Astrepius. Did you ever translate the runes on the object?
It takes a moment for the sage to realize that you are addressing him. He looks up from his reading and clears his throat, "No I'm afraid that I did not have enough time with it. Rosvodiz brought it to me only once and even then he was hesitant to let me hold it for any lengthy time. As I mentioned a while ago it was a strange greenish-brown metal statue of a demonic looking beind."
"He did try once to describe the chanting that Caput Mortuum had heard deep beneath Daunton. From what I can tell its an ancient form of pre-imperial elvish. Though the linguistic traits point to taints of drow speech. I've not finished translating it because of the odd characteristics of the language and the fact that he brought to me only phonetic approximations to what he heard. But from what I've managed to wring from it so far is that it is a calling ritual and that it is trying to reach a being by the name of Ghul'hadi which is similar to a being called the Waiting Below."
He is a wizard. Best when there are many, less so when there are few. Such is their lot. The warforged verbally shrugs. You know my capabilities, warson. Those that disturb me feel the wrath of hellfire. There is little more than that.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Uh . . . me cut things down wit me axe. Din me hope me dont gets blown up when da fire gets near me gases. But me not too quick, so I just stand der 'n chop.
Me dont think der under da foundry. Tis a holy place to dwa'fs, gang dum to live der.
Me dont think der under da foundry. Tis a holy place to dwa'fs, gang dum to live der.
The evil was already found there once, as the journal evidences. It was not where the dwarves knew it, and they did not sanction it, but it was there nevertheless. Many things we do not wish exist despite us.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
It was not where the dwarves knew it, and they did not sanction it, but it was there nevertheless. Many things we do not wish exist despite us.
"Oh," Dane says meekly as if somebody kicked his kitten right in front of him. After the carriage stops, he hold his head low and quietly follows his party members to the morgue.
"My b-b-blades are qu-qu-quick; as are my f-f-eet." The shifter gives hard eyes toward the wizard, hopefully halting any oncoming comments. "When injured, I b-become the c-c-caged lion, la-lashing out without m-mercy."
Dane says meekly as if somebody kicked his kitten right in front of him. After the carriage stops, he hold his head low and quietly follows his party members to the morgue.
Incarnation shrugs at the dwarf's attitude. Those that were there were made to pay. If there are others there, they will be made to pay.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Well then it seems the only solid question we've managed to come up with is who killed him. Everything else seems like it should explain itself from there, and remember; everyone pays eventually.
The carriage pulls up in front of a squat stone building outside the crypt on the far edge of Daunton. The crypt and graveyard having been built on the bluff outside town. The stone building is marked as a funeral parlor. Astrepius leads the group around to a side entrance that heads down stairs. The stone walls are cold to the touch and brightly lit by magical flames running in a little inset groove the length of the stairs. At the bottom a clerk at a small desk greets you. Astrepius provides her with the information on Rosvodiz and answers a few basic questions on why they are there then signs his name painstakingly in perfect handwriting.
"Please indicate your mark here beneath the Professor's." says the clerk to each of you before directing you to have a seat. "A room will be prepared with the deceased. Do you have need of any ritual components?" she says following the procedures that the morgue has for those interrupted while waiting to be interred.
"No that won't be necessary, thank you." replies Astrepius, having a scroll handy.
After about 15 minutes waiting patiently in the cold lounge, the group is directed to a small room down a short hallway to the left. The clerk opens the door and allows the group of 6 to enter. A small stone shelf on the far end of the room holds the body of a preserved shifter. He has been composed probably with the subtle use of magic for viewing.
"Here is the scroll. Would any amongst you prefer to conduct the ritual?" asks Astrepius.
The shifter enters the crypt/parlor with the others. He didn't like it, but the scholar insisted. Rurdev didn't like being this close to the dead. They made him uneasy, they always did. His mother, dealt with the undead on occasion. That was another of her sins.
They stood over the body of his relative, his clanmate. He says a quick prayer over the body. A rite he had learned to keep it from standing once again. He jumped, a rarity, when the lips of his ancestor moved in reply to their question.
With the scroll in hand Vashik reads through it, stumbling in a few places but generally getting the ritual right. With knowledge of it, perhaps in the future he will be able to scribe it for himself. Rosvodiz' body remains still and cold but a thin white mist begins to manifest atop it. The mist coalesces into the shifters form and sits up. "What madness summons me back from Lauto's realm."
ooc: Skill Challenge time. We'll go with an easy skill challenge so thats 4 successes before 3 failures. You get one question out of the religion roll, but how good an answer you get depends on the results of challenge. Key skills are diplomacy, history, religion, and streetwise. Secondary skills are insight, perception, and bluff. Other creative uses of skill rolls may offer bonuses etc. Initiative is in post order so everyone throw an idea together and post it I doubt this will take more than 1 round of posts.
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