A quiet hiss of frustration escaped Chaïa at her lack of progress, before she could remember herself. For what it was worth, she reported what she could surmise, “I don’t think it could be a trap to launch anything as such. Letting somethings small and nasty crawl up, though… Or, weren’t all the inscriptions so far in Auran? Maybe to let in some sort of gas? A poison wind would certainly be suitable.”
xx
xx
x
"Good thinking, Chaia, Gas seems likely, for beings of air. Now, do we still try our luck? Problem is, we need several people to push, but if that triggers a trap, we may not all fit the elevator. I would say whoever constructed this place must have had a means to bypass this mechanism, but I suppose if this is a tomb of sorts, as implied by the sarcophagus, bypassing traps is not really a concern." Janus looks at the openings in the walls again:"How about this, we all try and push it to the side, together. If we manage, we quickly run into the area beyond. If we don't, and there's gas, we all know to hold our breath, and head back up in an orderly fashion, in an order pre-determined by Saerie's cards."
Hearing her name, Saeri paused for a moment, then drew a single card from her deck.
The Crows, huh? Representing the violent loss of that which was loved - either that or murder or theft. Definitely not an auspicious draw, all things considered, although its effects could also be seen in more minor ways.
"Soooooo... Push to ze side huh?" Lu grunts and starts to inspect the block a bit closer, trying to figure out how to move it the easiest. The fact that *gas* was a topic for discussion unnerved her greatly, but somehow she managed to push that to the back of her mind and find a good spot to brace. Putting her back against the side of the rock and bracing her legs against the wall she nodded slightly and indicated that she was ready to try. "Ready when you are."
[dice=Str Check (DC 28)]20+4
[dice=Str Check]1d20+4
Chaïa found a spot that would allow her to throw her weight behind the group's efforts, and started pushing at Lu's direction.
After a few moments demonstrating why a scrawny wizard would be no one's first choice for such an operation, Chaïa finally worked out an angle that allowed her to brace properly, but at her hands the manoeuvre still amounted to throwing a mage bodily at the obstacle and hoping for the best.
Saeri was a bit stronger than she looked - lugging heavy cases around all day was actually pretty good for building up muscle, and she carefully assisted as best she could with pushing the rock to the side.
Yellowknife's explorers put their shoulders to the stone slab and heaved. For almost a minute it seemed like nothing happened, but finally the huge bulk shifted to one side. Once it began to move, things became marginally easier and it ground across the floor. As it moved, a sharp, audible click rang out and a bright blue mist issued from the tubes concealed in the many mouths of the reliefs.
The mist provoked much coughing and a few headaches, but hit Chaïa and Saeri worse. They struggled to focus as their minds constantly wandered.
But the mist was the final menace the slab offered. Beyond it lay hall marked by curious carvings resembling a tempest. At even intervals, small alcoves marked the walls. Each contained an androgynous figure like that one on the sarcophagus above, with hands cupped. They stood near to seven feet tall. A faint wind played across the explorer's faces, just enough to be seen in the fading mist.
"Look there! Ambushers!" Haytham said, pointing to something moving among the statues. Two sinewy creatures, each a pair of huge eyes connected by a yard of striated muscle, floated into view. Both fixed one orb on him and rays of light shot forth. They struck him square in the chest. For a moment his face betrayed fear, but he quickly mastered himself.
"May faultless strategems guide our attack," he prayed.
Fort DC 15
Everyone but Chaïa and Saeri are safe. They take and need to save again in a minute. One save will cure or it will run its course in six minutes. (So five more saves.)
(low-light vision)
(low-light vision) oh well
Inits
Badguys shoot Haytham with touch attacks. One doesn't matter because he's immune.
made, dammit.
Alas, Saeri's skills hadn't quite developed enough to let her deliver magic through her cards, though she was working on that. Without hesitating, though, she hurled one of her cards through the air and towards the closest creature, aiming to weaken it and, hopefully, leave it vulnerable to a followup from someone a bit more... stabby.
for
Alas, Saeri's skills hadn't quite developed enough to let her deliver magic through her cards, though she was working on that. Without hesitating, though, she hurled one of her cards through the air and towards the closest creature, aiming to weaken it and, hopefully, leave it vulnerable to a followup from someone a bit more... stabby. The card flew through the air in a clean arc, lodging in the sinewy body of one of the eyeball creatures like a hurled dagger.
Rays shot forth again, striking Lu and Chaïa square in the chests. Chaïa felt nothing, but Lu visibly dozed for an instant before rousing herself.
Badguys.
immune anyway
dammit
Janus realizes the party is under attack, and rushes forward(which, conveniently, also puts more distance between him and the gas).
Even as he moves close, trying to understand what kind of foes are assaulting them, he manages to transfer the kinetic power of his forward motion into a powerful swing with his Falcata. A strike that literally could not have been more perfect in it's execution.
Blinking awake again Lu desperately tries to process the last few moments. Gas, ambush and eyes?! But somehow she wasn't actually feeling much worse for the wear and as soon as she had oriented herself she headed down the tunnel to meet their new friends sword in hand. Or so she thought; her actual swing was almost a foot short. Maybe all that stuff had indeed scrambled her senses a bit more then she thought?
Janus had done... quite well, all things considered, and Saeri flicked another card through the air - at the other, of course. It didn't look like he needed any help over there, after all.
Alas, her aim wasn't quite as good as his had been.
In the tight confines of the corridor ahead, Chaïa wasn't sure that she could do much to help Janus and Lu, but she decided to risk aiming a cantrip between them.
Blinking awake again Lu desperately tries to process the last few moments. Gas, ambush and eyes?! But somehow she wasn't actually feeling much worse for the wear and as soon as she had oriented herself she headed down the tunnel to meet their new friends sword in hand. Or so she thought; her actual swing was almost a foot short. Maybe all that stuff had indeed scrambled her senses a bit more then she thought?
In the tight confines of the corridor ahead, Chaïa wasn't sure that she could do much to help Janus and Lu, but she decided to risk aiming a cantrip between them. Her roiling sphere of acid fell short, spreading across the floor and sizzling for an instant as it faded.
Haytham loaded his crossbow and fired it in a series of practiced motions. His aim suffered for an abundance of caution -it would be strategically suboptimal as well as immoral to risk one's own companions- and his bolt shattered against one of the statues.
Janus realizes the party is under attack, and rushes forward(which, conveniently, also puts more distance between him and the gas).
Even as he moves close, trying to understand what kind of foes are assaulting them, he manages to transfer the kinetic power of his forward motion into a powerful swing with his Falcata. A strike that literally could not have been more perfect in it's execution. He cut through the sinewy body and split both eyes for good measure, slaying the strange creature.
Janus had done... quite well, all things considered, and Saeri flicked another card through the air - at the other, of course. It didn't look like he needed any help over there, after all. She missed by a wide margin.
The other eye creature rose up and fixed Janus in its gaze. Sickly yellow light washed over him and for a moment he felt his bowel begin to loosen in terror...but the moment passed as quickly as it came.
I had Janus hit the unwounded eyeguy. Seemed like a waste to spend an immaculate crit on something a few hp from max. :)
dammit, what's it take to eye ray a PC these days? I'm going to have to get a beholder.
As one of the foes fall, despite her own lacklustre performance, Lu decides to push their advantage and unleashes a savage sweep against the last eyeguy. Unfortunately the unsightly (err very sightly actually!) creature proved more adept at dodging then she had anticipated and she could only cut it with a harsh curse instead of the edge of her blade!
Alas, Saeri wasn't having much more luck than Lu - not enough to make a real difference, anyway.
Emboldened by his impressively clean cut a moment ago, Janus steps forward, opting to cut off the creatures escape route, and barely managing to connect a second swing, thanks to the blessing they received:"What ARE these things?" Obviously, nothing normal...they would starve down here...
[dice=Attack]1d20+8+1 [dice=Damage]1d8+4
Emboldened by his impressively clean cut a moment ago, Janus steps forward, opting to cut off the creatures escape route, and barely managing to connect a second swing, thanks to the blessing they received:"What ARE these things?" Obviously, nothing normal...they would starve down here...
Chaïa tried again in the opening created by Janus' advance, but the lingering effects of whatever gas the trap behind them had poured out evidently made it sporadically difficult to concentrate, and her conjured acid blobbed uselessly out of her hand onto the ground just in front of her.
Gritting her teeth, she racked her brains to see if she could place the creatures.
As one of the foes fall, despite her own lacklustre performance, Lu decides to push their advantage and unleashes a savage sweep against the last eyeguy. Unfortunately the unsightly (err very sightly actually!) creature proved more adept at dodging then she had anticipated and she could only cut it with a harsh curse instead of the edge of her blade!
Chaïa tried again in the opening created by Janus' advance, but the lingering effects of whatever gas the trap behind them had poured out evidently made it sporadically difficult to concentrate, and her conjured acid blobbed uselessly out of her hand onto the ground just in front of her. She couldn't place the creatures at all, but she was sure that the eye rays caused magical slumber or fear in their victims.
Haytham reloaded and aimed more carefully this time, sending a quarrel into the sinewy tendril linking the two eyes of the remaining foe.
Emboldened by his impressively clean cut a moment ago, Janus steps forward, opting to cut off the creatures escape route, and barely managing to connect a second swing, thanks to the blessing they received: "What ARE these things?" Obviously, nothing normal...they would starve down here...
Even as he asked, his blade sliced through the second creature and it fell dead to the ground.
"Well-" Lu commented as she poked the bodies a bit with her sword then lowered it. "-at least zey didn't seem too dangerous. How are people holding up from ze gas?"
"Hu...you think?", Janus lets the past couple seconds replay in his mind:"Come to think of it, all they did is give us funny looks. You think we barged in and violently murdered them when they were not even really hostile, or a threat? Now I feel bad."
Janus cleans his blade, regardless, and takes a look at the Alcoves...he rushed forward in the heat of combat, but there was no guarantee that there would be no more traps in this section.
"No, zey definitely tried *somezing*." Lu replies and also begins to scan their new environment. "But zey were just bad at it. Or unlucky. But all I'm saying is I rather meet more of zose zen another beetle swarm!"
Holding a hand up to her head, Chaïa considered Lu’s question for a moment before answering, “It’s given me a slight headache, but I’m hoping it won’t get worse.” “Sometimes,” she muttered, reflecting on her prediction of what the statues in the outer chamber would do, “I hate being right.”
Joining the others as they continued their explorations, she added, “Lucrecia’s got it: I’m not quite sure how those things managed it, especially since that’s not the type of magic I’ve focused on, but those rays seemed to be unpleasant forms of enchantment and necromancy, something to knock us out or scare us away. I do know I don’t want to fall asleep when a magic eye-spider tells me to, and if we had been forced back into that gas trap…”
"It might have ended unfortunately, yes." Saeri concluded. For now, though, they seemed safe - and that was the important thing. She had no interest in lingering here for too long, though, lest there be... other... effects.
Lu and Janus examined the alcoves. The statues here had fared better, each a unique androgynous figure with hands held forward, cupped together. Odd breezes circulated near them, blowing towards and up from the hands.
As they pressed onward, the corridor grew colder around them.
Janus checked the air flow from the hands in closer details:"You think these guys are going to cause trouble for us, too? More Gas, maybe? Seems to get awfully cold up ahead..."
Lifting his weapon, he brings the pommel down on one of the statues hands. Regardless of the success of his attempt to sunder the statues outstretched arms, he'd fetch some small piece of stone, or a cut-off piece from the creatures before, casting light on it and throwing it ahead, towards the colder part of the corridor..
"Hmm. It is a bit windy too and I don't zink zere would be another exit anywhere - so magic. I have never really though about it but ze plane of air would probably be a bit cold yes? Since ze wind carries away all ze warmth. So maybe an working portal! Would explain where those two damn zings came from." Lu speculates, cautiously continuing onward after Janus threw his rock. She made sure to stay close to the statues, almost running her hand over them. "If zere are more traps, wouldn't it make sense to switch it up? Maybe a Gust-of-Wind into a spiked pit ..." It could come in handy to have something to hang on to just in case!
Janus checked the air flow from the hands in closer details:"You think these guys are going to cause trouble for us, too? More Gas, maybe? Seems to get awfully cold up ahead..."
Lifting his weapon, he brings the pommel down on one of the statues hands. Regardless of the success of his attempt to sunder the statues outstretched arms, he'd fetch some small piece of stone, or a cut-off piece from the creatures before, casting light on it and throwing it ahead, towards the colder part of the corridor..
[dice=Sunder Damage]1d8+4
Janus felt the breeze rushing up around his hand as he struck the status, breaking its hand clear off. The breeze there died in an instant, though it remained elsewhere in the hall.
Taking a bit of flesh from one of the slain creatures and casting a spell-flame over it, Janus cast it into the darkness ahead. It revealed a chamber at the end of the hall, dominated by a large pillar of blue-veined gray stone.
Chaïa winced at the wanton vandalism, but the damage was done before she could say anything, so she merely filed the effect away for further consideration. Well, that’s interesting. Given the elemental connection, some spiritual significance? Fresh breezes following into the next world?
Lu speculates, cautiously continuing onward after Janus threw his rock. She made sure to stay close to the statues, almost running her hand over them. "If zere are more traps, wouldn't it make sense to switch it up? Maybe a Gust-of-Wind into a spiked pit ..." It could come in handy to have something to hang on to just in case!
“Wouldn’t that be exciting! The magic, I mean, not the pit trap.” Despite herself, Chaïa’s fascination with the artistry of self-sustaining magical systems expressed itself in a flight of enthusiasm. The sight of the pillar down the hall only encouraged her. “Oh, and look at that! You don’t suppose the blue would be obnoxiously symbolic, do you?”
She pressed ahead quickly, trying to keep an eye open for anything out of place and some attention on the temperature changing around her, but her movement was suspiciously close to skipping.
Saeri watched with interest as the magic died down. How very interesting this was... and what was the attribute associated with that, anyway?
...Well, that wasn't auspicious. "If you see anything that looks like a portal to an elemental plane, don't approach it." she advised, slipping the Lost back into the deck. "I suspect it would not end as well as anyone would like."
[dice=Perception]1d20+1
Not meeting anything suspicious, Chaïa continued on her merry way until she came to the doorway opening into the next chamber, where she took a moment to check the area for any notable traces of magic, focusing on the pillar first before deciding whether to proceed still further.
Not meeting anything suspicious, Chaïa continued on her merry way until she came to the doorway opening into the next chamber, where she took a moment to check the area for any notable traces of magic, focusing on the pillar first before deciding whether to proceed still further.
As she came near to the chamber, Chaïa felt a drop in the temperature between one step and the next.
"Oh I'm not really planning on touching *anyzing*!" Lu mumbled back and cast a worried glance at the statue Janus dehanded. But it didn't seem to do anything. That is good!
So she followed the mage - carefully! "Brr. It is getting colder isn't it?" she noted . "Maybe zat blue pillar is at fault. I mean, putting fancy zings in ze middle of ze room usually mean zey are important right? And zat glowing pillar is probably at fault right? I mean, zings usually doesn't glow at random."
To test her theory she picked out her mug from her backpack, poured some water in it and threw the liquid in the direction of the pillar.
"Oh I'm not really planning on touching *anyzing*!" Lu mumbled back and cast a worried glance at the statue Janus dehanded. But it didn't seem to do anything. That is good!
So she followed the mage - carefully! "Brr. It is getting colder isn't it?" she noted . "And zat glowing pillar is probably at fault right? I mean, zings usually doesn't glow at random."
To test her theory she picked out her mug from her backpack, poured some water in it and threw the liquid in the direction of the pillar.
The water splashed across the floor a bit short of the pillar, which had no reaction.
"Well, at least it doesn't flash freeze water. Zat is somezing..." Lu muttered.
"Not yet, anyway." Saeri mused as she watched Lu test the area with some water. It definitely seemed to be unnatural, though, and that meant it was always better to be careful.
“Right. It looks like we will have to get closer. If I start turning more bluish than usual, please do yank me out,” Chaïa said, her clipped words and encouragingly resolute tone belying the glibness of her words, before she crossed the threshold and started circling the pillar.
"Uh-huh." Lu noted and pulled out her rope, handing one end to Chaïa. "Tie this around you so we can yank you out without becoming winter wolves ourselves. And good luck, hope you don't need it."
“Right. It looks like we will have to get closer. If I start turning more bluish than usual, please do yank me out,” Chaïa said, her clipped words and encouragingly resolute tone belying the glibness of her words, before she crossed the threshold and started circling the pillar.
Chaïa proceeded into the chamber with the pillar. It was cold inside, but not quite freezing. She turned to the east and went around the great pillar, where she found a niche that went from floor the ceiling. Opposite it, she found a separate chamber.
Unable to resist looking she looked within and saw what might have once been living quarters for some important person. A large stone slab suggesting the shape of a bed rested against the far wall, beneath a huge bas-relief of a robust, long-nosed, baled humanoid figure with outstretched hands. He wore a lovingly sculpted, wind-tossed robe giving the appearance of a triumphant god. A glyph resembling a stylized arrow marked an amulet work about his neck. Wardrobes and dressers carved from the stone of the walls look to have been looted long ago: drawers thrown open and cast on the floor, bits of decaying oddments scattered about.
Moving around the south end of the pillar, the elf found a fountain that reached near the ceiling. A plain spigot stood out from the pillar there and a an arc of brilliant, clear ice reached from it to the basin below in two arcs that wrapped about each other with an artisan's care. Each was thicker than her arm and carved over with its own unique pattern of whorls and currents.
A very plain door stood opposite the fountain. Beyond it, Chaia saw some manner of brown stain on the floor.
“I didn’t mean quite so literally, but…” Chaïa accepted Lu’s rope, feeling rather foolish. As she advanced into the room without any signs of immediate danger, she quickly became bolder. Seeing another one of those odd reliefs, she made a note to herself to look into what the arrow symbol might mean – it reminded her too much of the mechanism that brought them all here – but she was presently distracted by the fountain on the other side of the pillar and its intricate carvings.
Continuing her survey, she was brought up short by the stuff creeping under the door facing the fountain. Knowing she was out of her depth, she gave a tug on the rope leading back to Lu, and called back, “I’m alright, and I don't think this room is trapped, but there’s some interesting stuff here. More carvings, a nifty fountain, and … does anyone know what really really old blood would look like?”