Seeing the explorers efforts to aid their endeavor. The hands move about excitedly, clearly pleased by the circumstance. They continue to try and help the effort, moving away whatever bits of rubble they can.
Excavating the tower takes just over 8 hours. At the bottom of the excavation lies Cadavix’s frozen corpse.
<You could have learned hus name at the library or one other place you visited, I'm just assuming you did. I should have said he looks familiar, but I'm not sure yoi saw his portrait, I'd have to check old posts, and i know it's not really important>
Once unearthed, the ghost who has been standing by, watching your toil, brightens befire dissipating into the aether, his spirit is laid to rest. The claws scuttle off into the ruins.
Seeing now the tower’s foundations, you uncover a section of wall that bears the following inscription in Draconic: “Seventh, trace a circle with the ashes of the dead.” This is a passage from the Rite of the Arcane Octad .
A necklace of six large round spessartine beads adorns the corpse.
At this point, Avarice contacts you (via Rary's telepathic bond) to inform you that she and Motwena have collected what smou to to all the remaining parts of the Arcane Octad, and asks you to meet them at the entrance to the central spire, The Tower of Iriolarthas.
The main thoroughfare is littered with rubble, but you van see there is a path through an adjacent building.
A portcullis sits askew in the 40-foot-wide, 30-foot-tall archway that serves as the only entrance to this square building. Characters who pass beneath the portcullis find themselves in a mostly abandoned prison:
A maze of cell-lined corridors fills this area.
All the cell doors, which have arcane lock spells cast on them, are made of iron, with small, barred windows set into them at eye level. Many of the cells contain the frozen bodies of prisoners who died when Ythryn crashed or who perished from starvation not long afterward.
As you wander the halls, searching the way through to the spire's entrance, you stumble upon an infirmary:
Peering through the gap in a collapsed wall, you see a fifteen-foot-square infirmary in disarray, with an operating table in the middle of the room. Leather straps extend from one side of the table, into the air above its surface, and fasten to the other side. The shape suggests that something or someone invisible is lashed to the table.
<this is totally optional, it just gives you roleplay, lore and hints that would have been useful at the beginning of exploring this area (you are right by the entrance at the moment). It does not trigger a combat encounter or any saves. Either interact with it or keep moving and you'll arrive at the entrance.>
Sam looks at the necklace then looks over to his companions “sadly I can’t take this one” pointing down to the necklace he looks at the ruins as they move towards the tower as they do he speaks up “so what’s the plan Angus and I both know that they can not be trusted fully the relic we are trying to claim is of sarruk decent I do not know what power the relic has but it most not allowed to be used in the wrong hands gods forbids her rebellion fails and zass tam clams it as his own.” He pauses “if my people understand the very fabric of magic it’s self Arcane, divination, enchantment, necromancy and the others no one in Thay neither the entire realm of Toril must be allowed to have it, once this is over the relic Must be given to me”
<that feels like rp for a PC to respond to, so I'm lacking since room for that. Does nobody want the necklace? Its just loot. I do recognize it's on a Necromancer's corpse and the party shady love fireballs like confetti, but I've adjusts liked the item, personally. Anyhow, leaving space for roleplay.>
<that feels like rp for a PC to respond to, so I'm lacking since room for that. Does nobody want the necklace? Its just loot. I do recognize it's on a Necromancer's corpse and the party shady love fireballs like confetti, but I've adjusts liked the item, personally. Anyhow, leaving space for roleplay.>
(I mean I’ll take it if nobody else wants it’s just I won’t be able to use it since I’ve got a necklace on right now
Emerging from the ruins of the prison, you stand before an arching strut of dark stone rising from this ruined district to a junction high up on the central spire. A gate engraved with arcane sigils is set into the base of the strut. The sigils on the gate are ancient symbols representing the eight schools of magic.
As indicated, Avarice and Morwena arrive within moment's.
"Shall we begin?" prompts the teifling "who will lead us?" she asks, looking to the party.
In turns, you recite the stations of the Arcane Octad.
First, Hold a wand crafted from the Nether Oak over your heart.
Second, Summon a flame in your palm.
Third, Speak a secret about yourself aloud.
Fourth, Compel another to share a secret with you.
Fifth, Quench the flame in ice.
Sixth, Mask your appearance.
Seventh, Draw a circle on the ground using the ashes of a corpse.
Eighth, Stand inside the circle and consume poison.
Emerging from the ruins of the prison, you stand before an arching strut of dark stone rising from this ruined district to a junction high up on the central spire. A gate engraved with arcane sigils is set into the base of the strut. The sigils on the gate are ancient symbols representing the eight schools of magic.
As indicated, Avarice and Morwena arrive within moment's.
"Shall we begin?" prompts the teifling "who will lead us?" she asks, looking to the party.
In turns, you recite the stations of the Arcane Octad.
First, Hold a wand crafted from the Nether Oak over your heart.
Second, Summon a flame in your palm.
Third, Speak a secret about yourself aloud.
Fourth, Compel another to share a secret with you.
Fifth, Quench the flame in ice.
Sixth, Mask your appearance.
Seventh, Draw a circle on the ground using the ashes of a corpse.
Eighth, Stand inside the circle and consume poison.
<given you have casters, none of these should be especially challenging. It's another rp opportunity, but the real choice is that last one. The ritual does actually say drink poison. Any thoughts?>
(ooc: tech problems appear to be solved, ready to resume posting and rejoin game if ok with DM & players?)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
Angus clears his throat. "Ahem... I don't suppose anyone has any relatively minor or mild poisons on them? I should be able to reverse the effects of said poison rather quickly unless it is lethal."
"Does anyone have any alcohol? Technically that is poison and it isn't lethal."
Chadderlay steps forward and volunteers.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
<Remember back I'm the caves of hunger. When you found the drow outpost? They had wine. I don't know if the Rite works with wine, but we can try it and see.>
Chadderlay will take the wineskin/bottle and take a healthy swig of the non-lethal poison.
"Ahh! That really hit the spot if I do say so myself! No need to reverse the effects in this case Angus, it might even undo it counting towards the overall ritual!"
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
It was a pricey bottle of Elverquisst. (Prof. SKANT is a wine expert)
"Firstly, you should know some things about the libation you hols. To ensure the genuine article, one may speak a particular phrase in elvish causing the light that strikes the bottle tp gather into thirteen distinct points that resembled the constellation Correlian.
A ritual was involved in drinking Elverquisst. The ritual involved a chant, pouring the liquid into a goblet, swirling it around, sharing it with others, and offering a ritual bow of the head in thanks."
Seeing the explorers efforts to aid their endeavor. The hands move about excitedly, clearly pleased by the circumstance. They continue to try and help the effort, moving away whatever bits of rubble they can.
Excavating the tower takes just over 8 hours. At the bottom of the excavation lies Cadavix’s frozen corpse.
<You could have learned hus name at the library or one other place you visited, I'm just assuming you did. I should have said he looks familiar, but I'm not sure yoi saw his portrait, I'd have to check old posts, and i know it's not really important>
Once unearthed, the ghost who has been standing by, watching your toil, brightens befire dissipating into the aether, his spirit is laid to rest. The claws scuttle off into the ruins.
Seeing now the tower’s foundations, you uncover a section of wall that bears the following inscription in Draconic: “Seventh, trace a circle with the ashes of the dead.” This is a passage from the Rite of the Arcane Octad .
A necklace of six large round spessartine beads adorns the corpse.
<you may claim the necklace of fireballs without further consequence>
6
At this point, Avarice contacts you (via Rary's telepathic bond) to inform you that she and Motwena have collected what smou to to all the remaining parts of the Arcane Octad, and asks you to meet them at the entrance to the central spire, The Tower of Iriolarthas.
The main thoroughfare is littered with rubble, but you van see there is a path through an adjacent building.
A portcullis sits askew in the 40-foot-wide, 30-foot-tall archway that serves as the only entrance to this square building. Characters who pass beneath the portcullis find themselves in a mostly abandoned prison:
A maze of cell-lined corridors fills this area.
All the cell doors, which have arcane lock spells cast on them, are made of iron, with small, barred windows set into them at eye level. Many of the cells contain the frozen bodies of prisoners who died when Ythryn crashed or who perished from starvation not long afterward.
As you wander the halls, searching the way through to the spire's entrance, you stumble upon an infirmary:
Peering through the gap in a collapsed wall, you see a fifteen-foot-square infirmary in disarray, with an operating table in the middle of the room. Leather straps extend from one side of the table, into the air above its surface, and fasten to the other side. The shape suggests that something or someone invisible is lashed to the table.
<this is totally optional, it just gives you roleplay, lore and hints that would have been useful at the beginning of exploring this area (you are right by the entrance at the moment). It does not trigger a combat encounter or any saves. Either interact with it or keep moving and you'll arrive at the entrance.>
Sam looks at the necklace then looks over to his companions “sadly I can’t take this one” pointing down to the necklace he looks at the ruins as they move towards the tower as they do he speaks up “so what’s the plan Angus and I both know that they can not be trusted fully the relic we are trying to claim is of sarruk decent I do not know what power the relic has but it most not allowed to be used in the wrong hands gods forbids her rebellion fails and zass tam clams it as his own.” He pauses “if my people understand the very fabric of magic it’s self Arcane, divination, enchantment, necromancy and the others no one in Thay neither the entire realm of Toril must be allowed to have it, once this is over the relic Must be given to me”
<that feels like rp for a PC to respond to, so I'm lacking since room for that. Does nobody want the necklace? Its just loot. I do recognize it's on a Necromancer's corpse and the party shady love fireballs like confetti, but I've adjusts liked the item, personally. Anyhow, leaving space for roleplay.>
(I mean I’ll take it if nobody else wants it’s just I won’t be able to use it since I’ve got a necklace on right now
Angus will accept the necklace, and hold onto it for now.
He will approach the bound invisible being on the operating table and attempt to question it, without releasing it yet.
There's definitely something there. You're questions meet ne reply.
<you guys still have that gem of true seeing, right?>
Spoiler:
Sequester has been cast on the creature. DC17 to dispel, or deal 1hp damage, whichever is easier.
<alrightz moving in, then>
Emerging from the ruins of the prison, you stand before an arching strut of dark stone rising from this ruined district to a junction high up on the central spire. A gate engraved with arcane sigils is set into the base of the strut. The sigils on the gate are ancient symbols representing the eight schools of magic.
As indicated, Avarice and Morwena arrive within moment's.
"Shall we begin?" prompts the teifling "who will lead us?" she asks, looking to the party.
In turns, you recite the stations of the Arcane Octad.
First, Hold a wand crafted from the Nether Oak over your heart.
Second, Summon a flame in your palm.
Third, Speak a secret about yourself aloud.
Fourth, Compel another to share a secret with you.
Fifth, Quench the flame in ice.
Sixth, Mask your appearance.
Seventh, Draw a circle on the ground using the ashes of a corpse.
Eighth, Stand inside the circle and consume poison.
You have the nether oak. Angus took care of three. Avarice can take care of #5. Morwena should be able to accomplish #4.
How do you want to accomplish steps 2, 6, 7, and 8?
Sam would cast disguise self for 6
Re 7: You guys did just dig up a corpse a minute ago.
<given you have casters, none of these should be especially challenging. It's another rp opportunity, but the real choice is that last one. The ritual does actually say drink poison. Any thoughts?>
(ooc: tech problems appear to be solved, ready to resume posting and rejoin game if ok with DM & players?)
<You haven't missed much. Looking for a volunteer to drink poison, though.>
Angus clears his throat. "Ahem... I don't suppose anyone has any relatively minor or mild poisons on them? I should be able to reverse the effects of said poison rather quickly unless it is lethal."
"Does anyone have any alcohol? Technically that is poison and it isn't lethal."
Chadderlay steps forward and volunteers.
<Remember back I'm the caves of hunger. When you found the drow outpost? They had wine. I don't know if the Rite works with wine, but we can try it and see.>
Chadderlay will take the wineskin/bottle and take a healthy swig of the non-lethal poison.
"Ahh! That really hit the spot if I do say so myself! No need to reverse the effects in this case Angus, it might even undo it counting towards the overall ritual!"
It was a pricey bottle of Elverquisst. (Prof. SKANT is a wine expert)
"Firstly, you should know some things about the libation you hols. To ensure the genuine article, one may speak a particular phrase in elvish causing the light that strikes the bottle tp gather into thirteen distinct points that resembled the constellation Correlian.
A ritual was involved in drinking Elverquisst. The ritual involved a chant, pouring the liquid into a goblet, swirling it around, sharing it with others, and offering a ritual bow of the head in thanks."