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By the time he has exited the carriage, many of the other Pathfinders have taken their positions and are ready for action. Stroime walks behind, unhurried yet purposeful, and opens his mind to activate that sense that alerts him to the presence of magic. Every few steps he reactivates this ability, ever mindful to pay attention to the flow of unknown magics.
Kovac scout
Stroime detect magic
During your extra thorough search, you make a note that several of the nearby trees seem to be centuries, if not millennia old. Over time their thick roots have damaged the keep's foundation, threatening the structures integrity.
Kovac's efforts keep the party well prepared for battle.
During your extra thorough search, you make a note that several of the nearby trees seem to be centuries, if not millennia old. Over time their thick roots have damaged the keep's foundation, threatening the structures integrity.
forgot to mention: You can all easily hear the eerie...'music' within the building. It's muffled and distant, but sounds like a child mashing the keys on a pipe organ like those sometimes found in churches.
You find yourselves in a laboratory room with a raised dais in
the middle and arcane pillars lining the walls. The dais
slopes upward to a platform 10 feet above the ground—
the transparent walls of the dais pulse and swirl with
an uncanny reddish liquid. Thick iron chains connect
the dais platform to the ceiling, where a hole in the roof
allows periodic lightning flashes to illuminate the room
at irregular intervals.
The sound echoes throughout the hall and is difficult to pinpoint.
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"Well, I will admit that the illusory auras masking the way in is a concern, and..." Stroime gestures at the arcane laboratory, "This might raise some alarm. But honestly this setup is not too different from some I've seen at the Grand Lodge. And the organ music, that just indicates someone is passionate about their art. Nothing that would indicate immediate concern Despite his words, Stroime draws his shortbow.
So far the only thing assaulting you is the terrible music.
Map?
Madalena weaves her way through imperfections in the alarm's bubble, expertly diffusing it. However...
The pillars at the front of the entrance hall suddenly hum to
life, power flowing through them to create a low-pitched chord
that flows throughout the keep. The pillars next to them light
up a second later, playing a higher-pitched chord that forms
a discordant harmony. Set by set, the pillars leading to the
swirling red dais ignite, each rising in pitch to create a sinister
cacophony. Suddenly, lightning strikes the top of the dais,
and a hulking figure slowly stands, its movements jerking and
ungainly with unlife!
Noticing the heavy copper cables attached to the dais run to a large switch on one of the pillars, Madalena leaps into action, literally leaping, from the 10' dais to the ground-level switch. Killing the power, and with it the grotesque monster upon the slab.
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Initially as the Lightning strikes, Madalena throughs her hands in the air and shouts, I didn't do it!
On seeing the monster she initially freezes, but just for moment as a thousand different scenarios run through her mind. Then she sees it -- she must act fast to stop this abomination before it destroys her entire team.
There it is! She springs into action, diving off the dais and landing with a simple forward roll. She pulls the lever and ends this horror.
Got him!
With the welcoming party disabled, you see no immediate threats. Where would you like to try next?
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"I can tell my comrades have more experience than this humble monk. That wasn't too bad, Madalena." Kovac nods and keeps repeating to herself. "not too bad, not bad at all" as she walks closer to the monster and observes it avoiding touching it.
"you think whoever did this... thing is behind one of those doors?" Perhaps we open them all at once and decide where to go from there? Or am I being too hasty?"
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"Aye. T'is good that the wee lass could prevent th' foul beastie from wakin'. Me cousin, Dethor... no not this cousin Dethor, but me other cousin Dethor, who went t' Sothis t' find 'is way. Never could handle the discipline of th' monast'ry, and he became quite handy wit' 'is hands. Nae door nor lock is safe from that one."
He scratches at his beard as he thinks. "So, where t' next, Pathfinders?"
Stroime will examine the monstrosity. "Yeah, this is probably not good." The old half-elf sucks in some air between his teeth while pulling on his beard.
[dice=Medicine] 1d20+16
Your skills in Medicine cannot discern the fate of a single creature, but rather several possible 'cause of death' scenarios as this unusual monstrosity has been ed from numerous cadavers!
Thulgrun moves to check the side (west) stairs.
This section of the keep hums with an uncanny pitch that changes slightly as you approach. Bones have been strategically placed at various points on the stone floor, and strange metal antennae are laced throughout the walls.
"I'm closest to this area."
In this hallway stands a skeleton wearing a tattered maid's dress. It slowly motions back and forth with a broken broom handle. A single patch of the floor has significantly less dust than elsewhere. A few dried bristles are scattered at the creature's feet. It's hollow eye sockets do not seem to respond to your presence.
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"I'm closest to this area."In this hallway stands a skeleton wearing a tattered maid's dress. It slowly motions back and forth with a broken broom handle. A single patch of the floor has significantly less dust than elsewhere. A few dried bristles are scattered at the creature's feet. It's hollow eye sockets do not seem to respond to your presence.
Oh, HELL no! That's just not right. Uhmmm...Sten? What do we want to do about that thing?
Madalena hides behind Sten.
He stepped into the room to have a better look around, keeping his shield raise.
The halls and passageways are increasingly labyrinthine. Barely perceptible slopes to the floor and angularities in the walls give a sense of vertigo. This particular space is composed of tipped walls that meet at very irregular angles. One such joint shows signs of repeated water damage. Elsewhere the floors made of thick oak beams have defied the passing millennia. But much of this room is rotted, and concerning.
Within the room are two skeletons, one in a maid's dress, the other a butler's tuxedo. Broken musical instruments are piled on the floor. Both of their empty heads slowly swivel towards you as you enter. Then just as slowly return their invisible gaze to the piles. The dress-clad figure is placing a flute onto a pile in the wet corner of the room, while the suited figure places a lute on the dry side. A moment later, they fetch another item each, continuously moving the objects the same direction, but opposite to each other.
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Stroime takes one last look at the monstrosity and shrugs, "Yes, that's strange"
Stroime follows behind Sten into the next room, and shakes his head at the two skeletons. He wonders if they are actually skeletons, or more illusions or constructs or whatever.
Regardless, Stroime will suggest we keep moving. "Everything we've seen so far has been automated, it's possible there isn't a being in residence that we can communicate and reason with. Let's keep moving and maybe we will find the conductor of this..." Stroime looks off into the middle distance, "...Grim Symphony."
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Stroime reports what he knows “ These skeletons appear to be the result of the common animate dead black magic who have been given a task to perform. The odd part is that they seem to have been forgotten about, possibly for a very long time. This defies logic. Normally a necromancer needs to exert control over their minions on a daily basis. Yet these simple creatures seem to indeed be automated, with no sign of necromantic guidance.”
He moves slowly and cautiously towards the area with the water, glancing about for anything of interest with each step.
You hear a disgusting squelching sound as Sten carefully navigates the soggy floorboards.
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Kovac listens closely to what Stroimer says, she tries to remember her previous Pathfinder missions. "could a necromancer be here undetected, hiding with magic perhaps? You'll have to excuse me, but I'm an ignorant when it comes to anything outside of throwing punches." she shrugs
She follows Flac, takes a peek through the door frame. "Do you all need help searching this place or should we check the next room?"
The skeletons pause, seeming to watch you, as you inspect the piles of instruments. All of the instruments are broken or damaged to the point of being useless/worthless. Several pieces show further damage from repeated handling by boney hands. The mindless skeletons resume their 'task' as soon as you leave.
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We still need to pick up the pace. I'll suggest that you should explore independently. I won't penalize you for 'splitting the party'. In exploration-time I'll consider everyone to be everywhere. If something important happens, you can all instantly be there. After the thing is resolved, you can resume where you were.
Not sure if that disgusting sound came from this room.."
You continue exploring the maze-like halls. Dizzying stairs, twisting halls, and sloped walls constantly try to disorient you. At one point you notice something odd about some stairs. Glancing from a different angle, you realize the next two 'stairs' are actually painted on the opposite side of a 10' gap. The bottom of this pit cannot be seen in the darkness . Using rope and castle debris you cross the gap only to find the door at the top opens upon a solid wall. All in all, you find five more skeletal servants in varying states of neglect, all attempting to do menial tasks. One room is full of broken furniture, and a room of dirty dishes...