Arc 3 - Glimmers in the Dark (Main Roleplay)

[PupSage]

[Religion 15, is everything ACTUALLY in order
Dungeoneering 25+2=27 for monster knowledge. What local creatures beyond Goliath would tend to this shrine? Also traps?
Perception 17]

Kuori will also kneel to pray. "Kuliak, I thank you for bringing us this far. May you guide those cast out from our home on their path of life and guide those who died on their journey to their final home." The rest of her prayer is said in silence  

[Kowsauni]

To Kuori nothing looks out of ordinary at the shrine. In fact the giant stones look almost identical to her as when she last viewed them almost a decade ago. However, one thing does stand out. Kuori notices incense that was recently burned as an offering that couldn't have been lit more than an hour or two ago. Smoke still trails from its burnt end. Despite this, the place seems to be devoid of anyone else besides the adventurers

Kuori knows Kuliak is predominantly worshiped by Goliaths, however, it is not unheard of for exiles from other races to pay homage to Kuliak--and the Underdark is home to its fair share of exiles such as drow or duergar that have been rejected or banished from their harsh societies. There is a chance that this offering was left by someone other than her people, but there is not enough evidence around to hint who that may be if that was the case. ((There are also no traps.))

Once Kuori reaches the silent portion of her prayer a vision flashes into her head. She sees a bunch of stony crabs with gray mottled shells perched on a rock by the ocean. A great wave engulfs the rock, sweeping several of the crabs away while the rest flee to higher ground. The vision then changes and Kuori sees a black and purple spider leading her to the rocky lair of an octopus. Inside, the octopus hold several of the crabs its writhing tentacles. The vision then abruptly ends.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

(DM: You forgot Rain's last post on the previous page.)

"Meh." Ruin would proclaim, tossing his sword aside. "So, how does one do this praying thing?"  

[Kowsauni]

Though the tombstone are large enough for someone to hide behind, Revenge finds the place is completely empty. He knows Kuliak has no formal shrines, but her worshipers sometimes gather at the graves of goliaths who died particularly heroic deaths. This place seems to be one of those places of worship. He can sense the divine energy surrounding the graves and that it has not been disturbed or corrupted in any way. The place is ancient seeming to date back (as Kuori would know) to the founding of Lightlost itself. It appears over time newer graves have occasionally been added but none as of recently.  

[PupSage]

Crabs? Must be Goliath.
Beach is Lightlost.
Wave is the attack.
Spider is drow?
Octopus ... mindflayer?

Kuori stands after her vision. "We should get back on course." She looks to the incense. "It seems that we may be encountering friends as well as enemies." She'd tell them about the vision once they reached Lightlost.  

[Rain Yupa]

"Sounds like a plan to me," Revenge would add after Kuori spoke. "In desperate times, places of spiritual make good refuges, but it doesn't look like anyone is here currently. We should be on our way to where we may be needed."  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

Placing a Ration and a few coins near the shrine. Ruin would mouth a voiceless thank you to the death god who didn't end him. Before turning to follow the group.
(Edited)  

[Kowsauni]

The party leaves the shrine and continues on to Lightlost. The path winds through rocky terrain covered in the strange luminescent fauna the covers this area of the Underdark. (The area is dimly lit.).
As Kouri rounds a corner her former home comes into view but it is not at all how she remembers it. Great portions of the proud walls that once protected the city have been torn down revealing the burnt out husks of the buildings within. Not a soul could be seen on the once busy streets. Lightlost looks completely abandoned, however, the city is too big to be explored all at once. Kuori knows the city is roughly divided into four main districts know as the north, east, south and west districts. It would be best to explore one of these at a time.

The North District is where the governing head of village chieftains resided as well as the main shrines for the Goliath pantheon of gods.

The West District is the trading center of the city. It is were most the artisans and merchants resided.

The East District is mostly residential, though it contains the barracks for Lightlost and the training area's for its militia.

The South District is more residential homes, it is where Kuori's family lived and her old home resides.

((Where does the party choose to explore first?))  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

Standing beside the much taller goliath of the group. "So, where would your people regroup after a drow attack? To count the survivors and see to the wounded and what-not" Ruin would ask, "If you don't know, could start yelling that we come on behalf of gods, devils and Light's Stand?"  

[Rain Yupa]

"Something else to consider," Revenge would add after Ruin spoke, "would be, where would the Drow launch their attack from? In theory, survivors would be as far away from the front lines as possible."  

[PupSage]

Points at the gaping hole in the stone wall. "Thats not a hard thing to guess." She gazes over the ruins, "Given Kuliak's shrine is being attended to, I imagine the other may be as well." She begins to head off towards the North district.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"Paladin hypothetical question, Say you knew a female chromatic dragon had become good. And, this dragon recently laid eggs, but these eggs were stolen from the nest by necromancers." Ruin would ask Revenge, as he followed Kouri. "As luck would have it you found the eggs before they hatch. Assuming you can find a way, Would you return the eggs to the mother? Knowing there is the possibility of evil coming into the world. Or, remove all chance and destroy the eggs then and there?"

(Just in case, DM needed to know where everyone else is headed.)  

[Rain Yupa]

"My apologies; it's a little far for me to see if the wall damage's sources were from the interior or exterior."

((@ DM: Which side are we approaching the city from? Not that Revenge would know the district layout, but I'm curious which district we'll be entering in vs where the enemy might have entered from.))

Revenge would follow Kuori's lead, since she's the only one who knows where she's going at this point.

"What?" Revenge would say aloud upon Ruin posing him the question. "I don't really think now's..." he would start, looking to Kuori and back to Ruin. He would frown. "It depends entirely on the pretense of how I found them, I suspect. If I'm actively searching for them on behalf of their mother, of course I would return them. To do otherwise would be a horrendous breach of honor. If I found them by chance, and they were clearly stolen... I'd have to bring them to the church - to a temple of Bahamut, ideally. It's not my place to decide to exact vengeance on the unborn for deeds not yet committed."  

[Kowsauni]

((You guys are approaching the city from the south east, though with the roads its not to hard to reach any part of the city, its simply a matter of where you want to begin your investigation. You guys are also free to roll any checks you feel are relevant.))

Kuori guides her companions through the ruins of her former city. The streets are strewn with ruble and debris but are still navigable. Signs of the battle lay everywhere, yet, unlike on the surface, no bodies can be seen. The place is absolutely deserted.

When the party reaches the northern district they see a lot of the buildings there have been destroyed. It seems much of the heavier fighting took place here. The shrines to the six other gods in the Goliath pantheon all have either been reduced to rubble or are heavily damaged The main gathering hall for the chiefs still stands though the front doors have been ripped off.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"Wait, a paladin should hand a child over to their racial enemy?" Ruin would ask in dismay. "Forget, I asked."

Turning his attention to the only building still standing he would walk to the shattered door, "'ello!" he would say twice, once in common and after a brief pause again in Elven. "We come in peace, call out if you can hear us. We can help." (Again twice common and elven)

Diplomacy: 29(crit) "we be peaceful"

Perception: 23 Signs of life