Come on piggy! Get in my belly!
"Stand down once and for all!" - Helgash roars, as the massive boar turns to retaliate at Sheelah, swinging his weapon.
Greta presses on her attack with doubled effort at Helgash's words.
Beck makes another slash
for
... while Seelah starts preparing the Pulled Pork!
damages
for
for
That's another 12+10+11 damage
Seeing the accumulating damage wearing the mighty creature down, Duardlara holds her position hoping it aids her friends.
With the creature held at bay by Sheelah Venja is able to strike the creature with the blackest of rays you have ever heard of. The boar squeals as its life force simply shreds away from it. It did not have to suffer long though as the hits from everyone piled on to render the fat of the boar. With the flaming sphere sizzling over and upon it the boar is soon cooked giving off a pleasing aroma except for the burnt hair. I guess that is price to pay for a large boar being cooked rapidly. Mouths water as the smells fill the inside of the Hut.
I guess it is time for you to work your skinnen magic, Beck. Some fine bacon to carry along for breakfast.
"And collect those tusks as well... "
"Are you all well?" - Helgash smiles to his companions as Beck sets to the task of retrieving the tusks.
All fine here.
Greta looks on at Sheelah and Helgash with pride. Reaching over to grab the tiefling in a strong grip she left her hands lingering on the wounds Helgash received. That is what I am talking about. I don't want some pansy to be with. I want someone who can take a boar charge and still deliver blows back. Letting go of Helgash she takes a bloody hand and strokes Sheelah with it. Of course next time I may have to insist you do so with out the help of Sheelah. It seems almost unfair to have her hold the boar at bay while you attack it.
Beck bows his head, offering a silent prayer of thanks to the fallen meat...
Then he raises his blade high and begins the grizzly work of butchering the meat, as they killed it and it's only right.
All hail the bacon!
Back easily carves up the meat and also deftly separates the tusks from the boar [survival dc 15 means you don't even have to roll,lol.) After trail rations and questionable food for a bit the pork tastes wonderful.
We should bring back some for the crow lady.
Greta looks on at Sheelah and Helgash with pride. Reaching over to grab the tiefling in a strong grip she left her hands lingering on the wounds Helgash received. That is what I am talking about. I don't want some pansy to be with. I want someone who can take a boar charge and still deliver blows back. Letting go of Helgash she takes a bloody hand and strokes Sheelah with it. Of course next time I may have to insist you do so with out the help of Sheelah. It seems almost unfair to have her hold the boar at bay while you attack it.
"Do not mistake my inclination for parley with weakness Greta" - Helgash nods - "I will give a chance to those who seek it. If they deny it, I will not be the one backing up from a quarrel"
Looking on at Sheelah, he smiles again - "Sheelah is a part of our group - we work as a team. Maybe next time I will be the one holding down our foes, for her to finish"
---
We should bring back some for the crow lady.
"I am not sure she will appreciate it" - Helgash laughs - "We can certainly do it though. Let us go"
Bringing the tusks back to the raven the bird bobs his head in appreciation of your efforts. Taking flight and dong a quick little flip the iron amulet it was wearing slips off his head as he grabs it in a talon. Flying over to you he deposits the amulet in one of your hands. This amulet holds only one of the three clues you seek. It reveals the first ingredient for Baba Yaga's kettle. Look for this key where time catches up to us all.
Looking at the amulet you see a strange Iobarian design etched into the iron.
The symbol etched in the iron is complex but at its most basic level it stands for dragon. More complex versions and its position in a group of other symbols could indicate power, destruction, or multiple other meanings associated with a dragon's characteristics.
Taking the tusks in his talons the raven looks ungainly as it flies away. Landing on the glowing orb it cackles one last bit of information, Look for the Mother when the moon is full! With that the orb burns out and the raven disappears.
Magical inspection of the amulet also reveals it to be a brooch a shielding with full charges remaining on it.
When the moon is full? So we have to wait?
"Where time catches up to us all? A graveyard perhaps?"
Back to the main room I guess, then figure out where to go from there.
"Your guess is as good as mine Jetro - left it is"
"Does anyone have a bit of chalk or something to mark the path? There is something odd about this hall that has been bothering me."
Nope, fraid not. I got some soap though.
"Let's try this, then." She casts a light spell. "Wait here. Keep an eye on me, please." She moves forward down the hall, quietly.
Trying to mark you way as you go with some soap it works ok but is not as visible as you would like. Still it makes you feel a bit better as you continue walking in a straight line. After another distance tha tis hard to determine in sucha strange hallway you stumble quite literally upon another door. From 10 feet away you did not see it. Only when you got right next to it did you even notice a change in the walls. The only thing that caught your eye was another symbol etched in the 'wood'. The symbol carved upon the door resembles a downward facing crescent resting on a horizontal line with arrows pointing outward. A vertical bisecting line with arrows pointing both directions runs from top to bottom.
this symbol is the Iobarian symbol for night.
You do not see any soap markings indicating you were here before and the door simply changed its symbol. Yet you swear you have not turned or angled in any way at all.
"This is the Iobarian symbol for night. Not sure what that portends for what is beyond the door."
We're looking for where time catche sup to us all, right?
Wavering darkness devours everything that lies beyond the threshold. Thick stone columns and wooden beams, entangled with pale moonflower blossoms, support the room's high vaulted ceiling. A faintly glowing blood-red orb dangles from a black iron chain in the center of the room.
Permanent magical darkness swallows the entire chamber, but the glowing red orb provides dim light in a 10 -foot radius. The room is also under the effects of a permanent forced quiet spell, which muffles sound in the room, making creatures within unable to shout or make loud noises.
A hideous albino raven with red eyes perches in the rafters, hidden amid the moonflower blossoms. Shortly after you arrive, it hops forth along the beams before fluttering to rest atop the orb.
Jetro wonders if some hip-hop will be just what the demon bird ordered.
Duardlara steps into the room. "We see to aid Mother. Have you a clue to aid us in our quest?"
"We are here at her behest" - Helgash adds tentatively.
The raven continues to bob his head as you talk to him studying you carefully. Tilting his head as if listening to something you can't hear he caws out suddenly getting your undivided attention. While you have convinced me of your intentions thanks to Roc, you have yet to convince me of your wit. To prove your cleverness, you must find the answer to my riddle.
I mark night's coming,
I will mark your end.
I run not in fear,
I have not a friend.
The answer to the riddle lies within the passage of night. To find the path to what you seek, drink from the silver chalice within the grotto. Go now and do not return to me unless you can prove your worth.
Hundreds of tangled roots dangle from the raw earthen ceiling of this rough-hewn, circular grotto, which is filled with dark, placid water. A narrow stone walkway leads to a circular platform in the center of the room upon which rests a stone table set with five silver chalices. About the perimeter of the grotto, a few feet above the waterline, five deep alcoves have been dug into the grotto walls. Though shadowed by darkness, a faint glitter sparkles from deep within each alcove.
The ceiling of the grotto is 20 feet high, and the water is deep. The room is dark, and the alcoves in the grotto walls are cloaked in magical darkness, so they are not illuminated even if light is brought into the chamber.
The five chalices on the table in the center of the room are half full of dark red wine, and the rim of each chalice is etched with a specific rune in a repeating pattern.
You identify the runes on the chalices. Each chalice has a different rune and they are as listed: mirror, apple, hourglass, anthame, and a key. You think that the chalice is linked to the corresponding alcove across from the chalice.
I rather think we shouldn't be poken into those acloves.
"See the runes on each chalice? This one means 'mirror', that one 'apple', then 'hourglass' on this one... 'anthame'? on the fourth, and 'key' on the final one. My guess would be that the answer to the riddle is 'hourglass'... what do you all think?"
Hourglass sounds right.
"Very well then" - Helgash nods somberly - "I will not have any of you risking to drink from the wrong chalice - this is my task" - he adds resolute, stepping forward, and taking the the beverage, then looking at his companions - "If there is nothing more to add?" - the paladin inquires lastly.
Jetro keeps his bow ready.
Duardlara nods in agreement to Venja's answer to the riddle. She wonders about the alcoves, but doesn't move to enter any yet.
Helgash, in an effort to show Greta again his leadership and prowress, steps up and grabs the chalice that Venja indicated was the hourglass. As soon as his fingers touched the chalice the alcove across from him lit up briefly illuminated the object in question. At frist glance the object seems easily obtainable. However as the light fades away you see that the alcove is covered by a pane of glass.
Committing to his course of action Helgash still takes the goblet and drains the entire contents in 2 large gulps. In front of him the water parts as 3 large stepping stones rise fromt he water to create a pathway to the alcove that held the hourglass. Bringing the goblet down Helgash is surprised to see that within 6 seconds the goblet refills to the halfway mark.
I will need you to make a DC 13 fort poison save from the alcohol. Everytime you drink from the chalice the DC will get harder by 2. Each failure imparts a -2 wisdom damage for d8 hours.
The elf's eyebrows raise as she watches the interaction, thinking on the magic that must be in place for these effects, but trusting that the paladin has things well in hand.
This looks good, I thought something bad would happen like you turning into a mummy.
As you talk and deliberate and congratulate Helgash you see that the stone steps recede back into the water.
"The beverage is strong - perhaps stronger than anything I have ever drank" - Helgash nods - "Should we have grabbed the opportunity to take the hourglass?" - he adds, raising an eyebrow.
"'To find the path to what you seek', it said. It would appear that we will need to follow the stones after imbibing."
"Be ready" - Helgash warns his companions, and urges them to gather and be ready to climb the stairs.
Then he drinks again.