"Woah--that sword is a beauty!" declares Elise, admiring the sparkle. "Mind if I take a closer look?"
The sorceress holds the sword up in the light and slowly turns it, watching the golden glints of light slide up and down the surface. She speaks a few words of power.
.
When Elise uses Detect Magic on the sword, its magical presence washes over her, and nearly overwhelms her mind with the power held within the cold iron (magically enchanted to appear as gold) that forms its blade. The rest of you see her flinch away from how strong the abjuration magic on this weapon is before the spell ends and the flare of magic inside Elise's head fades away.
Despite all that, for some incomprehensible reason, Elise knows it is only a normal yet fancy masterwork cold iron longsword. Perhaps some aspect of the sword is dormant still?
A dwarf is a dwarf, whatever part of the world they hail from, and so the gems glitter in Raba's mostly-concealed eyes. But they are, for him, more things of beauty to be appreciated than items to be hoarded. He is much more readily drawn to the magic items, but Elise gets to detecting before he does.
"Oho, what is this beauty?" he agrees regarding the sword, offering the sorceress a bit of his broad pantheon's divine guidance as she takes a closer look.
"A dormant item, perhaps?" Raban says when Elise reveals that it is...oddly non-magical. He opens his eyes to the same experience, if only to feel what she felt. As he experiences the same overwhelming sense, he muses. "I wonder if there is a record in this room of what it is!"
It probably isn't the scrolls, but he takes a moment to read them with a useful orison designed for just such a purpose. And then, turning to what would likely be a key in their continued rise from beneath Kenabres, he unfurls the (he assumes non-magical) rolled-up parchment.
The two scrolls are of bear's endurance and remove disease.
The parchment unfurls to reveal a note, to Hosilla.
Considering the mystery potion for a moment Ana frowns. Either she wasn't of proper mind at the moment to make heads or tails of it, or it was an exotic brew she wasn't familiar with.
Anastasia briefly goes to the large tiger, poking and rubbing her with her fingertips. "So ferocious." she purrs. Allowing herself a moment of play while the party opens the chest.
She frowns at the sword the party is looking over. "Ostentatious." she remarks. Ana decides to put her play aside as she goes through the other loot. Placing the tanglefoot bag on a belt loop, she then starts to collect the masterwork weapons. Wrapping them in some spare sackcloth and considering how she might best carry them.
"There is alchemist fire here." she explains, "I don't need it, not with my current concoctions, but would anyone else want to use it? A fine chain shirt as well."
She is quick about her work. Collecting the items of value before she starts using the spare dagger to pry the gems from the Baphomet prayer book.
Elise laughs at the offer of fire. "I don't much need that either!" she echoes, playing with flames on her fingertips. But her look turns more serious at the special weapon they've found. "Don't be too quick to mock this sword. There is powerful magic locked within--like nothing I've ever experienced before."
”It’s majesty carries the weight of history. A blade worthy of reverence, without a doubt.”
Olapa's purring increases as she gets the attention she so clearly wanted (and deserves), gently sinking her teeth and claws into Ana's gauntlet and chewing ever so slightly. She gives a beckoning mewl as Ana moves away, sounding almost like a human child crying, before settling into an inelegant pose to bathe herself, one leg sticking high in the air as her tongue goes to work.
Raban meanwhile, has been reading the note. "This was addressed to Hosilla from someone named S. V. in Drezen. A Vorlesh was responsible for destroying the Wardstone. And this sword--belonged to someone named Yaniel." He pauses, thinking through what he might know about each of these.
The he focuses on the more troubling and immediate information. "Then there are three safehouses for these cultists. I am not from Kenabres, but maybe you all recognize these names. Nyserian Manor, Topaz Solutions, and the Tower of Estrod. We should check with Horgus, Anevia, and Aravashnial as well. And then flesh out these pretenders who would wreak havoc on our world in the name of the Abyss."
"These cultists are connected to the attack on our beautiful Kenabres?" Elise takes the note from Raban and reads it herself. Even then, it takes a moment to sink in. "Oh, there will be retribution. And we'll be bringing it!" Elise seems to delight at the thought.
Anastasia waved away the concern over the finer details of the cultists. Focusing on securing her burdens. She cast a look back over her shoulder to Elise. "Just point me in their direction." she explained grimly, "I'll turn them into a stain and alchemist couldn't get out. Is there anymore of this you lot want me to take with us? I can shoulder it if it's worth it to you."
"It certainly seems that way, Ms. Emeria," Raban declares. "This was not a random attack by the demons, but a carefully planned and executed effort."
Although the Abyss was associated with Chaos Incarnate, that did not mean that the forces they fought against were entirely undisciplined or incapable of working together. Raban was less inherently familiar with Mendevian Crusades than he was with the efforts in the Mwangi to fight back against the forces of the dread Ravener King. That was how he had gotten his start in this business: what had driven him to seek the wisdom of the halcyon druids of the Magaambya.
He thinks of the motley crew from the Magaambya who had rescued him many years ago. It was a group even stranger than this one: an orc and an elf (married to each other, as he later found out), a catfolk, and a person wearing a tiger mask whose true identity he never learned.
Vorlesh is a name that you've heard spoken in the Worldwound area before, but you can't remember who or what it is.
Yaniel was a famous demon-hunting paladin of Iomedae during the Fourth Mendevian Crusade. After disputes with the crusade hierarchy, she ventured alone into the Worldwound in 4692 AR instead of being excommunicated. She returned two years later leading a band of rescued crusaders, but disappeared back into the wilds of this cursed land that same year, never to be seen again.
Topaz Solutions is a relatively unassuming herbalist's shop that specializes in alchemical equipment and potions. It is owned and ran by a homely gnome wizard named Aigon Topaz, which is where it gets its name.
Nyserian Manor is the home of one of what passes for 'nobility' in a warfront city like Kenabres. Kandro Nyserian is the current lord of the manor.
The Tower of Estrod is the foremost library and research library in Kenabres. Crusaders have used it for decades in the search for knowledge against the varietry of demons and other horrors in the Worldwound.
In addition to the standard methods of identification, PCs can sample from each container they find to attempt to determine the nature of the liquid inside with a Perception check. The DC of this check is equal to 15 + the spell level of the potion (although this DC might be higher for rare or unusual potions).
Raban unstoppers the final potion, gives it a whiff, and dribbles a drop on his outstretched finger. "Oh!" he says. "I believe you would call this..."
---
"I have heard tell of most of these places and people," Raban says. "And if this sword belonged to Yaniel, then it would truly shine in the hands of an Iomedaean. Pray that she watches over us now as she did her servant who once held this blade."
He looks around. "In either case, it would appear that we have defeated the leader of this accursed place. But we have not yet found the way out. Let us finish clearing the way so that we can lead our allies to Kenabres above."
Elise nods in agreement with Raban. "Let's see if the rest of these followers will stop their foolishness now that their leader is dead."
Anastasia adjusts the straps on her pack, making sure her new burdens were secure before they got under way. Adjusting her cap with a thin smile she took up the front as they finished clearing the space. "Then the herbalist?" she asked, "I never got a chance to stop by before this whole mess started."
"Indeed, let us find the daylight. Apsu willing, perhaps some of my family will have yet lived."
The locked door in the mongrels' living quarters is the last remaining way to go after finishing off Hosilla, and luckily her key fits it quite nicely.
The worked stone walls of this large room hold a number of shelves, each of which display the preserved bodies of dire rats, bats, rock vipers, cave lizards, and other creatures that pose in eerie stillness. A pair of bedrolls have been laid out to the southeast. A door stands in the eastern wall and a tunnel to the north leads to a ladder climbing up out of view above.
"Lovely, a collection of creepy crawlies," declares Elise with obvious sarcasm. She makes her way to the door to the east and inspects it.
"Shall we go this way?"
Before they leave the cave lizard behind to languish hungry by itself, Raban asks for a bit of help to release it to go off and live its wild life free of the interference of those who would keep it captive and hungry. A few ropes tied in such a way as to open the door from further away with a little tug, letting it out.
"East seems good," curious about the collection of preserved animals. A hunter's collection, to be sure. "Clear the way on this level before ascending, yes?" Hopefully anyone remaining loyal to Hosilla would flee before them.
Anastasia did give a brief inspection of the preserved critters, leaning in closely to examine how they had been treated. A cursory inspection should reveal if these were simply little trophies, or if they had been professionally done by an alchemist or taxidermist.
After her inspection, and noticing what Raban was up to, she set out a small pile of her rations to try and lure the beast away from the group. Then they could, in theory, climb the ladder up out of their confined dungeon.
With Raban and Ana's plan, the lizard quickly darts out of the closet and back down the tunnel towards the mongrel camp.
A muted roar echoes down the walls of the hallway beyond the eastern door. Near the far end, the worked stone give way to natural cave walls, just before the hall ends at an open shaft. Hanging over the edge of the shaft is a knotted rope—the other end tied to an iron spike driven into the ground.
Ana patted at the front of her apron, looking in the direction of the roar. Peering down into the abyss she frowned. "I'm for going up, unless you lot would prefer going towards the roar." she stated, "I imagine our civilian cargo would vote up as well. Bet I could carry our wounded. Any takers?"
"I, too, am well in favor of going up."
Glad that lizard ran off," says Elise, as the creature is set free. She listens curiously at the noise. "Well, I'll follow the lead of the strong ones," concludes Elise as a direction is set.
Without objection, Ana will take the lead back in the direction of the surface.
Raban hazards a brief thought that either the now-freed lizard was one of the mongrelmen's pets, heading back to the camp to return to a friend, or whether they had unintentionally set it back to that it might become someone's dinner. The way of the wild was unpredictable, especially when the folk of so-called civilization got their hands involved.
Raban is not particularly keen on going swimming unless this was the only way forward. He was a fine swimmer, but unlike some of his druidic brethren he had not taken to changing into animal forms. Not yet at least. "If there is something important there," which he suspects that there is, given the knotted rope, "We can return for it when we are not exhausted and in need of rest."
The dwarf follows Ana and Angahaar, hoping that the sky was ahead.
The old slightly rusted iron ladder leads up to a foul-smelling room with piles of discarded clothing spread out around the ground.
To the east, 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. Two mongrels stand behind a barrier, obviously quite surprised to see you.
"W-what are you doing up here? Where'd you come from?"
Seeing two more mongrels cowering behind a barrier, Elise looks them straight in the eyes as her hair begins to glow with fiery magic. She ignores their questions entirely as she speaks.
"Hosilla is dead! Repent of her evil ways, and you may yet find forgiveness. Refuse and you shall be cleansed!" Wisps of fire trickle from her fingertips, suggesting she was more than ready to make good on her threat.
In his relatively young life (for a dwarf), Raban had made his business the instigation of peace. So he's not particularly adept at finding ways to threaten people. It's a skill he may yet grow into, but all he manages to do is heft his axe in one hand and enter a squat stance. "What she said," he adds, though it adds nothing.
Olapa, however, growls, showing herself much more ferocious than her usually kindly companion. It probably isn't enough to help Elise, who was already doing an excellent job herself, but at least she wasn't caught up in thinking about whether she was being effective. She just saw a friend looking angry, and she entered automatic back-up mode.
Anastasia casts a disapproving look to the discarded clothing. "Didn't your mothers teach you to clean up after yourselves?" she asked bluntly, "Look at this mess. I have half a mind to take you by the tails and give you a paddling you'll not soon forget. To think you consider yourselves the descendants of crusaders. You're both so lucky my big sister Brunhild isn't here right now. She's have you both by the ears." She then began to kick clothes into a high pile before picking them up in both arms and tossing them into the nearest receptacle. Fiddling with her bags a moment later as she checked to see if she had any proper base to make a washing reaction with.
To all the world it looked as if she considered the two no threat at all. "Well? Get over here and help me, or I really will tan your hides." she scolded, "Then send you home to your mothers. I've killed cultists that left less of a stain." She patted her blood smeared hammer for empahsis.
Amkarang hefts his greatsword onto his shoulder. His ice-blue eyes are cold as he stares at the bandits, "Listen well her. If you choose not to repent, one of your paths shall end in fire..."
His fist clenches on the handle of his sword as crystals of frost creep along the blade, "And one shall end in ice. Pray that we are not given the chance to choose."
The mongrels are pretty much overcome with fear by the time the group finishes their speeches, and immediately drop their weapons to rush over to aid Ana in her cleaning of the cloth. A number of different variations on the phrase "I'm sorry" leave their lips as they finish cleaning and scurry out of the room back towards the mongrel village.
Right before leaving, though, one of them turns around and looks anxious for a second before speaking and pointing to the door they were standing in front of.
"Be careful on the way up to the surface, through that door is the path up and there's a maze blocking the way. Hosilla put some sort of horrible monsters in there to guard against anyone leaving."
With that, the two young mongrels disappear through the door into the darkness.
Raban goes to call after the mongrels about what sorts of horrible monsters before shrugging. It would not matter. they would clear this place of all demonkind and lead those willing to fight against them back to the surface of Kenabres. It was why they were there.
The dwarf looks at the others. "Then let us go into this maze and clear the way. I fear no monsters."
"Well, its nice that they tidied up this place!" That was not quite the result she had anticipated, but Ana had made good use of their fear.
"The surface! So it's true!" She swelled with hope. "I can't wait to see the sky again."
”Let us see what the demons have wrought of fair Kenabres, and visit upon them what ruin they have dealt.”
He takes a deep breath and sheathes his sword as he thinks to himself.
”Apsu, lord of silver, let my kin have survived. Let the mantle of last scion of Terendelev not fall upon my shoulders. I…I am not ready.”
"Aha," Raban chuckles in his curious way, beaming at Elise through his mask. "Perhaps you were a dwarf in a past life, Ms. Emeria. The desire to see the sky is one well-ingrained in my people."
The door opens, proving to not be locked.
This large chamber must have once been a cistern for the sewer system. Walls made of identical stone blocks hold up a lofty ceiling reinforced with elegant stone arches, while the center of the room contains a more recent-looking structure made of brick walls that reach from floor to ceiling. There doesn't seem to be any sign of these 'monsters'.
Anastasia looks around at the high ceiling. "Suppose the wretch made up the story about monsters to keep her charges from wandering up?" Anastasia reasoned as she wiped her hands on her smock. She stepped into the room without any sign of fear, looking about for a threat.
"Most beautiful sewer I've ever seen," Elise mentions, noting the lofty ceiling and arches. "Well, at least before that weird brick thing messed it up. Maybe we check that out?"
She casts Detect Magic and approaches.
Raban moves up with the group, Olapa following close behind. As you move up, you see that the right side of the maze ends at a wall, but there's an opening in the maze right ahead.
Unfortunately, the two monsters are here apparently waiting on you. The two creatures' bloated frames shudder with each heaving step, yet despite their shapes, the thing moves with surprising quickness.
They get the drop on the party, and one of them (the red one) lets out a horrendous belch before a cloud of nauseating fog erupts from its fingers before settling over the room.
The other one (blue) comes out of the maze tunnel and attacks Ana with its nasty teeth and claws.
The young alchemist's eyes go wide at the belch of toxin, having the peace of mind to close her mouth and exhale through her nose. It wasn't the first cloud of foulness she had been exposed to.
The furious assault catches her off guard in the belch, or as off guard as she would ever be. Her arm's tucking in to shield the core of her body. She ducks her head to the side, teeth clenching as the thing nearly bites her face. Then takes a raking claw across her shield that she pushes aside. Only to get the other claw clapping into her armored side from the other direction. Ana winced making a strained sound in her throat as she tried not to gasp out.
Her gaze hardened and turned angry, and she whipped her warhammer in along the return path of it's arm. Trying to come in over the shoulder and bludgeon the beast in the head.
Gagging as she inhales the noxious gas, Elise stumbles out of the cloud, then begins coughing out the remnants.
Angahaar follows suit with Elise, staggering retching out of the cloud.
Raban saves if the cloud is "poison," fails if not. I'll assume he saves and we can delete his actions if that's wrong.
Raban and Olapa endure the noxious gas and begin their attack!
;
;
With the demons defeated and the path to the surface finally discovered, it’s time to return to Neathholm and tell the tribe and your other allies that it’s time to leave this accursed pit.
There, you find two newcomers that you haven’t seen before, in deep conversation with Chief Sull, the mongrel leader you met earlier. One appears to be a half-elf, and the other is clearly an aasimar.
Lann is waiting with them as well, with Wenduag sitting on a rock outcrop at the base of a cave wall nearby, sulking.
”Ah, there you are! I was wondering when we’d be seeing you again. These two stumbled up from the tunnels beneath our home just like you did. May I assume that you returning means that you’ve found a way to the surface?”
That the woman is aasimar is a conclusion reached based on small pieces of evidence. Most of her face is covered by an elaborate falcon-headed mask or helm, which includes feathers stretching back beyond her skull. Unnatural and vivid green eyes shine out from holes in the mask. Her chin is seen beneath the mask, revealing that the bones of her face are more angular than any human’s. Her head pivots stiffly and too quickly when anyone speaks or moves, much like a bird’s would. Her body is gawky, like she hasn’t grown into her slender limbs yet. It would be natural to assume she is a teenager, but her voice belies that impression. Her tone is strong, controlled, and mature in its self-confidence.
She offers the group a polite nod, ”Well met, crusaders. I am Ayaal, warrior-priestess of Shelyn.”
Ayaal wears no armor, opting for a gi in red over a black (now dust-coated), pleated, hakama. Across her chest is a military, grey cassock of her faith pinned by a holy symbol of Shelyn. Across the knuckles of one hand – holding a fine bow – is a tattoo with the same holy symbol. Quivers hang off her back and negligible hips.
Bit of Luck (7):
Channel Energy (5):
Ki Pool (5):
Perfect Strike (3):
Deflection Aura (1):
See Invisibility (1):
Shield (1):
Spells
Barkskin (1):
Boneshaker (1):
Pro from Evil, Communal (1):
Bless (1):
Murderous Command (1):
Shadow Trap (1):
Shield (1):
Effects:
x = none
Standing behind and to Ayaal's side, the other newcomer looks between the group, regarding each in turn. He seems to have stepped from a greyscale painting, without a single spot of color on him. He wears a cloak, half black, half white, over leather lamellar armor, itself made up of pieces alternately died black or white. His hair is coal-black, his skin chalk-pale. His grey eyes are the only intermediate shade. He carries a staff of ebon wood, bound in ivory rings. To the casual observer he seems to be a half-elf, but the keen eye will note odd bulges in the back of his cloak, and that the white 'belt' encircling his waist is actually a tail. After regarding everyone, he holds up his left hand, tattooed with Nethys' holy symbol. "Greetings. I am Othniel, a warmage and disciple of The All-Seeing Eye."
Anastasia walked with purpose to where chief Sull and Lann were, casting only a sidelong glance to Wenduag as she went. She was a tall woman, standing over six foot with well defined muscles. She was also armored, wearing scale mail and a heavy wooden shield. Her warhammer hung by it's strap at her side, and she made no move to reach for it at the newcomers. Though she did give each of them a discerning look.
Her lips pursed as she did so, drawing attention to the scars that ran up and back along the shorn hair of one side of her head. "Greetings." Ana replied, "It's good to see the earth spared more than just us." She hesitated then, looking back to her current companions and seeming to draw support from them.
"We have found a way to the surface." she remarked to both the newcomers and to those from the underground, "It is clear for those who wish to go up." She cast another glance to Othniel and Ayaal. "You both have rather distinct... heritage." she carefully began, "If you don't mind my asking, what gives you those distinct features?"