Cold Embraces

[Jasmine]

"Don't worry!" says Brennen, rushing into the cave to put out the flames. "It's unlikely that someone would protect valuable items with a trap that destroys the items if it's triggered!"

[harknail]

Vadania will thank the brown bear for it service, then resume her normal Elven form. If the fire isn't out by then, she will use her Create Water cantrip to create a fog of water to put out the fire.

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion will run into the room flip the box upside down dumping everything out and trowing a wet blanket on everything He would of gotten the blanket wet in the river before the trap was set off. Unlike Tracid
Ka'lion can think of a doesn't reasons to destroy writings. Incriminating evidence is just one of them.

[at]

Vadania fills the box with water and then Ka'lion turns it over dumping everything out, the fire is most definitely out.

Picking through the debris the group finds bits of parchment and shredded books burnt and soaked beyond recovery, fragments of glass vials, and burnt priests vestments.

Other items have survived however - 86 gold in various coins, a bronze key with no markings, a scroll-case that appears to be bound in dragon-hide, a burnt but intact canvas sheet similar to that found by Ka'lion and Vadania in the walking construct that radiates magic, a small rune-encrusted brass instrument, a small box containing a ivory chalace, knife, and three crystals, a humanoid tooth with the same symbol on that Vadania had seen many moons ago carved into the floor of the Westerbrook inn, and a ring with an onyx stone set in dull metal.

Brennen notes that of the various items the box itself is not magical (though its contents are) and neither is the scroll case. On inspection its contents are found to be the building plans to a shrine to tiamat within the Steadlands. Vadania is familiar with it, five dragon statues around a pool of enchanted acid inside an enclosed buidling of stone, copper facades, and stained glass with a secondary bell tower a short distance from the main building.
The plans show a hidden basement level shielded with illusions behind one of the windows - the last place anyone would expect to find a tunnel. It also shows a magical connection between the bell tower and the pool of acid. Notably neither the plans nor the burnt vestments show any of tiamats signs.

[sageaqua]

KA'LION TAKES THE STUFF OUTSIDE TO DRY. THE STUFF BEOND RECOVERY careful puts on a dry towel and carry it to the caves entrance. And will gently pat dry. He's looking for clues as to the priest identity.

[at]

Jun 5, 2016 15:30:48 GMT -5 sageaqua said:

He's looking for clues as to the priest identity.

The vestments have no markings, but there was the symbol engraved onto both the chest and the wall in the hidden room.

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion understands that he's dealing with a Teimat cult. What he's looking for is an location and membership. Basically directions

[at]

Vadania knows exactly where the winnowing hall is, west of the sunken ship. Though it the party were to visit both locations they would have to backtrack some distance from the ship unless they can find some way to get Ylva and Ka'lions horse up the sheer cliff there.

[sageaqua]

Where where we headed before we just got side tracked again.?

[harknail]

We were heading for Moonhaven to loot the temple vault (if it hasn't been looted already by the wizards). Also Vadania can easily get Ylva up a sheer cliff (Shared spider climb), and could get the horse up with reduce animal combined with lots of rope.

Vadania will put the canvas in her backpack along with the other one that activates by moonlight. She'll tell Tink about the canvas that slowly activates when exposed to the moon, with a glowing symbol, but that she hasn't yet left it out to see what it would summon.

OOC: Vadania kept the canvas and the book when she parted ways with the rogue.

[at]

Jun 6, 2016 15:01:49 GMT -5 sageaqua said:

Where where we headed before we just got side tracked again.?

The sunken ship. The river the group is following leads to the mill near where Ka'lion and Vadania first met Altar, and beyond that is the valley where they noticed the ship.

[sageaqua]

we head to the sunken ship and talk on the way.

[Jasmine]

Brennen will also identify all the items from the chest, as well as the remainder of the scrolls.

[at]

Jun 7, 2016 1:45:16 GMT -5 Jasmine said:

Brennen will also identify all the items from the chest, as well as the remainder of the scrolls.

The total scroll-list is:
Divine
1st - Omen of peril, Ebon Eyes, Faith Healing x2, Comprehend Languages, Sanctuary
2nd - Deific Vengeance x2, Mark of the Outcast, Augury
3rd - Awaken Sin, Interplanar Message, Remove Curse x2, Remove Disease x2, Magic Circle, Invisibility Purge
Arcane
1st - Disguise Self, Floating Disk
2nd - Alarm(greater), Marked Object, Detect Thoughts
3rd - Skull Watch


The rune sheet unfolds 5 feet across and radiates moderate conjuration. It is the most powerful of the items though less potent than the other Vadania carries, a pre-crafted summoning circle. It has no form of activation being merely part of a larger ritual.
(anyone can make knowledge rolls for each of the three symbols - the type of knowledge roll determines the information returned but the DCs are pretty high on these)

The implements in the box appear to be a further part of the ritual, Brennen had seen similar used in the casting of blood magic. They have little real power but the knife itself is exceedingly sharp and would work well enough as a weapon if needs demanded (as a masterwork dagger)

The brass instrument is a magical chime of suppression, activated when struck and no more than three times each day. Its magic is similar to that of the other items, perhaps another part of the ritual.

The tooth carries a similar symbol to those on the sheets but it is not an exact match for either. It would seem to summon or bind some kind of creature - perhaps an elemental to spit fire or breath water, or some other minor spirit or demon to bite with poison or speak with authority. Brennen cannot be sure until the item is active as it is a receptacle rather than an implement though he might be able to identify the symbol and match it to an entity.

Finally the ring, seemingly unrelated to any of the other items and inside the band Brennen finds the same symbol as carved on the wall and chest. He has heard of such things, rings of nullification. Similar to counterspell rings these grand a degree of protection against physical and elemental attack - the need simply be attuned by command while worn. The rings vary in power with some shattering after use but this one appears stable, simply rendered dormant for a day and offering modest defense.
(in practice - at any point the wearer can declare a trigger condition as a standard action. The ring defends against 20 damage or 2 ability points, once per day.)

[harknail]

While Brennen is identifying things, Vadania will see what he can make of her other canvas. She'll show him the picture of the rune that appears in moonlight in the book.

[at]

Jun 7, 2016 11:23:49 GMT -5 harknail said:

While Brennen is identifying things, Vadania will see what he can make of her other canvas. She'll show him the picture of the rune that appears in moonlight in the book.

(that will be another knowledge test, though Brennen can confirm it is not a symbol of Orcus)

[Jasmine]

Brennen Knowledge:
Planes: Wu1ccMs9p_1-20+8
Religion: p_1-20+8
Arcana: p_1-20+12

Tink Knowledge:
Planes: p_1-20+6
Religion: p_1-20+6
Arcana: p_1-20+101-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20

[at]

The symbol that Vadania says appears in moonlight is of no deity that Brennen is aware, however he has seen this symbol or one very much like it in relation to an ancient human sorceress known as Zceryll.

Stories told of here are often cautionary against the pursuit of immortality but it is also said that she created a number of potent artefacts but the only magic he had encountered with any connection to her research were summoning spheres intended to summon aberrations rather than natural or magical creatures.



There are three other symbols you can roll for - specify which rolls are for the tooth (which was also the symbol Vadania found in the town), which are for the symbol on the canvas sheet, and which are for the symbol on the ring/chest/hidden room wall.

[Jasmine]

For the tooth:
Brennen Planes: rAcKF|CMp_1-20+8
Brennen Religion: p_1-20+8
Brennen Arcana: p_1-20+12
Brennen Lore: p_1-20+9
Tink Planes: p_1-20+6
Tink Religion: p_1-20+6
Tink Arcana: p_1-20+10

For the canvas sheet:
Brennen Planes: p_1-20+8
Brennen Religion: p_1-20+8
Brennen Arcana: p_1-20+12
Brennen Lore: p_1-20+9
Tink Planes: p_1-20+6
Tink Religion: p_1-20+6
Tink Arcana: p_1-20+10

For the other one:
Brennen Planes: p_1-20+8
Brennen Religion: p_1-20+8
Brennen Arcana: p_1-20+12
Brennen Lore: p_1-20+9
Tink Planes: p_1-20+6
Tink Religion: p_1-20+6
Tink Arcana: p_1-20+101-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20�1-20

[at]

Brennen identifies the symbol on the chest as the Order of Seropaenes, an organisation of witch hunters who count as members clerics and warriors of many religions. They hunt warlocks among others and though Brennen had escaped the attentions of organisations such as these so far it was always at the back of his mind that any given priest may have 'unofficial' ties to such a group.
Beyond a name to attach to the symbol he has little detailed knowledge of them.

Brennen draws a blank on the tooth at first, but as Vadania and Ka'lion speak more about the events in the village he recalls stories of a magical armour that could be summoned with the correct rituals, with some connection to the god Hextor.

The final symbol however he recognises as Geryon, one time lord of Stygia, the fifth layer of Hell. Brennon knows him not for his own reputation or power but rather for that of his successor Levistus said to be trapped for all time at the centre of his domain as a cruel joke by his master Asmodeus.


Tink, for a change, shuts up about things after looking over the symbols and doesn't comment further.