Warfryn headed for the large chest and tried to open it.

"Locked!  Should have known."

He fiddled with the lock but could not quite get it to open.

Frustrated he stood and wandered over to the altar and pondered the golden disc for a moment.  Nothing came of that either!


18:30, Today: Warfryn rolled 14 using 1d20.  Thievery.
As you can see he is not very dexterous nor is he trained in thievery.

18:33, Today: Warfryn rolled 12 using 1d20+3.  Religion.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:35, Thu 30 Mar 2017.

After chopping off a few hands, Saskan had arrived at Irontooth's body. He wasn't sure a hand would be enough for this one. He might need to behead the thing and bring it back as proof that the Kobold menace was truly over.

As he thought about this, he gave the corpse a solid once-over to see if he was carrying or wearing anything else of value.

OOC: 10:17, Today: Saskan rolled 14 using 1d20. Perception.

Malphurious scoffs at the gnome in his failed attempts to force the lock open.  "I've picked a lock or two in my day.  But it's been a long time." 

The aged dragonborn warrior sat down to study the chest as they all waited for Ignatz to wake up.  He was so consumed with the task at hand, he barely noticed some of the other features in the cavern.

OOC: Woot, cracked the chest open!  Not sure if dungeoneering of 11 nets anything of value.

18:42, Today: Malphurious rolled 11 using 1d20+1.  reroll due to background.
18:42, Today: Malphurious rolled 8 using 1d20+1.  dungeoneering .
18:41, Today: Malphurious rolled 8 using 1d20+6.  perception check.
18:40, Today: Malphurious rolled 17 using 1d20+2.  thievery check (heavy shield off).
This message was last edited by the player at 23:45, Fri 31 Mar 2017.

Kbenjar looks around at the slain and at the furniture hoping to discern their purpose.

07:52, Today: Kbenjar rolled 12 using 1d20+10.  perception check: searching Irontooth.
07:52, Today: Kbenjar rolled 14 using 1d20+5.  religion check: golden disc.
07:52, Today: Kbenjar rolled 23 using 1d20+5.  Nature check: gem behind throne.

Saskan rummages through the pockets of Irontooth, and curiously finds a small note, written in common.
"They are coming! Prepare!"
It looks freshly written and made of a fabric commonly used in clothing, often sewn breeches.
He is also finds a note written in what he guesses is goblin, stating:
Saa Ghaal Irontooth,
We have received your chaat’oor tuuvotos.
Good work brother. Lhevk-ruh Krand is proud of your work.
Shava Tra’ak


Kbenjar noticed the same, but the word meant little else to him, the gem however standing out.
The gem is an ornate firestone which pulsates light 20 yards away from it's core.
It is also often used along with a throne akin to what they see in traditional druidic gatherings and initiation rituals. It can likely be removed with some tinkering.
This hints strongly at the original use of the cavern.

The disc is curious - but after a while Kbenjar has little doubt - it is the sacred symbol of Shar. More curiously, he notices a faint washed out symbol behind it. Bahamut.
He notices a curious mark or indent on symbol which hints that one could touch or push it perhaps?

The far stairs howl as the wind runs down it's long hallway, further into the dark.

Curiously, Malph manages to crack the iron chest open. Inside, he finds various trinkets, but also a curious flail, which has a curious bright glow to it, as if it had been polished.
You also manage to find a broad selection of necklaces with the same golden disk, which may be of worth to someone.

Saskan read the two notes he'd found aloud and indicated that one of them appears to have been written on someone's breeches.

As he searches he returns with two long spears, a battle axe, a short sword and a dagger and shows them off to the group. Hefting a long spear he says to the others, "I'll hold onto this spear, its reach may provide added opportunities in future battles. We fought well this day!"

OOC: I'm assuming Kbenjar needs to tell us about the symbols he's found. I might have a reaction if he mentions that this place used to be a temple of Bahamut :)

Malphurious grabbed the flail and gave it a few practices swings.  It was clearly an enchanted artefact or some kind as it felt lighter, faster, and stronger all at the same time.  He grunted in satisfaction and looked through the necklaces and their discs.  He brought the open chest to their resident religious expert for evaluation, "What do you think these are?"

As he ask the question, he noticed the tarnished symbol of Bahamut and knelt down immediately. "The foul creatures must have descerated this shrine to Bahaumt.  It was his divine inspiration that we came to drive these aberrations out of his domain."

Warfryn glanced over to where Saskan stood, festooned with weapons.

"Is they magic or what?" he asked.  "I don't have much use for weapons but I suppose a magic dagger wouldn't go ami...

He stopped talking when Malphurious mentioned the desecration.  The gnome did not have a lot of time for Bahamut - far too much of a goody-two-shoes for his liking - but desecration of any deity's shrine was no0t a very nice thing.

Saskan hears about the desecration and is visibly upset. He vows out loud, "We must stop whatever foul work this Irontooth was up to and take care of his bosses and their bosses too."

OOC: Are we taking an extended rest here?

Kbenjar notes the second mark and points it out to the others. "Seems someone was in the mood for a mighty downgrade here. From Bahamut to this Shar."

Ignatz yawns and stretches, sitting up. "Raaawwwghh, dot vas fantastic! Vhat's de plan now? Anyting else here ve should kill?"

OOC:
I think a short rest should be fine Saskan!

"Well, we've found a bunch of artefacts of Shar scattered about.  Various notes would indicate that the kobolds were serving another master.  Perhaps they were to be a distracting from this rumored cult.  Further, there's indicating of a spy in Winterhaven, which would bode ill should the city fall to siege," he said, catching Ignatz up on the current situation.

"Of more immediate concern, this former Shrine of Bahamut has been descerated by the kobold and Shar worshipping filth.  A gem of some kind is in the wall and there's a dark hallway back that way," he said pointing.  "We've got a few hours of light left on those sunrods, so we should explore."

Ignatz shakes his head, partly to clear it from the lingering effects of his nap and partly in a vain effort to sort out Malph's admittedly clear and concise summary. "Hy dun know vhat Shar iz, but I reckon ve just gotta finish clearin' dis place, and ve ken go beck to town an find dis spy, yeah?" Ignatz hefts his bloody poleaxe over one shoulder, grabs a sunrod, and heads down the indicated hallway.

OOC:
Spending 2 surges to get my hp back up to full

Resources: HP 29/29, HS 4/10, (1? That should definitely be a milestone right?)/1 AP
Expended Powers: Thunderhoof Rage

"Right," Malphurious agreed. "We should check upon the further defiling the spawn of Tiamat has done to this most holiest of places."  He followed the barbarian forward into the dark.

Warfryn struggled to his feet.
"OK.  I'm with you.  I feel much better now" he said sarcastically.


2 more surges used (3/8 used).  Now at 23/26 hp

"I'm 'appy to keep goin', get rid of this scum before we head back to town," Kbenjar says, seemingly as eager as ever for a fight.

HS: 7/9
HP: 24/26

"We must put a stop to this foul conspiracy." Saskan says with a grimace.

Stats: 23/24 HP, Surges remaining: 5/8
AP: 0/1 remaining
Expended: Second Wind, AP, Daily

Just before moving Kbenjar and those close to the symbol of Bahamut notices that the indentation can be pressed, and is some sort of mechanical device.
Doing so, a stone moves aside, and displays something curious. The size of a common dinner plate and carved in limestone is a holy symbol..of bahamut, and one could guess it would be the one you sought to begin with.

You notice the only uncovered way leading forward, displaying a few curious markings.
It is symbols you have not seen before, but familiar to those seen outside on the stone circles. Hence they might appear druidic in nature and likely lost for the ages.
The stairs bottom out into a large, square chamber. In each corner a thick ionic column stands between roof and ceiling. The walls here are covered in small niches. In a few of these niches there are ceramic urns, but it appears that most of these urns have been
destroyed: The floor is covered in ash and broken shards of pottery.
In the center of the room, the floor sinks into a circular depression. In the center of this depression a 15-foot wide mass of thick roots run between the floor and the ceiling.
You sense a sensation in the air..

Malphurious mutters a prayer to Bahamut and follows along.  "Does any of this make sense to you Kbenjar?" he asks regarding the runes and pottery.  He carefully evaluates the items, to see if his dungeoneering experience lends any knowledge to figuring out what this all could mean.

12:22, Today: Malphurious rolled 21 using 1d20+1.  reroll due to background.

Saskan gives pause and a thought to the history of the area and what the meaning of this symbol and its uses might be.

09:44, Today: Saskan rolled 19 using 1d20+10.  History.

Kbenjar looks at the roots and the symbol and scratches his head. "Nut'n comes t'mind 'bout all this. Wouldn' be too quick to take an axe to the roots though," he adds.

10:03, Today: Kbenjar rolled 11 using 1d20+5.  Knowledge: nature check.

:(

A howling wind suddenly whips through the chamber. Shards of light burst forth from somewhere within the tangled mass of roots in the center of the chamber, and then the roots begin to move of their own accord -- drawing apart and forming a cage-like sphere in the center of the room. Looking through the gaps between the roots you can see a translucent spirit in the form of a human figure floating in the center of the sphere.
"LEAVE US TO OUR ETERNAL REST."

Note: Kbenjar notices that the spirits and signs mimic those outside on the ritual circle - druidic in nature and hence related to to the spirits you see.
Saskan recalls a local deity present here, followed by the druids. "The verdant Lord" - A mythical lord akin to a huge treant whose growth and vines preserved the woods and forest lands.
One thing that springs to mind. They are not violent by nature, but protective. They can be reasoned with.

"Yikes!"

Warfryn staggered backwards, clearly unnerved.  Ghostly spirits with threatening voices are just a teeny bit worrisome. He thinks quickly and desperately, trying to figure out whether to fight or flee.

"Ho, dot's somethin hyu don't see every day!" Ignatz steps forward slightly, clears his throat, and addresses the bright light. "Hi! Err... iz dere anybody dizturbing hyu eternal rest right now? Besidez us?"

The wizened dragonborn uttered a blessing to Bahamut at the presence of the aberrations.  But in his years, he's seens some interesting things, so he is not overly taken aback. "We're hear to cleanse this place of the foul presence of the kobolds.  We mean no offense!"