Taking the non-magical ring, you insert it into the slot. It is a perfect fit. For a few seconds nothing happened, but then the stone start disintegrating before your eyes. It is a slow process, but eventually, there is no trace of the slab of stone having ever been there. You are finally free to enter what you hope is the final chamber of this crypt. You walk into a huge, elegant domed chamber that houses a single marble sarcophagus at its western end. A mosaic of a black dragon decorates the floor. The ceiling is covered with a vibrant fresco of armored soldiers fighting a host of dragons, with a blonde woman of noble mien at the center, rallying the troops with her sword. In circular alcoves to the north and south stand life-sized statues of this woman, standing in a pose of triumph over the head of a defeated dragon. This is the first room where you feel welcomed to enter.
"Wow. This is amazing." Kakrish shuffles into the room. "I wonder who that lady is."
I don't know, but if she fought dragons, she was a great warrior. Truly impressive.
Hoga wanders in, taking in the art.
I am glad the ring thing worked, And I feel welcome here. That is so strange in this crypt. Kyras walks to the statue in the north and speaks to it. Great lady, our need is great and our cause is just. We seek aid against an evil black dragon that we somehow must face. We are ill prepared and not ready. We beseech you for aid. And for that reason we need to open your resting place. Please forgive us. He waits for a reaction.
Once Kyras finish his plead to the statue, a pale blue figure emerges from it. "You are finally here. I tried contacting you before, but there is a powerful evil spreading in the region. The evil managed to leak into this crypt and infect some of my family members, disturbing their rest. You making it here only means that this evil is now cleansed. For that, I thank you."
She points at the sarcophagus. "The dragon you are hunting is linked to that evil. It would be selfish of me to deny your request. You are after all here to stop that evil. But before you face the dragon, I would suggest that you visit the old monastery in the hills south of here. I sense that there is something there that might help you in your quest. I'm afraid, however, that the old monks won't surrender their secrets easily."
With her blessing, you open the sarcophagus. Inside, you find her remains. The body is dressed in a beautiful breastplate. There is a composite longbow that lies on the body’s left side. Atop the body under the crossed arms lies a long sword. The right hand holds ten arrows, and the left just a single shaft.
Hoga is speechless. He tries to take it in, but he's overwhelmed.
He stands there, hoping someone else can make sense of it.
When Kyras approaches the statue and starts to talk to it Kakrish chuckles. "Kyras, you know that's a statue, right? You can't just talk to it. I mean, do you think..." He's interrupted by the apparition stepping out.
"What? That's amazing." Kakrish is truly amazed.
Once the sarcophagus is open he casts Detect Magic on the items.
"Well, Thats something ya dont see every day."
For once Kyras is speechless and obviously surprised his appeal was answered. He can only bow to the spirit.
What's your spell telling you, Kakrish?
Breastplate of luck +3, Once per week, the armor allows its wearer to require that an attack roll made against him be rerolled. He must take whatever consequences come from the second roll. The wearer’s player must decide whether to have the attack roll rerolled before damage is rolled.
+1 keen composite longbow (+2 str)
This ability doubles the threat range of a weapon. Only piercing or slashing melee weapons can be keen. If you roll this special ability randomly for an inappropriate weapon, reroll. This benefit doesn’t stack with any other effects that expand the threat range of a weapon (such as the keen edge spell or the Improved Critical feat).
Wyrmsmite (a +2 dragonbane transformative longsword)
A bane weapon excels against certain foes. Against a designated foe, the weapon’s enhancement bonus is +2 better than its actual bonus. It also deals an extra 2d6 points of damage against such foes
A transformative weapon alters its shape at its wielder’s command, becoming any other melee weapon of the same general shape and handedness; the weapon’s categorization as simple, martial, or exotic is irrelevant. For example, a Medium transformative longsword can take the shape of any other Medium one-handed melee weapon, such as a scimitar, flail, or trident, but not a Medium light or two-handed melee weapon (such as a Medium short sword or a Medium greatsword). It can even take the shape of comparable weapons of different size categories. For example, a Small greatsword is a two-handed slashing weapon for a Small character, but is a one-handed slashing weapon for a Medium character, which is very similar to a Medium longsword; a Small transformative greatsword can thus become an actual Medium longsword, usable by a Medium creature without the –2 penalty for using a weapon of the wrong size. The weapon retains all of its abilities, including enhancement bonuses and weapon special abilities, except those prohibited by its current shape. For example, a keen transformative weapon functions normally in the form of a piercing or slashing weapon, but cannot use the keen special ability when in the shape of a bludgeoning weapon. When unattended, the weapon reverts to its true shape.
10 +1 dragonbane arrows
A bane weapon excels against certain foes. Against a designated foe, the weapon’s enhancement bonus is +2 better than its actual bonus. It also deals an extra 2d6 points of damage against such foes.
arrow of dragon slaying
This +1 arrow is keyed to a particular type or subtype of creature. If it strikes such a creature, the target must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save or take 50 points of damage. Note that even creatures normally exempt from Fortitude saves (undead and constructs) are subject to this attack. When keyed to a living creature, this is a death effect (and thus death ward protects a target).
Hoga will roll to assist, because he'd need a 20 to identify the arrows alone.
"Hmm. I can tell these are magical. Very advanced. I might not be able to figure out what they do. Is someone else skilled and discerning magic? If so, I can assist you."
"Lets see here, Ill give er a go see if I can tell what they do"
Hernvet rubs his hands together and casts a spell on himself(Guidance) before he does each one.
"Yes, I'm just not feeling up to it. So I'll just help."
Try as they can, the group is unable to identify the newly acquired items. With nothing left to explore, they are left with either moving to the monastery or heading back to town in the hope that someone could help identifying this loot.
Looks like we're done here. Let's head back and see if we can identify these items, and rest up. I'm still a little weak.
And perhaps my weapon will be enchanted by now and can be picked up. Kyras says hopefully.
”Let’s go back in town to rest, heal and identify. Then to the monastery”
”Let’s go back in town to rest, heal and identify. Then to the monastery”
With sufficient ranks in Spellcraft, you earn the following.
5 Ranks: Identifying magic items takes 1 full round, and the time required to learn a spell from a spellbook is halved.
10 Ranks: You can identify magic items without using detect magic, though the DC is increased by 10.
It's possible but you need 10 ranks.
"Back to town we go then"
"Yeah, let's go back to town. Maybe I can find something to make me feel better."
With nothing left to do in the crypt, the group heads back topside. Once there, it is the long trek back to the village. In the distance, you can still see flying creatures patrolling the borders of the swamp, leaving the center where you are clear of anything. Once in the town, some of the people are curious to see what you are bringing back, but at the same time they give some space seeing how weary you are.
I hope the town has resources to help with that drain. Kyras comments to Kakrish. After all, we are risking our lives for them. Surly they have a priest or two about.
"Surely the Baroness will know who can help us in town!"
Yeah. She'll know what can be done.
"Yeah, she will probably know. And besides, I think she has a crush on me so she'll probably be eager to help."
I think it must be your singing voice that charmed her. Kyras comments.
"I heard you sing before and... You should stay in the shadows my little friend!!!" and Maffei with a smile, gives Kakrish a pat on the back...
"Sadly I cant help ya Kakrish im not as good a cleric as some priests. However if we ever come across a scroll of some type of spell that could possibly cure similar states of damage that you took, I might be able to use em." Hernvet walks behind the group with his tail dragging on the ground and his ears flopped down.
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Kakrish nearly falls over with Maffei's slap on the back. He coughs a bit. "What, did you guys say you wanted a song? From the shadows? Like a romantic ballad that a man sings to a woman when hiding outside her home?" Kakrish scratches his scraggly beard while taking a few steps. "That's not normally the type of song that I sing. But if you guys are making requests I might be able to work something up."
Kakrish seems lost in thought so he doesn't even notice Hernvet's comment.
Let 'er rip, Kakrish. It's a damn sight better than what we just dealt with.
Hoga grins at his dwarven friend. I could use a tune, however it's delivered.
Heading toward the Baronness's mayor, the group notices her riding toward them with two guards. When she is finally close enough, you notice that she looks nervous and hasn't probably sleep since you left. "Please tell me you have some good news? The whole town is going to die from a nervous break down before the dragon come back here if we don't have anything good to tell them." She stops talking just long enough to notice the state in which some of you are. She then turns toward one of the guards. "Got get the priests." She turns back to you, and is about to ask you more questions when the guard clear his throat and speak. "Which... Which priest my lady?" Anger flashes in eyes for a second, but then she calms down and turn again to the guard. Speaking like a mother would to a child she answers the man. "All of them, go get them all." The man just nods and ride toward the town.
Baronness, after much danger we fought our way to the bottom of a corrupted crypt and met the spirit of Lady Tula Belhaim herself. She has gifted us with her very arms and armor, all of which are suited to fight a dragon. The evil spread by the dragon had managed to leak into this crypt and infect some of her family members, disturbing their rest and awakening them as evil undead but we put them to rest and cleansed the tomb. Kyras says breathing hard from the memory of it all.
"Yes, Kyras is right we had a fight with a few bones but our friend here, kakrish, got badly wounded by some means that is not simple flesh damage. Also we dont know exactly what the stuff we got does, but if you have a wizard or something of the sort to identify them I'm sure they could be useful."
"Good to hear." Her smile for a moment. "The founders of this town deserve the eternal rest they were promised." Turning to Hernvet she continue speaking. "The healers will know what to do to help our dwarf friend here. As for magical items, Bassy, the town unofficial historian, is probably the best one to help you with that. If she can't tell you what those items do, then no one else can.
Turing toward the direction the guard left. "Now what is taking them so long?"
I know we are beat up a bit my lady but I think we can manage some progress towards the town and those priests. They really do not need to come out here. Kyras offers.
Where did your guards go?
The baroness ponders on Kyras words for a moment, then nod. "Both temples are near the center of town, if you make your way there, you should run into them. As for Bessy, her house is by the river, the second house south of the bridge. Let me know if there is anything else we can do for you." She nods again and then turns her horse around and start heading back toward her house.
You make your way across the bridge and come to an intersection. turning right would bring you to Bessy's house, while continuing straight will get you to the center of town and near the temples. Looking down the street you still don't see the guard or the priest he went to fetch for you.
Let's go to the temples. Maybe the priests are there.
"Temples sound good to me." Kakrish wheezes a few breathes.
Ignoring Bessy's house for now, you make your way to the Temples. You get to the center of the town. Looking down toward the Temples, you see a finely dressed young man sitting on a perfectly groomed horse. An amused smile is on his face as he looks at the guard that the Baroness sent to get the priests. The guard seems to be trying to get a middle aged woman to move faster as she is slowly making her way to her own horse. You can her reply to the guards pleas. "Yes, yes. I'm moving. I don't see what is all the big fuss all about. You said they were all alive and conscious, it can't be that bad."
We have come good lady. No need to rush out to see us. Kyras calls as his group closes with the other.
Our stocky friend here was badly drained by some undead thing. We're hoping you have the means to make him well, Hoga says, pointing to Kakrish.
The priest and the guards turn to look at the group. Before the guard can say anything, the priest start talking. "See, I didn't need to rush over there, they were able to get here themselves." She pauses for a second and focus on Kakrish. "Humm... Yes, that one needs the most care, get him inside." She walks back inside without another word.
The young man looks at the group with a smile. "Don't worry, she's always like that. My name is Niles Genser, it is a pleasure to meet you all. While she takes care of your dwarf friend here, please allow me to take care of your minor wounds that might be troubling you." He gets down from his horse and guide you in.