Fazaam relaxes, fully in the zen-like state that most non-elves mistake for sleep. Meanwhile, Hasan quietly gets up from where he is 'sleeping' and slowly and silently makes his way to Ghari's pack,... again.
Ghari's hand reaches for a rock as he watches Hasan creep over to his sack. ~sigh~ "It's all got his spit on it anyway...."
Marwan takes stock in the dawn's gloaming
"By the hand of Najm, I cast my fate to the Winds of Fortune this day."
Spot=1d20=17, Listen=1d20+3=18
As Marwan comes out near the top of the volcano, he sees a group breaking camp. They consist of Ghari, Fazaam, a gnome, an elf with a greenish cast to his skin and a massive half-orc.
They do not notice Marwan at first.
Before the party is a walkway of flagstones under three arches. Beyond the party is the dark hole of a missing flagstone.
Either side are high earthen banks and Marwan may see a small figure scamper out of sight from one ridge. He may not, perhaps it was his imagination after all the last day was a bad one for his body and mind.
----
"By the blessings of Fortune's fickle fingers! Ghari, Fazaam ... I am so happy to see you!"
"By the blessings of Fortune's fickle fingers! Ghari, Fazaam ... I am so happy to see you!"
Fazaam looks quickly to Ghari, then back to Marwan.
"Greetings Marwan," Fazaam replies, not coldly, but cautiously. "To what do we owe the honor of your company? Is the Witch getting impatient? It hasn't been nearly a week yet." He says, not bothering to hide the fact that he is looking for the 'others' that he expects to be accompanying Marwan.
As Marwan comes out near the top of the volcano, he sees a group breaking camp. They consist of Ghari, Fazaam, a gnome, an elf with a greenish cast to his skin and a massive half-orc.
They do not notice Marwan at first.
Before the party is a walkway of flagstones under three arches. Beyond the party is the dark hole of a missing flagstone.
Either side are high earthen banks and Marwan may see a small figure scamper out of sight from one ridge. He may not, perhaps it was his imagination after all the last day was a bad one for his body and mind.
Fazaam looks quickly to Ghari, then back to Marwan.
"Greetings Marwan," Fazaam replies, not coldly, but cautiously. "To what do we owe the honor of your company? Is the Witch getting impatient? It hasn't been nearly a week yet." He says, not bothering to hide the fact that he is looking for the 'others' that he expects to be accompanying Marwan.
Marwan advances towards the group slowly, keeping his hands in plain sight
The Witch sent several of us to garner provisions in the jungle. Hassan, Ibrahim and Mumtaz were with me, may Najm safely navigate their souls to the Furthest Shore."
Marwan experiences a full body shiver
"I was in the jungle collecting fruits when I heard a scream. When I returned to our ship, a group of monstrosities were tearing the shore party apart. There was a man in a tattered robe whose are was covered in some sort of giant suckers. He ripped into Ibrahim's chest like it was paper! Then another demon literally chewed the face off Mumtaz! The worst part was this pig-like demon with two tentacles that chased down Hassan. The man in the robe was some sort of dark sorceror and he shot Hassan with a bolt of blackness. The pig demon devoured him. Then the man in the robe directed his porcine minion to find me!"
Marwan shivers again, his large frame quaking
"I didn't stay to hear more. I ran towards you all this past day, hoping that perhaps someone was left alive on this accursed island."
Marwan stops in thought.
"The robed tentacled man also said that he was going to take over the Sea Harem. If we are to leave this horrible island we need to do something!"
Marwan begins to look a bit wild-eyed.
Fazaam looks quickly to Ghari, then back to Marwan.
Upon noticing Marwan, Ghari picks up his bow. He tells the others, "This is Marwan, one of the pirate crew." Then he stands
to Fazaam's left, ready to nock and fire. Also looking around for other crew members.
Fazaam holds out his hand to Ghari in a 'hold' motion, then takes a step closer to Marwan.
"If what you say is true, then we're in more trouble than I thought." He looks at Ghari and the others again.
"We knew there was still something out there, but not how many. And it seems our little 'darkness' friends can, and will, take over anything they can if there are tentacled pigs running around. This tentacled sorcerer concerns me most though, especially if he's after the ship. We can't let him get to,..." HE looks at Ghari again, then stares at Marwan with a steely gaze. As if he is trying to see beneath the surface. Finally he blinks.
"Marwan, I have observed you upon the ship, and you seem a decent fellow. I do not know your story, but I am betting it is similar to our own. If you will swear that you do not serve the sea witch willingly, and that you mean no harm to any gathered here. I will accept your word."
He turns to the rest. "He is not one of the sea witch's bully-boys, that we can vouch for. And if what he says is true, we could use all the help we can get."
"well I don't mind a bit more fodder fer da grinder, you say we can trust this guy I say fine, da more da merrier, but we gots to get what we came for."
Shulim glances over the dig site.
"Right now any ding wit a pulse is fine in O'Shulim's books."
Roman watches the pirate with a nonplussed glare, listening to his story, before addressing his companions.
"Well it seems that at best, either the sea witch or the tentacled mage will destroy the other and we can swoop in on the injured one, or that at least they can keep each other occupied, while we figure out what is happening on this island and how to escape it. The abomination that was zatari still lurks below the ruins, and I for one do not think it a coincidence that the excavation started at the same time as all these ... events. I think we should go back down, and at least clean your families name of this insult, perhaps find more information or explanation of what exactly is going on. After that perhaps we stop it if we are able perhaps we don't if we are not, but we can then escape in good conscience.
"Easy for you to say, Roman. Your sister's not on that ship! If that sorceror does take over the ship, he'll leave no one alive. With respect to Fudrick, I say we seal up this hole and head down to the beach. Save the living now and come back later for the dead."
Roman replies coldly. Maybe, Maybe not, but if the sorcerer is powered by something down below, wouldn't you rather have knowledge of it before hand? A sorcerer covered in tentacles seems simular to what zatari has become...
Yawning from his graveyard shift, Roman stands up his slender gear already stowed and ready to go. either way, I will accompany, and as you said, I have no family aboard the ship, so I will go whatever way the tides drag me
"Oi, mate I don't like dis any more din you, But Roman's right, we gots ta know what makes des tings tic. We ain't gonna be no use if we goes off without knowing more about deez beasts. Right now we just know dat tings don't die but we ain't knowing why yet. O'Shulim's got his suspicions, as I tink da rest of us do, but I wants to learn all I can a'for O'Shulim tangles wit dem again!"
Fazaam puts a hand on Ghari's shoulder.
"Easy Ghar, You know I'm with you on this one. But they also have a point. Let's assume that the tentacled sorcerer CAN wipe up the deck with the sea witch. That's one problem down, but We knew what we were dealing with when we planned to take her on. If he does win, we need to know how to take HIM down instead."
He looks unhappily back towards the hole. "Everything has a weakness. We need to find out how to defeat these horrors. OTHER than 'beat on it till it stops moving'." He flashes a quick grin at the half-orc. "No offense Yrar. It does have it appeal. Simplicity for one. But if there is another way to dispose of these things, I want to find it."
He sighs and mumbles to Ghari, "I keep telling myself I'm going to leave my family and everything else behind, but it keeps coming back to them. And the first thing they taught me was 'knowledge is power'."
The morning light provides shadowy illumination down below.
The hole inside looks down into a large oval chamber, at least forty feet around. Twelve large urns are surrounded by a thick mist, which shrouds the ground. The hole is directly over a series of iron rungs set in one wall. The middle urn glitters silver from within and is open to the light, all the rest have lids, carved with lines that rise to a point.
Now two more urns have their lids removed as well thanks to Fazaam and Shulim.
The arches and columns show numerous texts all scribed in angular writing. One or two motifs and pictures show humanoids in procession and crowns all inset into larger circles.
Marwan - Intelligence check DC20/Decipher Script DC15
Anyone stood by the hole gets that same faint whiff of sweetness.
Marwan - Knowledge (Dungeon/Engineering) DC15
Marwan, I have observed you upon the ship, and you seem a decent fellow. I do not know your story, but I am betting it is similar to our own. If you will swear that you do not serve the sea witch willingly, and that you mean no harm to any gathered here. I will accept your word."
Marwan looks at Fazaam
"I think many on that ship have fallen prey to the devious Witch, Fazaam. I swear by the name of the Forunate One that I do not serve the Witch willingly, and I further swear if you let me stay with you I will be your good right hand."
Marwan looks over at the pit in the ground. Drawn to it, he walks over
INT check 1d20+2=8, Decipher script 1d20+4=16
Marwan peers into the hole
"What in the name of Najm the Fortunate?"
Marwan squints to see the glyphs graven on the urns.
"Seem to be about a death ritual. What was in those urns?"
Marwan catches a whiff of the cloying honey smell
Knowlege: Dungeoneering 1d20+2=22
"I smell honey gas down there. This whole place could blow."
One final thing of note.
There is a cold grey hand stretched several feet up out of the mist next to the crack. In it is clasped a book.
Ghari grudgingly agrees to explore the chamber -- until noon. Then he'll speak again.
***
"Okay, who's going down for the book?"
"The gas is, explosive?!?" Fazaam asks wide eyed. HE gulps as he remembers just how close he was to lighting a torch yesterday before the sea-elf pulled out the sunrod.
"I wondered about the images." He admits to Marwan. "I mean, I thought that's what they were, but I couldn't tell for sure."
Fazaam looks in the hole, at the hand holding the book, at the deadly gas, and at Ghari.
"I went in yesterday. Seems to me it's YOUR turn!" He declares.
Roman Smiles,
"Explosive you say, Everyone Back Off, We Can't go back in there"
Roman runs to the edge of the encampment and makes a makeshift torch, which he lights and then from as far as possible he hucks into the hole
Roman Thinks contently to himself,
Ghari grudgingly agrees to explore the chamber -- until noon. Then he'll speak again.
***"Okay, who's going down for the book?"
Even though leery of another pirate crew member. Fudrick decides to follow Ghari and Fazaams lead.
Listening to the discussion he finds Roman's opinions mirror his own. "I agree, we need to know what we are dealing with here before hand. It is possible my cousin unearthed the tomb of this fellow by the beach who in turn cursed everyone else. There has to be a clue of some kind down there."
"You see the journal?" Leaving common sense behind Fudrick immediately climbs down the ladder oblivious to the newcomers revelation on the gas or runes.
Fudrick does enter the Chamber as Roman makes his torch.
Roman Smiles,
"Explosive you say, Everyone Back Off, We Can't go back in there"
Roman runs to the edge of the encampment and makes a makeshift torch, which he lights and then from as far as possible he hucks into the hole
Roman Thinks contently to himself,
"Wait! Could be some papers or scrolls down der! You could blow the whole place up . . . gods knows how many pots you might smash in the process! Tink Roman, tink. Tings go bad din ya, we blows er up."
Fazaam watches as Fudrick climbs into the chamber, then is suddenly yells in pain as Hasan excitedly pulls his hair and screams as he sees the torch nearing.
After listening to Shulim, and untangling Hasan from his hair, Fazaam adds,
"Yes, hold please Roman. At least let Fudrick retrieve the book. I would rather save blowing it up as a last resort. If the creatures return perhaps, or if those in the urns escape."
Roman shouts you fool as fudrick enters the chamber, holding back on the torch, roman hastily snubs it out.
Roman looks bewildered about, He can't fight in there, all it takes is a spark, its a wonder it did not blow up the night before when i was fighting the beast, and that dolt was throwing stone lids, One little spark and kaboom
Roman sits down at the edge of the clearing, obviously distressed. Roman gathers new materials to make a torch and waits.
For future checks be aware that Knowledge checks are trained only (unless I say otherwise). However under the circumstances I'd rather the party didn't blow up. You can all thank the sea elf's luck that he had a sunrod last night when you first entered...
Marwan sees the greenish elf ready to light a torch and throw it in the hole ... just as he was about to say something the others chime in.
"Whew! That could have been quite interesting."
Marwan looks around at the group.
"I believe before we all get embroiled with torches and explosive gas, some introductions are in order. My name is Marwan Al-Bahri, lately a gentleman of the seas. Fazaam and Ghari I have seen aboard the Sea Harem but discussions among crewmembers were frowned upon. I was shanghaied by the Witch's crew almost a year ago, and I have served on her ever since. Although my encounter with these tentacled fiends has not been pleasant, the Book of the Navigator says 'A wise man sets his course by how the wind blows'. I am not happy to deal with demons, but I will thank Almighty Najm that I have slipped the bonds of that harridan Zerea."
Marwan skteches a bow to the company
"Could this humble sailor ask your names?"
As Fudrick scrambles down the ladder he faintly hears someone say "fool". Not sure if they were talking to him or not he ignores it.
Spot and Search checks (1d20=4, 1d20=17)
"Where is it? Where is the stupid journal!" He scrambles around trying to find it in the swirling mist. Careful not to disturb any urns. Once he finds the journal he tucks it into waist and decides to take a look at the crack. Hoping to find a trace of Zartari or a clue as to what happened.
Search and spot near crack (1d20=13, 1d20=20)
He swipes at faint images of his family floating just out of site, "Zartari, what the hell happened here? I have lost my family, and before I could see you I lose you to." He wipes tears from his eyes. "Hettama, I beseech you for the strength to continue. Let me find the way to bring justice to those guilty of my family's slaughter."
Marwan skteches a bow to the company
"Could this humble sailor ask your names?"
"Yer Marwan?" Ahulim asks, "me names Shulim Al'Bheddah, but ye can call me Shulim."
Roman rather inattentively says "Roman" before setting back down to watch the hole.
[spot and listen 10,11 respectively for signs of death and dying]
Roman hears the voice of Fudrick, but no death or dying yet.
Fudrick's hand clasps at a small backpack lying next to the crack. It is Zartari's and contains his equipment. There is the chink, clink of flasks within.
Also Fudrick can see that a small but steady stream of honey gas is pouring up from the crack into the chamber slowly but surely.
The cold grey hand relinquishes the notebook. It is a thick Badasah book covered in waterproofing. A cursory flick through shows that it will take several days to read properly, since it has dozens of pictures, inscriptions and side notes attached. Zartari was keen but not so very organised.
Fudrick
I have just argued with Mokarin again. He is not trustworthy and I shall send him home after we complete the examination of the urns. Mokarin may want to open the silver urn but it belonged to the high cult leader and who knows what dangers the favoured of Tellora may possess?
Yes I shall deal with Mokarin soon.
Shouldering the backpack, fighting back his tears he goes over to the hand sticking out of the mist. Fudrick kneels down to see if he can find what is left of his cousin.
If there is a body attached to the arm he does a pretty thorough search of it. Once satisfied that no clue is left in the chamber he yells up for the end of some rope so Zartari's corpse can be pulled up.
Spot; Search in area of arm (1d20=18, 1d20=13)
While waiting for the rope he takes a look around the room to see if he can find any clues to about the person mentioned in the journal.
search for signs of others (1d20=12)
Once the end of the rope is lowered down he securely ties his cousins body to it and helps it up and out of the hole.
As soon as he is topside he explains what he has found and reads the last journal entry page out.
After that he carefully sets down Zartari's pack and goes through the contents.
The crack is several feet long, running vertically from the foot. It would take a good deal of dirt to fill the narrow fissure and a certain amount of time. Also earth may not stop the honey gas penetrating the Chamber.
Zartari's body is cold to the touch and moves like jelly. It quickly becomes apparent that it cannot to lifted or roped.
Fudrick cannot find any other items relating to the exploration down below. However it would take several hours to do a thorough search of the chamber, its walls and floor, especially because of the thick honey gas.
However there are three urns, two clay, one silver, that no one has searched as yet...
While Fudrick is in the Chamber of Urns, Ghari approaches Marwan. "Marwan, we've not crossed each other aboard the ship. As Krakis has thrown us together, I'll accept you as ally now.
How is Temusa? "
Fazaam kneels at the edge of the hole, watching Fudrick with loaded bow in case anything attacks. Hasan sits, strangely muted, also watching the tableau below.
You swear you see Fazaam's pointed ears perk up at the mention of Ghari's sister.
Marwan
The last tale told of Temusa, was that she had been taken out of captivity and made to act as Zerea's handmaiden. Still alive but no longer beaten.
"Ghari, you know how life was on the Sea Harem. Zerea has a hold on her crew that is downright diabolical. Najm turned his face from me the day I crossed her path. As for Temusa, your sister was in good health last I saw her. She had been taken out of captivity and Zerea was using her as a handmaiden. She was no longer being beaten, and had improved somewhat from before."
As for Temusa, your sister was in good health last I saw her. She had been taken out of captivity and Zerea was using her as a handmaiden. She was no longer being beaten, and had improved somewhat from before."
"Blessings on you and your sons for that news."
As for Temusa, your sister was in good health last I saw her. She had been taken out of captivity and Zerea was using her as a handmaiden. She was no longer being beaten, and had improved somewhat from before."
Fazaam bows his head in either relief, or silent prayer. When he looks up he echoes Ghari's words.
"Blessings upon you Marwan. Where there is life, there is always hope. Something the Sea Witch does not, yet, understand. But she will,..." He finishes with an unusually grim look on his usually cheerful face.
"Tis all good news den . . . cept da part about the demons and what not on the beach looking ta take da ship. Sounds like we gots nothing but smooth sailing from here on out"
"While I agree with my new diminutive friend here that we have something to fear with these demons, I believe the Navigator has set a challenging course for us for a reason. If not for the demons, may they be sent back to the blackest hell from which they crawled, Fazaam, Ghari and I would still be under the thumb of Zerea. This is our chance to fall upon two enemies while their forces are in disarray. "
Marwan pauses to mop his brow in the early dawn humidity
"But before we go further I would like to look around and see if there is anything my humble sailor's eye can learn about this site."
Marwan flits from arch to arch, and peers down the pit, squinting and muttering as he tries to dredge up his lessons in ancient scripts
Marwan's efforts reveal that the high cult leader of dwarves followed Tellora. The rituals of death referred to the end of the cult and the end of the leader and his servants.
This occupies two or three hours of intensive study. The worn surfaces mean any greater detail is out of reach of Marwan's examinations.
Zartari's backpack
The backpack contains a set of picks and tools. This is a small set but beautifully made (they provide a +2 mastewrwork bonus to disable device only).
There are also three small loaves of gnomish lemon and raisin bread. Fudrick's aunt used to make it well. Zatari obviously could too when the bread is tasted.
Finally there are two sealed glass pots. Each is marked with a stylised B for Badasah. One is red and one is cloudy blue.
Fazaam looks over Fudrick's shoulder at the jars.
"I recognized the jar of dirt, but I have no clue what these are, sorry."
He says after taking a glance.
Knowledge (Arcana) Or Spellcraft: (Both the same bonus) (1d20+8=9)
There are nine unopened clay urns. They bear the motifs of moons, servants, guardians and soldiers.
One of the two open clay urns has a small masterwork scimitar inside and its jewelled scabbard worth 100 gold. Between them they contain 250 copper s and 110 silvers. These coins are covered in a gritty, grey and yellowed dust.
The silver urn dozens of inscriptions written in dwarven, referring to the high cult leader of Tellora. There are also several symbols of moon and stars and silver.
There is 600 silver pieces, brightly shining. Also there is a potion bottle containing a shimmering turquoise liquid.
By now, the sun has risen fully. It is heading towards noon and Marwan has completed his search.