"Take care Arianwyn, something appears to be affecting Whiteclaw, be Certain that it does not affect you too."
She looks at the chest.
Inside the chest, Kia sees a remarkable reddish gem, a small leather pouch and a large number of coins. Whiteclaw continues to scream.
"Whiteclaw is afflicted with some malady!"
"Big help," Vel mutters
"Hmm.. Plan B.", Reason calls on Ioun yet again to try and protect Whiteclaws mind from whatever is attacking it.
Whiteclaw
The demon looms over you, and the eyes pulse once more, in time to your terrified heartbeat. From somewhere incredibly far away, you find reserves you never knew existed and you confront the evil. With every scrap of willpower you can draw upon, you rise and unleash a primal howl, rejecting the glazberu and all its works before dropping into merciful unconsciousness.
Obitu-Que's second domination attempt (1d20 10=12, 1d4 1=5)
Everyone else
Reason calls frantically on his deity to help Whiteclaw and something certainly happens. The gnolls unleashes one final, primal howl and collapses into unconsciousness at your feet.
The rhythm of the pulsing rubies in the skull changes and goes quiescent for a brief moment, before picking up the beat of Arianwyn's heart.
TRK checks to see if Whiteclaw is alright. "Whiteclaw, wake up!"
Heal 1d20+9=16, Perception 1d20+4=19
The paladin channels some of his own life force into Whiteclaw and the gnoll moans quietly and returns to consciousness. As far as you can see, she looks much as she always has done, although you sense that there is mental scarring that may never fade.
"Friend, are you alright? You should not push yourself. The last fight was very intense to say the least. Here, let me help you up."
Arianwyn raises one elegant eyebrow, "Intriguing..."
Arianwyn
As he studies the room and the skull, all that they have seen and done in the tomb starts to make sense to the eladrin.
Piecing together the information, he builds an accurate picture of what has happened here. When the demon fell in battle to the last of the savage kings, gnoll allies brought the king's body and those of his trusted servants to the tomb, hoping one day to raise him. The mechanics had been set in place eons past, and to the gnolls and the surviving remnants of the savage race, the last king was surely destined as their future saviour.
In an attempt to keep the demon skull safe, it was placed in the Treasury, but such pathetic safeguards were not proof against the immortal and all pervading evil of the glazberu Obitu-Que. Dormant for many years after the shattering defeat which severed soul from body, the skull gradually extended tendrils of evil. Corrupting and dominating the gnolls, Obitu-Que imbued them with strength and cunning to guard the tomb, marking each generation of shamens with its own symbol.
As the skull's power increased, it caused the gnolls to wreck the last king's coffin, destroying any chance of performing the final ritual and raising Obitu-Que's old nemesis. Thus far, the totem spirits drawn to the place have remained unsullied. Their pure, primal power is beyond the reach of Obitu-Que in his present, limited form.
"Milady Vel, please attune your senses to this detached cranium awhile, there is much to be done." Arianwyn says before launching into a lecture on the history of the tombs.
"And so, our gnollish companion's mental energies were yet another tasty (and familiar) morsel for the demon's power."
"The crone told us that we must return this skull to the Maw. As to its other properties..."
Arcana (1d20+10=29)
Ioun grants her devoted servant enormous insight into the workings of Obitu-Que's skull, perhaps moved by the group's urgent need.
Obitu-Que is in no particular hurry. The demon has survived many thousands of years and expects to survive many thousands more. It will attempt to dominate anyone within 6 squares of it, but if a choice of targets present themselves, it will opt for the one with the highest wisdom. . Once a domination attempt has failed against a target, that target is safe for 24 hours and Obitu-Que will become dormant for 8 hours before making a further attempt.
The skull needs to be thrown whole into the maw. Reason realises that no weapon, divine or arcane power can affect it. This is a sentient artifact and if it senses imminent destruction, it will make further attempts to dominate the carrier, using the eye rubies as power stones.
Obitu-Que is dormant at present, due to the failed attempt on Whiteclaw. Reason knows you have eight hours of comparative safety to get the skull to the Maw.
"Let us not waste any time then; I volunteer myself to take the skull." Arianwyn says calmly. "Such evil cannot be allowed to remain."
"Eight hours, eh? I guess we get to it."
"No, I'll take it. We have more time before it can try me again. I can keep it just out of range of effecting you all while we travel." Whiteclaw says. "And, if it succeeds at controlling someone, I'd rather it not be you."
Arianwyn's less than happy relationship with pools continues as he dives elegantly into the water, trying and failing to catch at the skull. On his second attempt, although he finds the artifact, it slips from his grasp as the swirling waters cause him to lose any sense of direction. As the skull falls to the bottom of the pool once more and the courageous eladrin gulps for breath, Whiteclaw scythes into the water and emerges clutching the object of your search.
"Ach, and I thought snakes could swim better than this." Arianwyn remarks wryly and damply.
"I am touched, Milady Gnoll. Very well, you may take the skull."
Whiteclaw takes the skull and carefully sets it into her back, right on the top for easy access once we are at the forge. "We should destroy this as soon as possible." she opines.
"We should destroy this as soon as possible." she opines.
"Agreed.
"Kia, what did you find there?"
"I propose that we rest before we journey to the Maw. I am the most likely target of the skull should it regain an attack, and I am willing to take that chance to increase our odds of success. I am also probably the easiest one for the rest of you to stop, should I turn against you."
"On the other hand, if we do not rest for a while, I strongly doubt that we shall have the strength to overcome whatever awaits us."
Kia looks on while the others make their amazing discoveries and then turns her attention back to the contents of the chest.
"I'm not sure yet, Vel but I'm taking a look"
She carefully picks out the contents of the chest and examines them.
Kia suddenly realises what Whiteclaw is offering.
"Whiteclaw, I doubt that any being, supernatural or otherwise can overcome my will for long. If you think it is going to try to overcome you, you should hand it to me and keep your distance, as I have much resistance to charms and things."
Kia carefully picks out the reddish gem and the leather pouch. The gem, she identifies as a power jewel.
Inside the pouch, she find 10 uncut garnets of exceptional quality. Any jeweller would be delighted with them. She estimates their total value to be 300gp. There is also a holy symbol. Although ancient, it seems that Ioun had worshippers even among the savage kings.
"We should destroy this as soon as possible." she opines.
Arianwyn mutters, "Indeed, as I just intimated." and then louder, "Ah, very well, we are falling over ourselves to be martyrs. Let us not waste any more time."
With that, he sets off through the northern door, determined to investigate the prior rooms.
Kia goes to Reason and hands him the holy symbol.
"This I believe will benefit you greatly."
Having dealt with that, she tries to figure out who would be the most appropriate holder of the Power Jewel.
"Where has Arianwyn gone now?"
Kia suddenly realises what Whiteclaw is offering.
"Whiteclaw, I doubt that any being, supernatural or otherwise can overcome my will for long. If you think it is going to try to overcome you, you should hand it to me and keep your distance, as I have much resistance to charms and things."
"I appreciate the offer, but, from it's attempt I know it cannot work at all on me for a day. With luck, it's destroyed by then. I'm the logical person to hold it for that time. If we haven't, then by all means you can have it."
Arianwyn looks around for anything he might have missed the first time. In other words, pretty much everything.
"Kord protects, Whiteclaw. No burden is insurmountable with the help of the divine."
Arianwyn
Arianwyn sees sealed wooden coffins. He notices that the wood is curiously untouched by time. Surrounding the destroyed coffin are a variety of grave goods.
For the most part, they are figures of people, designed to help the king in the next life until his resurrection. Naturally enough, the warlock is aware that this resurrection will now never come to pass for the king himself, due to the desecration of the coffin.
All the panoply of life is portrayed. Cooks, warriors, priests, curvaceous women, metalsmiths, grooms, falconers and kennelmen. The animal handlers are complete with small figurines of dogs and horses. Among other items are slightly larger figures of the animal totem spirits you know so well. The bear, fox, dragon, raven, owl and snake watch over their own.
Arianwyn
You sense that anything may be taken from the pile of grave goods as long as a proper respect is observed. The animal totems still rule this place and they will not allow harm to come to the worthy.
Attuned as you are to the snake, you also sense deep, primal anger from them at the desecration of the tomb. Taking objects to assist you in your quest will not be harmful. Taking from greed will be.
Judging from the freshness of the wooden coffins, you realise that the inhabitants will very likely rise to protect what's left of the ruined tomb if proper judgement is not shown here.
You easily recognise that the basalt hound is a wondrous figurine. The animal totems themselves can bestow their buff bonuses once per day away from the tomb. The only ones that will work for your party are the dragon, owl and raven. The other figures are not magical, but are worth in total about 800gp due to the quality of the workmanship and rarity of the materials.
"Brothers and sisters of the wild, you know the quest on which my companions and I are embarked. I beg your leave to take this, your servant and brother, to aid us in destroying the demon-skull that currently blights this place of rest. If you know aught of us, you know us to be an honourable company, who have aided the dead before in seeking eternal rest. Lend me thy skills and we shall triumph, thus speaks one who has spoken with the serpent."
There is no need for any kind of training to realise that the totem spirits approve of Arianwyn's words and trust in his sincerity. The atmosphere in the chamber is noticeably benevolent.
EDIT: The eladrin has a strong sense that if the party do decide to rest, they can do so here in complete safety. The spirit totems will guard you from harm.
Arianwyn takes the basalt dog and returns to the rest of the group.
"The first chamber is safe for us to recuperate and rest, should we wish to do so."
"My thanks, Lady Rubarka, I shall do what I can with this.", Reason says, taking the symbol from her.
"As for the skull: if you insist on continuing immediately, instead of listening to Reason", he smirks, "I could conjur up a disk of force to carry the item so we all have our hands free for other things."
Still holding the Power Jewel and not wanting to keep it for herself, she goes to Vel.
"Well, could you think of a good time to use this? It will only work once but you are most likely to be out of the fray in an emergency situation so would likely be the best person to be able to use it."
"Very well; I will hold it."
Reason also holds to the idea of resting first.
"I cannot see us being able to race to the Maw, defeat this Kyleth, Queen of the Forge, and all of her minions, and destroying the skull before it regains its powers, without first taking the time to rest and recover the greater powers that we have expended."
"And while I have been given the means to bring one of you back from the dead, I would rather not have to attempt to use it; and really prefer not to have that capability exceeded."