"Dalron, can you tell which way they went? Bozvrig, Del, are you adept at detecting traps?"
"I can probably detect any trap we might come across. Unless you want Bozvrig or Del take the lead. Which might not be a bad idea for narrow tunnels."
“Don’t know ‘bout no traps, but...” Bozvrig kneels down and pats the tunnel floor. Truffels begins sniffing around the area, “Dat’s it girl, which why did dat elf go?”
Dalron and Bozvrig are able to find three sets of tracks heading south in this tunnel.
Bright Evening Star is a platinum ring with a large opal set on the top. Making the way around the sides of the band are the phases of the moon. The large opal being a full moon and on the opposite side is an onyx stone as the new moon. On the inside of the band is a simple inscription that reads “for Alena” in Elven.
At will, by uttering a command word, you can use Light as the spell. Use your level as the caster level. It also grants you low-light vision, or doubles your range. Unless you are in starlight, then it triples the range.
Judging from the style of the setting and the form of the Elven letters in the inscription, Bright Evening Star is of high-elf craftsmanship. The name “Alenea” might well be reference to the sorcerer Alenea, a legendary elf hero of three millennia ago. An adventurer and a wanderer, Alenea was the lover of the wizard Eldarniel, courth magician to a powerful elven king of old. Since Eldarniel was a legendary crafter of magic items, especially rings, it seems likely that he created Bright Evening Star for Alenea, perhaps to aid and protect her on her travels.
Little is known of Alenea’s early life before she completed her magical training and began her adventuring career. She was born in a small fishing village on the coast, and at a young age, she entered one of the elves’ many spellcasting academies. When her studies were completed, she joined up with an adventuring troupe along with another young mage, Eldarniel. Together they explored ancient ruins and plumbed arcane secrets, but their heir passion was finding and cataloging the mystical properties of moonlight and starlight. Some loremasters credit them with discovering silver’s effects on lycanthrope and crafting the first Ring of Shooting Stars. Whether these claims are accurate or not, the pair certainly revealed many potent magical effects centered on the light of the moon and stars.
@Lanliss you believe that there is something that you need to do to awaken the full potential of the ring. You get the since that you have to find a natural pool of pure, still water and immerse Bright Evening Star in it from dust until dawn.
Looking at the tracks, you find one set that could be Leera’s footprints. The other two are not the size of Xeron. One is a small set of boot prints, the others is a print that you are familiar with... goblin.
As Barnabus continues to move forward, he begins to sense a concentration of raw earth power that lies ahead.
As the party moves forward you reach the opening in the floor.
The roughly hewn tunnel widens into a terrace, at least 20 feet wide. And long, with a ceiling rising between 8-10 feet. The porch has no far wall, instead opening into a great, echoing hollow. This close to the carernous rift, the air seems charged as if a great storm is imminent. The walls of the opening ascend and descend, moving closer together as they rise into darkness, forming a wider space as they go downward. Two humanoid forms lie unmoving near where the terrace drops off into the hollow.
The first form you discover is the corpse of a make halfling in violet robes and the second is a toppled statue of a wide-eyed female goblin. Two large bags lie nearby, though those bags are now empty. In his hand, the halfling yet clutches a message written in squiggly script, in an unusual language.
The halfling was shot with several arrows, which were removed, and bitten in the face by a few tiny, fanged creatures.
You recognize this to be an Earth Node.
Bozvrig inspects the bodies, “Dis ones turned ta stone. Dis one’s been shot up.”
Lanliss looks at the passage to the north that ascends and sighs.
"I had hoped that we had defeated nearly all of Xeron's scoundrels, but if that passage leads to the surface, we don't know how much support he has. We should be careful.
"At least we may have an easier way back to the surface!"
Lanliss takes a moment to look at the giant cavern they have found themselves in before looking at what the others have found on the body.
"Does anyone recognize what language is on that note?"
Scarlet takes the note from the halfling and tries to decipher it.
"You can feel the power of the deep earth flowing through this place." Barnabus tells the others.
"Unless I miss my guess, this place is an earth node."
You aren’t exactly sure how, but you know this language to be Yuan-Ti... then it hits you, Xeron is a Yuan-Ti.
Fadheela,
I have been delayed. My servants carry the king’s bones and all the items of his champions that I could find. Merthuvial I cannot locate. I shall spend a bit more time trying to find it, but I am sending these on so our rendezvous is not compromised. Please give the Vanguard my regards. I shall be along shortly.
-Xeron
Lanliss looks down the opening and can only see as far as whatever light source is lit will allow. It drops into darkness.
|
"Being shot up is one thing, but look at the small bite marks as well. Maybe Xeron in his snake form attacked him?
Then the goblin looks like it was scared when turned to stone.
We better be extra careful if Xeron can turn people in to stone."
Dalron looks for tracks again to see if the three were attacked by something
"Before we go any further should we tell the town what we have found out? And what the hack is a earth node, Barnabus?"
"Hopefully with Xeron's necromancer dead, the threat to the town has passed. But it sounds like Xeron is planning something else, and I don't know that we have the time to let up the chase to inform them.
"Also, that note confuses me," the elf admits. "If the halfling was delivering the note, then why would Xeron kill him? Is there a third party down here? Honestly, after Leera's betrayal, I'm not inclined to trust anyone else who comes forth as a potential ally."
Lanliss goes to the edge where the hollow drops off to see if there's a way down. He casts detect magic to see if he can determine why the air feels "charged."
Bozvrig scratches the back of his head, confused, "Someding strange is goin' on..."
Bozvrig checks the halfling's wounds for signs of poison.
Truffles sniffs and snorts around the area for signs of Leera's scent.
She keeps bumping into Dalron as he more methodically checks the area. There's just too many confusing smells for her to follow.
Dalron continues looking around and. He discovers a new set of tracks, very faint, that were left behind by a medium humanoid creature wearing boots. You see the trail leading off the edge of the terrace, as if the creature walked into empty space.
You see the set of tracks that were left behind by Leera had circled the two fallen creatures, possibly examining them, but then continued on.
Bozvrig cast Detect Poison and looking around he does not find any poison or anyone who is effected by poison. Bozvrig does know that poisons do have a duration that they are effective and once it has run their course he would not be able to detect them.
Del has been thinking to himself as they walk occasionally reaching his hand down to touch the sword at his hip. Unfamiliar with the weight of the blade he still doesn't trust somehow that he carries it. In fact shortly after the journey continues, you notice him pinch himself on the arm as if to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
You see the set of tracks that were left behind by Leera had circled the two fallen creatures, possibly examining them, but then continued on.
"An earth node is an underground place of power. It is possible to work exceptional magics in such places or use them to transport magically to another corresponding node in the deep earth." Barnabus tells Dalron.
"It looks as if some group transported itself here and then burrowed up to the tombs."
"That doesn't make much sense, given that we followed Xeron's party down from the surface."
To be helpful, Barnabus casts Light on a pebble and tosses it off into the hollow so that Lanliss can see the depths better.
Barnabus drops the pebble down the opening and it falls and continues to fall. 50, 100, 150, 200-feet and then it hits the floor. For most of you the Light pebble is a blur of nothingness. But, Lanliss is able to see the floor below is littered with rocks or something else making it an uneven surface. Lanliss can also just make out openings around the outer perimeter of the circle.
Bozvrig lets out a low and slow whistle, "Whoo... Dat's a long way down. Shall we get ta climbin'?"
Lanliss stares hard at the area below before telling the others what he sees.
"There might be further paths to travel if we get down there, but we might want to explore the other passage that ascends before we commit. There was a rope down to these tunnels from the room King Theron was buried in. If Xeron left it, then wouldn't it make sense that he would have left one here if he came this way? But maybe he had levitation magic. Hmm."
"Long way down. How much rope do we have?"
"I think we should continue down. We know our prey came this way. Also from what little I could tell about that letter we found. The lizard guy was a Yuan-Ti."
Rummaging around in the bag of holding, he pulls out 3 silk ropes. "Here is 150' right here." Scarlet then pulls out another silk rope from his own backpack. "And that makes another 50'."
Bozvrig scratches the back of his head and smiles sheepishly, "Heh... We'll need ta lower 'er down first..." he indicates Truffels, who now seems a bit heavier than anyone remembers.
”What are you feeding that pig?”
As you watched the stone drop into a distant blur, you noticed that as the walls go down, they funnel outward. Even using rope could prove difficult without a wall to brace against. You do know that a knotted rope would make a huge difference.
"Acorns."
Scarlet starts to knot the ropes for climbing.
Del stands in a trance for a moment, his mind elsewhere, but then he takes a sip from his ever present flask, feeling the familiar burn go down his throat.
"Here. Let me help you knot that rope". He says taking another of the ropes up and beginning the process of knotting it for climbing.
"Wait! Wait! If Xeron or this mysterious third party went up the ascending tunnel, and then they come back here, and we're all down there... they could just cut the rope and we'd all be stuck down there.
"Let's just scout the other tunnel a little bit and see if there's any sign that anyone went that way."
"Wait! Wait! If Xeron or this mysterious third party went up the ascending tunnel, "
Dalron, Scarlet, and Del begin knotting the 200 feet or rope to help aid in the descent. If/when the time comes that the party does make the trip down two things will need to be discussed.
1) How will you secure the rope?
2) What is used to aid everyone in getting down will probably need to be left behind. Rope and any items used to secure the rope.
Unless anyone has any better ideas, Bozvrig begins tying the far end of the rope around Truffels, making sure to make it secure and comfortable for her. She snorts and sniffs his hand as he does so, "It'll be alright girl. Just dontcha worry." He scratches her head reassuringly, "I'll be right behind ya."
For lowering Truffels I will need a Strength checks, and probably more than one of the party would be needed to lower him down.
"Danks Barny!"
"Oof, she's put on weight!"
Receiving assurance from Dalron that there are no tracks in the other passage, Lanliss is ready to assist in climbing down. He grants Bozvrig a charge from his Bit of Luck ability just before they start.
Del anchors the pig elevator line, and is concerned when Bozvigs grip starts to slip, but then he sees his friends biceps contract, and realizes that all is probably good.
STR (Shaken)
I'm not sure how much good I could have done anyway. I'm all off balance for some reason. Hopefully the curse from that ring goes away soon.
Del looks down to make sure the ring hasn't magically reappeared as his grip slips at the slightest tug.
Using a few of the Pitons Lanliss has, the team is able to rig up a pulley system to help in letting down Truffels. Though there are a few slips from some of the team, the party is able to let down Truffels safely. Once the boar is safe below the party now realizes that as they have to tie off the rope and climb down it while the bottom is attached to this heavy boar. Using the pulley set up a way to tie it off at multiple points the party begins to climb down.
The hollow’s smooth floor is roughly circular. The air here is alive with energy and thick with the smell of developing lightning. Small holes puncture the walls near the floor, opening into a dozen small tunnels that run off into lightlessness. Dull dust is thickly heaped around the edges, thickest near the holes.
As you as sifting through the dust you quickly discover that it is made up of thousands of disintegrating empty shells shed by cockroaches.
While you are standing on the floor you are instantly aware of the power this node has.
1) While casting within this node you make a Caster Level check DC11+ Spell Level. If you succeed the spell will cast as if you were 1 level higher.
2) If you spend at least 8 hours in resting contact with the floor of the node you can cast a 2nd level spell into the floor and it will transport you to another location. Where... you are unsure. But you can tell that it has been used within the last few hours.
Reaching the bottom, Bozvrig unties Truffels and rewards her with a handful of acorns.
Bozvrig sniffs a handful of dust. “Weird,” he mutters, “Roaches.”
Lanliss' eyes go wide.
"I don't... I don't have another scroll against vermin."
Reaching the bottom if the cliff, he looks up and regrets having to use so many fine ropes to get down here and leave. But knowing they might need to climb back up to get out of here.
Upon hearing the word 'vermin'. "Ugh... lets move slowly through here. Try not to attract too much attention."
"This place is indeed an Earth node, as I suspected."
"Magic is stronger here and by use of some of spellcaster's power, it is possible to transport a group from this place to .... somewhere else."
"We will have to spend time here to attune ourselves to the magic of the place. At least eight hours."