between Tannivh Pontificating about the religious merits of Ng's influence on the grove and the magic that comes with it, and his cunning judge of her character with his sense motive (she doesnt seem hostile, or at the very least, is not willing to become hostile), and Joyce and Lilac's observations on the nature of... well nature, the Crocus Knight accepts you as allies to the grove, "I believe you, I do not think you are in league with the Wood cutters... perhaps you were sent here by your fellow pathfinder, Zaul Blystone?" She wonders aloud before sitting down and offering you do the same, You see I am a devout follower of Ng, who acts as the First Worlds Keepre of the Seasons, so Naturally he would have created this Thicket of Endless Fall. In fact Ng blessed the Thicket with this beatiful cowl, Zaul named it Autumn'ws Cowl before he left me to defend the heart of the thicket while he dealt with the lumberjacks." she says as she removes the cowl to allow you to examine it. the resplendent cowl is created from thousands of colored leaves sewn together with spiders silk.
While you arent able to Identify the exact abilities of this cowl, you are able to determine that IT is what has transformed the area, not the influence of Ng or any other divinity.
You are able to fully Identify the Autumn's Cowl's ablities.
This resplendent cowl is created from thousands of magically-treated, colored leaves sewn together with spiders silk. The cowl provides cozy insulation, granting the wearer a +5 bonus to fortitude saving throws made to resistcold weather. As a standard action the wearer may wrap
the cowl around herself and discorporate into a swirling cloud of leaves. This ability acts as the spell gaseous form, except the wearer gains a vulnerability to fire. The wearer can remain in this form for up to five minutes per day. The duration need not be consecutive, but it must be used in 1-minute increments.
Between Joyce and Tannivh, the pair are able to ID the Cowl and prove to the Crocus knight that it is not a gift from Ng and is the true cause of the endless fall this thicket is subjected too.
She graciously gives you the cowl, believeing her duty i guarding the thicket is complete and bids you farewell before removing her own wards and is excited to start a new journey.
As you return to the edge of the thicket and the thorn wall, Adelyn is greatful you have resolved the blight and disperses the thorn wall when told the woods have been restored.
QUEST COMPLETED
As usual, your quest starts with a letter from Kreighton Shaine,
Pathfinders, From what I can gather, your next clue lies within an old cavern, not terribly far from a dwarven outpost called the Rising Spire, which lies near the ancient settlement of Highhelm. I have little to go on as Eylysia’s notes provide hardly anything more than a location and an odd reference to ‘an old noble’s tale’. I have already made arrangements for your travel to the Spire and for an escort to the cavern. This should be a relatively simple and straightforward task if you can solve this riddle Eylysia has left us with.
Sincerely,
Kreighton Shaine
The claustrophobic tunnels outside of Rising Spire are carved with smoothed stone walls adorned with periodic arrow slits, twisting and turning until they converge at an open cavern about one hundred feet wide and at least twice as tall. At its center stands a tower carved from natural stone, rising up into the darkness. A young dwarven woman with rock dust in her hair and stonemason’s tools hanging from her belt steps out of the tower. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” she says as she brushes the dust away with a gloved hand before extending it in greeting. “I’m Helga Silverbrew, head architect around here. Welcome to the Spire!” A middle aged dwarven man in leather armor steps out after her. “I’m Urgrin. Most call me Urgrin the Everyman. I haul rocks, patch up armor, feed the cat, whatever needs to be done around here. And you lot must be the Pathfinders we were expecting!”
"Yes, tell us what you need in your own words,"
The two dwarven companions look at each other with a bit of confusion at your question,"What do you mean what we need? We got a letter from Kreighton Shaine, asking us to escort to a cavern here in the rising spire..."Helga looks at you with squinting eyes,"you all are the Pathfinders that were sent, are you not?"
"More riddle......anyway, do you happens to know any tales around here?"
Urgin smiles at Joyce's question,"Are ye asking if an old dwarf knows a tale or 2? Whoo lass do I have tales for you, what kind would you like?" he asks as he begins to gather his gear and set out.
You have a cat? Jack exclaims. Cool. I love cats
Ugrin rolls his eyes, "No. can't stand the little buggers, but Helga keeps one or 2 around her brews and casks so I'm asked to feed them from time to time" he grumbles before Helga interupts,-Aye and those cats keep the brew clean and free of rats and other nasties who would piss in our ale Urgrin, we've been over this. Cats are good for ale." she says, clearly having had this discussion countless times already.
Helga is excited to hear about any fascinating or strange locales you may have visited and what kinds of monsters they’ve slain,"So I imagine as pathfinders you all have been to some quite interesting places? Any good stories of them or the creatures ye've slain to pass the time?"
Ugrin, is more interested in you yourselves, "What do you like to do when you are representing the Pathfinder Society? Person's gotta have a hobby right?"
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"Did you hear that?" Lilac says to her cat companion. "It sounds like we found the perfect traveling companion for you!"
Along the way, the halfling girl chats happily about making friends with the animals in her home forest. "I have never thought of it as a hobby, but it does take a great deal of time. Most animals are less than friendly to those of us who walk upright, as I am sure most people have already noticed."
The pair answer your questions and follow up with more of their own to pass the time on the ascent but soon enough, about 3 hours later, you come upon the cavern's entrance, a simple stone archway, with smooth stone walls completely lacking in decoration. it is dark heading into the cavern, and it does not seem to be lit with torches or anything to speak of.
you know that the style of unappealing, functional adequacy is fitting for the level of work that the faithful of Droskar would create—and far below par for the masterfully engraved walls one usually finds in the halls of dwarven cities.
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Tannivh snorts: "The style of unappealing, functional adequacy is fitting for the level of work that the faithful of Droskar would create—and far below par for the masterfully engraved walls one usually finds in the halls of elven cities and even sometimes in dwarven cities."
Tannivh instructs his apprentices to light the way and prepares to back up the group as they enter.
You advance as a group throughout the pitch black cavern, seeing only as far as Lilac and Joyce's light spells will allow;
You notice Small footprints and drag marks on the floor. They trail back and forth throughout the cavern.
after making your way through the drab and uninspired cavern you come to a small set of stairs leading down, Once a statue garden, these halls are cluttered with scorched and shattered stones. Short, dusty pedestals have little to showcase, save for rubble and the occasional stone foot. Several stout skeletons lie beneath the piles of ruin, their brittle bones snapped and scattered. A single pristine warhammer rests on the floor to the northwest.
As Jack Approaches the Hammer to examine it, the air grows cold and still and a supernatural fog seems to roll in as several dwarves, all bearing the sme symbol, appear in the area and draw their hammers. One of them begins to mutter incoherently before turning his weapon on his brethren. Then, one by one, they all break into a riot of muttered gibberish and violence until one remains standing. This dwarf looks down the warhammer in his hand and states,"This weapon struck no enemies, only my brothers and sisters. I have failed...”This survivor then backs away towards the east, begging for his life, as a female dwarf in a domino mask approaches him. She draws a blade and cuts him down, his body dropping in the same space as the warhammer; She turns towards Jack and glares at him, crystal tears trickling from her eyes.
Jack is Shaken by the harrowing vision.
A little less than 20 seconds after the apparition dispersed, you hear theTHWIP of a bow string as an arrow flies toward Jack from the darkness!
A small arrow finds its way into a crease of Jack's armor, wounding him!
as soon as the arrow hits you hear giggling and laughter coming from father down the dark tunnel, and you hear the sounds of a song begin to echo through the cavern....
“Something creeping in our home.
Is it dwarf or is it gnome?
Either way we’ll stab it right,
Then we eat some meat tonight!
Steelfang slashers we the best,
Burn your banner, smash your crest!
Come and get us if you can,
Face our mighty goblin clan!”
Other than that, you ALL may act!
The small cat leaps forward, the better to attack any creatures that appear.
Coregrim offered sunrods but those do require a free hand.
Tannivh and Lilac begin casting their summoning spells as Joyce and the Cat advance on the attackers. Coregrim throws his sunrod, illuminating the hallway and revealing a branche going East, and two heading west.
why did you look?
Even with the sunrod illuminating the hall, you still cannot see any attackers just yet....
The macabre song continues over again as soon as its last line is sung the chorus returns to the first and starts over again and another small arrow flies from down the hall!
and the arrow once again finds its mark, burying itself into the Rogues glimmering chain armor.
did you really look again?
This time the sniper in dark is not so lucky, and Joyce, Jack, Corgrim, and the Cat all see an ugly goblin at the end of the hall, hugging the wall and holding a small bow!
Voices
Archer