Serpent's Skull: City of Seven Spears [IC]

[lostsole31]

Xhanfaerd takes the time to restudy his spellbook and realign his spells and several help him with valuation:

• Ring is a ring of severn virtues (see Discord handouts)
• Mithral heavy shield
• (3) mithral spearheads (100 gp each)
• a small ivory coffer decorated with detailed carvings of Azlanti fighting serpentfolk (worth 500 gp) holding 46 uncut zircons (worth 460 gp in total), 85 gp, 238 sp, and 136 cp in ancient Azlanti coins
• fragmentary journal

The two best codebreakers in the expedition - Gelik, assisted by Book - would need to take time (as in, a day of adventuring) to pore over the journal and try to piece together what they can.

Because of this last part, do you plan to adventure tomorrow, or let Gelik and Book try to decipher the journal?

[BuckGodot]

Book is quite excited at the prospect of looking over the... book...

[lostsole31]

Gelik, you're the primary if you do this. How do you feel about it, almost having been killed by the ghost?

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo is Ok with waiting. He wants to put the spirit of their fallen comrade to rest. During the down time he will try to distill the giant wasp venom.

[Master K]

Having nearly died Gelik is far more intersted in the relatively "safe" task that is investigating the journal. As opposed to going back into the jungle

[silphael]

While the codebreakers take care of the book, Xhanfaerd reorganizes his own journal, turning what was so far just notes into the beginning of a real treaty.

[lostsole31]

The next day's plan figured, Amivor tutors Book on very specialized Pathfinder Delver techniques for dealing with traps. Aron, Harrim, and Sersheelda are each off doing their own separate things, but with the terror of the day and near loss of Gelik, Xhanfaerd tutors the little folk in dealing with buoying one's spirit against attacks like the ghost had.

---

Toilday, 14 Calistril 4711 AR (Waxing Gibbous)

Book assists Gelik in piecing together the fragments of the journal that ostensibly belonged to the half-orc Pathfinder. Book discovers that Gelik's understanding of syntax and cryptography (and puzzles) is only a little bit more than his own, but is approached with such confidence that it is impressive to work beside the often curmudgeonly gnome. Over the course of the day, they are able to work together to divine the journal's mysteries...

The ruins here served as a campsite for a small band of Pathfinders who had found Saventh-Yhi against all odds 2 centuries ago. After abandoning their larger group (the ill-fated Alithorpe Expedition) on the southeastern shore of Lake Ocota during an attack by the Gorilla King’s soldiers, this smaller group fled through the jungle for several days, pursued relentlessly by charau-ka. Only by seeking shelter among these hidden cenotes did they finally throw off their pursuit. When the Pathfinders realized where they were, that they’d discovered what could only be Saventh-Yhi, they spent a few days exploring the fringes of the city before treachery struck again. Nareem Daress, a scout who had encouraged the group’s decision to use the slaughter of their main expedition as a distraction to flee, lured the remaining Pathfinders into a nest of army ants and watched them die. He intended to then leave Saventh-Yhi with his notes and maps, return to civilization as the lone survivor of the Alithorpe Expedition, and secure the glory of discovering Saventh-Yhi for himself.

Yet the night before he planned to leave, a carpet of army ants swarmed into the ruin here where he’d made his camp. Perhaps the ants were merely seeking food, or perhaps they were compelled on a quest for vengeance from beyond the grave—whatever the reason, Nareem Daress died that night in great pain and despair, his ramblings of terror the last entries in a journal originally belonging to another unnamed member of the expedition.....

[BuckGodot]

Book nods and shares this information with the rest. "Well done to Master Gelik in deciphering this information. Now, how do we go about putting this creature to rest, finally?"

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo jumps up and down excitedly, “Oh…Oh! I know, I know!”

​He pulls a flask of alchemists fire from his belt.

[silphael]

"Maybe putting his victims to rest would help ? At least those he decided to kill for his own glory. Other than that, maybe bringing the whole story to the light ? But that's not something we can do fast, sadly."

[BuckGodot]

”Right. So we need to see if the remains, if there are any, are in that shack. But that means encountering him again… so what can we line up to protect ourselves?”

[lostsole31]

Amivor will offer, "I think you're right about taking his story to the Grand Lodge in Absalom and seeing that the Allithorpe Expedition's initial discovery of Saventh-Yhi is noted. Which means, of course, that we will not be getting first discovery rights, but it does seem like we will get exploration rights. Of course, the Aspis Consortium here could sour things. I think for now just stay away from the haunted cenotes."

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo speaks to Book in his high pitched voice, serious for once. “Nareem’s remains are in the hut, but without a plan to put the spirit to rest, it’s best to avoid a confrontation at this time …unless you enjoy ghost ants aging you into early retirement!” The little green maniac smiles broadly with a mouth full of sharp pointed teeth. “I am ready with plan B.”

[lostsole31]

"Perhaps," Aron offers, "when our explorations of Saventh-Yhi are done, we might dare to attempt peaceful contact? Ghosts rejuvenate anywhere from a couple days to a week later, anyway."

[BuckGodot]

"That may be worth a try. So back to the fun part?" Book says as he sits down to look over his whip to see if there is any way it can be repaired.

[lostsole31]

Book doesn't see how he could repair his whip.

[BuckGodot]

Book, also realising he's an archeologist, not a weaponsmith, asks... "Does anyone know anything about repairing a whip?"

If no one does, he will stow it and stand and say, "So... Back to my original question then. Let's get back to exploring but give the cenotes a wide berth."

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo shakes his head sadly regarding whip repair.
“What’s the problem with your noodle, Book? Performance anxiety?”
The green goblin titters to himself like an asthmatic dog.

Fronaldo does not look excited about more long walks in the ancient city.
“Yay. Let’s explore more ruins. Yippee.”

[lostsole31]

Aron asks to see Book's pain noodle.

[BuckGodot]

Book hands it over to Aron and looks on.

[lostsole31]

Aron casts a spell that takes her 10 minutes to cast ... and ends up casting this spell three times .... before she fully restores Book's whip.

[BuckGodot]

Book is amazed and thanks her profusely.

[lostsole31]

That evening, Aron seeks out Xhanfaerd, recognizing his keen observation of other people's behavior. She picks the half-elf's brain, seeking to find a way to deepen her own art through understanding of others. For their own reasons, Book, Gelik, and Sersheelda either get in on the discussion, or listen passively. Fronaldo shows Amivor some weapons concealment techniques.

---

Wealday, 15 Calistril 4711 AR (Waxing Gibbous)

Does the party change anything, now that you are going back to exporation?

[BuckGodot]

Book remains constant like the rising and setting of the sun.

[lostsole31]

Everyone is ready for today's exploration.

Speaking of which, Book, where to?

[BuckGodot]

Book wants to return to the southern region near the water and start excavating west. (Just south of the rows of 8 blocks.)

[lostsole31]

The party restarts their explorations, moving towards the waterline again, right to a stone bridge. This stone bridge is shattered in the middle, but still might be traversable, and seems to be stable all things considered. This bridge spans a 110-yd gap of water to an island with more structures on it. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo addresses the group. “I am probably the best suited to check out the bridge to see if it is safe. Shall I?”

[lostsole31]

Aron shakes her head.

Spoiler: Aron >>> Collective

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"Book is definitely our most alert and our best engineer, but you should go with him for security, Fronaldo."

[BuckGodot]

Book nods in deference to Aron, winks at Fro’ fro, and steps out to check the bridge.