Filge smiles a thin-lipped smile. "Not very likely after he finds that I sold him out." Then he shrugs. "If you are ever in the City State, be sure to drop by."
"If we are ever there, ye better be sure I will look ye up, so make sure ye've stopped playin' with dead people, let them rest, Filge!"
After Filge leaves and the party has explored everything, Valgrim wipes the sweat from his brow and looks to the party: "Ok boys, what's magical, and what's just loot?"
Bubba does a quick scan looking for any auras. If he notices something he concentrates harder on it.
"Do you think he is going to come after us later? Maybe we should have let him keep his spell book."
Vug chirps up: "Oh, I'm sure we'll see him again. He probably won't be too happy once that spell runs out. But I'm itching to take a look at that spellbook -- there might be some nice f-formulas f-for me to copy down!"
As you collect the platinum piece the head screams: "INTRUDERS!" three times, then falls silent.
The only magic items is Filge's amulet and the strange fluids.
Filge's spellbook:
"Good thing, we didn't take that platinum earlier."
Bubluka doesn't recognize any of the magical stuff. You pack it carefully anyway and head to Allustan's place.
His neat garden looks like a hurricane hit it. There are deep furrows in the ground and several plants are uprooted. Allustan himself looks alright as he opens the door, except for a bloody bandage about his right hand. As he notices your glances he laughs and waves his hand. "Oh, that's nothing. I just learned that I need to be quicker when feeding my new pet. He's a handful, for sure, so I won't be keeping him. Still, it's nice with some company."
He invites you in for some sherry and is prepared to listen for whatever you'll want to tell him.
"That cub makin' trouble for ya, huh? Well, then I guess you won't be interested in this beautiful golden furred rug we just obtained, wouldn't last too long with the cub around." (). Valgrim drinks the sherry and thanks Allustan for his hospitality.
"Now, Allustan, it'll be surprising for ya to know that there was a necromancer in town, operating under our very noses. In fact, if his men hadn't robbed the wrong grave, we never have found out. Operatin' out of thee old observatory. Some ole boy named Filge, friend of Balabar, from the City-State." Valgrim shows Allustan the note. "Yeah, he mentioned some cult operatin' out of the Dourstone mine, the Ebon Triad, and that he found a worm, belongin' to a Spawn of Kyuss, who are preparin' for the Age of Worms. A lot of things are happenin' here, thing much bigger than a bunch of adventurers like us getting rich and makin' a name for ourselves. Can ye enlighten us what any of this means? Oh yeah, Filge also mentioned some Spawn in the southern hills and swamp, some unkillable zombies. With these worms burrowing into your brain and makin' ye undead, you could have an army of servants pretty quickly. What say ye on all of this, Allustan?" Valgrim leans back and takes another swig, sure that he's not going to like what he's going to hear.
Allustan studies the rug. "You know that this is a Lammasu pelt, right? Regardless, it's a fine specimen, and I'd gladly pay you 100 gold for it. And Valgrim, I'll start crafting your gloves as soon as you can cover my expenses, 2000 gold."
As you sit down Allustan takes the note and looks at it carefully, then stays silent for a little while. "Oh dear, oh dear", he sighs. "You seem to have stepped into quite the hornet's nest here. I'll tell you one thing, if Balabar Smenk is afraid of this cult, then you'd be wise to avoid them. I don't know of many things that scare Balabar Smenk. However, the world is not a very nice place sometimes. There are cults like the Ebon Triad both here and there, and though they are undeniably both unpleasant and dangerous, there have been many such cults before."
He chuckles. "Did you know that they wanted to fuse the essences of Norgorber, Rovagug and Zon-Kuthon? That is pure insanity. The gods are the most powerful entities in the world. You can't mix them like you're making drinks. It just can't be done, especially not by mortals. As for Kyuss, he is long dead. If one of his spawn has survived, it could be an inconvenience, but there are plenty of heroes in the world that will take care of that."
He looks absent-mindedly out the window for a moment, watching the owlbear cub chew at the bars of its new cage. A faint smile crosses his lips. "More to the point, I think I'm on the verge of being able to read the sigils you brought me from the Whispering Cairn. Just give me a day or two."
Allustan studies the rug. "You know that this is a Lammasu pelt, right? Regardless, it's a fine specimen, and I'd gladly pay you 100 gold for it. And Valgrim, I'll start crafting your gloves as soon as you can cover my expenses, 2000 gold."
"Sold! Now, would you be interested in any of the following?":
Allustan happily buys the glasses and Filge's spellbook.
Vug hurriedly copies Mage Armor into her formula book before selling Filge's tome.
"Okay boys, let's go give Alastor and his f-family a proper burial."
"Thank you Allustan, enjoy your purchases. Bubba, you're going to have to sell the rest in town, maybe tomorrow mornin', with your considerable bargaining skills. Vug, it's dark, I'm tired, and hungry, and burying bones at night is just creepy. Can it wait till morning, first thing?" Valgrim smiles at the elf pleadingly.
"Now Allustan, I gets what ye saying, but suppose someone gets one of the Kyuss worms in ye, any cure or magic that could help? Now, we've got to finish this Cairn business but after that, we may have to go lookin' in that mine fer ourselves, to make sure no evil cult mumbo jumbo, planning to sacrifice the town to unite 3 gods, is happenin' under our very noses. Oh, and I haven't forgotten Kullen and his gang, they were workin' for the necromancer and Balabar, so we may have to pay them a visit." Valgrim looks at Urg, knowing he might be friends with the half-orc. He waits for Allustan's response on the worm and then says:
"But fer now, needs to get some food in me either here or at some open inn in town." He eats, works a couple of hours on his axe (almost finished) and then goes to sleep.
"Late? Pfft. Spoilsport. I guess I'll go back to the ol' lab and see what I can cook up. Bub, if you lend me that amulet and one of those jars, I can try identifying them."
Identify spell -- taking 10 for a total of 28 on two items
"Vug, I'd prefer you identify the non-potions first, like this pearl and Filge's amulet."
Okay, she does the pearl and the amulet.
The pearl is a Pearl of Power (1st level), and Filge's birdskull amulet is an Amulet of Natural Armor +1.
In the morning, the party tries to sell off the miscellaneous items through Bubba, if possible. Valgrim tries to buy a Shield of Faith potion (50 gp), either through Allustan or at the local church. Then we go bury the bones.
Chisora hangs around in the background at Allustan's, letting the others do the talking and keeping a watchful eye out.
Once they're done, she'll head back with the others to their lodgings and enjoy a hot meal while everyone discusses how they're going to proceed tomorrow .
Bubba has no trouble getting rid of the things, and the temple of Iomedae is happy to sell you the potion.
The Land homestead looks unchanged since your last visit and with a simple ceremony you bury the bones and head back to the Cairn.
There you notice that someone has lit fresh torches in the lanterns since you left. They are all burned out now, though.
Bubba has no trouble getting rid of the things, and the temple of Iomedae is happy to sell you the potion.
Bubba has no trouble getting rid of the things, and the temple of Iomedae is happy to sell you the potion.
Vug suggests that Urg take the amulet and Father Feres take the pearl.
--
"More torches? Did someone f-follow us here? I hope they didn't loot all of the good stuff! We better ask Alastar what's up."
Vug lights the torches afresh.
Before he left town, Valgrim deposited another 100 gp with Allustan for the gloves (700 gp total to date).
"I'm sure the ghost would not have led them pass. He agreed to open the door only for us. We'll see soon enough but be wary." Valgrim takes out his handaxe and waraxe.
Not without apprehension, you climb the chain again. The stone mouth is still open, though, and you make your way into the room with the iron balls. Nothing is changed here either, except that the metal door in the far end is open.
Wary after seeing the door open, Chisora moves to the shadows at the side of the room and draws her bow, making ready in case anything comes out of it to greet them.
Stealth Check:
The doors open into a huge and brightly lit room, circular and 100 feet in diameter. The cavernous chamber consists of a large stone walkway around a deep chasm that leads into darkness. Four platforms lead from the walkway to a central ring, but two of these platforms are broken (including the one facing you and the one to your right). Bright light reminiscent of a summer’s day filters down from the ceiling about forty feet above. Four wide galleries extend from the outer walkway, their far walls covered with enormous bas-relief vistas. A sighing wind emits from a huge pillar of rushing air at the center of the chamber. The column extends from the floor to the ceiling, cutting through the room’s central ring.
There are no enemies visible.
Vug throws her (lit) torch into the chasm and watches it fall to see how far down it goes.
Vug throws her (lit) torch into the chasm and watches it fall to see how far down it goes.
The chasm is 60 feet deep.
Is there anything of scientific interest at the bottom, other than geological formations?
Is there anything of scientific interest at the bottom, other than geological formations?
Not really.
Dialing back a little, Bubba takes a sniff and a taste of the liquid in one of the jars.
Dialing back a little, Bubba takes a sniff and a taste of the liquid in one of the jars.
1d20+3
The first jar, which is light blue, is actually a potion of Gentle repose (CL5), but which needs to be injected to work. The other jars contain different fluids (deep red, sallow yellow and white with black streaks).
Valgrim starts walking west along the outer ring, making his way to an intact platform.
Valgrim starts walking west along the outer ring, making his way to an intact platform.
The platforms are 10 feet wide, and there is nothing more than a lit torch at the bottom of the chasm.
As Valgrim makes his way west he can't help noticing that the figures on the wall are somehow blurred and distorted, making it almost impossible to make out what they are supposed to represent.
Valgrim continues and walks around the outer ring, to see if anything happens.
Valgrim continues and walks around the outer ring, to see if anything happens.
All the way around? No, nothing happens.
"Looks like the purpose of this room to draw visitors to the center ring, perhaps towards the column of rushing air that leads up. Bubba, can we summon the servant again, to make sure no traps or anything on the platform? After all, I don't see pieces of rubble of the broken platforms in the chasm, so I find that odd. "
Bubba uses the wand to summon another unseen servant and sends it across one of the unbroken platforms to the central ring.
As soon as the invisible servant starts crossing the bridge two tall humanoid figures arise from within the column of air and step out onto the central ring. Both of these creatures wield twin swords and wear ancient ceremonial armor festooned with red pennons that twist and bob as if always blown by a fierce wind. They make no move to attack, though.
"Er...hello? Who are you f-fellows?" Vug asks the strange figures hesitantly, not approaching them for the moment.
The figures don't answer, nor do they even turn their heads - if they even have heads. They look a lot like disembodied sets of armor.
"Errrr, now what? Can't bargain with suits of armor."
"I'm not sure. Maybe we've seen all there is to see here. Bub, can you get the unseen servant to throw something in the column of air? That'd be neat!"
"Will do!"
If something is available on the platform, Bubba instructs the unseen servant to pick it up and throw it into the column of air. If not he tells the servant to come back to the party where we can give it a suitable object (somewhat heavy like a rock or piece of rubble). The Bubba send it back out the platform to toss it into the column.
"So we either fight them or we leave. It seems as long as we don't touch the platforms, they won't attack, we can prepare ourselves with spells, etc. What's the vote? Personally, I don't leave things half done and I'll test my 2 weapons against theirs, but I'm also kinder crazy!"