"Have the conversation, at least. Someone owned those tools, and those crystals - who- or whatever it is is definitely a threat. Plus, we still need to find those ashes."
"Then it seems into the darkness we must go to uncover what lurks within..."
Aldon will head through first attempting to detect psionics as he does so.
Hand on the hilt of his sword, Marcus was right behind Aldondrick, peering into the gloom - hoping to spot any signs of danger.
The company made their way back along their old path, up further into the mountain. As they came into the grand chamber where they battled the trolls, the chorus of voices spoke again.
"We bid you leave. We do so again. We will not do it thrice," they said, save the last that again uttered, "Serenity."
From the unexplored dark, no sound came. Aldondrick felt the resonances of the Way from within it.
Ranek glanced at the others, then said, "We have come for two purposes. First, to ensure that the nearby village is in no danger. Second, we seek the Ashes of St. Bakau. Will you speak with us about these matters?"
Aldon glances at Ranek and shrugs knowing that was not a very convincing approach to start.
"The Way resonates within this place".
Hearing Marcus grimaced, "If only we could fortify our minds against it's insidious touch..."
Taking a steadying breath he added mildly, "I suppose we must go on." With that he stepped forwards onto almost certain doom.
Ranek glanced at the others, then said, "We have come for two purposes. First, to ensure that the nearby village is in no danger. Second, we seek the Ashes of St. Bakau. Will you speak with us about these matters?"
"The village is nothing to m-" the two voices fell silent and the third uttered "Serenity," again, much more clearly and forcefully at Bakau's name.
Hearing Marcus grimaced, "If only we could fortify our minds against it's insidious touch..."
Taking a steadying breath he added mildly, "I suppose we must go on." With that he stepped forwards onto almost certain doom.
"No! Step no further if you would live!" the two conversant voices said in a mental roar.
With firm finality Bolkvar took a step forward. ”Child murderin’ scum. Find ye and kick ye in the head till yer dead.” The dwarf muttered grimly.
Marcus shrugged, "To be mortal is to know know one day you must die. Perhaps my time is today, or perhaps not." He stepped forwards boldly, "Lets us see what Lord Torm has planned."
Marcus shrugged, "To be mortal is to know know one day you must die. Perhaps my time is today, or perhaps not." He stepped forwards boldly, "Lets us see what Lord Torm has planned."
[dice=Perception if applicable]1d20+7
Here we go... Ranek knows this is the moment. They must defeat this being here - or else, he suspected, he would suffer the fate in his dream. Only one way to find out. Ranek cast shield from his wand, then drew his sword.
Thurvek takes his traditional place as flank guard.
Marcus prayed for Bolkvar, "Lord Torm, we are about to step into the unknown in pursuit of Evil in your name. Please staunch wounds of this honorable Dwarf!"
In a flash of blue radiance the worst of his wounds vanished.
”Thank ye and yer god.”
”Thank ye and yer god.”
[dice=Heavenly Fire to top of off]1d4+2
The company file forward, between the burned bodies of the trolls they slew the previous day and past the cage where the children were held. They come at length to a chamber nearly so large as the last. It was plain, save for charred, dark spots on the floor and walls and a pitted stretch of flat iron leaned at a steep angle against one wall. Dominating the chamber was the corpse of a dragon, its skin and scales shrunk tight to its bones. Its empty eye sockets glinted with topaz light and it lay sprawled to one side, looking sideways toward the company with its jaws open. A strange stone formation rose from the floor near to the dragon, two stalagmites that looked vaguely like grasping arms.
”Careful. Don’t like the look of them eyes.” Bolkvar warned as they moved in. If that thing was a liche, well...he didn’t know if he could punch that out. And that was worrisome.
Marcus narrows his eyes and whispers, "Torm 'fend us from evil..." as his eyes notice the dragon. He looked at the stone formation suspiciously, could that have been the fate of the hero, to be turned into stone?
He wondered if there was any slumbering art or evil here, so he whispered a prayer and opened his senses.
Marcus narrows his eyes and whispers, "Torm 'fend us from evil..." as his eyes notice the dragon. He looked at the stone formation suspiciously, could that have been the fate of the hero, to be turned into stone?
He wondered if there was any slumbering art or evil here, so he whispered a prayer and opened his senses.
Marcus' Art showed him faint evocation about the eye sockets and auras of abjuration and conjuration that seemed to come from inside the dragon. His divine senses revealed tainted auras from within the dragon, where he thought he sensed perhaps two but it was oddly hard to say. They seemed entangled somehow.
In hushed tones, Marcus told the others what he had found and suggested, "Perhaps some malevolence is wrapped up in the eyes? There's lingering art but perhaps this is something more a kind to the way?" He glanced at Aldondrick wondering what he thought.
"Lathander protect, there really was a dragon..." Barra whispers, awestruck by the mummified form in front of him. At Bolkvar's words, he quickly turns aside. "It looked like the ground was... grabbing it? Eating it? And... why hasn't it rotted?" He asks the more scholarly members of the group.
”Well, ye see...”
The dwarf ran his fingers through his beard as he wracked his brain for an answer.
[dice=Knowledge Arcana]1d20+9
[dice=Knowledge Religion]1d20+12
”Well, ye see...”
The dwarf ran his fingers through his beard as he wracked his brain for an answer.
Even from the distance, Bolkvar knew that was no natural rock formation. It looked like someone had been petrified, halfway into the ground. A terrible, but hopefully swift way to die.
The dragon looked naturally mummified by the cold, dry air...but that didn't mean it couldn't also be undead.
Ranek took a deep breath as he went along with the others. As Marcus told them about the lingering auras he cast his own cantrip to detect magic, so he could study the auras and try to identify them.
Bolkvar shared his insights with the party. ”Anyone able to summon a creature? Have it walk forward. Trigger any traps or spells.”
"Indeed, I do..."
Aldon summons an Astral Construct and proceeds to have it do just that walking towards the Dragon Corpse.
Also also Detects Psionics.
Marcus rested his hand upon the pommel of his sword and whispered, "With the grace of the gods I hope we can divine the nature of our opponents before it's too late. Forewarned is forearmed they say."
Ranek took a deep breath as he went along with the others. As Marcus told them about the lingering auras he cast his own cantrip to detect magic, so he could study the auras and try to identify them.
[dice=Knowledge (arcana)]1d20+11
[dice=Spellcraft]1d20+11
Marcus can tell the glow in the eyes is a continue flame. He thought the other auras, within the dragon's body, were something like mage armor and shield...but not quite the same. Aldon sensed resonances that indicated much the same to him.
Aldon's astral construct lumbered forward, reaching the corpse unmolested.
Aldon bids the Construct to enter the eyes and see what happens then.
Thurvek frowns, holding his battleaxe tightly, ready for a confrontation with The Damned Voice!
"Ever get a feeling like something just crossed your grave?" Marcus whispered, "Something tells me we'll be needing Torm's aid." At that point he started praying fervently.
Ranek called on his Art to give him a way to see invisible creatures, just in case their foe hid. He then re-upped his shield from the wand.
Aldon's construct lumbered forward, toward the mummified dragon. As it did a sharp pain erupted in the minds of the company and for a brief instant they saw the same dragon, rearing in the full glory of its power. It roared and the air shimmered with sudden, terrible heat that boiled the construct away even as the draconic apparition vanished. In its wake, a blue-skinned goblin with many crystal shards jutting out of its skull emerged from the dragon's mouth, holding a ceramic urn in his hands.
Inits!
Ranek knew this creature would require all their efforts. His sword glowed as he charged it with arcane energy, and he cast a spell, causing electricity to crackle along its length before moving forward and striking the goblin to deliver the spell, sending the electricity coursing into the goblin's body.
Muttering words of power, Bolkvar strode forth. The image of the dragon was unsettling. And this goblin could not be underestimated.
Thurvek rushes toward the blue goblin, attempting to postion himself for a better attack point.
Both swords held in front of him, Barra's long limbs quickly outpace his stunty companions as he runs forwards as well.