Expedition: Baxtaw - Seeking Scatha's Lair - 23 July 2021

[Marullus]

The party discusses, asking Dorbeck to evaluate. He cranes his neck to consider the room, looking across its spanse at the dimly illuminated cylinder in the center. "Looks like this was a barracks training room. Equipped for a full unit of dwarven host as they guard this upper entrance. Shame... what these goblins've done to it. I don't see anything that'd be a trap here - not a place dwarves would've built one, in any case - but I can't say for sure the goblins didn't do something without a closer look. Not sure about the cylinder. It's marble, for sure. I could read it if I got a good light on it and moved over there."


Date: 10:30am, 26 July 2021
Light: Crowgar's Torch (until 11:00am)
Effects: Bless (until 10:40am)
Injuries: Bremen (minor wound), Stantz (minor wound), Clouson (minor wound), Baxtaw (minor wound), Lug (superficial wound)

[Zhym]

"Sure looks like the gobbos kept clear of it, don't it?" says Lug. "If it's got dwarf symbols all over it, maybe it just hurts things like gobs?"

[Rusty Tincanne]

Bremen offers to accompany Dorbek to the pedestal. Must be exhilarating to be on the Halls of your ancestors. I experienced the same when reclaiming the White Tower.

[Dram]

Baxtaw- Everyone stand back. Dorbeck and myself will approach the cylinder if it is a trap. Baxtaw lights a torch and moves towards the cylinder with Dorbeck/

[Zhym]

"We shoulda kept some of those gobbos alive!" realizes Lug. "Then we coulda made one get close to this thing to see what it does!"

[Marullus]

Bremen offers to advance to inspect the pillar but Baxtaw orders everyone to stand back, walking with Dorbeck himself, lighting a new torch.

Dorbeck approaches cautiously, but the curiosity towards his ancestor's relic leads him steadily forward. He reads the writing and then touches it gingerly with his boot. "That's runecasting, that is. Not many dwarves learn the old mysteries, the ways of Moradin himself, handed down," he says with awe and suspicion. "This part here is normal writing... it talks of Moradin's powers over life and stone, of shaping life from stone. I... well, I'm not sure what it all means. But it says it helps dwarves in the name of Moradin. The rest is dwarven letters, but they ain't real words." He shrugs. He pushes it with his boot and determines that it tips, and can be moved. Nothing suspicious happens as he lets it drop back onto its base.

The cylinder of marble is portable, but weighs 40 pounds (it takes up a whole backpack).

Date: 10:40am, 26 July 2021
Light: Crowgar's Torch (until 11:00am), Baxtaw's Torch (until 11:40am)
Effects: Bless (until 10:40am)
Injuries: Bremen (minor wound), Stantz (minor wound), Clouson (minor wound), Baxtaw (minor wound), Lug (superficial wound)

[Jernau35]

"I can't see much point in carrying that around". says Piers dismissively. "We might as well collect it on the way out. Unless you think there might be a use for it further on in. I suppose there may be a reason the goblins gave it such a wide berth".

[Dram]

Baxtaw- It may be of useful if we had a dwarven cleric of Moridan. It may help us defeat the dragon.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Bremen peers down the various passages warily. Two things we don't have are a cleric of Moradin and time to find one. We're burning daylight, here. Let's press on before the goblins return with friends.

[Marullus]

Osana? Or Baxtaw moving on?

[Rusty Tincanne]

Desire wanting to press on and find the treasure, Bremen decides to inspect the dwarf relic. He attempts to see if the letters can move somehow - spinning around the cylinder, perhaps. He also inspect the floor for symbols or anything else interesting.

[Dram]

Baxtaw- You are right lets move on. He moves slowly toward the wooden door looking for any traps.

[Jernau35]

Piers directs Rowine to have her bow ready and keep an eye on the open hallway in the far corner. "Who's watching the hallway we came down? I'll do it myself if needed, though it would be a waste of my talents".

[Rusty Tincanne]

Looking at the cylinder, Bremen cannot make sense of the ruins either. I can tell you it wasn't in this room until recently. He looks at the elf and dwarf and adds, By human standards, that is. Really recently to you two. He points out that it has no moving parts.Might be worth taking back to your people for further study, Dorbeck, but maybe not until we are heading back out. Seems unlikely it's going anywhere further for now, but just in case, do you want to hide it? The big lug, Lug, can likely lug it. He offers a smile at his joke.

[Dram]

Baxtaw- Studies the cylinder closely trying to sense if there is a magic aura on it.

[Jernau35]

"Years of theological training, attending seminary, countless hours of study" mutters Piers, "and here I am watching a dark hallway, waiting to get shot by a random goblin". He sighs and practices a couple of swings of his hammer.

"How about you Rowine?" Do you see anything?" the cleric asks, trying to make his voice carry over to her without yelling.

[Marullus]

The cylinder appears to have magical importance, even if just by the dwarf's assertions of runecasting. It is clear the Dwarf is both in awe and fear of it, as magic use has a dubious reputation among dwarves at the best of times. Baxtaw surmises the "non-words" are likely magical writing.

You need to cast Detect Magic to read the magic aura or Read Magic to get more from the script. It is your choice to camp and memorize the spells to check it out here, to haul it along (40lbs) and do so later, or leave it and hope to come back.

[Dram]

Baxtaw - It has a magic aurabut, I do not have the spell to tell if it is good or bad. We will leave it here and move on. Baxtaw heads out towards the door.

[Marullus]

The group chooses to leave the cylinder behind, heading for the downward stairs at the end of this hallway. They seem to spiral endlessly with no exits found - at least seven layers of stone pass by as you spiral ever downwards. Crowgar's torch burns out and Baxtaw's is just a flicker when you finally you come to the bottom stair - a simple hallway stretches from the bottom stair forward in a straight line about 40', where in intersects a much larger hallway. The larger hallway is 20' across and 15' high, vaulted supports at regular intervals holding it all aloft. It slopes discernibly downward to your left and upwards to your right. The grand passage is deathly still, no sound of activity within. You stop to consider, knowing your lights and noise may call attention to you immediately in the darkness of the broad hallway and its lack of concealments or turns.

Date: 11:40am, 26 July 2021
Light: Crowgar's Torch (until 11:00am), Baxtaw's Torch (until 11:40am)
Effects: Bless (until 10:40am)
Injuries: Bremen (minor wound), Stantz (minor wound), Clouson (minor wound), Baxtaw (minor wound), Lug (superficial wound)

[Dram]

Baxtaw will stop the group at the bottom of the stairwell pass the torch to the back of the group. He will let his elven vision take hold and look as far as he can anything hiding in the darkness.