Rastaf does a bit of healing for all! Izomandakus doubles his efforts and fails to manage a single blow - perhaps he’d be better of wih a less intensive effort! Valena also makes a heroic effort with lackluster results. Seamus further struggles to land a blow… However, Kast steps up with two hits - one of which connects - and it’s all it takes with such a powerful blow.
The dragon is beset upon from all sides, and eventually collapses in a steaming heap at your respective feet, and claws. Aside from any body parts, you also obtain his Sihedron ring, and a ring of greater cold resistance.
Contrary to prior desires, he is not actually sitting on a pile of gold and jewels. In fact, you see no loot in the immediate vicinity!
Kast nods as the dragon falls, then looks to see if IzoDragonus or Blurrymus needs help or healing. Failing that, he will pause to watch IzoDragonus pry the ring from the dragon’s cold, dead claws.
”Very good. That was a good fight, wasn’t it?”
Behind the nearby door is the dragons hoard, neatly categorized and stacked on shelves in this smallish 10x10 chamber.
64,000 sp, 21,000 gp, 520 pp, a gold coffer worth 1,400 gp that contains 35 assorted gemstones worth a total of 12,000 gp, a silver bracelet worth 25 gp, a jade comb worth 300 gp, a pair of red silk gloves embroidered with gold thread worth 800 gp for the pair (in a glass display box itself worth 100 gp)
suit of masterwork mithral half-plate (9,600gp)
suit of +2 banded mail (4,400gp)
wand of lightning bolt (CL 6th, 23 charges) (6,210gp)
leather bag containing 4 frozen potions of cure serious wounds (3,000gp)
frozen potion of owl’s wisdom (300gp)
flask of oil of magic vestment +4 (2,400gp)
ring of evasion (25,000gp)
rod of extend metamagic (11,000gp)
I’ve also opened up the map. It’ll take you some time to search around, as I expect you’ll do, but there’s nothing else there. The dragon did not use or visit the other chambers. They haven’t been occupied in decades.
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Izomandakus looks at the dragon, that after facing most of the group for a long combat, is fallen by a single succession of swings from Kast "Thanks for coming to help Kast, it was failing to fall. Guess no one can resist the High Lord of Wrath" the red looks down at the prominent mark the will-be-knight wears on his forefront since their visit to the Runeforge.
Extending his claws to pick Gholorofaex one, he slowly retrieves the ring from the dragon "I think you need one of them" he looks to Rastaf, offering one of the two rings he now has.
Further on, he unplugs a blue scale from the fallen dragon "And yet another disappointment. Why is it so difficult to find fitting partners for oneself offspring?", then unplugs a few more scales just in case.
Meanwhile, Pachemu advances with Seamus on the exploration, and facing the hoard, quickly identifies some of the magical items and claims the lightning bolt wand for herself.
"I think we have all the rings we need" as the dragon transformation ends, Izomandakus looks down at Pachemu "But I... We... still need you there pig"
"This is not going to be nice, but it is our best call. The rune marked ones can cross the field, so let's get one of those tattoos on you before the skin dries out" the boy produces the piece of skin previously collected and does some shenanigans with his transmutation spell swapping glasses and pearls of power to ready the appropriate magic on the fly "I have never tried this before, but I think I can do this transmutation. Be quiet, and you will be able to follow us in our epic adventure"
Extending the palm of his hand over the skin, Izomandakus says the magical words to transfer the tattoo. The colorful pigments are slowly extracted from the skin, and with a movement of his hand he makes them levitate to Pachemu. With a final effort, he brands the pig with the pigments, leaving the tattoo inscribed at her side.
The tattoo shines with magic and starts to smoke "There you have it. We are now all equipped to climb that mountain. Penetrate the field, and teach Karzoug he no longer has a word on what happens in Thassilion!"
Pachemu looks at her back and sniffs the cool drawing, not sure what to think about it.
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"Thanks for coming to help Kast, it was failing to fall. "
Kast limps over, dragging his twisted stump off a left leg, to offer Izomandakus his boyish smile, agreeing. ”Yeah, it was failing to fall. It was a tough one for sure. Glad we were able to get the ring…even if it did cost you some kissing practice. That is…do dragons kiss? How do they…? Ah nevermind, maybe I don’t need to know as I’ll never be in that position. But clearly you had worked it out. Interesting that.”
Kast is intrigued by the Ring of Evasion, mostly so he and Val can be ring-buddies, but also because he doesn’t want to die horribly in some explosion if he can help it.
He steps back to watch IzoTattooArtist do magic. He steps back further, impressed. ”That’s a neat trick. Very neat. Glad you’re thinking about such things.”
He will help collect the loot, and will be ready to return to base to consider next steps.
Map update. You are currently in the northwest at ‘Q’. There are two routes up, if you’re ready to take on the peak. The golden road through the rising district, or the ‘secret’ tunnel past the roper.
As for the last spots in lower Shalast, there are two main areas where eyes disappeared consistently. ‘P’ and ‘R’ which is the Shahlaria.
Situated on a low rise overlooking the northern edge of Jotunburg is a ponderous fortress that served as the pride and joy of Shalast’s military. This was the Shahlaria, the military training and indoctrination academy that turned out the hordes of loyal giant soldiers that served as the front line of Karzoug’s fighting forces.
Under the direct tutelage of the Grand Polemarch, the supreme military leader of Shalast who answered only to the runelord himself, the commandant of the academy gave the giant conscripts and volunteers the premiere martial and tactical training available in that age, and probably any age since. It was here that the rune giants of Xin-Shalast dwelt, in massive chambers carved into the rock below the fortress above.
Though no eyes returned from this area you know that’s where the cloud and storm giants reside - and in numbers. You’re pretty sure, unless you have to, you don’t want to mess about with them.
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dragon kissing
"Dragon kissing can turn pretty dangerous. Specially to not ready observers." Izomandakus offers back a similar boyish smile "But imagine arriving to Lastwall mounting not just a mare but your own bonded dragon. Wouldn't you love do that Kast?"
roper
The boy shrugs "Not sure. Maybe we can just attempt to go straight up the mountain and ignore the roper tunnel. It is just another flight. Nothing compared to our trips through Varisia"
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Val takes the extend metamagic rod and holds onto it for herself. ”It clearly cannot see anything invisible, so we just invisibility sphere and walk right by it. I can even do a twice as long invisibility sphere with this rod we just found.”
"Dragon kissing can turn pretty dangerous. Specially to not ready observers. But imagine arriving to Lastwall mounting not just a mare but your own bonded dragon. Wouldn't you love do that Kast?"
"Is that where snogging comes from? From dragons? Don't dragons snog? Have you had snogging practice too, Izo?" Kast asks, still considering if he'd want his own bonded dragon.
"Not sure I want a dragon, to be honest. Doesn't seem right to me. They should be doing dragon things. And leaving the orcs and undead to us, but maybe I'll think about it."
Izomandakus lively smiles while trying to place up his thoughts on the important questions at hand "I would say dragons prefer monologuing, but snogging come sure to a close second. How would there be so many dragons in Golarion otherwise with all the would-be-heroes constantly killing some here and there?"
"Yes, let's defeat Karzoug, Seamus! Hit him until he stops sending giants and animated statues at us. Then we take his crown and all the money he has and make a true industrious city out of this bareland" the boy points up to the mountain top "He must be surrounded by his strongest minions. If we can gather any secret of how to better defeat him, they must have"
Then, he gets close to Valeria for the invisibility sphere.
Pachemu steps closer as well.
"I'm all for defeating Karzoug, but would prefer to go in more fresh. I've used resources this day, and a day of rest would allow me to be more perfect on the morrow," Kast says, voting for more exploration rather than bypassing the roper and entering the place of bad feelings.
The vote seems to be to ‘rest’ for now, or possibly investigate ‘P’. From what I’ve heard on the sidelines from a few of you a little more before you rest may be the order of the day. With that in mind…
You approach ‘P’.
This gargantuan edifice has not fared as well with the passage of the years. Built as one bulky ziggurat like mass with multiple towers, it has collapsed somewhat under its own weight and sections have caved in. Exploring the interior is a dangerous prospect due to the threat of additional collapses, though anyone doing so can quickly determine that this was a temple dedicated to Lissala, the Thassilonian goddess of runes and fate.
Her worship was a demanding one, as can be inferred from the carvings of priests engaged in flagellations, mortifications of the flesh, and other ritualized depictions of self abuse that are so commonly carved into this building’s surviving walls.
As you approach cautiously, you see the Spared scatter from their task as your protective cocoon. Morgiv even makes an appearance as you close, ”No one has attempted to reoccupy this structure my lords, but the few to have explored it and emerged alive speak of bestial shadows moving around corners just out of view, echoed rumbling growls, and the very real sensation that something was stalking them.”
”Explorers who did not return were later found, when they were found at all, as bloody smears of mangled flesh, recognizable only by their tattered gear.”
He doesn’t even like being this close to it, and scurries off himself after giving his warning.
You see a sign tacked up recently, though it could still be a century old, ”Grimtooth’s”
”Thank you Morgiv. That is helpful to know.”
Kast would tackle this today, as he does not expect to return here in the morning when going into the place of pain would make more sense.
”C’mon, let’s see what is here.” He’s also happy to go rest, with the intent of going up to the bad place come the morning.
|
Let's try a little reconnaissance. It would be good to know what we're walking into, and it would be wise to face these fiends with a full belly, if you catch my drift. I can cast more spells tomorrow, with enough rest.
I can cast Comprehend Languages on Seamus. Make him invisible, and he could learn much. Then again, he could be seen and get killed, too, so that may not be a good idea.
”I kind of want to see what’s going on in there. Can we all go? Let’s see this Grimtooth,” Kast offers, happy to go or happy to wait.
OK then…
You, as a group, head inward into the quiet darkness of the chambers. The structure is… unsound. That’s the best way to describe it. You think you hear scratches of this and that and the shadows move where they shouldn’t. Strange sudden shifts in halls or chambers, doors that go no where - almost as if the architect was mad.
You come upon a hall with what looks like boiling lava beneath you filling the room with steam a bit. To cross this chasm of fire, there’s a rope hanging from the ceiling. Would it kill them to build a bridge? Acrobatics DC 15 to swing across, though other options exist I’m sure.
Val will simply walk along the wall with her slippers of spider-climbing and then wait on the other side to help catch anyone who attempts to swing over.
"What a pity we cannot create our own bridges out of nothing for our four legged friends to cross, isn't it Pachemu?" Izomandakus looks at Kast and waits.
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Kast returns Izo’s look for a while, his mental thinking not all that sharp when compared to his factual recall. He ponders, slowly clicking his way to understanding what Izo wants. Slowly. And methodically.
”OH! OH! Oh, you want a bridge, do you? Oh yeah, I was just going to air limp over, but you need help for Pachemu! Oh, I see…”
Kast will create a nice stone bridge using a Wall of Stone spell…and then will air limp over the lava.
The party moves on, taking a nice easy stone arch to cross the red hot magma. You pass through a further maze of rooms and chambers as you delve ever deeper.
In an otherwise nondescript corridor, Seamus discovers a trap. A large section of the corridor will swivel up - though to what end he cannot tell. Presumably the swivel dumps the unlucky into a pit and seals the passage beyond - but that’s just conjecture.
He’s easily able to disarm it by placing wedges to eliminate the spin. However, you proceed down the hall to a dead end! You search thoroughly for secrets but none are to be found.
Do you retreat to the last intersection, some ways back, or something else?
Val points back towards the swivel pit with her rapier. ”Maybe whatever is underneath that leads deeper in? Would be quite devious to make the only way in a trap.” She taps her slippers of spider climbing with her rapier. ”If you boys could keep it open I could scout it out by walking on the walls.”
Izomandakus smiles softly as the bridge appears out of nowhere "Solid as the Storval Plateau", Pachemu crosses after the group very thankful for the bridge.
The boy helps to hold the swivel pit open for Valena using his strength and staff to help with it, so she can explore.
Once the group is done with the area, he points back "To the previous intersection then? Maybe there is something at the other side"
It's a little complicated - it's a whole hall, not just a small pit that Izomandakus can force. Further, when the hall is shifted, it will completely block your current passage.
Someone with substantial weight is needed to trigger the 'trap'. One person is sufficient - so it could be Valena. The rest need some method of conveyance or when the room shifts, they'll be dropped unceremoniously on the poison tipped spikes 40' below.
Looking up, you'll see a hatch in the ceiling when you get that far. Kast and Valena can make it easily enough. How do the rest of you plan to manage it? Or do you want to split the party?
Kast ponders solutions.
"Well, if we can trigger it, then we can use a rope to shimmy up. I'll stand guard while y'all climb, maybe?" Kast looks at Val and shrugs, not having great ideas.
"Or we can others just turn to mist and be ready at your back" offers Izomandakus.
Pachemu starts oinking then energetically, Izomandakus listens, then adds "Well, that sounds smart, pig"
"Yeah, I am going to stay also outside of the trapped hall, like Pachemu." the boy looks down at the rolling ground "Just in case you need someone to get you out of there. We can remain in contact through telepathy."
You could do two ropes. One planted in the section that will move. Then Kast or Valena could walk up to the trap door in the top with a second rope to climb the rest of the way. DC 5 climb, so taking 10 gets everyone into the next chamber.
So you do! The pit is indeed deadly below you, and the spikes do have something oozy on them. But you can manage the climb if you wish (which leads to further tunnels).
However, Izomandakus is now on the other side of 10’ of masonry and the party is split! How do you propose to get him as there is no visible way to reset the trap from here.
Kast waits until a solution is found. He found the process somewhat confusing and wonders if he should have just stone wall'd the trap open or shut or something, but he doesn't have time to nitpick anyone's solution at the moment...he's too busy waiting for Izo to find a way to rejoin the party.
"Yeah, 'Mus, let's go explore. This seems like a fun place."
<Anything of interest at the other side?> Izomandakus inquiries telepathically <I think we are staying here for your return>
Izomandakus remains behind… the party splits.
You continue your sojourn into the depth, not always descending, or ascending, or going left, or right. You’re pretty sure you could find your way back out. Pretty sure.
You are climbing down some stairs when Seamus calls out - another trap! This one seems fairly straightforward however. There is a pressure plate ahead on a lower stair. It launches pilums, secreted in the stairs you just passed, into the leader and any who follow in their footsteps.
He’s able to disarm this one too without too much difficulty, but he does note it’s getting harder.
Later, you reach another dead end (and there are many), but this one is a little strange. There are vicious looking horizontal spikes at the end of the hall, some 50’ away. Do you examine them or return the way you came to the last intersection?
You are able to maintain the telepathic link with Izomandakus without trouble. For his part there is little to do or see, save the occasionally swirling shadows and chittering noise in the distance.
"Yeah, I'll do that. Just limp ahead," Kast agrees with 'Mus, checking to make sure his faithful shields are ready and in place...and limps ahead.
"I got this."
Kast limps ahead. Plenty of bloodstains on those spikes, but he sees no way past them. Just another dead end, and an odd one.
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Left alone in the dark, Izomandakus takes a little stone from his pouch and says "Shirak!" the ioun torch starts to emit light and he places it on Pachemu's head where it starts to spin.
"So what do you think about all this business pig? Why was Karzoug not awakened hundreds of years ago when he should? There is something fishy in all this and we will need to find out before it comes to an end" the boy opens the cookie pot and shares a few cinnamon cookies with Pachemu.
Then, when the group takes a bit to return, he sits comfortably against the wall and retrieves from his backpack one of the heavy books from the Runeforge's halls of Wrath "Don't look at me like that. I know what Toth Bhreacher thinks about losing our time with this kind of magics. But I am supposed to be graduated from his school, I am now a wizard looking to find my own way in life."
"And let's be honest, it's long time I have been playing with these evocation stuff... It is just... I have been a bit sloppy on learning to create light of my own. If I am to be a respected wizard and people come to my workshop, I need to have my own lights and all." the boy looks at the pig and shows her the tongue "Just imagine if a client comes asking for a golem to keep some light on the entrance of their manor. 'No sorry, I don't do that kind of thing' is not any acceptable response."
After ten minutes passing through pages he sighs discouraged "Can you believe this? There are actually two! TWO cantrips to provide light. Unbelievable. Which one shall I learn now? You see, this is why evocation is not worth, you always have to lose time discerning what goes better for the day, a bit of fire for the undead? Or will the cold do be better for the giants? It is just much easier to be a dragon and decide what type of breath to use on the spot..."
After some oinks from Pachemu the boy sinks his elbows around the book and studies while the others explore "Sigh"
Kast limps back and explains what he saw in case anyone wants to double check.
"Let's try another path."
Val places her hand on her chin as she tries to figure out why someone would put spears like that at the end of a hallfway. "I think we have left Izo alone long enough. If we need me to, I can dimension door out to get him and bring him back. I think this ridiculousness is going to carry on for a while. This all reeks to me of wizardy nonsense, and he would be good to have for that."
On the event Izomandakus is telepathically told to join the party or that the party wants to join back, the boy will just disintegrate the walled area in front of him, trying to create a small slope upwards so Pachemu can join through if needed too.
Val holds up a finger. ”Just a moment.” She presses two fingers to her temple, not because she needs to for telepathic bond, but as a social alert that she is doing so and not just standing around doing nothing. <“Hey, Izo. I think we need to be going this way, so should I dimension door back to get you or do you have it handled?”>