The door with the withered tree limb opens easily. There was a lock, once, but Grahl's solid push and possibly age of the rusty thing rendered it useless. The room on the other side of it was indeed an apothecary, but clearly its owner came from some mad circle of the infinite abyss. A goat's mutilated heat lay atop arcane scrawling in the middle of a dark wood table. Bookshelves lined the walls, but their contents were mostly anything but. A few volumes and tomes stood aside open potions, glowing elixirs, bottled and canned body parts and spiderwebs. The floor was some kind of dark and well chiseled stone, put together by a skilled mason. Perhaps it were meant to appear as temple at one time long past. The four purple candles smoked as if recently extinguished, and a foul mood was about the place as you entered.
The four of you fit around the table when standing in front of each candle, You might be able to pass each other when walking by, but the room is quiet small.
Onyx, with a keen eye for such arcane mysticism, observes the finer details of the profane ritual...
The goat's head was very recently mutilated, perhaps with the last day, the marks that were carved are still weeping and the skin is still warm. The hair that isn't stained with blood blows gently in the new air brought forth by the opening on the door. When you draw back, the empty eyes of the now dead animal look on it absolute apathy, its conscious long gone from whatever hell its body now endured. With a note of optimism, you are positive the goat died before such things occurred, perhaps of fright from the image of whatever was about to bring forth such punishment.
And the candles were blown out within the last 15 minutes. The wax underneath them is solid, but that watery kind of solid that happens when freshly melted wax settles. A gentle press would no doubt reveal such, but you are sure just by looking.
"Someone was here no more than fifteen minutes ago," said Onyx flatly, taking in the scene. "I doubt it's coincidence. Maybe we're chasing someone now? If we are, maybe finding them will put an end to all of... whatever this is." He waved his hand around, in a weak attempt to indicate the entire mine.
Something rattles in his pocket after Onyx is finished speaking...
The chest began trembling lightly since you got close to the goat head. As you move away from it, the chest vibrates harder and harder till its noticeable even when you're not looking for anything odd.
Noticing the increased shaking, Onyx pulled the chest from earlier out of his backpack. He stared at it in confusion a few seconds, then looked between it and the goat head before speaking.
"This thing is reacting to the goat head! I think they're part of the same ritual!"
Deciding to act quickly, the warlock took the chest and exited the apothecary, closing the door behind him as best he could. He then set the chest on the ground, waiting for the shaking to stop.
As Onyx exits the room, the rest of the group immediately becomes aware of how violently the box is shaking. The damn thing looks ready to outright explode with pressure as it jolts and rocks in his grasp.
Onyx places it on the floor and the rumbling gets so aggressive it starts jumping off the ground every couple of seconds in the direction of the table. It lands hard upon the stone floor several times with no signs of stopping.
Grahl raises his axe as he sees the box move on its own. Seeing its going for the goat Grahl steps forward and picks up the goats head with one hand and tosses it into a corner of the room to see if the head is indeed what the box is moving towards.
Now intently curious, Onyx also waited to see if the chest headed... toward the head. He readied an Eldritch Blast, intending to unleash it on the apparently-sentient box just before it actually reached its target.
The goat's head lay about the cold floor for only a moment before it began to stink like rot and decaying flesh. An oozing black liquid filled and burst its eyes, covering it in a vicious tar that grabbed and stuck to the ground. The flood stopped when the skin pulled tight to the bone and drained muscle, the head becoming fully emaciated within seconds.
As it completes its discharge, the arcane symbols on the table began to fade, and it became a mere surface once again.
Onyx blinked. "Point to Grahl," he said with a chuckle. At that, he retrieved the chest and placed it back into his backpack, before entering the room again.
Arbon squats down to look closely at the ooze and the goats head, though not touching it as he does. "Curious as to what they were casting in order to have this head so preserved and yet decay so quickly when removed from its enchantment?" After a moment, Arbon stands and looks around the room, "Well then, shall we continue? I see nothing else here that might help us. Though hopefully whatever this was, destroying the enchantment will hopefully offer us some aid later on." He points at the goats head as he says this, then walks from the room to look at each of the doors, including the large door, to see if there are any changes and to determine the next door to head through.
When Arbon looks about the room, he can see that there are some scuffs on the floor where the box landed, but no change to the gem, gate, or, other doors.
Onyx is able to mentally catalog the collection of items contained on the bookshelves...
There are 8 Books-Onyx can read the titles of three that are in Elvish, and one that is in Common. The three are an Elvish botanist's translation of Drow Herbalism progressing from basic horticulture to advanced medicine. The one is a Ranger's guide to raising fauna, specifically Goats. The other four are scribbled in a language he does not recognize.
There are approximately 11 different vials, jars, and, glasses, filled with varying items. You are positive that the largest, a round bottom flask filled to the brim with clear liquid and corked, is a powerful embalming fluid. This liquid fills three other jars: eyeballs, a collection of skin tissues, and, a red finger entombed within each. Three more jars are filled with an unknown red liquid that smells unlike fruit or blood. Two with the black ooze that fell from the goat's head. Another with a milky white fluid and a fish inside it. And the final, a yellow liquid, probably an oil of some kind, filled a large vial.
There are other things upon the shelf, but they have long since served their use. Some old bones that have been dried and bleached. A cracked mortal and pestle set. Heavily melted candles. There's even a once beautiful painting, but some kind of rusty water spilled upon the rolled up image. Unfurling it even a little reveals the water must have been sitting there for years, the paper soggy all the way through, tearing slightly.
(( Okay, I'm presuming that Onyx is experienced enough with potions to know how to test for them, and that none of these jars are potions. ))
"There are a few books here on herbalism, and one on raising goats," said Onyx to the others, reflexively setting the tomes into his backpack without thinking to ask if anyone else was interested. "The other four are in a language I can't identify--neither Draconic, nor Elvish, nor Primordial."
"And unless you want some oil, or embalming fluid, I think the jars and everything else are useless to us."
Arbon is able to decipher some of the texts that were previously hidden to Onyx...
Aside from the three elvish tomes and the common guide to raising animals, there are two books written in Dwarvish. One is a volume on Stone Giant culture and language. The other is a dwarven translation of a Rune Keeper's findings on transmutation magic.
You can tell the second is a translation as some of the words that should impart magic have been altered or changed so that the book may be studied or used by students unfamiliar with such powers without casting the spells.
The final two books elude Arbon, written in yet more exotic and unfamiliar language.
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The door with the withered tree limb opens easily. There was a lock, once, but Grahl's solid push and possibly age of the rusty thing rendered it useless. The room on the other side of it was indeed an apothecary, but clearly its owner came from some mad circle of the infinite abyss. A goat's mutilated heat lay atop arcane scrawling in the middle of a dark wood table. Bookshelves lined the walls, but their contents were mostly anything but. A few volumes and tomes stood aside open potions, glowing elixirs, bottled and canned body parts and spiderwebs. The floor was some kind of dark and well chiseled stone, put together by a skilled mason. Perhaps it were meant to appear as temple at one time long past. The four purple candles smoked as if recently extinguished, and a foul mood was about the place as you entered.
The four of you fit around the table when standing in front of each candle, You might be able to pass each other when walking by, but the room is quiet small.
(( OOC: So the goat's head and candles all look recently used? Onyx will try to Investigate to see if he can determine just how recently: 12 ))
Tooltips Post (2024 PHB updates) - incl. General Rules
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
Onyx, with a keen eye for such arcane mysticism, observes the finer details of the profane ritual...
The goat's head was very recently mutilated, perhaps with the last day, the marks that were carved are still weeping and the skin is still warm. The hair that isn't stained with blood blows gently in the new air brought forth by the opening on the door. When you draw back, the empty eyes of the now dead animal look on it absolute apathy, its conscious long gone from whatever hell its body now endured. With a note of optimism, you are positive the goat died before such things occurred, perhaps of fright from the image of whatever was about to bring forth such punishment.
And the candles were blown out within the last 15 minutes. The wax underneath them is solid, but that watery kind of solid that happens when freshly melted wax settles. A gentle press would no doubt reveal such, but you are sure just by looking.
"Someone was here no more than fifteen minutes ago," said Onyx flatly, taking in the scene. "I doubt it's coincidence. Maybe we're chasing someone now? If we are, maybe finding them will put an end to all of... whatever this is." He waved his hand around, in a weak attempt to indicate the entire mine.
Tooltips Post (2024 PHB updates) - incl. General Rules
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
Something rattles in his pocket after Onyx is finished speaking...
The chest began trembling lightly since you got close to the goat head. As you move away from it, the chest vibrates harder and harder till its noticeable even when you're not looking for anything odd.
Noticing the increased shaking, Onyx pulled the chest from earlier out of his backpack. He stared at it in confusion a few seconds, then looked between it and the goat head before speaking.
"This thing is reacting to the goat head! I think they're part of the same ritual!"
Deciding to act quickly, the warlock took the chest and exited the apothecary, closing the door behind him as best he could. He then set the chest on the ground, waiting for the shaking to stop.
Tooltips Post (2024 PHB updates) - incl. General Rules
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
As Onyx exits the room, the rest of the group immediately becomes aware of how violently the box is shaking. The damn thing looks ready to outright explode with pressure as it jolts and rocks in his grasp.
Onyx places it on the floor and the rumbling gets so aggressive it starts jumping off the ground every couple of seconds in the direction of the table. It lands hard upon the stone floor several times with no signs of stopping.
Grahl raises his axe as he sees the box move on its own. Seeing its going for the goat Grahl steps forward and picks up the goats head with one hand and tosses it into a corner of the room to see if the head is indeed what the box is moving towards.
Want head, go get it he says as he tosses it.
Chazrael is going to watch the box and see if it goes toward the head.
I have an intelligence of six, I know what I'm doing.
Now intently curious, Onyx also waited to see if the chest headed... toward the head. He readied an Eldritch Blast, intending to unleash it on the apparently-sentient box just before it actually reached its target.
Tooltips Post (2024 PHB updates) - incl. General Rules
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
The moment the head left the table, the wooden box fell to the floor lifeless once again.
The goat's head lay about the cold floor for only a moment before it began to stink like rot and decaying flesh. An oozing black liquid filled and burst its eyes, covering it in a vicious tar that grabbed and stuck to the ground. The flood stopped when the skin pulled tight to the bone and drained muscle, the head becoming fully emaciated within seconds.
As it completes its discharge, the arcane symbols on the table began to fade, and it became a mere surface once again.
Onyx blinked. "Point to Grahl," he said with a chuckle. At that, he retrieved the chest and placed it back into his backpack, before entering the room again.
Tooltips Post (2024 PHB updates) - incl. General Rules
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
Arbon squats down to look closely at the ooze and the goats head, though not touching it as he does. "Curious as to what they were casting in order to have this head so preserved and yet decay so quickly when removed from its enchantment?" After a moment, Arbon stands and looks around the room, "Well then, shall we continue? I see nothing else here that might help us. Though hopefully whatever this was, destroying the enchantment will hopefully offer us some aid later on." He points at the goats head as he says this, then walks from the room to look at each of the doors, including the large door, to see if there are any changes and to determine the next door to head through.
Grahl looks at the goatshead rapidly decay. Then looks to Onyx and puffs his chest looking smug. Grahl smart, magic gone now.
He will wait for the others to see if they notice any other things in the room and stand watch in the meantime.
"I'll be a minute," Onyx called out to Arbon. "Some of these potions might be useful."
(( Investigation Check: 15 - specifically seeing if any of the bottles are potions, and of what sort. ))
Tooltips Post (2024 PHB updates) - incl. General Rules
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
When Arbon looks about the room, he can see that there are some scuffs on the floor where the box landed, but no change to the gem, gate, or, other doors.
Onyx is able to mentally catalog the collection of items contained on the bookshelves...
There are 8 Books-Onyx can read the titles of three that are in Elvish, and one that is in Common. The three are an Elvish botanist's translation of Drow Herbalism progressing from basic horticulture to advanced medicine. The one is a Ranger's guide to raising fauna, specifically Goats. The other four are scribbled in a language he does not recognize.
There are approximately 11 different vials, jars, and, glasses, filled with varying items. You are positive that the largest, a round bottom flask filled to the brim with clear liquid and corked, is a powerful embalming fluid. This liquid fills three other jars: eyeballs, a collection of skin tissues, and, a red finger entombed within each. Three more jars are filled with an unknown red liquid that smells unlike fruit or blood. Two with the black ooze that fell from the goat's head. Another with a milky white fluid and a fish inside it. And the final, a yellow liquid, probably an oil of some kind, filled a large vial.
There are other things upon the shelf, but they have long since served their use. Some old bones that have been dried and bleached. A cracked mortal and pestle set. Heavily melted candles. There's even a once beautiful painting, but some kind of rusty water spilled upon the rolled up image. Unfurling it even a little reveals the water must have been sitting there for years, the paper soggy all the way through, tearing slightly.
(( Okay, I'm presuming that Onyx is experienced enough with potions to know how to test for them, and that none of these jars are potions. ))
"There are a few books here on herbalism, and one on raising goats," said Onyx to the others, reflexively setting the tomes into his backpack without thinking to ask if anyone else was interested. "The other four are in a language I can't identify--neither Draconic, nor Elvish, nor Primordial."
"And unless you want some oil, or embalming fluid, I think the jars and everything else are useless to us."
Tooltips Post (2024 PHB updates) - incl. General Rules
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
"There has been plenty of dwarvish in the mines, perhaps it's that?" Arbon offers to take a look at the scribblings that Onyx cannot read.
Arbon is able to decipher some of the texts that were previously hidden to Onyx...
Aside from the three elvish tomes and the common guide to raising animals, there are two books written in Dwarvish. One is a volume on Stone Giant culture and language. The other is a dwarven translation of a Rune Keeper's findings on transmutation magic.
You can tell the second is a translation as some of the words that should impart magic have been altered or changed so that the book may be studied or used by students unfamiliar with such powers without casting the spells.
The final two books elude Arbon, written in yet more exotic and unfamiliar language.