"Yes, that is correct. In addition to using the forge for new weapons and armor, with the power of Agrimmosh, you can magically resize all magical items... be that giant sized or halfling sized."
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Dario manages another hit, but again the hardness of the creature makes it difficult to kill. Now it turns its attention to the profess and swings again.
The strange ceramic egg found on the man's body appears to be some sort of good luck charm or favored bauble, worth at most 5 gp. It is not magical. Varian notices a hidden seam while examining the egg. DC 15 Disable Device check:
You open the egg along this seam, revealing a carving of a gagged human skull concealed in the egg’s interior—the symbol of the Whispering Way. "You'll get nothing from me!" the man growls. The wagon appears to be a simple wagon with a broken wheel. It was probably just a ruse to lure you in, but you managed to avoid the ambush.
The statue turns its attention to Kenji.
You are able to destroy the ghouls without too much trouble. Searching the man reveals a potion (shield of faith +4), Large scorpion
(this includes the +2 poisoned dagger you disarmed early).
Dario's blade gets deflected.
"Agrimmosh! The Hammer of Unmaking!" The ancient slag giant continues. “In times now lost, my ancestors built the sacred forge in the cathedral above to honor He Who Makes and Unmakes. Minderhal’s Forge is a repository of awesome power, but long have its fires lain cold. Only with Minderhal’s great hammer, Agrimmosh can the effects of long ages be unmade and
“I, Etena, am Keeper of the Forge. I inherited my position from those who walked this world before me, and those before them. I am the guardian of the sacred forge, but I am not its creator. Were that the case, I would have long ago renewed its fire, but this task is beyond my ability. You, however—you, the bearers of the Hammer of Unmaking—you have the power to relight the forge. But first, you must learn its history and what must be done.” "I am the last living descendant of the ancient slag giants who immigrated to this valley after converting to the worship of Minderhal. Long ago, the elder priests of the cathedral appointed me to the revered position of Keeper of the Forge, a post I have held for centuries, even after the giants abandoned the valley and the cathedral above. It has been so quiet here for so long, until all these giants started gathering here." She looks sad, as she continues her tail. "So long I was the cathedral’s sole inhabitant, and every day since the forge went cold, I lit candles and laid prayer symbols in the dust to honor Minderhal and bless the forge. In the hundreds of years that have come and gone, I came to believe that should Agrimmosh, the Hammer of Unmaking ever be returned to the cathedral, the sacred forge will once more roar into life, heralding a new age of glory for the cathedral and the worship of Minderhal! You are here to fulfill this destiny!" Waiting briefly to make sure you are still listening, she continues with her history lesson. “According to the sacred texts, four ancient heroes first brought Minderhal’s Forge to life. " “The first was Mymrith the Maker, priestess of Fandarra, who prepared fallen warriors for the afterlife by anointing their bodies with sacred clay. She lined the forge with the clay to contain the fire within." “The second was Aduromi, the Priestess of Crystals, whose veins ran hot with molten metal and who could temper steel to a hardness that would cut diamonds. She brought with her the secrets of the fire geodes, which once ignited would burn for a century." “The third was Jogrothir the Hunter, guardian of the sacred horn Drakesbane, which he used to call the ancient drakes native to the surrounding peaks. Jogrothir brought the forge to life, for he alone was able to capture the dragon’s breath, the only flame hot enough to ignite the fire geodes." “The last was Rosag, the Preserver of the Forge. A great priestess of Minderhal, Rosag held the secrets of water—both its ability to temper metal as well as its capacity to quench the sacred flames. She performed the Blessing of Rosag, the final incantation that stoked the fires and sanctified the forge." “Only by following in the footsteps of the blessed ancients, by repeating those acts which have been undone, shall the fires of Minderhal’s Forge once again blossom.” "Will you help me?"
As Pontia slams an acid bolt into the mans bak, Varian rushes up behind him and knocks him out with the guard on his rapier.
He is not caught by the chain, and feels the grease appear at his feet. He manages to retain his footing, however, and keeps moving - but more slowly and carefully.
The statue swings at Dario.
Druamin pulls out a blur potion and hunkers down, while Skarn and Trox turn invisible. Round 5 shows a couple of ogres poking their heads out long enough to see where the non-invisible of you are. None are offering a clear shot, however. A few rounds pass, and you start to hear a war chant. Then you see 4 ogres emerge carrying tower shields, and moving forward carefully. Behind them, 4 more file out. Then another 4 more. Then another. And then the leader you saw on the wall. Some of them are carrying large rocks, probably with the intent to hurl them when closer. We will resume at round 10, unless someone has any action they would like to perform in the meanwhile?
Varian AoO before man moves away
Vivian manages to avoid the man's swipe, and watches as he tries to get up.
Dario's blade hits the statue squarely, but it is made out of hard stuff, and doesn't quite do full damage.
Erond puts two more arrows in the injured ogre, and it is enough to bring him down. Jakaros, with his guidance boost, shoots at the next one. Both arrows miss the target.
Vale takes a few more potshots, too, but has a little more success.
Kaven also shoots an arrow. It is a lucky shot, catching the ogre right in the eye! It also drops dead.
The two ogres continue their charge.
The axe is quite ineffective.
Lucian's shot destroys only 1 cat, which seems very ineffective against the swarm. Cardshark has much better luck (yes, +50%) - burning many of the creatures.
As Lucien approaches the doors, cats come out from everywhere. But these cats are decayed, skeletal, and even missing parts. Clearly, something is wrong, as they group together into a swarm! Initiative:
The other 3 archers also take shots at the ogres.
Two arrows strike home, but the ogres keep coming.
After a lively discussion of horses and gear, Lady Rauls says, "You should hunt down the missing Taldan Horse regiment and find out more
An earthy scent fills this large chamber. The ceiling and walls are tiled with stone, but the ground is bare earth. Stone benches are set against the east and west walls, and torch holders are mounted in the corners and on either side of a wide doorway to the west. The beginnings of several shallow, rough passages have been started along the eastern wall and in the southwest corner, but the excavations are incomplete, ending in earth and rubble after only a few feet. At the south end of the room, a short, wide flight of steps descends to a set of stone double doors.
The remaining moving statue moves incredibly fast, swinging repeastedly at Zeta, but only one leaves a scratch.
Lady Carmellio Rauls deals primarily in armor, weapons, and equestrian gear; she holds a lucrative contract to supply the Taldan Horse.
The air in this chamber is cool. The walls and ceilings are tiled with stone, but the floor is hard-packed earth, giving the area an unfinished quality. A long stone table rests against the western wall, flanked by two large brass urns. Two passages lead north and east out of the room.
Lady Gewbell immediately seems to trust Sara, and does open up to her. She appears to have her finger on the pulse of the common people of Yanmass. She worries most about the plague of disturbing dreams, aware that there have been several suicides and bands of haunted-eyed townspeople wandering the town in a stupor. She also mentions rumors of a local conspiracy theorist, a woman named Caradinna Farkin, who has long been known to make erratic proclamations about the “secret masters” in town. Recently, Farkin had become increasingly strident and insistent, even accosting a few of the council members in the streets. However, Farkin hasn’t been seen in the last 2 days, and Councilor Gewbell wonders whether she didn’t stumble onto some genuine clues. She passes along another rumor that someone is hiding out in Hedge Hill, and that anyone lurking there must be hiding from something important. ---------------- Bimble has more limited results, and feels there is more not being said. He does discover that Lady Hallianna Cobbin owns several large orchards and ranches in the outskirts of Yanmass. Her father was the chief manager for an heirless human aristocrat who bequeathed both her lands and her title to her favorite employee, making the Cobbins the only halfling family to ever sit on the Mercantile Council. Councilor Cobbin is not particularly political, but she considers Earl Merkondus to be talented, urbane, and exceptionally handsome (she has a weakness for taller men). “That Caradinna Farkin gets herself worked up, for sure. She’s always yammering about the ‘true powers in town’ and how sheets of lead protect you from mind-controlling magic. She’s locked herself in her house, I hear.” Later, she says " “Have you seen the weirdo in the red bird mask? I have! Yesterday at sundown he was crouched at the top of a building over by that old theater, watching the street. Creepy fellow, but I guess if he was gonna do more that mope about, he’d have done it by now. I hope.”
2 ogres charge forward toward the group (double move).
You don't sense anything suspicious among the group, but you might have more luck talking to many of them individually if you are trying to suss more information out of them.
"Excellent!" She leads you back into the cathedral, past the alter, and triggers a secret door in the statue. She leads you down a set of stairs. Dust covers the floor and cobwebs drape the walls of this broad oval chamber. Near the center of the room stands a pillar of cemented soot-blackened stones illuminated by the waxy lumps of crude candles and surrounded by a ring of mystic symbols fashioned out of metallic dust sprinkled on the floor. To the south stand a large chair and a table laid with a single place setting, a clay bowl, a pitcher of water, and pot of gruel. A large framed box filled with straw and covered with a couple of heavy quilts and a few oversized pillows lies farther east beyond the pillar. While the room initially appears empty, a venerable slag giant lurks in the darkness, and then comes toward you. "Who are these small ones, Ferin? Why have you brought them here?" Ferin turns to you. "Please show her."
It did bleed and bruise. In fact, you can now see that the "bandages" are not cloth, but perhaps some sort of skin that hangs off in weird patches. You don't find anything of value in this area. Nothing stands out as unusual.
With the mask he is wearing, it is hard to see that he is shaken, but you know it is true.
The absent minded Kenji :) strikes the statute twice, and the adamantine sword cuts like butter. The statue crumbles into pieces.
The statue barely remains upright, and Zeta's attacks are blocked.
So sorry to hear about you grandmother. Take whatever time you need for you and your family - we'll still be here when you're ready.
Varian feels weaker (1 Str dmg), but it doesn't prevent him from stabbing the man. He was hopeful it was a vital stab, but alas the man was able to twist ever so slightly and avoid the worst of it.
The man is prone, and seems loathe to get up.
Upon closer examination, you are not entirely sure. It looks like a mummy, but the "guts" are not petrified. Maybe it was a man wrapped to look like a mummy, but that doesn't explain the adhesive properties.
Edgar cuts the head off of the creature, but his axe sticks fast to the neck. Luckily, the creature is dead, and the adhesive weakens fairly quickly.
Kenji swings big, but it is pushed aside. Both statues seem to cast spells. Spellcraft, DC 18:
Both cast Haste on themselves.
"Why? Why? Why to look at the face of my god! Well, maybe not all that, but this whole cathedral was build in worship of Minderhal! My mentor has been caretaker, waiting to re-light the forge. I suspect it could prove to be quite useful to you as well." "Etern is the one you should talk to, though. Please, let me take you to her."
A few of the council reluctantly raise their hands, and tell a bit about what they have experienced. Although the dreamers don’t go into lurid detail, it’s clear that the dreams involve unbridled lust and cannibalism. DC 15 Sense Motive check: You notice that those expressing the content of their dreams all see to be Loyalists.
Vivian:
Yes, evil definitely is within the cart! Of course, this is also about to be obvious. Pontia (botting) starts casting, and suddenly a large hole appears under the wagon, dropping it into a 20' deep pit. "We can pay for any damages later." As the wagon hits the bottom, two undead creatures crawl out of the hay in the back, but don't really have a way out of the pit. The man growls. "You really are the biggest pains in our collective ass..." He quickly pulls another dagger from under his cloak and swipes at Varian.
Whereas before they simply aw rustling, they now see the dwarf. Ogres aren't bright, but they aren't that dumb either. Of the four you see, one of them is obviously the leader, and he sends two of them your way, and sends the other somewhere deeper into the fort.
Initiative:
Round 1 - distance = 300 ft apart. Everyone except Trox is up. You can cast spells, close the gap (up to a 4x move run), or do something else. The rangers start preparing their bows.
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