Session 10 - Clockwork Relics and Cursed Offerings

ReDeads

We resume our dungeon crawl in the southern chambers of the Hall of Heroes fort. This area looks like it has been carved out by crude tools, likely after the main structure was built. It had been used to house numerous tombs and coffins. All of which are now empty. There is a statue of Lord Jericho at the entrance of the chamber, which Hart and Talitha recognize. A small plaque says: "An eternity in service."   Piers spots several humanoids in the distance wearing rotted wooden masks. They are eerily motionless. Abbit recognizes them as ReDeads -- undead creatures that haunt and guard tombs. Meera decides to scout ahead stealthily. The ReDeads do not react as she silently creeps by the nearest one. The cavern has many ReDeads laying in wait and a massive stone tomb in the center of the main chamber. There is also something shiny!! near one of the coffins on the far side of the cavern.   Meera attempts to sneak back to the group, but the ReDead finally hears enough to react. It lets out a dreadful shriek that paralyzes her, then grapples Meera in a deathly embrace. She takes considerable damage as it bites down. Krud rushes up and whacks it with his hammer, dislodging it from Meera and sending it flying.   The group decides to systematically used ranged weaponry to pick off the other ReDeads, most of which do not start moving until people get close. Hart and Krud risk direct melee with the remaining few, while most others prefer to used ranged spells and weapons.   At one point, a shadow forms on the ground.... and down drops a Wallmaster! Who misses! Everyone piles on it to make sure that it can't retreat, ripping it to shreds with surprising ferocity. It's like you all have video game trauma.   The shiny? A well-crafted warhammer, which Krud happily takes. It is later identified as "Grounder," a +1 Warhammer that has charges of Earthbind -- to snare flying enemies out of the sky.   The massive stone tomb is empty, but lots of minotaur hooves. Probably the origin of the Skeleton Minotaur the group encountered back in Shelton.  

The Sheikah Relic

Leo and Krud push open a stone door to reveal a glowing blue symbol on top of a platform. The symbol of the Sheikah tribe. They are an ancient people who once served as bodyguards to royalty and defended civilization, but because they directly served Hylia and the Golden Goddesses, Olimandias eventually forced them to the fringes of society in favor of Diel loyalists. They were supposedly quite advanced for the time.   There is a control panel in front of the pedestal. Biscus presses the shining blue symbol, and the panel emits a series of notes. A short song! Biscus eagerly plays those exact same notes.... and the pedestal reveals itself to be an elevator. Which starts to descend. Everyone quickly jumps on.    The elevator takes them down into a strange place. Metallic walls? An endless blue void beyond the structure? And....  

The Ancient Shrine

This place feels alien and out of place. There is a clockwork platform 20 feet off the ground with a glowing blue orb. A lot of burn marks on the floor that still glow and smoke. Bodies of Hall of Heroes legionnaires that are dead but not decomposed at all. There is a huge symbol on the floor that the party identifies as the emblem of Clocktown, an ancient and powerful city-state that existed before the rise of Olimandias.   One of the bodies also has an ancient hookshot! The party is very excited to try it out, and they use it to pull themselves up to the top of the pedestal. One after the other. Because reasons. Abbit eventually slaps the blue orb with his tongue, and it opens a set of bars on the door leading further into the shrine.    Passing through the doors and up a large set of stairs, the party can see that there is no land or sky beyond. This is seemingly a floating platform in an endless blue void that stretches into infinity.    On top of the stairs is a higher platform. There is a mummified body in a class canister. Wearing a mask with the Sheikah symbol... but red and upside down. There are two elevated walkways on either side of the chamber. And two metal squares in the far corners of the area. Which descend, and rapidly rise with new guests.  

Guardian Battle

Two Guardian Scouts are lifted up from below and take aim at the party. Piers is targeted and manages to perfect parry with his shield, sending the beam flying back at the originating Guardian for considerable damage. Everyone splits and takes cover behind stone columns -- or attempt to race up onto the elevated walkways. As the Guardians move up to engage with glowing blue swords, the party fires back with everything in their arsenal.    Talitha manages to melt one of the Guardians while Piers smites it. Hoo'Ax'Dyuu hacks at its legs. Leo fires his musket from a distance. Krud holds the attention of another. Hart flings himself off an upper platform to elbow drop the one engaged with Krud, stunning it. It is quickly finished off by a combination of attacks from the group.   

The Yiga Monk: Ji Ko'Sah

The group inspects the mummy in the glass canister. Abbit sends Hoo'Ax'Dyuu to silently intimidate it by pressing his angry googly eyes against the glass.   The mummified monk says that he is the guardian and protector of this place. He says the Green Ones (Hall of Heroes) came looking for power. Jericho specifically was looking for power to defend his home from the combined threats of his own rivals, the Labyrinth, and Olimandias at once. He swore a vow to a god and was offered immortality and undeath. Which god? The mummy does not answer at first.   Piers is initially willing to trust him and offers to let him out after sensing he has celestial blood. How could a celestial be bad?  

Whoa, Wait, You're Going to Make a Deal?

The mummy offers the party similar power. Biscus is immediately interested. All he has to do is make a vow to some ol' god?! Whatever! He wants his rival dead! And if it's a scary god, even better! Scary gods are strong! Meera is also interested in speaking with the mummy, inquiring into her condition. Ji Ko'Sah is thoughtful and suggests that her soul is cursed.... but make a vow, and she can be returned to her true self and her true body. All that is required is loyalty.   Meanwhile, the sane members of the group have a sidebar and recognize the mummy's symbol as being part of the Yiga clan. An offshoot of the Sheikah that fell from grace and began serving Demise, the Demon King. This makes everyone immediately alarmed. Even Biscus is dissuaded after some convincing. Piers goes from wanting to protect the mummy to wiping him out of existence.   Meera, though... she contemplates the offer. But Krud sadly asks her if this means she'll be leaving. And his heartfelt concern makes her step back and refuse the offer.   The others take that moment of heartwarming to sneak around and pull the two diamond focus crystals out of the tubes powering the monk's life support systems. He panics and then turns to ash without magic to support him. Abbit then uses sacred flames to burn the ash even further.  

Loot and Key Items

From this room, the following is recovered:

• Farore's Wind -- magical means of teleportation
• Gold plated Triforce replica worth about 300gp
• Two 300gp diamonds
• Journal highlighting Jericho's transformation
• Books from Clocktown detailing Luna Majoris and advanced body modification
• A ruined sword arm and shield arm from one of the Guardians.

The group then retreats back up to the main level.  

Leaving the Ruin

The group investigates doors they had not previously, triggering a dangerous fire trap (that they are now fortunately on the other side of). They also search another room near the main entrance that is mostly just full of rotten supplies and crates, but there are a few legible logs detailing troop movements near the end of the Hall of Heroes civil war. They were being attacked by both the Labyrinth and Olimandias, both of whom intended to finish them off in their state of weakness.    The main interesting fact here: Olimandias troops are being led by actual angels at this time.  

Camping Out

The Snakeheads report their watch to Leo. Chased off some zombies. Saw some frog-men like Abbit, but they were orange in color. They did not approach.    Leo takes the journal concerning Jericho's transformation from Meera, as that had been the deal. Krud gets to keep his warhammer, which is identified by one of the casters among the Snakeheads as a courtesy. The group settles in for a long overnight rest.