We seek to accomplish tasks that will earn us the right to ask about the history of the Shoanti. We believe the queen of Korsova wields an artifact that your people watched over in the past when they dwelled where Korsova now stands. Thousand Bones has told us that such knowledge has to be earned by gaining the respect of the Shoanti. This place is where we can gain the Thrall Keepers' mark I believe.
Growing quickly tired of this blowhards attitude Iolana gets mad. "Why didn't you ask us when we were with Thousand Bones a few days ago? How did you find out we were coming here? Surely this isn't' the only thing it this vast area in this direction." the small woman marches right up to him. She barely refrains from trying to poke him in the chest.
Keeping her voice low and tight she asks, "Is yelling a way to respect these ruins? It seems that yelling would be a bad idea if there are things here that are part of the trials. I'm not going to tell you what we are doing here. That's between us and Thousand Bones. If he didn't trust your judgement enough to tell you then I won't either." She suddenly remembers that the group is supposed to find some way to ally with him. She steps back and continues to glare at him.
"I know honor and respect when I see it. Hiding behind walls and spying is the start of spinning intrigue like m... like old men from Cheliax and unworthy of a warrior. Or is that different with the Shoanti?"
"You don't like us - fine. Neither do I like you. But if you don't trust us then stand out in the open and say it to our face. I don't care if you're watching everywhere we go to. It's just more witnesses for our heroic deeds." Tyrandro finally breaks his silence towards the Shoanti.
Mumbling to the others he adds "Though I wonder where the heroics are in this place. Feels more like a peep show when everyone and his cousin can walk in to watch through holes."
Throughout all this, Sebastian observes with uncharacteristic detachment. Ever since they'd entered Shoanti territory, he'd left it up to his allies to handle things while he stood back to watch. First his master had given him the honor of continuing the Blackjack legacy, and then just a single night in Kaer Maga had him questioning everything he thought he knew about how life worked.
He'd never thought much of the Shoanti before he'd spent time with them. The same was true for Varisians, but the Soldado family's gracious hospitality and Iolana's staunch, if icy, support at his side had taught him there was more to their people than pick-pockets, belly-dancers and fortune-tellers. Maybe in time he would find a new appreciation for the Shoanti as well. For now, there was still much he didn't understand about their culture - especially their ideas of honor and heroism. But if there was one thing he understood in any culture, it was how to get under somebody's skin.
Feigning disinterest, he replies offhandedly to Tyrandro, "They're probably just here to steal the Thrallkeeper's Mark for themselves."
Sebastion, that isn't helping.
"Why didn't you ask us when we were with Thousand Bones a few days ago? How did you find out we were coming here? Surely this isn't' the only thing it this vast area in this direction."
"Hmph! It is not my place to disrupt the a Council Fire meeting. But afterwards we followed you. The Cinderlands are a dangerous place, and if you die, someone needs to carry your bodies back to the Kallow Mounds, lest you rise as undead."
"Is yelling a way to respect these ruins? It seems that yelling would be a bad idea if there are things here that are part of the trials. I'm not going to tell you what we are doing here. That's between us and Thousand Bones. If he didn't trust your judgement enough to tell you then I won't either."
"Hahaha! You think to talk to me about Shoanti respect, tshamek? You no nothing of our customs. Your reasons for coming are your own but you do not belong here. Do not think you can lecture me."
We seek to accomplish tasks that will earn us the right to ask about the history of the Shoanti. We believe the queen of Korsova wields an artifact that your people watched over in the past when they dwelled where Korsova now stands. Thousand Bones has told us that such knowledge has to be earned by gaining the respect of the Shoanti. This place is where we can gain the Thrall Keepers' mark I believe.
Krojun snorts derisively, "You are no better than those stargazing Lyrune-Quah."
"I know honor and respect when I see it. Hiding behind walls and spying is the start of spinning intrigue like m... like old men from Cheliax and unworthy of a warrior. Or is that different with the Shoanti?"
"Shoanti do not hide. We meant to not interfere. We have no sinister purpose."
"You don't like us - fine. Neither do I like you. But if you don't trust us then stand out in the open and say it to our face. I don't care if you're watching everywhere we go to. It's just more witnesses for our heroic deeds."
"You're right, I don't like you. And whether you minded or not, I'm accompanying you for a short time. I find you entertaining."
"Though I wonder where the heroics are in this place. Feels more like a peep show when everyone and his cousin can walk in to watch through holes."
"Rumor has it that the Thrallkeepers practiced summoning creatures from the beyond within these walls. We assume these small windows were for observing the summons from safety."
"They're probably just here to steal the Thrallkeeper's Mark for themselves."
"I have no need to acquire the mark. My bravery is not in question."
Krojun smacks Ayako hard on the shoulder with a grin. "Come, little warrior. My Thundercallers will keep your Boneslayers company while we explore."
The Sklar-Quah exit the hallway and mingle with your Skoan-Quah. Both are somewhat nervous about the ominous water in the pool, and while none of them enter the slime, a few toss rocks into it while
Krojun walks the perimeter of the place.
"Let's get done with that." Tyrandro tells and moves around the room opening doors until he finds something interesting.
Ayako feels her shoulder pop from the blow and hopes she wasn't crippled from the blow. Very well, let us continue along the southern wall here and try the double doors to the east. Ayako heads over, with Mushu trotting over, wary off all these strange people.
"'Little warrior!' Billy would be so proud," Sebastian snickers.
We'll have to get Billy a souvenir.
You continue along the south wall and open the next set of doors.
A5: The floor of this otherwise empty chamber contains a five-foot-diameter hole in the center, surrounded by a ring of tangled runes. Inside the hole, a shaft filled with brilliant emerald light drops into the depths.
There are also two more doors on the east wall.
Meanwhile, one of the Shoanti tosses another rock into the pool. This time, the entire ruin shakes slightly, and the waters of the pool slosh and churn as if something large just shifted below the surface...The Shoanti stop throwing rocks and makes signs of warding as they step away from the edge.
Ayako is alarmed at the rumbling and sloshing. No more![b] She hisses at the Shoanti. [b] Please stay there and watch the entrance.
Ayako looks at the well can casts detect magic to see if she can figure out what it is.
Iolana casts Mage Armor on herself, and then she gives the Shoanit a glare. "Really? Don't you know not to throw rocks in mysterious pools? Especially pools in rooms where summoning might have been done." She moves up and studies the pool, and then will go and study the light and the runes.
Bow at the ready.
Fluffy doesn't like water and follows Iolana into the other room.
Looking over the edge, Sebastian stares into the emerald green light. Suddenly, everything starts shaking and his arms windmill as he tries to keep from falling in. "Whoa-ah!" Catching himself, he quickly retreats from the pit, looking around at the walls and ceiling nervously. "We've been in rooms that rotated, but never ones that shake..." he mutters, embarrassed.
Something sleeps in here I reckon.
Mushu trots into the room and stays far away from the door.[/b]
You don't detect any magic from the pool. The dark water in the pool is cold and stagnant, clogged with silt and a thick upper layer of dark algae. You can't see anything that might be within. There is no more movement for the time being.
When Sebastian stared into the light, he saw that a tunnel descends down from the center into a room below.
Iolana is unable to make out the exact properties of the runes but does deduce that they are infused with transmutation magic.
Shall we lower a rope down and climb? I am not good at climbing I am afraid.
"There are still closed doors" Tyrandro suggests. "And as it is a major Shoanti tourist attraction we could ask one of them what this thing is about."
Very well, let us check the eastern side.
"And as it is a major Shoanti tourist attraction we could ask one of them what this thing is about."
Krojun replies, "Few Shoanti undertake this challenge. Must who do are Lyrune-Quah and even then, most who try do not return. I have not stepped foot within these ruins before and do not know what they hold."
You open the doors at the eastern end of the room. They open to a narrow hallway running north and south.
A8: This corridor ends abruptly, choked off by thousands of tons of collapsed rock and sand.
Another set of double doors is directly across that open to a room further east.
A7: The walls of this chamber are decorated with six life-sized bas-relief carvings that depict a diverse collection of priests, each adorned in billowing robes covered in Thassilonian runes. An intricate scripture winds around the carvings, coiling across them and along the walls like an immensely long tangle of ribbons. Several ancient skeletons, some clad in hide armor or clutching Shoanti weapons, lie scattered around the statue’s base.
If you speak Thasillonian or with comprehend languages, you can begin to decipher the glyphs with a linguistics check.
The five skeletons on the floor are the remains of long-dead Shoanti explorers. Most of their gear has rotted or rusted away, but among the remains are a suit of +2 hide armor, a +1 frost earth breaker, and a +1 returning totem spear.
Krojun waits outside leaning against the wall. A loud thud breaks the silence, giving you a jump, but you can relax when you realize that the sound didn't come from the pool but from the doors you opened on the southern wall; they dropped back down from the ceiling and are now closed again.
I am afraid I know nothing of this language. Perhaps Krojan would like to return these items to their tribes?
With most of the stuff rusted or rotted some of the items stand out. "You're sure they need the items? Aren't they good receiving the bones?" Tyrandro asks.
"I can't tell anything about the reliefs or the glyphs. I'm sure they are important, but we'll do what we always do. Wander into the trap or fail the test and fight the monsters." Iolana studies the items. "That earth breaker is awesome. It's almost as tall as I am. Too bad I can't use it."
She jumps with the loud sound. "Should we be worried our way out just closed on us?"
Tyrando, can you feel Fluffy's feelings on what happened out there?
"Our exit is still open. Just the doors to the sparkling hole closed." Tyrandro replies.
"I guess Fluffy is uncomfortable close to the water. But I would be too if I were to big to even turn around on that small path. I'm more worried that there are so many skeletons lying on the ground." he adds.
Fluffy sneaks into the corner of the room.
Fluffy carefully picks up a thighbone on the way.
Mushu gives Fluffy a 'I am disappoint' look.
Well let us continue on, there is a door to the north we can examine. Ayako is ready to head north.
Perhaps Krojan would like to return these items to their tribes?
Krojun responds, "If these men were too weak to survive, they've forfeited their right to this equipment. It is yours now. However, the bodies should be returned to Shoanti burial mounds. It would be dishonorable to leave them here. I will arrange for my men to haul them back. You need not burden yourselves with this task."
I can't tell anything about the reliefs or the glyphs.
"Unfortunately, I can not read Thassilonian either and comprehend languages is not one of the spells I've mastered." says Trinia.
"Our exit is still open. Just the doors to the sparkling hole closed." Tyrandro replies.
Krojun gives Tunstall a death stare. "Your dog will return that! He may feast upon the bones of our enemies but not upon my people."
Iolana gives Fluffy a disappointed look which is completely lost on the canine, and heads to the northern doors with Ayako and Mushu. She is casting detect magic as she goes along.
"Drop it Fluffy." Tyrandro commands. "I think I need to feed him better."
"But we have four guys/gals from the Skoan-Quah with us. We're fine bringing these bones back to the burial mounds ourselves. It's not as if it were on top of your priorities list so far."
Turning to Iolana he asks "That's all magic stuff isn't it? Can't you just activate something? Or should we start throwing bigger stones into the pool?" Tyrandro oviously becomes impatient. Maybe the monster to come will reduce that annoying Shoanti into dead bones too. I'd even take care personally that his bones get to the burial mounds.
Fluffy spits out the bone returning the glare of Krojun.
"But we have four guys/gals from the Skoan-Quah with us. We're fine bringing these bones back to the burial mounds ourselves. It's not as if it were on top of your priorities list so far."
"We will accompany you to bring the bodies back then. I do not trust you to properly handle them, especially given your pet's recent display." Krojun fetches his Thundercallers to watch over the bodies while you continue to explore.
The northern door opens to a hallway that wraps back around west. Midway, the hallway opens into another room.
A4: The curved northern alcove of this chamber displays a brilliantly colored bas-relief carving of a woman with six wings and a serpentine lower body. The coils of her lower body wind in and out and around a large seven-pointed star. Tiny shards of gemstones embedded in her tail make her scales glisten as though with moisture, but in more places, chunks of the carving have cracked or crumbled away, giving the depiction of the serpentine woman a strange but undeniable look of age and decay.
Upon seeing the carving, Krojun woots in appreciation of its beauty.
In response, the ruins shake again. This time the water sloshes and a thick rubbery tentacle ending in a bulbous eye rises out of the water and begins probing around the central room. It doesn't seem to immediately spot anyone but the Boneslayers begin shouting and pointing in fear. You are able to observe the creature through the narrow slots in the hallway wall.
What an interesting statue, unfortunately I did not pay attention to the Priest's sermons so I don't know what this is supposed to be.
When the ruins shake again and the Boneslayers shout in fear, Ayako rushes to the slots. This is bad, we need to get the slayers out of here, or get them into the hall with us.
Ayako opens the northwestern door and calls to the Boneslayers to join her. They rush past the tentacle and into the now very cramped hallway. The questing tentacle follows after them and the end reaches just past the open door. It 'feels' around the floor and walls within and strains to stretch further but appears to have reached the limit of its length. The Boneslayers look to you inquisitively whether you wish for them to attack or not.
Ayako shakes her head and makes a shushing motion with her finger.
Mushu hides under fluffy.
"What's the the heroic thing you Shoanti would do here? I mean besides dying to leave your bones here to rot. That option I don't like." Tyrandro asks visibly annoyed. "I mean if killing were the goal the thing would be dead by now. Thousand bones said the ones who braved that got some mark. Do we try diplomacy to convince it to give us one? Just making sure before I start shooting a holy cow here."
Ayako whispers. Let us work our way around the outer hallway, there doesn't seem to be anything here that can help. The well might be what we need.
"What's the the heroic thing you Shoanti would do here? I mean besides dying to leave your bones here to rot. That option I don't like." Tyrandro asks visibly annoyed. "I mean if killing were the goal the thing would be dead by now. Thousand bones said the ones who braved that got some mark. Do we try diplomacy to convince it to give us one? Just making sure before I start shooting a holy cow here."
Krojun replies, "Whatever this beast is, it does not bestow the mark. The mark is that of the Thrallkeepers and it is granted by some object or artifact deeper within."
You make your way back around the outer hallway and find that it wraps all the way around. You can make it back to the room with the illumicore that leads down into the ground and there is one addition door yet unexplored.
The tentacle continues to try to grasp the Shoanti to the north but they wisely keep out of reach. Soon, like the others, the door drops back down from the ceiling and slams shut on the tentacle, trapping it in place. An alien squeal echoes throughout the ruins, and two more tentacles rise out of the water and begin searching around.
"It doesn't seem to be able to get out of the water. So maybe we can stay out of it's reach. Let's check the last room, and then see if we can do anything with the shiny well."
Maybe it will be gone when we come back through. I do not want to fight something I can't see the whole of.
"Do me a favor and collect the bones of your kin." Tyrandro tells the four Skoan-Quah and points them to where they lie. Then he moves around to the room with the well.
Sebastian tries to suppress a shiver. "Whatever it is, it knows we're here. Is that what was causing the shaking?"
It may very well be, the size of the tentacles no doubt indicates a larger body.
Iolana shakes. "That thing must be huge." She moves up and detects the door for magic.
The Boneslayers follow your directions and move to help the Thundercallers in the eastern room. The tentacles in the main room seem to be able to hear or sense your presence and slap against the doors leading to where you and the Shoanti are standing. Luckily, they don't appear to be able to open the doors without help.
Iolana checks the last door. It indicates the same magic that raises and lowers the other doors but nothing else, so she opens it.
A6: A strange bronze statue stands in the center of the room. The statue depicts a half-snake, half-human creature with the lower body of a serpent coiled about a stand and the upper torso of a slender human woman. Her hands are crossed over her chest to clutch two objects at her shoulders—the right hand holds a large quill, while the left holds a jade-handled whip. Six birdlike wings emerge from the torso’s shoulders, and instead of a head, it has a disk bearing a seven-pointed star. Jade runes run down the statue’s belly and along the length of its snaky lower body.
With Iolana's detect magic running, she can see that the whip is the statue's hand is magical.
Hmm, another shrine?
"More like an extravagant nightstand. Look, it has a drawer." Tyrandro tells and pulls it open.