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Dusklord smiles diabolically as he recognizes a coded message.
"Hmmm...the plot thickens, does it not? We should go to the Shrine of the Fallen. Perhaps we will find some additional clues."
Turning to Aeleth, the wizard says "What an interesting mind you have. When you have departed this existence, I should very much like to examine your cadaver. Perhaps we could arrange for some kind of study to be done at the university. Would you be willing to sign a waiver? All of this is for science, of course..."
"If I 'depart this existence' anytime in the next 50 years or so due to some misadventure or other, I'll be hoping to come right back thank you very much," Aeleth replies uneasily. He noticeably keeps a little further from Dusklord as they make their way towards the Shrine of the Failed.
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Serak, who had been un-customarily quiet, speaks up.
Leave it to a gnome to make this kind of treasure hunting puzzle. Let's go to the shrine and figure out what the connection is. I'm sure the underlined words have something to do with it...
He draws himself up and starts off, following the undead obsessed wizard. He whispers to Aeleth as he passes him.
I'd watch myself around that one. A little too obsessed with undeath, ya know?
You head down the stairs, and enter into a monumental chamber. It stretches eighty feet from end to end, with a ceiling suspended thirty feet from the floor by great pillars. Seven arched passages lead to humble rooms, each of which contains a polished stone altar dedicated to one of the failed aspirants who attempted the Test of the Starstone.
Each of these chambers contains a small stone altar to one of the failed aspirants. Each altar stands upon a raised dais and bears a small brass nameplate identifying the aspirant and the would-be-god’s areas of interest.
None of the acolytes seem to be present here. And there are no alters for those three names. You do, however, find an altar for Plokkis.
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"Oh...right...Shrine of the Failed..." Dusklord mutters, his mind still on other things.
"All of these failed would be interesting studies, as well. What makes them think they, as mortals, can achieve divinity? What is the secret of immortality? Perhaps their minds still hold the secret of what not to do, if we could but ask them!"
He begins looking for clues diligently. The undead creature, still in Dusklord's cloak, stands idle.
With Aeleth's help, Dusklord finds a door hidden by an illusion against the west wall of the shrine to Plokkis, although he can’t see any means to unseal the door.
Nago discovers that he gold nameplate slides off, revealing a very small chalk board.
As Dusklord finishes writing the word, a section of the stone wall slides away, revealing a natural cavern beyond. It is dark.
You can recognize the walls are not natural; rather, someone cleared this area using stone shape spells.
The caverns are dark, but you see a dim light ahead. It appears to be a room at the back of the caverns.
Several desks are arranged along the northern and eastern edges of this small stone alcove. Whereas the stonework leading to this chamber is rough, the walls in the alcove are polished. A single gem rests among the neatly filed papers on the desk, emitting a soft luminescence that brightens the small room.
The gem does, indeed, emanate magic, but it is the only thing that does.
Luckily, it also provides enough like to examine some of the papers on the the desk. The paperwork on the desk appears to be notes, lore and other information which will be of great value tp the Pathfinder Society. You can't really tell much, as most seems to be in a cipher, and even then maybe not in a language you know, but you recognize enough to know this is quite a find.
It will keep some scholars at the Grand Lodge busy for many weeks.
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"Well, I guess this is what we came for. Let's get this back to that dunderhead Dreng," Aeleth says as he puts the files into his pack.
Then as an afterthought, he takes the gem and puts it into his mouth.
"Aie haff hur hower..." he proclaims humourously as light spills from his mouth (or rather from the gem in his mouth).
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"All these papers do seem interesting," Starling comments. "I can't figure out most of it, but am sure this has quite a few scandalous stories about our esteemed society. I wish I had more time to do some research and figure those out, it must have awesome song material. Oh well," she sighs, "Time to head back."
- Neo
- Sw1
- Sw2
- Evo
You pack up all of the papers, and are happy with your success. As you walk our of the secret door, however, you are disappointed to find that your way is not clear.
"We'll be taking what you just found, thank you very much!"
You turn to see the voice, and find a person, probably a half-elf, backed up by two human swordsmen, and a dwarf cleric behind them.
"Just give us your findings, and we will let you live."
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Dusklord sneers at the enemy.
"Ensor...deal with these interlopers!" the wizard says to his undead minion with a triumphant cackle.
"Did you think to stand in our way!?!" he says to four. "You are worms before my power! Err...the power of the Pathfinders! Did you think that in our moment of triumph, and finding these secret papers that mean so much to our organization, that you would simply walk in here and take them?!? I THINK NOT! We have solved this series of riddles hiding this secret, and now, just when we are leaving in glory, you will not stand in our way!!!"
Dusklord's voice continues to elevate, and his hands cackle with magic, until he catches himself.
"BAH! There I go with the monologue AGAIN! Is it that the plans are so brilliant that I have to share them with others? Why do I do that?!" he asks, before casting a spell to conjure a layer of grease beneath the feet of the enemies.
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Aeleth winces at Dusklord's excessively extensive monologue and settles for a quick quip instead.
"You know, you guys must have come from a long way, 'cos you look real tired. How about taking a nap? Like, you know, a dirt nap?"
As he speaks, he reaches into his pocket, pulls out a small handful of sand and casts it in their general direction.
All of the half-elf's support team just took a nap, and then the half-elf slipped and fell flat on his back in the grease.
The swordsman does not slip in the grease.
Attacking the first opponent it sees, the festrog descends on the half-elf prone in the grease. It bites the leader in the shoulder, and starts feeding on it, getting stronger as it does. The half-elf screams, and fights to remain conscious.
Round 1: (bold may go)
Nago, Aeleth, Starling, Dusklord
Opponents: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow(prone, at 0 hp)
Elvik, Serak
The swordsmen avoid the grease and flank the festrog, hoping to quickly deal with it. The first one misses, but the second one hits, causing a pretty severe gash.
The dwarf casts a spell and comes around the grease to touch the half-elf, reviving him.
The half-elf then casts a spell at the undead.
The blast knocks the undead creature to the ground, and it is destroyed.
The humans and dwarf all fall asleep.
Round 2: (bold may go)
Nago, Aeleth, Starling, Dusklord
Opponents: Red Human Swordsman (6 hp damage), Blue Human Swordsman, Green Dwarf Cleric, Yellow Half-Elf Evoker (4 hp damage)
Ok, now he is frightened and dazed. I believe he just pees his pants.
You rather easily defeat the ambush, and bring you findings back to the Grand Lodge.
The crowd gathered around the Starstone Cathedral has disbanded, and many of the locals are still horrified following Sir Reinhart’s attempt to vault the chasm on horseback, which ended with a fall into oblivion.
Drandle Dreng personally thanks you for your successful investigation, indicating his interest in you future careers as Pathfinders. The venture-captain promises to speak with Master of Scrolls Kreighton
Shaine to have your Confirmation expedited.