urathash sends me to clean the room. Most of the humans are dead, but not all."
Anga speaks up
What do ye know about this "Storm Tyrant"? Who is he, and where does come from?
Ferin will look at Anga, "Sorry, but I know nothing about the Storm Tyrant. Only that Urathash speaks of him leading Giant-kind to a new age."
"An inquisitor... that is something divine isn't it? What deity he follows Ferin?" she also listens attentively about the Storm Tyrant "Ok, so what do you think if we pay a visit to this Urathash?"
Ferin will look at Leira, "He is an Inquisitor of Minderhal. But does not pursue the relighting of the Forge. He spends his time recruiting and indoctrinating. Mostly indoctrinating." She pauses. "You just missed a fiery oratory on the purity of Stone Giants. Inspiring."
Leira can sense a little sarcasm in Ferin's attitude. Ferin is not a Stone Giant.
When Leira mentions the visit, Ferin will look apprehensive, "That may not be a good idea. He treats ones your size as play toys."
"Well I will bash him down to size, no worries. But alas, do you have any clearter idea where to find the horn and the blessing of Rosag? If not, well then we should move out and clear this valley."
Ferin will look at Ulfgard, "My Mistress said there may be clues in the Dark Passage."
Ferin will respond to Kaos, "They are caverns that connect the western outer valley to a small vale south of the Cathedral. Essentially, a shortcut between the outer valley and the Cathedral."
"I think we clean first too. They have not explained yet what do they plan to do with the Forge once it is relight anyway"
"I guess our first priority will be to rescue the humans. That is to head into the Central Spire. Is that the northwest door in the lunchroom?" Leira looks at Ferin, then at the group. She readies the crossbow and starts to move up the stairs if no one disagrees.
Etena looks at the party, "Why should we help you if you are not going to help to relight the Forge?"
Ferin will nod in the affirmative to Leira's commment.
"Why should we relight the Forge so you can forge more weapons to kill our kin? Trunau is suffering thanks to those weapons and giants like you" the girl looks suspicious at Etana.
She nods to Ferin though "Thanks Ferin. Helping us to save our kin means a lot to me"
The girl waits in the stairs, to see what others say about further discussing the topic with Etana or moving along to save the prisoners.
Leira will not be able to gauge Etena's motives. But the Giantess responds to the Rogue Arcanist, "I care not who kills who. All that matters is the relighting of the Forge for the glory of Minderhal."
Leira may not be able to gauge Etena's true intentions, but she and everyone in the party can see by the shrine around the pillar and Etena's words that you are dealing with a religious zealot.
Ulfgard looks at his fellow dwarfs and smiles.
"She must be stupid if she thinks that this forge will work metal in any other glory but that of our dwarvfather.
At the top of the stair there are still no Giants in the Cathedral's Amphitheater. The party will have no interference making it back to the Groghall and then to the Northwest set of double-doors.
Anga stands ready
Leira approaches the set of doors and thoroughly checks them to make sure they are not trapped.
Ulfgard prepares to open the door!
When the party opens the door they do not see any giants. But they do see a huge stone bench carved with strings of runes runs along the circumference of this circular chamber. A narrow ledge along the back of the bench holds several dozen stone busts of stern-looking giants. To the southeast, a high-backed granite throne sits atop small platform overlooking the room. To the west and northwest, six tall stained-glass windows covered with iron grates line the wall. The glass is nearly opaque from centuries of dusty mountain winds. Numerous panes have cracked or blown out completely; the holes have been sloppily patched with wads of clay and dung. A number of tree trunks are propped against the bench above large piles of wood shavings—each is in the process of being reshaped and bound into an iron banded club. Open crates packed with tools, rope, wood, chunks of coal and iron ore, and other objects are piled everywhere throughout the room. Dozens of broken or rusted weapons and shields have been haphazardly thrown into a scrap pile nearby. Near the throne, several human corpses have been stacked liked cord-wood.
There are another set of double-doors opposite the ones you are coming in on.
Anga sighs as she sees the corpses.
We are too late the these poor souls. but maybe there are others. And we can avenge these.