"Okay, well let's go see what they're about. Auron, if you're going to hang back here, just keep an ear out for trouble. Anyone need to prepare before we go? I'm not hopeful that this will go peacefully."
Sister Mara offers two brief prayers to the Dawnflower, invoking a bit of the Goddess' divine guidance for herself and for Kua as she follows the Duskwarden toward the cathedral chamber.
Eh, either way suits me fine. Me an' Jhaik 'ere will keep us noses sharpish like.
Yang shuffles behind, but prepares to cast one of his spells, if needed.
Kua hefts his axe over his shoulder and walks out into the cathedral. Once he reaches the clearing the half orc clears his throat. "Ehm. Greetings."
Uwais loads his sling as he and Waya slink behind Kua, padding quietly along. The wolf continues forward as the halfling slows, his eyes glinting slightly ferally from the background.
Kua hefts his axe over his shoulder and walks out into the cathedral. Once he reaches the clearing the half orc clears his throat. "Ehm. Greetings."
Your exit from the passage into the grand cathedral. Each of the strangers instinctively reach for their own weapons- the ogrekin hefting an earthbreaker with his oversized arm, the birdman going for a short blade and the elf placing a hand upon the pommel of a rapier. Once it's clear Kua wishes to speak, the elf holds both hands wide and motions to his comrades. The others likewise keep their hands from their armaments.
"And greetings to you, Duskwarden.", he says smoothly,"I am called Wasp, of Oriat. My companions, respectively, are Issik and Brawn."
"Brawn's me.", the drooling half-ogre says.
"Naturally, my friend. Seeing as we have stumbled upon one another here in this perilous sepulcher, perhaps it would be prudent to exchange information, share professional currency among peers?" Wasp smiles, his almond-shaped purple eyes jovial despite being far below the surface in a dusty tomb.
Yang shuffles forward and leans heavily on his staff. He remains quiet, observing the strangers warily.
Perception
Yang takes in a few simple details: the elf, Wasp, wears a holy symbol of the goddess Callistria around his neck. The half-ogre, "Brawn", has a bulky pack on his shoulders; either they're planning a long expedition or they've found some plunder of their own in the Ossuary.
Kua nods to the three in turn. Wasp of Oriat, Issik, Brawn. Good to meet you, I am called Kua. I don't think that a little information swapping could hurt. Let's start with how you gained entrance to this place.
"We scaled the faces in the Storval Rise outside and made our way in through the Godsmouth itself. A harrowing prospect, neh? But we managed. Wouldn't due to disturb the upstairs neighbors without good cause, after all. And how did you find your way in? Should I surmise you and your companions are here in an official capacity, Kua?", Wasp responds lightly.
Yang chuckles at the man's words. In his thickest accent, even stressing it more than usual, he says, "You may surmise as you wish, of course. We are here as we choose to be. And it is nice to meet you. I am Chen Yangzhun, but call me Yang."
Yang looks them over to see if they carry the rock-climbing gear that would be needed to scale the outside.
perception
"A pleasure, Yang.", Wasp replies before he's cut off.
"You sound funny.", Brawn says, scratching his nose
"Well you look funny.", says Issik, the birdman- speaking for the first time in a dead-on mimic of the half-ogre's voice.
"CUT IT OUT, I DON'T LIKE THAT!", storms Brawn before Wasp holds up a placating hand.
Yang notices several coils of rope on the party and a wayward strap hanging from Brawn's pack- it could be part of a climbing harness or maybe he just didn't secure his belongings very well.
As Kua and Yang speak with the three newcomers, Sister Mara remains hidden in the passageway studying the trespassers and listening carefully to what they say - and what they don't say.
Kua waits for the birdman and the ogre to stop bickering before continuing. I am here to map. The half orc lifts and arm to show the slate grid attached to his back.
Most things that we've encountered in these halls now lie dead. There are a few exceptions though. There is a necromancer woman about with two skeletal cohorts. She may or may not pose a threat to you. There is also a worm like creature that can be bargained with for information. It seems to know a bit about this place and will share that information for a few coins. Though, I still think that tying it's neck in a knot could have gained us the same results...
What about you? What have you encountered so far?
"Thus far we've fended off a swarm of flesh-eating cockroaches..", Wasp replies before Brawn groans, seemingly at the memory.
"... several creatures with hideous mouths, doglike legs and the bodies of beautiful women. A zombie almost exploded on us in one of the tombs and we fought a skeletal warrior in another- you say you've been through much of the complex, neh?"
I'm not sure just how much of this place that we've covered, though we may be able to fill in some of the blanks together. Kua pulls the slate map from the side of his pack.
Have you mapped your progress at all? We could save each other some time if we compare notes.
"Thus far we've fended off a swarm of flesh-eating cockroaches..", Wasp replies before Brawn groans, seemingly at the memory.
"... several creatures with hideous mouths, doglike legs and the bodies of beautiful women. A zombie almost exploded on us in one of the tombs and we fought a skeletal warrior in another- you say you've been through much of the complex, neh?"
"These creatures you discovered are curious. Did you defeat them all, or are some left?"
I'm not sure just how much of this place that we've covered, though we may be able to fill in some of the blanks together. Kua pulls the slate map from the side of his pack.
Have you mapped your progress at all? We could save each other some time if we compare notes.
"Of course, Kua. We're quite happy to make things a bit simpler for all of us. Let me see..."
Wasp pulls out a rolled up piece of parchment with some hasty marking on it. From what you see, the trio has explored much of the southwestern portion of the complex. At the end of the hall outside the Archives is a octagonal room where they say they found a swarm of cockroaches. A long hallway leads north to south from around that point, branching off to a stairway to the cathedral and a route south. In the very southwest corner, he explains where his group entered the Ossuary. East of their entrance is a series of tombs dedicated to different motifs, according to Wasp. Finally, they found their way into the Cathedral again through a secret passage behind the Runelord of Wrath. The elf gladly marks out the rest of the complex on his own map off of yours."Well, Yang, I'm afraid to say that we had no choice but to slay the strange things- but their corpses are down here in these crypts or preparatory chambers. Shouldn't be difficult to make some examinations, considering all the tools you'd need are in there as well...."
Wasp dabs some of the ink from his quill, sealing his inkpot again.
"Quite helpful, very much obliged. I have just one more question- did you happen to find a small bronze sphere somewhere in the Ossuary?", he inquires nonchalantly.
Kua begins referencing the elf's map and making his own notes. Lost in his work for the moment, the half orc answers Wasp's question absently, shaking his head. No. I don't believe so.
At the elf's mention of a small bronze sphere, Sister Mara thinks about the bronze ball resting at the bottom of her backpack - the bronze ball which she and her companions recovered earlier from the iris of the feathered eye statue bearing an inscription referring to a coming apocalypse.
"A bronze sphere? I must guess it is some magical treasure, yes? Can I ask what it is you seek?"
DM Screen:
"Well, of course it won't be that easy.", Wasp says,"It is an item that a client desires- that's all I can say. If you do happen to find it, though, please seek me out and we can work out a trade- the rooms we explored had more than just vermin and monsters in it."
Kua nods as he finishes up his drawing and begins putting his utensils away. Where should we look for you if we find something? Will you be staying in Kaer Maga?
"Aye, should you find what we seek, inquire at the Satyr's Beard in Hospice- the bartender will see that we receive any messages. Well, I believe we've taken enough of your time- let's see what this goblin snake has to offer. Farewell to you all and your companions."
Wasp bows and the trio moves back toward the statue of Runelord Alzanist and the open passage behind.
And to you too. Kua watches the three adventures leave and turns to move back to where Auron and Jhaik wait.
Well, that could have gone worse. Kua places the slate grid on the ground in front of him and traces a finger along newly marked lines.
We were able to fill in this last quarter or so of the map from Wasp's notes. Looks like all we have left is to check behind the rest of these statues in the central cathedral and we'll have covered the whole place.
"That sounds good. But let's keep an eye out for those three. There's something about them I just don't trust," Sister Mara says, warily eyeing the secret passage through which the strange trio departed.
The hidden door swings open with ease, revealing a stone passageway leading about ten feet forward before taking a turn to the right.
"Keep a sharp eye out," Sister Mara warns her companions, stepping through the doorway and carefully examining the passageway before her for traps.
"I will try. But mine are often dull, sadly."
perception
Sister Mara's keen eyes catch sight of a series of fine filaments stretched across the floor a few feet from the tomb's entrance. With her eyes, she follows the strands up to the ceiling where a sharp glaive is a affixed on a swinging joint, ready to fall on the unwary.
Sister Mara offers a quick prayer to the Dawnflower as she attempts to disarm the trap.
With clever fingers and great care, Sister Mara attempts to unwind the filament without triggering the trap. Very close to the end, however, she makes a false move and the glaive swivels down from the ceiling with great force!
Glaive attack vs. Sister Mara:
Damage:
Though she ducks, the blade clips Sister Mara's shoulder and nearly knocks her to the floor, leaving a bloody wound.
"Found it!" Sister Mara announces shakily, glancing at the wound in her shoulder.
The glaive swings slowly back into its niche, the filament running taut.
DM Screen:
Maybe I can lend a hand this time.
Kua looks to Sister Mara "Hmm, this one is complex. Do you feel comfortable trying again? If not, I can give it a shot."
"I'll give it another try. Here, let me give both of us a bit of divine guidance," Sister Mara says, offering a brief prayer to her Goddess.