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Tuich and Vyk work together to bring the foul creation down. With the sounds of combat fading there is only the sound of swirling dust in the court yard.
There are doors to the North, east, west and stairs to the south.
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Dylara moves into the courtyard, and takes a moment to observe her surroundings.
"That carving there," Dylara says as she points at an important looking figure in the wall carvings. "I wonder who it is..."
"I think that figure's got something to do with this place's history. Does anyone know who it's supposed to be?"
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Khismia moved closer, with charged crossbow, just in case anyone is still hiding.
"These creatures... they were abominations of unlife... I could not stand the stench. And I tried to hold them, but my power was not enough for all of them. Have anyone been hurt? I can try to tend your wounds". She took healer's kit and small wand out of her backpack.
"You tried to control them?" Haunts voice suddenly appeared behind, "your friends ruined that body I found and fought to get its lousy spirit away!"
"It's not meant to be walking again! This is against a tenets of Lady's Lore!" Khismia suddenly shook her shoulders. She waited for Ayu's ghost to be destroyed together with a zombies body.
"It was dirty and cursed body, but at least I could walk and touch things. I could hold my daughter's hand, if they gave me a chance!"
Oracle stepped to Vincent and moved his shirt aside, showing rotten pieces of flesh inside his open wound.
"You'd like to touch daughter with hands like that? You'd like to bestow a curse of rotten flesh to your progeny?"
After this words, haunt understood it's mistake and stepped aside, leaving woman to be free for a while.
"If one hurried here to get before us, probably we haven't met those creatures than" she tried to find optimistic side, while cleaning Vincent wounds, "so this fight means we are first to explore this place"
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Checking the door and feeling that it is safe Vyk opens the door.
This modest brick building provided housing for a caravan’s beasts when the fortress was active. Only the stone has survived intact, with empty sockets for lanterns at even intervals. Ancient tools for leatherworking sit on a table to the south, next to an empty stone trough. Barren stalls line the north wall.
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"Hold on. A friend showed me this once. It's called the Bardic Knock spell."
Vyk grins as he walks up to the door and knocks on it. He turns to the others. "It's very technical."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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When no reply comes from the bardic knock Vyk puts his shoulder into the door causing a loud crash as he knocks over several old crates and barrels that were stacked in front of the door. Inside it looks as if this use to be the blacksmith as there is an old forge an chimney. Most of the tools and equipment have be lost to the ravages of time. Dylara is able to find to small vials in the crates Vyk knocked over. They appear to be a silver weapon blanch and a ghost salt blanch.
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Finding nothing suspicious Dylara opens the doors.
A profound quiet has settled over this timeworn hall. Elegant stone columns line the passage, and hieroglyphics and colorful art depict scenes from a distant age. A small wooden door stands at the east end of the hallway, while a larger door leads south. The sound of steady splashing water is audible through an open passageway to the north, and large stone doors lead outside. One of the pillars has collapsed, and a crushed human corpse lies pinned underneath. The distinctive shape of a wayfinder peers out from under the body’s hand.
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Vincent thanks Khismia for her concern over his wounds, and then grins. "Far too many of the fun things in life involve exposing yourself to diseases. Luckily they never seem to stick."
As for the wounds themselves, he heals himself up before continuing on.
Vincent hands the silver blanch to Vyk and takes the ghost one for himself. "I have a spell handy in case I need to fight creatures with strange defenses, but I don't think it works on ghosts. Hopefully we won't need either of these."
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"I can't help but notice that each of the pharaohs in the art work bears three jewels on his or her head regalia: an emerald, topaz and ruby. Perhaps there's a symbolic meaning behind such an odd fashion choice."
Vincent searches the body and shows the rest of the party the scavenged gear. "Anyone know what kind of stone this is?"
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'An old wound', the words reverberated in my mind when I read the inscription. This woman must have meant much more to the erstwhile Venture-Captain than the simple inscription suggested.
--Miko Teppen, personal journal
Miko has a look at the wayfinder, and keeps silent for a moment.
We should keep this, for Torch. she finally says, as she shuts the magical compass and puts it away.
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"For Torch?" Qadiran woman was a bit surprised, "I hope we will never meet him again. I felt a bit uncomfortably with him around. That smile... Probably he found out we sabotaged his tasks, so he send us here instead of directions to correct place."
Khismia took a vial and tried to understand it's content with some help of magic. After studying a magical auras for a moment, she opened a lid and gently smelled the drink.
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"Hmm... Yes, I see the jewels... It's probably just 'cause they're 'important' people that they were jewels?"
I also want those jewels... They're pretty.
Dylara takes a look at the stone Vincent's holding. She tries to determine what kind of stone it is, and if it has magic properties, by using detect magic.
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Vincent start to head toward the northern part of the room and finds Vyk and Miko easily over take him and beat him to archway. Approaching the room the pathfinders hear the relaxing splash of water. A large, pristine pool occupies much of the chamber, and a statue of a warrior-maiden serves as the centerpiece, endlessly pouring water from an ornate jar. A large carving on the east wall depicts a frightening man who stares at the viewer, with half his body burnt and ruined and the other half young and healthy. A withered corpse lies in the northwest corner. An open doorway to the south leads to the fortress’ entry hall.
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As Miko is examining the wall carving Vyk points out that they are being watched from the pool of water. As soon as Vyk points out the creature a watery creature in the form of a young lady emerges from the pool of water and stands above the pool next to the statue. She watches the Pathfinders especially Miko.
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Dylara listens to Miko's explanation of the cartouches, and also takes a look at them.
"Going by your explanation, Miko, I think maybe the first, third and fifth should be on the burnt side. Those three seem to have a connection to death. Like slaying enemies who attack you. That leaves the other three for the whole side, which seems to focus more on positivity and keeping things whole."
"What do you think?" Dylara asks the others.