Chapter Five: Bapdis Orjo's Gift of Reconciliation

While the others inspect the menhir, Zangua keeps a careful eye on their surroundings, mindful of any movement that might indicate another sharp-toothed bird-thing.

Rolls

Perception - (1d20+6)

(15) + 6 = 21

Feb 2, 2017 10:27 pm

BullOctorok says:

The Detect Magic ritual, however, shows a clear aura of enchantment around the standing stone, concentrated most strongly around the eye symbol.

An Enchantment aura, or were you just saying it was enchanted? Asking because Detect Magic lets me see the school of magic in the aura.

Feb 2, 2017 11:20 pm

That'd be lowercase-e enchantment, school of Divination (scrying).

Zangua sees no proximate dangers.

Feb 2, 2017 11:35 pm

Vhezyen examines the stone. It appears to be limestone. The eye carving is strangely smooth, bearing no chisel marks.

Vhezyen Khagbal

Feb 3, 2017 12:38 am

thedandyman Inactive forever!

Having fully completed his ritual to discern the properties of the standing stone, Vhezyen revealed what he had learned."There is divination magic in the eye and our presence here is likely known. It is even possible we are being watched at this very moment." A moment's pause in deduction. "Perhaps Pafthinel's work, a sign that he is still here, or at the very least, was."

Does limestone appear to be native to the island from what we've seen?

Last edited February 3, 2017 1:27 am

Leth Everwood

Feb 3, 2017 6:02 am

Leth continues to look worriedly towards the east as they move, wary of the loud crashing sounds.

"Whatever can make that much noise from that far away, must be enormous..." He mumbles to himself, strongly hoping they never have to run into whatever fearsome creature it must be. The other bird-lizards were bad enough, and they had to be much smaller than whatever this other monstrosity is.

When they happen upon the menhir, Leth regards it curiously, especially after Vhezyen reveals that someone could be watching them through it.

"Well, if they can see us through this thing, there's no point trying to hide from it now... whoever's on the other side, if there is indeed anyone at all, has surely already seen us. If I were Pafthinel, and I were still living on this dangerous island, I would certainly take precautions such as this." He ponders for a moment, and then waves at the eye, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Pafthinel! If you can see or hear us, we are looking for you. We have peaceful intentions and only seek information. Any help you could give to guide us towards you would be appreciated." He pauses again, thinking, before continuing, "And if you're not there, or if you can't hear me... well, I guess I just look like a fool." He finishes with a shrug, looking somewhat sheepishly at his companions. "It's worth a try, anyway."

Last edited February 3, 2017 6:03 am

Rolls

Hit Die - (1d10+2)

(5) + 2 = 7

Feb 3, 2017 8:36 am

notinventedhere Inactive forever!

The limestone could be native rock from the island, yes.

The stone does not answer Leth, but whatever is making the crashing sounds seems to be on the move again.

Felor of the Mountain

Feb 3, 2017 12:23 pm

rocksteady Inactive forever!

As the others investigate the standing stone and its scrying eye, Felor ponders the distant crashing.

Does it sound like an animal moving around? Have I seen any huge footprints?

Rolls

Nature skill check (is it an animal?) - (1d20+4)

(3) + 4 = 7

Survival skill check (any tracks?) - (1d20+6)

(9) + 6 = 15

Mordred Kaliban

Feb 3, 2017 12:31 pm

Mordred uses his invisible mage hand to touch the eye.

"Perhaps it's a doorbell?"

Vhezyen Khagbal

Feb 3, 2017 3:19 pm

"An option here would be to simply dispel the enchantment, if we truly desire to be free of the eye's vigil, and I believe Felor would be capable. However, it would be an offense to the mage who placed such security measures here. Very much like an act of vandalism. I would prefer the course of being a welcome guest if possible, much like Leth presented himself, and leave the stone be."

Vhezyen's gaze turned to the waterfall and the hill. "Perhaps my friend here can give us a bit more to go on." Vheyzen releases Quggyeb. See for me.

Telling Quggyeb to look behind the waterfall (if that's possible) and check it out from where we are to directly above us at the top, to the point where it can see the source of the stream. I'll tap into his senses during this time to see and hear for myself.

Also, is it a true hill, where we could simply walk up it, or would it take a bit of effort as far as the realm of climbing goes?

Zangua

CancerMan

Feb 3, 2017 4:35 pm

Zangua adds, "Maybe your friend ought to see what's making that stomping sound. I'd rather know if that's gonna get imminent."

Feb 3, 2017 4:49 pm

"Yes, I am not liking the stomping and crashing. A higher position might give us some advantage against whatever it is, should it decide we look like a snack. Whoever set this stone knows of us now, so it may be that finding ourselves a defensible spot against whatever might come is in order. I hope we find something friendly, but on this island, it would not surprise me to learn that there is a default assumption of hostility to begin."

Feb 3, 2017 5:04 pm

There's no empty space behind the waterfall. The hill is steep and tall (maybe 600') but walkable.

Quggyeb takes another reconnaissance flight. It looks like the source of the stream is runoff and possibly a spring from the hilltop. Trees are shaking around the source of the crashing sound; it looks like whatever is making it has turned around and may be headed back toward your current position.

Feb 3, 2017 5:17 pm

"Shall we take lunch on the hill, then, gentlemen?"

Vhezyen Khagbal

Feb 3, 2017 6:23 pm

Vhezyen answers Domarc dryly. "Better than being lunch down here." Sharing, in brief, what he had learned through Quggyeb's flight, his mind drifted back to their time docked at Utwar.

"I vaguely recall-- yes, the riverboat crew! They mentioned an 'old king' who cannot die and still 'haunts' the island. They also believe that the 'monsters' of Vorch somehow serve him. Perhaps they speak of Pafthinel. Or, perhaps, it is the exiled king who chose to remain here some 500 years ago. There may even be a connection between the two, however unlikely it may seem." Looking in the direction of the crashing sound, he continued. "And perhaps this eye, whoever it serves, is guiding whatever that is toward us now."

Vhezyen addressed Domarc again. "'Lunch' on the hill," he looked toward the crashing sound again, "is a great idea." With that, he began the climb.

Quggyeb will wait at the top of the hill, serving as a sentry of sorts while Vhezyen makes his climb. Also, we should be vigilant for more 'security'. I'm guessing that there are other 'magic cameras' around the island, not to mention more aggressive measures.

Last edited February 3, 2017 6:24 pm

Feb 3, 2017 6:35 pm

A little more than halfway up the hill, something catches Vhezyen's attention: set between the exposed roots of a pair of trees is a rectangular stone portal, flush with the incline of the hillside, about three feet wide and six feet long. On closer inspection, you can see that the opening is full of water, level with the edges of the stone rectangle -- in other words, water resting flat at a roughly 25 degree angle. It absorbs the scattered droplets of rain that fall into it, but a drifting leaf that comes to rest on its surface slides down to the bottom, resting with other accumulated debris at the bottom of the stone frame. About fifteen feet up from this is another stone eye-menhir, a little shorter than the first.

Looking northward from here, you can see trees shaking and hear the crashing thing approaching the hill, maybe a quarter mile away.

Zangua

CancerMan

Feb 3, 2017 6:41 pm

Zangua follows Vhezyen, mindful of the thunderous approach. "Maybe that's the elf."

Feb 3, 2017 6:43 pm

Quote:

They mentioned an 'old king' who cannot die and still 'haunts' the island.

"I would suspect the reference is to the old King of Malch. If he still is hanging about, and Pafthinel, I can't imagine that they haven't met. Which again has me wonder why Pafthinel came here right after his study of the Sphere."

Domarc pauses for breath on the climb.

"Perhaps we will leave the island with the both the truth of the Sphere and the truth of the Mad King. What a great tale that would be."

Feb 3, 2017 6:50 pm

Quote:

"Maybe that's the elf."

"My experience with elves has been that they move through forests with much less disturbance than this."

Quote:

On closer inspection, you can see that the opening is full of water, level with the edges of the stone rectangle -- in other words, water resting flat at a roughly 25 degree angle.

"This...is odd."

The water is still? Did it ripple when the leaf passed through, or when a rain drop hits? How deep does it appear to be?

Feb 3, 2017 6:53 pm