[The Mound]
Khannie gets a few more pinches than she would like and lights her horn, causing her own shadow to stretch out around her in a broad Iknika excluding circle before violent growing a hedge of shadow spikes. The pointy terrain shreds several crabs and forces the rest to scuttle directly towards Iknika if they feel like snipping our heroes.
Iknika is doing a great job of smashing them and Koshal's spell seems to be slowing them down. A few more minutes of this and the crabs are defeated!
"Ugh, this place sucks," Khannie grouses, wincing as she nuzzles at the spots she got pinched. "Everyone okay?"
Skullfort Town
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
Koshal nods, standing up straight and dusting himself off.
"Yeah, I'm fine. This is one situation the burning grass really helps. I guess only knowing four spells is fine when they're good ones."
He peers down into the gloom of the trap door.
"So was there a whole hive of those things down there? Or just sitting around on this particular ladder?" He hopes it's the latter, because he doesn't want to deal with more rooms full of those things.
Koshal nods, standing up straight and dusting himself off.
"Yeah, I'm fine. This is one situation the burning grass really helps. I guess only knowing four spells is fine when they're good ones."
He peers down into the gloom of the trap door.
"So was there a whole hive of those things down there? Or just sitting around on this particular ladder?" He hopes it's the latter, because he doesn't want to deal with more rooms full of those things.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"I think a better question is why in the fresh heck did someone make so many of those?" Iknika is resting on her hammer, breathing heavily. "They decided the rest of their creations weren't bad enough?"
"I think a better question is why in the fresh heck did someone make so many of those?" Iknika is resting on her hammer, breathing heavily. "They decided the rest of their creations weren't bad enough?"
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"Knowing more spells is never a bad idea, though," Khannie points out. Sure all of her really GOOD spells involve using her shadow illusions and stuff, but she knows other ones too! Mostly for cool utility things that she can't do with the darkness.
Like putting people (often herself) to sleep!
And speaking of ladders, Khannie peers down the hatch at the-
"That's a modern ladder. Like one of those aluminum ones they use for construction," she says, her eyes narrowing. "Someone else has been down here."
Maybe someone else taking advantage of the all the ghosts or whatever to do spooky necromancy stuff?
Hmm!
"Knowing more spells is never a bad idea, though," Khannie points out. Sure all of her really GOOD spells involve using her shadow illusions and stuff, but she knows other ones too! Mostly for cool utility things that she can't do with the darkness.
Like putting people (often herself) to sleep!
And speaking of ladders, Khannie peers down the hatch at the-
"That's a modern ladder. Like one of those aluminum ones they use for construction," she says, her eyes narrowing. "Someone else has been down here."
Maybe someone else taking advantage of the all the ghosts or whatever to do spooky necromancy stuff?
Hmm!
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
"The rest of the place is untouched, though. No messing with the feast or the other temple, and none of the axes on the rack were missing. So maybe they kept to their own little lair?"
Koshal tentatively heads down the ladder, though he's never super comfortable on them with his hooves. They work better for people with long feet. He can levitate of course but he often forgets that.
"The rest of the place is untouched, though. No messing with the feast or the other temple, and none of the axes on the rack were missing. So maybe they kept to their own little lair?"
Koshal tentatively heads down the ladder, though he's never super comfortable on them with his hooves. They work better for people with long feet. He can levitate of course but he often forgets that.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"I don't see why anyone who came here willingly would keep to a small part of the place... especially if they also made those creepy things. I don't like this."
Iknika follows Koshal down the latter after expressing those doubts. Something here isn't adding up and it makes her uneasy.
"I don't see why anyone who came here willingly would keep to a small part of the place... especially if they also made those creepy things. I don't like this."
Iknika follows Koshal down the latter after expressing those doubts. Something here isn't adding up and it makes her uneasy.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"Maybe they bypassed the front door and that didn't trigger the feast thingy?" Khannie suggests. "I mean, it's a buncha ghosts right? Ghosts are weird. Maybe they needed the person with the hat on to really get going?"
Down our heroes go.
And what do they find?
It looks like someone has taken what amounts to a dressing room under the temple into some sort of study. The tables are littered with artifacts from the surroundings and notes on the thanatological forces that are at play in the ruins.
Khannie wrinkles her nose at the magic notes.
This sorta stuff really isn't her specialty.
"Maybe they bypassed the front door and that didn't trigger the feast thingy?" Khannie suggests. "I mean, it's a buncha ghosts right? Ghosts are weird. Maybe they needed the person with the hat on to really get going?"
Down our heroes go.
And what do they find?
It looks like someone has taken what amounts to a dressing room under the temple into some sort of study. The tables are littered with artifacts from the surroundings and notes on the thanatological forces that are at play in the ruins.
Khannie wrinkles her nose at the magic notes.
This sorta stuff really isn't her specialty.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
Just remember the wise words of your dad, Khannie!
Necromancers usually suck. So I usually burn their stuff.
Unfortunately, working for a psychopomp goddess doesn't give Koshal much knowledge on this stuff. So he's not able to make heads or tails of the notes. So mostly he'll be checking the room for any interesting artifacts or any other doors.
Just remember the wise words of your dad, Khannie!
Necromancers usually suck. So I usually burn their stuff.
Unfortunately, working for a psychopomp goddess doesn't give Koshal much knowledge on this stuff. So he's not able to make heads or tails of the notes. So mostly he'll be checking the room for any interesting artifacts or any other doors.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
Iknika does study the notes. Her knowledge of necromancy is even below that of Koshal or Khannie, but maybe there's something here a laygoblin can understand. It's worth a shot.
Iknika does study the notes. Her knowledge of necromancy is even below that of Koshal or Khannie, but maybe there's something here a laygoblin can understand. It's worth a shot.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"My dad usually burns necromancy stuff," Khannie notes as she and Iknika look over some diagrams of necrotic focal points on minotaur skeletons. "But... I think the guys was using the ghosts to try to do something?"
Iknika's eyes will fall on a journal that seems to be filled with daily notes on what the necromancer was up to. It sounds like he discovered some kind of magical event killed everyone here at the same time and turned the settlement into a giant battery of death magic.
Unfortunately the place is quite old and its potential has faded. But if the disaster could be replicated to create a fresh battery...
There's another door leading further down, probably into the underbasement full of skeletons. The artifacts are mostly old art objects and the odd horned crown.
"My dad usually burns necromancy stuff," Khannie notes as she and Iknika look over some diagrams of necrotic focal points on minotaur skeletons. "But... I think the guys was using the ghosts to try to do something?"
Iknika's eyes will fall on a journal that seems to be filled with daily notes on what the necromancer was up to. It sounds like he discovered some kind of magical event killed everyone here at the same time and turned the settlement into a giant battery of death magic.
Unfortunately the place is quite old and its potential has faded. But if the disaster could be replicated to create a fresh battery...
There's another door leading further down, probably into the underbasement full of skeletons. The artifacts are mostly old art objects and the odd horned crown.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
Well, Koshal isn't an art critic and they know the crowns don't do anything helpful. Koshal goes to the door and creaks it open, peering inside to check for any other skeletons.
Well, Koshal isn't an art critic and they know the crowns don't do anything helpful. Koshal goes to the door and creaks it open, peering inside to check for any other skeletons.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"It says here some magic disaster killed everyone here at the same time," Iknika says as she follows Koshal. "That would explain a lot of what we've seen. And that's why the necromancer came here. They wanted to use the potential it left behind."
"It says here some magic disaster killed everyone here at the same time," Iknika says as she follows Koshal. "That would explain a lot of what we've seen. And that's why the necromancer came here. They wanted to use the potential it left behind."
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
Khannie scoots over to quickly eye the journal as her friends are headed through the door. "Oh heck. It sounds like he wanted to try to replicate the magical disaster, too. That means he might be trying to set up some kinda necromancy bomb somewhere nearby."
The only settlement anywhere nearby would, of course, be Skullfort.
Koshal doesn't find any skeletons in the closet.
Mostly because this isn't a closet.
But there is a set of stairs that leads down to that big basement and the skull-totems maintaining the skeletons down there. More specifically it leads to a recently set up scaffolding above the skeleton totems. Also down to the ground level but our heroes probably don't want to be lurking around there.
Khannie scoots over to quickly eye the journal as her friends are headed through the door. "Oh heck. It sounds like he wanted to try to replicate the magical disaster, too. That means he might be trying to set up some kinda necromancy bomb somewhere nearby."
The only settlement anywhere nearby would, of course, be Skullfort.
Koshal doesn't find any skeletons in the closet.
Mostly because this isn't a closet.
But there is a set of stairs that leads down to that big basement and the skull-totems maintaining the skeletons down there. More specifically it leads to a recently set up scaffolding above the skeleton totems. Also down to the ground level but our heroes probably don't want to be lurking around there.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
Koshal looks down the stairs at the scaffolding and returns back to the group.
"Well, there's not much useful here, but it does go to a level above those totems. We could try to drop something down on them? I guess we could use the exploding axes."
They're really icky, though.
Koshal looks down the stairs at the scaffolding and returns back to the group.
"Well, there's not much useful here, but it does go to a level above those totems. We could try to drop something down on them? I guess we could use the exploding axes."
They're really icky, though.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"I could try throwing my hammer at them from above. Since it returns to me." Iknika doesn't seem sure of this. "Or we can drag something heavy and drop it. But I hope the totems don't explode in a way the necromancer wanted to happen."
"I could try throwing my hammer at them from above. Since it returns to me." Iknika doesn't seem sure of this. "Or we can drag something heavy and drop it. But I hope the totems don't explode in a way the necromancer wanted to happen."
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"They shouldn't," Khannie reassures Iknika. "Think of em like... a thing that gives orders and stuff? The thing about death magic is that it shouldn't even be here. If it doesn't got anything piping it around it'll just be like spooky magic fog that slowly burns away when the sun comes out."
She gives a hum, considering the problem.
"I'm pretty sure they're warded. I could drop a shadow ball on em to weaken the ward then we could try dropping a desk on them."
There IS a pretty big desk available.
Also the hammer throwing option.
"They shouldn't," Khannie reassures Iknika. "Think of em like... a thing that gives orders and stuff? The thing about death magic is that it shouldn't even be here. If it doesn't got anything piping it around it'll just be like spooky magic fog that slowly burns away when the sun comes out."
She gives a hum, considering the problem.
"I'm pretty sure they're warded. I could drop a shadow ball on em to weaken the ward then we could try dropping a desk on them."
There IS a pretty big desk available.
Also the hammer throwing option.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
"Well. I guess we can do that. I'm not supposed to strain myself but we could probably wheel that thing out." If the desk has wheels. If it doesn't getting it through the doorframe and stairs would be absolutely horrendous and not worth the effort at ALL.
"Well. I guess we can do that. I'm not supposed to strain myself but we could probably wheel that thing out." If the desk has wheels. If it doesn't getting it through the doorframe and stairs would be absolutely horrendous and not worth the effort at ALL.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"I'm not great at moving heavy things, but I'll do my best." Iknika has been training, and goblins can lift more than their frames would suggest, but she's still small. "If the desk doesn't work we'll use the hammer or look for something else that's heavy."
"I'm not great at moving heavy things, but I'll do my best." Iknika has been training, and goblins can lift more than their frames would suggest, but she's still small. "If the desk doesn't work we'll use the hammer or look for something else that's heavy."
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"I can get one side of it if you can grab the other," Khannie offers to Koshal. She lights her horn and snags the heavy furniture in her magic, grunting with effort as she lifts it. "Okay I'm gunna... just sorta hold it up. You guys shove it where it needs to go."
Wow!
This is even better than wheels!
Our heroes scoot the desk into position and let it fly! There's a loud crunch followed by a rattling sound as half the skeletons fall apart. There's still another bone pillar, though. But thankfully none of the skeletons have enough sense to look up.
"I can get one side of it if you can grab the other," Khannie offers to Koshal. She lights her horn and snags the heavy furniture in her magic, grunting with effort as she lifts it. "Okay I'm gunna... just sorta hold it up. You guys shove it where it needs to go."
Wow!
This is even better than wheels!
Our heroes scoot the desk into position and let it fly! There's a loud crunch followed by a rattling sound as half the skeletons fall apart. There's still another bone pillar, though. But thankfully none of the skeletons have enough sense to look up.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
A desk gets tossed! Wham!
Koshal goes to follow up with his last spell now that they're in range: he attempts to press down on the bone pillar with a sudden telekinetic press. He's been able to break chairs with it so maybe the bones are fragile enough to weaken them for Iknika's throw?
A desk gets tossed! Wham!
Koshal goes to follow up with his last spell now that they're in range: he attempts to press down on the bone pillar with a sudden telekinetic press. He's been able to break chairs with it so maybe the bones are fragile enough to weaken them for Iknika's throw?
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
Iknika gets ready to throw her hammer if Koshal's trick works. So far, so good.
Iknika gets ready to throw her hammer if Koshal's trick works. So far, so good.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
The remaining bone pillar groans under the force of Koshal's telekinesis, but it isn't QUITE enough to shatter the thing. It needs just one more little nudge.
Sort of like that hammer Iknika just hurled at it.
That serves as the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Or, in this case, the heap of skulls... not back. Since they're all skulls. But either way it shatters in a burst of dark magic! The remaining skeletons just sort of fall apart since there wasn't anything holding them together to begin with. Good news, right?
"I think that worked out pretty good! Just gotta keep trying stuff until something sticks," the unicorn says, giving her tail a triumphant swish. "But now that we broke this creep's toys we should prolly figure out where he's gunna try doing the death bomb thing. His journal said he was gunna try making the same thing that happened here happen in another town nearby."
How many others towns are nearby, again?
The remaining bone pillar groans under the force of Koshal's telekinesis, but it isn't QUITE enough to shatter the thing. It needs just one more little nudge.
Sort of like that hammer Iknika just hurled at it.
That serves as the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Or, in this case, the heap of skulls... not back. Since they're all skulls. But either way it shatters in a burst of dark magic! The remaining skeletons just sort of fall apart since there wasn't anything holding them together to begin with. Good news, right?
"I think that worked out pretty good! Just gotta keep trying stuff until something sticks," the unicorn says, giving her tail a triumphant swish. "But now that we broke this creep's toys we should prolly figure out where he's gunna try doing the death bomb thing. His journal said he was gunna try making the same thing that happened here happen in another town nearby."
How many others towns are nearby, again?
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
"Well, I guess we should take a quick look down there to make sure there wasn't anything else we couldn't see before."
Koshal goes to climb down the scaffolding so he can give a quick look to the skeleton chamber.
"I mean, if he was thinking of setting up at the Skullfort he's dead already. Lady Message wouldn't miss someone trying to make a necromantic bomb in the middle of her town. So if he's not super dumb he's going somewhere else."
"Well, I guess we should take a quick look down there to make sure there wasn't anything else we couldn't see before."
Koshal goes to climb down the scaffolding so he can give a quick look to the skeleton chamber.
"I mean, if he was thinking of setting up at the Skullfort he's dead already. Lady Message wouldn't miss someone trying to make a necromantic bomb in the middle of her town. So if he's not super dumb he's going somewhere else."
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"Can we stop him if we catch him?" Iknika's question displays an unusual amount of self-awareness from her, perhaps. "It might be tougher than smashing skeletons and dropping desks on things."
"Can we stop him if we catch him?" Iknika's question displays an unusual amount of self-awareness from her, perhaps. "It might be tougher than smashing skeletons and dropping desks on things."
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"Wizardry stuffs usually about preparation. And that's gunna be twice as true with necromancy. So if this jerk has been getting ready to set up his gross necromancy bomb then that's gunna be what his magic is set up for. He's probably not gunna expect a trio of adventurers to pop up all of a sudden and kick his scrawny butt," Khannie replies, sounding pretty confident. "The sorta magic necromancers usually use isn't super great for just, like, blasting things. It's all corrupty magic and I can counter-spell it while you and Koshal lay on the smackdown."
Meanwhile!
Koshal does some (not strenuous) climbing.
He'll find the ruins of the pillars and some signs that someone has been digging around and planting little color coded flags here and there. Probably the necromancer making notes on the under-temple. It doesn't LOOK like there's anything important down there. At least not anything Koshal is likely to recognize. If he checks out the areas around the flags in greater detail he might find something more?
"What have you got down there?" Khannie calls to him.
"Wizardry stuffs usually about preparation. And that's gunna be twice as true with necromancy. So if this jerk has been getting ready to set up his gross necromancy bomb then that's gunna be what his magic is set up for. He's probably not gunna expect a trio of adventurers to pop up all of a sudden and kick his scrawny butt," Khannie replies, sounding pretty confident. "The sorta magic necromancers usually use isn't super great for just, like, blasting things. It's all corrupty magic and I can counter-spell it while you and Koshal lay on the smackdown."
Meanwhile!
Koshal does some (not strenuous) climbing.
He'll find the ruins of the pillars and some signs that someone has been digging around and planting little color coded flags here and there. Probably the necromancer making notes on the under-temple. It doesn't LOOK like there's anything important down there. At least not anything Koshal is likely to recognize. If he checks out the areas around the flags in greater detail he might find something more?
"What have you got down there?" Khannie calls to him.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
"That's part of why I think it might not be the Fort. It's literally an old necromancer's fort. Lady Message claimed it for herself and beating up necromancers was kind of her thing before she ascended. It would be like trying to attack Underside but only using beetles and wolves." His only idea is MAYBE if he did dig under the fort maybe the fort itself would mask the necromancy? But Message doesn't keep any of that old stuff going.
"Anyway all I got are a bunch of flags." Koshal answers, going over to look at them.
"That's part of why I think it might not be the Fort. It's literally an old necromancer's fort. Lady Message claimed it for herself and beating up necromancers was kind of her thing before she ascended. It would be like trying to attack Underside but only using beetles and wolves." His only idea is MAYBE if he did dig under the fort maybe the fort itself would mask the necromancy? But Message doesn't keep any of that old stuff going.
"Anyway all I got are a bunch of flags." Koshal answers, going over to look at them.
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"Any evil necromancer who doesn't expect adventurers to kick their door down better start paying attention. But you're probably right," Iknika says as she climbs down after Koshal. "This looks like an archeological dig. He was probably poking around in search of secrets."
"Any evil necromancer who doesn't expect adventurers to kick their door down better start paying attention. But you're probably right," Iknika says as she climbs down after Koshal. "This looks like an archeological dig. He was probably poking around in search of secrets."
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"Yeah I'm thinking the same thing. This is more archeology and less evil lair," Khannie agrees. "If he isn't gunna go after Skullfort where else do you think he might try? It sounds like the effect will be stronger the more people there are. But the more people are around the more likely that he's gunna get caught."
Khannie begins checking near the flags. The ground near all the pink flags has been churned up. The yellow and cyan ones are all undisturbed. Then there's one single acid green flag atop that mound over there.
"Yeah I'm thinking the same thing. This is more archeology and less evil lair," Khannie agrees. "If he isn't gunna go after Skullfort where else do you think he might try? It sounds like the effect will be stronger the more people there are. But the more people are around the more likely that he's gunna get caught."
Khannie begins checking near the flags. The ground near all the pink flags has been churned up. The yellow and cyan ones are all undisturbed. Then there's one single acid green flag atop that mound over there.
Re: Skullfort Town
The Mound
”Um. He could maybe try under the DFI if Lady Message doesn’t check there as much out of respect for Lord Danir. He’s a wind god so he wouldn’t be able to see it as well? Otherwise there’s a few villages farther away. Or the spider woods but that’s a terrible idea too their Queen can see the future.”
Koshal looks down at the little flags.
”Can your shadows make a shovel, Khannie?”
”Um. He could maybe try under the DFI if Lady Message doesn’t check there as much out of respect for Lord Danir. He’s a wind god so he wouldn’t be able to see it as well? Otherwise there’s a few villages farther away. Or the spider woods but that’s a terrible idea too their Queen can see the future.”
Koshal looks down at the little flags.
”Can your shadows make a shovel, Khannie?”
Re: Skullfort Town
[The Mound]
"I should remember to pack a shovel next time. Maybe a small collapsible one." Iknika still has much to learn about adventuring. "If this necromancer has any sense, he'll try somewhere without gods."
"I should remember to pack a shovel next time. Maybe a small collapsible one." Iknika still has much to learn about adventuring. "If this necromancer has any sense, he'll try somewhere without gods."