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Raseri Kanton points behind her. “Just take the elevator here.” She then gives directions for how to reach the city using the tunnel system. In order to see the elevator, you need to enter the room the two statues are in. It looks to be of the same design as the other elevator you found.
Having received Steeltoe’s message, the statue turns to Chance and says “I have one message from Pathfinders. They were on their way to Raseri Kanton. Their message is ‘We went to Raseri Kanton, and be sure to bring alcohol.’”
The two statues have not moved from where they are standing, but have used a full range of facial and body expressions as they talked. Having talked with them for a bit, it is very clear that they are constructs. They have that extremely narrow world view that constructs tend to have.
Jernashall turns to Raseri Kanton and tells the statue “See sister. This proves I am correct and we should continue to take messages for travelers. Although it has been a long time since we had any travelers, it appears traffic is resuming!”
Raseri Kanton turns to Jernashall and says “These do not appear to be merchants nor regular travelers.” She then turns to your group and asks “Is the traffic between our cities resuming? I was thinking people had forgotten us and thought we would need to send a beacon so we could be found again.”
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Scratch grins at his message, his yellowing partial set of teeth on full display "So you don't lose that message after its played once right? Don't want to have someone else miss out on it or nothin'."
He leans over and gives Xathel a nudge "Come one now, you've gotta have some questions for these ageless ladies here right? Historians need history right?"
He turns to ask another question or two of his own "You were both made by the same 'maker', who was that? And how long ago?"
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"Oh, I certainly do. Far more than we can spare the time for right this moment, so I'm debating which are most critical," Xathel replies to Scratch, with as much of a smile as the aloof elf ever gives. "But those two head my list: Who made you, and when? And to add another: What is this beacon you mentioned?"
Raseri Kanton says “It depends on the instructions given. It seemed like this is a message for anyone who asks. I can delete now that it has been delivered, or can continue giving the message to any who ask.”
Jernashall says “Our maker was Yangrit the Wise. She was a priestess of Folgrit, the Watchful Mother. We do not perceive time as you do so we can not say how long it has been. It was after the route was established between our two cities.”
The two statues don’t know anything of how they were made but invite Alseil to admire them. They know their purpose, and that the purpose was done as a service in the name of Folgrit the Watchful Mother.
“We reunite families. Patience and taking care of one’s family are both important to the Watchful Mother and our service is in her name.”
Folgrit the Watchful Mother is the wife of Torag.
Her edicts are:
Maintain the sanctity of a home, remain patient with others, take in those without families
Her anathema are:
Abandon your family, fail to defend your neighbors
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Chance is a bit torn up between leaving the statues here, all alone for quite some time; and the fact they are not people, which he’s not so sure of, given the way the statue talk.
He gets a bit closer to see them better.
He looks at the statues “Can you move?” He also wonders how heavy they are, which is probably very heavy due to the material they are made of.
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Silly Elf can't even come up with his own questions, I asked those first!
Who the heck is the watchful mother? Mine wasn't, but Aunt Marcie sure was.. too much actually..
"I dunno 'bout patience, but family is king." Scratch nods in agreement, enjoying the conversation but starting to get a bit antsy about getting back to the gig. Longer we spend doing the fun stuff the better chance some dark demon or sumthin' gets out of this mountain.
“Protecting the passageways from invaders. None of you seem like invaders.”
As way of answering Chance’s question, Jernashall moves about a foot to the side. You can clearly see where she was standing as there is a clean spot there. “We haven’t had a need to move recently. We are stationed as the guards here.”
Jernashall says “You seem like reasonable people. We have been having a disagreement recently about what to do. There are so few travelers coming through here.”
Jernashall says “I think we should continue with our original task. Patience is a virtue, and it seems we will have travelers on this route again. We should continue to keep an active watch for any that may return.”
Raseri Kanton says “I think we would be serving Folgrit’s purpose better if we were to send forth a beacon to guide people here. Unfortunately that would destroy the messages we have retained, but it would guide people to this route.”
They both look to your group, requesting you give your opinions on what to do.
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Scratch takes a seat and pulls out a strip of old jerky, chewing on it as he listens and thinks. Finally, after digging a few strands from between his teeth he adds in his opinion "Well. I'm thinkin' you're gonna be seeing more travelers on these roads. We're prolly just the beginnin', could see more later today or tomorrow even! Not to mention the road needs protectors.. why, we just found some skeletons, and saw some ooze trails.. no one wants them wandering into town. Keep yer families safe."
He shrugs.
"Oh, and all them messages you're carryin' around are somethin' special. Someone will really wanna hear what their great great great grammy had to say."
The two sisters nod, clearly influenced by Scratch’s words.
The sisters are horrified at the idea of burning down an area.
They aren’t impressed by Loohi’s alternative either.
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"I'm afraid that the dwarves who lived on and around this mountain were forced to abandon their cities when the volcano erupted centuries ago," Xathel begins. "The outside world has only recently rediscovered the settlements here. Many dangers, such as those Scratch mentioned, and worse, need to be cleared before the cities will be safe for habitation again. Our organization, the Pathfinder Society, can help with that, and we can bring news of this place to other dwarves within the Five Kings Mountains, and beyond. I would advise not sending any beacon, at least not until the cities and the roads to them are secure once again."
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"You truly are marvels to be guarding this passageway for so long." Alseil exclaims. "I believe that you will see an increase in traffic over the short-term at the least, and possibly over the long-term as well. I would keep your messages intact for now, and not enact the beacon unless traffic truly dies down again."
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"Respectfully...I disagree." Goldirox states.
"If this...area is...safe...then people...should return. Task of...defense...more important....than task...of messages."
"Likelihood...of message target...being available...low. Increased...traffic...will create...new messages. Path...allows...multiple objectives...to be...fulfilled."
The two sisters are very impressed by Xathel’s arguments.
They also listen with interest to what both Alseil and Goldirox have to say on the subject. Raseri Kanton Is pleased that Goldirox at least sees some value in her proposed plan.
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The catfolk gives his opinion “Destroying the messages? Do you still believe the recipient are alives?. Anyway, I have another idea in mind, if you can move, maybe you should go move to another area and help the dwarves there. Think about it, you could even travel for some time to find the perfect location to settle in.”
He tries to give example of the various dwarven settlement, but he’s having trouble.
Finally, he starts remembering “There’s an enclave near the mana wastes, Scratch over there might be coming from there; then there’s the other four sky citadels.”
The two sisters are curious about this alternative. “That might be possible if we had a guide. It would be good to serve an active community again!”
They are very interested in the idea and willing to consider Dongun’s Hold as a new home. Their main question is where it is and how many of the dwarven folk live there.
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"I'd be concerned about who may show up if you send out a beacon. I know there are some Duergar not that far from here and a not insignificant number of undead. I do like the thought of rebuilding though and you will need to attract people for that. The messages should probably be listened to. I'm sure Andoran would like a new Dwarven trading partner."
With a sigh, Raseri Kanton tells her sister “Seems you were right. These folks think the beacon is a bad idea.”
“Well, that is settled! For right now, we continue doing as we have been. Later if some dwarven clan wants to adopt us, we can discuss it.”
Jernashall says “Thank you for your advice.”
You check the route to the west and confirm it leads to another elevator into a different part of the sub terrain caravan route you had already found.
Going the other way, you find shafts in the center of the chamber. Iron rungs built into the side of the shafts enable your group to easily Climb 15 feet down to the spacious cavern below.
The cavern leads to a short passage, which ends in a pair of doors covered in the religious symbols of the deities of the dwarven pantheon.
This is something worth reporting back.
When you return to the base camp, you find there are more merchants there now.
You are each given you choice of a free healing potion or oil of unlife (item level of up to your level).
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Xathel looks disappointed, but unsurprised, to see that all the deities' symbols except for Droskar's have been damaged. "Even blessed Eritrice has no patience with the likes of these cursed duergar and their lord," he mutters to himself.
As he has many times before during this expedition, the elf stops to make brief notes in his journal in neat, small script. He has also drawn a rough map of their path, and sketched some of the more interesting features worth reporting. However, he spends far less time rendering these defaced doors then he did the nearly pristine sister statues.
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Scratch nods at Xathel's description of the door "You've really got a lot of stuff crammed in that Elf noggin' of yers. Maybe when we get done here you can help me figure out a good riddle to stump my brother on." Scratch chuckles as they head back to camp for a hot meal and whatever he can gather up for free booze.
"So we plannin' on breachin' them double doors in the morning? Should I pick up extra explosives just in case? Maybe a barrel of powder or two be gud plan right?" He stumbles around a bit trying to estimate the size of the door and just how far back he'll need to stand to avoid the worst of the shrapnel.
He asks around the other Pathfinder teams for what they've come across, some out of interest, but also in hopes to buttering them up for some free liquor. "You guys find any oozes? FRickin' oozes are the WORST! They may look like Aunt Linda's fruit puddin' on mushrooms but ain't nothin' tasty 'bout a face full of ooze fist!"
"Hey hey, good man. Toast to health, pebble free boots, n no oozes in yer lunch box!" CLINK!
The base camp has become very busy. Lots of merchants hawking their wares and services. The area is well patrolled and over all the mood is good.
You hear from a few Pathfinders how they had to retreat from the Sunken Halls because they were not prepared for aquatic combat but others managed to scout the area.
They have an area in the Sunken Halls that they would like your group to explore. You agree to take the task and make any last minute preparations before heading there.
At the bottom of a lake, the entrance to the Sunken Halls offers underwater passage to a worked stone room beyond. The Society provides each of you with a potion of water breathing before you enter the water. Past Society expeditions have placed a guide rope that leads directly to the entrance to the mapped chambers, enabling your group to reach the area you are to explore without issue,
Bioluminescent algae flourishes in some areas, shedding dim light. The rest of the area is in darkness.
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Over drinks, Xathel shares an ancient, mostly forgotten Dwarven riddle or two with Scratch.
*****
Xathel looks a bit dubious about the prospect of engaging in underwater combat, even with the water breathing potions, but remains stoic and determined about completing the task at hand.
Before entering the water, the elf stows his bow, quiver, and detective's tools in his sleeves of storage to keep them safe and dry, and activates his wayfinder's light spell. At the bottom of the guide rope, he draws his shortsword, and looks around.
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At the notion of entering the water, the catfolk asks the only question that really matters to him “How dirty is that water?” He’s not a big fan of getting all wet, but that’s fine as long as the water’s clean. He shivers remembering those two missions where he ended up in the sewers. He will also asks “There’s no reason for that water to be salty, but I’d prefer to avoid the surprise. Oh and is there a big current?”
Usually Chance does not use light sources to become stealthy but he does not think he’ll be able to do so while swimming so he lights up his wayfinder too.
Xathel notices something in the water ahead and signals a warning.
Faintly glowing algae tints jagged stone walls in a green light. A fine silt that clouds the water with every movement covers the bottoms of the chamber, though it settles seconds later. Clearly manufactured steps start at the base of the floor and sink to deeper waters in the flooded room to the east.
The stone walls are rough but sharp. You could climb along them. Getting pushed into them would hurt. The room is twenty foot high.
There are four creatures in here, three medium sized and one small. They are looking at you as if you were lunch.
The small creature with claws swims up to Chance and tries to claw them! They manage to connect with the second claw.
DC 17 Fort vs Poison
Round 1
Bolded may act.
This is an aquatic combat, you are all fully underwater but still benefiting from the potion of water breathing.
Still water, DC 10 Athletics to swim.
Climb DC 10 while adjacent to a wall.
Claws Four
Scratch
Alseil and Goldirox
Jaws One
Looni
Xathel
Jaws Three
Jaws Two
Caitlin
Chance 3 damage Need DC 17 Fort save vs Poison
One of the more experienced teams is sent to notify you of the change to the plans.
An azarketi monk swims past and quickly dispatches the clawed creature. The rest of the group with her has a tougher time in the water, but fortunately it appears that the creatures are in no mood to pursue.
Back above water, you are easily able to treat the minor wounds Chance got and retire for the night.
Your group has the choice of two routes, the Caravan Route or the Temple Route. Other than knowing that one leads through the temple doors and the other explores along the caravan route, you have no information on the two areas. You are the scouts being sent out to discover what is there!
You are informed there will be no more opportunities to rest once you set out. If needed, you can retreat to camp and purchase goods or services.
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Scratch spends a long while looking back and forth from the water to his fire arms. Before throwing his arms up in protest he's bailed out by the messengers that the path has already been cleared.
"Good thing. Gun powder don't work when its wet. Gotta keep these babies dry." He pats his arsenal with love and affection.
While they make camp for the night he practices his delivery on Xathel's old Dwarven riddles.
"Guess being old isn't bad all the time, other than just the excuses yer old and silly. Sure gets you past some awkward moments.."
This area is dark unless otherwise stated, as it's far below the surface and any lighting system was destroyed ages ago. Unless otherwise stated, the ceilings are 10 feet high. The structure is made of worked stone.
You go through the doors and find yourself in a wide hallway. The hallway leads directly into a large room with minor passages to the left and right.
Making sure you have your weapons ready, you go forward towards the large chamber.
Something has torn the stone tiles from this room, exposing red-streaked white soil beneath. Sections of the wall have collapsed or been torn apart, changing the room from the typical, straight lines of worked stone to a more organic shape almost like that of a skull. A sickly green altar radiates light from a fire etched into it.
A trio of fiends were busy wrecking things in here as you enter. One of them points at your group and suddenly the other two of them turn their heads to look at you.
Simultaneously the three says something in a deep, guttural language and smile. It is not a pleasant smile.
The light from Xathel’s wayfinder illuminates a portion of the room.
Round 1:
The area is dark, the only light is what you brought with you.
Religion to identify the creatures. There are two different types of fiend here.
Caitlin
Alseil and Goldirox
Xathel
Looni
Fiend Three
Strong Fiend One
Fiend Two
Scratch
Chance
Xathel recognizes these are Abrikandilu, sometimes called a wrecker demon. They despise beautiful things and do everything in their power to destroy both people and objects regarded as such. They hate mirrors and will target creatures holding them. They are susceptible to weapons made of cold iron or anything holy.
ABRIKANDILU
CE MEDIUM DEMON FIEND
Weaknesses cold iron, good
Hatred of Mirrors An abrikandilu loathes the sight of their reflection. When a creature Interacts with a mirror within sight of the wrecker demon, the demon takes a penalty to Will saves against Intimidation checks. An abrikandilu that ends their turn adjacent to a mirror or that's attacked by a creature holding a mirror takes mental damage (this usually leads abrikandilus to focus their efforts on destroying nearby mirrors).
My reading of the above is you must take an interact action with a held mirror to cause the mental damage.
His arrow misses the fiend.
Xathel confirms that the other two fiends are the same sort of demon, just weaker. He also recalls the attack that gives them their nickname — an attack where they bring both claws down on an object to destroy it.
Wreck [one-action] The abrikandilu makes two claw Strikes against an unattended object or held mirror. Held mirrors use the holding character's AC. If both Strikes hit, combine their damage for the purpose of overcoming any Hardness or resistance. These Strikes don't count toward the abrikandilu's multiple attack penalty, nor does that penalty apply to these Strikes.
Round 1:
The area is dark, the only light is what you brought with you.
Religion to identify the creatures. There are two different types of fiend here.
Caitlin
Alseil and Goldirox
Xathel light
Looni
Weak Wrecker Three
Wrecker One
Weak Wrecker Two
Scratch
Chance
Caitlin moves into the room, then fires across it at the third demon. Her second arrow hits and does full damage.
Round 1:
The area is dark, the only light is what you brought with you.
Religion to identify the creatures. There are two different types of fiend here.
Caitlin light
Alseil and Goldirox
Xathel light
Looni
Weak Wrecker Three 14 damage
Wrecker One
Weak Wrecker Two
Scratch
Chance