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"As to the war golems Thorgrim, it appears to me the book describes mechanical men. Of metal, not living stone. See here?" She flips to a page she'd looked at earlier, then lifts the open book and holds it for barbarian to examine. "Plates and panels and the like fastened together. And tubes and gears and such. Nothing like I remember ever seeing."
She puts the book down again. "Now what's this about a stone guardian ready to pounce; are you sure?"
I have just been standing and listening to all the various comments and discussions of the other members of our group.
Say, Flug! Thanks for the healing! I needed that! Much appreciated!
Then I go over to where Gezzo is with the locked metal box. Is this the box you want open, Gezzo?
I pick up the box and place it on the nearby table, and examine it and the lock on it. I take out my special tools and attempt to unlock the padlock.
Disable Device:
Disable Device:
Disable Device:
Disable Device:
Disable Device:
This place is far older then I can determine, older then any of the histories our people tell, possibly as old as the fabled blasting but that is but a story told in the dark to scare children... or so I thought....
Celif looks around in wonder at Fener's words, and speaks quietly. "I'm not so sure. Written history -- at least what I studied -- doesn't go back nearly that far. But there had to be something before that. Just because it's outside our experience is no reason to suppose it never happened."
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Imowen struggles to open the lock on the metal box. As anticipated, it is a difficult chore, but eventually she hears the satisfying sound of the locking mechanism opening.
She opens the box, and inside, nestled in a mound of black velvet, is a large, smooth white glass orb about 5 inches in diameter, carved to resemble an eyeball. It seems to be looking at you...
Flug nods to Imowen's thanks and watches from over her shoulder while she works on the box. When the orb is revealed, the Valgaardian looks calmly back.
Oh, my! What have we here? Looks like a huge eyeball! I say when I see the contents of the box. Flug, do you have any ideas about what this might be?
Hey, Gezzo! I got the box open. Do you know anything about this?
Now that the danger has passed, Nästród speaks the command word and the fire of Örlög-Eldur is extinguished. He puts the weapon away. He looks at the eyeball that Imowen found.
Gezzo looks into the box with wide eyes. His hand moves slowly and instinctively to the opened lid as he mutters incantations.
I look at the pictures in the book.
It didn't look anything like that, but we should probably destroy it anyway if we decide to go down that way... Just to be safe.
"Did it move at all? Any chance it's just... you know, a statue?"
No it didn't move, it could be just a plain statue, but do you want to try walking past it to find out?
"You have a point," Celif mutters. "And I was similarly nervous about all those statues in the hall above us. Still, detecting magic as a first step might tell us all we need to know. No point in destroying what well might be a cultural artifact if we don't have to. Want to show me where this thing is?"
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While some of you seem to be examining the glass orb shaped like an eye (was it your imagination, or did it blink?), it suddenly rises up out of the box and hovers in front of Flug, staring at him. It bobs up and down slightly, floating about 2 feet in front of his face. It tips up and down occasionally, as if looking him over, then resumes hovering in front of him...
"..."
The expression on Flug's face doesn't change even while his eyes track the orb. The Valgaardian slowly holds out a hand, palm upwards, and stops it just below where the orb hovers.
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The orb slowly lowers itself into Flug's hand. It begins to glow brightly for a few seconds, and then fades back to its white color and ceases all movement. Flug experiences a rush of thoughts, and becomes aware of the nature of the orb:
Eye of Divination
This orb is made of polished white glass, and resembles a large eyeball. As long as the orb is held, the saving throw DCs of all divination spells the wielder casts are increased by +1. Additionally, the wielder may spontaneously sacrifice prepared spells or unused spell slots in order to cast certain divination spells, in the same way that a cleric can spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells. The wielder need not know the spell, or even have it on his or her spell list, in order to cast it with the orb in this way. However, any costly material components or focuses the spell requires must be provided. The spell received is based on the level of the sacrificed spell, as indicated below:
1st-level spell: Identify
2nd-level spell: Detect Thoughts
3rd-level spell: Tongues
4th-level spell: Scrying
5th-level spell: Prying Eyes
Bah! More arcane hocus! Gezzo waves his hands in a dismissive manner at the floating orb once in lands in Flug's hands. He looks over at Celif and observes the book she holds. Listening briefly to the Cleric's and Barbarian's discussion, he perks up.
We should carefully examine that book, as with the others. Then it should be taken to the Brotherhood. They will no doubt want to explore its secrets and study the manner of these constructs.
Celif eyes the... eye with suspicion as she absently replies to Gezzo. "Are they going to study it, or destroy it? I understand their concern over uncontrolled arcane power, but this book seems to hold other secrets as well. It would be a shame if potentially beneficial knowledge were lost thanks to narrow-mindedness."
No, no Celif. The Brotherhood doesn't want to destroy the arcane, simply prevent it from being misused. He wags his finger in the air and smiles broadly. This will be securely placed in their vast libraries, no doubt! Well out of the reach of those wishing to do mischief or destruction with the knowledge it holds.
He crosses his arms and nods approvingly at Celif.
This will be securely placed in their vast libraries, no doubt!
"I'm sure they will have top men working on it. Top men."
"I'm sure they will have top men working on it. Top men."
"Th-this eye sees and I see with it." Flug keeps the orb in his hand but does nothing else.
"Can you use it to find Cayden?"
Flug, if it is as you say, perhaps you are meant to have it and use it and it's powers for good. You could at least take it for now, in its box, and we can continue our exploration of this complex.
We should check out this last room, before moving onto the room Thorgrim opened up.
"It is-is capable," Flug says to Nästród, "but I am not c-capable enough. It req-requires f-far stronger magic."
Flug takes the aforementioned box and puts the orb away, placing them carefully into his backpack.
I pick up my torch and guide Celif to the last room and point out the statue to her.
See, it's clearly a guardian. A demon bound to protect the lower floors.
Celif follows Thorgrim and thoughtfully studies the statue from just outside the room's doorway.
"Hmm... well it's definitely imposing! Let's see what it's about."
So saying, she invokes a spell of magic detection and stands quietly staring at the monument.
I agree, Fener. Lets go look in the next door.
Gezzo trots out of the room and heads down the hall. He stops at the door and leans in to listen. Lryhla sniffs the ground at the base of the door. He reaches toward the latch.
I join Fener and Gezzo heading down the hallway to the next room, and wait while Gezzo and Lryhla check out the door.
Perception - trap finding:
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Gezzo, Lryhla and Imowen check out the door, and do not detect any traps or anything unusual. Gezzo tries the latch and finds that the door is unlocked, so he opens it. Inside the room are partitions, with each containing a desk, a chair, and a shelf. Several skeletons are visible on the floor.
Thorgrim and Celif go down the hallway to the last door, and peer in at the room, which contains a landing and a staircase going down. A large statue stands against the north wall, and in front of it is a large pile of humanoid bones.
Celif studies the statue, using her knowledge of the arcane and a detect magic spell.
"Well, it has an aura. Conjuration school. Might just be a byproduct of the way it was created, but it might be... something else."
She eyes the pile of bones in front of the statue. "So... yes, you might be right, Thorgrim. Let's go rejoin the others for now, and then we can all enter the room in force."
Fener joins Gezzo and Imowen and walks in the room. Rudy follows to the door.
crap, something is in my eye
Fener pulls out a flask and drinks hoping it helps his focus.
Flug follows Imowen to the next room and heads for the skeletons, kneeling down to inspect them.
I head to the weapon room, and grab the magically sharpened battleaxe.
This will come in handy
I then join the group in the last room.
Elder Fener, I suppose you could use this cloak of protection from evil spirits?
Gezzo stands up in his stirrups, cranes his head over the wolf's and peers into the room through the doorway. He holds up a hand across the rest of the door to try and communicate to the others to wait before entering. He speaks a quiet incantation while looking for anything dangerous.
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Fener Stands at AA25 and continues to look around. He jumps up and down a few times for no reason. He then searches the shelves and desks in the room/
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I carefully slip into the third room, trying to avoid getting in Gezzo's or Fenner's way, and stand by Flug.
Move to T14.
"What about this way?"
Gezzo points to the bookshelf and then examines the area intently.
There is something over here. Magical, but hard to tell what it is.
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After a few moments Gezzo is able to pinpoint the source of faint magical auras, which are emanating from what looks like an old lab or alchemist formula book. The steel cover of this slim journal has taken its fair share of abuse; acid scars and minor slag spots show where the journal was subjected to intense working conditions. Equations, balances, and chemical notations mark the margins of the pages — with some formulae, it is difficult to tell where the notes end and the formula begins. The journal contains the following Alchemist Formulae:
2nd — blur, delay poison, fire breath
1st — bomber’s eye, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, jump, keen senses, negate aroma, resist energy
"I m anxious to find Cayden. I say we explore out this way." Nästród says, pointing down the hallway.