Zeldrith enters the tomb cautiously, his sword raised. "Right, you gob- WHAT IN THE-" Surprised to see the undead rather than the goblins he had anticipated, he barely has time to cry out before one of the skeletons' swords rakes across his neck, and he drops.
Trying to recover from his surprise Arrian casts healing magic and then places his hand on Zel!
As Arrian heals him, Zeldrith struggles to his feet, an aegis of force shimmering into existence around him. He glares at Persephone. "You said goblins - not the twice-dead!"
Persephone blushes.
Tracks don't lie, my friend. These poor sods probably have been left here for our enjoyment by those same busy goblins.
The Shaman shakes her head.
Besides, this is a tomb.
Isabel giggles.
Brodert looks at Donimah suspiciously. He is not coy in any way to say "I hope your researching is more thorough than your fighting. You and your friends allowed goblins to burn a great deal of books yesterday evening."
He inhales deeply and continues "Very well, how do you think you can help me prove that the Sandpoint lighthouse...", at this moment, he points to the base of the lighthouse, the ancient crumbled construction by the sea in Sandpoint, and continues "... was really a tower that spewed fire at the enemies in Thassilonian times?"
Donimah opens and closes her mouth a few times, trying to form a coherent response as a million different emotions fight for control of her face. Outrage at being accused of being responsible for such destruction or at least dereliction of duty to prevent it, empathy for a fellow scholar at the loss of such a valuable AND likely very expensive collection of knowledge, shock and confusion at the magnitude of Quink's conjecture.
"I...I would likely start by examining the ruins for traces of evocation magic and the rune of the Vengeful Glare," she finally manages. "Though perhaps it would be best to start with what we have to work with; do you have an inventory of the texts in your home we can use to cross-reference which books were lost to the goblins? And more importantly if any are left so you may show me at least some of the evidence you've already accumulated to support this...hypothesis."
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At the hint of the possibility to restore his lost property, Brodert visibly relaxes. Also, the fact that she didn't outright laugh in his face actually draws a smile out of him. He says "Can I offer you some tea? The kettle is already on the fire and I have a new herb from Katapesh that I want to try."
He removes a great deal of scrolls from the top of a chair and offers it to Donimah to sit. After he pours himself some tea, he starts collecting scrolls that he puts in front of Donimah sequentially. She notices it's going to take a while to look through them, especially since there is no clear place for her to organize them, such as a table with free space on it.
Arrian draws a club. Zeldrith receives a few attack attempts as he's getting up.
These attacks are pathetic and hit only the floor. The skeletons continue to mindlessly attack whoever is in front of them.
The attacks are clumsy, but Juriya takes a cut.
"Does everyone have a bludgeoning weapon?"
Juriya intersperses her attacks between her compatriots, though her rapier isn't exactly the most effective.
"No bludgeoning here!"
Lie. You want to gnaw on those bones and it might even be effective, but the chance that is effective is far too low to risk it with a majority of people you don't exactly trust with that knowledge yet, she thinks to herself. She winces in pain as she bleeds a little onto her vitiligo/piebald skin. "Fff... that hurt."
“LEAVE MY FRIENDS AND HOME ALONE!!!” Ano shrieks at the top of her lungs, thrusting her rapier into the vertebrae of her undead target.
At the hint of the possibility to restore his lost property, Brodert visibly relaxes. Also, the fact that she didn't outright laugh in his face actually draws a smile out of him. He says "Can I offer you some tea? The kettle is already on the fire and I have a new herb from Katapesh that I want to try."
He removes a great deal of scrolls from the top of a chair and offers it to Donimah to sit. After he pours himself some tea, he starts collecting scrolls that he puts in front of Donimah sequentially. She notices it's going to take a while to look through them, especially since there is no clear place for her to organize them, such as a table with free space on it.
"Yyyes, thank you, Mr. Quink. Or would you prefer I call you Brodert?" Donimah asks as she accepts the tea. "You said the herb was from Katapesh, is the rest of the blend from there as well or did you mix this herb with more local leaves?"
Zeldrith winces as every movement sends bolts of pain through his recent throat wound, grabbing the proffered club from Arrian as he drops his sword. "Make some room, Juriya - these damned twice-dead won't last long!" He steps forward, gripping the club in both hands and swinging it into the side of the nearest skeleton. Its tip glows with arcane fire as the skeleton's desiccated ribs shatter under the force of the blow.
Persephone cast Guidance on Zel!
Arrian calls out to Zel, "Step back a bit and let me take a shot!"
[dice = Acrobatics to avoid AoO] d20 + 3 - 3
Brodert says "Well, the new herb... whose name I forget... is a little bitter, but I mix it with lemongrass for a fresh flavor. I hope you like it."
Ano's attack is not ideal for the enemy in question. However, her attack is well placed and goes right between the skeleton's spine, making it crumble lifelessly.
At the same time, Zeldrith and Arrian make a joint effort that results in a fluid motion. Zeldrith's strike hits the skeleton in the ribs, cracking them and making it fall lifeless on the ground as well.
Only one skeleton remains. It doesn't seem that it noticed the others being destroyed, and continues attacking. It goes for Ano.
Despite Ano's excelent defense, the skeleton gets a small cut through.
Arrian steps into the breach to bash the skeleton with his shield and establish flank for either Zel or Ano!
Ano, clearly more reckless in this state of rage, motions around the skeleton to attack from behind.
Zeldrith strides forward and swings his club into the next skeleton, its blunt end whistling just over the skeleton's skull as his hoof lands on a bone from one of his deceased foes.
Brodert says "Well, the new herb... whose name I forget... is a little bitter, but I mix it with lemongrass for a fresh flavor. I hope you like it."
Donimah takes the offered tea, sniffs it curiously and then takes a sip.
Persephone watches the deftness of the remaining skeleton amazingly frustrating.
The Shaman casts Guidance on Arrian!
"FIRE!" she says as she rapidly loads and shoots a bolt from her light crossbow, the bolt going wildly, "agh I'll have to pick that up later. Stupid mindless skeletons, I'd rather deal with a Juju Zombie!"
All you do relies on people falling for it or you, against the mindless undead you're particularly vulnerable, she also thinks to herself as she keeps herself out of the way.
Donimah finds the tea somewhat bitter. After a few sips, however, she feels a little invigorated and somehow more focused.
After the flurry of clumsy blows, the skeleton continues to mindlessly attack Ano.
The skeleton misses the very angry cat-woman.
Still livid at seeing her friend almost die, Ano shrieks and sends her rapier forward, impaling the skeleton.
Persephone applauds at Ano's confirmation of critically ending the remaining threat!
Nice placement there, Ano!
Now used to seeing Ano rage in combat Arrian literally applauds her efforts!
"Now you and Zel will be today's heroes! I always knew you were tough but wow you really beat that skeleton down. What bothers me is those were goblin tracks but we didn't find any goblins or any remains of them. Perhaps we aren't done with the danger here."
Arrian suggests the group search this part of the vault carefully after healing up in case there's more trouble.
As Ano's rapier strike impales the last skeleton's skull, Zeldrith's eyebrows raise in surprise. "You're a skilled warrior, Ano! I... wouldn't have thought that stabbing them would have been so effective, but I guess that shows what I know." At Arrian's words, he nods, handing the half-orc warrior back his club and picking up his own sword from where he dropped it. "I don't smell any goblins around here - they're probably gone. Still, they might have left something behind - more to the point, I'm interested in whoever that human who traveled with them was. Anyone here skilled at tracking?"
Ano blinked as everyone talked to her, and the blue in her eyes and spots fizzled out. "Huh...wha...?" she muttered, leaning against the wall and holding her head. "What...oh...oh no did...did I actually...fight?" As she says that last word her exhaustion is mixed with worry.
Meanwhile inside the Cathedral
"Fosyo said "
As the fight was happening, Cherry found Saryo within the cathedral, and had a small chat with her. Now, the bird asked the catfolk cleric what exactly Ano's mother meant by "Oath of the Clovermark"...and suffice to say, he wasn't expecting that reaction.
However, the amurrun quickly cleared her throat, and returned to a relaxed smile, "You don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. Now, I would go and find Ano again, before she gets herself into trouble." That last part was a joke, but Cherry nodded, and fluttered out the open window, finding Ano at the Boneyard with the others.
"What did I miss?" the cardinal asked, landing on Juriya's shoulder.
"Stabbing a Skeleon back to death," Juriya says. "Turns out, only one of us here hss something that could bludgeon a skeleton, in the form of Arrian's club."
As Ano's rapier strike impales the last skeleton's skull, Zeldrith's eyebrows raise in surprise. "You're a skilled warrior, Ano! I... wouldn't have thought that stabbing them would have been so effective, but I guess that shows what I know." At Arrian's words, he nods, handing the half-orc warrior back his club and picking up his own sword from where he dropped it. "I don't smell any goblins around here - they're probably gone. Still, they might have left something behind - more to the point, I'm interested in whoever that human who traveled with them was. Anyone here skilled at tracking?"
"I don't know how 'skilled' I am but I do know the basics of tracking."
"Stabbing a Skeleon back to death," Juriya says. "Turns out, only one of us here hss something that could bludgeon a skeleton, in the form of Arrian's club."
"My shield can also do the job although you wouldn't think so by how I fared while to use it..."
Donimah finds the tea somewhat bitter. After a few sips, however, she feels a little invigorated and somehow more focused.
As a person who abhors waste and is not a coward, Donimah begins savoring the rest of the tea, bitterness and all.
"Definitely an acquired taste, but not unpleasant in its effects," she comments. "Thank you, Brodert. Now...let's get to work!"
Time flies under the tea's effect. Brodert ends up very engaged in the research with Donimah. First, she receives a list of documents that were burned. Most were scribbles from Quink's own writing and correspondence with other scholars which are, obviously, irreplaceable. One book that was partially burned is a list of addresses of scholars in Absalom.
The first thing that Donimah notices about the documents that Quink brings are essays and extremely boring calculations about engineering.
The base of the old lighthouse would actually support a war machine that Quink is describing. But it would also support a lighthouse. It is maybe too big to be a lighthouse, but Thassilonian structures were not known for being humble.
Investigating the tomb requires a light source for anyone without Darkvision. This vault houses two tombs: that of the former cathedral priest Ezekiel Tobyn and that of his adopted daughter, Nualia Tobyn. There are two things worth noting. Firstly, a black robe lies discarded on the corner. Secondly, Ezekiel's tomb was desecrated and his remains, stolen.
Arrian casts a spell to detect any magic in the vault and then searches the black robe if it is not magical. He'll also cast a spell to increase his skill at searching.
Arrian sees that there are no magical auras currently in the vault. Upon careful examination, he realizes that the vault was not tampered with in any way other than what was already established. In fact, Nualia's tomb suffered no effort to be opened.
"We'll take the black robe with us and tell Father Zantus about what we found. This can't be good. And undead? Something is definitely afoot Mrs. Clovermark would say."
Stowing his club and drawing his rapier, Arrian casts Guidance on himself and then checks the area outside of the crypt for any further tracks from goblins or the larger creature.
Time flies under the tea's effect. Brodert ends up very engaged in the research with Donimah. First, she receives a list of documents that were burned. Most were scribbles from Quink's own writing and correspondence with other scholars which are, obviously, irreplaceable. One book that was partially burned is a list of addresses of scholars in Absalom.
The first thing that Donimah notices about the documents that Quink brings are essays and extremely boring calculations about engineering.
Unfortunately, Donimah's expertise lies more in magic and history than the more mundane side of things.
"I'm sorry we've lost most of your notes, but this will be a decent starting point once we've got some actual eyes on the site. And what names we can salvage from the partially burned list will be good points of contact as well, so at least this wasn't a total loss. Tell me, what got you started on this particular line of inquiry? Pardon me for saying, but most people with an interest in Ancient Thassilon focus more on their magical theories and whatever power could be claimed from their architecture, rather than the architecture itself and its function."
Ano’s ears folded as they all left. “W-Wait! I…I’m grateful for you all saying how good I did but…can we keep that between us? As in, if anyone asks who stopped the skeletons it was…someone else?” Cherry did a facepalm-or as close to one as possible with a wing instead of a hand.
Persephone smiles at Arrian.
Follow your nose, dear.
Ano’s ears folded as they all left. “W-Wait! I…I’m grateful for you all saying how good I did but…can we keep that between us? As in, if anyone asks who stopped the skeletons it was…someone else?” Cherry did a facepalm-or as close to one as possible with a wing instead of a hand.
"Don't worry Ano we'll keep you out of as much trouble as we can."
"We'll keep our mouths shut, right guys?"
Quink narrows his eyes, half expecting Donimah to laugh at his efforts. Still, he says a little arrogantly "I'll have you know that I seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge. I am not after trinkets or magic... I have studied for 20 years with the dwarf engineers of Janderhoff. And, of course, the prestige that would accompany such an important discovery would be... nice as well."
From his tone, it seems that the prestige would be more than nice for him.
There does not seem to be anything else of notice. As the robe is presented to Father Zantus, he says "If I'm not mistaken, this seems to be a magical item. Or, well, used to be one. It's a Robe of Bones. But there's no magic left on it, which means that it is all used up."
Sheriff Hemlock is nearby and hears the tale and says "This is troubling. I am thinking now that, maybe the goblin attack was just a diversion and... Coming to the tomb to do... whatever it is they did... was its true objective."
"Do either of you have any idea why the vault and remains of Ezekiel Tobyn were the target?"
"F-Father Zantus?" Ano asked softly, hoping not to interrupt, "Zeldrith here almost died to the skeletons and...is there any way you can tend to his wounds? I-I'll pay if I have to, I just...help my friend please."
Once out of any immediate threats, Persephone will cast Cure Light Wounds on Zel.
You also have a bit of soot and blood on your cheek, dear.