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"Splits, Splits, Splits, your dinosaur!" Tonny blurts, pointing at Lightfoot's still form before noticing the chest-shaped smear on the floor. "Wait, is it dead? Sorry - I meant the mimic, not the compsognathus. I mean, it looks dead. But are we sure, or could it be just pretending to be dead just like it was pretending to be a chest?"
The druid walks up to his companion and stabilizes her before casting protective magic around the little dinosaur.
"She will be fine, I will have to get her and Ebba back to strength, please give me a moment."
He gives the little dinosaur a pat, and says something in a mysterious language to it.
Feeling some empathy of excitement despite the battle, the druid heads toward the southern wall. "There is a door here that the creature was blocking."
Ingolf was relieved that Ebba was OK after she was revived. He gave his companion a hug and comforted her, "The nasty monster is gone now."
Jonah agrees with Tonny and checks on the chest, making sure it is dead with a few bashes from his flail.
Never seen one of those before, but I've heard of 'em. nasty critters, making you think they're somethin useful just to try and bit your arm off...
Like Jonah Adriana makes sure the creature it dead, watching carefully as Jonah strikes it with his flail a few times just to be sure.
"Definitely dead. Let's hope that's the only one, or we'll never trust chests again."
She doesn't quite see the door but figures that was due to her not seeing well in the dark, and speaking of...
Raising her scimitar up like a torch she again causes her weapon to glow now that danger had passed.
"Do we want to open it or wait?"
The druid looks towards the others, "If it is hidden, there is a good chance it may provide us with clues about this place and what happened." He nods to Adriana and thanks her for the light, "Look, right here."
He wipes his hands along the wall, feeling the small flow of air where a tiny crack would be.
"I shall follow what you all advise."
Inglof tried to figure out how to open the secret door.
With each bash of Jonah's flail, the fake chest splashes more blood all around. It seems it had recently well eaten and was making the digestion, inside you find the bones and scales of a couple of lizardfolk, it's muscles tissue half absorbed already.
With Splits pointing the area of the wall where he perceives the air guides him, it does not take much before the group finds the way to open the secret door and enter a broad tunnel sculpted in the cliff's basaltic rock. After a few meters the tunnel opens into a wider room through a section of wall that has collapsed long ago.
As you approach, the scimitar and the hammer light allows you to have a sight of the basement room.
Stone tablets the size of tabletops line the basalt walls here, each engraved with meticulous script and illuminated by the flickering light of two small, glowing points orbiting the statue of an imposing, single-eyed giant. A vast skeletal figure kneels position in the center of the chamber.
According to Ghol-Gan culture this chapel is consecrated to the Sun and the Moon, which occupied a large position in the cyclops culture of the past.
You do know lighthouse keepers where often charged to preserve this shrines and conceal on them their treasures out of pirates hands.
Looks like a cyclops shrine of some kind. something to do with the sun and moon, from what i remember. legend says they kept treasure in these shrines, trying to hide them from invaders or pirates
Jonah looks around carefully, looking for more surprises.
Ingolf wasn't familiar with the accounts of cyclops shrines, but took Jonah's word for it. He moved along the west wall, trying to stay away from the statue for now. He examined the script to see if he could decipher the meaning.
The druid opens the door and walks in, his face masked with wonder.
"To think such marvels still exist. How beautiful it looks with nature melding into it." When Jonah mentions a shrine, the druid stops moving, "If it is a shrine we should step gingerly, even if it has been long-forgotten."
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”Professor Ydesst would certainly agree with your assessment, Jonah,” Tonny adds from the rear. ”And that skeleton could very well be the remains of a pries- Ooo, what are those lights orbiting its head?” The half-elf studies then for a moment before scratching his head absentmindedly and turning to Splits the Leaves and Ingolf. ”Do you know what that could be? It certainly looks magical...”
The druid looks worried, "If you must know. Give me a moment."
Splits indeed perceives magic on a few blades scattered around the statue along with some coin.
Tonny knows the fiery orbital eyes are in fact ioun torches.
As Ingolf approaches to examine the tablets and Splits the Leaves to scan for magic, they do discover the statue is in fact the last lighthouse keeper who died ages ago after sealing himself and the empire's records in the shrine. Though he was kindly in life, a modicum of energy and resentment at his abandonment now animates his skeletal remains to test the intruders!
Fortunately, the ages of inactivity has made the cyclops very close to a stone and it takes him a few seconds of shaking to act, which gives the party a good opportunity to react first.
You do know skeletons are hard (DR 5/bludgeoning, and immune to stun, cold and any Fort save effect) and mindless, which makes them immune to mental effects.
The only uniqueness of this one is it's size, thanks to its cyclops nature.
of course... Jonah mutters. He tries to stay back and out of the way of his companions, firing arrows at the monster
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”Oooh, they’re ioun torches!” Tonny says, eyes sparkling with wonder and excitement. ”Do you think we could snag them for ourselves? It’s not like the skeleton’s using them anymo-“ His voice abruptly cuts off as the massive bones lurch into action.
”-I spoke too soon! Quick, bash it with your hammer, Ingolf! Blunt weapons, everyone - the blunter the better!” The half-elf pulls out his whip and tries to distract the undead creature without getting too close.
Adriana recoils as the large skeleton lurches and eyes it carefully, flicking her rapier with a growl of frustration.
"I don't have a blunt weapon!" She argues mostly to cover the uncertainty of fighting such a large creature, uttering the only prayer she knows to Sarenrae and considers her next move, studying the cyclopean skeleton and rapidly arriving to the conclusion that one way or another, she's likely going to just be hacking at it - perhaps she could distract while Ingolf used his hammer.
Ingolf was only a little surprised when the statue started moving. He shouted, "Ebba, attack," hoping that she could move up before it swung at her with its longer reach. He unleashed his rage and tried to smash it with the hammer on his polearm.
Ebba attacked the bone creature.
One of Jonah's arrows clinks away from the stout bones, but the other lands true. That said, he finds the arrow is not as effective as he would have expected, but still damage it deals.
Adriana blesses the party, guiding them to battle while she takes position.
Ingolf throws himself to battle swinging his lucerne hammer. The weapon is about the fail, just when a timing lash of Tonny's whip relocates the cyclop making the hammer to crush the bones.
Ebba charges in, her tusks scratching the femurs, despite not dealing full damage.
The skeleton fights angrily clawing at Ebba and Adriana.
They both get a dent as the mighty strength of the undead cyclop takes them by surprise.
Ingolf continued his furious assault on the giant skeleton, but slipped and failed to land the blow.
Ebba fought bravely, despite her injury.
The druid sees the unnatural form rise.
"Lightfoot!" With the guttural sounds of druidic coming from him, he speaks and asks his partner to grow.
Splits the Leaves touches Jonah's bow before moving closer with his spiritual ally.
He holds off on expending the positive energy that flows through him for the time being, he couldn't run that far regardless.
Jonah is frustrated about how bad arrows are for this fight, but it is still likely the best option for him right now
Adriana channels her frustration into her attacks; her intimidating demeanor useless against a foe that can't be cowed into submission. All she can do is continue hacking at the bones.
Avoiding the spirits to attack on fear they can heal the undead cyclops, Ingolf rear's back with his hammer, unable to reach the creature despite Tonny's whip consistent help.
Ebba though headbutts the last keeper, breaking one more bone, despite her tusks are not the best fit weapon.
Similarly happens to Jonah's, whose arrows just go in-between the bones wholes before piercing any scratch.
Lightfoot just transform into a dinosaur beast and positions out of the skeleton reach with Splits!
Just stepping into to avoid the large skeleton reach, Adriana smacks with her scimitar, cracking one bone despite the slashing blade is not fit to break bones.
The cyclopes silently retaliates clawing around at Ebba then Adriana who hit him just now.
Both attacks pierce through opening wide wounds, but both boar and woman withstand and keep fighting!
Ingolf pressed his attack. "I'm trying, I'm trying!"
Ebba fought through the pain, and furiously tried to take the bone creature down.
Despite Tonny's good whip help, Ingolf and Ebba just fail to connect on the cyclopes, as the old undead starts to gain speed. The jaws move as if the thing tries to speak, but clearly, there is no air to pass through his gorge and emit sound.
Seeing the others in danger he focuses for a minute before sending Lightfoot in. The dinosaur has more intelligence than the average one, and uses Adriana as cover when moving in against the lighthouse keeper's reach.
The druid draws the wand and readies an action to cure light wounds on himself should the link between his companion and him shakes in shared pain.
HP 12/12; Size M; Magical Beast; Shield Companion
AC 14 (10 Base + 1 Natural + 2 Familiar + 1 Dex + 1 Deflect)
TAC 12 (10 Base + 1 Dex + 1 Deflect)
FF 14 (10 Base + 1 Natural + 2 Familiar + 1 Deflect)
Ground 40/Swim 20; Low-Light Vision, Scent
Fort +5 Ref +3 Will +7 [Uses master's saves] [Improved Evasion]
jonah is frustrated by his misses, but has not real option but to keep firing
Dazed from the hit and the pain and trying to remain clear headed as the battle seems to be getting beyond them, Adriana isn't certain on what else to do except continue attacking, if only to keep pulling the cyclopean skeleton's attention to give Ingolf a greater chance to strike with his hammer.
She knows it's dangerous, she just needs to buy them all a little more time.
Lightfoot and Adriana fight valiantly against the skeletal keeper, but the bones are hard and their attacks are deflected.
One of Jonah's arrows fails due to cover, but the other one strikes true on the skull making a good hole.
Unperturbed, the cyclopean keeps focusing his attacks on the same attackers.
Ebba succeeds to dodge this time, but Adriana receives a good slam at her face!
Ingolf knew things were getting desperate. He maneuvered to start getting around the big skeleton's flank and furiously swung again.
Ebba heroically fought on.
Helped by Tonny's whip Ingolf delivers a mighty strike on the keepers head crushing its skull! All the damage went through. The skeleton barely manages to stand afterwards.
Ebba fails on her tusks attack.
Lightfoot attempts to finish it off, hoping to make his partner happy that his friends will be safe.
However her valiant attack seems to be unable to break its armor.
Seeing Adriana beaten up, he casts a spell, holds the charge and moves in to help her.
somewhat encouraged by the hit from his last volley, Jonah tries again hoping to get some damage in
Invigorated by Split's healing magic and the heavy crack of the cyclopean skull under Ingolf's hammer, Adriana throws herself back into the fight to try and draw the creature's attention away from Ebba and the others.
"Hey you one-eyed freak! You're as useless as you are dead!" It isn't her best, but Adriana's never had to insult a skeleton before and has to hope that if her words don't work her scimitar will.
Lightfoot slips in the ground gravel and fails to hit the skeleton.
Splits maneuvers by casting out of the cyclops reach and appropriately healing Adriana.
One of Jonah's arrows does some damage, but Adriana's attempts only serve to distract the big skeleton.
With continued precision the cyclops sends Ebba to the ground and whacks once more at Adriana. Thanks to Split's timely healing, the woman manages to make a stand.
The cyclops seems barely managing to stand up though, with broken bones on his legs and the skull wrecked by Ingolf's hammer.
frustrated with how badly he is doing, Jonah decides (against his better judgement) to take a risk and try to help his allies in melee. he drops his bow, and tries to slip into a spot where he can hit the monster with his flail
Lightfoot goes for a chomp, hoping to break the bones down.
Although it seems like the dinosaur, even with it's size, cannot seem to do it.
The druid holds and nods when he hears Tonny.
Ingolf desperately tried to drop the undead Lighthouse Keeper.
Catching Jonah charging from the corner of her eye, Adriana shifts so that the cyclopean skeleton is effectively trapped on all sides and pushing to attempt a distraction again so that Jonah and Ingolf can bludgeon and break the creature.
The Last Keeper smaks Jonah as he approaches but just by the time the hunter reaches the skull and destroys it with his flail.
Whip, hammer and scimitar add up to grind the bones into dust as the rest of the companions get the best of their attacks.
With the keeper destroyed you finally lay out your hands on the statue and the other cyclopean secrets stored in the room. Scattered around the cyclopean statue are 10 +1 monstrous humanoid-bane arrows, 50 saucer-sized golden coins (worth 10 gp each), and a large magical kukri inscribed with lunar imagery. Two stones orbit around the statue's head sheathing light.
+1 kukri
These are two ioun torches.
But perhaps the most awesome treasure in this place is the collection of tablets along the walls of the chamber that preserve the knowledge of the Ghol-Gan sentinels who oversaw the lighthouse's operation. Written in Cyclops, the tablets seem to record the coming and going of Ghol-Gan vessels in the region and various holy days and celestial events observed from the once-grand tower. A few also detail the locations of Ghol-Gan expeditions and remote trading posts that could prove valuable to anyone hunting lost treasures. In addition to treasure hunters any organization or collector interested in ancient story could be a good buyer.
In fact Mr. Blackwell already offered himself to pay you handsomely if you brought any Ghol-Gan artifact to him.
Ingolf rushed over to Ebba to heal her. "Oh, Ebba. I was so worried about you!"
Once the boar was back on her feet, he scanned for magic auras and examined the magic items.