Stryke got a null result with his detect disease and poison ritual.
Stryke as a spider (with a tiny eye patch across one of his eight eyes) sees an empty room beyond about 25ft square and a dark entrance way in the opposite wall that you think might be stairs going down.
Dm's Note: Perception in darkness and dim light is always with disadvantage, even with darkvision. We'll keep those rolls but remember moving forward.
Stryke will make his way across the floor to the top of the stairs by walking across the ceiling
At the top of the stairs Spider Stryke looks down. At the edge of his darkvision it seems the stairs stop and there is a T-junction where the party can go left or right. There are a lot of cobwebs and dust, nothing seems to have been this way for a long time except bugs.
At the top of the stairs Spider Stryke looks down. At the edge of his darkvision it seems the stairs stop and there is a T-junction where the party can go left or right. There are a lot of cobwebs and dust, nothing seems to have been this way for a long time except bugs.
Anything in the web?
Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the spider knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
As you descend down the narrow and winding staircase, the air becomes damp and musty, and a chill - or is it a thrill? - runs down your spine (or in Stryke's case, his abdomen). The walls and ceiling are made of closely-fitted stone, and there is complete darkness. But having darkvision, you can see everything clearly in shades of gray.
The sounds of dripping water and distant echoes fill the space, creating an eerie ambiance. You can make out the shapes of small stone statues that line the walls and the thick stone columns supporting the ceiling. There are rusted torch-brackets mounted on the walls, which are now long extinguished.
As you reach the bottom of the staircase, you find yourself in a large chamber. You can see the walls are lined with alcoves, each holding ancient, dusty (and worthless) relics of a forgotten civilization.
As you explore the chamber, you notice a small alcove that appears to lead to another room. You approach it cautiously, unsure of what you might find, but with the confidence that your darkvision will keep you safe. As you step through the threshold, you are enveloped in a gentle light. But as your eyes adjust to the change, you can make out the shape of the room.
At the center of the room stands a massive stone altar, adorned with intricate carvings depicting some kind of nature goddess, a goddess of fertility and growth, of life. A sense of awe washes over you both as you realize that you have stumbled upon a long-forgotten shrine. Who is this deity? None of the iconography is familiar.
Despite the cold, you can sense a powerful energy emanating from the altar, and you can almost hear the whispers of ancient prayers echoing in your mind. You both feel drawn to the shrine, and as you approach it, you notice a small inscription etched into the stone:
"May the Earth Mother bless and protect all who come to this sacred place."
You take a moment to offer a silent prayer to the goddess, feeling a sense of reverence and gratitude for the opportunity to stand in this holy space. As Grimbald does so, he notices his Acorn is feeling warm and gently vibrating.
The Acorn glows showing runes on it, then the glow and the runes fade and the Acorn floats back to your hand.
Now you notice some of the carvings depict squirrels - a lot. Squirrels as spies, messengers, and companions. There are also symbols of acorns, oak trees, symbols of life and death.
Stryke feels the same warm feeling, and notices some of the carvings depict stars in the shape of a lion, this... star lion?.. is affiliated with the Earth Mother deity or spirit. In fact... the formation of the stars IS the lion constellation that is in the centre of your star crystal. With that realisation you notice the star crystal vibrating softly in your pack. Stryke takes it out and the lion constellation stars are aglow. They pulse and then fade.
Both Grimbald and Stryke feel there is something they should do, but are not sure what. Things are not clear.. yet. But you feel now more than ever something - whatever that is - needs to be done. There is a task, a.. a.. quest?.. Something that needs to be done.. and there is a sense of importance of the task. Whatever this spirit or deity is, it is not like the gods you are used to. This one seems more distant, or maybe.. maybe blocked or.. slumbering? Too many variables. More information is needed.
Working by the soft light, Grimbald and Stryke look for more symbols, and there are, often repeated. There seems to be five separate beings, or maybe five separate aspects of one being. This is not a book, so it is difficult to tell.
The earth mother, the world, associated with acorns, oaks, squirrels, the circle of life. She has the biggest mention, the carvings depicting her are bigger and dominant. Of course in the culture that made this altar that could mean anything.
There is the Star Lion, always made up of stars, sometimes depicted in a battle fighting unnatural otherworldly creatures like devils or demons. By adding some extra stars the lion becomes a dragon in a couple of carvings.
There is the.. well.. hard to say. Sage maybe? Depicted as a female. Some show her casting spells. Seems to be associated with scrolls, books, and magic. Maybe lore as well, hard to tell. Could be erotica also, but that might just be fanciful interpretation. Her body is covered in runes and designs, maybe tattoos? She is seen most often in the company of an owl, sometimes a raven or a tortoise.
Then there is the, well it seems to have two depictions - one is an eagle often holding a sword in its talons, or sometimes an angel with a greatsword striking fear into his enemies. Seems to be often depicted protecting others, but always has an angry look on his face. Maybe the spirit of hangovers and eternal grumpiness, Grimbald suggests.
The last is a humanoid hunter, face hidden by a stag helmet, armed with a spear, sometimes blowing a horn, accompanied by hounds with weird tongues. Maybe dogs in those days had weird tongues. Or maybe it represents something else. Some carvings seem to emphasise the cooperation of working as a pack.
Time flows quickly and before they know it an hour has gone past and they can hear Esa calling impatiently down the stairs and Augustin telling her that she should tone her language down a bit, so she starts swearing in Sylvan instead, mainly at Augustin and his crooked nose, suggesting (in Sylvan) that Vakiel and Augustin can now properly kiss because both their noses are bent to the right but they'd be in relationship trouble within a month because Augustin is a terrible partner. It sounds a lot better in Sylvan but sadly no one else in hearing range speaks it so it served only to make Esa feel better while venting.
The druid and ranger decide to get a move on, and tell the others about the altar later, they can visit it if they want.
Grimbald and Stryke yell back at Esa that they haven't found it yet, and ignore her ongoing rants in a language they can't understand. They continue to explore the underground maze, finding nothing of interest. They can still hear Esa now and then, still unhappy about how long its taking.
"Maybe she's channelling the angry angel," suggests Grimbald. Stryke doesn't answer because he heard something up one of the stairways they have found. All these stairways lead up to houses probably, and the one they are close to Stryke heard goblin voices faintly. He gestures Grimbald to be quiet and they ascend the stairs. It leads into a square room with a stair and trapdoor, similar to the one they used to get down here. They can both hear goblin voices.. sounds like three of them.. talking in their own language in an agitated way.
Stryke will make his way across the floor to the top of the stairs by walking across the ceiling
Vakiel will stand guard by the door we all came in.
At the top of the stairs Spider Stryke looks down. At the edge of his darkvision it seems the stairs stop and there is a T-junction where the party can go left or right. There are a lot of cobwebs and dust, nothing seems to have been this way for a long time except bugs.
Anything in the web?
Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the spider knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
Nope. Dusty and maker long since dead.
thanks, will wait for Grimbald then
Esa will ride on Augustin. She offers to Mage Hand carry one of his torches if they need light down there
which way would lead towards the main building (where the goblins are)
Right
As Grimbald walks under him Stryke the spider will drop down onto Grimbald's shoulder
Grimbald indicate the plan and turn right, hopefully his darkvision not affected by torch light. perception with Dis. 15
Is it just Stryke the Spider and Grimbald?
If the plan is just to scout ahead and look, Vakiel will stay with the kids in the room as we have not yet sent them back to Fernie.
As you descend down the narrow and winding staircase, the air becomes damp and musty, and a chill - or is it a thrill? - runs down your spine (or in Stryke's case, his abdomen). The walls and ceiling are made of closely-fitted stone, and there is complete darkness. But having darkvision, you can see everything clearly in shades of gray.
The sounds of dripping water and distant echoes fill the space, creating an eerie ambiance. You can make out the shapes of small stone statues that line the walls and the thick stone columns supporting the ceiling. There are rusted torch-brackets mounted on the walls, which are now long extinguished.
As you reach the bottom of the staircase, you find yourself in a large chamber. You can see the walls are lined with alcoves, each holding ancient, dusty (and worthless) relics of a forgotten civilization.
As you explore the chamber, you notice a small alcove that appears to lead to another room. You approach it cautiously, unsure of what you might find, but with the confidence that your darkvision will keep you safe. As you step through the threshold, you are enveloped in a gentle light. But as your eyes adjust to the change, you can make out the shape of the room.
At the center of the room stands a massive stone altar, adorned with intricate carvings depicting some kind of nature goddess, a goddess of fertility and growth, of life. A sense of awe washes over you both as you realize that you have stumbled upon a long-forgotten shrine. Who is this deity? None of the iconography is familiar.
Despite the cold, you can sense a powerful energy emanating from the altar, and you can almost hear the whispers of ancient prayers echoing in your mind. You both feel drawn to the shrine, and as you approach it, you notice a small inscription etched into the stone:
"May the Earth Mother bless and protect all who come to this sacred place."
You take a moment to offer a silent prayer to the goddess, feeling a sense of reverence and gratitude for the opportunity to stand in this holy space. As Grimbald does so, he notices his Acorn is feeling warm and gently vibrating.
Actions?
Clearly a god of squirrels, thinks Grimbald. He trusts this shrine implicitly. He takes the acorn and places it on the altar .........
The Acorn glows showing runes on it, then the glow and the runes fade and the Acorn floats back to your hand.
Now you notice some of the carvings depict squirrels - a lot. Squirrels as spies, messengers, and companions. There are also symbols of acorns, oak trees, symbols of life and death.
Grimbald and Stryke also gain Inspiration and 10 temporary hit points.
Stryke will jump down off grimbald and drop wild shape and repeat the words in the inscription
Stryke feels the same warm feeling, and notices some of the carvings depict stars in the shape of a lion, this... star lion?.. is affiliated with the Earth Mother deity or spirit. In fact... the formation of the stars IS the lion constellation that is in the centre of your star crystal. With that realisation you notice the star crystal vibrating softly in your pack. Stryke takes it out and the lion constellation stars are aglow. They pulse and then fade.
Both Grimbald and Stryke feel there is something they should do, but are not sure what. Things are not clear.. yet. But you feel now more than ever something - whatever that is - needs to be done. There is a task, a.. a.. quest?.. Something that needs to be done.. and there is a sense of importance of the task. Whatever this spirit or deity is, it is not like the gods you are used to. This one seems more distant, or maybe.. maybe blocked or.. slumbering? Too many variables. More information is needed.
Working by the soft light, Grimbald and Stryke look for more symbols, and there are, often repeated. There seems to be five separate beings, or maybe five separate aspects of one being. This is not a book, so it is difficult to tell.
The earth mother, the world, associated with acorns, oaks, squirrels, the circle of life. She has the biggest mention, the carvings depicting her are bigger and dominant. Of course in the culture that made this altar that could mean anything.
There is the Star Lion, always made up of stars, sometimes depicted in a battle fighting unnatural otherworldly creatures like devils or demons. By adding some extra stars the lion becomes a dragon in a couple of carvings.
There is the.. well.. hard to say. Sage maybe? Depicted as a female. Some show her casting spells. Seems to be associated with scrolls, books, and magic. Maybe lore as well, hard to tell. Could be erotica also, but that might just be fanciful interpretation. Her body is covered in runes and designs, maybe tattoos? She is seen most often in the company of an owl, sometimes a raven or a tortoise.
Then there is the, well it seems to have two depictions - one is an eagle often holding a sword in its talons, or sometimes an angel with a greatsword striking fear into his enemies. Seems to be often depicted protecting others, but always has an angry look on his face. Maybe the spirit of hangovers and eternal grumpiness, Grimbald suggests.
The last is a humanoid hunter, face hidden by a stag helmet, armed with a spear, sometimes blowing a horn, accompanied by hounds with weird tongues. Maybe dogs in those days had weird tongues. Or maybe it represents something else. Some carvings seem to emphasise the cooperation of working as a pack.
Time flows quickly and before they know it an hour has gone past and they can hear Esa calling impatiently down the stairs and Augustin telling her that she should tone her language down a bit, so she starts swearing in Sylvan instead, mainly at Augustin and his crooked nose, suggesting (in Sylvan) that Vakiel and Augustin can now properly kiss because both their noses are bent to the right but they'd be in relationship trouble within a month because Augustin is a terrible partner. It sounds a lot better in Sylvan but sadly no one else in hearing range speaks it so it served only to make Esa feel better while venting.
The druid and ranger decide to get a move on, and tell the others about the altar later, they can visit it if they want.
Grimbald and Stryke yell back at Esa that they haven't found it yet, and ignore her ongoing rants in a language they can't understand. They continue to explore the underground maze, finding nothing of interest. They can still hear Esa now and then, still unhappy about how long its taking.
"Maybe she's channelling the angry angel," suggests Grimbald. Stryke doesn't answer because he heard something up one of the stairways they have found. All these stairways lead up to houses probably, and the one they are close to Stryke heard goblin voices faintly. He gestures Grimbald to be quiet and they ascend the stairs. It leads into a square room with a stair and trapdoor, similar to the one they used to get down here. They can both hear goblin voices.. sounds like three of them.. talking in their own language in an agitated way.
Actions?