Unless someone stops him....
Kyson takes the symbol and beats it between two rocks until it is splinters.
Sarenrae defies ye Besmara!
"Did not Silvio tell you there was no need for silver or magic? What you call amazing, Silvio calls everyday", the chelaxian informs Kyson.
Kyson looks at Silvio, says nothing, and keeps beating the holy symbol into splinters.
It was pretty amazing. But I'm sure Sarenrae guided his hand.
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Sekathral howls in horror when he sees Kyson attempt to smash the holy symbol of Besmara and runs forward to snatch it away from him, almost speechless with rage and fright. "AAAGH! What the **** are you doing? WHAT THE **** DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" He cradles the symbol, attempting to smooth away any scuff marks. "You'll curse us all!! Didn't they teach you anything ****ing useful in that thrice-blasted bloody monastery of yours? If you'd've broken it..." He whimpers for a moment, then mumbles a strange, bubbling prayer in Aquan and mutters "Oh Gods. Oh, ****ing Gods. Talk about bad luck. Gods preserve us. Oh, Besmara, forgive us all. PLEASE don't do that again, Kyson" , clutching his head in his hands.
Kyson looks at Sekathral with a questioning look as the elf pulls away the holy symbol.
"Wha? What are you doing? That symbol is the same one that allowed that creature to exist!"
Kyson keeps looking at Sekathral even as he answers Zstelian's question.
"Besmara? I know that she is tied to pirates, sea monsters, and other less-good parts of the sea. Clearly, Besmara was feeding power to this creature and we should not let that symbol continue to exist."
Kyson returns his focus to Sekathral, his lip trembles as he struggles to find his backbone for the first time in his life. His back straightens as he speaks to Sekathral again.
"Sekathral, do you really fear Besmara's wrath? Can you not trust in Sarenrae's light? You have felt it more than once over the last day...and felt the touch of Besmara. Is there really a choice? Give me the symbol...let us put the evil it represents to rest."
Just FYI, you know huecuvas are the risen corpses of heretical clerics who blasphemed and renounced their deities before meeting death. So probably something Besmara may have done as punishment not to feed power to.
Sekathral glares at Kyson. "Yes, I DO fear Besmara's wrath. You would too if you'd spent any time at all afloat. Not a good goddess to p*** off. Sarenrae's light's a great thing - for healing, making flayleaf bushes grow and so on, but not much help when you're staring a shipwreck in the face. We've killed the whatever it was - I thought you'd said it'd been rejected by the gods, anyway? - so that's it. I am *not* letting you smash that symbol."
He moves away, wading through the water and looking about him as he goes
Dargon puts a hand on Kyson's shoulder and glares back at Sekathral. "I'm wit da priest on tis one elf. Best not to risk Besmara's wrath 'gainst us for sure." Dargon looks around as he continues. "...double so while we're down 'ere, I suppose." He then looks to Kyson, "But Kyson ain't a sailor, he's a priest and I don't expect Besmara to start a war with the Church of Sarenrae over such a thing."
"For now, best ta wait until we're outta Besmara's sight ta figure out wat ta do wit it."
Kyson watches with lips trembling and knees knocking as Sekathral walks away.
He turns his head to look at Dargon and nods.
That was as scary as the huecuva.
Kyson will silently move over to gather the rest of his gear.
Finn looks at the activity in abject shock.
"Once, I was almost sacrificed to a group of Zon-Kuthon worshippers, but at least they stopped doing things with you once you finally died. This is patently ridiculous! The poisoned flayleaf and doped grog was one thing, but I don't recall ever actually being involved with necromantic energies quite like the ones encountered down here! Well... hoist me up the yardarm and give me a salute, this is certainly and without a doubt one of the oddest places I've been. Good thing I found these urchins, this won't be going to waste. Oh, and Sekathral? You're better with that dagger than I am, why don't you hold on to it? I'm much more comfortable chucking fire on all our foes from here on out."
Then he inhales.
Sekathral is still not happy. "Second-guessing what the Pirate Queen will or won't do is a bad, bad idea. If you want to wait until we're aboveground then think again, fine, but I don't like it. The sooner we *are* aboveground the better, too. Ta for the dagger, Finn - I'm going to check out that door so we can get out of here"
Will move over to the door and inspect it/listen against it just in case
Kyson turns to look at Finn while he speaks, hoping that others don't notice his shaking hands.
Not seeing any more thoughts on the symbol or the hellacious beast that was just killed, Kyson gathers up the rest of his equipment and starts slowly heading for the door.
"This way, huh?"
"You all worry to much", Silvio informs the group. "If the elf feels comforted by the symbol, Silvio suggests that he keep it. If he turns into one of those things, Silvio will deal with that the same way. Everybody happy? Good", he says in rapid succession and follows Sekathral to the door.
Sekathral, you don't hear anything at the door. Trying to open it, it appears to be barred from the other side, and you can notice scratches on the exterior, as if something had tried to get in.
"Maybe we should break it down?" Kyson asks tentatively from the back, afraid of irritating Sekathral again.
"You look like a sturdy fellow", Silvio tells Dargon. "Do you think you can make a path through? Dwarves are a sturdy people, are they not?"
The smell in this chamber, which is about 10 feet square, is horrific, a cloying stink of rotten meat rising from the bloated, seeping body slumped in the middle of the floor. The corpse's dark, almost black flesh bulges against its armor, ready to burst at the slightest touch.
An intricate tattoo of a dragon clutching a flower is barely visible on his shoulder against the diseased flesh and clutched in one hand is a crumpled scroll.
Kyson watches as the door gets blown open, admiring the combined strength of those that did it.
I sure wish I had a long poking stick.
"Looks dead. What is that in his hand?"
Dargon walks into the room, approaching the body to give it a closer look.
Given our recent encounters, Dargon is concerned that it might be another undead creature hoping to snack on some dwarf flesh, so he gives it slight nudge with his foot to be sure its not going to get up.
Unarmed Strike
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +5
The body does not move when Dargon pokes it.
"Oh, I have never been so happy to view a corpse before! Finn exults when it does not move. "I'm guessing the poor soul starved in here or something while keeping that thing back there from getting in. Let me check to see if there's a poison or something about the corpse, then, I'm grabbing the scroll."
Sekathral, turban wound around his face in an attempt to ward off the stench, retches, then stoops down and plucks the scroll from the cadaver's hand, inspecting it and its surroundings as closely as he dares
"What did it die of, or aren't we bothered?" He asks.
As Finn grabs the scroll, he also notices a gold ring on one of the corpse's bloated fingers.
The scroll appears to be scribbled in common:
These bones once be Penkus, so if ye read this, I be dead, laid low by the sick put on me by that foul dead thing! Yet even as me flesh wracks, know t'was not the dead what brought my doom, but one I 'til recently called friend!
Vanthus Vanderboren! Your name fills me with bile! Spineless, treacherous cur! You left us here to die. You left ME here to die, after all what I done t'get ye into th'Lotus! Yer designs on the Lady of the Lotus be clear now, and with meself out th'way ... ye doubtless move even now into power, slithering amid my vacancy like a hermit crab in a shell, or a cadaver worm to still warm flesh. CURSE UPON YE!
To th'one what reads this: If ye have any honor of vengeance in yer soul, know that Vanthus must die. He dwells in the lap o' th'Lotus, below the'Taxidermist's Hall. Seek him there, but 'fore he died he must ken it were Penkus what undid him and guides yer killing blow.
And if, by some cruel spite of fate, it be ye what reads this, Vantus, know with certainty I wait for ye in Hell, where I intend t'rival the pit itself in yer torment!
Kyson's skin crawls as the words read by Sekathral reach his ears.
"He died so awfully...so badly," Kyson whispers while trying to suppress a shudder.
Taking pity on the man, Kyson intones a quick prayer over the body.
Silvio holds his nose and waves his hand before his face to shield himself from the awful smell. "Here you see what happens to those who cower and flee. What you see here is the death of convenience. A death of acceptance. Not the death of a hero. Heroes like Silvio fight on! The avenge the villinous actions of their foes and right the wrongs made against them! And now Silvio has got a valueable clue where to avenge the latest wrong doing.", Silvio informs the rest of the party. "Come, my friends, let us not stay in this hole any longer", he continues ignoring the fact that a way out is yet to be found.
Silvio holds his nose and waves his hand before his face to shield himself from the awful smell. "Here you see what happens to those who cower and flee. What you see here is the death of convenience. A death of acceptance. Not the death of a hero. Heroes like Silvio fight on! The avenge the villinous actions of their foes and right the wrongs made against them! And now Silvio has got a valueable clue where to avenge the latest wrong doing.", Silvio informs the rest of the party. "Come, my friends, let us not stay in this hole any longer", he continues ignoring the fact that a way out is yet to be found.
"Silvio, why ya cowerin’ from da smell? A heroes likes yurself ain't bothered by some stink, are ya" Dargon says and he takes in a whiff of the air.
"I've smelt worse. Anyway, there's a door the other way we hadn't givin' a proper look yet."
Kyson follows Dargon to the next 'exit' with a growing appreciation of the dwarf's sensibilities.
Maybe he's not so bad when he's not drunk.
"Dargon, where did you learn to fight like you do?"
Kyson will undress again at an appropriate point in the swim out the other way.
Stupid water, Kyson thinks while following Dargon. Maybe he didn't hear me ask him a question? Maybe he hates me too.
Kyson feels a bit of self pity.
Like it matters, we're just going to die here anyway.
"Diving time" announces Sekathral. "Want me to go down and trail a line for the rest of you?"
Without waiting for an answer, he ties his rope around his middle, using the grappling hook to anchor himself to the cavern floor, and swims through the channel
Kyson will undress again at an appropriate point in the swim out the other way.
Stupid water, Kyson thinks while following Dargon. Maybe he didn't hear me ask him a question? Maybe he hates me too.
Kyson feels a bit of self pity.
Like it matters, we're just going to die here anyway.
--------------------------------------------------
As Dargon helps Kyson remove his armor, he notices the young priest's trepidation and strikes up conversation to try and calm his nerves... dwarven style.
"Ya know I used to be just like ya. Of course, me farms were da Kopparberget mines, an it ain't da gods that called to me, it was da courts o' da Linnorm Kings. And neither ever prepared my nerves for me first life or death fight." Dargon pauses while he concentrates on undoing a poorly knotted strap in Kyson's armor.
Kyson appreciatively accepts the help from Dargon, even happier that the dwarf is talking to him.
"You were called by the Linnorm Kings?" Kyson asks. "Did they teach you to fight like you do?"
Kyson imagines a dwarf chopping off a linnorm's head with this bare hand and does his own little chopping motion with this left hand.
Bsh-aawwwh!
Dargon responds to Kyson's questions with a stern, "No."
"Gah, I know what 'ur thinkin'..." Dargon says after a moment of silence. "With da great respect given ta brute force in ur homeland they must teach everyone how to fight. Right?" Dargon says on behalf of Kyson.
"Well, I suppose that's true 'nough for some." Dargon clarifies as his knowledge of the land starts to overcome his emotional memories.
"But not my clan, me father took 'em from the caste of a miner to the ruling nobles of Jol, when he came home draggin' his own linnorm. Skipped right over the warrior caste, and me kin was foolish enough to think we could sit on our thrones and not learn a thing 'bout proper fightin'.
"What do you mean, 'your kin was foolish to think they didn't need to know how to fight'? What happened?"
Irritated by the emotions that flood in once he starts thinking about it all, Dargon snaps at Kyson's questioning "Bah, nevermind that, I'm sicka thinkin' 'bout it.
"Let's get outta here and get some proper drink in us and maybe I'll tell ya the whole story." Dargon, continues after he notices how poorly Kyson took to being yelled at.
As Kyson and Dargon talk, Sekathral dives into the pool, which he discovers quickly drops to 12 feet deep.
Though the saltwater burns his eyes, it doesn't take him long to discover two things -- a five-foot-wide tunnel leading north and a rusty iron chest.
Kyson *is* startled, mostly hopeful that Dargon is right about them having a chance to get out of here, but also at Dargon's tone.
Maybe he'll be less yelly over drinks...before he passes out.
Spotting the chest, Sekathral surfaces to take a breath of air, untying the rope from around himself at the same time. He then dives back down and ties the rope around the chest
He then crawls out of the pool, saying to the others: "Here, I've just snagged us an iron chest full of something - there's a tunnel to the north as well, but before me or Finn check that out, how about giving us a hand pulling it up?"
Spotting the chest, Sekathral surfaces to take a breath of air, untying the rope from around himself at the same time. He then dives back down and ties the rope around the chest
He then crawls out of the pool, saying to the others: "Here, I've just snagged us an iron chest full of something - there's a tunnel to the north as well, but before me or Finn check that out, how about giving us a hand pulling it up?"
Dargon fully helps to bring up the chest. And even offers to go down with Sekathral to loosen it (from anything keeping it stuck down there) and help retie the rope if necessary.
It takes you a few minutes, but you are eventually able to get the chest to the surface.
Kyson will aid in bringing the chest to the surface after he gets his armor off.
I feel so naked...but I'm doing things.