OOC:  Gilrak is checking out a different side of the obelisk--Totmacher was/is leaning against one of the sides that doesn't have the wooden door indicated on the map.

Totmacher will move around the Obelisk to the side which reveals the door.  What does he see?

While others examine the obelisk, Perrato examines the corpses of the fallen enemies, especially the Orcish Shaman. Overcoming an initial reluctance to disturb the heathen dead, the priest searches the bodies of the ogres and orcs, with especial attention paid to the belongings of their holy (unholy?) man, seeking any items which would illuminate the current situation and the nature of the totem the party's foes were apparently guarding.

This message was deleted by the player at 20:05, Mon 16 Jan 2006.

Garryn examines looks upon the carnage and immediately set to examining the fallen blink dogs in the hope that a spark of life may remain. "Perrato, a hand if you will? There may yet be survivors," Garryn calls out as he moves from one dog to the next. If he finds a survivor he will quickly use one of his two healing potions on the noble beast.

Totmacher moves to the side of the obelisk that has drawn Gilrak's attention, and notes that an opening in the obelisk exists.  A series of heavy, cross-braced wooden planks, of clumsy but nevertheless sturdy construction, serve as a door to the opening.  Currently, the door stands open, and a stone stairway descends into darkness.

Gilrak makes out a series of oddly regular moss growths on the obelisk, and is able to scrape away the primitive plants and organic debris to reveal deeply-incised dwarven runes that cover a portion of the obelisk.

Perrato, Caylin, and Totmacher investigate the fallen bodies of the orcs and ogres.  Perrato pays particular attention to the body of the orcish shaman.

Garryn's investigation draws the attention of the blink dog pack leader, and the rogue does indeed find three members of the fallen pack that are yet living, albeit sorely wounded.  Two of the dogs are brought back to consciousness by Garryn's potions--his ministrations are aided by the pack leader nuzzling and nudging the fallen dogs, inducing a swallowing reflex as the rogue administers the potions.  The third dog hovers on the brink of death, however.

Garryn fumbles around the unfamiliar anatomy trying to locate some way to stop the bleeding as he calls out, "Perrato, hurry this dog needs healing! Someone give me a healing potion!"

OOC: Garryn rolled a 1 trying to stabalize the blink dog.

A thorough search of the bodies of the fallen orcs and ogres garners the following, piled into a small heap near the obelisk:

1153 Paldorian copper spokes (1 cp ea)
757 Paldorian silver drakes (1 sp ea)
224 Paldorian silver griffons (2 sp ea)
143 Paldorian silver quinces (5 sp ea)
127 Paldorian gold nobles (1 gp ea)
1350 Rimsedge golden markers
1 ring, pewter, designed with the head of a snarling badger--from shaman
1 scroll case, marked with unknown sigils--from shaman
1 wave-edged black dagger, of fine make--from largest fallen orc
1 set of bracers, copper, of particularly fine design--from shaman
1 bracelet of silver and onxy, worn as a ring by one of the ogres
10 small jars of a particularly foul smelling unguent--Totmacher recognizes these as minor healing salves of the orcs (each administers 2-5 hp of healing, with appropriate scarring and tissue deformation)

OOC:  Please, have someone make a running treasure/party equipment list.  Things will only get more complicated here on out.  And PLEASE continue to update your own character sheets.

Ignoring the acts of animal husbandry going on about him, Gilrak reads the runes aloud to the Party -

"Here lies the upland boundary of Torin the Grim's holding, son of Mim the Hapless.  Enemy, friend, traveler, or otherwise creature of Arret's earth--be warned;  Grinning, Gilrak turns to the party as he finishes his translation - " here dwarves rule."

Totmacher responds, "Can you decipher the age of the runes or the obelisk, Dwarf?  Totmacher asks who is this (intentionally juxtaposing the letters) 'Gorin the Trim?'  Does not sound like much of threat to Totmacher."

[OOC: 23:53, Today: Perrato Viatomagne rolled 19 using 1d20+12. Heal Check, Blink Dog.
Having a crappy week. Identity theft being the most interesting of my worries. Whee. Will post more regularly. Promise.]

Relieved to discover that not all of the stricken blink dogs are dead, Perrato heeds Garryn's request for assistance in their healing. He produces a healing potion of his own to give the Travelers' Best Friend once he as attended to its non-arcane first aid requirements.

Garryn's attentions to the last surviving blink dog are sincere, but rather inept.  Perrato, on the other hand, succeeds in stabilizing the animal, and then brings it back to consciousness by administering his potion.  Of the pack members, the alpha male and three of the pack are yet alive.

OOC:  The party receives 600 xp for each blink dog saved (the xp award for your level and their CR)--totalling 1800 xp.  Good ideas, Garryn and Perrato.

The crude wooden door stands ajar, and the smell of dank subterranean depths and the rank odor of orc and ogre waft forth from the open doorway.  Stone stairs descend steeply, leading to a small landing and continuing out of sight at a right angle turn.  The way looks somewhat cramped, and will admit only a single file procession.

OOC:  Moves?  Healing actions?  Gather loot?  Let me know...

Looking to the blood still flowing from the gash in his left shoulder, Gilrak turns to Perrato - "Cleric - if your god wouldn't object... would you be so kind???"

With so many fascinating illusions in play, Asher is not sure what to focus on: the blink dogs, the Dwarven runes, the pile of loot amassing on the ground. He decides in the end that the bleeding wound on his chest is the most difficult to ignore and quaffs his last remaining potion in order to prepare him for whatever may come next. The potion sends a brief warming flush across his skin before dying away and leaving him feeling... not half bad, but less the great.

Turning his attention for the moment to non-cash items in the pile of loot, he asks "are any of these pieces enchanted?"

OOC: 17:02, Today: Asher Willbourne rolled 4 using 1d8+1. Potion cure light wounds. Asher is now up to 16 hit points.

Peering into the obelisk, Totmacher inhales the dank air deeply and exhales, "Totmacher does not smell any dwarves down there."

Garryn leans back, exhausted by the days activities, and he looks upon the carnage surrounding them. "Thank you, Perrato. You should ask the surviving dogs if they would like a hand with the remains, but before that we should probably deal with the healing issue...I just used my only potions, have you any spells remaining?"

Perrato responds to the several requests and questions which occupy his mind as he and his comrades evaluate the aftermath. After gathering the booty from the fallen orcs and ogres, the Palonish priest utters a prayer for the Divine Gleaning of Arcane Energies [Detect Magic] as he further examines the items, "Vagrane, per potestasque sophiam tuas, illumina res magicas." With the assistance of his just and generous deity, Perrato attempts to distinguish which items from the haul, if any, possess magical properties.

Perrato then announces to the group, "I have one remaining Prayer for Salubrious Mending and Well-Being which Vagrani has granted me today. I will use this to restore some of Gilrak's health, his combat ability being crucial to the group's survival and progress. I give my remaining healing potion to Garryn, owing to his poor condition and the practical insight he grants to our effort. For Aidrin, Totmacher, and Asher, I will exchange my remaining orisons to grant each of them whatever minor divine healing arts remain to me. This leaves one orison, which I will reserve until we see the results of our medical efforts." Perrato then proceeds to distrubte his divinely granted magicks.

[OOC:02:43, Today: Perrato Viatomagne rolled 8 using 1d8+5. Cure Light Wounds--Gilrak.
Asher, Aidrin, and Totmacher should receive 1 HP apiece through the cashed out orisons.
Perrato can make individual Heal checks for long-term care, if the party decides to rest and heal before plunging into the dungeon crawl. Successful Heal checks will double the natural rate of healing overnight, pending DM approval, of course.]

"That' more like it.."  Gilrak offers a nod of appreciation to the young Servant of Vagrani..

Gilrak moves over to the pile of loot and scoops up one of the salves of healing.  Looking around at the collective condition of the party, the Dwarf elects to apply one of the jars of unguent to his wounds.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:22, Sat 21 Jan 2006.

Aidrin looks around clearing, glancing at the jumbled bodies and gore. "That's a right mess an' no mistake."

The wizard gingerly wipes off his damp robes and stands next to Perrato while the priest mutters words of incantation over the pile of sundries.

Garryn gingerly stands up, carfully of wounds but knowing that he cannot allow the inevitable stiffness to enter his muscles just yet. "How shall we proceed? We've still got to finish off the survivors in the tunnel below and the longer we wait the greater the chances that reinforcements will arrive. Gilrak, Tot, what have you learned of our obolisk there?"

Perrato's murmured prayer, the Mithran Divine Gleaning of Arcane Energies, has its intended effect.  The small pile of valuables gathered from the orcs and ogres shows several signature magical auras.  The copper bracers register as conjuration magic, with a moderate strength associated with the aura.  The pewter ring shows a faint aura of transmutation.  The dagger shows a moderate enchantment aura, and the scroll case shows both divine and arcane auras of relatively faint power from the schools of divination and enchantment (divine aura), and the schools of divination and transmutation (arcane aura).

Perrato examines the scroll case more closely, opening it to examine its contents. He unrolls whatever parchments he gathers and says a prayer for the Sacred Insight into Arcane Inscriptions [Read Magic] as he looks over whatever writings they hold. "O Vagrane, mihi confere sapientiam tuam haec scripta magicas intellegere." Momentarily wondering whether such haste to uncover the secrets of these scrolls was prudent as the final syllables of the Mithran incantation leave his lips, the Palonard looks more closely at the discovered documents, hopefully now intelligible to him.

Perrato notes that the scroll case is covered in characters that proclaim it to be the property of the Merchant Mage guild.  Upon undoing the case's stopper and pulling out the rolled parchments, the priest further observes the watermark of the Merchant Mages on the parchments.

And parchments they are--two in total.  One has the aura of divine magics about it, and the Palonish man's prayer for the Divine Gleaning of Arcane Energies reveals that Read Magic, Command, and Comprehend Languages spells occupy the parchment.  The other parchment shows an arcane aura, and contains a Comprehend Languages and an Eagle's Splendor spell.

As the party examines the loot gathered at their feet, Gilrak turns and quickly relays the following to the group:

"A history of this Torin is unknown to me.  However, Mim the Fatherless is well known among the clans of Turgad.   He was responsible for leading some of the Dwarven Clans from the East in the destruction of the Kra Kaan - many years ago." with a shrug he adds - "In human time anyway..  If it is indeed his Son whose clan resides below - they've not given up ground to these scum without a fight."

With that, Gil finishes adjusting his gear and makes ready to descend.

_________________________

OOC:  Gilrak is intent upon moving below to check on the status of his dwarven cousins..  Full HP or no..
This message was last edited by the player at 22:23, Sun 22 Jan 2006.