GM Deneve's Q1-06 Archeology in Aspenthar (Inactive)

Game Master Tonatiuh Ramírez

If feint has the attack trait, then it is subject to the same cumulative attack penalty as a regular attack: that would be -8 in this instance, Gabros.

I checked; it doesn’t! Cool.

Encounter mode ended!

Hammick's wild swings viciously damage the mechanical construct! A huge, nasty gash can be seen on its torso, Gabros takes advantage of this and punches a fist right into its carapace, hand bruised and throbbing with pain, yet the adrenaline keeps him going as strikes some vital component inside. As Gabros pulls out, Bert slams his shield into the ancient golem, rupturing the main liquid chamber. The clanking and whirling stops. The golem freezes, mechanisms inside its body ceasing operation and collapses into a heap of limbs and syringes on the stone floor, pools of alchemical liquids seeping from its chambers. For the briefest of moments, you see something humanoid shape seep out of the golem, hover over you and just as quickly disappear in a gust of air. Sweating, hurt and bleeding, it is through the combined teamwork and effort of everyone that the golem is no more. (I imagine that Orla sees to everyone's wounds in the interim.)

Behind the golem, lies the final explorable room of the site. The equipment here in better shape than those in the long hallway, but in an unusable state either way. Beyond this room lies a collapsed hallway and rubble so thick it might take days to dig your way through. With the site secured and nothing else left to do, you make your way back up the cliff and make camp. The following morning, a train of people come up the hill, stopping about 30 feet from you. One of the persons, a half-elf to all appearances, breaks away from the group and approaches you with his hands extended, a wayfinder prominently hanging from his neck. He gives you all a cursory look and speaks. "Hail and well met, pathfinders. I am Kyreen Tael, expedition leader of the Osiriani site. It looks like things got a little bit... hairy. Allow me to thank you for your efforts. My men can see to any wounds or ailments you might have, and based on the look of it, you might just need it."

The exploration team begins to set-up camp and tend to you all (Consider yourselves healed and treated of ailments). Once you are in better shape, Tael speaks to you again. "So tell me, what can you tell me about the site? What can we expect down there?"

Inzo is unsure whether he should be the one to recount, given that he didn't know what the hellknights were about, but given break in conversation he'll step forward.

"There was some infernal mechanations down there. Animated as if by magic or alchemy. We dealt with that, leaving just the historical stuff which you'll probably like. I'm the brawn of the group, but the others say there's ancient Hellknight depictions down there. Good for making safe picture books out of."

"Is there anything else you need us to look at?"

Gabros is unusually quite, he tries to hide the pain from his bruised knuckles

”Wondrous alchemical ruins!” Orla responds enthusiastically to the fellow Pathfinder, ”Of what origin, I am not certain. Certainly older than recorded history. It looked like they were creating or maintaining things down there. We fought a mechanical golem that fought by injecting alchemical reagents into my comrades. It has been defeated. Oh!” Orla rummages about in her pack, producing a scrap of paper with the enigmatic brass plate text on it.

KELLVLLAMVIALKYMYAPERYKVLOSVS

”We found this! We have deciphered that “ALKYMYA” is alchemy, but the rest remains a bit of a mystery. Can you puzzle it out?”

When Inzo says he is the brawn of the group. Hammick just shakes his head and mumbles "In a pig's arss ye are."

Then just walks a way to find a rock to sit on.

Tael's brow furrows upon Inzo's words. "What you are describing is clearly not Osiriani in origin, but more than likely Jistkan, the first civilization to appear after Earthfall. They were great alchemical and mechanical masters and were at war with countries like Osirion for years until they were finally consumed by civil war".

"If what you are saying, my friend, about those depictions is correct, it would further corroborate this theory. Aligois Thels, the second lictor, did reorganize the Hellknights' structures to align with the ranks of those of the Jistka Imperium." Tael stands up, his face pensative while eyeing the horizon. When Orla speaks, his face perks up and he crouches down to receive the plaque.

"KELLVLLAM... This is— Ah-ha! Chamber VI Dangerous Alchemy! This seals it, my friends! This is not Ancient Osiriani, but Jistka script! While it appears that what you've explored might not be what we expected, it should still provide us with much insight on the militaristic practices and advances of the Imperium. All the better we found it and evaluate it than to let it fall into unwise hands.", he says, his eyes looking at the direction towards Thuvia.

"My team will be eager to get down to the site. Thank you for what you've done. We're mostly scholars, not fighters and with the site secured we should be able to start immediately. There should be a ship ready to leave port in Thuvia to take you back to Absolom if you so desire."

A few hours later, you find yourselves yet on another ship, sailing back to Absolom and the Grand Lodge.

Thus ends this chapter of the Pathfinder Chronicles, recorded on Toilday, 25 Calistril 4720.