The Farmer: To complete the Farmer’s ritual, a PC must use a finger, a scabbard, or another object to form at least four furrows in the gravel near the pool.
Spoiler:Completing this ritual grants all of the PCs a +1 luck bonus on Fortitude saves against poison for the next 24 hours.The Fisherman: To complete the Fisherman’s ritual, a PC must snatch one of the blind cave fish that swim in the pool (requiring a successful unarmed attack roll against AC 15) and place it in the miniature city.
Spoiler:Completing this ritual grants each of the PCs a +2 insight bonus on a single combat maneuver check made over the next 24 hours.The Scholar: To complete the Scholar’s ritual, a PC must record a historical fact, axiom, or other piece of wisdom on a scrap of paper and place it in the miniature city.
Spoiler:Completing this ritual grants all of the PCs a +1 competence bonus on Knowledge checks made to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures for the next 24 hours.The Tailor: To complete the Tailor’s ritual, a PC must wrap one or more pieces of cloth around the miniature city. The circumference is approximately 10 feet, requiring two Medium cloaks, a particularly long scarf, or some other combination of garments.
Spoiler:Completing the ritual grants each of the PCs a +1 bonus on a single attack roll made against a flanked target within 24 hours.
Dorgan ponders for a moment and performs the farming ritual, seeing as there isn't a stone mason ritual...
Dorgan ponders for a moment and performs the farming ritual, seeing as there isn't a stone mason ritual...
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Dorgan used the end of his dagger to "dig" the furrows in the ground.
Left my plough back home... he says with a grin.
Uori looks on in wry amusement at the land dweller's silly antics.
Dorgan and Halle each perform a ritual. After each ritual is completed, the entire group feels a pleasant feeling wash over them as they each receive a minor blessing from Aroden.
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Gemtoran reached into his pack and pulled out some of his clothing. Rolling the cloak so that it was as long as possible, he started making his way around the city with it. Tying his scarf to one end, he continued wrapping it around but was just a hair sort of connecting them. Taking off his boot, he pulled off a sock and used it to link them.
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Gaius takes one of his sheets of parchment and writes something down!
Gaius notes that "Hathor, aside from her roles as goddess of love, beauty, music, dancing, pleasure, and fertility, is sometimes referred to as "The Eye of Ra" for her role as defender of the Sun God."
He then tears that piece of the parchment from the sheet, folds it, and places it in the miniature city as close to the Starstone Cathedral as he can reach.
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With the rituals complete, the group gains four minor blessings. They jot down notes regarding the rituals and sketch drawings in their journals.
Uori is astonished that there is still a bit of Aroden's divine influence in the caverns. He congratulates the group for a job well done.
After another hour or so of friendly discussion, Uori stands and goes to pick up his robe.
"I must get ready to leave soon, my friends. If you are going to continue on your journey deeper into these caverns, I must warn you that there are creatures not as friendly and polite as you are. I wish you the best of luck, my friends. Farewell."
Before he leaves, he pulls a wand from the pocket of the robe and offers it to the group as a gesture of good will. He informs you that it is a fully charged wand of shield of faith.
"A human wearing black robes went in that direction."
He signs and points to the northern passage.
"The man seemed to be in a hurry. I don't think he even noticed me while I was sitting here meditating."
He then points to the southern passage.
"I heard strange squeaky chittering voices from that passage when I first entered. They faded down the passage as if moving further away."
He then points to the southern passage.
"I heard strange squeaky chittering voices from that passage when I first entered. They faded down the passage as if moving further away."
Scratch that. He didn't hear anything 'cause he's deaf. He saw a couple little ugly goblin-like creatures move down the southern passage just before your group arrived.
Dorgan bows his head to Uori.
Thank you. Safe travels... he says as he heads for the passage, axe ready.
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Rahu wrings water out of his robes from his wade in the pool. "I would prefer to pursue the cloaked figure, but I will defer to the group."
"I would also like to see what the man in black robes is doing. The wandering little monsters might be natives to this cave but he probably isn't and is likely hiding out, perhaps from the authorities?"
Gaius readies his bow and double checks to make sure his wands are securely stored in his wrist sheaths.
"It would be a pleasure to meet with you again. Take care, my friends."
With that, Uori takes his leave.
After saying and signing your farewells to Uori, you pack up your gear and cautiously make your way down the southern passage.
The passage leading from the gillmen’s holy site varies from 3 to 6 feet wide and is coated with the omnipresent bioluminescent fungi. Though you encounter several points where the tunnel branches off in different directions, all of those paths either narrow beyond your abilities to traverse, lead back to this main trail, or are blocked by cave-ins.
After trekking through the twisting passages for about a half hour, the persistent glow of the bluish fungi dimly lights the way deeper below the Kortos Mounts. The tunnels broaden to reveal a shallow river that bisects an immense tunnel stretching to the north and south that fades into darkness. To the east a small passage exits the chamber at a steep incline.
Stepping into the chamber, Dorgan spots three goblin-like creatures with a giant centipede for a pet across the sluggish creek. The squat humanoids seem to be nearly all head—an unfortunate circumstance, considering how ugly their puffy blue faces are. At the sight of Dorgan, they start freaking out and prepare to attack as they hoot and holler in a strange language.
Gaius
Gem
Walks
Rahu
Dorgan
Ugly Blues
Halle
Hearing trouble across the cavern, Gemtoran hustles forward and chucks a javelin between the cave columns at a blue creature. With a spray of blood, the javelin plants itself firmly in the creature's chest. The creature yelps and staggers in place but, surprisingly, doesn't drop dead.
Gaius:
Gem:
Walks:
Rahu:
Dorgan:
Blue: staggered
Black:
Brown:
Centipede:
Halle:
Walks calls out that the real danger of the giant centipede is its poisonous bite that damages dexterity. He squints in the bluish green light to see what weapons the humanoids are carrying, but he's too far away and it is just too dim.
Gaius fires an arrow at the northern-most creature.
A fine red mist billows from where the creatures' head once was. The body teeters for a second, then slumps to the ground.
Gaius knows the small humanoids aren't goblins; they're small Fey creatures known as mites. Cold-iron weapons do more harm than normal iron or steel, they are sensitive to bright light, and they can cast the spell doom to hex their foes. They also have an inherent hatred for dwarves and gnomes. They are able to communicate empathically with vermin and are known to use giant spiders and centipedes as mounts and companions.
Gaius:
Gem:
Walks:
Rahu:
Dorgan:
Blue: staggered
Black: ded.
Brown:
Centipede:
Halle:
Not fond of dwarves, eh? Even more reason to split them in twain with my axe...come on then. maggots! I'm right here! Dorgan calls out and stands firm to repel any attack.
Rahu tries to remember what he knows about such creatures before he acts.
[dice=Dungeoneering]1d20+6
Dorgan and Rahu stand at the ready with their weapons
The little mite wearing a light blue loincloth stumbles forward. It waves its hands threateningly at Dorgan while mumbling an incantation.
The mite then drops dead.
The last mite standing looks at his dead comrades in fear, then looks at the heroes across the stream. He turns and high tails it down the east tunnel, his feet a cartoonish blur as they kick up dust.
The giant centipede scuttles across the knee deep stream, its mandibles dripping venom as it rears back to strike Dorgan. The dwarf, ready to strike, side swings his axe and cleaves the centipede in two. The halves of the 'pede writhe and convulse as a hundred legs twitch erratically. After a few moments, the centipede halves go still. All is quiet except for the sound of the sluggish stream flowing through the cavern.
Well...that was odd... the dwarf says as he moves to see what the mite died from
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Dorgan and Rahu stand at the ready with their weapons
The little mite wearing a light blue loincloth stumbles forward. It waves its hands threateningly at Dorgan while mumbling an incantation.
** spoiler omitted **
The mite then drops dead.The last mite standing looks at his dead comrades in fear, then looks at the heroes across the stream. He turns and high tails it down the east tunnel, his feet a cartoonish blur as they kick up dust.
The giant centipede scuttles across the knee deep stream, its mandibles dripping venom as it rears back to strike Dorgan. The dwarf, ready to strike, side swings his axe and cleaves the centipede in two. The halves of the 'pede writhe and convulse as a hundred legs twitch erratically. After a few moments, the centipede halves go still. All is quiet except for the sound of the sluggish stream flowing through the cavern.
Gaius will search the area to see if they accumulated anything of interest - or value...
"I guess their fear of dwarves overcame their hatred; I think the last one ran when it saw Dorgan."
The cavern stretches nearly 100 feet in each direction, but is otherwise unremarkable save for the inlet and outlet of the ancient river responsible for creating this chamber and most of the surrounding tunnels over the centuries. The river through this part of the cavern ranges from 10 to 15 feet wide but is only 1 foot deep, and it flows languidly at an almost imperceptibly slow speed.
There is the passage to the east or you can backtrack to the chamber where you met Uori and try the north passage in there.
Gemtoran carefully made his way across the rocks to pick up his javelin.
Gemtoran slips and falls into the 20 foot deep rushing river and is swept downstream to where the raging river flows into a crevice. After a perilous ride through mighty rapids and towering waterfalls, Gemtoran is bashed to death by the time he reaches the deepest depths of the underdark.
Well, it saved him from me axe... he says as he follows Gemtoran across the water.
The mites each carry only a mundane dagger and several archaic darts made of bone and feathers. One has a small pouch that contains bits of the glowing fungus. There is nothing else of interest in this chamber.
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The mites each carry only a mundane dagger and several archaic darts made of bone and feathers. One has a small pouch that contains bits of the glowing fungus. There is nothing else of interest in this chamber.
"Seems they weren't very profitable at whatever they were up to down here."
Gaius keeps his bow at the ready as the party makes its way back to Aroden's cavern.