„Come on, Nenne, snap out of it. You are a cleric, but also a soldier. You know what this life is like. We are still here, still alive, still on a mission. Stop thinking about those we lost, think about those we will save. There’s plenty of bloodshed and fighting ahead of us. That is the only way we will survive, but shedding more of their blood than they shed of ours. Accept it, embrace it and succeed.“
Nenne regards him quietly. "I was a soldier. I left that behind me long before you were born, or tried to. I became a cleric to atone for what I did. Surely you can relate at least somewhat from your time on the sea..."
"It is not simply that I am haunted by who we have lost, Allister. It is not in the past for me at all. It is omnipresent. Look at your arm. Look at Boosey and his nightmares. Look at what Obo'laka is doing to Glimbul. My failures are constantly around me, warrior. I do not have the luxury of forgetting, and I am not as strong as you that I can put it to the side. I wish I were."
She trails off again, this time in contemplation. After a moment, she lifts her head. The light catches more bronze sparkles in her hair. "You are correct, though. We do need to keep our eyes forward and accept what is. I appreciate the reminder. I will do my best to attend to it." She gives him a little smile and pokes him in the forehead.
After a sucessful, and much needed rest, Allister stealths ahead leading the way back upstairs. He checks methodically for enemies and traps the whole way to Papazotl's tomb. Once there, the party assembles and opens the door. Allister tosses a glace to the place where he left Lemon's shield and shakes his head at the empty spot. No one dares touch the chariot or cauldrons before making their way into the secret passage.
Once the second secret door is opened, the hallway floods with that sufuric smell again. The room beyond is unchanged from how the party left it last. The air here reeks of sulfur and brimstone. On the floor of this chamber, a pentacle traced in salt surrounds an ornate sarcophagus, its lid covered with figurines of prancing frog-like humanoids.
"I see magic in here," the cleric says as her eyes flash crimson. "Abjuration and illusion magic encircling the pentacle, and something small within the sarcophagus radiates enchantment."
Glimbul shrugs in a worried look after searching around the walls of the room. “Obo’laka just thought it would help add protection to it I guess? I do not know what or how it is protecting anything... Also i don’t know where to find salt either”
Nenne indulges in a smile and says, "These gods and their banter. It amuses me. Moa puts little stock in the advice...and seems entertained at Obo'laka's caution." She looks at Boosey. "Was it like this for you all the time? How jocular."
Her smile fades a little. "The illusion magic is what intrigues me. We've discovered rather potently that such magics can be deadly. What do you suppose this spell is hiding from us? Or making us see?"
Her eyes scan the room and land on the tunnel that Boosey discovered on his first trip here. She squints at it as her divine sight picks up more information. "I sense evocation magic there. You said there was a wall of wine in there, storyteller? I have two thoughts on the matter. Either it is completely unrelated to this tomb as the bottle with that shadar-kai was in Papazotl's room, or perhaps that 'jewel that can tame the frog' is lying within. What say you all?"
Glimbul turns to Nenne, “I think it is related to the golden tomb room. That place reeked of wine all over. It is also in the general direction of that room. I don’t know how they are related, but they must somehow be related.”
He turns his attention to the pillars after. “Perhaps these pillars have something hidden in them?”
Allister walks to all five pillars, looking closely and touching the surface outside the pentacle. „Looks normal to me, I cannot see anything.“ When he reaches the southern pillar he pulls his rapier from its sheath and stabs the air around the pillar.“Nothing here.“
Glimbul throughly checks up and down several pillars before realizing there arnt any hidden compartment on them either. “I think the only options we have left are either looking else where on this floor for a jewel.. or stepping into the pentacle... Could the jewel be the magic item you detect in the coffin?” He then backs away a few feet from the circle.
„Do you think something is inside this circle right now? Or something comes out of the sarcophagus that has to be contained? Because if you think something is inside right now, you know, we shouldn’t be talking too much... Shit, did I already say too much?“
While the group are discussing the pentacle, Boosey had been slowly walking round the shape, pausing every so often to look closely at something. Careful to not breach the circle or touch it, he begins to nod to himself as he walks round examining it. When he has finished, he stands looking over the shape in the room. When he turns to speak, his face looks pale.
"I know what this is," he says to the group. "Think I know. Glimbul and Oba'laka are correct, this ring is for protecting something, to keep things from getting in," he looks back at the pentacle, "or getting out. This particular shape is usual for keeping fiends or undead under control. I think as we have been unmolested in this room having visited it twice now, it may be prudent to assume that there is some kind of fiend or undead trapped inside it, although they can be used to control other unpleasant creatures. If we cross or disturb that salt, we should be prepared for the worst."
As the discussion progresses Boosey decides to see if magic can pass through the boundary of the pentacle. He casts mage hand and propels it right over the top of the coffin, without any abnormal effects. The hand winks out of existence and he says, "shall we see if there's anything in there then?"
The gnome begins the incantation for faerie fire and soon violet light fills the inside of the pentacle, illuminating the coffin with its glow. There appears to be nothing else illuminated by the light, and Boosey lets the spell fade after a few seconds.
When nothing happens Allister draws his rapier and walks to the pentacle. He looks at it for a moment, draws his rapier and says „Watch my back.“ With that he walks into the pentacle and towards the sarcophagus
The arcane chanting of a spell is the only indicator the party has that thing is happening right before a frog-like humanoid appears on the far side of the pentacle. Rippling waves of energy extend outward from its outstretched palm sending shivers down everyone's spine. The creature takes a martial stance, lifting its greatsword into a defensive position and advances slightly. It utters two gnarled words that no one seems to understand, "Ziggut R'thurgh!"
Nenne glares at the creature and taps her amulet. It glows with a bright red light, and clouds of more red envelop herself, Allister, and Glimbul before dissipating into their armor. "Be swift and stout of heart!" she encourages her friends as the Bless spell takes root.
Peeking from around the corner of the passage, glimbul feels the blessing from Nenne just before firing his arrow at the strand gray frog creature. The arrow hits it in the side of the shoulder. After confirming the shot Glimbul tries to scoot up against the corner again.
Boosey seems to shrug off whatever the frog was casting. This time he quickly chants the incantation for faerie fire and sends a wave of green light to envelop the creature. As much as it tries, it can't avoid being caught by the light and is silhouetted clearly in the dark room.
„Come on, Nenne, snap out of it. You are a cleric, but also a soldier. You know what this life is like. We are still here, still alive, still on a mission. Stop thinking about those we lost, think about those we will save. There’s plenty of bloodshed and fighting ahead of us. That is the only way we will survive, but shedding more of their blood than they shed of ours. Accept it, embrace it and succeed.“
Nenne regards him quietly. "I was a soldier. I left that behind me long before you were born, or tried to. I became a cleric to atone for what I did. Surely you can relate at least somewhat from your time on the sea..."
"It is not simply that I am haunted by who we have lost, Allister. It is not in the past for me at all. It is omnipresent. Look at your arm. Look at Boosey and his nightmares. Look at what Obo'laka is doing to Glimbul. My failures are constantly around me, warrior. I do not have the luxury of forgetting, and I am not as strong as you that I can put it to the side. I wish I were."
She trails off again, this time in contemplation. After a moment, she lifts her head. The light catches more bronze sparkles in her hair. "You are correct, though. We do need to keep our eyes forward and accept what is. I appreciate the reminder. I will do my best to attend to it." She gives him a little smile and pokes him in the forehead.
After a sucessful, and much needed rest, Allister stealths ahead leading the way back upstairs. He checks methodically for enemies and traps the whole way to Papazotl's tomb. Once there, the party assembles and opens the door. Allister tosses a glace to the place where he left Lemon's shield and shakes his head at the empty spot. No one dares touch the chariot or cauldrons before making their way into the secret passage.
Once the second secret door is opened, the hallway floods with that sufuric smell again. The room beyond is unchanged from how the party left it last. The air here reeks of sulfur and brimstone. On the floor of this chamber, a pentacle traced in salt surrounds an ornate sarcophagus, its lid covered with figurines of prancing frog-like humanoids.
"I see magic in here," the cleric says as her eyes flash crimson. "Abjuration and illusion magic encircling the pentacle, and something small within the sarcophagus radiates enchantment."
Glimbul peaks out from the hallway. “Obo’laka suggests adding more salt to the pentacle”
„Can your god tell us where to fond more salt? And why? What would happen if someone stepped inside this thing? Would it be destroyed?“
Glimbul shrugs in a worried look after searching around the walls of the room. “Obo’laka just thought it would help add protection to it I guess? I do not know what or how it is protecting anything... Also i don’t know where to find salt either”
Nenne indulges in a smile and says, "These gods and their banter. It amuses me. Moa puts little stock in the advice...and seems entertained at Obo'laka's caution." She looks at Boosey. "Was it like this for you all the time? How jocular."
Her smile fades a little. "The illusion magic is what intrigues me. We've discovered rather potently that such magics can be deadly. What do you suppose this spell is hiding from us? Or making us see?"
Her eyes scan the room and land on the tunnel that Boosey discovered on his first trip here. She squints at it as her divine sight picks up more information. "I sense evocation magic there. You said there was a wall of wine in there, storyteller? I have two thoughts on the matter. Either it is completely unrelated to this tomb as the bottle with that shadar-kai was in Papazotl's room, or perhaps that 'jewel that can tame the frog' is lying within. What say you all?"
Glimbul turns to Nenne, “I think it is related to the golden tomb room. That place reeked of wine all over. It is also in the general direction of that room. I don’t know how they are related, but they must somehow be related.”
He turns his attention to the pillars after. “Perhaps these pillars have something hidden in them?”
Allister walks to all five pillars, looking closely and touching the surface outside the pentacle. „Looks normal to me, I cannot see anything.“ When he reaches the southern pillar he pulls his rapier from its sheath and stabs the air around the pillar.“Nothing here.“
Glimbul throughly checks up and down several pillars before realizing there arnt any hidden compartment on them either. “I think the only options we have left are either looking else where on this floor for a jewel.. or stepping into the pentacle... Could the jewel be the magic item you detect in the coffin?” He then backs away a few feet from the circle.
„Do you think something is inside this circle right now? Or something comes out of the sarcophagus that has to be contained? Because if you think something is inside right now, you know, we shouldn’t be talking too much... Shit, did I already say too much?“
While the group are discussing the pentacle, Boosey had been slowly walking round the shape, pausing every so often to look closely at something. Careful to not breach the circle or touch it, he begins to nod to himself as he walks round examining it. When he has finished, he stands looking over the shape in the room. When he turns to speak, his face looks pale.
"I know what this is," he says to the group. "Think I know. Glimbul and Oba'laka are correct, this ring is for protecting something, to keep things from getting in," he looks back at the pentacle, "or getting out. This particular shape is usual for keeping fiends or undead under control. I think as we have been unmolested in this room having visited it twice now, it may be prudent to assume that there is some kind of fiend or undead trapped inside it, although they can be used to control other unpleasant creatures. If we cross or disturb that salt, we should be prepared for the worst."
As the discussion progresses Boosey decides to see if magic can pass through the boundary of the pentacle. He casts mage hand and propels it right over the top of the coffin, without any abnormal effects. The hand winks out of existence and he says, "shall we see if there's anything in there then?"
The gnome begins the incantation for faerie fire and soon violet light fills the inside of the pentacle, illuminating the coffin with its glow. There appears to be nothing else illuminated by the light, and Boosey lets the spell fade after a few seconds.
When nothing happens Allister draws his rapier and walks to the pentacle. He looks at it for a moment, draws his rapier and says „Watch my back.“ With that he walks into the pentacle and towards the sarcophagus
The arcane chanting of a spell is the only indicator the party has that thing is happening right before a frog-like humanoid appears on the far side of the pentacle. Rippling waves of energy extend outward from its outstretched palm sending shivers down everyone's spine. The creature takes a martial stance, lifting its greatsword into a defensive position and advances slightly. It utters two gnarled words that no one seems to understand, "Ziggut R'thurgh!"
Nenne glares at the creature and taps her amulet. It glows with a bright red light, and clouds of more red envelop herself, Allister, and Glimbul before dissipating into their armor. "Be swift and stout of heart!" she encourages her friends as the Bless spell takes root.
Peeking from around the corner of the passage, glimbul feels the blessing from Nenne just before firing his arrow at the strand gray frog creature. The arrow hits it in the side of the shoulder. After confirming the shot Glimbul tries to scoot up against the corner again.
Boosey seems to shrug off whatever the frog was casting. This time he quickly chants the incantation for faerie fire and sends a wave of green light to envelop the creature. As much as it tries, it can't avoid being caught by the light and is silhouetted clearly in the dark room.
With a scream of fear, Allister dashes from the room and drops his rapier on the way out.