*Tromp tromp*
After giving the dead howlers a thorough cavity search and finding little more than what you would expect to find in foul creatures of madness and fury you take the time to explore the room further.
It appears to ahve once been a library though most of the books here have grown dusty and old with a common theme of torment and tortures both for information extraction and entertainment. Just a brief perusal through them shows some quite detailed illustrations on various techniques.
One book in particular seems to stand out Drowned Jabe and his Miserable Brothers and Sisters it's an eerie recounting of a thief who broke into the Asmodean knot only to be caught by its owner and then simultaneously raped and drowned in an unholy ritual that allowed him to live on as Drowned Jabe.
Though the biggest feature of the room may be its only other occupant. An elf, gaunt, thin, and pale even for one of its own kind dressed in classical wizard's robes that seems to have been torn into by the howlers. Bits of wadded paper surround him and not far from where he lay is a discarded haversack that looks unmolested by the howlers.
Look Pollux! These books look to be right up your alley.
Trevor looks at the book about Jabe. Charming, perhaps this is a personal account by Jabe's killer about what happened. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Jabe is waiting for us here.
Either that or next we will have to reenact this book for the benefit of the nobility. Better take it with us just in case. Anyone have any idea about these papers here on the floor? With that Tal commences to rummage through the haversack careful though since it was left alone by the howlers. Once that is done he will inspect the elf for any thing of value or use that would help them.
Perception
If there is nothing else of note Tal continues on though this hell looking for whatever it is they need even if they don't know what it looks like yet.
Best we keep our hands off anything we absolutely don't have to touch. The front door had the remains of that trap so anything here could take our heads off.
Trevor does cast detect magic on the papers in case they have anything magical about them.
Caldazar stands to one side scanning the titles of the books to see if there is aught else of interest while waiting for Tal to run through the elf's haversack.
"The body in the Library is my favorite!" Pollux squeals in odd delight. "Watch out for a strange old woman, she always interferes."
Pollux peruses the books and glances at the body, papers, and knapsack seeing if anything sparks a more than healthy interest.
Ignoring Trevor's advice Tal digs deep into the haversack. All the way up to the shoulder in fact. That trevor also notices its magic at the very least confirms that its one of those haversacks that hols quite a bit more than it looks like. Within a few moments Tal empties out its contents, and the wizards pockets as well. After stripping the elf, giving him a full cavity search, checking his stomach for contents and attempting to pry out any gold teeth he may have. You come up with the following;
Some kind of magical sack
5 magical scrolls
a magical pearl
A piece of paper looks to ahve been torn from a book. It looks to be a dissertation on the summoning and binding of bone devils. Written in the margings is a shaky script, “Possible Passwords: Venderbaxis; Vlenderaxits; Vlenkervandis; Vledervaddus… hope one of them works to open the vault!”
Pocketing your goods you move southward you enter a bizzarre room whose proportions and impossible geometry defy your senses.
This boggling chamber is a square shaft, the walls featuring a spiraling stone stairway that winds up to the left and down to the right. Yet following the stairs with the eye as they wind up to the left, impossibly, brings one right back to the initial landing. There is no floor below or ceiling above, only an endless shaft dropping away into a dimly lit infinity. A second flight of stairs leads up to one side of the room into another hallway, while a third flight descends down in the wall opposite into yet another hall.
On the oposite side of this pit you see an alcove where two mirrors of weird black metal hang on the opposite walls of this trapezoidal room. Strange shadowy figures writhe in the mirrors, and they do not seem to reflect light as much as absorb it.
Oh by the gods! What did I say about touching things? That paper is a runecurse that will summon a powerful devil to kill you Tal! Chelliaxians used it as a form of assassination Don't detroy the paper or you will never be free of the curse. HmmHmmm..We either need to find a spellcaster who is powerful enough to break the curse or fob it off on someone else. Of course they can take possession of it if we slip it into a book, bag or coat pocket. Oh farg..since I examined the paper now I am cursed!
Trevor looks at the mind warping chamber. Bloody hells. How are we going to get through this place. I don't like the looks of those mirrors. no doubt something bad is going to happen.
Not fully understanding the lethality in what he did Tal looks slightly confused. Surely if it summons some demon we will just be able to dispatch ourselves. We have faced worse than this. Besides like you said we just have to find some shmuck, pity Thesing wasn't still around, and have them take it. Problem solved. Now lets put this pack to good use.
With that Tal loads the pack with the two chests he found to lighten his load. Mcving onwards, Tal and the rest come to the strange staircase. Pausing as to let the other more cautious individuals to look first Tal spies the mirrors. I don't know that something bad is about to happen but clearly we have to figure out what they are before we continue too far. Either that or if they fit throw them in the new pack and bring them along with us and sell later. Any suggestions then? Up, down, or around? Around seems pointless unless the is a hidden door here somewhere that we can't see.
Perhaps the Mayor? From what we have seen and know of of him. Trevor suddenly has a case of the heebie-jeebies at the image of the mayor strolling around naked after the feast flashes through his mind. Ugh..Urp. I threw up in my mouth some. Perhaps if we slip it into his pants pocket.
Trevor examines the pack, scrolls and pearl.We have a few days at most to deal with the curse.
Pack
Scroll 1
Scroll 2
Scroll 3
Scroll 4
Scroll 5
Pearl
Either that or a certain wizard we know that has a penchant for hunting young kids. It would be nice if we could get him cursed. Probably a little out of our league though at the moment. Any idea how long until it takes effect? Or does it reset each time a new 'owner' takes hold of it? If so, we can just keep passing it back and forth to each other.
@Trevor: The pearl is a 2nd level pearl of power.
The scrolls are all arcane. I'll get you a list soonish.
Wizard? I don't know the exact time right now. Two, three. If we don't know the exact time, we need to ditch it as soon as possible. I know little about devils but other worldly beings are nothing to faff about with. Undead for example, many need blessed weapons to harm otherwise you are up dung creek without a paddle.
This item is a Pearl of Power. It allows any who call upon divine energies for magic to recall one spell of the second circle once per day. So myself and Caldazar can use it.
Trevor suddenly snaps his fingers. Hold on. this is a curse! Remember we found a scroll with the Remove Curse spell in the manor, that could be used to remove the curse. HOWEVER! Success depends on how strong the devil summoning curse is and the one casting the removal spell. I have some skill but against this curse, I cannot say I would be successful, and once the scroll is used, it is gone. So... we could possibly locate a spellcaster of greater ability than me to use the scroll.
So what your telling me is that we have an undefined time. Ok great. Since there is nothing we can do about it would someone please tell me what the heck those mirrors are over there and if I should grab them or let them be. I don't want to touch them if they could trap my soul or something similar. As it is it looks like we could pass them by and take one of the other stairways.
The pit is too far across for Tal to jump so that is out of the question. However if no one has any other input Tal will slowly make his way around the room to the mirrors avoiding looking directly at them.
Just a second, I will check the mirrors.Trevor looks at the mirrors with detect magic
When and If Tal moves forwards, Trevor casts Protection from Evil on him (+2 AC vs Evil beings)
"look not into mirrors for the shadows are yourself and do not love you."
Blinking himself awake Pollux continues.
"There are other ways and places. The mirrors are not hurting us yet so perhaps it is best to leave it at that. Up beacons, let us rise on stepping-stones of our dead selves to higher things."
I agree, we shouldn't poke bat them considering what happened with the scroll. Let us check out the second flight of steps.
Very well, but hopefully we can return to figure out what they are and if they are worth anything.. With that Tal turns to the stairwell going up and takes that path instead but not before he scratches the wall with a dagger to mark their progress. Tl continues to mark the walls if they need to find their way back.
A second flight of stairs leads up to one side of the room into another hallway...
The mirrors certainly radiate magic of the conjuration school. If Tal chooses to still he can walk up to the mirrors though they appear screwed into the wall and would take some time and patience to pry them out.
They radiate magic of the conjuration school. It can mean that they can conjure objects or creatures. I believe such magic can also transport.
So they might be able to transport us somewhere but considering this is the Asmodeusian Knot, the destination may very well be hell.
Caldazar appears somewhat distant and unfocused at the talk of curses and mirrors and curses in mirrors and mirrored curses. He awaits idly for Tal to decide upon a direction forward.
Alright so we don't want to be teleported anywhere, but also I don't want something teleporting in behind us. IS there a way to cover the mirrors to keep them from being used? Throw a cloak on them, use magic to obscure the mirror itself, paint over them somehow to limit their use until we can figure more out about this place?
I have no magic or paint to cover. If you are so concerned about them, let us do it the Gorum way and smash the heck out of them with our weapons .
Trevor grabs his morning star.
That works for me I was thinking of a more lucrative solution. But I like how you think. Let's do it.
Trevor taps Tal's weapon with the wand of Magic Weapon so his blows inflict more damage.
+1 Hit/Damage
Trevor will ding Cald's weapon if he wants to join in on furniture abuse
Did I hear initiative being rolled? I do believe I ehard initiative being rolled.
Caldazar
Trevor
Pollux
Tal
Shadows
As all of you decide to explore the side stair after committing vandalism and plotting to murder the maor (again, poor guy) the shadows begin to writhe and reach for you in earnest. Several appear from the walls and the dark pit as one seems to climb or perhaps tear itself from whatever palce lies beyond the mirror. Within moments you are surrounded by dark and shadowy predators.
Good guys up!
Map in description.
Looks like they heard we were going to smash their precious. More reason to do so. Trevor grips his holy symbol and lashes out with holy energy
Channel against undead 1/5 Used 2d6+4 damage, DC 17 to halve damage, channel resistance not added to Will save.
Seeing the shadow come from the mirror Tal moves directly to the mirror dropping his shield once he gets there. Grabbing the Morningstar in both hands Tal brings it down upon the mirror with as much force as he can muster while still keeping a wary eye out on the shadows around him.
Power expertise attack two handed
Damage
If the mirrors are adjacent to each other then cleave as well into the other one.
Power expertise attack two handed
Damage
AC is 21 normal, 15 touch, and 16 flat-footed unless Trevor did casts protection from evil then add 2 to each.
Caldazar looks to the shadows and as his heart chills, attempts to remain rational and racks his mind...
Knowledge (Arc/Pla/Rel):
Round 1
Not helping Caldazar remain rational Pollux begins to gibber as the strange shadows seem to multiply. The inquisitor can now see where they are, were, will be..
Trevor's holy light is felt quite painfully by all the shadows who emit a low whine as the light contrasts them easily with the walsl theyt are relected on.
Caldazar's brain wracks all the knowledge he knows on thee creatures who can only be harmed by magical weapons and have the horrid ability to drain all the strength from a man and render him into nothing more than a shadow like they. Worse, Pollux's touch only makes it more unsettling as he can see their past selves moaning men and women living in an everlasting torment and vengeful jealousy for all that live.
Tal strikes both mirrors and they crack and bend under Tal's ungentle touch. They however flare brightly and seem to draw the shadows closer to him perhaps in some form of defense. The shadows closest to Trevor however realize a true threat and seek to make him a new brother in undeath.
Tal takes 1 strength damage
Trevor takes 6 strength damage
GOOD GUYS UP (caldazar needs to finish his turn though I believe)
MAP UPDATED!