The statue and its pedestal radiate faint abjuration magic.
"The statue and pedestal are magical. Abjuration, which is usually a protective type of magic, and sometimes is used to harm trespassers.
It probably isn't a construct, at least. Be careful about passing it before you check for traps."
You cannot.
Rhen moves into the room. He checks the statue for traps . He then moves to the doors. He looks at the inscription and cannot even identify the language . He checks the doors for traps. . "What 'ave we 'ere? Door be a trap. No disablin' this un. Rocks come tumblin' down on us. No tellin' how many."
"Well, let's not open the doors, then.
I don't understand that writing either, but magic can take care of that."
Niu retrieves a scroll of Comprehend Languages from this Haversack and reads it, then reads the inscription.
The inscription reads “By Your Light, We Follow”
Rhen says "By your light, we follow....don't be knowing what it means. Maybe a clue for someone smarter than me. Whatcha make of dee stature?"
"Hmm. Maybe a light spell. Don't have one. Don't need it. Maybe that gem Niu. Try that gem." Ranok says, glancing back the way of the gibbering mouther.
"The gem has been shedding light this entire time. If simple light was a trigger it would have already."
Niu considers the statue for a moment. "It may simply be an expression from the Shining Crusade, but this statue is holding candles. Perhaps if we try to light the candles?
Ranok, did you prepare Spark today?"
"Always.". Ranok smirks as he casts spark on the candles.
Nothing happens. Rhen says "Megidgies that shoulda done some-tin. Be more to this puzzle, gents."
It does not.
"I have no clue what else we can do here. I suppose any benefit this statue might provide is lost to time."
Looking up at the man, he giggles and salutes, then turns to fly back through the eye room.
"Let's go see if Rhen can open that locked door. That must have been the panic room the old priest described."
Niu notices an indention of sorts at the base of the statue. It is a couple inches deep and cylindrical in nature. Rhen inspects the indention and confirms is not a trap or part of a mechanical device.
Niu tries to pull one of the candles out of the statue's hand to insert into the indentation.
If that fail, he'll get an actual candle out of his pack , have Ranok light it and push that into the indentation.
As Niu places the lit candle into the depression, it magically unlocks a catch that allows the statue to tilt back, revealing a passage in its base.
"Hee Hee! Well hidden, that little hole!" He begins to rush toward the stairs as soon as the statue stops moving, but Ziera grabs his shoulder.
"Patience, Niu. We might not be past danger yet." She motions toward the stairs, "After you, Ser dwarf"
Rhen slowly and methodically moves down the stairs and out of sight. After what seems like an eternity you hear him say "Torag's beard! Ye best be hoofin' it down 'ere. Gotsta see dis."
With a glint in his eye and a grin of avarice, Niu slips out of Ziera's grasp and runs down the stairs.
Slightly more cautiously, Ziera follows.
This small room appears to be some sort of secret storage area. Various items line the walls, including several rolls of vellum, some stone decanters, a few books, and a wooden staff. Unfortunately, most of the items appear to have suffered irrevocable decay and damage.
The entire floor is engraved with a giant map of Avistan, centered on Lake Encarthan. The map has several large marks indicating cities, natural terrain features, and settlements; some of these marks use older names for modern locales, some indicate places that no longer exist.
One scrap of fragile parchment on the floor near the map is inscribed in Hallit. Along one of the walls sit three potions and a stave.
Before the Comprehend Languages can wear off, Niu kneels down next to the parchment without touching it and reads what he can.
Afterwards, he heads over to examine the staff and potions with Detect Magic.
The parchment reads “...perhaps the Dungeon of Ten Thousand Tears...”
The staff evades your ability to identify it. The potions are potions of cure moderate wounds.
"Well, this parchment scrap means nothing to me. It just references some Dungeon of Ten Thousand Tears. No telling if that means anything pertinent without context.
I'm not about to attempt to do any research in here. I think need to get moving again.
Here, each of you take one of these healing potions. Ranok, do you want to try to figure out what this staff does?"
Ranok takes the staff, casts detect magic and attempts to identify it.p
"dungeon of 10,000 tears. This might be the site of another seal."
It is up to Ziera at this point. Where to? DC is 23.
"Rest here? Seems safe. Then go to the stairs down? Don't know how you are own spells, but I'm beat. Wait, what did the guy in the glass prison say about Tar Baphon? Is he still trying to open the seal? Do we need to hurry?" He seems to go from thinking about relaxing to becoming anxious as he looks back to the door.
I don't think paladins get Orisons, she certainly doesn't have Detect Magic on her character sheet, but I'll roll anyways.
"We can go back and check out that locked door, but perhaps we should just keep moving now."
The seal has been broken. The powerful flow of negative energy is what caused all of the undead in this module and the previous one. The guardian wants you to kill Tar and repair the seal or at least cave in the path to it.
The locked door is interesting imo. A possible source of information and a rough fight. I say that as you have been kept mostly in the dark up to this point. You are just now learning about what has been going on in the background and causing all the trouble you have run into. The locked door is not a must by any means.
Rhen says "I be curious 'bout dat locked up door. Must be some-tin of value in dere."
The party presses on in search of Tar. You make it downstairs and pass the brazier.
With a bone weary, but determined look on his face, Ranok says to Rhen "Right, lead the way on south, then?"
Rhen moves forward with the party in tow. We gots a door south. Not sure but we can go east or west too. Seems stuff is there."
Considering the layout of the rooms they have seen so far, Niu makes a suggestion.
"There was a southern passage from the room with the fountain. This eastern passage likely meets up with it. Let's head east so we know there are no enemies behind us."
This alcove is home to a small waterfall spilling from the open mouths of four carved human faces and collecting in a small stone pool beneath.
"The passage does not connect. Unfortunate. Well, this pool is interesting. At least we can get a drink."
Niu studies the waterfall and pool, casting Detect Magic.
Rhen locates a sliding granite slab on the east side of this area. It is
held in place at the top with an iron guide track. He checks it for traps and studies the guide track. "It be workin if we be careful. Keep yer eyes on that track if we goes dis way."
Niu identifies the water as holy water.
"Amazing, more Holy Water."
Peering at the sliding door, he shrugs. "Are you afraid of it sliding closed behind us? Maybe we can prop it open with something?"
Looking around, he sees nothing to pull over.
"Well, I'll stay back to hold the door open for a moment while the rest of you go in. Hee Hee... don't worry... hee hee... I won't close it."
Rhen moves through the sliding door. After a few brief moments he returns. "Be a blob in-der. Lotsa goo too. Smells bad. Didn't see me."
"Blobs can be bad, and some cause damage to your weapons. I have a wand that might be effective, but alkalai is best, if anyone brought some.
I can get closer to tell what kind of creature it is, but we can also leave it alone. It likely is not guarding the seal and might even be a planned feature of the structure, like a garbage disposal."
Rhen says "Let's be leavin it alone. Find this Tar fella."
Niu looks both relieved and disappointed, patting the wand of molten orb that he has not been able to use effectively yet.
Sliding the door closed, he suggests "Right! West then?"
Rhen takes the lead. He return and whispers "They be undead inder. Four ofs them. Two be ghouls, two be zombies."
"Ghouls and zombies? Sounds like a step back, but I'm sure you would have noticed if they were on fire or leaking radiation, so let's go destroy them!"
Niu draws his wand of Molten Orb and starts walking.
Round 1 Undead Storage
Rhen 65/65, Ziera 72/72, Ranok 72/85, Niu 42/42
Ghoul
Niu, Ziera ✔
Ghoul blue, zombie blue
Rhen
zombie
Ranok
FYI: The ghouls are in the back. Full figure token as opposed to face.
The blue ghoul moves into the doorway.
Niu steps into the room and activates his wand, hurling a ball of molten metal at the blue zombie.
Reflex 14 for half on the splash damage. No save for a direct hit.
Will continue to take d6 on It's turn for rounds
"Boom! Hee Hee"
Ziera draws her undead bane longsword and attacks the other zombie.