Karkalla begins to aid best she can in putting out the fires
In that case,
"Well if my favorite grotesque bat statue was stolen, I'd be cross too." Toxim casts Haste.
Ardanto also rushes over to help the others, looking for danger, unable to understand Olman and unsure that an attack is not to follow.
Daurros begins sending rays of frost and using mage hand as is most beneficial to help put out the fires.
You are able to contained or put out the fire in short order and the Villagers are glad to see you as they know you now have the item of which their god wants returned. The Tanaroans eagerly provide directions
To the shirne entrance upon the lower slops of Nextpeua. The entrance is a large cave, carved with bats and images of fire, which leads to ancient lava tunnels.
The sloping lava tunnel widens into a large round chamber filled with smoke and ash from fissures riddling the rock walls and floor. A fiery glow and thunderous rumbles come from the west, where rents are cut into the wall, opening into the volcano itself. The walls of the cave are riddled with nitches, most of which contain offers of food, trinkets and animals, while others stand empty or hold only ash. Though the haze a massive bat leers from where it has been cut into the wall. Its wings rise over its head with its claws extended to form a small nitch that seems to be empty.
Finn prepares himself with a mage armor spell, cynically guessing that the bat god isn't going to be all that peaceful.
"Well, Daurros -- you're the closest thing we have to a high priest, I wager. Will you do the honours?"
Daurros removes the golden idol from his pack, presents it towards the bat statue and steps forward. As he does, he keeps his eyes peeled for any sign of a trap or hidden danger. He places the statue reverently into the niche, and then steps back.
perception
You hear a mass sigh as something drops into the lava pit beyond the room. A mass shape rises from the lava, it running from its back like water. A man/bat thing much larger then the one in the village hovers slightly above the lake of fire. It booms in an inhuman tone
""Zotzilaha thanks you for returning what was his! Know mortal that Zotzilaha rewards those that serve him. You may each choose something of value from his vault as his reward to you. You may ask questions about your prize...but choose quickly I must leave this place ...I grow hungry"
With a rumble the large bat carved into the wall raises, reveling a room. Inside an assortment of treasures lay. A small wooden coffer, an ivory carving of an elephant headed humnoid holding tarnished jade, encrusted septar, A necklace with a single large fang, shining mithrail brestplate, a longsword with a fire motif, a strip of leather rolled around a thin, long fang, six rings, a blue cloak, pair of silver bracers and a crown of coral.
Finn mentally dismisses the sword and breastplate.
"Thank you, fiery one. May I ask what powers the rings hold?"
Karkalla walks over to the leather wrapped fang? "Whats this then?" She asks
Ardanto eyes the bat/god thing suspiciously, all to aware of stories and tales about accepting favors from powerful being. He waits for every one else to speak while he keeps watch.
Daurros will also try and identify everything he can, using detect magic.
"The Gold ring renders one unseen,The one of bone befriends animals, the golden ring with the ruby holds minor spells,the mirhtal ring with four garnets delays ones fate,The ring of charred bone brings Retribution and the the ring of obsidian grants one a resistance to fire. The fang is not a prize, I do not know it. Take it if you want, it shall not be counted as a prize as it is not Zotzilaha's '
"What's inside the coffer?"
Guard quickly scans the items in the room to find traces of evil.
Only if he picks up something, he notifies the others and thoroughly looks for it's source.
"Okay" Karkalla pockets the fang "how about that fang necklace?"
"The coffer contains a few hundred platnium coins. The fang is a dragon tooth that grants the wearer a natural armor.'
Other then the servant of the bat god, Guard finds nothing that feels evil.
The magical items
* Fang necklace +3 amulate of natural armor
* Mirthal breastplate is a +4
* The long sword is a sword of flame tonge
* The leather wrapped fang you have no clue, but it is very magical
* The gold ring: Ring of invisibility
* The Bone ring:Ring of Animal friendship
* The golden ring with the ruby: Ring of spell holding, Minor
* The mirhtal ring with four garnets: Delay Doom( 4 stones)
* The ring of charred bone: Ring of Retribution
* The the ring of obsidian: Ring of fire resistance Major
* Blue Cloak: +4 cloak of resistance
* Silver bracers:+4 bracers of armor
* Coral crown: works as helm of underwater action
Daurros is interested in the ring of fire resistance.
After you have taken your prizes the bat thing explodes and vanishes, leaving you alone in the cave. The door to the vault seals as the last of you leave and nothing seems left to do but return to the village below, maybe now with the threat gone you can talk them into giving aid to farshore.
"Hmm. Oddly anticlimactic. But perhaps now that we have done them a favor, maybe the tribes will help us. Shall we return and see?"
"I have to say, for an evil bat god he was quite hospitable."
Finn puts on his shiny new ring and promptly disappears.
"Let's go," a disembodied voice says.
"Yeah. If only all evil gods would just let us take valuable treasures out of their hordes."
You make your way back down to the village. Most of the villagers seem pleased that that god is now pleased and they prepare a feast in celebration. You are all honored greats as the natives dance, sing and prepare a very large lizard on a spit.
Finn removes his invisibility, but he tries to keep his demonic visage hidden as much as possible. Perhaps someone else can do the sucking up to the villagers?
Karkalla (assuming someone will translate for her) does her best to encourage the tribesmen to help anyway they feel they can (Warriors would be nice but she would settle for weapons or even local knowledge)
Diplomacy
Diplomacy
Toxim translates for his companions.
When the time comes, Toxim tells of the pirate fleet and calls for the tribes to send help for the second defense of Far Shore.
Daurros also tries to help explain what the benefits of assisting Farshore would be, and how the two settlements could help each other. He takes a more intellectual approach, of course. He also inquires if any of the elders might be willing to speak with him once again...
The village elders seem moved by both Karkalla and Toxims words and agree that if a single or runner is sent that foreshore will have aid from them, for all you have done. The village also wishes you to stay the night as they hold a fest in your honor.
One of the elders however thinks he may know of something that might aid in farshore. "Long ago, another people lived deep within the island, a people known only has the jaguar people, it is said they became to close to their gods and spirits and shed human form long ago. However they were known for fine weapons, weapons fit for heroes and those descended of the gods themselves. Legend tell of a temple, deep within the jungle past the tarpits and the Bloodwater, were the Jaguar people hide away their great weapons"
"Thank you for the promise of aid, for the information, and for the feast."
We had planned on getting the ship next, but after that, we could look for the Jaguar people's temple.
"Mighty weapons, eh? That could come in handy. But I think the ship may require longer-term work, so it might make sense to bring the Sea Wyvern back to Farshore first."
Ardanto listens, unusually quite for once, before breaking his musing with "The treasure of the Jaguar people is not going anywhere, but I agree we should look at getting the Sea Wyvern and more importantly its cargo first."
Guard simply nods to Ardanto's words.
So I guess the plan is to head back to Farshore and sail along the coast to the crash site in either the Blue Nixie or the captured pirate ship.
Finn will keep himself invisible for the journey back.
Ardanto listens, unusually quite for once, before breaking his musing with "The treasure of the Jaguar people is not going anywhere, but I agree we should look at getting the Sea Wyvern and more importantly its cargo first."
"Agreed. We must recover our ship and our cargo. We will likely need to bring some craftsmen with us, as it will not likely be seaworthy."
With a plan in hand and the village helpful you stay the night before heading back to farshore. You arrive and can see that some plans have been worked on while you were gone. The ships look the be getting repaired, the militia seems to be training, you can see townsfolk everywhere repairing or helping to raise defenses.
"We are still in Lady Vanderborns employment, so I think we should tell her our plans, right?"
Finn will ask Lady Vanderboren for a status update and tell her that they're heading out to salvage the Sea Wyvern.
Has Ardanto decided which ship and crew he's going to take?
Ardanto will see to the assembling a crew, volunteers from the original crew and the press ganged pirates. He also ensures we have enough equipment, spares and skills.
Lady Vanderborn is pleased to see you and informs you that so far, things go well. However tar is in shortage,there may be enough to repair the sea wyvern, but more may need to be found to shore up the colonies defensive. The locales say a tarpit lays past the wall, but it is hunting ground for powerful beasts.
As for the ships, one is indeed ready for sea, a small caravel called the spirts kiss. Amella and the crew have been working all hours to get both ships in good repair. The second ship is a larger merchantmen vessel, that is still having its masts replaced. If the Sea wyvern is repaired, it is likely that farshore will have three vessels to bring to bare in the coming battle.
Once the Sea Wyvern is fixed, can we use her to get more tar for Far Shore? I figure the crew with our island allies could take care of that while we go after the jaguar people's cache.