OH ho! There seems to be an overlooked book here in the broken remains of this desk
The Horn Level 1
Area 1 - 13 -- Clyde
As Clyde briefly peruses the book, he discovers that it is a journal from an acolyte named Brother Zander Trask.
Area 1 - 21 -- Elliaria
You see that the name plate does not detect as magic. Removing the plate, you find that it contains a safe!
Mephistopheles simply smiles as the group is granted a tour of places previously investigated. The Wizard does seem intrigued by the golem chamber. He places the Manual into his haversack before continuing the tour....
"Look at what we have here." she says, revealing the hidden safe. "So who has the nimblest fingers among you?"
Clyde will read through the found book
"Well I'll be damned. Definitely missed that the first time through," Grumblejack said with a wry, approving grin. "Lemme take a poke at it."
Grumble's scorched armor had a layered brigandine leather fauld that protected his groin and thighs. He untied a cord at his hip pulled it across to the opposite hip, and wound the cord around a button. The leather skirt unfolded with the cord, revealing a collection of tools sheathed into the fauld, like a craftman's apron.
He eyed the safe, pulled a couple tools free, tapped them against the inverted pentagram on his chest, and got to work.
The Horn Level 1
Grumble takes his time and manages to pick the tough safe lock. Hidden within is 55 platinum, the make of the coin is from a country whose symbols are unfamiliar to you. A ruby which appears quite valuable. Also contained within are a pair of manacles. Upon detection it is clear they are magical manacles of cooperation.
---
Clyde finds the journal is frankly rather dull and poorly written. Brother Trask was no great thinker and mostly it is a repetitive and boring record of the day to day drudgery of being a lowly acolyte of the temple. Three interesting items though do stand out.
1. Trask believed there to be something unusual about the south eastern pillar in the lower temple.
2. Trask knew by rumor that two powerful daemons named Hexor and Vexor guarded the upper levels. He didn’t know precisely where they were stationed, but he desperately wanted to get a look at them some day.
3. Trask had seen a priest (who thought no one was present) sit upon the throne and mysteriously vanish. He didn’t know where the priest went but thought it very interesting.
A diary! Hmm..Perhaps a magic throne that transports people to other places and guardian daemons of the upper areas.
Grumble gestured the other direction from where they'd turned to get to the fountain. "There's a throne over there. It's there's somethin' carved into it, but it ain't a word I know."
Mephistopheles simply waves along Clyde, as the suddenly dressed as a tour guide Tiefling shuffles the Chef towards the Throne Room.
Perhaps we can read it! Probably best to find out if it's still active. We wouldn't want wayward daemons parading about.
The devil then laughs.
Wasn't there a word etched on the throne? So speaking that word could transport the sitter to another place in the Horn.
Clyde glances at the wizard. Perhaps you would be able to enlighten us on the nature of daemons? Especially since we will no doubt be facing them.
She looks over the manacles. "An uppity commoner could resist this more often than not. Still, they are good quality steel. Anybody particularly want to carry them?"
As for the Throne, "I'm not much of a linguist. I expect if it were elven or infernal somebody would have already read it."
The Horn Level 1
Meph detects that the Throne is indeed magical, Conjuration magic, quite potent.
Clyde finds small script on the base of the throne, the word is "Yah".
Mephistopheles simply smiles at the throne.
The Wizard casts Detect Magic and he begins studying the throne for a minute.
Mephistopheles takes out his writing implements and begins translation methods...
The Horn Level 1
The language is Abyssal, based on the script but it's a gibberish word having no meaning on its own.
It's absolutely a Teleportation device, but to where it leads, you cannot say. You would wager that this word is the trigger word to bring someone to this location.
To get elsewhere, you would need to now those trigger words, if there is still a somewhere to go.
Mephistopheles nods in understanding.
An Abyssal script but gibberish. It denotes this particular location. Yes, Clyde it teleports. Probably want to set a guard station here
As the continue the tour, Meph gives Clyde a lecture on daemons.
Harbingers of ruin and embodiments of the worst ways to die, daemons epitomize painful death, the all-consuming hunger of evil, and the utter annihilation of life. While demons seek to pervert and destroy in endless unholy rampages, and devils vex and enslave in hopes of corrupting mortals, daemons seek only to consume mortal life itself. While some use brute force to despoil life or prey upon vulnerable souls, others wage campaigns of deceit to draw whole realms into ruin. With each life claimed and each atrocity meted out, daemons spread fear, mistrust, and despair, tarnishing the luster of existence and drawing the planes ever closer to their final, ultimate ruin.
The devil grins.
"Well, I for one am glad we figured this out early. I'd hate to be confronted with a fight from a side I did not know even existed" he nods towards the throne "Till we know the full extent, I agree, a guard or hidden eyes on the throne would be best"
The Horn Level 1
Havelyn nods to Malleck, "brian and I can set ourselves up on this level with a handful of the Boggard's to keep an eye on the Throne among other entrances in and out of this level".
My goodness, those daemons seem like they would be poor dinner guests. I do wonder if we are properly armed to fight them, I very much doubt we will be able to call upon blessed spells and weapons like heroes of old would.
The Horn Level 1
Brian chimes in, "Well Lord Clyde, remember that the idea is to align with them to accomplish the goals of Cardinal Thorn so in theory, they will be a problem for the Mitrans, not for us".
Mephistopheles laughs.