Sarloc's Heir [closed]

[Toadfish]

Graevic - Human

"I agree with Linda, a rest would be most welcome right now"

[sacreddeamon]

Thokk

"Normally I would never agree to stop, but I be feeling quite woozie..."

[Dr._Bob]

There seems to be general consensus that it's time to call it a day. The western doorway will have to wait for another time.

With some effort, everyone is able to climb back out of the barrow. Once back on the surface, you scan your surroundings carefully, but there are no more signs of the "lizard people".

Before Graevic leaves the stirge chamber, he casts a lingering look back at the skeleton in the coffin. It certainly was no natural creature, but he seems to remember hearing something about half-human, half snake creatures that used to be quite numerous in the Vilhon Reach. What were they called again? Yuan ti?

Everyone mounts up and Graevic is invited to return with the party to Oden Homm's estate.

The journey back is uneventful, and you arrive before sunset. After cleaning up, dressing your wounds, and having a light supper, you gather in the large study/dining room to look over your spoils:

A small, black lacquered chest (coins jingle inside)
A black pearl
A silver chalice
A metal brooch
An amulet made of some kind of animal scales
A blue-green gem (the colors seem everchanging)



OOC: Check the OOC thread for experience awards.

[sacreddeamon]

Thokk

OOC: Assuming The old one is with us. (Knowlege checks or identify spells)

"Master Oden, do you know what any of these could be? In particular, I wish to know more about this amulet and gem

[McMouse]

Taern Torminson

*Taern watches the ill-gotten loot warily. She often makes the sign of Tymora, praying for the group to be lucky and not draw unwelcome spirits from the looting of the bodies. She refuses to touch any of it, falling sound asleep, trying to recover from the battle.*

[Dr._Bob]

Thokk and Oden stay up late looking over the items, while Taern heads off to bed.

Oden offers to identify the items, but 100 gp pearls would have to be consumed in order to complete the spell properly, one for each item to be identified.

Oden does scan the items with detect magic, pointing out the metal brooch, the scaly amulet, and the blue-green gem as magical.

The brooch detects as faint abjuration magic, the amulet radiates faint transmutation magic, and the gem has a moderate conjuration aura.

[sacreddeamon]

Thokk

"I would be willing to use up part of my share of the treasure to identify the brooch and gem. Espicially the gem....."

*Stares into the multi-colored gem*

[Dr._Bob]

The blue and green colors swirl gently. As Thokk holds the gem up to a candle, it seems to glisten wetly and its facets catch the light.

Oden Homm goes to bed, leaving Thokk alone with the treasures on the table.

[sacreddeamon]

Thokk

"Ach, what a beautiful piece of work. Fine craftmaship, and the colors are wonderful..."

*Puts gem up to his eye and looks around the room though the multi-colored gem*

[Dr._Bob]

As Thokk's stares through the gem, the room takes on a blue-green tint, rippling almost as though he is under water.

[Toadfish]

Graevic

* Graevic smiles at Thokk has he gazes at the gem *

" My new friends, I do not feel as if I've earned a share of these prizes, coming so late to your group. So, please do not include me in your decisions. Perhaps in our next adventure I might prove my worthiness and earn a share."

* Graevic tends to Aholoh and Arahnix, then relaxes as he uses a whetstone and oil to maintain his scimitar *

[Erikkin]

Fizahn, gnome:

"Huh! It's not much share anyways, you're not missing much Graevic! I say we should have gone and explored more! What's wrong with all of you? Everyone¹ was fine! And it was really rude to keep making noise while I disarmed that trap! If this continues, I might miss a trap and doom us all²!"

¹: For Fizahn's purposes, "everyone" means himself.
²: For Fizahn's purposes, "us all" means the entire party except him.

[griffon666]

Elthan:

"I too am not that interested in the treasure. I would prefer a wand or a scroll over jewels."

[sacreddeamon]

Thokk

"Ach, but these items are special! I really be wanting this amulet and gem, the better to slay demons¹ with!

¹: And by Demons, I mean Fizan if he contiunes to use superscript

[Dr._Bob]

It takes several days of rest before the blood lost to the stirges is replenished and everyone feels back to themselves again. Approximately a tenday has passed since your initial encounter with the dragon.

Thokk lays claim to the lizard hide amulet and the blue-green gem. He spends many hours examining and admiring the polished stone.

Although there are no obvious clues as to the nature of the metal brooch other than its shape (a simple shield), Linda suggests that it might be a protective item of some kind. Elthan tests the brooch with a few magic missiles, and it indeed seems to dissipate their effect. This sort of brooch of shielding typically is valued at about 1500 gp.

In addition, you estimate the value of the black pearl to be 500 gp and the chalice is likely worth 100 gp.

The plain, black lacquered chest remains unopened, though shaking it does reveal the jingle of coins.

Oden Homm for the most part leaves you undisturbed. He travels into town most days to conduct mundane business with the villagers of Mimleth.

[griffon666]

OOC: I'm assuming here we can still pitch in on the actions from the tenday of rest.

Elthan spent alot of time in the library searching about the necromancer. He was mostly searching in the local history and stoped at anything interesting(even if it was not about the necromancer). He's also curious about why Thokk is so interested in the inhabitants of other planes. Thus he also searched for information about the planes, relaying the information to Thokk and using it as an excuse to ask him about why he is so interested in them(in the hypothetical situation he did find some information on them).

OOC: I would like to know if I did find anything interesting about the planes and what it is.

[McMouse]

Taern Torminson

*Taern spends the days either sleeping, or swinging her axe about outdoors. If and when the party gets on the subject of what to do next, she states her opinion.*

"Friends, there is no gain in honor to be found by looting the graves of the long dead. They deserve to be sealed up, not looted untill there is nothing left. For all we know, the spirits of the dead could be haunting us as we speak. Especially the spirit of that abomination. I say we put back the... treasure... we stole from the bodies of the dead, then return to explore the necromancer's crypt. We would be doing the world a good deed by putting to rest any stray undead found in the crypt, and the spoils there would be ours for the taking.

Besides, what's the fun in getting blasted to death by fiery statues, and having your blood sucked out by beetle-things? I'd rather just have a straight fight, any day. How much of a challenge could skeletons be?"

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Linda spends her first day recovering, taking as few actions as possible. She does not seem very interested in gems or money though she is interested in magic items that can help combat. She spends the rest of her days practicing her magic and helping anyone searching in the library. When the others ask her opinion on what the team should do next she says:

"We'd better not return to the crypts just yet-far too many traps for my liking and we might face the necromancer's undead. Skeletons I am not afraid of but a vampire or two...
Anyway, I suggest we try to find something useful to do on the surface, what was your group doing before you came here? I never came to know that... or you.

[sacreddeamon]

Thokk

"I am on a bit of a personal quest myself, lassie, I am just traveling with the group for certain...purposes of my own."

*Looks Around*

"We shoudl go back to that last room. If they used a trap that complicated, it must have been hiding something."

[Dr._Bob]

Elthan's research reveals little that he didn't know before about the planes. Thokk hints a little bit about his quest for vengeance, but Oden's library does not prove to be extremely helpful in getting Thokk any closer to that goal.

Meanwhile, the party debates its next course of action. Taern seems repulsed by the idea of further grave robbing, but isn't averse to exploring the crypt of the necromancer to be sure there is no evil lurking there. Thokk and Elthan seem to be more inclined to return to the barrow they just left to explore the last chamber. Linda advises avoiding the barrows altogether.

Interesting news filters in from the village. Apparently there has been an assassination in Hlondeth (to the east). A Thayan ambassador was murdered there and a group of four adventurers is suspected. The Queen has offered a generous reward for their capture.

[sacreddeamon]

Thokk

"Ach, we not be needing money, not when there be so many valuables right beneath our feet! We should just explore every Barrow we can, and then head under that disk."

[griffon666]

Elthan:

"Thokk, there are much more important things than money down there. There could be powerful artifacts or magicals item, there could be knowledge that could be used against evil. I don't think grave robbing should be our priority, we should look for something we can actually use." He then talks more softly, and directed right at him. "You wouldn't want a gem to prevent you from obtaining something else that could help you achieve something you really want"

[Toadfish]

Graevic - Human

"I appreciate the offer to share the spoils, though, I will decline the offer. That young dragon would have decimated that area as it aged and would probably have resulted in the death of many people. You have earned this reward. "

"As to what to do next, we have many choices. While I respec Taern's concerns about the graves, I have concern that there is evil within those warrens that may get loose and cause great harm to the area. However, we do not have to venture back there at this time, if there are other tasks to be accomplished"

[Dr._Bob]

Thokk, Fizahn, Elthan, Graevic, and Taern seem amenable to returning to the barrows. Linda seems to want to leave the barrows alone however.

Thokk and Fizahn seem to be motivated more out of greed. By contrast, Elthan, Graevic, and Taern express that they feel a responsibility to ensure that no evil has been unleashed by the inadvertent opening of the two ancient barrows.

Either way, the party is rested, fully healed, and feeling restless. A final decision needs to be made about where to go next...

[Dr._Bob]

Elthan's research into the necromancer is slightly more fruitful than his research into the planes for Thokk.

Rumors about half-demon ancestry aside, the stories about Sethra seem to indicate that he was very much human, albeit evil. There seems to be no doubt that Sethra hoped to become a lich someday, but the books seem to indicate that he was still very much mortal (though powerful) when the four heroes cornered and confronted him.

Although no one knows exactly what happened in the crypt during that final battle, it really does seem inconceivable that anyone survived. If Sethra were undead (there is no suggestion of this in the tomes) no doubt he would have escaped the wards eventually (he would have had centuries to overcome any spells or barriers) and reappeared.

[McMouse]

Taern Torminson

"I believe that with this new information, we should go explore this undead cave-type thing. I am sure there would be plenty of money down there, and think of the service we would be doing this area. I'm for going back to the dragon's lair, opening the seal, and seeing what's underneath."

[Dr._Bob]

The moon is almost full and it's a beautiful starry night as you enjoy some of Oden Homm's pipeweed and debate whether or not to return to the barrows.

Taern suggests returning to the dragon's barrow to be sure no threat lurks beneath the iron seal. She has no interest in grave robbing, but possibly protecting the simple peasants and villagers in this area from an ancient evil is a different matter.

"Who is with me?" she asks.

[sacreddeamon]

Thokk

"Ach, Ill go with ye lassie, If this necromancer was a half demon of sorts, then all the better for me."

[Dr._Bob]

In the morning, after breakfast, Taern and Thokk saddle up their horses in preparation for heading back to the barrows.

It is a beautiful clear day and the air carries a hint of approaching autumn.

They debate whether to head on ahead of the others or to wait to see who else is interested in joining them.

[Erikkin]

Fizahn, gnome:

*Fizahn rides up to Taern and Thokk on his pony, leading his horse.*

"I'm a morning person, you can't get rid of me this easily. Someone has to keep you two from falling into all sorts of pits."