"Interesting?" Firas scoffs, "This is evidence of a cabal of conspirators working within Kenebres! We must hurry to the surface and find the evidence this fiend was to destroy, as well as her allies. Does anyone recognize these names? Drezen seems to be a place where she was to move to next. Vorlesh is clearly the fiend responsible for disabling the ward stone! Lord Deskari sounds like a foul god, or at least one who claims such. While Yaniel's sword sounds like a holy relic they've looted from a museum. I know we still have foes that linger in the floors above, and our stamina wanes from this long battle, but clearly time is working against us. What do we think is our next move?"
Coop eyes the lockbox for demonic deviousness before opening it with the key.
He'll then search around on the desk and the pile of rags.
George happily snags the potion of invisibility from the pile. "Just what I was looking for! We still got that last door over there. And checking out those rooms we just bypassed. It has been a rough 5 minutes. Shall we press on?"
The lockbox
holds a small leather pouch containing an assortment of semiprecious gemstones (three chips of lapis lazuli worth 10 gp each, two bloodstones worth 50 gp each, a citrine worth 50 gp, and a white pearl worth 100 gp)
long, thin darkwood sword case
George recalls that Yaniel was a famous paladin of Iomedae and renowned demon slayer during the Fourth Crusade. She disappeared for a time and when she finally returned, she brought with her several rescued crusaders back from the Worldwound.
"ILL GOTTEN GAINS."
He hands the scrolls of to George.
"ILL GOTTEN GAINS."
He hands the scrolls of to George.
Opening the case, there is a golden longsword nestled into the padded box. Examining it, it appears to function as a cold iron +1 longsword, though the materials clearly appear to be made of pure gold.
A memory also floods into your mind. The images are crystal clear and vibrant. There is a holy knight, with the blazing symbol of Iomedae, is standing before the council of Kenabres, calling them out for their negligence in dealing with the demons and this 'Storm King'. Citing that their failures were what caused the stone to become damaged. The council is in an uproar and she is dismissed, and finally forcably removed from the meeting. She grinds her teeth in anger, but mounts up on her pristine white horse, charging out of the city, towards the Worldwound leading a small army behind her.
Coop takes a minute to read the occult energies of the weapon. When he is done, his eyes snap open.
George's hands start to twitch as the sword is exposed.
"I SEE A KNIGHT OF IOMEDAE. SHE'S TELLING OFF THE COUNCIL OF KENABRES. SAYS THEIR NEGLIGENT DEALING WITH DEMONS AND WITH THE STORM KING. SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR FAILURES BEING THE CAUSE OF THE STONE BEING DAMAGED? THE COUNCIL DOES THE WHOLE JOWL-SHAKING ROBBLE ROBBLE THING, AND THEY FORCE HER OUT. SHE'S MAD, SHE MOUNTS A HORSE AND RIDES TOWARDS THE WORLDWOUND WITH AN ARMY."
On Drezen.
Founded as a city-fortress during the hubris of the First Mendevian Crusade, Drezen was overtaken by the demonic hordes of the Worldwound. For years, it stood as a demonic monument to the foolish naivety of those early crusaders
George wanders into the bigger room and pokes around in the area.
Using the message cantrip to Anevia. "So far all the foes are down. We are just searching for more information and salvaging supplies. Give a holler if you need our attention."
George looks around the mess hall and sees nothing of value here.
Anevia responds. <Alrighty, things seem quiet up here.>
Once everyone is satisfied Coop moves down to the other door.
Coop heads to the southern room. All seems quiet. Opening the door he finds, old blood stains the floor of this small cavern. Barrels filled with scraps of fur and fat sit against one wall, emitting a foul stench. The two long stone slab tables are covered with skinning tools and piles of freshly butchered meat. Two wooden racks hold drying animal skins.
It appears the mongrels use this chamber to process their food— giant rats, fish, giant vermin, and other cave creatures, but a search of the room reveals numerous body parts of other mongrels and even a few human limbs in various stages of butchery.
On the southwestern slab, a masterwork dagger that’s been used as a cleaver is wedged in between the ribs of a butchered dire rat.
Firas reverently lifts the longsword. "From Yaniel's hands to my own. I will see that this blade is wet with demon blood again. Sarenrae, I know that this blade was previously dedicated to Iomedae's service. Let it serve your cause now."
He straps the scabbard to his belt alongside the one for his scimitar, and nods approvingly.
He then catches up to the others and gives the area a quick sweep for items of note.
As Firas grips the blade, a wave of energy bursts through the room. The blade begins to glow and heat up, becoming almost unbearable to hold, but no matter how hard Firas tries, he can't release his grip. The light from the blade flares, drowning out all darkness and shadows in the room. It becomes so intense that looking at it makes your eyes water and shut involuntarily. And then, it's over. The glow fades back down to a soft torch light, and in place of the golden longsword, is now a golden scimitar.
Firas immediately drops to one knee and sobs, like for a WHILE.
Eventually he stands up sheaths the scimitar, wipes his face, clears his throat and says, "So, umm, ready to go?"
George will rush in when the flare of light erupts. After his eyes adjust to the normal light and Firas stands, George will place his hand on Firas shoulder and give a crazy grin.
"Looks like somebody approves of you!"
Firas botted a 17 planes on Vorlesh
Approaching closer to the hole in the floor, there is indeed a rope leading down into the darkness.
Firas will sheathe the sword that he's been waving around like a kid with a new toy, grip the rope and begin his descent.
George will cast light on Coop's helmet.
"I am not to sure arrows and bullets will work plunging down this hole. Do you feel comfortable in melee, or should we ask Lyon to prepare that wand?'
Coop uses the silver scale to cast alter self on himself, taking the form of an aquatic elf.
He then climbs down the ladder after Firas.
With the sudden arrival of the paladin and occultist, the two toothy fish swim off to the northeast. The floor of this room is about 15 feet below the surface of the water.
Coop looks around.
After waiting several seconds for the sound of screams, grunts or objects hitting flush, George cautiosuly goes partially down the rope.
After a quick scan shows nothing obvious he returns to the top.
Coop and George don't notice anything out of the ordinary. This appears to have supplied the mongrelmen here with fresh water and potentially fish to eat.
Firas straps his shield to his back, and sheaths his sword and prepares to climb up as quickly as he can beside Coop.
Coop climbs the ladder and draws the mace.
[ooc]ignores hardness 5 and lower.
It takes a few swings to destroy the wooden trapdoor, the shelves on top of it however, take a bit longer. In total, about two minutes to get the path cleared enough to pass through.
Coop peaks his head through the opening.
Looking into the room, there is no one in sight.
The room is full of mostly ruined objects. Broken table, chairs, and various odds and ends. A bundle of torn rags rest in one corner, covered in shed fur and stinking of sweat and wet animal.
To the east, there is a hallway that leads off into darkness. At the entrance to the tunnel are the bodies of three dire rats, the blood still tacky on the floor.
Coop enters the room and advances to the end of the hall, waiting for everyone else to climb to the top of the ladder before continuing.
George climbs up the rope and prepares to do what he can to help the others.
Calling down to the others, "Do you wish to come up or just hold that position?"
Enhance Weapons 3/7 |Skald left 4*/1|Oracle left 4*/1
Anevia shrugs. "Up to you, might take me a tick to get up there"
Firas climbs up to join the others. Then he takes out his rope from his pack and lowers it down to Anevia. "If you can tie that around your waist or just hold on tight I'll pull you up."
Once our friends have been helped up, Coop stands aside for Firas to lead the way.
Everyone is able to get up to the upper floor without incident.
A rusted iron door sits in the center of the eastern wall of this small chamber. A copper brazier hangs from the ceiling above a flimsy wooden table.
Firas draws his sword and readies his shield, then carefully moves up to the door, watchful for traps and ambushers.
Next he presses his ear to the door and listens for movement on the other side.
Finally he waves the rest of the group up and makes sure they are in place before he opens the door.
George gives a thumbs up signal from the back of the pack.