Meanwhile, Sakitu can tell that whatever is just beyond the doorway is not an illusion. It's similar to the passage that moved them between the maiden area and this area. It is also, different. Sakitu and Selena once she recovers may be able to tell more. Tezuzu seems deep in thought.
Tezuzu looks visibly exacerbated when after being surprised by Quasit and the witch's teleportation he his further surprised when Maka bounds right through it without a second thought.
Clutching the bridge of his beak feigning great pain he sighs deeply "Let's not be too hasty. It is clearly some kind teleportation magic. We do not know if it will shunt us off to the same location as the others. If I were a evil hag I would key such a passageway to use some kind of key or token and shunt anyone else off somewhere less nice...like a prison cell if I am being charitable....or above pool of liquid magma were I less charitable. Let us examine it first before we do anything too rash like Maka just did. Under the worst case scenario I have collected....body samples... from all of you. Finding them is simply a matter of divination if necessary."
As he thinks things through he walks up to Selena's unconscious body and hesitates for a moment thinking.
'You know I could just leave her here. It is...."relatively" safe...No No No.'
He shakes his head in frustration before calmly touching her forehead with a his magical glowing white claw.
Looking Selena in the eyes as she awakens "That should get you on your feet. So let me bring you up to speed on what you missed while you were busy being useless and unconscious. I may need your help examining this archway." he points towards the north western doorway.
"It has some kind of teleportation magic. Quasit and Maka already fell through it."
He will then proceed to approach the doorway examine it momentarily before attempting to read it's magical auras.
Bulvi disappears no differently thank Maka.
Tezuzu is able to confirm what Sakitu suspects. There is teleportation magic set up just beyond the doorway. It is very similar to the magic that connected the first dungeon to this current area. It seems someone has repurposed that magice for another purpose.
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"Maka!" says Quasit with evident relief as she sees her friend appear in the hallway. But then she squeaks and ducks when she sees the monk getting ready to vaporize the bars. "No no! Don't burn me! Fire bad!"
"I don't know how she did it, but that stupid witch teleported me here with her when she went unconscious. That pool of yuck over there is what's left of her. Help me check this thing over, I'm trying to find a keyhole I can stick things in."
And then Bulvi appears. "Okay, Bull, this time it's NOT MY FAULT! All I did was stab her!"
Findurel is left with rope that is suddenly lighter than it was as a portion of it has disappeared with Bulvi.
Relief washes over Maka as Quasit comes in to view. "Quasit! Mujhe khushee hai ki tum theek ho! Agh stupid witch, she must have done something to the door because I got teleported to."
A sudden thump catches Maka's attention as Bulvi appeared. "And Bull too!" Maka helped Bulvi up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "My brave Bull couldn't stay behind huh? Quick, use your hammer on the bars!"
Bulvi smiles at the warm... and not grizzly reception. "I'd say I'm slightly less reckless than you."
He strides forward with the same steady pace and hefts his hammer. "I at least had a bit of rope tied around me and gave fair warning. With the three of us we can handle sizable threats at least. I'm very glad we're not dead."
"So Quasit, let me know when you're tired of trying to find the keyhole and I start some crude carpentry."
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Fin looks at the rope that appears to be cut neatly where it entered into the door with Bulvi. He looks to Tez and arches an eyebrow. "Can you do that message thing to Q and make sure they're OK while we figure out what to do, my friend?
"Also what do we do with the pregnant witch? I'm loathe to kill a pregnant woman but I don't know what to do with her...if we leave her be, I don't doubt she'll try to kill us later..."
Bulvi begins demolishing the door to reunite with his friend trying to hit the bars first as if to bend them in case she needs to squeeze through quickly. "Hopefully we can find the others before too long I know their worried."
Tezuzu draws out a piece of parchment and a small ink-pen and begins to write a note about halfway through he takes stock of Findurel's concern about the pregnant witch lying on the ground.
"Oh? Right. Good point" he says absentmindedly as he strolls near her. He cocks his head curiously taking stock of her condition before in a swift flash his claw cleaves through her throat.
"She should no longer be of any concern." he mentions with a casual coldness as he retrieves a rag and begins to neurotically wipe the blood from his claw before shortly returning to writing his note.
He rolls up the parchment and writes in large font on the outside of it "MAKA, READ THIS" before stuffing it into Yangs collar.
"-Maka
Please communicate this to the rest of the group if they are with you. I sent Yang through the teleportation archway to test it's safety before the rest of us follow. I share an emotional bond with him. If you wish for the rest of us to follow through the doorway please tell Yang 'Gubtayka'. It is the Tengu word for treat. I will be able to feel his excitement and hunger. Tell him 'Khatkkik' in a scolding manner if you are trapped or wish us to explore another avenue and not follow the rest of you."
-I look forward to your response and confirming the strange archway is not a death-trap, Tezuzu Curseclaw.
He then draws out a small ball from his bag and bounces it on the ground "Yang. Fetch." he orders tossing it through the magical archway his giant fox familiar to gleefully follow.
Looking at the rest of the group he explains "If the teleportation leads to immediate doom. My magic and connection to the spirit realm will instantly be severed should Yang die. This would be the eighth time Yang has perished if so. I attached a note only Maka should be able to read with instructions. If they want us to find another avenue or path to them then they will tell Yang one command. If they want us to follow through they will tell him another."
He begins to put away his ink-pen back into his satchel before explaining further. "My bond with Yang is strong. I will know if he perishes and if not what command they give him. Since it seems to be a one way trip of dubious nature it is best to tread cautiously."
He then begins to examine the rest of the room for any clues, magical artifacts, or useful gear. While reaching out with his empathic bond to gauge and read Yang's emotions.
He grumbles as he searches the body and the rest of the room "You see, unlike the rest of you I spent four decades in white-throne..."
he eyes Selena "...and not as the privileged upper-class, mind you..."
"...bravery and brashness might be useful traits where many of you grew up, but in my experience that gets a person killed rather quickly in Irrisen."
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Fin watches curiously as Tez starts to scribble, visibly wincing as the tengu nonchalantly slashes the witch’s throat. He mutters softly, ”I know she’s a witch, and a very evil one at that, but killing a pregnant woman...gives me a sick feeling...but, knowing her nature and inclination to kill us, I suppose it had to be done. Probably a good thing you could do it, my friend...as I don’t think I could have...”
The Elf nods as Tez explains his plan to communicate with their separated companions. Anxiously awaiting a reply, Fin distracts himself by helping Tez search the rooms and bodies...
Yang vanishes just beyond the doorway.
Moments later Bulvi, Maka, and Quasit who is still stuck behind the bars despite Bulvi’s added strength see Yang.
Bulvi looks from the adamantine warhammer to the door and back again. "That's a quality door... probably has a quality lock."
Bulvi scratches Yang behind the ear and looks at the note. "I can't read this. I can try going through the wall but it'll take longer."
"Yang! Ahhh who is a good boy? Whose a good boy!?" As Yang came into the hallway, Maka showered the familiar with her normal love, praise, and warm hands. It wasn't until Buliv pointed out the note that she noticed it. "Tez sent Yang through to check on us. Should the others come through or go around?"
...but killing a pregnant woman...gives me a sick feeling...but, knowing her nature and inclination to kill us, I suppose it had to be done. Probably a good thing you could do it, my friend...as I don’t think I could have...”[/smaller][/b]
Tezuzu sighs "Findurel... I have only known you a few weeks, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt your propensity for dealing a swift death is far greater than most I know..."
He cheerfully adds "It is one of your qualities I am fondest of, actually." before continuing his morbid reasoning.
"But considering your body count in the relatively short time we have been friends and....that well half of most creatures are female....It is quite likely you have already delivered death to a least a few things so afflicted."
His tone softening somewhat "Still, if my hand can be used to spare yours of the difficulty of wrestling with your own ethical qualms....I suppose I am comfortable with shouldering that burden."
He mentions cautiously to Marislova "Neither of those vile creatures were your paramour I take it? Otherwise I imagine we would be at....odds. When and if we do come across them be sure to speak up so we can offer a parley."
Turning toward the archway he mentions lighting up his bone amulet around his neck with a simple incantation to shed light. "Well...my magic has not been severed so Yang is certainly alive...while I do not sense hunger from him I do feel a strong sense of happiness and excitement from him, which is close enough to the signal I suggested. Shall we venture forth then? Unless any of the rest of you have any pressing concerns or objection?"
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Fin speaks meekly to Tez. ”You are right...I have killed many...and many have been female...and I know this had to be done...killing in the midst of combat is ultimately no different...dead is dead...”
The Elf shrugs when asked about venturing forth. ”You know your familiar best...I’ll follow your lead...”
Marislova shakes her head no before following whatever direction Findurel takes.
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Sakitu watches in horror as Tez kills the pregnant woman. She knows it is the pragmatic and practical thing to do but her heart just thinks it's wrong. "Tez... I can't believe... I mean... I guess it has to be done." She turns away from the body quickly and back to the archway through which some of her companions have disappeared.
After Yang runs through and disappears and Tez confirms that he's still alive she wonders what to do next.
"Should we follow? The only thing you know is that Yang is alive and happy? Maybe the others are waiting on the other side of that portal thing and wondering why it's taking us so long to get there. Oh! I don't know. I'll just do what you guys do." She looks from Fin to Tez and back again and then to Selena. "Do you have any insight?"
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As the efforts to get past the bars peters out dismally, Quasit sighs.
"Well this is a fine kettle of fish." she says glumly. "Dumb witch magic."
She starts poking her way about the walls of her cell, looking for any other way out. She tries not to show her mounting panic.
"There's gotta be a trick to this. Does anyone have that key that Caigrel gave us? Maybe that'll open the door. Or whammy us back to the nasty ritual room. Or maybe this is all an elaborate illusion meant to test us. Because... um... pregnancy is like being trapped in a dank little cell in a hallway sealed off by a million tons of rock?"
As Tezuzu slays the woman’s true form is revealed, that of a hag - not a pregnant woman.
Elsewhere, as Quasit examines the door of bars keeping her from the blocked off hallway.
Findurel finds himself in a hallway, ahead Bulvi, Maka, and Quasit the other side of a door of bars that she seems puzzled over. Behind him the hallway is cut off by a pile of rubble.
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Fin, happy to see his friends are OK, smiles...but it then turns to a frown as he sees the bars Quasit is stuck behind...
He approaches and looks over the bars warily. ”I’m guessing these are magical? Otherwise, with Q’s lockpicking skills and Bulvi’s hammer y’all would have her free by now...
“Bull, have you tried hammering the surrounding wall next to the bars? Perhaps we could punch a hole for Q to get through that way...or we can wait for Tez to come and examine this...figure all of our casters are still in the other room. He wasn’t fully sure if y’all wanted us to come through but felt it likely...did y’all say the code word to Yang?”
Fin will look around to see if there’s any kind of release trigger that might be found...
"Just swing the hammer more. A fine half plan from a fine half wit." Selena said in a mocking tone as she began to weave a spell.
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Sakitu grimaces as the pregnant woman turns into a hag. "Oh. You know, that kinda makes me feel better." She turns as Fin hands her the rope and heads towards the arch. [b]"Wait! Fin! How do you know it's safe..." Sakitu watches Fin disappear through the portal and she turns to Tez and Selena. "Should we go too?"
The bars fall to the ground, the frame so damaged by the attempts that the magic holding them in place was also holding them together. Findurel notices that the hallway is wider back where he appeared, the right side having been either demolished or never properly finished. The stones on the floor in that area look different somehow.
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As the bars of her cage vanish, Quasit practically leaps away from the area, as if worried they might rematerialize momentarily.
"Hooray! Now I'm sharing the same trap with the rest of you guys! Anyone bring some picks and shovels?" She grins at little Selena and musses her hair familiarly. "See, I knew you liked me." she teases.
Bulvi raises an eyebrow back at his elven friend as the bars clang against the ground "Fight smarter, not harder... but I was considering it. We were just cycling through skill sets to find the answer."
Bulvi switches back to his sword and lets Quasit take the lead though he keeps a twenty foot gap between him and her. He responds back to Fin though he had addressed Selena "In this place it'd be a bigger shock if they were mundane! But Selena might have confirmation and pertinent knowledge."
Selena can tell that the bricks are part of the teleportation that brought everyone to this odd hallway. They should function both ways, but might be worth further study.
“So as much as I’d enjoy seeing Quasit try to pick these bricks, I think we can go back the way we came. The rub is that these blocks don’t belong here. I think Someone messed with teleportation that was otherwise built to lead someplace else.”
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"Well, I'm guessing whoever it was who was messing with the bricks, it wasn't the witch that I hitched a ride with -- I can't imagine she wanted to end up behind bars. Since she was likely bound to Artrosa, that might explain why she and I teleported into the cell and the rest of you came out in the hallway." says Quasit as she continues to look over the strange bricks.
"So, I guess we put someone or something on the bricks here and see what happens?" She looks around at the group.
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"So, I guess we put someone or something on the bricks here and see what happens?" She looks around at the group.
Fin nods. ”Good idea, Q...anyone have some parchment and something to write with? We could send a note to Tez and Saki and have them return it if the message goes through. If not, I’ll be the guinea pig...”
Bulvi checks a pouch before frowning. "I could have sworn I had some chawk but I can't find it."
There do seem to be several smaller chunks of stone in the pile at the end of the hall and in the area where Quasit had been secured that could be etched with a blade.
Bulvi checks a pouch before frowning. "I could have sworn I had some chawk but I can't find it."
"I think I took it." Maka mumbled while digging through her pouch. "Yep! Found some." Maka cheerfully tossed Fin the chalk.
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Quasit shrugs and frowns, thinks a moment, then looks about. She spots the loose stones back in the cell area, then goes and retrieves a moderately sized and relatively flat one. She pulls out her silver dagger and begins to carve out some letters with the point.
Tez
Come
Q
Then skids the stone along the floor and onto the mysterious bricks.
The stone disappears after Quasit slides it between the two stones Findurel pointed out. In the larger room Tezuzu sees the same stone appear in the doorway.
Tezuzu looks up at Sakitu as he finishes shoving the detached head of the recently slain hag into a the haversack at his waist.
He wipes his bloody dagger with a spare cloth re-sheathing it as stone comes skidding through the doorway.
"Should we go too?"
As he reads the rock he sighs and warmly rests one of his claws on Sakitu's shoulder. "Yes I suppose we have dawdled long enough."
"To be frank I understand your apprehension and anxiety at plunging through a portal I do not much care for it myself... Here this should help make things easier for you." He says as he gives her a quick push through the doorway.
He follows Sakitu shortly after a scoff escaping his beak as he tosses the stone away disdainfully. "Q, Next time perhaps use parchment and a message that makes me feel less like a trained pet."
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"Awwwwwwww, who's a good booooyyy?" teases Quasit, though she manages to refrain from actually petting Tezuzu knowing how he feels about being touched. To compensate herself, she gives Sakitu a comforting hug of welcome. "He pushed you, didn't he?" she confides to her foxy friend.
Then she addresses Tezuzu again. "Sorry Feathers, this hotel was fresh out of stationary and fountain pens, so we had to make do. And we wanted to make sure those teleporting stones went back to you before we hopped onto them. It seemed likely, but trusting anything in this place seems really ill-advised."
She now addresses the group as a whole. "Shall we go? I for one have had enough of this dreary little cave." She affects a posh voice for this last bit, then sashays onto the teleporting bricks to make her exit.
With little more than a move back towards the end of the blocked off hallway the party finds themselves back in the room where the conflict erupted.
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Sakitu squawks when Tez pushes her through the portal.
"He pushed you, didn't he?" she confides to her foxy friend.
She nods and then flashes a crinkly nosed scowl at Tez. "He's mean sometimes." Her mood fades as quickly as it appeared. Having gone through the portal once, it is no problem for Sakitu to follow the group as the send themselves back to the original room.
Fin breathes a sigh of relief. ”Back where we belong...where to next, Q?”
"There's that door at the end of the room that we haven't look through. And those openings." She points to the large openings in the south wall.