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Post by kooshster on Mar 10, 2014 14:14:02 GMT
"Stop the elemental!" Psychlis says. "Necromancy is dark, dark stuff. That spirit can possess the elemental if it comes within range. Let's get as much information as we can before proceeding. The sure path is the slow path. Where's Leath?"
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Post by henwen88 on Mar 10, 2014 15:32:08 GMT
Although ordered to stand guard, Leath's curiosity gets the best of him, and he begins to follow the druidic power he senses, heading towards the ruins.
[OOC: Sorry, everybody. Things got busy for me the last couple of weeks, and the board slipped my mind. For some reason ProBoards stopped sending me email notifications of new posts, which didn't help matters.]
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Post by Admin on Mar 10, 2014 22:45:47 GMT
Leath walks into the entrance and notices the party standing before two inscriptions on the wall. What he does notice, however, is a supernaturally animated fresco mimicking (or perhaps reproducing) the sounds of nature. Every sound would be nothing but noise for anyone but a druid, who are trained in understanding the subtle messages of nature.
"A spirit is trapped with an artifact in this temple. Adjust the ley line wardstone to free them," is the message that he reads with ease. "The intruders tried tearing this place apart to find it, but could not breach the wardstone."
At the end of the hallway, behind a barrel of gunpowder undoubtedly left by the mercenaries, has a magical aura coming from one of the walls. He can't quite tell the specifics, but there is something with a similar aura to the animated fresco nearby. Perhaps it will activate if he gets closer.
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Post by henwen88 on Mar 11, 2014 1:22:59 GMT
"I don't know what the texts in those languages you're reading say, but the messages I'm getting are about a ley line in this temple. Apparently there's a spirit trapped here? There's something further down the tunnel that I want to get a look at," Leath says. Looking down the hallway, he notices an earth elemental for the first time, seemingly detached from the party. "Uh, have you all had some interaction with the elemental down that way? Friendly?"
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Post by kooshster on Mar 11, 2014 2:19:39 GMT
"It's Alicia's," Psychlis tells Leath. "But it worries me that we know nothing about the alignment of this spirit. Is releasing him really the right thing to do? Between that casket of gunpowder and the unknown designs of the spirit, I'm not keen to just barrel down there."
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Post by Admin on Mar 11, 2014 21:10:02 GMT
[Craft(alchemy) check for Hans=17]
Hans suddenly recalls something from his cursory knowledge of alchemy and use of firearms. Water can easily foul black powder, and he recalls seeing some buckets outside with the digging supplies. There's water pooling in a gutter running just outside the main corridor as well, perhaps more than enough to foul the barrel. Alternatively, the party might be evacuated from the ruins, and the gunpowder detonated by some other means, perhaps a lucky shot or expendable summoned being with a torch. That could bury whatever's in the ruins long enough for their allies to secure the site, and whatever was buried down there would be a problem for after the war.
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Post by henwen88 on Mar 12, 2014 2:05:19 GMT
"Well, the spirit is trapped with some sort of artifact," Leath says, looking at the druidic message again. "That's not the sphere we want, by any chance, is it?"
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Post by jon on Mar 12, 2014 9:16:13 GMT
"I believe the artifact is probably the planar transportation artifact. I am also a bit unsure of freeing a spirit that someone went to so much care to seal away."
Hans pauses,
"Ahhhh! These sellswords were probably just trying to blow open the temple. I am still concerned that it may have some form of trap mechanism associated with it but I haven't seen any. We could remove its explosive properties with water." Hans suggests. "Alternatively we could attempt to move it and blow the entrance, trapping the sellswords in the ruins but I would personally rather not take the risk myself. If anyone feels game, go ahead."
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Post by Admin on Mar 12, 2014 23:09:57 GMT
"I think the sellswords are all dead or buried in the avalanche," Jiao says. "I don't detect anything living, aside from us."
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Post by henwen88 on Mar 14, 2014 20:33:05 GMT
Leath shrugs, and sees Flann peeking into the entrance to the ruins, looking for him. "I admit I'm curious about the artifact, and the spirit, but it could very well be something we don't want to mess with," he says, as he waves the horse in. "Ah, I don't know. I'd feel pretty bad if the spirit trapped here was a good one--some kind of Prometheus creature who had been bound here for years in a punishment it didn't deserve--and we were the first to discover it, with the ability to decipher these messages, and we just left it here."
He strokes the horse's head, between his ears. "But although I can anticipate feeling that sort of guilt, I doubt this spirit's case is as simple as that. Why would these sellswords be out here messing with it? What if the spirit is hell-bent on destruction, like the spirits we've already encountered? We could unleash something really dangerous. Or maybe the artifact it has, though it would be a menace in the enemy's hands, could give us an advantage in this war?"
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Post by kooshster on Mar 17, 2014 18:09:59 GMT
"As a Byzantine, and thus a Roman by extension, I'm sympathetic to those of the Empire who bound this spirit," Psychlis says. "I'm against releasing it, for to challenge the wisdom of my forebearers seems to me a risky proposition."
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Post by Admin on Mar 17, 2014 23:32:31 GMT
"Over heard you guys talking," Lt. Foster walks in, a content smile on her face. "But our reinforcements just arrived. They can seal off this place for later if you want."
"How goes the war?" Jiao asks.
"Well, that landslide echoed across the eastern side of the island, and the sellswords began deserting," Foster says. "That's the problem with people fighting for money. No conviction."
"And the druidic shrine?"
"The battalion messenger said we secured it with no casualties, thanks to your efforts," she explains. "Additionally, Mordred's control over his bugs seems to be affected. Before, they'd attack in organized waves, but now they're fighting each other."
"So, would you like to stay here or return to base?" Jiao says. "I think these ruins aren't going anywhere, but the frontlines are."
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Post by henwen88 on Mar 18, 2014 0:50:29 GMT
"Well, if you're all sure we should leave well enough alone, I say we let Lt. Foster's men seal it and head on to the war ourselves," Leath says, looking from Psychlis to Hans. "It's good to hear the shrine is secure."
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Post by jon on Mar 20, 2014 1:58:53 GMT
"Agreed," Hans smiles, "Shall we regroup at the headquarters and figure out a strategy?"
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Post by kooshster on Mar 20, 2014 13:08:01 GMT
"I don't want to risk a potentially hostile spirit loose when the odds seem to have shifted in our favor," Psychlis agrees. "I second Hans's suggestion."
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