"Well lets go see this smith and see if he has anything to replace my javelins"
Once the guards depart, staying in the shadows, Gal flows back to humanoid form. Once done, he'll head with the party wherever they decide to go. Being in a foul mood after having to hide from the guards, he says little to nothing.
"We'd best get in touch with the local authorities to let them know we'll be looking into that dig at the center of all this."
"We'd best get in touch with the local authorities to let them know we'll be looking into that dig at the center of all this."
Gin shakes his head in approval and continues on.
"We'd best get in touch with the local authorities to let them know we'll be looking into that dig at the center of all this."
"Good idea. Should we find Soll? I hope nothing has happened to him."
"We'd best get in touch with the local authorities to let them know we'll be looking into that dig at the center of all this.""Good idea. Should we find Soll? I hope nothing has happened to him."
"Right, we should. Hope he ain't sore; think I may have hurt his feelings a little."
"Why don't you all go looking for Soll. I'm sure I can find the smithy myself. Pavel can I get a coin or two from ya before I go?" Gin takes what he needs and heads off in the direction of the smithy.
You look for several hours, but it appears that Soll doesn't want to be found. Finally you decide to retire back to your rooms, since neither a blacksmith or the town offices are open at this time of night.
SIGH
"All this way for nothing" Gin makes his way back to the inn.
When Gin returns to the inn, he sees the rest of the group sitting in the common room drinking ale and listening to music being performed by a troop of elven minstrels.
"The smith was closed, I'll have to stop by in the morning. So what's the plan for tomorrow?"
Gal lounges in his chair, tucked away into the farthest corner of the table possible. The scowl on his face indicates in is not fully comfortable in the inn, but any of his companions paying close attention to him will notice his foot is tapping in time to the music...almost unconsciously it appears.
"We'll hit the smith first thing, make sure you're stocked. Wouldn't mind hitting Tanil's shrine and making a quick prayer, but there's no need for everyone to come for that. In the mean time, I should pay you all out from what I got of those goblins' equipment; we'll need to be prepared. Got to make the right rounds and clear it with the guard, first, but all signs point us to that excavation."
He divides up the gold in his pouch: 375, minus a few coins for room and board for five, divided by five... so about 73 gold coins a piece.
He drains the last of his ale in a huge gulp and sets it down, stifling a belch.
"In the mean time, we've got music and ale. I think there's only one thing missing..."
The towering ranger stands up and extends a hand to Kelindra.
"Would the fair priestess deign to share a dance with this mud-dwelling bush fighter?"
Gin smiles and nods "Till the morning then"
With that he walk off to his room.
The next morning Gin gets his javelins and you head out to the dig site. Soon you find yourselves standing in front of two massive doors carved out of obsidian. The guards check the letter you got from the city authorities and step aside. One of them looks at you. "You have to be crazy to want to go in there," he says, "but I ain't going to try and stop ya. But I ain't openning them doors either."
"Thanks.", grumbles Pavel, "Your confidence is very reassuring."
With one last look to confirm that everyone's ready, he pushes the door open.
"Thanks.", grumbles Pavel, "Your confidence is very reassuring."
With one last look to confirm that everyone's ready, he pushes the door open.
Gin smiles at the guards as Pavel pushes the door "You'll have to excuse him. Him doesn't get his morning gruel he get awfully cranky"
"We'll hit the smith first thing, make sure you're stocked. Wouldn't mind hitting Tanil's shrine and making a quick prayer, but there's no need for everyone to come for that. In the mean time, I should pay you all out from what I got of those goblins' equipment; we'll need to be prepared. Got to make the right rounds and clear it with the guard, first, but all signs point us to that excavation."
He divides up the gold in his pouch: 375, minus a few coins for room and board for five, divided by five... so about 73 gold coins a piece.
He drains the last of his ale in a huge gulp and sets it down, stifling a belch.
"In the mean time, we've got music and ale. I think there's only one thing missing..."
The towering ranger stands up and extends a hand to Kelindra.
"Would the fair priestess deign to share a dance with this mud-dwelling bush fighter?"
Grinning and blushing, Kelindra graciously accepts.
Gin smiles at the guards as Pavel pushes the door "You'll have to excuse him. Him doesn't get his morning gruel he get awfully cranky""Thanks.", grumbles Pavel, "Your confidence is very reassuring."
With one last look to confirm that everyone's ready, he pushes the door open.
Kelindra grips the hilt of her longsword, just in case.
Gal nods his readiness to enter yet remains in his humanoid form...for now.
Inside, the ruin appears to be an ancient temple. The walls are covered with engravings of strange formless beings torturing and destroying the same person over and over again. Over every scene, the Nameless Orb of Belsemeth hanging in the sky.
Inside, the ruin appears to be an ancient temple. The walls are covered with engravings of strange formless beings torturing and destroying the same person over and over again. Over every scene, the Nameless Orb of Belsemeth hanging in the sky.
Cult artwork perhaps?
Knowledge Check (Religion) [1d20+5] = natural 1 + 5 = 6
Pavel strikes a torch and sizes up the room, careful not to touch anything.
"I'd reckon you're right on that. Seem like pleasant folks, right?"
Inside, the ruin appears to be an ancient temple. The walls are covered with engravings of strange formless beings torturing and destroying the same person over and over again. Over every scene, the Nameless Orb of Belsemeth hanging in the sky.Cult artwork perhaps?
Knowledge Check (Religion) [1d20+5] = natural 1 + 5 = 6
Kelindra seems to vaguely recall a story like this, something from before the Divine War, but nothing specific comes to mind.
Pavel strikes a torch and sizes up the room, careful not to touch anything.
"I'd reckon you're right on that. Seem like pleasant folks, right?"
Along the back wall, Pavel finds a door that is so finely carved that the gap in nearly imperceptible.
Pavel lets out a low whistle to get everyone's attention.
"Hidden door. Don't know if it's trapped or not, but you may want to stay clear and be ready...."
He opens the door.
Gin places his hand on his swords hilt as Pavel opens the door. "Let's hope for easy goings. All we need is poison gas or an explosive rune."
Pavel lets out a low whistle to get everyone's attention.
"Hidden door. Don't know if it's trapped or not, but you may want to stay clear and be ready...."
He opens the door.
Kelindra winces as Pavel opens the door. Though she's spent many years in the cloisters, she's learned from her history teacher that many old tombs have all manner of devious and possibly deadly traps.
"Er...", says Kelindra self consciously, "Not to question your judgment, honestly, but um...perhaps we could have Ivo examine any more doors before we open them. Just in case I mean. I'd hate for anything bad to happen to you...us...happen to us." Kelindra shuts up, blushing bright scarlet.
Gal, remaining in humanoid form for the moment, hefts his massive greatclub and stands near the rear of the party, keeping an eye on their flank and peering (1d20+6=14) around carefully for anything else out of the ordinary
Pavel is honestly perplexed. And oblivious.
"Ivo's still around? I completely lost track of him! I thought he slipped off with Branomonrik or Soll to... I guess do whatever it is a young halfling, a necromancer and a half-orc do when they slip off somewhere. Like a pie-eating contest or something? Beats me."
Kelindra scratches her head. Now that she thinks about it, she hasn't seen Ivo for a while.
"Hmmmm, you're right."
From somewhere about 3 feet off the ground; "What do you mean"! "Here I am". "You should look down every now and again". "Sorry I've been quite, I've just been studying this really cool book with all kinds of interesting signs in it, and I think I'm starting to figure it our now".
With that Ivo uses the Ghost sound cantrip he has learned from the book to make a loud booming noise from behind the party.
"See".
Pavel pushes the door open and a musty smell billows out. Somewhere from deep inside the passage beyond, you can hear a strange rumbling.
"Sorry I missed you, Ivo. The weather's been bad up here, that's all."
Pavel peers down the passage, trying to figure what that rumbling could be.
Perception: 1d20+6=8
"I didn't kill us all by opening the door, so I suppose I'll take the lead in the passage unless there are objections."
"I didn't kill us all by opening the door, so I suppose I'll take the lead in the passage unless there are objections."
"True it didn't kill us, but I don't that rumbling sound is an invitation for tea."
Gin shakes his head.
"If you'll be taking lead, I'll take rear. Don't want anything sneaking up on us now."
"I didn't kill us all by opening the door, so I suppose I'll take the lead in the passage unless there are objections."
"I'm right behind you."
Gal's deep voice rumbles up "No need Ivo, I have our back for now, but if trouble come on four legs I make it to front very quick."
The tunnel beyond the door leads down about 120 feet. Then it forks, one branch going left and one going right on diagonal.
"Toward the ominous rumbling or away from it?"
Hearing Pavel's question Gal's own rumble from his deep chest can be heard "If trouble there be, better to see it coming then to have it behind us..."
"I'm for that logic, Gal. Let's go right."
"I'm for that logic, Gal. Let's go right."
"Agreed."
The tunnel extends for quite a distance, so far in fact that you lose track of the distance. After awhile it opens into a large cavern. The roaring sound you hear is a waterfall pouring into the cavern and the river continuing on through a small crack in the wall. A bridge made of what looks like marble spans the river, and another passage opens in the opposite wall of the cavern.
"This thing must be ancient. Who do you think built it?"
Pavel takes a good look at the bridge and the passage beyond for anything out of place or cracked.
Perception:1d20+6=20
Despite the sheer antiquity of the bridge, it appears to be in good condition.
Gin watches as the others cross and follows slowly behind.