Chp. 4: The Gods Will

[OGRE MAGE]

Siavel smiles as the healing is administered, happy to be feeling better and totally unconcerned about the unnatural aging process.

He looks over all of the magical items again carefully, trying everything in his power to figure out what each of them can do. He waves his dagger over each item, seeing if it will reveal any more secrets. He shows the items one at a time to the natives in the group.

Do any of these items look familiar to you? Is there any jungle lore you can enlighten us with that might help us reveal what these things are and what they might do?

The elven mage is clearly embarrassed that he has never learned the powerful spell that might identify these specific items.

Even if we cant figure out what these things do, we still need to concoct a plan to get out of this damn shrine. I say we check out the areas that we have missed as we go back downward. However, that might just be more traps that will sap our strength and health even further.

Spell list updated.
I sure wish Si had Identify.
I suppose he could eat another one of those putrid eyeballs to see if that will shed any new light on the items. I will wait until we get to the next unopened door to do that though.

[GreyWolfVT]

Tabai shrugs on the question about where to go then thinks about it for a moment "Whatever is the nearest unexplored location would be a prominent place to start so we slower cover each level before descending back to the foul air area of the tomb."

[Grognardsw]

Siavel gathers all the loot into a pile and carefully handles each, passing his strange dagger over each. (See PM.)

- From mummy-centaur in the chamber of sacred Chitza-Atlan
- In chamber of dioramas: 16 small jewels worth 20 each, total 320 gp total.
- remains of chewed up shell armor
- a ragged headress
- 26 foreign coins of unknown chipped stone
- 6 gems of 50 gp each
- a trapezohedron crystal of dull reddish color
- a stone key
- a glass eye
- a whistle
- a obsidian dagger
- a club with chips of obsidian along the edge
- a broken spear
- a damaged wooden shield
- a stone tablet with inscriptions upon it
- a few dozen fire beetle eggs

Siavel's mystic visions had revealed that certain items in the loot from the nest are indeed magical:

- a trapezohedron crystal of dull reddish color
- a glass eye
- a whistle
- a stone tablet with inscriptions upon it (Cure Critical Wounds, Azoth made out)
- a baton, from the chamber of the gibbering mouther. Baton has runes: "Tlazoteotl puent est" means "Tlazoteotl's punishment upon you." Found in chamber of Gibthuocoatl.
- The heart that was in the jar from the gibbering mouther room.
- Magic scepter from statue, which Azoth has experienced first-hand

Tabai doesn't recognize any as having local legend or myth. The party realizes they will have to test the items in the old manner of adventurers.

[Dram]

Kitchi agrees with Tabia. Yes, lets go to closest unexplored area. Kitchi pulls his pipe from his pack putting in some of his healing tobacco then lights it.



Healing pipeweed[2d8] = 11

[Mant72]

Calto the druid:

While the group decides on which path to tread next, Calto examines the trapezohedron more closely. He attempts to glean any secrets it may hide by peering through it, blowing upon it, rubbing his thumb over its facets, etc.

[Grognardsw]

Each facet of the trapezohedron has a rune inscribed in it. The language, Calto surmises, is occultic and would require a Read Magic dweomer to understand or pronounce in the correct manner. Physical examinations of the crystal yield no results.

Siavel investigates the other items he had determined magickal. The whistle is likely activated by blowing it; the elf holds off on doing so, not knowing what will happen. The glass eye shows no special power, but it is the size of a real eye, not the larger Gem of Seeing item which Siavel once saw a comrade use last century.

The baton from the chamber of the Gibcuaotl is inscribed with runes: "Tlazoteotl puent est." Tabai the jungle native is able to work out the archaic local tongue as meaning "Tlazoteotl's punishment upon you." No one has used the baton to explore if it's enchantments may be.

The heart in the jar from the chamber of gibcuaotl is of unknown purpose. Siavel wonders what methods of experimentation may yield its secrets.

The scepter from statue - Azoth experienced this first-hand, and knows that its powers goes hand-in-hand with possession by an unknown past priest or olmec leader. Would such an item in the hands of the friendly locals bring about victory over the blood-thirsty empire conquesting this land? Or would it spawn yet another dark tribe to rise to power over others?

The stone tablet is the healing spell.

[Inferno]

Azoth Al-Aziz, occultic priest:

"The stone tablet can only heal one of us. I'll save it for an emergency," the dark cleric uttered. Then he scrutinized the baton with a mixture of caution and power lust.

• • Grog, is the baton a weapon that Azoth can wield like a mace?

"We are still half strength, at best. Shall we proceed, or rest and heal ourselves again?"

[Grognardsw]

Tabai, please make Int. check to see if you know any mythology behind Tlazoteotl.



Azoth feels the bone-carved baton is not a melee weapon, though it could be used in club fashion.

[max_vale]

Alex 'Blade Raine' Vam; human Fighter


Alex thanks the spell-slingers for thier healing magic profusely and watches some of the 'testing' of unknown magical items with a bit of trepidation. Upon hearing Azoth's question, the warrior speaks up; "Well, I'd vote for resting until we can do another round of healing, but that's just me."

[Mant72]

Calto the druid:

"To proceed in our current state would be to court death even more than we already have. The warrior speaks true. I am for receiving our blessings once more before delving further."

[GreyWolfVT]

Tabai, please make Int. check to see if you know any mythology behind Tlazoteotl.



Azoth feels the bone-carved baton is not a melee weapon, though it could be used in club fashion.

Tabai examines the Tlazoteotl further.
Int Check (10) [3d6] = 8

[OGRE MAGE]

Siavel will submit to resting another day. He will be able to cast the spell to read the occultic ruins after studying again.

He drops the glass eyeball into the jar containing the heart to see if anything happens.

[Grognardsw]

Tabai thinks back to his youth and the tales of the ju-ju men about the gods of old.

Tlazolteotl (or Tlaçolteotl, Nahuatl pronunciation: [tɬasoɬˈteotɬ]) is a goddess of purification, steam bath, midwives, filth, and a patroness of adulterers. In Nahuatl, the word tlazolli can refer to vice and diseases. Thus, Tlazolteotl was a goddess of filth (sin), vice, and sexual misdeeds. However, she was a purification goddess as well, who forgave sins and cured diseases caused by misdeeds, particularly sexual misdeeds. Her dual nature is seen in her epithets; Tlaelquani ('she who eats filth [sin]') and Tlazolmiquiztli ('the death caused by lust'), and Ixcuina or Ixcuinan ('she of two faces'). Under the designation of Ixcuinan she was thought to be plural in number and four sisters of different ages by the names Tiacapan (the first born), Teicu (the younger sister), Tlaco (the middle sister) and Xocotzin (the youngest sister). According to the old beliefs, it was Tlazolteotl who inspired vicious desires, and who likewise forgave and cleaned away the defilement of sin. She was also thought to cause disease. Tlazolteotl was called "Goddess of Dirt" (Tlazolteotl) and "Eater of Ordure" (Tlaelquani, 'she who eats dirt [sin]'), with her dual nature of goddess of dirt and also of purification. Sins were symbolized by dirt. Her dirt-eating symbolized the ingestion of the sin of those who confessed, and in doing so purified it. She was depicted with ochre colored symbols of divine excrement around her mouth and nose. In the old language the word for sacred, tzin , comes from tzintli, the buttocks, and religious rituals include offerings of "liquid gold" (urine) and "divine excrements." She had the function of creating harmony again in the community.

It takes a few hours for Tabai to translate this to the Kitchi Blackfoot, the ranger who has been working with the jungle barbarian on language.

Siavel drops the eye into the jar with the heart. Neither react.

[Inferno]

Azoth Al-Aziz, occultic priest:

Hearing this, Azoth gingerly returns the baton.

If the party is content to rest and pray, then so is he.

[Grognardsw]

The adventurers settle into the cursed shrine of the old gods for a second consecutive period of rest. Warriors sharpen steel, tighten armor straps, and spar while the priests pray and the arcanist studies mystic equations from his occult grimoire.



Watch is kept, eyes warily observing the staircase up to the top of the ziggurat as well as the open portal leading out of the small room. The wheel in the north wall remains ignored. The day is mostly quiet. Echoing down the stairs from above outside are the occasional sounds of screeching monkeys, a squawking bird, and chitter of insects. Normal sounds of native wildlife, or more? From below is heard more ominous sounds - a rattling of chains, a scraping of stone on stone, a mournful cry of indeterminate race or origin. Nerves are taut and weapons drawn, but nothing intrudes upon the party's rest. For a time.

The party runs out of the scant rations they managed to take from the kraken-attacked, sinking ship. They will have to contend with the sustenance problem in the coming days, when their bodily energy depletes.

Only a few hours after the food realization, their last torch sputters out. Not many had been taken from the sinking ship. They have been in the stygian confines of the ziggurat for some time now. The room is jet black. Siavel's infravision is helpful in seeing that which radiates heat, but the others face a real problem.

Then Siavel's elven vision spies something.

The current spells (chosen after the first rest period) are in effect.

Actions related to any of the above issues can be done before Siavel sees "something."

[Inferno]

Azoth Al-Aziz, occultic priest:

Before receiving his unearthly, sorcerous powers from cold, unknowable intelligences far beyond this frail, mortal realm, the spidery fingers of the arcane acolyte produce a small gem from deep within his belongings. It glows with bright, white light.

Azoth affixes the scintillating diadem atop his ceremonial helm and inspects the wheel. "This wheel created a small cyclone before. Perhaps that's how we blast out the bad air from this accursed shrine?"

Grog, I thought there was one wheel that we turned that made the gale force wind. You're saying this wheel 'remains' ignored. Are there two wheels? Did we turn another one before?

Also, did we heal any HP from resting?
Thanks.

[Mant72]

Grog, Calto also possesses infravision (he is half-elven). Does he spot something as well?

[OGRE MAGE]

Siavel

I know we need to heal but, it would seem that wasting time in here like this is just as deadly as pressing on.

Wait! Does anyone else see that? What is it?

[GreyWolfVT]

Tabai "See what?" the jungle barbarian shrugs.

[Inferno]

Azoth Al-Aziz, occultic priest:

Upon hearing Siavel's warning, the dread cleric uttered hateful syllables of the thrice damned language of R'lyeh to bid his cold uncaring master to shield these pathetic mortals from whatever unnatural horrors beset them now.

"'Ai! 'Ai! Thanarak! N'gha! Vulg'th! Zhro!"


Casts Protection From Evil 10' Radius around everyone, including Siavel and his magical dagger of benign possession. Maybe this spell can aid Siavel.