You come to a staircase where the chanting continues to get louder. As you descend, you find no enemies, but you now discover that the chanting voices are repeating "He is the Ancient. He is the Land." You come into a reliquary with niches that store foul items. Here is what you find.
A small, mummified, yellow hand with sharp claws (a goblin’s hand) on a loop of rope
A knife carved from a human bone
A dagger with a rat’s skull set into the pommel
An 8-inch-diameter varnished orb made from a nothic’s eye
An aspergillum carved from bone
A folded cloak made from stitched ghoul skin
A desiccated frog lashed to a stick
A bag full of bat guano
A hag’s severed finger
A 6-inch-tall wooden figurine of a mummy, its arms crossed over its chest
An iron pendant adorned with a devil’s face
The shrunken, shriveled head of a halfling
A small wooden coffer containing a dire wolf’s withered tongue
The southernmost tunnel slopes down at a 20-degree angle into murky water and ends at a rusty portcullis. It can be lifted by a DC20 Strength check. There is also a wheel that will open the portcullis, but it's on the other side, so you will have to find a way to manipulate it from a long distance.
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
No one sees Elyse steal a pile of bat droppings. None of you recall any divine or arcane use for these objects. But judging from what you know about these cultists, they probably thought differently.
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Looking at Elyse strain her back Enialis rolls his eyes and says, “Unless anyone has the magical ability to make hands or something. Let’s use the goblin hand as a hook.”
"Oh... Um... Maybe I can help?" Phanuel lifts his hand and a softly glowing hand materializes on the other side of the portcullis. "Let me just..."He says through concentration as the hand moves to turn the wheel.
Phanuels hand is able to turn the wheel and raise the portcullis, allowing you to pass through.
The chanting stops as you peer into this forty-foot-square room. The smooth masonry walls provide excellent acoustics. Featureless stone pillars support the ceiling, and a breach in the west wall leads to a dark cave heaped with refuse. Murky water covers most of the floor. Stairs lead up to dry stone ledges that hug the walls. In the middle of the room, more stairs rise to form an octagonal dais that also rises above the water. Rusty chains with shackles dangle from the ceiling directly above a stone altar mounted on the dais. The altar is carved with hideous depictions of grasping ghouls and is stained with dry blood.
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Before entering the room, Elyse will stand at the edge of the entryway to the room and use her last Divine Sense of the day to try to find any entities within 60 feet.
Did the chanting stop when the portcullis was opened or when we got close to the room and looked in? And before then did it seem like it was coming from this room?
As Elyse walks up the stairs to the altar, the chanting rises once more as thirteen dark apparitions appear on the ledges overlooking the room. Each one resembles a black-robed figure holding a torch, but the torch’s fire is black and seems to draw light into it. Where you’d expect to see faces are voids.
“One must die!” they chant, over and over. “One must die! One must die!”
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Hadrian follows, much more cautiously this time, on constant alert, practically jumping at shadows.
DM - Storm King's Thunder PbP | Yet Another Storm King's Thunder PbP
Current: Eogard Duramastar, Human Twilight Cleric/Star Druid | Eiren Lathrana, Shadar-Kai Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger | Arugula, Rabbitfolk Armorer
Survivor: CrispyDM's Saltmarsh as Syltra | SarcasticFury's Strahd as Hadrian Frozenspark | Forge of Fury as The DM
You come to a staircase where the chanting continues to get louder. As you descend, you find no enemies, but you now discover that the chanting voices are repeating "He is the Ancient. He is the Land." You come into a reliquary with niches that store foul items. Here is what you find.
The southernmost tunnel slopes down at a 20-degree angle into murky water and ends at a rusty portcullis. It can be lifted by a DC20 Strength check. There is also a wheel that will open the portcullis, but it's on the other side, so you will have to find a way to manipulate it from a long distance.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Elyse walks up to the strange items and tries to discern what their purpose may be.
Investigation: 19
Fae bounces along at the front. When they come to the reliquary, she quietly pilfers the bag of bat guano.
Stealth: 14
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
"Hmmm..." Phanuel approaches and stands beside Elyse. "What do you think they are?"
Religion: 5
Arcana: 4
No one sees Elyse steal a pile of bat droppings. None of you recall any divine or arcane use for these objects. But judging from what you know about these cultists, they probably thought differently.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
(Fae stole the bat guano, Elyse would not be interested)
Elyse will try to force open the portcullis.
Strength: 8
Looking at Elyse strain her back Enialis rolls his eyes and says, “Unless anyone has the magical ability to make hands or something. Let’s use the goblin hand as a hook.”
"Oh... Um... Maybe I can help?" Phanuel lifts his hand and a softly glowing hand materializes on the other side of the portcullis. "Let me just..." He says through concentration as the hand moves to turn the wheel.
Casting Mage Hand. I hope this works
Phanuels hand is able to turn the wheel and raise the portcullis, allowing you to pass through.
The chanting stops as you peer into this forty-foot-square room. The smooth masonry walls provide excellent acoustics. Featureless stone pillars support the ceiling, and a breach in the west wall leads to a dark cave heaped with refuse. Murky water covers most of the floor. Stairs lead up to dry stone ledges that hug the walls. In the middle of the room, more stairs rise to form an octagonal dais that also rises above the water. Rusty chains with shackles dangle from the ceiling directly above a stone altar mounted on the dais. The altar is carved with hideous depictions of grasping ghouls and is stained with dry blood.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Before entering the room, Elyse will stand at the edge of the entryway to the room and use her last Divine Sense of the day to try to find any entities within 60 feet.
There are no undead or Fiendish entities within the room.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Fae skips straight in, batting at one of the chains with her staff and looking around curiously.
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
Did the chanting stop when the portcullis was opened or when we got close to the room and looked in? And before then did it seem like it was coming from this room?
When she sees Fae go in, Elyse follows close after.
"Fae wait," Phanuel calls, running after the whimsical elf. Realizing he too has entered the room, he stumbles to a halt and looks around.
The chanting stopped when you looked in. It was definitely coming from this room.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
As Phanuel takes a look around the room, Elyse will walk up to the alter to do a closer inspection and try to make out its purpose.
As Elyse walks up the stairs to the altar, the chanting rises once more as thirteen dark apparitions appear on the ledges overlooking the room. Each one resembles a black-robed figure holding a torch, but the torch’s fire is black and seems to draw light into it. Where you’d expect to see faces are voids.
“One must die!” they chant, over and over. “One must die! One must die!”
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Hadrian looks from figure to figure, almost panicked. “What are you!?” He asks the apparitions.
DM - Storm King's Thunder PbP | Yet Another Storm King's Thunder PbP
Current: Eogard Duramastar, Human Twilight Cleric/Star Druid | Eiren Lathrana, Shadar-Kai Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger | Arugula, Rabbitfolk Armorer
Survivor: CrispyDM's Saltmarsh as Syltra | SarcasticFury's Strahd as Hadrian Frozenspark | Forge of Fury as The DM