"Do you know how long you were trapped? It sounds like we don't have much time if we want to stop them!"
"I'm not sure. It was hard to track the passage of time shut within this chamber. It could have been hours, a day, or a few days. I slept fitfully. There's no comfort here. The Reborn certainly saw to that."
"If these vows they take are so potent, would we gain some advantage over...Shad...riev and his cronies were we to tell them they had inadvertently killed Zyler inside the door-magic or some similar accident?....Of course we might need Zyler to hide during such a ruse..."
"Doubtful," Aiyana responds, "Though it's a superstition in our culture, it wouldn't really rattle them enough to create a tactical advantage. And as a dark caller, I suspect Shadriev could discern the truth behind such a lie regardless."
"Zyler. You traveled with these folk. Aiyana has told us of your various castes, and some of their capabilities, but what is Shadriev like? Most battles are won before they start, with proper preparation, arrangement of material etc. - Bastian has questioned you on this, but I am interested in Shadriev's state of mind, his followers beliefs, etc...anything you might be able to give us to apply pressure against. An edge."
"I'm afraid they didn't trust me enough to allow me into their inner circle," Zyler explains, "I'm not a direct follower of the Reborn philosophy, so their tenets aren't exactly my own, and that limits me somewhat in my ability to know their exact state of mind. But that doesn't mean I lack basic perceptiveness, of course. They were concerned by the traps in this place and in a definite hurry to locate the Cradle and return to Lyrudrada. While all of them had a profound sense of reverence and loyalty to Nephenie, I could tell any mention of Veilisendri worried them. The same kind of anxiety that a toad minding its own business would have for a nearby snake. It might leave you alone, of course, but you'd never really know for sure, and so you'd hold very still hoping it would slither on by and leave you alone."
"I too wonder how long you've been in here. How many times did you sleep?"
The dark dancer pauses to count silently, extending one bare finger at a time from within his rag-wrapped gloves. "Once, twice...perhaps three times?" he muses, "It all runs together, I'm afraid. And that might not have been multiple days. In a confined space like this, it's easy for your mind to wander and imagine time passing more swiftly than it actually does. I took a nap now and then in an effort to clear my head, hoping it would help me dream of a new way out of here."
Ailis:
Lesska nods as Zyler casts the enemy group. "So. Shadriev's underlings fear the owb, and are intensely loyal to Nephenie. Fanatics. It makes them simple, but no less dangerous."
Something Zyler says irks Lesska.
"My friends. Shadriev and Nephenie, their followers - must they come back this way? Or might they magick out once they have what they have come for? If they must traipse back this way, could we not merely wait for them or ambush them on their way out?"
The Kellid pauses, holding up a hand.
"I know we are behind them, and they may reach the Cradle first - but should they do so perhaps we could prevent them from ever reaching Lyrudrada."
Lesska drops her hand.
"Gods forbid they fall to the traps herein, and we must penetrate the resting place of the Cradle ourselves..." she finishes pensively.
I see your point, Lesska. Setting an ambush here could give us a tactical advantage. But we don't know the layout of the tomb or if there are other exits. We could risk sitting here while the Reborn escape with the Cradle. I think it better to press on and see if we can catch up to them. With luck, we can surprise them while their attention is focused elsewhere and still gain the advantage.
"We also don't know whether they have, in fact, been and gone - after all, if Zyler has been here for an extended period of time, it would make sense that they have already left..."
He then shudders, drawing his cloak tighter around him as he does so.
"Also, I don't want to stay in this place any longer than I absolutely have to... it feels wrong, somehow, in a way that I just can't quite put my finger upon..."
"My friends. Shadriev and Nephenie, their followers - must they come back this way? Or might they magick out once they have what they have come for? If they must traipse back this way, could we not merely wait for them or ambush them on their way out?"
"There are certainly magical means of traveling from the surface to Lyrudrada...and from there to here," Aiyana responds, "I myself was planning on using a scroll provided by my people to speed my journey home. I've done so in the past. It allows me to cross the Shadow Plane, effectively stepping from here, across the stretched shadows between worlds, and then onto the streets of Lyrudrada once I get my bearings. This magic is known to the caligni. So, it's possible the Reborn might have such means available to them, as well."
"I saw no evidence of such magical transportation in their possession," Zyler offers, "But it's not as if I searched all their belongings to know definitively. Shadriev is certainly powerful. Most dark callers are. And, given his favor with Nephenie, I suppose it's possible they could have something like that. They have access to the Forsaken Fane now, and I've heard that place held all kinds of treasures before our people were forced to abandon it. I've always wanted to venture there myself, but it's far too well-guarded by the Reborn now. And I've heard Veilisendri visits there often...at least, that's what I overheard some of the Reborn commandos discussing."
"I don't think we can wait," Daehalya says, moving again toward the eastern exit.
Lesska nods, certain that the bright people she has come to surround herself with are equally certain they are on the right track.
"I feel Shadriev and his coterie are...still within, though whether they alive or dead may dwell within I am not so sure."
The Kellid sniffs the air, and finds it wanting.
"I agree with you Suetonius, this place is ill. Let us go."
Venturing back to the chamber with the pedestal and the backwards-facing statue of Haramil, the party once again examines the door leading east. Ailis determines the door is both untrapped and unlocked, a fact that's immediately with both relief and further anxiety given it could mean the Reborn may have preceded you.
The stone portal opens easily and you're able to see a long, wide chamber whose vaulted ceiling arches twenty feet overhead. Rich but aged tapestries hang from the walls along with several shields depicting a black circle upon a field of blue. Multiple life-sized statues occupy the edges of the main floor. Four represent armored warriors holding lances and two represent armored warhorses. To the east, a short flight of steps ascends to an alcove containing a stone coffin surrounded with weapons and other treasures. A long lance with a cruel barbed tip lies atop the coffin.
The room is deathly silent and your lights remain supernaturally dim by whatever planar effects have warped the ancient tomb. A damp, earthen smell permeates the air, rising up from the cracks in the stone floor.
"More traps?" Daehalya asks. "Though it doesn't look like any were tripped here, so maybe that's a good sign?"
She murmurs a cantrip and checks for any magical auras.
Lesska's face becomes taut as she spies the coffin. Still she stands while Daehalya weaves her magicks.
"If that be Haramil's true resting place, I warn you all - do not touch his panoply - his war-gear is curs'd as was his spirit - our Kellid patron Almere did warn me thus..."
"I suppose that if the Reborn came before us, they got that same warning then," muses Ailis. "I wonder what shared source of information they have..."
Agreed, we should touch nothing we don’t have to. If the Reborn passed this way, they must have done so through a hidden passage - either here or in one of the other rooms. Let’s see if we can find it.
Suetonius nods.
"That seems wise, Lesska; there is no need to risk being cursed, by those who are long gone... That said, I agree with Bastian that it is probably worth looking for secret doors that we might have missed."
Daehalya:
Although there don't appear to be any further exits from this chamber, Ailis is able to spot some unusual stonework behind the southernmost statue of a warhorse with a bit of help from Bastian. It appears the wall there might hold a secret door. Upon examining it more closely, her suspicions are confirmed, and she's fairly certain the secret door is locked, but not trapped.
In the meantime, Aiyana is drawn to the images on the shields arrayed across the north wall. "A black circle upon a field of blue," she notes aloud, her voice echoing a bit in the enclosed space. "Haramil must have incorporated the Cradle into his heraldry. For it to mean so much to him, surely it was buried with him." She glances at the coffin to the east. "Lesska? I know you urged us not to disturb anything here, but eventually we're going to have to in our search for the artifact. And that probably means opening the coffin..."
"The lance on the coffin is magical," Daehalya says, trying to determine exactly what it is.
"The tapestries too, though that may have been merely to preserve them. I think an artifact would radiate enough magic that I would be able to see its presence even through the coffin, though if it were masked someway or the stone were thick enough, that would hide it. I don't think it's in there, though."
Ailis calls to the others, "Secret door here."
"I wouldn't touch that stuff. If it turns out the Cradle is inside, it means the Reborn missed it and we can come back after we defeat them. If not, then we're just gonna curse ourselves grabbing Haramil's gear. Not worth it."
"This door's locked. Shall I pick it open?"
When she receives permission, Ailis pulls out her lockbreaking tools and attempts to open the door.
After a bit of tinkering with the ancient mechanisms comprising the secret door's lock, Ailis is able to shift a stone latch just enough to release the portal. It opens with a stirring of dust and crumbled mortar.
A greenish light emanates from the other side, seemingly unhindered by the dim shadows affecting the other areas of the tomb. It doesn't seem to have an actual source, simply existing within the very air itself. Overhead, arching ribs of stone support a fifteen-foot-high ceiling stretching across a vast, oval-shaped chamber. Tattered tapestries hang from curved walls to the east and west, each depicting a scene of natural fury—a devastating tornado to the east, and a looming tsunami to the west. The focus of each of these natural disasters seems to be upon a single humanoid shape cloaked in shadows.
Also within this room, two more statues...much larger than the previous ones you've seen...stand to either side of the tapestries. The western one appears as a statue of a fierce, defiant woman, while the eastern one appears as a statue of a stern, elderly man. Each bears a metal trident held in their stony grip. Across the way, another door seems to exit further south.
Suetonius groans when he sees the statues.
"I don't suppose that these ones won't animate, and try to kill us...?"
Lydia scoffs. "I wouldn't place money on that, Suetonius." She scans the room for any creatures that might be lurking.
"If they do, I might be able to bind them," Daehalya says as she joins Lydia's search for magic.
Once finished, she'll try to figure out if she can recognize either of the people sculpted from stories she heard from Mathion.
Bastian stands by as the spellcasters scan the room, ready to react to threats.
Daehalya:
"It's hard to tell, but the statues are definitely magic, and their tridents too. The green light is also ... something, but not like anything I've seen before..." Daehalya says. "The tapestries too, but I think just to preserve them. There's so much magic here, it's hard to tell."
She shifts her weight back and forth, impatient to move on, but assuming Ailis will want to search for traps before she does.
Daehalya, Lydia, and Suetonius:
Lesska shakes her head in consternation, evidently confused.
"I..am unsure. You say the Cradle is not in the coffin. Could it be...that the Cradle is not...magical? Or not magical in the way we understand?"
The Kellid looks askance at the coffin.
"Though it seems a surety that the Reborn did not rip the coffin apart to retrieve it." Lesska shrugs.
"I have no wish to open the coffin, but perhaps we need to?"
"Those look like they might be resembling Gozreh," Daehalya explains. "Perhaps we should leave some sort of tribute? I've read stories where that can appease some traps."
She shrugs at Lesska's concern.
"It's possible they separated them? Perhaps they buried the Cradle deeper, so it would be more protected from some similar misuse? I think the coffin is likely not to have much of use in it, but ... I was going to say it can't hurt to check, but that that may not be true."
Realizing that it's her role this time, Alis searches the statue-room for traps. She doesn't particularly care about the statues or the coffin, just wanting to go on and get after those cultists. "Let's just hurry and get after those Reborn."
If she doesn't find anything, she leads the way forward, going into the exit to the south.
Thankfully, Ailis doesn't detect any traps at the entrance to the room, but it's still a bit far for her to truly examine the rest of the chamber. So, guardedly she moves forward, ready to guide everyone to the southern exit in search of the Reborn. Upon crossing the threshold, however, something dramatic occurs that causes her to pause...
The tapestry of the devastating tornado begins to flicker with electricity, sparking across the intervening distance toward the female statue, playing across her scowling features. Simultaneously, the tapestry of the looming tsunami begins to frost over and a swirl of icy flakes blows forth to surround the male statue, causing his beard to grow even longer with icicles. Both figures then animate, raising their tridents and turning to face you, pointing them in a guard position to bar your way.
“You tread upon corrupted ground," they announce in unison, "Turn back now, unless you come before us with the sacred sign of whispering wind and rippling waves in hand.”
The greenish light that fills the room begins to intensify, causing you to squint within its glare as it drives back every shadow.
"Perhaps we need a holy symbol of the god/goddess?" Daehalya suggests. "Um, does anyone have one? If not, I could try to make the sign with magic..."
Ailis nods. "I agree, that does seem like the solution. A symbol of Gozreh."
Sounds reasonable. I don’t suppose any of us just happen to have one of those in our back pocket? Perhaps we can draw one on a piece of parchment or use an illusion?
Suetonius shakes his head.
"Sadly, no. Whilst I respect Gozreh, I do not worship them, and so I do not carry their symbol."
"Perhaps we need a holy symbol of the god/goddess?" Daehalya suggests. "Um, does anyone have one? If not, I could try to make the sign with magic..."
"Sorry, I haven't got on either," Lydia says. "Though I support attempting to bluff our way past."
Daehalya nods, and quickly casts the cantrip that creates Gozreh's holy symbol in the palm of her hand, which she holds out as she edges forward to see if the statues react.
Thankful for the interruption from her crisis of confidence regarding the best way to open the coffin without opening the coffin OR without disturbing the tantalisingly tantalising lance, Lesska watches in youthful fascination as the magic erupts, animating the tapestries and their stone guardians.
"..." she manages, her mouth just remembering to close.
"If the ground is corrupted, why are they inviting us in? Even should we bear the keys, is the ground not still corrupted?" she asks pointedly to no one in particular.
The pair of statues regard Daehalya as she approaches with her outstretched hand holding a figment meant to represent the holy symbol of Gozreh...a green leaf with a drop of water about to fall from its tip. She can feel the cold emanating from the old man's trident, and her hair stands on end from the proximity of the young woman's weapon, as well. She has no doubt these guardians would prove potent foes, indeed. But, luckily for her, then incline their heads and back away.
Daehalya nods back in respect and moves past the statues.
"I can give each of you a similar illusion, just in case," she calls back. "You'll each just have to go one at a time."
She no sooner says it than she suits actions to words.
No time to waste then. Onwards!
The greenish light remains. And, for those crossing the room, the glare seems to intensify the further you venture into it, making your eyes water and squint by the time you reach the far side of the room. Ailis once again checks the door for traps, finding none. She does realize, however, that it too is a secret door upon opening it. Not so secret on this side of the wall, but definitely designed to be concealed on the other side.
Blessed darkness awaits when the door is opened, once again dimly lit by your own light sources...but it eases your eyes considerably to be leaving the other room behind. The secret door apparently emerges within a worked stone wall bearing a life-sized mural of an ancient warrior standing with a shield and lance. Rocky debris and loose soil form much of the new chamber’s floor, obviously fallen from cracks and crevices in the ceiling fifteen feet overhead. A single hallway leads west, but niches and hollows extend further to the east and south, all of them filled with massive cobwebs infused with writhing shadows. The curled-up corpses of four human-sized spiders lie on the ground of the cavern, casting strange shadows across the floor.
Ailis finds no traps awaiting the unwary within the room. Lydia also detects no evil or chaos.
Daehalya:
After wiping her eyes clear with the back of a gauntlet, Lesska grips her spear tight, and waits for a directive to move further. She eyes first the spiders with interest given their dead state, and then the whorling shadows, though with much less pleasure.
"Are you OK, Aiyana," Daehalya asks with concern. "That was bright even for me, so if you need a few moments to recover..."
Once their new friend is ready, Daehalya again looks to proceed.
"I think there was some sort of conjuration here -- and a recent planar rift. There may be more shadows here ... or maybe someone used the Cradle recently? Be careful ... ler moving forward," she suggests.
She puts action to her words, pulling her sword in case its needed and being ready to move on with the others.
Daehalya's comment makes Bastian consider a possible tactical application of the bright room.
The room could probably be a good emergency fallback, if we get ambushed by the Reborn. The light will give us an advantage and if they are not carrying the right symbol, the statues will attack them. Worth keeping in mind, I should think.
Hefting his flail, Bastian prepares to move on to the next room.
Ailis indicates the spiders with her chin. "It looks like they appeared from the Shadow Plane and fought the Reborn, and then died."
"Does anyone know what kind of creatures those are?" she asks, getting closer to examine them. "It could give us an idea of how powerful the Reborn are."