The Scribbler's Rhyme, Part III (Friday, Abadius (I) 24th, 4708 AR)

The heroes continued their exploration of Lamashtu's shrine.


The Scribbler's Kennel. Three once separate chambers had become one, joined by collapsed walls and the erosion of ages. Bloodstained fragments of chain shirts, shields, swords, and clothing lay about this room haphazardly. The walls were decorated with countless scribblings written sloppily in blood.

Another stanza of the Scribbler's Rhyme was inscribed on the northern wall of the southernmost chamber. The fragments of armor and weapons were all that remained of the Sandpoint guards.


A pack of six powerful yeth hounds known as hounds of Lamashtu dwelt in these caves. Unlike the more common yeth hound, a hound of Lamashtu was black and had a poisonous stinger at the end of its ratlike tail. The baying and howling of this pack could be heard throughout the complex, and when they heard or saw intruders they attacked.

The hounds of Lamashtu surrounded and attacked Tsela. They then eagerly attacked Shalelu. The hounds were relentless and fought to the death.

Outer Sanctum. The walls, ceiling, and floor of this otherwise empty room were densely packed with writing, in many cases overlapping and tangled to near the point of illegibility. Four short lines stood out on the northern wall, carved into the stone but otherwise alone on its face.

The lines of text decorating the wall were another stanza of the Scribbler's rhyme. Little remained to denote the use of this room - it served no other purpose but as a trap.

Lost Door: The door on the north wall of the outer sanctum was covered by magic that made it appear to be plain wall. When Fen interacted with this image he saw through the illusion.

When Bruthien, Fen and Thurden passed through the northern door into the foggy corridor beyond they heard a whispering voice in their minds suggesting that Lamashtu's influence had tainted their friends, and that they were preparing to capture the victims to sacrifice them to Lamashtu. The magic encouraged them to do everything in their power to defend themselves, by first finding a safe place where they could escape their supposed allies, and fighting back against them when they tried to restrain them.

Shalelu and Tsela restrained Thurden, but were still looking for Bruthien and Fen.

The stanza's of the Scribbler's rhyme the heroes have found are:

"If magic bright is your desire, to old Runeforge must you retire!
For only there does wizards' art receive its due and proper start.

Each stone the grace of seven lords, one part of key each ruler hoards;
if offered spells and proper prayer, take seven keys and climb the stair.

On frozen mountain Xin awaits, his regal voice the yawning gates
Keys turn twice in Sihedron - occulted Runeforge waits within.

And now you've come and joined the forge upon rare lore your mind can gorge -
And when you slough the mortal way in Runeforge long your work shall stay."

Comments

  1. Xergei LavosDecember 20, 2020 at 4:59 PM

    On eastern shores of steaming mirror, at the end of day when dusk is nearer, Where seven faces silent wait encircled guards at Runeforge gate.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Races of Varisia

From the reclusive elves of the Mierani Forest to the orc-blooded interlopers from the Hold of Belkzen to the Varisian wanderers from whom the region takes its name, diversity and conflict characterize the varied cultures that make Varisia their home. Height and Weight Although the races of Golarion are fundamentally the same as those presented in D&D, there are some slight differences in height and weight. Most notably, those of elven blood are taller in Golarion, and the fey-kindred gnomes are lighter. The details of all races are presented  online  for ease of reference. Humans Three distinct human societies dwell in Varisia: the expansionist colonists of Cheliax, the tempestuous tribes of the Shoanti barbarians, and the enigmatic Varisians. Chelaxians: Beyond the Mindspin Mountains and far to the south lies the cosmopolitan heresy of Cheliax. Once an empire of unquestioned might, the death of the empire's god Aroden allowed the rise of a diabolical aristocracy
Read more

Dog, Riding

Image
Riding dogs s are animals. An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate with no magical abilities and no innate capacity for language or culture. Animals have low-light vision. Animals breathe, eat, and sleep. Larger dogs (known to Small races like halflings and gnomes as riding dogs) include hardier breeds such as huskies, mastiffs, and wolfhouds. A riding dog can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he is a skilled rider. Riding dogs can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Riding dogs can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. Riding dogs can detect opponents by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases; if downwind, it drops. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at longer range. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at even longer range. When a rid
Read more

Undead Lords

For every type of undead, there exists an undead lord, a being of great power that commands the lesser of its kind. They are powerful creatures that inspire awe and fear in those they rule. Undead lords constantly project an aura that functions as a permanent desecrate spell. In addition, channeling energy is harder. Undead lords ignore damage from most weapons and natural attacks. Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly. They can take normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. Magic weapons can damage undead lords normally. Undead lords are extremely dangerous opponents. They are stronger, tougher, and more intelligent than the ones they command. As such, they are rarely encountered by chance (and rarely encountered alone). Most maintain a lair far away from civilization where they plot and plan, sending their minions on missions to further their goals. Undead lords are less easily a
Read more