Session 12: Unexpected Visitors, the Ruins of Ages Past

The session commenced where they left off, with Zenscha diligently extracting valuable fluids from the remains of the Frostweaver Spider. Assisted by the group, they meticulously harvested substrates for various concoctions. The matron spider lay in pieces, a testament to their previous battle. They needed various materials for different purposes, so they focused on the following extracts:  

• Cold Resistance: Fluids from the spider’s glands could be turned into a potion granting resistance to cold. In the frigid climate of Chernaya, this could prove invaluable, especially for the more vulnerable members of their group.
• Strength-Sapping Paralytic/Anesthetic: The paralytic venom could be refined into a powerful anesthetic or weaponized toxin to incapacitate enemies. This dual-purpose extract could serve both medical and combat needs, providing a versatile tool in their arsenal.
• Orb Light Bulb, Increases Telepathic Abilities: Fluid from the spider’s glowing web could create an orb emitting light for a month when properly encased and activated with a secondary concoction (using Common herbs). This orb would not only provide a reliable light source in dark environments but also potentially enhance telepathic communication among the group, a boon in a land where darkness and secrecy prevailed.

  As the extraction neared completion, the group heard the sudden sound of pebbles being kicked and low, guttural voices. Four humanoid figures emerged from the shadows. Orian was the first to identify them as Karlu-Chatil, known somewhat derogatively as "Goblins" in Chernaya. Their weapons glinted menacingly in the dim light.   The leader, Khurgan, a brutish orcish figure with a commanding presence, stepped forward. “Seems you’ve poached our prey. We’ve been tracking and watching her for weeks, biding our time for the perfect strike. And you beat us to it! What’d you want the old Winter Maiden for, anyway? You a shaman?”   Khurgan demanded half of the harvested portions or an equivalent in silver, threatening to take everything by force if they refused. His band consisted of:

• Muzlik: A small, greenish goblin with a squeaky voice, echoing Khurgan's threat. His eyes darted eagerly from person to person.
• Gruvlok: Resembling a dwarf more than a goblin, with large, jutting teeth, he remained mostly silent, gripping his weapon tightly. His presence was intimidating and gruff. Whether he was a mute or simply not very talkative, all he did was grunt.
• Thrak'mir: A figure with an enormous, beak-like nose, adorned with bones and pouches, stood back, evaluating the group with a keen eye. Though he carried no visible weapon, the bulging satchels at his side hinted at his abilities as an alchemist, including a small satchel of boom powder.

  Tonibore’s keen perception revealed several more goblins in the parapets. Khurgan whistled, and six comrades with bows emerged, their weapons trained on the group. The tension was momentarily palpable, and the group realized that a wrong move could lead to a deadly confrontation.   After contemplating the cost of conflict, the group chose to negotiate.   Tonibore stepped forward and engaged Khurgan in conversation. Despite his brutish exterior, Khurgan proved to be more affable than expected, albeit not particularly intelligent. They gave the group 2 portions of the poison, and were ultimately gifted a small satched of boom powder by Thrak’mir.   He explained that they were surprised the group survived their encounter with the Widow of the Woods, and he convinced the others to offer a parlay rather than an ambush. This band of Karlu-Chatil outcasts hailed from the Midlands and avoided humans they didn’t ambush—or eat.   Muzlik and Desmond bonded over their shared interest in substances, with Desmond selling him some drugs, though Muzlik’s bag of trash and random coins was a bit short. The negotiations were tense but ultimately successful, leading to an uneasy truce between the two groups.  

Exploring the Ruins, Early Chernayan Era

  Above ground, the group turned their attention to a small ziggurat-like structure in the middle of the keep. The ziggurat, ancient and weathered, beckoned them with its air of mystery and forgotten history. Rolandus ventured inside, with a wounded Orian trailing behind. The interior walls were adorned with ancient engravings depicting the life of Aryn Chernaya.   The engravings told a story:  

• The obliteration of Aryn's Oblidan tribe by the Duvik, a scene of fire and slaughter etched in stone.
• Aryn petitioning the spirits of the woods, his youthful figure kneeling before shadowy, ethereal forms.
• The spirits coming to him and sharing some of their secrets, their otherworldly presence looming over the young boy.
• Aryn bestowing a sword upon his inner circle of twelve Ardent Knights, the Ardent Knights receiving their weapons with reverence and solemnity.

  Inside the ziggurat were twelve sarcophagi, mostly empty or containing only bones. However, one sarcophagus held a Cryst-Nirithean sword, identical to those in the wall engravings. Rolandus seized the sword, marveling at its lightness and balance. As he did, he heard a voice whispering its history, as if a figure stood right behind him and was whispering in his ear.   He and Orian left the room and rejoined the others outside.   The group decided to camp with their new “friends” before exploring further. The night passed uneventfully, with PCs and goblins taking turns keeping watch. The eerie silence of the night was occasionally broken by distant animal cries, but no threats emerged.   The next day, the party, along with Khurgan, descended into the underground structure, the Frostweaver spider’s den. The lair was a labyrinth of webs and pillars, littered with the remains of the spider’s kills. Stone pillars supported the main open room, with a smaller wrap-around corridor that ran the length of the structure. It was clear that the Frostweaver had made this abandoned Chernayan ruin her home for quite some time.   Tonibore discovered a recent corpse among the desiccated skeletons. The group carefully examined the area, noting the ancient Chernayan inscriptions that hinted at the ruin's original purpose as a crypt for the twelve ardent knights of the First King.   At the end of a long underground hallway, they found an egg sac with thousands of unhatched eggs. The sight of the pulsating egg sac was both fascinating and unnerving. Zenscha noted that these young spiders, while able to bite for minor damage, were not particularly valuable until they matured. The eggs would hatch within a month, releasing a swarm of hungry young spiders that would devour anything nearby.   The group also found skeletal corpses with a haul of treasures:  

• 203 gold pieces from over 100 years ago, embossed with the faces of long-forgotten rulers.
• 1481 silver pieces with various embossings, tarnished but still valuable.
• 3 uncut opals valued at 300 sp total, their iridescent surfaces catching the dim light.
• Rusted, useless armor and weapons, relics of battles long past.

  The goblins agreed to take the opals as their share, a gesture of goodwill that solidified their uneasy alliance.   Inside the ruins, the PCs discovered a circular, glyph-covered engraving in the floor of a large chamber. The intricate glyphs were an enigma, an ancient puzzle. But to what purpose? Unlike the rest of the structure, it did not appear to be made by Chernayans, and the script used in the puzzle was an alien language none of them had seen before.   Orian impulsively touched the glyphs, receiving an electric shock that sent him reeling. Already injured from his near-death experience with the spider, he was now quite wounded.   Rolandus, with the aid of the whispering voice from the sword, deciphered the symbols. The voice guided him, reducing the difficulty of the puzzle and revealing its secrets.   The group spent hours solving the intricate runic puzzle, each success bringing them closer to unlocking its mystery.   Success revealed a shimmering field of stars and a spiral staircase leading down. The field of stars was mesmerizing, a cosmic gateway inviting them to continue... or was it a warning?   Orian boldly descended, driven by memory of the spider’s telepathic intrusions about the Children of the Stars. The rest of the group followed, their curiosity piqued.   As they descended, the air grew colder and the darkness more oppressive. The walls were crafted of a strange material, nearly black yet reflecting an inner light, reminded Rolandus of Skalliheim. Indeed, this obsidian-like stone was eerily reminiscent of the towering fortress east of Rostova, known for its impenetrable walls and unknown origins... from the time before humans first came to Alterran, some have said. However, here the black was touched with a shimmering opalescence much like starlight, whereas Skalliheim is dark and dead.   At the bottom of the staircase, they found a chamber with a ceiling that appeared like the night sky, distant and real. The stars above twinkled softly, casting a faint glow over the room. It was a breathtaking sight, a celestial map etched into the very fabric of the chamber. They recognized some of the stars, but their positions were changed and strange.   The air was thick with the weight of ages past, and the group could feel the presence of the ancients who once walked these halls. The stone, nearly black and yet glowing with an inner light, was unlike anything they had seen before. It was a place of power, a nexus of history and magic. This place was clearly not crafted by any Chernayan.   The session concluded with the group standing in the chamber, their minds filled with questions and a sense of awe. What secrets did this place hold? What lay beyond the shimmering field of stars? The answers awaited them in the depths below.