Druamin shifts out of the mastadon form. He shudders and shakes his head. "You know. Some shapes I just never get used to." He pats his thigh to call Kobu over and cautiously rubs pets the porcupine.
"Well Skarn, I've got this wand here that can help with healing. Stand close and I'll see what I can do."
The wand looks like a twig in Druamin's thick hands but he wields it expertly.
"Does anyone else need some healing? I may as well use up this stick. It will make good kindling the next time we need a fire."
As far as Cordwin can tell, it's perfectly accurate. The dwarf also notices that the jaws of the skulls open like levers, revealing narrow tubes leading into the wall.
”Thank you Druamin. You know, I was about to turn the tables on that beast.”
Cordwin will try and figure out what purpose the tubes serve.
They look like representations of sluices through the dam, which seem to be designed to carry away water in a controlled manner when the level in the Storval Deep gets too high. This sort of thing protects the dam from catastrophic failure while still preserving the downstream communities from an uncontrolled flood.
Following his near death experience, and while Cordwin is geeking out over the dam model, Skarn will set about to worship a bit. He’ll gather every container the party needs filled before he casts create alcohol to generate a nice dark porter.
Reynard nods along at Cordwin's description of the sluice gates. [i]Yeah, that sounds right. Wish I'd thought of that.[/ooc]
”Thank you Druamin. You know, I was about to turn the tables on that beast.”
"Yeah, I could tell. It should feel lucky that we killed it before you turned your wrath on it." Druamin punched Skarn in the shoulder then turns his attention to the scale model.
"Ok. So you're saying that this is more of a control mechanism than just a pretty display? If we move these jaws then that lets water through. Do you suppose that will lower the level of the water behind the dam so we can find a secret tunnel or something?"
He gestures over his shoulder to the pool of water against the other wall. "And that pool, do you think it will go down too? I'm wondering about the stairs that lead into the pool. Makes me think there's a door or tunnel or something underwater here too."
Skarn's listens in. "If you let the water go too fast, does that create a problem for places downstream, like Turtleback Ferry? They're downstream, right?"
Cordwin knows that properly designed spillways will not release water fast enough to create flood conditions downstream. While Skull's Crossing is extremely well-designed, it's also several millenia old. The river has doubtless changed since then.
On the other hand, 1) if the dam fails the surge will erase Turtleback Ferry, and 2) now that Cordwin thinks about it he remembers seeing signs of recent (relatively) water flow below the skulls on the face of the dam. So the spillways have opened since Turtleback Ferry was founded.
Skarn gives Cordwin a searching stare, "you're a wealth of dam knowledge today Cordwin! Were you a beaver in a previous life or something?"
Cordwin chuckles. Naw! Just a book worm! Get it? A worm that devours books!
Skarn shakes his head in disgust, ”stick with dams, avoid the humor.”
Trox shakes his head as the others talk not overly interested in how the dam works.
"Shall I give one of them a move, see what happens?"
He moves and is ready to activate one of the skulls.
Skarn shrugs. ”Ain't but two ways to operate machinery like that, either you jiggle it gently, or you kick it hard. It’s usually best to jiggle first and kick after.”
Lifting the skulls has no apparent effect.
"There you go, a-jiggling didn't get it done, so a good kick is in order."
Using more force has no effect. The skulls move freely despite their great age, but as far as Cordwin can tell there are no mundane control mechanisms attached to them.
"Then my suggestions have played out to nothing. What of you Cordwin? Have you any more dam ideas?"
Trox shrugs when nothing happens. "Maybe if we do them at the same time? Maybe these aren't the problem." He smiles. "Maybe an ogre got suck in the works someplace."
Cordwin has read about this specific dam, no doubt because it's a marvel of arcane technology. The control center and power source are supposed to be somewhere below, in the body of the dam, but no one has done more than theorize about it for centuries.
"Cordwin, didn't you say something about a dam power source?"
"Hmm. Well, when plain old brute force doesn't work, there's always magic to try. Let me take a look." Druamin takes a moment to focus his innate magical energies. He holds his hands up with the palms facing the skulls and tries to sense any magical auras coming from the device.
Druamin does indeed detect a strong magical aura about the model. As he concentrates, after a round he realizes that there are actually two auras--one much weaker than the other. (A bit of work later on will show that the weaker aura is from a pale lavender ellipsoid ioun stone wedged into a crevice in the model.)
Trox keeps poking at the skulls.
”What does that magic stone do?”
"Druamin? Erond? I can cast spells, but I know nothing of the craft in general."
Skarn considers what he has been listening to. He may not know spells, but he knows Arcana.
Trox sits down on the floor and cleans his longsword, the metal is strong and wont chip but it gets dirty.
The stone is separate from the model; it looks like someone tucked it there for safekeeping and never came back for it.
Cordwin has read about this specific dam, no doubt because it's a marvel of arcane technology. The control center and power source are supposed to be somewhere below, in the body of the dam, but no one has done more than theorize about it for centuries."Cordwin, didn't you say something about a dam power source?"
Skarn will grab the stone then and pocket it.
"Cordwin, let's go find that dam power source you were on about. Into the belly of this beast!"
Yes! I am curious how this thing works! Fascinating! Fascinating! Cordwin says enthusiastically.
Unable to riddle out the properties of the apparent control mechanism, the party heads for the last set of doors. It takes a bit of time to clear the pile of lovingly polished skulls from in front of the double doors, but nothing disturbs the party while the work takes place.
The narrow chamber on the other side ends at two curved alcoves, one to the east and one to the west. Each alcove is enclosed by a dull iron portcullis. A winch next to each provides a way to raise or lower the gates.
Beyond each portcullis a circle of runes glows with a faint orange light on the floor. Inside the circle to the west is a pile of crimson ash, while inside the circle to the east is curled what appears to be a long-dead devil, its flesh taut and dry on its bones.
Erond, at the sight of the devil Udent screams in horror and dives into your pack, murmuring in a panicky voice, "Don'tletitseemedon'tletitseeme...."
+3 to identify creature abilities and weaknesses
Skarn grabs the shoulders of his nearest companions, to keep them from advancing.
"What we have here is a pit fiend. One of the most fell and powerful creatures in all of the hells. Be wary as you approach, be it dead or otherwise, I'd not care to guess our chances against one of the overlords of the abyss!"
Trox adjusts sword and shield before moving closer. He looks at the dried pit fiend more closely.
"Could these have been the power source? The devil looks sucked dry.
Hell of a way to power something." He looks back at the others to see if any got his terrible attempt at a joke.