Serpent's Skull [Racing to Ruin] (IC)

[lostsole31]

"What do you suggest we do in the meantime, then?" asks Aron of the group.

[Blackhawk101]

“We should continue to search and map the site, looking for clues, just not that way.” says Fronaldo pointing in the direction of the trail of death.

[lostsole31]

Okay, which way do you want to go from here? [See Discord map.]

[Blackhawk101]

Without objections from the group, Fronaldo will take the lead in “sneaky” formation heading West.

Spoiler: crunch

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sneaky formation is Fronaldo in the lead followed by Tor-bor 30 ft later, followed by the main group 30 ft after that. All moving at 20 ft/round except if Fronaldo needs to scurry from cover to cover and still maintain his lead. He will move at 30 ft/rnd in that case.

[lostsole31]

Aron doesn't wait for round robin discussion, but agrees to west and directs the party to carry out Fronaldo's plan.

Fronaldo guides the party from their hiding point in the internal jungle to a very narrow trail that goes west and then north briefly before joining with an old stone path that meanders eastwards to the "central area" (where you had your last big battle with charau-ka), but also westwards. Once the Fro-train travels 150' west, it looks like there might be a concentrated area of ruins (area T on the map).

Does the Fro-train continue, or do you regroup to discuss?

[Blackhawk101]

Spoiler: Fronaldo>>>Collective

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”Got some ruins here near the perimeter wall. I will wait until you catch up to check them out.”

​Fronaldo hides and waits.

[lostsole31]

Tor-ber .... followed by the rest of the party ... catch up to Fronaldo (see map on Discord).

Unlike the trail of smoke and death that led north, this area seems undisturbed.

"Okay, Pim," says Aron, "it's your turn. What does our fate look like should we explore that area?"

[GM_Dave]

Following along, Pim will think back to the collective,

Spoiler: Collective

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“Only one real way to find out, Desna told me that,”

He jests, before explaining mentally that augury is more of a yes-or-no situation.

Spoiler: Collective

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”Lets continue to the west, and try our luck; seems that way would be more productive than heading towards those firearms. Makes me wonder... who has the nerve to disturb us like that... do they know we’re here? Ill get an answer later, once we know which question to ask.”

Pim will keep an eye out for any hostile surprises, but otherwise will happily allow Fron to take the lead into the western ruins.

[lostsole31]

Aron nods her head to Pim, but is watching a flight of birds go by before she is focused back on the party.

The Fro-train heads out again. The stone path gets near the area of ruins before doubling back and heading northeast. Fronaldo waits for the party to get up to this area. There are two relatively identical ruins ... or at least, they appear that they were once identical. Aron is able to figure that these two structures were once subterranean aqueducts that supplied ancient Tazion with fresh water. Though long dried up, two entrances to these cramped tunnels remain, but it is immediately apparent that northern one has fully collapsed in on itself.

If the party wanted to descend into the southern aqueduct, they could. Or simply note its presence.

What does the party want to do?

[Blackhawk101]

Spoiler: Fronaldo=Collective

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“Good. This aqueduct may be an entrance to areas below. We should check for recent use, note the location on our map and continue....(looks around) that way?” he points, hesitantly.

Spoiler: crunch

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check out the site for recent use and the check trails leading from this location, suggesting one to the North without conviction.

[lostsole31]

The trail heads northeast, not north (which takes you right into thick vegetation), and as it seems you were following a trail, rather than blazing one ....

The party travels about a hundred yards that gets to a site of another ruined statue, several charau-kau body, and the dead body of a dark-haired male halfling.

Aron stops this time. "I'll need several minutes, she says."

She takes out her symbol of Pharasma and begins to chant over the body. She chants for a full ten minutes before her spell comes to its climax. She stares down at the halfling and asks, "What faction are you with?"

The halfling's face is complete in its "death mask," and yet its jaw and tongue move, with the rest of the face belying no expression. From its mouth issue a sepulchral voice, but one that belonged to a male with a higher voice than most humans. "The only one worth a damn."

She seems unimpressed by this answer. "What was your faction doing here?"

The halfling says, "Looking for the head."

"The head of what?" she presses.

"The head for the snake," comes the answer, and after a strange settling that says that Aron's magic is spent.

"Can anyone else make sense of that?" she asks.

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo will examine the halfling for cause of death and clues to his faction/origin. That task completed he will examine the area.

[BuckGodot]

Gelik will look around as well, whilst muttering "Does anyone else find that creepy as hell or is it just me?"


"What? Nothing! I said nothing!"


"Inside voice, damn it..."

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo peaks up from his examination of the corpse, “I like when she tells the future by reading their entrails, Gelik!”

[GM_Dave]

"Talking to the dead is a chore, usually, they're pissed off they're dead!" Pim half-smirks while keeping a low profile.
"'The Head of the snake'," he repeats with a hushed voice, "I wonder if he means a statue? All of these ruins might have some snake like symbolage... or, does he mean a real creature? Jungle snakes are dangerous, sure... but, this sounded somehow larger than real."

[lostsole31]

The halfling seemed to have been pelted with some rocks, but a particular shot right to the left orbital broke through the bone and injured the brain and the halfling died from blood loss.

Aron thinks about what she knows about theology (she is the party's best in matters of theology, divine philosophy, and undead identification). In her creepy whisper-voice she says, "Actually, I believe there is an ancient deity by the name of Ydersius. He had a feud with an early hero in the pre-Starfall years, and that hero struck off Ydersius' head. Ydersius' followers were strange snake-people from the time of the Age of Legend. It is said that these lands - indeed most of the Mwangi - were ruled over by his 'children,' the snake-people. Perhaps those snake-people are on the rise, looking for their god's lost head?"

[Blackhawk101]

“What does that have to do with our search? That is a mostly rhetorical question. Let’s check this site for clues before moving on.”

[lostsole31]

The immediate area is searched for clues or anything of interest, but nothing is found.

Anyone else have any input?

[Blackhawk101]

If no one speaks up, Fronaldo will lead the group to the NW following a trail in “stealthy”formation.

[lostsole31]

Fronaldo takes the lead of the train again, but to the northwest, as the piece of internal jungle is more of a "peninsula of jungle." Heading northwest along that line for only about 75' takes the group to where the mass of internal jungle to the northwest of Tazion is located.

Since this is an exploration of Tazion ... not just the blazed trails, Aron and Tor-ber agree that this is the best general thing to do, even if Fronaldo finds himself regretting his decision. Because of the jungle, the distances are shortened, and Gelik can call guidance to Fronaldo so they can actually continue their mapping. Going through jungle area, this takes awhile, but it was still something intended in the long-run, so there you are. Tor-ber (the cartographer) and Gelik, with recommendations of intention from Aron, will not take a "direction and go" so much as making sure they double back in places to be sure to map what they can.

The party makes it to Tazion's crumbling wall, and then simply follows the wall from that point, curving towards the northeast and then the east-northeast, then the east.

Finally, they come out of the thick internal jungle of Tazion to what is likely the far northern area. They see the northern area they previously charted as being an ingress/egress point to Tazion (much as the way you've been using to the south).

In the northern section of the ruins rises a tremendous mound of vegetation, barely recognizable as a great, overgrown ruin. Yet lying beneath the dripping leaves and vines stands a multi-tiered stone ziggurat of ancient construction. Having sunk into the dark Mwangi soil, the lowest tier of the ziggurat is only partially exposed.

What do you do here?

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo will examine the Ziggurat for any of interest, keeping wary for traps.

[lostsole31]

At the point that we dealt with a large structure, Aron actually had the party close ranks.

She has Tor-ber and Pim (who have the best senses) to accompany Fronaldo. With that lowest tier that sunk into the soil, the heavy stone doors are almost completely obscured by vegetation, but the three of them notice that. It doesn't look like it would be a terrible climb to get to the upper tier of the ruins of this ancient ziggurat.

Okay, this does NOT seem to have seen recent activity from charau-ka or any other factions.

Aron does not want to tangle with any other factions, and if they haven't found this place, they can't lay claim to any treasure inside.

Heavy stones doors might be something require LOUD brute force to break, not good if there are competitors about, Aron recommends the team climb the ziggurat and try to find an alternate way in.

What are the PC's ideas ... Fronaldo? Pim? Xhanfaerd? Gelik?

[silphael]

Xhanfaerd takes the time to study to ziggurat itself, looking for scriptures that might give clues at to what it was about, and maybe why the charau-ka have not touched it.

"We should indeed look for other possible entryways."

[BuckGodot]

Gelik will take out his journal and begin making notes about the ziggurat so he can write a more detailed description for later. He thinks for a few minutes, using his knowledge of local history and jots down a few more notes.

Spoiler: Prof. Ziggurat "Ziggy" Stardust says...

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Knowledge Local/History for any information about the ziggurat or ziggurats in general.

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo is on board with climbing to the top and checking that out.

[lostsole31]

Gelik is the only one in the group that recognizes this specific architecture, because there are various bits and pieces of writing he finds .... nothing he can make any kind of phrase out of worth telling right now .... but Gelik recognizes the Azlanti writing. This is proof that there was an ancient Azlanti colony in the Mwangi, far from the lost colony of Azlant or it successor states of Thassilon (which is on the western part of the continent of Avistan).

Pim, any input before climbing up with the rest of the party?

[GM_Dave]

Pim agrees with climbing up, but also adds, “Remember that aquaduct? There could be another way into the structure there. If we have to use it as an emergency escape, we would want to know exactly what that branch of the ruin contains. Let’s make our way in carefully, and check out any possible entrances before we decide on a long term plan. The worst thing that could happen is an ambush while we are locked inside some ancient ruin.”

[lostsole31]

Tor-ber asks, "I'm not sure what you're saying, Pim. You want us to backtrack to the aqueduct and see where it goes first, and then check this place out? or, you're just mentioning we should climb here now, but be aware that there might be another way in so don't press too far?"

[GM_Dave]

Pim clarifies that we should keep going inside the structure where they are, but only for about an hour. Then double back tohe aqueduct and repeat the process. That should give an idea of how the two areas meet underground without risk of getting lost.

[lostsole31]

Okay, how do you want to ascend? In a line, altogether spread out around the ziggurat? Parachute in on a C-130?

What precautions, if any, do you wish to take? It does look to be a really easy climb (DC 5).