As yet another ogre falls Thorek pushes forward, not letting up on the pressure he takes another aggressive swing at the next giant in line's head!
As yet another ogre falls Thorek pushes forward, not letting up on the pressure he takes another aggressive swing at the next giant in line's head!
[dice=Vital Strike]1d20+22 [dice=Damage]2d10+23+1d6
Another onslaught of attacks from your frontline bring down another ogre, left exposed by Lily's cunning trickery.
The last of the ogres brays for blood and steps through the fog, taking a couple half-blind swings at Thorek in a last-ditch effort to avenge his fellows.
Grunting at the impact of the chieftain's sword, Thorek joins his fellows in quickly bringing down the brute. In the sudden quiet of the battle's aftermath he peers around. "I don't think this was the ogre's camp originally. Let's check for anything useful but not dally. We've a tribe of morlocks to find."
Nodding, Daria searches as well.
Of the ogres themselves, they carry a few interesting items, including cobbled together suits of armor, a few well-made greatswords, some hollowed gourds filled with potent potions, and a collection of curious burlap satchels.
The ogres have already scoured the camp and collected all the remaining valuables they could find, heaping them into a convenient pile in a former barracks that they have been using for themselves.
2179gp
121pp
x12 Potions of Cure Light Wounds
x6 Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds
x6 Bag of Tricks (Gray)
x6 full plate
x3 MWK greatswords
x3 greatclubs
x18 javelins
+1 bashing heavy steel shield
Bodywrap of Mighty Strikes
Oil of Magic Weapon
Potion of Neutralize Poison
Scroll of Blessing of Fervor
Scroll of Prayer
Want of Greater Magic Weapon (29 charges)
An erotic onyx statuette of two hobgoblin men embracing (worth 630gp, and I swear this item is actually included in the AP book's description)
No longer having to worry about interference by the ogre squatters, it only takes a few minutes to locate the wooden building that once served as Lieutenant Kosseruk's command center. It houses several maps of the Hollow Hills region, detailing the forces and camps you have previously routed.
However, a neatly tied stack of war correspondences - apparently deemed worthless by the ogres - sits upon the slain minotaur commander's oversized desk. These documents reveal some useful tidbits about the Ironfang Legion.
General Azaersi rules the Legion with an iron fist, but much of the day-to-day operations are left to her commanders. Kraelos commands military operations, and Taurgreth directs the Legion's special forces, such as scouts and spies. High Priest Azlowe sees to the Legion's spiritual needs, casts divinations, and oversees their army of faithful. A fourth advisor, Zanathura, works outside the command structure and seems greatly disliked by all except Azaersi herself.
General Azaersi has been consolidating her power for 2 years, ever since meeting the witch Zanathura in this same valley and learning from her how to open the "Stone Road" and maneuver her troops unseen.
Several letters speak of a place called the "Onyx Citadel" as a central location from which the Legion launches its attacks, but nothing mentions the citadel's location.
Phaendar, now transformed into Fort Phaendar by the Legion, continues to consume huge amounts of resources and appears to have a well-supplied garrison defending it from any possible counterattack.
Zanathura's morlock servants dwell in caverns below the collapsed dwarven ruins at the far end of the valley.
Grenwold remains tense for a moment before relaxing. He looks over the ogres that are on the ground, and closes his eyes, muttering something quietly to himself. He opens his eyes and pats Ringo on the neck, and then looks up.
When Thorek explains what happened, he comments, "Phaendar remains under legion control," quietly and grits his teeth, and then speaks in gnomish to Ringo, before hopping back onto the elk's back. "Zanathura's servants stand between us and legion, let us not waste time."
Apart from the dwarven ruins that sit atop the entrance to the Morlock warrens at the far northern end of the valley, the maps left behind by the Legion forces draw your attention to two other landmarks within the valley.
Located roughly in the center of the valley is an abandoned excavation site left behind by some of the prospectors who've braved the valley over the years in search of riches. Lieutenant Kosseruk mentions some discipline problems with troops trying to sneak off and look for gems around the old excavation.
The second landmark, as highlighted in warnings distributed to patrols, is a drake nest located opposite from this encampment, along the eastern edge of the valley.
Thorek shuffles through the reports with considerable interest. "An old mine, and a nest of drakes. The latter at least is good to know, we can be alert to a hunting rampage. Do we wish to take the time to explore the mine? The reports here don't indicate anything of immediate interest to us, I think the morlocks should remain our focus."
"We should be sure to distribute the healing potions among ourselves," suggests Daria, "And claim any useful items as well. The drakes are best left alone, though if we encounter them I can try and converse with them. The mine would likely be a distraction unless we expect to find prisoners to free or more pertinent information on the location of the Onyx Citadel."
"W We should make sure if there are any prisoners at the mine. I don't want anyone suffering any more than than need be."
"Prisoners?" Thorek glances down at the bundle of papers and reports, puzzled. "I don't think the site is still being actively worked, there are no lists of prisoners or guard shift changes or anything like that."
Grenwold doesn’t add much, except to say ”I think the mine is on the way, based on the map. We could see if anything interesting was left behind.”
"Works for me," Thorek tucks the papers away and takes up his weapons. "We're losing daylight, let's move on."
You press onward towards the center of the valley, slowing your pace slightly when the magic leaves your eyes and you can no longer easily pierce the fog. Fortunately, it's only about a mile from the camp to the old excavation site.
Four smashed carts lie haphazardly round a precariously leaning scaffold of weathered, gray wood. The structure stands above a ten-foot-wide drop in the ground. Scattered bones are visible amid the wreckage, along with shreds of tattered clothing caught on wooden splinters or firmly held by rocks.
"Not sure I would call this an excavation at all, certainly not a mine. Looks more like a sinkhole, and I don't care for those bones lying about eith--oho! What's this?" Kneeling down by a pile of dirt and debris, he brushes some aside to reveal the lockbox and bends over to examine it more closely.
"Yeah its a bit creepy and not at all what I was expecting. What did you find there Thorek?," Lily says while throwing a rock into the pit.
The rusted hinge is a little tough to open, but open it does. The box contains a delicate parchment that proves to be a deed to the as-of-yet-unnamed mine shaft. Also within you find some mineral samples, including two rough, uncut rubies each about the size of a human fist.
"Well now, that's curious. A mystery for another time, though, for now we press on to those ruins. Keep an eye on the skies, everyone! No one wants to be a drake's dinner, ha."
”Fair enough,” says Daria, keeping a watchful eye out as they move forward through the valley. She does stop to listen at the pit, though, wondering if there are any enslaved miners below.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Apart from the occasional whistle of the wind, no sound rises from the old, rickety mine shaft. Daria can see old broken bones from animals that fell into the pit and could not escape, but there doesn't seem to be any trace of higher lifeforms, alive or dead, down there.
You make your way across the foggy valley floor without any drakes swooping down from the sky or morlocks leaping up from holes in the ground. Thus, you reach the ruins at the far end of the valley.
Several stone arches rise above broken pillars and scattered tumbledown walls at the edge of a vast chasm. Icy water still pours into a cental well here from a vast aqueduct that descends down the mountain and across the half-mile-wide crevasse. The only structures that seem unbothered by time are four statues of dour, dwarven warriors standing sentinel under the end of the aqueduct. Water thunders down into a ten-foot-wide hole carved in the stone.
Focused on the natural world, Daria has no training with formal religion and so marked nothing particularly unusual about the dwarven statues. She does cast Detect Magic to see if anything is magical here, and she also looks about for anything of interest, especially if there are any intact sections of the ruin or trapdoors/hidden staircases downwards.
Gren, for his part, does know a fair amount about religion, as his own background and divine bond require such.
Unfortunately, whatever insight may be gleaned from the statue is inaccessible to his mind.
He looks on the ground for any signs of the legion's (or other creatures) passage.
Daria observes that the dwarven statues all possess an aura of magic. What's more, Gren observes strange, heavy prints around the statues - the size of which seem to match up with the statues' feet. Taken together, this evidence suggests these statues are actually some manner of constructs, perhaps tasked with standing sentry over what may have once been a water source for Kraggodan in the mountains.
Even though the morlock tribe you battled during the siege at Longshadow lairs beneath this valley, Gren finds no tracks that would correspond to those subterranean creatures. This leads to a suspicion that they avoid or fear the dwarven constructs guarding the site.
Daria spots a ladder carved into the side of the well, descending down into the tunnels or caverns below.
Gren frowns, ”careful, careful - those tracks, it looks as if the statues moved. They may be guardians.” He gestures to Thorek, ”perhaps you can convince them to stand down? I would hate to have to fight guardians of your people.”
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"I would prefer to avoid that too." Thorek frowns as he considers the statues. "A lot will depend on how they were originally designed; some guardians stay 'off' until a command word is spoken, and then guard an area until destroyed or a stand-down passphrase is given. If it's something like that they won't listen to me...but I suppose it's worth a try."
Gesturing for the others to stay behind him, Thorek approaches to about 30 feet from the statues and holds up a hand in greeting--though he immediately feels silly about that.
"Guardians of the hold, stay your hands! My companions and I come in peace, I am a son of Kraggodan and I vouch for those behind me! May we pass by in safety?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
There is no perceptible movement or sound, but Thorek can feel as though the guardian statues have stiffened their posture out of respect for a true son of Kraggodan, acknowledging him and his companions as welcome guests. They remain otherwise inert, making no move to accost or impede you.
"Well. I'm surprised that of all the things we've parlayed with statues are one of them. I guess they know that we come with good intentions ," Lily says smiling at Thorek.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Grenwold nods at Thorek’s words, ”Shelyn loves the beauty that comes from the Dwarves. Your people are masters, and these statues are no exception.” While they break to briefly converse with the statues and each other, he takes a drink of water, and then retrieves a small slate with a spring-powered clip that he attaches to the harness. Retrieving the maps they found earlier, with a delicate script and careful hand, the gnome continues his own map of the valley and environs on durable vellum. Some of the dark ink stains his fingers briefly, but he doesn’t seem to notice. He makes a small amount of progress, but it remains unfinished as he lets the ink and paint dry briefly for a moment.
”Indeed, well-done, Thorek. Let us proceed when you are ready,” says Daria.
Thorek grins back at the others, pleased at the praise and not having to destroy such ancient guardians. "Never been so happy to be wrong! Before we delve in, who needs light, and who can go without? You'll want to keep your lights hidden if you can, they'll give you away otherwise."
Grenwold shakes his head, "we need no lights."
”My eyes can see well in dim conditions, but not full darkness,” says Daria, ”I can follow at the back with a covered light that I can reveal at need.”
"Good enough. Gren, can you scout for us? I'll follow a short distance behind."
Grenwold nods, ”you may not see us much, but if we do not return with an update periodically - something will have happened to me. I’m probably dead, though Ringo is built of sterner stuff.” He looks into the hole, and pats the deer on the neck.
Aaron remains silent during the interplay with the statues, guesstimating that an actual dwarf and native to these lands had a better chance to talk their way out of this - even if, to his amusement, the priest seemingly had no clue of his race's own dieties. "Grundinnar blesses your path, Master Thorek. Perhaps your Kins' diety of friendliness and hard work acknowledges your efforts on both fronts." The old bard muses as they depart from the scene.
He nods thoughtfully as the topic of scouting onward becomes apparent. "Shall I accompany you forward, Master Grenwold? I have some ability to see in the dark and I know my way around the shadows and traps. Though if you would prefer to go alone, I will of course respect your decision."
The old, abino-skinned man extends a friendly hand to the gnome, wondering if they would accept his offer what with said gnome having been very sceptical of him thusfar.
Grenwold sniffs, "fine. Just... go slowly."
He retrieves his own wand, and nods appreciatively, "you have good taste," and with a *snick*, his own vision sharpens.
As he does so, a strange change seems to come over Ringo, whos movement stills. There is a ripple of energy on the small deer's hide, and his fur seems to naturally create a mottled camouflage - making it hard to be seen, but then the camouflaged fur darkens significantly, turning almost sooty. Ringo pats the now coal-black deer, whos eyes seem to have darkened as well. The metallic sheen indicative of a celestial being seems to have dulled somewhat, his hooves are matte black instead of silvered, and his antlers have lost some of their sharp luster.
"Well that's peculiar, Thorek murmurs as Ringo transforms, but doesn't comment further. As Gren and Aaron vanish into the darkness, the dwarf gives it a count of five before leading the others into the tunnels after.
"Wish us luck," he calls softly to the stony guardians, giving them a little wave before moving off into the cool darkness.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
You descend down, through the old well, into the long-forgotten tunnels, fortifications, and caverns beneath the dwarven ruins above.
The roar of water is almost deafening in this worked stone chamber. A raised dais stands two feet off the floor. Water cascades down from the shaft overhead, rushing through the ten-foot-wide circular hole in the center of the dais.
Aaron takes a look at the ladder with the waterfall beyond and mutters to Gren. "Probably slick as a Calistrian High Priestess' pleasure temple during peak Sunday hours."
He touches it and sighs. "Yep."
He seems to try taking a step but pretty much immediately loses his grip, upon which he casts Feather Fall and gently floats downward next to it. "Probably should have led with that, but you never know."
Grenwold shrugs at Aaron, and watches as the bard slips and falls, reaching out reflexively to try and grab him, but missing the mark. When the older man starts floating down, he shrugs again and stays on Ringo and the pair floats down.
Daria tires to take advantage of the spell and float down too, but she is ready to grab the ladder if needed.
Thorek steps out into the air cautiously, but lets out a relieved sigh as he, too, drifts down. "It's like having Gaius back!" he remarks to Daria and Lily as he settles back onto stone again.
"Be careful, you two--down here, danger could be around any corner. Don't go too far."
Once you are all safely down in the old tunnels, you can take stock of your surroundings. The ceilings are 15 feet high, and beyond the sunlight filtering down through the well shaft above, the only illumination comes from what you bring with you.
Even in the dim light, though, those of you with mundane vision can see that to the northwest the worked stone walls collapse and open onto a natural, rough tunnel. Meanwhile, the dwarven masonry curves away to the south and east into another chamber.