Speak up, you old frog! I expect you have knowledge or power that will be valuable to us, or you wouldn't be here in the bowels of this shrine.
He seems frozen in time, do you want me to thaw him?
I am Zikmo Hears-the-Father.
he gestures down at the first crone's body , that is the chief's concubine. Our chief was Kumanda Slays-nine-men. But his foolish ways of attacking men who come to the forrest endangers our tribe. You have slain him. By right, she is yours.
He gestures at the other female boggard, the summoner, That one is my concubine. I offer her to you as a token of honor from our tribe.
We can stay here, and keep others out of this unholy land, those the tree does not strike down and stop first, though he does fight against us, his protection of the site keeps many away. He does not serve the Dark Father. We are your servants, and seek only to bring glory back to this spire.
She was saying:
Culling is reserved for the weak or the foolish, our judgement has yet to be set.
= We haven't decided if you/tribe deserve to the killed or saved.
Answer me this; Respect shall save you Zikmo Hears-the-Father, Loyalty shall rise you up. You present one well, but how do you honor the other?
= Your signs of respect are good and have saved your life, but prove you will be loyal to us/the lord and you can get off your knees and become more than slaves and fodder.
Stepping aside for Saio
Uh, ok, um, that's a lot to take in there.
Back to Zikmo,
Your people can stay here, but we may have need to call upon them. Train and prepare for the coming battle. Too long have you acted as trapdoor spiders.
Tell us what you know of the horn.
As you direct, master.
Zikmo takes you back through and shows you their village, a series of mud and stick huts in the caves. There's room for improvement, you think. The mad blind toad leads you to one , somehow nicer looking hut.
You are also ::croaaaak:: entitled to the old chief's other earthly posessions.
he digs out some things from the hut, emerging with a helm of elaborate scripted and etched design, set with gems and jewels. and a fist sized chunk of a sparkling faintly glowing chunk of amethyst in a geode. as well as an enormous ivory tusk, curved and etched, its a beauty to behold.
HELM OF COMPREHEND LANGUAGES AND READ MAGIC
Aura faint divination; CL 4th
Slot head; Price 5,200 gp; Weight 3 lbs.
DESCRIPTION
Appearing as a normal helmet, a helm of comprehend languages and read magic grants its wearer the ability to understand the spoken words of any creature and to read text in any language and any magical writing. The wearer gains a +5 competence bonus on Linguistics checks to understand messages written in incomplete, archaic, or exotic forms. Note that understanding a magical text does not necessarily imply spell use.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, comprehend languages, read magic; Cost 2,600 gp
Zikmo appears about to say something else, when he suddenly lurches forward. standing out of the water on the tips of his webbed toes, as if leaping, but just appears stretched back in pain as if his spine is doubling over, frozen, midair, in a tremor.
The cave of the blue slime conceals your future! Learn its secret or fail at ye master's charge
he dances, screaming his terrifying croaks about the blue slime and the fury of the master. the fire burning at the center of the temple, his own cavern that he was leading you to, changes color, burning a deep indigo blue in time with his abyss born prayer.
he settles down, crashing backwards to the mucky watery floor, having not quite reached the temple yet. he lays there, looking close to death or dead in the water, belly up.
Stepping aside for Zikmo's interpretive possession, in Abyssal
Uh, ok, um, that's a lot to take in there.
Heading back to the cavern of the blue slime to check it out...
As the others marvel at yet another wet empty cavern, notable only for its distinctive blue slime mold that covers the western wall, the vibrant blue slime does not seem fould or poisonous, but it is visually striking. Forsythe and Ash notice a miniscule little tunnel, a crack at the base of the rock shelf, from the base of the southern wall. maybe no more than a few inches in size.
i've got one inflict light wounds prepared , and one infernal healing ( 10 hp ), so i can shoulder 18 of either total. more if i burn off more Fervor for healing to us undead. If i get edwin's damage before its life link syphoned, i can heal , more for us neg energy healees.
total base offer: 27 hp of the damage share.
I guess we're spending some time here once we take over? resting the night probably or something?
i've got 5 touch of corruptions, at 3d6 hp each.
|
I need to start preparing an extract for inflict light wounds, i think i learned that or ok'ed it with the gm, its not a typical Alchemist spell. but he seemed fine with it. Might want to research an extract of Infernal Healing as well, that seems like a no brainer... for now at least since we're not very wand-plenty.
i can produce up to two light curative healing tonics today. Can you take positive energy dilutions without harm? , Ash asks Saio
Pi, Temp... Can either of you manage a Gasseous form? if one of us went with darkvision... we could check out the crack, and see if it leads somewhere.
its hard to judge, it looks like it could end about three feed in maybe? or maybe get too narrow to see, or turn. its only a few inch crack. it could just be nothing.
Not too far into 6th. The t rex , and for now being neutral with the treant, defeating the boggards. You could explore more of the region ( hunting chickens ), or axe the old treebeard, as two, not limited options, if bored and can come up wth nothing else.
I can spider climb up there if that helps. Doesn't help me get in the crack, I could at least check it out.
|
I already accounted for healing the team here and here. Everyone should already be topped off. So I only need to heal the Boggards. If Leo and Forsythe are contributing 82, then I'll Life-Link the rest and blow my channels. Assuming we are resting for the night that is...
どのように怪我をしましたか？これは、もっと良いものに役立つはずです。
, +4 personal.
, +4 personal.
, +4 personal.
, +4 personal.
, +4 personal.
That's 39 that I can produce, if we want, for those that can take it and 59 for me in total.
I can cast a scroll of gaseous form, but I don't have one on me. They're not cheap. I think a spell of that power usually costs around 375 gold. I've actually heard of a special robe that would allow me to cast a spell from a scroll as if I already knew the scroll. But I haven't seen one in stores and it's probably still out of my budget. Still, at some point I should be able to help with that! Maybe we can try something else? I can reduce someone's size, but not that small. But maybe enough to stick a head in? Um...let me see...
Pages through her spellbook while Tempy rambles...
Oh yea, I have that one. I'll just need to re-sync my brain and spellbook with this cool trick I learned and then I can cast that instead of fireball. I like fireball though, so hopefully I can switch back afterwards.
Anyways, it will last a little longer than 10 minutes. Do you want me to cast it on one of you or should I do it on myself?
Yeah that was what I was thinking, I could reduce to tiny and spider climb, but that is still too big I assume?
Ugh. If you have the spell, why not just say so before I spend all that time thinking? You're as annoying as my younger sister of the same name and personality.
Yea, well, you remind me of my older sister that was always bossing me around and casting enchantments on me to get me to do what she wanted. I had to look in my spellbook first to confirm it before I volunteered, so give me a break.
|
|
Wait. My gods. You're clearly sisters. I can see it now, the hair, the eyes, THE NAMES. How weird is this? This is like one of the books I used to read in high-school about two sisters who were adopted by different parents but both became investigators of the paranormal. They would solve mysteries and fight baddies and were the best friends until their nemesis captured their parents, who where not their parents and it was discovered they were royal twins who's true parents were in hiding due to a coup by an evil brother who was also the vessel of a deamonic force. Oh my gods this is just like that!
Saio, shut it. Like listening to cats fight in a bag when you talk. Does anyone ever understand her with that accent? She could etch glass.
Tempy, shut it.
Piety, turn into a fart or whatever and check out that crack.
haha
Zikmo, explain your little dance and "The cave of the blue slime conceals your future! Learn its secret or fail at ye master's charge", and why was it in Abyssal?
Quoted section in a mockingly-dramatic spooky voice. Assuming Abyssal is the language of Chaos and demons and not that of Infernal which our Lord and devils would use.
On the phrase, ritual or temple?
Zikmo shakes his head and slowly comes around.
My vision juice reveals many things, thinks that I don't know but that the dark lord wants known through me.
Piety is going to swap out for gaseous form, and go explore the crack ?
climbing up isn't a problem, the crack is down by the floor, its almost unnoticeable because of the way the wall sits, and the slime.
Piety studies her spellbook for 10 minutes, prepares Gaseous Form, says to shine as much light as you can down into the crack. With that she turns herself into a thick misty cloud. she funnels herself into the crack.
you find that the crack turns and shifts. they shine as much light as they can into the crack, but it doesn't do much. with the dim light it sheds inside just a little, you can see there is some sort of redoubt in there, a cavern about fifteen feet back.
Do we want to put this light out? It extends our vision a little, but also could draw attention to us.
Further back in the redoubt, Piety finds a lime encrusted human skeleton leaning against the south wall, clutching a heavy leather bound book.
she flies back as mist, and informs everyone what she's found. tomorrow she can prepare multiple castings, go back, retrieve the book at least, or examine it, and recast it to exit the redoubt with the book.
the book appears to be a heavy leather bound tome.
The Eye of Vigilance ( the First Eye of Vetra-Kali)
Aura strong divination (evil); CL 15th
Slot none; Weight -
more to come. but i'm not going to reveal it until i see the rolls or identify is cast.
reading over the book, it details the long history of the Sons of the Pale Horsemen, and recounts their efforts to transform this world into a daemon's playground. This rarest of tomes is made utterly unique by the last page of text within. The book makes plain the ritual necessary to call Vetra-Kali back to the mortal realms.
on the back page, a ritual is detailed to break the seal placed by the Victor, break the Silver Seal and call forth Vetra-Kali.
- Behold our shame that we, the Sons of the Pale Horseman, failed in our darkest hour to defend our prince the undying and ever malevolent Vetra-Kali Eats-the-Eyes. But I have seen it! I have seen the road to repentenance! 666 prayers. Three per day will break the hated Seal. With each prayer bathe the seal in unholy water and intone the dirge.
At the stroke of midnight each day call forth the Supplication to Darkness. Pray to the darkness so that we shall be forgiven. Upon the first midnight make the first sacrifice -- one of our own blood -- so that Vetra-Kali will know we are repentant.
At the first light of each dawn call forth the Cursing of the Light. Answer the spread of the shining lord’s light with our unyielding defiance. Upon the 111th Curse make the second sacrifice -- a true believer of Mitra -- so that the cursed god of the invaders will know that we fear him not and that his power to hold our master at bay is ending.
At dusk as darkness returns each day cry forth the Call Across the Void. Recite the name of Vetra-Kali so that he may hear us and return. With the final Call offer the third sacrifice -- one of the Victor’s own blood. By the same blood that caged him so shall our master be freed.
Let ye with wisdom understand. Once the final prayer is uttered upon the 222nd dusk, Vetra-Kali will begin his long traverse across the great wheel. At the stroke of midnight on that day he will emerge into his Sanctum and the Seal shall shatter.
Blessed day! Be ready, my brothers. His eyes have been stolen from him. Return them and the Prince will honor ye with one task for each.
For the Eye of Vigilance ask only for his mercy upon we mortals and plead that he do ye and yours no harm. For his wroth will be great.
For the Eye of Hatred ask for his greatest gift -- the Tears of Achlys so that once more every corner of the world may know his mercy.
For the Eye of Withering ask what ye will for in his gratitude he must answer your charge.
And then behold, the Prince restored. All shall know his blessings of pestilence and despair.-R.Kappelbrenner
The Dirges specifies exactly how a sacrifice must be made to Vetra-Kali. The victim must be placed upon his altar and there have their heart cut out while still alive. The heart is then placed in one of the three bowls that the statue is described as holding. .
know i can't hit that DC to identify the item. but i'll gladly detect magic and assist someone
I assist.
i presume you'll Guidance and try that instead:
Aura strong divination (evil); CL 15th
Slot None; Weight -Description
This jewel at first appears to be nothing more than an exquisite emerald worth at least 20,000 gp. Only if the jewel is steeped in the blood of a sentient creature does it reveal its true nature. The Eye of Vigilance was the magical focus used to create the Horn of Abaddon in the first place and so it is connected to every square inch of the structure. The bearer of this jewel may scry the Horn of Abaddon just as if he possessed a crystal ball. The Eye is also a critical component of the ritual to destroy the Silver Seal and return Vetra-Kali to the prime material plane.If all three of the Eyes of Vetra-Kali are united in the statue of Vetra-Kali in the Sanctum, then the Eye of Vigilance functions as a crystal ball with true seeing again limited to the confines of the Horn itself.
Destruction
The Eye of Vigilance, like all the Eyes of Vetra-Kali can only be destroyed by permanently slaying Vetra-Kali Eats-the-Eyes on his home plane. If this is ever done, the jewel shatters into emerald shatters worth a paltry 2,000 gp.
Unless someone States otherwise let's assume we rest after recovering the book. I'm happy taking the cave.
Looks like the Arcana/Spellcraft rolls are covered. Still need History/Religion rolls? These would be assists as it would be impossible for me to get a 30.
-Posted with Wayfinder
-Posted with Wayfinder
the hut is... relatively cleaner, and the floor is at least not boggy.
it can easily sleep 4 in one "bed"/"sex" play area. with space you can set out bedrolls if you don't mind tripping over eachother.
i'm semi presuming you rest after recovering the book as well.
will count it as 2 days so far and update the calendar.
::whispers quietly to the group when he realizes ::
Zikmo doesn't consider Asmodeus to be the Dark Father... i think he's an oracle of Vetra Kali or some demon god, that's who he might consider the Dark Father...
::Also whisper::
Well I thought that was odd, but assumed she was just using the language incorrectly while under the influence of the blue slime (thank you awesome sense motive of 5 and -2). We should tread carefully around them to use Dark Father, as they may still be useful tools too us, but I am concerned about the Sons of the Pale Horsemen what her visions may reveal.
Vetra-Kali/Sons of the Pale Horseman/Asmodeus
ugh, these rolls are not helping.
This is excellent. Frog minions and a way to break the seal. This will take some planning. Also, I'm not sleeping in the frog sex tent. I'll find a dry spot of land out here. One of you lovely ladies is welcome to join me...
::whispered:: we were supposed to break the seal. Perhaps this choas is what was expected to wipe out the mitrans in preparation for Asmodeus taking over?
I can manage 3 castings of gaseous form in day 1. But I'd only need 2 anyways. I GF in there, after doing so I see the book and stuffs, so I assume my normal form. Then when I'm done and have the book, I recast so I can head back out.
Ash's detect secret doors task comes up with one door, very well concealed, near the frogmen's ambush chamber.
In infernal, clearly annoyed with the uneducated superstition of her companions:
We shouldn't worry about the fact that this frog king worships demons or daemons and we're unleashing some unlawful evil into the world. Our master is not stupid, he knows what he's doing. And our mission was to "go to the Horn of Abbadon and release the beast there". It's called the Horn of Abbadon for Asmodeus' sake, pretty clear it isn't a bastion of devils.
A secret door, Ash? Well, which one of you big strong guys...
Tempy pauses and looks at the psycho little gnome, emaciated undead cleric, fast talking swordsman, scrawny little tiefling alchemist and strangely familiar nerd girl with a big spellbook in her hands and realizes that "big strong guys" is an increasingly inaccurate description of her party.
...well, I guess not so much big strong guys as...well, whatever. Who wants to open this door and stick their head in? Because it sure as @#$@ isn't going to be me.