[The Mound]
"I mean, I guess? They're sorta neat in a novelty sorta way. But usually people make 'em because they want something to be hidden," Khannie reasons.
Like your secret ball-pit that you don't want anyone to know you have!
"But yeah this was a whole lotta effort. Maybe they didn't want the regular folks to know about this hidden places? But why, though?" Khannie wonders aloud. Maybe that's a mystery they'll be figuring out in the near future.
So!
Down into the dark our heroes go once again.
Only not, because Khannie's horn is still soaking up the darkness. It's LIKE she has a bright light source hovering near her somewhere to cast nice crisp shadows, but there certainly isn't any VISIBLE light source.
Soon our heroes find themselves in a workshop where horned helmets were once made. And judging from the skulls nearby it's pretty clear where the horns came from. There's a workbench and tools needed for the setting and sawing as well as a cabinet containing numerous finished horned helmets. Another (non-secret) door leads out of the room. There are a set of double-bitted axes here as well. Quite small, more like the size of a hand-axe. They don't look like they would actually be good for hitting things. Nearby stands a shelf loaded heavily with scrolls.
Also?
There's a skeleton slumped over the work desk.
It does (appear to be?) animated. It's almost as if he had keeled over right in the middle of his work.
Skullfort Town
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
These helmets were presumably made for the warrior minotaurs as opposed to the horned crowns of the priestesses. Koshal bows his head and moves through the room, praying for Message to guide these troubled souls to their lives if their patrons failed them. Koshal does take a quick look at the scrolls but doubtlessly cannot read them. In frustration he picks up one of the axes and buries it into the table which almost certainly bends it. Not being human he is unafraid of their magic.
"My people were not your tools to make and discard." he whispers. He seems a little bit upset.
These helmets were presumably made for the warrior minotaurs as opposed to the horned crowns of the priestesses. Koshal bows his head and moves through the room, praying for Message to guide these troubled souls to their lives if their patrons failed them. Koshal does take a quick look at the scrolls but doubtlessly cannot read them. In frustration he picks up one of the axes and buries it into the table which almost certainly bends it. Not being human he is unafraid of their magic.
"My people were not your tools to make and discard." he whispers. He seems a little bit upset.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"...that's a whole new level of gross." Iknika shudders as the full realization of what happened here hits her. "What happened to this guy, though?" She takes a step closer to examine the skeleton.
"...that's a whole new level of gross." Iknika shudders as the full realization of what happened here hits her. "What happened to this guy, though?" She takes a step closer to examine the skeleton.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
Khannie, likewise, moves to check out the skeleton with Iknika. "It doesn't look like he was injured or anything. More like he just sorta keeled over for no reason?"
It's definitely strange. Maybe he just died of natural causes on the spot? That seems pretty unlikely, though. No weapons are stuck in him. There aren't any shattered bones where a weapon might have killed him. He's just a slumped over skeleton.
The scrolls are likewise written in the Minoan script. Koshal might be able to make out a word or two since he speaks a related language. They might have something to do with tallies or inventory?
THEN AXE TO A TABLE.
Burying the axe in the table is quite the feat, especially considering that it is not, in fact, terribly sharp. The axe reacts to this by giving a bovine sounding wail that begins to rapidly increase in pitch and frequency in a very 'this thing is about to explode' sort of way.
Khannie, likewise, moves to check out the skeleton with Iknika. "It doesn't look like he was injured or anything. More like he just sorta keeled over for no reason?"
It's definitely strange. Maybe he just died of natural causes on the spot? That seems pretty unlikely, though. No weapons are stuck in him. There aren't any shattered bones where a weapon might have killed him. He's just a slumped over skeleton.
The scrolls are likewise written in the Minoan script. Koshal might be able to make out a word or two since he speaks a related language. They might have something to do with tallies or inventory?
THEN AXE TO A TABLE.
Burying the axe in the table is quite the feat, especially considering that it is not, in fact, terribly sharp. The axe reacts to this by giving a bovine sounding wail that begins to rapidly increase in pitch and frequency in a very 'this thing is about to explode' sort of way.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
Koshal’s eyes go wide. Maybe there’s some volatile spirit buried inside of it? Koshal grabs the handle of the axe and yanks, ripping it back out of the wood and giving it a rather impressive throw towards the back of the room where Iknika and Khannie currently aren’t, as well as away from all the OTHER axes which could also explode and kill all of them in a chain reaction.
Koshal’s eyes go wide. Maybe there’s some volatile spirit buried inside of it? Koshal grabs the handle of the axe and yanks, ripping it back out of the wood and giving it a rather impressive throw towards the back of the room where Iknika and Khannie currently aren’t, as well as away from all the OTHER axes which could also explode and kill all of them in a chain reaction.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"What the- take cover!" Iknika will dive behind the nearest available sturdy piece of furniture. Of course, being a goblin, her options for taking cover are considerably more broad than the others'.
"What the- take cover!" Iknika will dive behind the nearest available sturdy piece of furniture. Of course, being a goblin, her options for taking cover are considerably more broad than the others'.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
Dive for cover!
Koshal throws the axe away from everyone! Iknika dives behind a cabinet! Khannie makes a sweeping motion with her horn, raising a wall of darkness between our heroes and the hurled axe!
About two seconds later the axe screams.
It is an absolutely horrible sound.
The sort of sound that makes it feel like something is trying to rip the life straight out of your body.
Khannie, her fur standing on end, cautiously lowers her barrier to reveal the other end of the room is caked in frost. The axe Koshal had thrown is now covered in greenish corrosion, its blade pitted and broken.
"Holy heck they're some kinda ghost grenades."
These people sure were terrible.
Dive for cover!
Koshal throws the axe away from everyone! Iknika dives behind a cabinet! Khannie makes a sweeping motion with her horn, raising a wall of darkness between our heroes and the hurled axe!
About two seconds later the axe screams.
It is an absolutely horrible sound.
The sort of sound that makes it feel like something is trying to rip the life straight out of your body.
Khannie, her fur standing on end, cautiously lowers her barrier to reveal the other end of the room is caked in frost. The axe Koshal had thrown is now covered in greenish corrosion, its blade pitted and broken.
"Holy heck they're some kinda ghost grenades."
These people sure were terrible.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
"So they made people into minotaurs as disposable sacrifices, ripped their heads open to make more and bound their ghosts into bombs.
...
If any of these people aren't dead I think I might punch them."
In theory they could use these to throw at the skeletons and the skeleton-pillars but it's also possible the skeletons would be immune to spooky ghost frost.
"So they made people into minotaurs as disposable sacrifices, ripped their heads open to make more and bound their ghosts into bombs.
...
If any of these people aren't dead I think I might punch them."
In theory they could use these to throw at the skeletons and the skeleton-pillars but it's also possible the skeletons would be immune to spooky ghost frost.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"We're finding a variety of horrors but nothing that would help us deal with the skeletons," Iknika observes as she steps out from behind the cabinet. "Maybe if we knew how the person at the desk died..."
"We're finding a variety of horrors but nothing that would help us deal with the skeletons," Iknika observes as she steps out from behind the cabinet. "Maybe if we knew how the person at the desk died..."
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"Yeah they seemed pretty all in on sacrificing people and necromancy," Khannie says, her tone disgusted. "I'm pretty sure that the grenade axes are for draining anima? I dunno if that'll destroy skeletons but it SHOULD turn em off for a while until the skull pillar things can recharge em."
That sounds like it might be A solution.
"If I had to guess this guy got his life sucked out. But there weren't any used axes when we came in so it musta been from something else."
"Yeah they seemed pretty all in on sacrificing people and necromancy," Khannie says, her tone disgusted. "I'm pretty sure that the grenade axes are for draining anima? I dunno if that'll destroy skeletons but it SHOULD turn em off for a while until the skull pillar things can recharge em."
That sounds like it might be A solution.
"If I had to guess this guy got his life sucked out. But there weren't any used axes when we came in so it musta been from something else."
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
"Well, we should still check around. Maybe there's a vampire or something hanging out too."
There's one door out of here, and if there's EVEN MORE THINGS that will be trying to kill them they should probably go and check. Koshal doesn't really like the idea of using those axes. Mostly because they're gross but ALSO he doesn't want to get jostled and then have them go off while they're stuck on his belt.
"Well, we should still check around. Maybe there's a vampire or something hanging out too."
There's one door out of here, and if there's EVEN MORE THINGS that will be trying to kill them they should probably go and check. Koshal doesn't really like the idea of using those axes. Mostly because they're gross but ALSO he doesn't want to get jostled and then have them go off while they're stuck on his belt.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"Maybe something went wrong and the magic used to trap souls in the axes went haywire." Iknika's ears twitch. "I don't know about using those axes. They're nasty, but wouldn't using them release the souls? Or destroy them? If it meant releasing them, maybe it's worth it... but not if it means hurting them some more."
"Maybe something went wrong and the magic used to trap souls in the axes went haywire." Iknika's ears twitch. "I don't know about using those axes. They're nasty, but wouldn't using them release the souls? Or destroy them? If it meant releasing them, maybe it's worth it... but not if it means hurting them some more."
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
It doesn't seem like jostling the axes is sufficient to cause them to do their thing. They have to actually be thrown at something with minotaur-like force.
"I dunno much about necromancy but are souls even a thing that CAN be destroyed?" Khannie replies uncertainly, giving the axes on the rack a cautious glance. "Whatever they do, they sure don't look like they work anymore once they've gone off."
She doesn't want to touch the expended axe on the ground. It still feels gross.
"But I don't think we should just leave them down here, either."
That's probably her 'purify' instinct talking. These weapons are definitely impure in Khannie's sight.
Either way, though, they've got another door to check out. Khannie lights her horn and snags the door in her magic, gingerly pulling it open. Behind the door is an upright sarcophagus that looks like it could fit a minotaur.
It doesn't seem like jostling the axes is sufficient to cause them to do their thing. They have to actually be thrown at something with minotaur-like force.
"I dunno much about necromancy but are souls even a thing that CAN be destroyed?" Khannie replies uncertainly, giving the axes on the rack a cautious glance. "Whatever they do, they sure don't look like they work anymore once they've gone off."
She doesn't want to touch the expended axe on the ground. It still feels gross.
"But I don't think we should just leave them down here, either."
That's probably her 'purify' instinct talking. These weapons are definitely impure in Khannie's sight.
Either way, though, they've got another door to check out. Khannie lights her horn and snags the door in her magic, gingerly pulling it open. Behind the door is an upright sarcophagus that looks like it could fit a minotaur.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
"Well, I've been told a soul can't be cut." Koshal says with a nod.
"We can bring them back to Message's temple when we're done I think. Maybe she can send their souls to their places."
Koshal clearly doesn't think praying is sufficient to unseat the souls from their bindings.
He frowns at the sarcophagus.
"Interrupting someone's rest is rude. But I think we should pop it open just for a minute to make sure he's not unalive in there." he says to Iknika, since he'd need her help getting the lid open.
"Well, I've been told a soul can't be cut." Koshal says with a nod.
"We can bring them back to Message's temple when we're done I think. Maybe she can send their souls to their places."
Koshal clearly doesn't think praying is sufficient to unseat the souls from their bindings.
He frowns at the sarcophagus.
"Interrupting someone's rest is rude. But I think we should pop it open just for a minute to make sure he's not unalive in there." he says to Iknika, since he'd need her help getting the lid open.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"Right, yeah. That's safer than using them and risking hurting them more." Iknika doesn't really have a clue as to whether a soul can be destroyed or not. Does she even have one? For now, she helps Koshal move the lid.
"Right, yeah. That's safer than using them and risking hurting them more." Iknika doesn't really have a clue as to whether a soul can be destroyed or not. Does she even have one? For now, she helps Koshal move the lid.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
The sarcophagus is opened and three things are immediately noticeable.
First? This is definitely sized for a minotaur.
Second? The inside is full of spikes.
Third? There is a slot on the inside of the lid where a double bitted axe looks like it could be secured.
The sarcophagus is opened and three things are immediately noticeable.
First? This is definitely sized for a minotaur.
Second? The inside is full of spikes.
Third? There is a slot on the inside of the lid where a double bitted axe looks like it could be secured.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
Koshal glances at the two girls.
"Do you think this is where they 'charged' the axes?" Koshal reaches into the room and picks up one of the axes, floating it gently into the slot with his limited telekinesis. He's PRETTY sure it's going to close and try to kill whoever is inside so he chooses not to be in it.
Koshal glances at the two girls.
"Do you think this is where they 'charged' the axes?" Koshal reaches into the room and picks up one of the axes, floating it gently into the slot with his limited telekinesis. He's PRETTY sure it's going to close and try to kill whoever is inside so he chooses not to be in it.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
Iknika simply waits, her grey skin almost tinged with green. With everything they discover, this place gets a bit worse.
Iknika simply waits, her grey skin almost tinged with green. With everything they discover, this place gets a bit worse.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
The machine, mercifully, doesn't react to having the axe slotted into it.
Maybe because it's already charged?
Maybe because something else has to be done with it first?
Like, say, sticking someone inside the machine?
Probably best not to experiment with that.
"I can see why they prolly wanted this workshop outta sight," Khannie comments, looking at what looks for all the world like a torture device with disgust.
The machine, mercifully, doesn't react to having the axe slotted into it.
Maybe because it's already charged?
Maybe because something else has to be done with it first?
Like, say, sticking someone inside the machine?
Probably best not to experiment with that.
"I can see why they prolly wanted this workshop outta sight," Khannie comments, looking at what looks for all the world like a torture device with disgust.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
"Well, frankly I don't want to use these axes for anything if they're made out of souls. And this seems like a dead end. So I think we should come back and see if Message or someone can release the souls when we're done. But we still don't have any way to deal with those pillars and the million skeletons, so I guess we have to check the last temple?"
Koshal isn't expecting them to have a grenade launcher up there. Even if that would be kind of rad.
"Well, frankly I don't want to use these axes for anything if they're made out of souls. And this seems like a dead end. So I think we should come back and see if Message or someone can release the souls when we're done. But we still don't have any way to deal with those pillars and the million skeletons, so I guess we have to check the last temple?"
Koshal isn't expecting them to have a grenade launcher up there. Even if that would be kind of rad.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"We've been finding a lot of torture implements and not a lot that would actually be useful," Iknika comments morosely. "We do need to check the last temple but we might end up having to come back here with a new strategy."
"We've been finding a lot of torture implements and not a lot that would actually be useful," Iknika comments morosely. "We do need to check the last temple but we might end up having to come back here with a new strategy."
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
Well, they DID just find a bunch of grenades of dubious ethical application.
Just no launcher.
If they DID find a launcher it would probably be for lobbing those axes.
"Yeah these people really sucked. Like... when you start studying history you're gunna find that a whole lotta people suck. Because people are terrible to each other. But these guys seem pretty extra," Khannie relates to the others as the leave the workshop and head toward the central temple.
At first glance it just looks like a raised altar with those horns on it, but once they've ascended the steps they'll be met with two things.
First?
Even after all this time the place still smells like blood.
Second?
There's a trap door behind the alter, probably so the priests can seem to appear dramatically.
Well, they DID just find a bunch of grenades of dubious ethical application.
Just no launcher.
If they DID find a launcher it would probably be for lobbing those axes.
"Yeah these people really sucked. Like... when you start studying history you're gunna find that a whole lotta people suck. Because people are terrible to each other. But these guys seem pretty extra," Khannie relates to the others as the leave the workshop and head toward the central temple.
At first glance it just looks like a raised altar with those horns on it, but once they've ascended the steps they'll be met with two things.
First?
Even after all this time the place still smells like blood.
Second?
There's a trap door behind the alter, probably so the priests can seem to appear dramatically.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
Grenades of dubious ethical or practical application. Since Koshal doesn't think frost will do anything to skeletons.
"Okay so this is the main temple so maybe they'll have an evil minion off switch." Koshal grumbles as he reaches for the trap door to yank it open.
He doesn't comment on the smell, but the way he snorts he definitely isn't enjoying that in his nose.
Grenades of dubious ethical or practical application. Since Koshal doesn't think frost will do anything to skeletons.
"Okay so this is the main temple so maybe they'll have an evil minion off switch." Koshal grumbles as he reaches for the trap door to yank it open.
He doesn't comment on the smell, but the way he snorts he definitely isn't enjoying that in his nose.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
Iknika stands behind Koshal, hammer raised to thwack anything that might come out through the door once he opens it.
Iknika stands behind Koshal, hammer raised to thwack anything that might come out through the door once he opens it.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
For what it's worth, the frost is only a byproduct of the weapon going off. Of course, none of our heroes are very familiar with necromancy so they're probably unaware of these facts. Khannie sure doesn't know. She thinks necromancy is gross and her shadow magic is a totally different and unrelated thing!
Anywho!
Khannie pins back her nose at the scent as well.
Things get worse when the trap door is opened.
Though probably not worse in a way that our heroes would have expected.
Imagine a skull. Attach fingers where the jaw would normally be. The thumbs stick out in front and are lined with floating teeth that pinch together. There are about a dozen of them in there and they immediately come swarming out. Thankfully these aren't fully armed skeletons but a bunch of skull crabs aren't a very welcome sight either.
For what it's worth, the frost is only a byproduct of the weapon going off. Of course, none of our heroes are very familiar with necromancy so they're probably unaware of these facts. Khannie sure doesn't know. She thinks necromancy is gross and her shadow magic is a totally different and unrelated thing!
Anywho!
Khannie pins back her nose at the scent as well.
Things get worse when the trap door is opened.
Though probably not worse in a way that our heroes would have expected.
Imagine a skull. Attach fingers where the jaw would normally be. The thumbs stick out in front and are lined with floating teeth that pinch together. There are about a dozen of them in there and they immediately come swarming out. Thankfully these aren't fully armed skeletons but a bunch of skull crabs aren't a very welcome sight either.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
For once, Koshal is taken completely off guard. He jumps backwards with a yelp. He's barely able to focus himself enough to let off a little green flame-burst at a crab as he backs away as fast as he can.
For once, Koshal is taken completely off guard. He jumps backwards with a yelp. He's barely able to focus himself enough to let off a little green flame-burst at a crab as he backs away as fast as he can.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
It's a good thing Iknika was keeping an open mind about this situation and didn't assume that they'd seen the worst of this place. Instead, she lays into the newest wave of creepiness with her hammer, swinging it with wild abandon.
It's a good thing Iknika was keeping an open mind about this situation and didn't assume that they'd seen the worst of this place. Instead, she lays into the newest wave of creepiness with her hammer, swinging it with wild abandon.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
Khannie rears back on her hind hooves as the swarmers pour forth! She really has neither the time nor the space for magic so instead she just tries bringing her front hooves down on top of several of the gross things and stomp the heck outta them.
It turns out that having a low center of gravity and a nice hammer are a pretty good combination for dealing with irritating swarming enemies. A single errant bolt of green fire and some frantic trampling are no match for the sheer ferocity of a good goblin wholloping. The problem, though, is that there are quite a few of these things in here and only three of our heroes.
And the skull crabs seem pretty intent on giving our heroes a good snipping.
Being pinched isn't exactly life threatening (one would have to get pinched a whole lot) but there are a whole lot of these dumb things.
Khannie rears back on her hind hooves as the swarmers pour forth! She really has neither the time nor the space for magic so instead she just tries bringing her front hooves down on top of several of the gross things and stomp the heck outta them.
It turns out that having a low center of gravity and a nice hammer are a pretty good combination for dealing with irritating swarming enemies. A single errant bolt of green fire and some frantic trampling are no match for the sheer ferocity of a good goblin wholloping. The problem, though, is that there are quite a few of these things in here and only three of our heroes.
And the skull crabs seem pretty intent on giving our heroes a good snipping.
Being pinched isn't exactly life threatening (one would have to get pinched a whole lot) but there are a whole lot of these dumb things.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
Faye grabs Koshal and poofs him into the space behind Iknika where her shadow is, leaving a bunch of skulls very confused.
Koshal's magic flares and he lets out his nature aura, causing another large area of magic grass and sprouts to begin growing out of the tiles around them. Crabs in the would experience TERRIBLE STINGING AND BURNING if they remain in the area!
Good thing at least one person in the group has a big AOE spell.
Faye grabs Koshal and poofs him into the space behind Iknika where her shadow is, leaving a bunch of skulls very confused.
Koshal's magic flares and he lets out his nature aura, causing another large area of magic grass and sprouts to begin growing out of the tiles around them. Crabs in the would experience TERRIBLE STINGING AND BURNING if they remain in the area!
Good thing at least one person in the group has a big AOE spell.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
Iknika, on her part, switches from overhead smashes to low sweeps of her hammer, intended to catch as many of the crabs as possible and scatter them around, throwing them against any nearby surfaces.
Iknika, on her part, switches from overhead smashes to low sweeps of her hammer, intended to catch as many of the crabs as possible and scatter them around, throwing them against any nearby surfaces.