Knowledge Stone

Fighting the thin air the party finally got around to some healing.   Searching for treasure of the Wendigo turned up nothing.  So after a short rest the group headed once again toward the spire.

The trek to the site of the spire was without further incident.  The group arrived breathing hard but not impaired in any other way.

A five-sided spire stood as a monument on a ten-foot-high base that is accessible via a ramp that spiraled up the base’s side. The stone was approximately twenty feet in diameter and forty feet tall, and was marked by countless small runes, glyphs, and sigils. Five smaller triangular stone markers, all of which pointed to the center spire, surrounded the monument.

Ciprian and Gavril did not find any notion of magic in the spire or its base.  The ramp was not particularly steep but it was covered in ice which somewhat limited movement.  The party made their way up the ramp, which circled the spire twice before opening to a larger area at the base of the spire.  The spire was not magical but Ciprian soon discovered that the runes, glyphs and sigils were written in Aklo.  He began levitating up and down the spire and after around ten minutes determined that it was a City Directory.  Determining the legend, which gave directions and locations was more difficult.

In the middle of his study a crack filled the air as two creatures seemed to teleport in.  They were flying some thirty feet above the base of the spire and each held a strange set of pipes in its mandibles.  The monsters were a terrifying amalgamation of chitinous scales, bloated flesh, unblinking eyes, and writhing tentacles.  One creature began blowing its pipes resulting in an unearthly tune after which Gavril, Erevel, Ursina and the invisible Erich Zann began to caper and dance, tapping their feet and waving their arms.  The other cast a spell which seemed to have no effect, other than a wave of unease over the party.

Armania threw a lightning bolt at the monsters but it seemed to be reduced in effect.  Ciprian identified them as Larva of the Outer Gods which had damage reduction to all but lawful, resistance to acid, combat reflexes and spell resistance.  He began a performance on the creatures even as four of the party were dancing their minds away.  Agna fired arrows at the Larva near her but found they didn't even take sonic damage.

One Larva then cast Devastating Song Bolt at Agna and Ciprian while the other Larva subtly worked in an unquiet note and Gavril, Erevel and Ursina turned into Chaos Monsters. The Ursina Chaos monster attacked Agna just before Armania used her wand of Break Enchantment to banish the Chaos monsters.  Agna again attacked with arrows and Erich, not dancing invisibly any longer began a performance of Inspire Courage.

Now the battle was in full swing as one Larva summoned two Barbed Devils next to Ursina and Ciprian.  The Devils attacked at full strength but could not grab either enemy.  The other Larva cast its own Devastating Song Bolt on Agna, Erevel and Gavril, now even more of the party was deaf to the Bardic Performances.  The Larva were healing their damage which made the battle even worse.  The party attacked as best they could Erevel was flying with her wings. Ciprian managed to destroy one of the Devils, Armania cast Starfall and Erich cast haste as the party was beset on multiple fronts.

One Larva then summon two more barbed devils as the other attacked Erevel.  Starfall was cast again and the heroes continued to harass the devils even as they took damage from the barbs.  Ciprian cast Stunning Finale to stun a barbed devil and stagger the other and a Larva.  Armania tried cold Dragons Breath and found the Larva were immune to cold also.  This was becoming harder by the minute as the Larva continued to heal.

The Stunning Finale finally started to turn the battle, Erevel downed a Larva but it kept healing while seemingly down and out.  The other Larva hit the ground stunned and Ursina found that her book did full damage to it and the Barbed Devils. The enemies started to fall faster and Ursina would finish off the Larva by hitting with her Holy Tome and then additional damage done by her compatriots concluded the job.

Erevel and Ursina had contracted a poison from the Larva, the deaf had begun to hear again during the battle but most of the party was in need of healing.  Ciprian collapsed onto the ice floor, panting and breathing deeply.  He then called for everyone in need of healing to surround him and he proceeded to provide healing effects.  Ursina used her wand to remove her Dexterity drain and then used it on Erevel to remove her Dexterity drain.

At long last Ciprian recovered enough to continue studying the spire.  He found that there was a City Archive, possibly a place to hold important documents, relics, items of historical significance. Also he found the location of a magic shop.  Whether there would be any magic left there was questionable.  Ciprian cast Legend Lore trying to determine legends about Bohlvarai.

"Bohlvarai became legendary as its amorphous servitor race developed greater intelligence
and revolted.  This was followed by the city being relocated to a new planet in a new star system."

The party headed to the magic shop but found it utterly destroyed and bereft of any magic items.  At this point Ursina started to feel an unsettling sickness, like she was at altitude, which affected all of her abilities. 

DM's Notes: The party earned 17,066 XP for the night.