The patterns on the blankets are nothing you've seen before and the cave emanates with magic. You easily identify several abjuration, conjuration, enchantment, and transmutation aura's of a powerful magic. The entrance to the "cave" emanates strongly of abjuration.
Brek waits for Sorogar to inform them of what she's found.
Lost in her spell for the moment, Sorogar continues casting detect magic until she localises the sources of these powerful magical auras.
If she believes she's found the sources and nothing happens, she tries touching the skeleton. "I am Sorogar, shaman of the rainforest. Does your spirit linger here, mighty dragon?" she asks.
If there is no response, she also tries smelling the air or looking around to see if there were other corpses or remains of humanoid. This strange smell of soot at the entrance still didn't well with her, and she feared previous visitors might well have been burned to ash indeed...
Sorogar's words fall one the bones and in the air with no apparent reaction. The soot smell is very faint here and the air smells more fresh than in the entrance of the "cave."
Nodding, Sorogar flies back to the rest of the party. "I don't sense a lingering spiritual presence. The dragon's skeleton is covered in blankets with markings I don't recognize either. But I *can* sense that there are a few potent magical items here. One is a gem in the dragon's eye. We should probably decide what to do now. While I don't feel entirely comfortable taking things from this dragon's grave, we're up against very dangerous and evil enemies in the rakshasha and the ogres. I would suggest that we try and take those items to aid us. However, I also have a lingering dread that this is too easy, and that something will go wrong the moment we try and do so..."
She looks around and silently asks advice from everyone.
"She did it!" the bard exclaims at the sight of Sorogar flying and not falling on her face.
As the orc returns, she hmms and thinks.
"Could you sense a necromantic power anywhere? I saw you casting a detection of magic spell. If so, it probably will rise up. If not, maybe make sure it is not under a guise spell. I'm sure that if it was, it wouldn't prefer to look dead. That just seems strange."
She looks at how fresh these tracks are as her birdy returns to her side.
No necromantic power sensed.
"Would this be one of the draconic guardian the lizard folk were speaking about?" Brek asks.
"I feel we should take up shelter inside first and take what we need. We could always apologise for it and explain but it's there for the taking and we discovered it." Brek points out.
Krokkin listens to the conversation as he continues to scan the area. Conversations around magic are not really something that Krokkin knows enough to participate in.
"Hm? 'Dragon guardians'...? I can't remember that being discussed. But... well, I have been working quite hard to make all these magical items and I didn't get that much sleep as a result." Sorogar looks down sheepishly as Brujah seems to hide his face behind his wing.
"Well... what was known about them, again? Probably a worthwhile thing to discuss while we try to identify all these magical sources here inside."
She tries to discern whether she has heard of this horde or possible trouble in this region previously during their time spent with the tribes. Perhaps it was mentioned?
"I'll check the horde for magical traps as well as normal ones."
She then sets out into the bubble and eventually into the coinage, attempting to see if there was something afoot, all while singing a song to inspire her competence.
Great Sword faint transmutation
This works with rage and Ohime’s song combined(+2 scimitar)
Pale ruby trillian (cracked) ioun stone
arcane 2 first level (you pick) one 4th level (you pick)
You also find alot of gold and silver. Aabout 75 gems worth around 5k at rough guess {appraise dc 15 will show 1k value}
The gem in the skull seems to be resistant to being removed. It is pearly white cracked spindle and can be identified as such rather easily. There are several other lesser auras that seem to emanate from it as well but can't be specifically pinpointed.
Ohime watches as Sorogar sets to investigate the items. Between her and Brek's amazing abilities at identifying, she is certain they will soon have it all identified. In the meanwhile, she will head over to the long-passed metallic dragon.
She investigates the gem herself, at first pulling at it to see if it was stuck, and finding it unmoveable without great effort, she leaves it there.
"It's sad to see such a beautiful beast perish like this...and it doesn't make sense to me. This ioun stone should have kept him regenerating. He obviously walked into here, so he couldn't have been dead. That means either it died from old age, which isn't likely, poison, or something made its magic stop working."
She will ceremoniously remove the blankets with care from the beast to see his full length. The bard will look through his body to the coins and such underneath, whether they were stained by blood that has long since dried, but perhaps rusted these more than age has done so to the other coins in the cave? If nothing of great significance is revealed, she will return the blanket to the beast. If asked why, she couldn't explain it. It just seemed like the right thing to do.
The coins underneath a sticky in lots of places with a red bloody substance that has now dried. The creature sits about 30 ft long from maw to tail and would have stood almost 20 feet tall you estimate. There is no obvious wound marks on the skeleton and what remains of the flesh is merely some of the wing skin that is revealed when the blanket is pulled back.
As Ohime finishes recovering the creature respectfully, there is a strong aura of peace that settles over the lair. Almost as if in thanks for the respect.
After a very long effort in which Brek and Sorogar puts their heads together to identify everything, the half-orc shaman can only sigh in relief when the task is finished.
When she notices Ohime putting back the blankets and leaving the stone, she nods approvingly. "We should all pay our respects to the dead in some way. I feel bad enough already for taking all of this from this guardian's grave, even if for a good cause. But I won't touch the mount the body lies on, or remove something that might have been part of its body. As far as I'm concerned, the Ioun stone in its eye will stay with the dragon."
As the party then starts discussing how to best divide the remaining items, she sits down and tries to start a small fire in front of the dragon skeleton, in which she then places some dried meat and fruit to burn as an offering to the skeleton.
The silence of the cave is broken only by Brek asking the gathered magical items what they can do and how. His methods is so far apart from Ohime who studies the items in general that there can be no comparison at all.
Once done, Brek stretches his limbs and gazes out onto the resting palce of what seems to be a dragon.
Trning to Sorogar, he asks once more.
"Could this be the remains of Kuraderi that you once spoke of to Mother Matricce?" Fire breathing scaled lizard. This fits does it not?
"I... don't know. Back in the hut of the lizardfolk elder, there was a scale on the wall I could sense great spiritual energy from. But here... I don't feel anything. Maybe you are right. Or maybe her essence has moved on completely, taking new shape somewhere else, or completely bound to someone else channeling her..." Sorogar answers. "I suppose I could try taking the Veil concoction and looking for her on the edge of death. Do we want to stay here? Just know, if I find her, I have to bind her. And If I fail, either I die or we all die. She's arguably the most powerful spirit for a reason."
"I think we should. A well guarded cave that is closed to infiltrators? No chance of flooding and waking us up in the middle of our sleep? Yes please!" she lets out a squeal as she stretches into a yawn (slightly disturbing because she subconsciously forgets to pull back on her fangs). "Regarding the dragon...there is a nice big blanket full of the dragon's scent. I'm sure Krokkin could catch a good strong smell of it and then later, smell the scale and see if they smell the same? Is that how it works for you?"
If you do take the concoction I will guard you in this realm while you travel the other. One question, I saw a great big sword that you looked and turned into a dagger. Is that something that I might be able to use? If so how do I make it change between the shapes?
Krokkin waits for the response from Sorogar.
"I think it works by speaking a command word. The same word will cause it to shrink, then enlarge, and back again if you wish. As for which word... you can probably decide it so long as you're the wielder of the sword?" Sorogar guesses, handing the sword back to Krokkin.
Still somewhat soaked from the rainstorm outside, she turns to stare at the dragon's remains and sighs. "Okay. I'll drink the veil potion and see if there's some remnant of spiritual energy to be found on the skeleton. But remember... this could go poorly."
She walks back to the resting place of the no doubt once great lizard, slowly sits down and begins making a simple fire with flint and tindertwig from her backpack. Then, she places a small kettle with water over it and waits for it to boil.
Finally, she takes a flask with a white-ish substance and unscrews the cork. Instantly, a reeking foul odour begins filling the room. This stuff was definitely not pleasant and possibly quite bad for one's health. Sorogar, however, empties a small amount of it over the miniature cauldron and takes a deep breath from the vaporising white mist.
She rocks back and forth in place once, twice...
Then falls back onto the rock floor and stares at the ceiling with unfocused eyes.
Just as she hits it, Movah appears next to her fallen figure and stares downward. "Remember, shaman... ash makes a poor meal for my pack."
"So...what do you mean poorly?" she asks with concern first before the drink is taken. "What can we do to help you if you are in trouble?"
Whatever she can do to tend to Sorogar, she will. Whether it is making sure that when she passes over, she falls carefully with guidance, or if there is some bit of recovering scent she can do to bring her out of it, whatever it is, she will ready herself.
As the shaman falls back, a visage appears standing before the group. A figure outlined in faintly in iridescent light standing in the air some 3-4 inches points at each of you in turn. Each of you feel a strong sense of dread….
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You see the visage twist and turn unnaturally but for some reason the peace from earlier merely settles on your shoulders deeper. You find yourself looking around the lair as if being called to find something.
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You find yourself paralyzed with fear as the visage twists and turns in an unnatural way.
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You see the visage before you twist in an unnatural manner. You stare at it fascinated at the changes that it is shifting through.
"So...what do you mean poorly?" she asks with concern first before the drink is taken. "What can we do to help you if you are in trouble?"
"Well... spirit binding isn't exactly a safe venture." Sorogar explains, unpacking her backpack. "There's always a price for a pact. And sometimes, something goes wrong during the ritual itself. The more powerful and violent the spirit, the more often that seems to happen. With Kuraderi, I don't know of anyone ever doing so succesfully. What we find are just burned corpses. Or with the mammoth spirit, we find what's best called a paste. The theory is that the spirits inflict their wrath on those they find unworthy."
She puts down the pot. "Still... if this is really her, I have to believe we found this cave, and her grave, for a reason. After all, we could have gone in any direction and found shelter everywhere, but we found this extroardinary trove. So... I'm going to try. If I start burning, maybe you can heal me with the wand. Or maybe Brek can do something with his control over fire. And Krokkin..." She briefly looks up at the Catfolk and smiles. "Your mental support is also appreciated."
Sorogar remains unmoving as the visages appear...
The veil potion seeps into your soul leaving it writhing in pain and discomfort. The world spins and turns and you vaguely see a visage of a great creature forming around your companions before you lose control of your senses.
Then, Matrisse is gone and the dragon is looking at you. [b]Now you know youngling. What will you do with the knowledge? Will your friends still help if they know or will you make the choice for them? I remove the geas so, your choice is free. Take the gem from my brow, use it well. These items I have left you may take for your use. Each will be of use to you.
Here is where you must go…A vision opens to your mind You are sure you recognize the path and the location once the vision fades
She tells you more but much fades from memory. One remaining thing lingers….on the far side of the lair is a small box of burnt ivory. It is plain to look at. It is buried beneath the gold and gems.
Sorogar's consciousness floats in the veil as she watches the conversation takes place. This was a much stronger effect than usual. She was aware enough to realize something strange was going on, since this was a very different effect than usual, though her emotions seemed... dulled. Had she taken too much and was she actually dying this time...?
When the great wyrm dragon turns it's attention to her, she's projects confusion. "What is a Geas...?" she half-says, half thinks.
The next moment, the 100-feet long stature of Kuraderi inclines closer, and the eye that observes her closely was larger than her own entire head.
Then... vague impressions of forced servitude. A brief, free look into the vast arcane knowledge of an ancient dragon. Hints of the fundamentals of reality and how to break it given time and effort to master it. It was overwhelming!
"They forced us...? When? How did they use it without us knowing...?" she wonders.
When the dragon draws back and asks her what she will do instead of answering, she realizes she doesn't know. "I will ask the others of my tribe. I can't lie to them..."
Visages of the box buried beneath the gold. "Thank you for your aid, Great Mother. Though I wonder... are you still alive? Where did you go? If your children are in need of you, why not return? Or... did you leave so they could grow...?" She tries to ask, unsure how long she had left.
Sorogar If you want to wake up you can...or you can build more dream sequence. your call
Perhaps it was the vapors of the flask filling the room, but as she lets loose Sorogar's head gently down on the gilded floor of the cave, she begins to feel woozy herself.
"Oh no..."
Suddenly, a feeling of dread takes over her body as a visage comes into sight. Not just something of a dragon or something unconnected to her, but Treva's. If not for this feeling of dread that something bad was going to happen, she'd be pleased with the vision, but when the winter wolf comes to her master, Ohime huddles up in fear. For some reason this is how she imagined that she died. Perhaps not the same details or same place. Ohime is sure that the innocence of her master was just like in this vision. Simply picking plants and some villain came to end her. Therefore, that feeling of dread pinpoints onto the wolf as if she already knows what it'll do. As it finally accosts Treva, Ohime covers her eyes from the vision like a child not wanting to see something horrible.
Does that stop her from seeing what she is? Not really. She still knows what is happening and that makes it all the worse. The poorly vishkanya is hyperventilating upon seeing her master dead and the blood trail of the bite coming from the winter wolf. Its red-stained fur disturbs her and she tries harder to close her eyes, but it doesn't work. She clearly is not well.
No stranger to fear. Brek feels the intangible aspect of it.
no He could even taste it!
He traces it in a moment as his senses gravitates towards its source.
His memories of his initiation surfaces but instead of the revulsion he strangely feels it fading into peace as if something within was put to rest.
It takes but an instance but he sees it. He becomes it. Just for that moment he feels its fear.
A guardian yet it fears them or is it him?
Fascinating.
"Why do you fear us so?" the scholar in him cannot help but muse towards the haunt.
Ever so slowly, Sorogar feels the vision around her fade and the ground under the back of her head harden. "Ow... I thought Ohime was holding me? Did I fall...?"
She wonders, just as her breathing became more steady and her eye refocused. At the same time, Brujah's blue glow seemed to strengthen again, and the bat flies up from her side.
Then she sees everyone staring at the skeleton, Ohime breathing heavily and wide-eyed, yet Brek standing there calmly, seemingly fascinated more than anything else.
"Wait... did he just speak?"
"What's going on here...?" She asks, slowly pushing herself back to her feet and wobbling left and right upon making it. "Brek...? What's wrong with the others? Ohime? Krokkin...? Can you hear us?" she asks, a feeling of alarm starting to cut through the grogginess.
As you call out to the others, Brek can obviously hear and respond to you. Ohime is obviously affected by the visage in front of you all. She stares blankly at it as if afraid to move or respond.
Krokkin doesn’t even stir at your comments, lying on the ground catatonic. He is obviously fighting something internally as he moans and twists in agony.
Sorogar, in your head Kuraderi speaks
Krokkin struggles against the bonds that he sees trying to plead his case
There was no command to return, I did not run away! Had I known I would have returned immediately.
The crowd jeers and scorns him all the more. One even reaches out and slaps him across the face.
Mother you know me I would never run or be a coward. I run toward the danger. I am working on the quest, trying to solve the riddle and feel I have made progress. Please mother.
To the rest of the group Krokkin is laying on the ground moaning and twisting. every so often they hear these words repeated
Did not run away.
Mother
toward danger
quest
riddle
Please mother.
It almost seems as a chant these words are uttered in order with spaces in between, over and over as if he is stuck in a nightmare that is looping over and over. Tears slowly begin to well in his closed eyes.
Kuraderi's lingering voice is a deep, soothing rumble to Sorogar. Unfortunately, the situation now seemed too alarming to respond properly.
Seeing Brek entranced, Ohime trapped in some vision and Krokkin crying , of all things, Sorogar pushes herself back to full focus. "Okay, skeleton. I don't know who or what you are, but you have no right to torture my friends! Let's see how well you do without that gem in your eye!"
She darts forward and takes hold of the lodge Ioun stone, then begins pulling with all her might!
The stone comes out of the head smoothly. The apparation turns and looks at you. You have taken the gift. That is as it should be. What will you do with your companions? Their fate is in your hands. sounds in your consciousness.
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Ohime cannot seem to muster herself, feeling the raw pain of the death of her master. In her mind's eye though, through her tearful eyes, she cracks them open to see if she can see her companions but then something white catches her eyes. She had not seen it before, and now she is certain the white pelt of that wolf is there in front of her. Could it be the source of her agony?
In her vision, she raises up. Slowly she will approach this suit of rusted armor and the ivory box. She will take hold of something long to push the rusted armor aside and reveal the pelt of the white winter wolf she is seeing.
Its the haunt. It appears to you as a humanoid of about human proportions. It is standing a little ways in the air. It is incorporeal .
The pelt glistens both mundanely and with an aura of magic. The pelt is very well preserved and looks like it could be draped over something giving it the appearance of a white wolf. It seems to emanate pain from every piece of hair.
The white ivory box however has an aura of power around it. Its more of a feeling than magical but a definite presence surrounds it. The patterns, etched in relief, are that of a pheasant in flight surrounded by the night stars. The pheasant has been inlaid with gems and stone coloring it and making it "pop" against the white background.
Ohime will move to the pelt, casting it aside after observing its nastiness. She will hurl it into the distance with whatever she was able to find to do so, be it a piece of metal or a part of the rusted armor itself. As long as it is further away from her, she is happier. She then will investigate this beautiful ivory box near the skull of the dragon, warily approaching this visage of an ethereal creature. Cautious in case it is able to attack her.
"What are you? Are you responsible for showing me these horrible visions?"
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Brek's eyes narrow as he strive to remember what rings had he last accepted?
"Judged and found somewhat worthy? My worth is not something so tangible to be judged by something like that. I despise being placed under control by another even higher. Tell me Spirit if you are able to name or show me the face of such. I will ask why such a thing was placed on me. As for my companions? They are far more worthy then what you think you can judge. As for the treasure? It is treasure to be spent. to be used. Everyone has greed.. I am no exception but as to how it is to be used, I do not hold sole voice." Brek speaks calmly even as he hears Sorogar calling to him.
He gives a small wave to show that he's fine.
In the corner of his eye he sees Sorogar angrily tear the gem out of the socket. He also notices no further effect on both Ohime and Krokkin that action does.
"I carry enough guilt and burdens on my own. Taking on the others is fine with me. Release them spirit and let us be on our way." he pauses as he thinks on it a while.
"I would appreciate knowing your name and the name of the previous occupant of this dwelling."
Krokkin slowly rolls over becoming "awake" but still fairly groggy and discombobulated.
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As the nightmare fades and Krokkin is released from it, his mind still echoes the taunts and jeers of the Elders of his tribe. His eyes open to a completely different scene but his mind doesn't immediately make the connection to where he is or who the people are that are around him. The haze in his mind is slowly retreating as he realizes that he is no longer bound and that his fur is intact. His fear and shame change to a fear of attack and he tries to get up and arm himself. He slips and falls to one knee as he pulls his shield. His other hand steadies him on the ground and lands on a dagger. He instinctively picks it up as he stands.
He looks at the strange dagger for a moment in confusion then for no apparent reason mutters
tiichiul ir
The unassuming dagger shimmers and expands into a double-bladed great sword with scrollwork on the flats of the blade and a center channel that reminds Krokkin of scales.
Krokkin tries for a moment to continue holding the sword with just one hand but he cannot and the sword starts to tip toward the ground. As it gets close to the ground he speaks louder this time
tiichiul ir
The greatsword shimmers and returns to an unassuming dagger.
Panting Kokkin sits heavily on the ground, shaking his head trying to clear the fuzz out of his mind.
Did that .... just happen he muses to himself as he looks over the dagger. Slowly the fog on his mind clears and he is able to name each of the others in the cavern and remember what was going on.
Seeing all her companions come to their senses, and Brek having an especially lucid conversation with perhaps the same entity she was speaking to, Sorogar relaxes slightly.
Ioun stone/shard in hand, she kneels near the previously-crying Krokkin to soothingly stroke his arm's fur. "Shhh. It's all right. This... something was showing us all visions. But it seems to indicate we passed... or mostly passed."
She looks back at Brek and Ohime from prone position. "Regardless, We we have a problem. I spoke with Kuraderi. We have been cursed by Mother Matrissse. The rings she gave us apparently placed us under a very powerful spell that progressively weakens and could kill us if we stop looking for and trying to extirminate tha Rakshasha, or stop trying to end the ogre threat to the lizardfolk. While I personally would have done so freely, I believe this matter should be discussed. If we destroy the rings, it should break the curse. However, do we return to the lizardfolk to confront the Mother about this before moving on?"
During the following discussion, Sorogar moves to the spot indicated in her mind by Kuraderi and looks for the buried Ivory box.
"Why would she do that? Hmm...Despite our distance...I say we return. She should answer for that. Or at least address it. I don't want to be cursed. Is that what I'm seeing here? Some effect of this curse?" she growls as a flash of the white wolf mauling her master comes back into her mind. She looks to the visage of the ethereal creature hovering over this most beautiful box and awaits an answer to the question she asked it. [i]"Can an ethereal creature like it even speak into the material plane?"[/b]
If it does nothing to her questioning, Ohime will check the ivory box with a pheasant on it for traps, then will open it.