The squad, led by Cpl Valorious was commissioned by Robert Vankerman to assist in an expedition into the heart of the jungle. Upon the journey the squad dealt with wild beast, an attack of giant botflies and arrived at a native village that had been decimated by wicked fey. At the village they discovered the reason for Vankerman's expedition - which was to discover a trace of the ancient race of Ghol-Gan, a cyclopean empire that ruled Golarion in the far past.
On the last leg of the journey, Cpl Valorious was struck down by malaria - and his fate currently hangs in the balance under the tender ministrations of Mwangi healers. Negotiating a truce with a nearby tribe of lizardmen, the squad was tasked with removing a small tribe of boggard. They then proceeded under the blessing of the scalykind to a overgrown structure, killing the fey cannibals on the way.
Inside the vault they traversed a pit of swarming insects, before being interrogated by a disembodied voice speaking a dialect long forgotten. The squad has just laid waste to a pair of cyclopean skeletal guardians that looked to be standing sentry over a library of sorts. Licking their wounds, they ponder the treasures hidden within and seek the story behind the rust flecked steel wolf figurine that was also found...
tag
Cort tucks the wolf figurine into his bag, carefully, and begins searching the books as well.
Suddenly much more invigorated, Doc nods his thanks to Sentis and says [b]"I owe ye one."
Knowing that his eyes had never been the best, Doc leaves it to the others to spot anything important, taking it upon himself to look over what they find for workmanship, value and clues to it's importance.
The various tomes and knick knacks on the shelves take a long time to sort through, and you are only about half finished by the time evening comes. You've managed to discard alot of the 'trash' to one side, such as books that have lost their bindings and wooden items completely given in to woodrot.
A lot of the tomes appear to be a history of sorts, the maps on the inside cover resemble the region of Sargava and Mwangi - though the hills and forests are in different positions. There are also heraldic symbols that repeat in different tomes though they don't resemble any specific ones from your memory. All of the words within the books are written in ancient words beyond your understanding.
Kaavel finds a small container that has a matched set of four miniatures. They are four seated cyclopean warriors carved from alabaster and yellowed with age. There are slight variations on the armor and weapon configuration to distinguish between them.
Darkbiter fishes out a very interesting book. The cover motif is similar to the entry hall, and though the interior is filled with words beyond your ken - the pictures tell a hundred stories. Each picture shows a cyclops and bestial wolf in a variety of settings, drawing a chariot, arm raised to send the wolf to attack, wolf bearing a rider as a steed.
Grusk took charge of busting open the larger crates, and has started to assemble a few piles of similar items. Crystal vials, some filled with liquid and some dry. Objects of art and decoration. And a small pile of precious stones and coin.
You also note that the matched set of four seated warriors betray a faint enchantment.
Two books upon the shelves glow with energy as well.
Within your arcane sight you can see small tendrils weeping forth from the grain of the wood, as though something sits within waiting to be awakened
"I'm guessing we need to try one of the other passages in order to get out, if they're still open to us."
Blaze will spend a few hours of the "night" studying the book he found. Even though he can't understand the words, he pours over the pictures, doing his best to learn anything he can. Eventually sleep overtakes him and he passes out, scimitar close at hand.
Doc gets a skeptical look in his eye as the big metal bound tome is passed to him. After a minute or so his skepticism vanishes and he begins openly chuckling to himself and flipping through the pages faster and more eagerly. Nearby a pot bubbles and froths smelling of alcohol and strange spices.
Sentis is clearly fascinated by all of the books anf items that the group was finding. He'll take down the two afore mentioned tomes as he holds the small container. Then he'll approach Cort.
Hey Cort, whatever you put in your bag is holding so much magic its nearly blinding my arcane sight. Could I examine it for a while? I might be able to discern its function.
He'll sit down while he waits for the duelist reply and start looking over the things he already has.
Casting Guidance before each check
Spellcraft container with wooden orbs
Spellcraft book 1
Spellcraft book 2
The two books appear to be spellbooks, though you cannot discern the discipline of the first. The second book appears to have mainly destructive spells in it as far as you can tell (they are both in the ancient language of the Ghol-Gan).
Perhaps the book (once translated) would shed some additional light as to their purpose.
Perplexed, Sentis looks over and sees the dwarf stirring in his cookpot.
Hey Doc, can you cook me up something so that I can read languages that Im not familiar with?
to the others -
We are planning to spend the night here right? Im guessing that figurine is what Vankerman is after and we should discuss our next course of action.
Darkbiter stows the black covered book away until morning when someone can hopefully interpret it, along with as many of the books with maps as he can comfortably carry. "We should probably head back out and make sure the porters are still in one piece. Let's just hope that Vankermann is trustworthy with this stuff. I really don't want this to come back and bite us in the ass."
Grusk reads his book, and if not hopes for pictures!
Every once in awhile he adds some of the trash pile to Doc's fire.
"I hope I feels betta in tha morning."
Kaavel looks over the book he finds not understanding the words he starts to copy the pictures that are in the book. After spending a few hours doing this instead of his normal training he eats before going to sleep.
Hey Doc, can you cook me up something so that I can read languages that Im not familiar with?
"Yeh, but it'll take some doin'. Mosta what ah make would jus' make ye drunk an' sick. T' make somethin' ye c'n stomach ah gotta boil out th' impurities an' add a lot more materials. Ah think ah've got the stuff fer it, but ah'd have t' charge ye fer 'em. They're hard t' come by. ye might jus' wanna have me do the translatin' fer ye. If ah'm makin' stuff fer myself ah c'n cut alotta corners 'cause my system's used t' bein' halfway poisoned pretty much all th' time."
"A bit o healin in the mornin iffen yah o Sentis has it tah spare."
The druid contemplates the dwarf's lessons on the finer aspects of his alchemy.
I see. Well if you get a chance can you look this over?
He'll hand over the wooden balls and hopefully what was the instruction book to the bearded potion brewer. Sentis looks up at Grusk's query.
I'll have to rest and meditate before I can cast any more spells. What happened to that healing salve we found? That stuff would work for now in case we run into anything else before we get out of here. If we take the time I can see to cleaning, stitching and bandaging some of these wounds as well. Again, I think this is a good enough place to stop, rest and pack up all of this stuff we've found before pushing on.
"Yer in luck, Sentis. Looks like ah pr'pared an extra solution t'day. Jus' lemme mix in th' right additives an' I'll have a look."
The tome describes the way that a beast master could call upon the magic trapped within certain figurines to call upon beasts from beyond this plane. Through the right words of command, the wolves could be instructed to act at the behest of the caller.
After waking in the morning Kaavel remembers that no one checked the four figurines he had found looking at the others he says "Did anyone check these out yet?" He than pulls out the case with the figurines opening it for the squad to see.
Thanks Doc, I reckon I'll have to get some help figuring this out but at least I know what direction to go.
Before we turned in Sentis was taking the time to do some mundane healing on the injured Wolves using Guidance
myself - = 0 hp :(
Doc - = 0 hp :(
Kaavel - = 0 hp :(
Grusk - = +6 hp! :->
Waking up and feeling much better the druid will meditate on the Green Faith and prepare his spells.
Let me see those Kaavel.
Spellcraft -
Darkbiter will help Sentis with the healing process, pulling out his healing kit.
The statuettes have a faint transmutation aura when viewed with detect magic, and Sentis believes they may be involved with the use of some kind of opening magic.
"I feels better thanks Doc. I found a s+#% ton o vials last night yah knows what any o them might be?"
Current Health
16/21*
However there are a few vials that seem to have either alchemical agents or poisons you don't recognize. The colours and vial style correspond with some of the pictures you saw in your book though.
The works of art are nice enough and you'll figure they'll be worth a pretty penny - even more to a collector.
Blaze wakes up, stretching to work out any kinks "What I wouldn't give for a normal bed for a night. I'm not sure we should take much out of this room beyond some of the books, coins, gems, and what have you. If we can make our way into the rest of this ruin, we might come across much more valuable items."
Before the night is up Doc waves away healing attempts while he reads the various tomes, saying "Don' waste yer supplies lads, ah've been fermentin' an accelerant in me bag fer a few months now. Should be 'bout ready."
Drinking down some strange brew Doc belches loudly and finishes his cigar while he continues to read. A few minutes later he grins. "Yep, ah def'nitly feel somethin'. His brows narrow in concentration and suddenly the last of his wounds begin to close. "Handy that." he says fingering his new scar. "Glad i' worked. Was a mite 'fraid it was gonna make all mah blood start sprayin' out all mah holes."
After getting rid of his bandages he looks over the things Grusk has collected.
"Hooo laddie, ye should best be leavin' that stuff be. If'n they ahre what this book says they ahre, some o' that's awful dangerous. Ah'll pack it up 'n mah supply case."
In the morning he wakes up and makes a pot of some dark, bitter drink that he calls wakeup juice and offers it around. His own he spikes with a few other ingredients.
"Go on lads. This stuff's good fer ye. Puts hair on yer chest."
Cort sleeps easy, feeling good about this place for some odd reason, and wakes early feeling strangely refreshed. He quickly ties the leather strap to his blade, attaching it firmly. He then does his morning stretches and sweeps his hat onto his head firmly. "Well then, gents. Shall we be on our way back out to the light?" The Swordlord asks, pointing toward the door.
Sentis will gladly take a cupfull of Doc's wakeup juice and quaff it down.
Thank you sir. Glad to see we're all working together to stay healthy.
and looks up at Cort's direction
I dont think we can back out the way we came in. I have prepared a spell that might help us figure out some of this stuff though somaybe theres another way. Especially these four figurines. They have some sort of opening enchantment on them.
The first book has protective and detection charms within.
The second book is full of destructive spells, and you think that Doc might be interested in some of them.
@Doc
"Doc yah gots a juice fer everything tha ails yah!"
Takes a double swig!
The confused half elf will put the one book in his pack and hand the other one to Doc with a
I think you might find some of the things in here interesting. You'll probably need to be able to read magic and such but Im sure you'll figure it out.
Looking at the figurines again the druid mindlessly twist on one his dreads as he tried to figure out the connection.
Maybe we need to match up these little stautes with the big ones? Do those suits of armor have any distinguishing marks on them?
Grusk gives the place the once over with a eye towards detail then hefts his gear and nods to darkbitter....
Perception
"Time tah go?"
Stealth
Grusk readies his mighty axe and leads the way into the darkness....
Hey anyone want to come back to the other room and compare these little statues with the larger ones with me?
Sentis will wait for any company coming.
Grusk taps Sentis on the shoulder and leads the way back to the previous chamber so the man can research his statues......
"I will go." Kaavel than walks over to follow Sentis and Grusk
With the rest of the party ready to move on, Darkbiter takes up the lead back to the other room.
Blaze, already ready, follows the rest "No sense in staying behind while the rest of you go off and have fun"
Sentis will gladly take a cupfull of Doc's wakeup juice and quaff it down.
Doc nods his interest and packs up the books. "Looks like th' lads 're rearin' t' go. Ah'll take a look at 'em later. Any idea wha' they're 'bout?"