The colored scales look quite familiar those she previously acquired, draconic in nature for sure.

Moving beyond the presumed temple and barracks room, the party investigates the adjoining chambers.

Behind door #1, the party finds a room containing nearly two dozen crates and barrels, each labeled with a word or term that seems to indicate its contents. The words and phrases are written in the goblin tongue and are as follows: water, dried meat, bread, and incense. Opening the crates reveals them to be correctly labeled. All told, there are barely enough supplies remaining to last a small detachment of eight soldiers a few more days.

***

Behind door #2, the party finds a room furnished as a combination bedroom and study. A collapsible cot heaped with soft, elegant furs and clean blankets has been set up against the north wall, next to a small, simple desk and chair. Several papers sit in a neat stack on the desk.

Always drawn to the paperwork, the Sister picked up the pile of papers looking for anything decipherable.  Likely handing them to Valthur if they turned up an indiscernible script.

As might a small child (which she sort of is), Sarah peeks her nose over to look at the writings as well.


[Private to DM Pawn: OOC: Read Language 80%, if it helps our cause]

The stack of papers on the desk hold the lyrics and musical notes for what looks like an operatic work-in-progress--a stirring tale that chronicles Tiamat's destruction of five good dragons who had tried in vain to defend a site sacred to Bahamut from her clutches. Despite its cruel undertones and frequent scenes of violence and torture, the opera appears reasonably well thought-out.

Save for some extra writing supplies and the opera manuscript, there is little else of value in this tidy room.

"Are we sure we wanta find this Ghostlord?"

If Taerix can reach the jars, vials, and urns in the other room, he is on the lookout for anything that smells acidic enough to hopefully get the party into the chest.

"If he's still here, he must be hidden somewhere up in that maw. That's where all the guards were and that sleazy wyrmlord seemed to think he was there somewhere. Maybe there's a spell hiding him."



"The girl maybe on to something. I mean, what if we just destroyed whatever is in the chest? That would take care of the threat of any alliances, wouldn't it?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:40, Mon 11 Feb 2019.

"I don't know how the phylactery works," the Sister admitted,  "but the Red Hand is using it somehow to force the Ghostlord and his army to fight on his side.

"I'm still hoping that if we return it, he'll withdraw his forces from the field or turn them on the Red Hand.

"Even if it did kill the Ghostlord, his army may still be out there.  I don't know whether it would follow the Red Hand or just start attacking everyone."

She flipped the furs and blankets around to ensure there wasn't anything of interest.  This Wyrmlord seemed to travel light.

"Let's go back to the room with the stone seat," she suggested.  "The one with the stairs leading up.  We'll try to put the chest on the seat and see what happens.

"After that," she shrugged, "we'll try to break it open."

Taerix doesn't find any acid in any of the adjoining rooms. Meanwhile, Eoni flips the furs and blankets looking for anything else that might prove useful, but discovers nothing noteworthy.

Wyrmlord Ulwai apparently did travel light. The same can be said of the Doom Hand Clerics and Monks. Judging by what scant possessions left behind, it does not appear the hobgoblins have been here very long and did not intend on remaining here for much longer.

"All right," Eoni concluded.  "Let's set it on the stone bench and see what happens."

Placing the iron chest on the stone bench in the Welcoming Chamber does not produce any noticeable effects.

It is still very iron, very sturdy, very closed and, very locked.

"Break it open," the Sister relented with a sigh, waving the armsmen forward.  "May Avandra's luck be with us."

Sarah shrinks away.

[Private to DM Pawn: Hide]

Marklin complies with Eoni's command. He strides forward, iron chest raised overhead, and forcefully slams it down onto the stone bench, taking care to jump back at the last moment.

Sparks fly off the iron chest as it crashes noisily into the stone. The chest does not break open like a gnomish whizzligig, but it definitely took some damage.

Marklin grunts and moves forward to pick up the chest again. "Oh, she'll open up, sure as a Brindol strump..."

Catching himself, he comments, "Well, pleasant company being as it is. Let's just say I'll ger her open!"

The big fighter picks up the chest and slams it down, again, and again. After several minutes of effort, the iron chest is so mangled and mishapen that Marklin, now sweating profusely, is able to pry its lid open!

Inside are six large leather sacks, each containing 100 silver and 20 gold pieces. Now mixed in with these sacks are the shattered remains of what looks like the delicate remains of a wooden and silver box...now completely mutilated. Scattered amongst its shards is a single folded letter that smells of strange perfume. Finally, within the debris the party also finds copper chain neckace fitted with 20 large feline teeth and an attached leather pendant. Four lion's claws radiate off the intricate pendant. Each of the teeth and claws have runes carved into them.

The letter reads as follows:

Saarvith --

    Take great care with the enclosed phylactery. I need not explain to you what the Ghostlord would do if he knew where I had sent this little bauble for safekeeping. Hide it somewhere safe--perhaps it could be trusted to your dragon friend's keeping? Keep it hidden until Brindol is taken. Should it fall into the hands of someone who could return it to its owner, the consequences of our effort would be dire indeed.

                                                         -- Ulwai

Valthur examines the eerie necklace. "So that's what a facilitory looks like... I guess I expected something a little more substantial for all the trouble it's caused us."

A thoughtful pause ensues while he recollects Ulwai's exact words. "[Language unknown: redrutund tr laelpr erhis ounsonoul pro alivlo eeoul Artwiloreder!me] That's what she said. That's goblin for 'after the other two before they alert the Ghostlord!'

"He's got to be up in the lion's mouth. Why else would she be so worried when you went in there? Maybe if we bring his little necklace up there with us?"

The Sister handed everyone one of the small coin sacks and said, "We'll take it up and try calling out again.  Maybe this time, it will draw him out."

She tucked the coins and letter into her backpack, then gently took the necklace from Valthur.  "Let's give it a try."

The party climbs the stone staircase yet again, files through the antechamber and into the Lion's Maw. There, they loudly call out for the Ghostlord.

Again, there is no response.

Valthur has noted the Ghostlord's lair is constructed of heavy natural stone and it's quite likely sound would not carry very far through such stone. Assuming the Ghostlord is even here. There has been no physical evidence of his presence thus far and, to the party's knowledge, they have explored all known passages.

"We must be missing something," Eoni said in consternation.  She put the necklace on to keep it safe and out of the way while they figured this out.

"I've always worried he might be with the army," she said, pacing the perimeter of the maw, "but as Valthur said, she was worried about us in this room.  That must mean something.  I don't think it was a trick because she said it in their tongue.  She couldn't expect we'd know what she'd said.

"He may only be able to appear after the sun drops, but again, she was worried now.

"Let's all take another careful look around the room to see if there's anything in here we're missing.  Scratches on the wall or floor, dust scraped away from somewhere, tracks, anything.  If you spot something, let Valthur know so he can take a look.

"Aldara," she asked the sorceress, "do you have anything to search out secret doors?"

Sarah looks in the lion's mouth for secret doors.

"Are you sure you wanna' wear that thing, Eoni?" Valthur asks as the cleric dons the necklace. "There be dark magics buried inside it, I'm certain."

He examines the teeth on the necklace to see if they correspond in some way to the giant stone teeth on the balcony. Then he takes a long look at the ceiling for anything out of the ordinary. He knows he is grasping at straws, but is equally certain that they must be missing something.

Finally with a sigh, he grabs the rope ladder and tosses it over the edge of the balcony. "Maybe you're right and he won't come out until sunset. Until then, I say we go down and look for tracks while we still have daylight. Maybe he fled during our little melee."

Taerix checks the roof of the giant maw for openings that lead higher into the huge lion. If that fails, he follows Valthur.

"I don't think wearing it does anything," Eoni said, looking down at the necklace hanging beneath the wooden symbol of Avandra.  "I just didn't want to break it.  It's been through enough already."

She peered out the maw and down between the beasts' mighty paws.  "The story did say he died down there," she said, "but how did the Wyrmlord find him?

"Why don't you and Sarah climb down and look around," she suggested to the dwarf.  "If you near the camp, let them know how we're doing."

The Sister continued to pace as she thought out loud.  "I'm guessing the phylactery was somewhere within the lion.  She came in with her men, found it, and sent it far away, forcing the Ghostlord to join their cause.

"She was able to find him."

She lamented the others not having saved one of the Wyrmlord's minions for Aldara to question.  Though waking to victory was nothing she'd quibble about.  It was a very near thing.

This was not happening as easily as she'd hoped.

Valthur carefully sets his feet on the rope ladder to descend it to the ground below. "All right, Missy," he calls to Sarah. "Let's get on the ground and see if we can find any ghostlord tracks, whatever those might look like."

Sarah and Taerix search the lion's maw for any secret doors but neither finds anything to indicate their presence.

Meanwhile, Valthur throws the rope ladder out the lion's maw and it furls down to ground level. The rope ladder is quite dusty, indicating it hasn't been used in some time. Valthur examines the rope and judges it to be quite sturdy and in good repair though.

The ladder leads down to the ground level entrance, back where the party first entered the Ghostlord's lair.

Failing to find anything new in the maw, Eoni went to the other two adjoining rooms and shouted out in each for good measure.

"GHOSTLORD!  We have your phylactery!"