As the plan of action is put into place, Dasur lets the highly competent Iverna take the controls so he can study his spellbook in preparation for their journey ashore.
He observes the massive docks with curiosity. "Why did they have such large ships? This is a large lake, but it is no undersea. Perhaps there is a connection between the Lower Azathyr and this lake that is accessible by submersible vessels. If so, finding an indication of the entrance and an adequate amount of fuel to facilitate such a journey will be paramount."
The wizard casts a protective enchantment upon himself, ascending the ladder to the docks above. After having limited darkvision for so long it is surprising how far they could all see on the island. Of course, the first sight that greeted them was a huge and at one time incredibly deadly worm.
"Incredible." Dasur breathes, taking in the creature. "It is no wonder this entire island was abandoned. Stone willing, all these giant worms starved long ago." He points towards the castle sitting upon a ridge. "We should make our way to the castle. An aerial view will allow us to determine the safety of the town and if there is anywhere to scavenge supplies. "
”Please! If there was a tunnel from here to a lower level, then this entire lake would have drained out, like a bathtub. Do you even think before you say these things?” Torvi shakes her head.
"If they can build these engineering marvels," says Glenda, "they could build a floodgate that could allow them to control the drainage of water."
Torvi nods appreciatively, ”Now THAT is a convincing argument!”
Glad to be back on dry land, Snorri takes point, cautiously approaching the worm's remains. Flashbacks of his mushroom vision return prominently at the sight of the corpse.
"These are the verminous scourge I had a vision about, the one which destroyed this city. Parasites, hopefully. Something worse, perhaps."
Gripping the axe, Snorri heightens his senses, in order not to be surprised by lurking evil, then approaches the fountain. "The castle sounds like a good idea, I concur. We could find maps, equipment, information."
"It is also possible, Torvi, that those volcanic cones connect to lower levels of the Darklands. Or that those are some sort of pustules on the body of this titan that lead into his body. Obviously there is something below here that isn't water, as that is where Erebos says his people live. So there is something below us that isn't water." Iverna seems bolstered by this gnomish vessel and her ability to pilot it. She had been wondering what her role was to be in the party as they moved beyond lands she is familiar with, but, for the moment, she feels useful again.
Snorri focuses his attention on finding the inherent evil of the forces that wiped out this gnomish city, but he senses nothing but a faint pervasive sense of evil undertones. There is nothing evil about the corpse of the worm or the maggots that feed on it. The streets are covered in mud, and water falls steadily from the ceiling. Though the forces that used that mud might have been evil, the mud itself is a natural effect without alignment. The maggots, though destructive, are not evil. They are simply the natural results of a dying creature. The dead worm may once have been tainted by the evil upon which it fed, but for now it is quiescent.
The fountain is a stone border of abstract gnomish sculpture. The interior of the fountain seems to mirror the 7 peaks of the island. Each must once have spouted water, but now the entirety is filled with slime covered eggs the size of a cat. The whole mass of eggs is joined together by some sort of slime.
”Gnomish art and architecture can be so garish. Let’s find these volcano roads and get on with finding Dammerhall. I grow weary of rediscovering the heights of gnomish culture.”
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"Sometimes I wish the world were so simple, Torvi. But instead we live in a world where the rules of reality are bent by magic and the gods on a daily basis. What seems impossible can always be possible." Dasur waxes philosophically, following the group down the streets of the ruined gnomeish city.
He stops at the fountain, looking from the abstract artwork to the mountain peaks looming in the distance, and then to the eggs. "These appear to be some kind of gestational sacs." The wizard comments, leaning in for a closer look.
"I feel no malevolence nearby, just faraway echoes. Perhaps even those worms weren't agents of death as much as... corrupted? Evil forces played here, and the fall of this city was brought by chance and decay, rather than ill will."
As the consequences of the fact dawn on him, Snorri smiles brightly and fiercely. "Unless I am wrong, this could mean that the island would be prime location for an outpost, even a city or a fortress, our own counterpart to Vothys. One controlling one of the two accesses to the Lower Azathyr, defensible, and uniquely positioned for communication with Fasturvalt, the Xan and the surface."
We could build bridges, perhaps a road, and properly sift the jungle for artifacts such as the obelisk...
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The eggs are soft, like reptile, amphibian, or invertebrate eggs. They float in the fountain basin in a sort of gelatinous substance. Each egg is a pale lavender color swirled with darker red. Within you can see a dark worm creature with a lamprey like mouth surrounded by 4 tentacles or antenae. It is difficult to make out details through the egg sac. The creatures within the eggs have a faint evil taint, and do not appear to be natural creatures. They have a faint aura of the Abyss, not demonic but maybe something older, maybe something from before good and evil separated themselves from Chaos, or even from before the universe took shape. In any case
”Nothing good will come of this, unless we destroy those now says I.”
Dasur leans against his staff, considering the creature's. "I do not know what these worms are, but they are nothing I have seen or heard about. Snorri, the worms in your vision match these creatures I would imagine?"
Looking to Torvi, the wizard is contemplative. "These are ancient fiendish creatures of some variety. As such, they are highly resistant to most forms of energy, including fire and acid. Powerful sound waves may be the key, but I lack any spells of that nature."
The dark shapes within the eggs do seem to notice your presence. Each of them moves within its shell to get closer to you.
Snorri weighs the Axe of Tharnhammer, thoughtfully. "The visions were confused, but yes, I believe these to be the same creatures. As for the eggs, I don't much like the idea of killing unborn creatures, but these are tainted already. Sort of tainted, actually, there's something strange about their aura. I fear they would just be trouble if we let them be. Or perhaps... Erebos, your people is renowned for taming the most weird and exotic of creatures. What do you make of these?"
Watching the creature's move closer to them in their egg sacks is fascinating to Dasur. "They must sense our life force. I would not be surprised that even for being so young, they hunger."
Turning and walking down the street, he aims to be at least 100 feet away. "If you all will join me, I will summon a shower of rocks from a safe distance in an attempt to destroy them."
Glancing at the fountain and then back at Dasur, "Do you think that is really gonna work?" Break the egg and the worm dies. Don't be squeamish now.
Torvi backs off with Dasur.
"Decomposers grown large, vicious, and aggressive after feeding on the corpse of an ancient protogod would make most interesting war beasts. I'm sure the Fleshwarpers would love to get their hands on them, but I can't imagine your kind would want anything to do with them. Best to let Dasur smash them, though it is a pity."
Stones rain down into the fountain, splashing water and crushing eggs with disgusting spurting sounds. The eggs pop and their contents are crushed. One might think that demonic worms should scream or something, but in fact they make no noise at all.
"That's one problem solved, then. Excellent spell, Dasur."
Snorri leads the way towards the castle, axe at the ready.
Glenda waits to see if the stone call works, ready to add her own spell to wreak havoc on demonic creatures, but when the remedy seems effective she simply gets back into line.
"Not a bad start to the day."
Dasur concentrates on the area above the fountain waggling his fingers and intoning words that sound like two rocks grinding together. A portal to the Elemental plane of Earth opens, and bits of the outer plane falls through in a cacophony of stone.
The wizard watches the eggs pop and burst, leaning on his staff as it becomes evident they are all destroyed. "It is a simple spell after the portal to the Elemental plane of Earth is opened, gravity does most of the work." He drones, examining the fountain for any signs of movement.
When it is apparent all are dead, he begins following Snorri towards the castle. "If we encounter any more worms I will need time to study and re-prepare the spell. Hopefully the fort will be devoid of life."
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The road to the keep's entrance is nearly six miles from the fountain. This must have been an amazing place when it was inhabited by gnomes. Now it is ruin. Stone buildings lie crushed and sunken into mud. Everything is covered in a combination of volcanic ash and mud that must have come from the lake flooding.
The keep, however, shows signs of more direct attack. The walls show clear signs of having been pelted with stones and something harder, perhaps some sort of metal projectile. The stone gates have been broken and lie scattered. You stand at the ruined gate and stare into the inner portion of the keep. Keep might not even be the right word. It is really more like a walled city, nearly 3 miles wide and 2 deep. Despite its size, the interior of the keep has been scoured clean of rubble or structures, and it also avoided most of the mud. There is still a coating of volcanic ash, but whatever structures were once here are not gone. Most of the towers are in ruins, but at the back of the keep the largest remains somewhat intact, with a roof and an intact chimney.
”Vexatious evidence this. Aspects of natural disaster, but also clearly hostile actions taken by a thinking foe. Coincidence? Methinks that is unlikely.”
"Erebos? Any historical notes? Perhaps this place fell to drow-summoned demons in the past? Or is it as unknown to you as to us?"
Dasur surveys the scene, marveling first at the exquisite construction of the city, then examining the perplexing juxtaposition of disasters. "Whatever attacked did not leave much to remember the gnomes by. I wonder if these events occurred simultaneously, or one after another? Perhaps the gnomes were chased out of the city, and then their conquerors were attacked by the worms or subjected to a volcanic eruption?" The wizard speculates, before pointing towards the tower. "Regardless, the calamity has reduced the number of destinations we have to choose between."
"I fear your suspicions are correct, Glenda. The utter destruction, the use of Natural Forces as weapons of war. This seems more like the work of Drow than that of other races. The Duergar would not have been so vindictively destructive, and the Serpentfolk would have taken the city for themselves rather than destroy it. Only the Drow would seek to make the place uninhabitable. We talked earlier of using the worms as weapons. Perhaps that is what was done. If so, we should take care, for the Drow would have left behind something to ensure that none would thrive here again. At the same time, it may be that the Drow invaded from beneath, so perhaps there are indeed passages to the world below this one."
Dasur listens intently to Erebos' observations. The wizard strokes his single-braided beard absent mindedly with one hand. "Hmm, I see, it makes sense why all of the buildings have been rendered to utter uselessness. The mud slide alone must have been an incredible feat of elemental manipulation." He comments, though he tables the thought of how such a feat could have been accomplished in favor of a different idea.
"If the Drow emerged from further below ground, perhaps we could tell the direction they came from by examining the damage left by their siege equipment upon the fort?" Dasur proposes, though considering there only appeared to be one road out of town it was probably a more complex solution to the problem than necessary.
”I would far prefer a route deeper towards Dammerhall that involves walking, than one that involves getting back into that infernal machine!”
Snorri gapes at the sight. "It sure looks like malevolent action. But why remove the rubble?"
The dwarf tests the ground, carefully advancing. "There is a chance dangers hide here still. Stay in formation."
Dasur eyes the walls of the keep, and then the ash field. "Perhaps we should approach the tower by following the interior wall. Instead of a direct path across. We do not know if sinkholes or other dangers exist beneath the ash.
Torvi proudly takes her place in the vanguard!
Our band of dwarves moves along the inner side of the wall, keeping away from the deepest ash. The ground is thick wet ash, frequently flooded by water draining from above. Here, the ash is only 6 inches deep or so, but you can imagine that it could be dangerous if it were piled up in a hole, creating a sort of quicksand. Best watch out for that.
Erebos:
"This place would be a fine place to build a keep. The soil here will support whatever is planted in it, the wall are already partially built, there is plenty of water. A right thinking dwarf who was not obsessed with the past might think that this was a fine place to settle."
Dasur stomps through the wet ash, eyes ahead on the looming tower.
Erebos' recommendations are sound, but he underestimates the tenacity of the Dwarven spirit. "Perhaps one day, Erebos. But that is not our destiny. I have seen the prophecy with my own eyes. A Tharnhammer, ideally Snorri, must sit on the reclaimed Mithral Throne of Dammerhall or the dwarves of Golarion will suffer a slow and pitiful decline until we are nothing more than legends in the libraries of humanity. We must accomplish our mission at any cost. The Grand Sky Citadel of Dammerhall must rise again. Then we may think of colonies and outposts."
"Dammerhall or bust! One could establish an outpost here, perhaps, but we came for the great prize of the kingdom, not some mere watchtower in the realm of gnomes!"
See if you let me kill him he would not be there to disrespect you like that. Regnir I do not want a cold throne and a heavy crown. You are weight enough.
"They are right Erebos. But thank you for the suggestion. I will be sure to file that in the correct location."
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Snorri smiles as he hears his companions speak up for their quest. "It is not a bad place to settle, I concur, and perhaps in the future some dwarves will settle here, and trade with Fasturvalt. But had we just wanted a keep, we could have built one anywhere, or stayed back in the deep gnomes' city. But Dammerhall is the heart of who we were, it's a symbol and a beacon, more than just a city, it's the stones that spell out what dwarvenkind is."
"I'm afraid that you will not find people here who are not obsessed with the idea of reclaiming our ancestral home, especially as this journey was a crazy idea to begin with. But it's our kind of crazy. My friends, if fills me with joy and gratitude to hear that your fervor for the mission is undiminished."
As you continue around the edge of the wall, you notice a shift in the ground to your left.
A wide track of up pushed ash comes toward you as though the ash is water. The track moves left and then turns back to your right before pausing nearly 80 feet away.
"It seems some of the worms survived."
Glenda produces her holy symbol and mutters for Magrim's ward against fear in the face of adversity.
The shifting ash draws Dasur's attention for a brief moment. "Ah, a larger specimen I assume, similar to the dead worm on the docks. I mostly prepared fire spells, so I will not be very useful against it. Snorri, if you will stand still a moment... " The wizard comments, before reaching into his spell component pouch.
The dwarf sprinkles iron shavings over Snorri's head while intoning arcane words of power, and the scion of Dammerhall feels the familiar enlargement of bones and organs begin...
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Growing taller and feeling the blessing over him, Snorri takes point in front of the others, unsheathing the axe. "We called a big one!"
Torvi starts her raging song...
Raging song: +2 STR/CON, +1 Will Save, -1 AC, Cannot use CHA, DEX, or INT based skills except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride), or any ability that requires patience or concentration.
Let me out! No time. Drawing her axe and waiting to run into battle with her comrades.
The crackling tunnel of dirt moves toward you before a hole opens. From the earth-mouth emerges a nightmare. It is greenish white, something like a grub with a massive lamprey mouth at one end. Surrounding the mouth are 4 tentacles or antenna at cardinal points. The tail ends in a strange pincer. The monstrosity is at least 15 feet long. Though it has no obvious eyes, its attention seems to lock onto Snorri, almost as if it smells the young lord's destiny.
The monster's teeth rake across Snorri's exquisite armor, eliciting a horrible scraping sound.
Torvi moves in and gives her best shot at the creature...
Bludgeon