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Atop the ziggurat...


From the distance they see an altar area...


Map

Siavel's eyes widen with wonder as he views the great Bat Shrine. Some sights can still stir the mage's innate curiosity, even after a lifetime of centuries ...and the the thing that stands before them certainly does.

The elf takes a deep breath and speaks up to concur with his fellows.

The mysteries within this temple will undoubtedly be matched by the dangers within. I agree --- resting tonight and proceeding with a new allotment of spells on the morrow will surely serve us well.

The elf looks to Calto, his half-kin, with the hope that he can heal Blue.

Azoth Al-Aziz, occultic priest:

The vicar of Nodens looked upon the works of Camazotz's adherents and felt awe and even jealousy.
He stood upon the penultimate step of the ziggurat until Moonslayer, Leomar and Bruno gave the all clear.

As he waited, he softly recounted part of the legend of this Shrine, to assuage the concern of Grindhelm the Dwarf and fuel the spirit of Bruno the Mad.
"Here lies Tloques, agent of Camazotz the bat god of evil.
"Recall that in life, Tloques gathered to him from the corners of Okoth's Kingdom all manner of treasures and rare items. Foremost amongst these was his crown, which is described as being of jade and shaped like intertwined nagas with rubies for eyes and diamonds for teeth. The natives believe the crown was buried with Tloques in his tomb within this Shrine."

Alex 'Blade Rain' Vam; human male Fighter

Alex pulled his enchanted dagger from the tribal he defeated and quickly wiped the blood off as the party fell back and eventually made their way to the top of the ruined pyramid. Although the whole place made him uneasy, Alex buried his worries like he always did and kept an alert eye and ear out for anything out of the ordinary....

Grindhelm the Dwarf

He was interested in the legend.

"If he's been to many places, then that means there's lots of treasure here. I think that I can fight my way through enough to get it. Bound to be some interesting foes here as well."

He puffed out his chest and grinned, once more readjusting the skull on his shoulder.

"Come, comrades, we must make for a camp and continue in the morning."

Calto Moonslayer, feeling lucky, Druid
Calto take a moment to take in the ominous scene before slowly continuing, glad that the sunlight can still find its way into what surely is a place of darkness.

“Friends, before we rest, I suggest we secure this room. It seems unlikely that the altar ahead was ever a peaceful place of worship. Let us be cautious before my magical sight fades. Perhaps my rougish friends can assist in ensuring we are free to bed here without fear of giant bat monsters arising while we sleep?”

With that, the druid, slowly scouts the room before approaching the altar area, relying on his magics to warn him of any hidden dangers.

Calto calls over his shoulder to Slavel. "Fear not friend, I will see to your animal companion once we are safe to rest."

The druid will examine all of the immediate area around the altar before setting foot on the platform, being especially caution around those cracks in the floor. If everything seems safe, he will continue on to examine the altar, unless anyone checking for traps would be willing to examine the area first.

If his spells run out before he can move to examine the altar, please let me know.

Bruno the mad

Bruno cleans his short sword an returns it to its sheath. He glances around the chamber, making sure to look at the bat shaped alter. He decides it's best to secured the temple room. Bruno sets to the task of finding an removing any traps that my yet still be set in the room.

Find/remove traps check [1d100] = 15 = success

Leomar, Human Theif

"Four eyes are better than two, friend Bruno." says Leomar, "If we both search from anything amiss less chance of it being missed."

Find/remove traps (45%): [1d100] = 11

Siavel's curiosity overwhelms him and he becomes mindful of Calto's spell expiring. And so he casts detect magic and looks around cautiously as well.

Blue remains curled up in the corner.

Grindhelm the Dwarf

The warrior sits back and waits for his companions to finish their spells and whatsits, examining the stones of the shrine's floors and walls.

The light of the setting sun shines through the collapsed ceiling as Calto Moonslayer pads cautiously ahead, his magic vision scouring the area for enchantments and traps. Bruno the filcher and Leomar the sharper employ their thief skills in searching for hidden dangers. Siavel the elven enchanter intones syllables of ocular occult and gains the ability to see magic. There is light vegetation here, seeds blown in that have taken root. Pools of water lie about in many places. Mold, fungi and algae grow about on collapsed columns. The druid's trained eye recognizes that some of the algae (at D-3) is of a dangerous type. Phycomid, an algae-like fibrous blob of decomposing milky-colored matter with capped fungi growing out of them. There is also some dark green/blackish moss covering a downed pillar (J-7) that Calto doesn't recognize, though he has seen many things in this jungle new to him.

Calto spies three dangers, confirmed by the thieves:

- Ten feet in front of the altar the druid sees the glow and knows there is a pit trap (at G-5 & H-5).

- The metal bat wings protruding from the altar stone similarly glow with warning of a trap.

- The left wing of the bat bas-relief also shimmers with energy denoting a trap.

As Calto is scouting, he begins to get a headache. Then Azoth, Siavel, Blade Rain and Bruno begin to get headaches. (Those please make a Save vs. Spell.)

Siavel breathes slowly and deeply, channeling his occult knowledge to overcome whatever malign force seeks to overtake them.

[1d20] = 19

Calto, Druid
"As I feared, there are several... dangers in this room..."

The druid trails off as the pounding in his head continues.

Saving throw vs, magic [1d20+3] = 4+3 = 7

Azoth Al-Aziz, occultic priest:

The dark cleric agreed. "Perhaps we should take our rest halfway down the ziggurat steps..."

Bruno The Mad

Bruno shakes his head a couple of times to try an release the pressure from his head. He looks at the dangerous fungi that Calto found and says;

" I'm not alchemical genius like the rest of me kin but I'm willing to wager that whatever is giving us these headaches has something to do with that fungus! I say we burn them all away and use gust of wind in this room like you did to the savages, it will clear any residual fungi spores away that we may be breathing in. "

SAVE VS. SPELL
[1d20] = 18

Well I blew that save out of the water! as a gnome I get +4 Vs. spells, I needed a 9 to succeed an I doubled it! Its all that time I spent as a young gnome stealing from the myconids of the underdark ill bet?

Azoth Al-Aziz, occultic priest:

Al-Aziz looked around in sudden alarm and confusion. "By the great abyss!" he snarled as his blood ran cold.
"My friends, what are we doing here?! How did we suddenly get here from the floating timbers of the shipwreck? ...And what is here? What is this place?"
He looked down at his own hands and body, like he didn't recognize them. "Our clothes are dry... What happened?!"

Calto Moonslayer, Druid?

The druid falls to his knees as he feels the world pulled away from him.

“Where are we?”

He desperately touches the stony earth beneath his feet trying to feel the web of life beneath as he looks from companion to companion in confusion.

“Is this the afterlife? Did the kracken take us?”

Calto then moves his gaze to the ominous bat altar shadowing the room and wonders if he made the right choices in life to find this waiting for him.

Bruno the mad

" Quick Leomar, Siavel, an Grindhelm get those two out of the temple chamber be fore they go bat shit crazy! I'll stay an spread oil over the chamber to burn the spores away.

Bruno takes a flask of oil out of his pack and begins spreading it all over the chamber.