|
"Look, We got off on some turrible wrong foot. Y'all can go, alraht, but how 'bout tellin' us what happened here? If our coll-eeg there is a murderer, then we wanna know about it, huh? How 'bout we all go outside, y'all get onto yer camels while we stand a ways off with our weapons down, and then y'all can tell us what the heck is goin' on? Nothin' stoppin' you from ridin' off any time?"
There's a tense moment as the wall drops, but no spells are slung and no shots are fired. She explains as she leaves "My name is Alarka, look me up at the Risen Dunes in Solthis and we can discuss all the happenings... after we've had baths, create water only goes so far..."
With that they make their egress, keeping the unconscious Pathfinder hostage until the last feasible moment when he's rolled somewhat unceremoniously back down the stairs at you as they make their final escape, not willing to stick around and explain things, despite their implications to the contrary.
Your Pathfinder is indeed alive, and with some further examination you can tell she has not been treated particularly well and is suffering from malnutrition as well as poorly tended burns and cuts.
|
Sayna begins trying to flick her fingers to manage a cantrip. ”If you hold on, I can prestidigitate you clean right now. We’d appreciate knowing what we might be up against deeper inside.”
She gives Alarka her most disarming grin.
”Either way, I’ll never turn down a meeting with a woman at a bathhouse. I know a few relaxing ones in Sothis that’ll melt the tension right out of you. Some nice bathhouses, too.”
Regardless of whether Alarka and companions stay or go, Sayna offers her wand to heal Jilarni back to consciousness.
Waking up the wounded Pathfinder is easy.
She speaks, almost a whisper as she half breaks a smile "This is different... Fellow Pathfinders? Also water please..."
|
|
Waking up the wounded Pathfinder is easy.
She speaks, almost a whisper as she half breaks a smile "This is different... Fellow Pathfinders? Also water please..."
Her helmet still off, Sayna kneels down to speak with Jilarni.
"So, my dear Jilarni, we would very much like to hear your report, especially what happened to your team members. We have also heard a rather concerning story about the behavior of you and your team. Allegations of murder and robbery. What do you have to say about that?"
She affects a tired smile.
"I do hope you shan't be lying to me. I'm quite good at noticing, you know. All that time practicing singing made me very good at picking up the slightest changes in your voice and demeanor, imperceptible even to you."
Having gotten a bit of healing and water she shakes her head incredulously at the accusations.
"Murder? Those piddlespotting Thuvians waited outside until we had figured out the first puzzle and then followed us in and attacked us. Their leader Alarka filled the chamber with fire. Jojak tumbled past the guards and Alarka just reached out and sucked his soul straight out of his body! Gilleon and I both took down a guard before those scimitars cut me down."
After taking a moment to catch her breath and have some more water she continues "Just before fading out of consciousness I could see Gilleon getting cut down as well, but with his dying breath he cast mage hand and pulled the last scepter in, to look those crooks in. Everything went black."
If she wasn't so dehydrated she looks like her face would be covered in tears.
"Eventually I woke up back, only to find my companions bones slowly turning to ash on the coals of the room. Seemed Gilleon succeeded and they were stuck, me too unfortunately. Seemed they wanted one alive as a bargaining chip, after I think a week they got tired of feeding me too. What day is it anyway?"
|
Tai clenches one stony fist. "Believe me, I would love to bring harm to those who murdered my fellow Pathfinders. But we do have a mission, and that mission leads us further into the temple. There will be time for the Thuvians later."
She turns back to Jilarni. "Is there anything you can tell us about the temple further inside? Do you wish to continue in with us, or would you prefer to stay here?"
[spoiler=GM Dice]
She responds "We didn't make it very far. Just the 4 scepters from the altars here. That room we were trapped in has another altar with a silver scepter and a green emerald. They didn't bring a trap finder and wanted me to 'look' for them. After I refused they stopped feeding me. I think I'd prefer to stay in your company, a long desert trek is a bit much for me at the moment."
|
|
Tai turns to Gorf. "If there's one thing that I know, it's that we complete the mission we were assigned. Those Thuvians are probably halfway to Sothis already, and while we pursue our blood feud, some bandits get in the temple and destroy everything. But I assure you, friend. We will get our revenge. Now," as she turns to Ethan, "Keeping other Pathfinders safe is part of our mission and it is our responsibility to keep her alive. She's made it this long on her own."
Tai exhales after the effort of so many words.
|
|
"I agree with you, of course, Tai. My only worry is that if these Thuvians have already thought it fun to ambush one group of Pathfinders in this tomb, why not two? They also may have removed artifacts from the tomb. They have only been gone a couple minutes at most."
Sayna bows then adjusts her helmet and draws her sword.
"But I also see the value in your position, Tai, and will defer to whatever the group decides."
"Woof, woof woof! Woof!"
|
"That is true. Also, I expect that we'll be able to catch up to them... as we have my phantom chariot, and they only have camels." Ethan says, completely forgetting that they had one person on a camel, too.
"Besides, we are well fed. We can push much harder than they can. If needed, I could also summon a second chariot."
"Shall we check out this room we've opened? Jilarni, do you know if those tomb robbers stole anything already?"
She responds "I can wait here in the front room if you'd rather. I've studied Ancient Osirini but I'd like to imagine Balentiir sent a linguist with your team as well. Their leader created food and water every day, they just got tired of sharing. As far as I know that first room is the only thing they got into, and they were too nervous to pull the scepter off the altar themselves."
Checking out the large chamber you find it bisected by a pit filled with burning coals. There are several sets of human bones and one set of dwarven bones in the ashen pit. The Pathfinders' gear appears to be stashed in a pile, the raiders being more interested in leaving rather than hauling everything with them.
On the far side of the room is an altar, on top of which rests a scepter made of pure silver. At its tip is a large emerald. The altar bears the name Iltorian in ancient Osiriani, along with the inscription,
“For Iltorian, the blessed second who taught me faith in the gods, but reliance only in oneself.”
No traps, perfectly safe.
Mundane Pathfinder gear for 3 fallen pathfinders, magic items appear to have been taken except for a trio of sending scrolls tucked away in Jilarni's pack.
The remains are retrievable, would probably take several minutes of d6 fire damage to remove them from the fiery pit though.
|
|
"I ain't much for magic, nor fer fire, sorry. Guess ah could try'n snag'm with mah net, though 'd prolly just burn the durn thing up."
"You say them scrolls is fer sending? Ain't that like magical talkin'? Maybe we could use one a them ta give the ol' V-C a heads-up 'bout some murderers ridin' for Sothis."
Sayna recovers the various bones. 2 fallen Pathfinders and 2 fallen raiders.
Jilarni can use the scrolls (via UMD) or is happy to have them otherwise be put to good use.
There's still the remaining scepter to acquire, and 2 other passages from the first chamber to explore.
Gavin picks up the scepter in great dramatic fashion...
A moment passes...
Then another...
then another...
After a bit it becomes clear that there is no trap.
The right corridor takes a turn, revealing a wall of whirling blades that blocks your path. Built into the wall on both sides of the corridor are small stone tablets made from marble, each bearing an inscription in ancient Osirani.
The eastern panel reads, “The first and worst”
The western panel reads, "“The last of my hopes”
After a couple minutes of careful examination Tai finds no mundane way of disabling the wall of blades although does believe it is linked to the stone tablets via magic.
|
|
As the group walks into the next area, Sayna takes a few tries under the constraints of her armor, but she finally scrubs the scorchmarks off it with her prestidigitation. "Perhaps we need to give the name of the first and last wives to the tablets? It would make sense for him to not like his first wife if her name is not even listed in the first room."
There do not appear to be any holes in the stone tablets appropriately sized for scepters. They they don't strictly have their own auras but they do both appear to be on the fringes of the aura of the wall of blades which is moderate evocation.