23. It Was With Us All Along
The explorers continued to explore the strange complex in the Nameless Mountain.
They discovered that the magical structure was thousands of years old, dating back to when the Helstraad Empire was at its height and at war with the Arborian Empire and other, fledgling empires.
Its purpose was not evident, though judging by an ancient journal written by an Elf, it seemed that Helstraad openly welcomed people to enter the temple but met their ultimate fate, killed by one of the many traps or magical constructs that hunted the halls and corridors.
It reflected something akin to a castle, with bedrooms, pantries, luxurious halls, but all with some kind of hidden intent, mainly trapped in some manner.
The temple hinted at its creators, four members of the Helstraad Cabal, including a human male, a female elf, and two beings of unknown race, resembling something between orcs and elves.
Through their exploration, they found that not all the beings in this place would attack - some would even help. Though their knowledge was limited, the more helpful constructs revealed that although their masters had not been here for a very long time, the human cabal member was the last one to visit. As to what purpose of his last visit was, none could tell. During one of their rests in a luxurious bedroom, Bal'Aur was woken. Startled, he found the strange doll he found in the nursery room some hours ago staring at him.
The animated doll claimed it was a girl's soul trapped by a wizard, and begged that the half-orc release her soul, simply by breaking the doll. Bal'Aur obliged without hesitation and cracked the porcelain doll, and felt a dark presence wash over him and it escape somewhere yonder. Unperturbed, Bal'Aur returned to sleep.
When the half-orc woke later, he noticed a painting on the wall depicting four people, and the face of one resembled the now broken doll. He kept the entire experience to himself, not knowing what to think. The party had encountered a giant living statue that roamed the complex, seemingly invulnerable from any attack the adventurers could muster, so they fled from it when they would come across it.
However when they deactivated three various glyphs across teh complex, they discovered that each also removed one of the living statue's invulnerabilities. Once all three glyphs were deactivated, the heroes did not flee from it when they arrived in a particular large hall, where a staircase had been revealed. The adventurers hurled their might against the living statue. Catsby's magical spell of Suggestion prompted the construct to bend over and start spreading apart it buttocks with such force it cracks itself. The others took this advantage to smashed their weapons and spells at the thing until it was destroyed.
Bal'Aur found inside the construct a heart shaped stone which provided some measure of resistance against non-magical attacks.
They discovered that the magical structure was thousands of years old, dating back to when the Helstraad Empire was at its height and at war with the Arborian Empire and other, fledgling empires.
Its purpose was not evident, though judging by an ancient journal written by an Elf, it seemed that Helstraad openly welcomed people to enter the temple but met their ultimate fate, killed by one of the many traps or magical constructs that hunted the halls and corridors.
It reflected something akin to a castle, with bedrooms, pantries, luxurious halls, but all with some kind of hidden intent, mainly trapped in some manner.
The temple hinted at its creators, four members of the Helstraad Cabal, including a human male, a female elf, and two beings of unknown race, resembling something between orcs and elves.
Through their exploration, they found that not all the beings in this place would attack - some would even help. Though their knowledge was limited, the more helpful constructs revealed that although their masters had not been here for a very long time, the human cabal member was the last one to visit. As to what purpose of his last visit was, none could tell. During one of their rests in a luxurious bedroom, Bal'Aur was woken. Startled, he found the strange doll he found in the nursery room some hours ago staring at him.
The animated doll claimed it was a girl's soul trapped by a wizard, and begged that the half-orc release her soul, simply by breaking the doll. Bal'Aur obliged without hesitation and cracked the porcelain doll, and felt a dark presence wash over him and it escape somewhere yonder. Unperturbed, Bal'Aur returned to sleep.
When the half-orc woke later, he noticed a painting on the wall depicting four people, and the face of one resembled the now broken doll. He kept the entire experience to himself, not knowing what to think. The party had encountered a giant living statue that roamed the complex, seemingly invulnerable from any attack the adventurers could muster, so they fled from it when they would come across it.
However when they deactivated three various glyphs across teh complex, they discovered that each also removed one of the living statue's invulnerabilities. Once all three glyphs were deactivated, the heroes did not flee from it when they arrived in a particular large hall, where a staircase had been revealed. The adventurers hurled their might against the living statue. Catsby's magical spell of Suggestion prompted the construct to bend over and start spreading apart it buttocks with such force it cracks itself. The others took this advantage to smashed their weapons and spells at the thing until it was destroyed.
Bal'Aur found inside the construct a heart shaped stone which provided some measure of resistance against non-magical attacks.
The party ventured up the newly revealed staircase. They reached an extensive, domed chamber, where the grey stone walls and flagstone floors were carved with esoteric symbols.
It was evident that this was a temple of some sort, the heart of the complex in the Nameless Mountain and it was empty, apart from what appeared to be a seated person in the centre and beyond that, perched on a stone that jutted from the wall, a familiar grey owl.
The owl's strange yet familiar voice spoke directly inside their minds, "Ah, there you are, you have finally arrived!"
Gilles continued to proceed walking further into the temple, seemingly not taking notice. The owl then cocked its head and exclaimed, "Oh, your friend Gilles is not in control of himself!"
Gilles' fingers swirled arcane symbols in the air, and a fog suddenly engulfed the space around him. From the fog, dark swirls appeared and strange shapes suddenly emerged from them.
"We gotta knock out Gilles!" Bal'Aur yelled out and charged ahead.
It was evident that this was a temple of some sort, the heart of the complex in the Nameless Mountain and it was empty, apart from what appeared to be a seated person in the centre and beyond that, perched on a stone that jutted from the wall, a familiar grey owl.
The owl's strange yet familiar voice spoke directly inside their minds, "Ah, there you are, you have finally arrived!"
Gilles continued to proceed walking further into the temple, seemingly not taking notice. The owl then cocked its head and exclaimed, "Oh, your friend Gilles is not in control of himself!"
Gilles' fingers swirled arcane symbols in the air, and a fog suddenly engulfed the space around him. From the fog, dark swirls appeared and strange shapes suddenly emerged from them.
"We gotta knock out Gilles!" Bal'Aur yelled out and charged ahead.
Location
The Nameless Mountain, Rez Isle
Date
Sune 16th, 5249AC
The Nameless Mountain, Rez Isle
Date
Sune 16th, 5249AC
I. The Cabal seeks the Knowledge from the Gods, but pleas are ignored
II. The Eye With Eyes grants the Cabal the sought Knowledge
III. The Knowledge creates the Rift, and the Aberrations are released unto Merra-Triptych, found in Azuth's Temple
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments