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Quasit crosses her arms and looks at the door, then begins to chew at one of her fingernails, thinking. Finally she answers.
"Probably. I mean, I know how I'd try to do it. But it would be really delicate work, and there's an even chance I might botch it. And if this curse is anything near as bad as the LAST time I got cursed by a witch?... I mean, I felt like I was going to die for a week afterward and didn't even know why."
She thinks a little longer, then plants her hands on her hips.
"I'm going with my gut. I don't think we should break into these things. At least not until we absolutely have to. Come on, let's go check one of the other passages."
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Fin shrugs. ”I dunno, Saki...burning the wax would break the seal as well...and might invoke the curse. I’m with Q on this...looks like all these doors have the wax seal. Q is the most skilled I’ve seen disarming traps...but trying to disarm that many doors is too much to ask of anyone...and it’s not worth the risk...at least unless we can’t find the keys elsewhere...
“So Q, which way? South through one of the passages in the previous room? Or do we try to bypass those teleporting stones and head north down that passage?”
"I can dispel magic, depending on the strength of the seal. It'd take some time and I'd have to rest every few attempts. But it is an option if we decide to do this."
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"Quasit, I'm happy to do what you suggest. But I wonder, if the wax happened to melt because the room was too hot, then we could open these doors without breaking the wax seal, right? Could we build a big fire in the room then leave for a bit?"
Quasit shakes her head. "The magic would activate the moment the wax was no longer intact, and that includes any melting or dripping it might do. I saw this sort of trap back in Taldor -- a nobleman put an explosive glyph on an envelope's sealing wax. I managed to get it open, but it was pretty hair-raising, let me tell you."
"I can dispel magic, depending on the strength of the seal. It'd take some time and I'd have to rest every few attempts. But it is an option if we decide to do this."[/b]
"I appreciate the offer, Selena. But we're on the clock here -- those demon worshipping centaurs are running around in here too. We need to beat them to the keys. I agree that if we spent a lot of time here and put in a lot of effort, we could get these tombs open safely. But like I said, my gut tells me the keys aren't here. I say we leave, lock the door behind us and move on."
“So Q, which way? South through one of the passages in the previous room? Or do we try to bypass those teleporting stones and head north down that passage?”
"Yeah, I'd kinda like to know what's down that corridor with the teleporting stones in front of it. It feels like maybe someone was trying to keep people from going that way. In fact, it seemed like it might have been done recently, because that witch that teleported with me didn't seem to know about it either."
Selena doesn’t know anymore than she has described. Apparently the magic at work is elusive and the inscriptions are too old to be familiar even with some similarities to a locals knowledge many years after.
It seems after a few experimental tries, something is going to be needed to be done about this the bricks to change the way the teleporting is happening.
"Quasit. Did you forget? I can blink. I'll blink past the teleport and see what's on the other side. I can probably carry a lighter one of you through with me, maybe."
With a closer look it is clear that bricks just inside the doorway from where Quasit original teleported were put there, replacing the original stone. Removing the bricks let’s everyone move through the passage without issue.
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"Nicely done, Q...I'll do my scout thing..."
Fin will draw his bow and quietly head down the passage to find where it leads...thinking the evil Centaurs and Frost Giants might've laid this trap to keep them off their trail, he'll keep a wary eye out for any tracks or signs of other traps/hidden foes...
Findurel finds stairs, descending and curving inward on themselves.
Chilling air and dimming light wrap around you as the spiraling stair continue downward.
"As long as we are hoping, then I hope for a pie we have to fight before we can eat it."
A long and winding stone staircase finally descends into a cavern whose walls support rough wooden shelves piled high with all manner of weird bric-a-brac: tiny sculptures, fetishes, amulets of metal and clay, locks of hair, pin-riddled corn husk dolls, and more than a few weathered tomes. Yellowed glass jars hold vile and suspect-looking samples suspended in unknown fluids, and small clay pots overflow with unknown dusts, powders, and sickly colored unguents. Beneath the shelves, a couple of crude worktables, covered in mysterious stains and clumps of aged tallow, hold more items of similar nature. A huge wooden mortar bound with iron bands stands near the tables, its club-sized pestle propped within. In the south side of the room, a ring of small stones surrounds a small fire that fills the entire room with the scent of pine. Not far from the fire is a Frost giant near a cauldron, which is being inspected by a ghostly figure.
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Fin, seeing a frost giant with the ghostly figure, turns to point them out to Quasit and silently signals her and the others to be ready to move...
Quasit nods in response, then looks back over her shoulder to the group and makes a mime gesture of pulling a sword, then points to the room ahead.
Then she moves to the doorway, drops down to the right of the stairway and hides.
The first of the flurry of arrows initially hits some invisible barrier, immediately alerting the ghostly figure to Findurel’’s presence. Though it only momentarily protects the Frost Giant, the remaining arrows are not enough to slay the creature as it hurls the cauldron toward the doorway, ghostly figure flying quickly behind the improvised projectile.
Seeing Quasit jump from the staircase, the ghostly figure diverts its attention, releasing a burst of negative energy.
Party up.
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Dodging to the side to avoid the tossed cauldron, Maka was caught off guard by the ghostly figure's area attack. Only her monk training and Tez's blessings kept her mind focused. Sliding to a stop, Flames exploded from Maka's shoulders. Growing hotter and hotter until they burned a bright blue. "How many times do I have to say it, LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" Maka roared as she launched the flames at the ghostly figured with explosive force.
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Seeing Quasit jump from the staircase, the ghostly figure diverts its attention, releasing a burst of negative energy.
"Crap!" Quasit turns her back to the charging ghost, cradles her head, grits her teeth, and prepares to get ghost-smacked.
Then she scoots, running for the west side of the room and pulling out her crossbow as she goes.
"Why couldn't it be pie, just once?" she grouses to herself, then lets a bolt fly.
The ghostly figure dissipates under the barrage and the giant falls shortly after. It’s large body tips into several of the shelves, causing various bits and baubles to fall.
Maka somersaulted off the stairs to avoid the collapsing shelves. "Do you think he meant to do all that or was he just clumsy?" Maka asked Quasit with a smile. Looking around the room, Maka kept an eye open for any hidden surprises.
Maka easily moves out of the way of falling objects and steps away from the bits mingling in pockets in the air.
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Quasit yips like a fox and begins twisting and jumping to avoid all the junk falling around her. "Argh, you big dope!" she snarls at the exsanguinating giant. "Thanks for smashing everything!"
Looking up at Maka she sighs and shrugs. "Probably both."
Only then does she look around at the flotsam and jetsam. "What A DUMP!" she announces. "I never wondered what would be in a witch's cellar before, but now I know. It's all the junk that's too gross and stupid and useless even for her. What is this? A jar of pickled rat noses? Yeesh. Probably a box of orc navel lint and some troll toe-jam too if we look hard enough."
Despite her griping, Quasit gives the room a good searching in case there's anything useful, interesting, valuable, or key-like lying around.
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Fin attempts to dodge any of the baubles and such falling his way as the giant falls...
Looking around, Fin asks, ”Q, Maka are y’all OK? Good thing we handled them quickly...that could’ve gotten a lot nastier otherwise...”
The Elf then joins the pair in looking around the room...
”C’mon Izzy, let’s help the girls search for those elusive keys...”
"I'd be a lot better if there was pie!" Maka joyfully called back to Fin.
Selena readies a spell only to find that she is even less needed than normal. She had planned to let combat and hit someone from behind, but... plans change. "Some of this junk might be a key, or just useful ingredients." Selena sets about examining things, detecting magic, etc.
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Sakitu hears the commotion in the room and she begins to prepare one of her spells. Suddenly there's a whoosh and several twangs. The room is silent for a few seconds then there's a loud crash. Sakitu winces at the noise but she moves down the stairs slowly and into the room where she sees the room in disarray and, of course, Quasit and Maka are right in the middle of it.
She turns to Selena. "I guess they really didn't need our help here."
Selena quips back with a smile, "Do they ever?"
Beyond a couple bruises for Quasit who was pelted with a potted herb of some sort everyone seems to be ok. Though it will be easy enough to make your way out of the mess. Sorting through the fallen detritus will take some time. Three quarters of the shelving does still remain stable so looking through those shelves would easier. Of course the giant also managed to grab the simple ladder that was intended to access the upper shelves on its way to the ground. A portion of the wood remains in its hand while the top and bottom of the ladder remain intact, but now no longer connected at the creature’s massive arm.
Among the things the group notices quickly are an oversized pestle, that appears to have seen use as Greatclub and a broom that Findurel spots behind a row of jars. Both are magical. So far the books seem out of date, but Tezuzu is steadily looking through those he can reach, making sure nothing of importance is missed.
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Leaving the magical items to the casters in their party, Fin searches the body of the Frost Giant for any notes/signs of what the evil Centaurs/Giants intend or where they might be headed...if he finds any useful gear, he'll notify that to his friends as well...he'll then give the room a sweep in case they've missed anything among the mess, his eyes specifically looking for anything that might function as a key to Baba Yaga's hut...
...thinking aloud while he searches, he murmurs, "I hope that room with a pool is still in the hut when we journey again...I long for a nice, hot bath..."
Seeing the oversized pestle sent Maka into a fit of laughter. "Hahaha it's like a normal one but BIG! Hahaha!"
Selena looks quizzically at Quasit, "Witches on flying brooms? What kind of trash have you been reading? Nonmagic folk might need something to fly around with, but not a witch. Though, I'd think a broom too uncomfortable to seat on for long. A chair or rug would be better."
Selena investigates the magic of the broom.
Although Findurel doesn’t spot anything that looks like a key, he does spot several books that he thinks may be worth one of the magic users attention. The giant’s weapon was mangled in its fall to such an extent that it’s unclear what it was before it was bent and broken. Worst of all, the weapon seems to have gotten covered in some kind of red dust that is quickly turning it brittle with rust.
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Selena looks quizzically at Quasit, "Witches on flying brooms? What kind of trash have you been reading? Nonmagic folk might need something to fly around with, but not a witch. Though, I'd think a broom too uncomfortable to seat on for long. A chair or rug would be better."
"Ooooo! Kay! Jeez, don't bring up bed knobs or broomsticks around Miss Witch." says Quasit, holding up her hands defensively, though it's clear she thinks this is tremendously funny. "I'll tell you one thing the magic broom isn't -- it doesn't magically clean a room on its own. Or else it'd be brooming it's little heart out right now."
She picks up something that might be a fossilized tooth, considers it, and slips it into her pocket.
"So, was that witch ghost helping the giant? It sure looked like it? I think that's a bad sign."
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"I'm starting to think there are two factions of witches in here. I think that's why Caigrel helped us, when she wasn't sending her stupid bull at us. She's helping us, because the other witches threw in with the demon worshippers maybe. Like, maybe there's a pro-Baba Yaga faction and an anti-Baba Yaga faction."
"It's something that's kinda bothered me ever since we learned about these demon centaurs -- how'd they get onto us so fast? I think they must be working with Elvanna. She wants her Hut back and she wants to keep Baba Yaga from coming back, and she's using the centaurs and giants and some of these witches to stop us and get the keys before us."
"Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean we can trust any of these witches at all. But if our interests align with Caigrel and she plays fair by us, we'll keep doing the same with her."
At quasit's response, Selena looks at her confused, "I did not intend to sound angry. I was being light-hearted and joking about what books you read. Trying to anyway."
As Fin brings up books, Selena gladly takes those and starts examining them to make sure they're safe to read then cracking them open if it's safe. She responds to his question off-handedly and not really paying attention to the answer, "The club is mildly enchanted with standard combat enchantments, boost to how hard it hits and is drawn to weakpoints, that sort of standard stuff. These books are interesting." she ends with her version of indirect thanks.
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Fin nods in agreement with Quasit. ”Aye, Q, there be different factions of creatures within this cursed place...perhaps many, like your satyr-friend, are, or were, prisoners of Baba Yaga here, in some fashion...they may find the Centaurs and Frost Giants as allies...
“As for Caigreal, I’m not so sure...two creatures appeared claiming to be her but both acted quite different...not sure the two were the same...perhaps Marislova knows. You might ask her...the women of this dungeon haven’t taken too kindly to me, so I dare not ask...”
After hearing Selena, Fin hides a smile as he leans in closer to Quasit, whispering...
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“As for Caigreal, I’m not so sure...two creatures appeared claiming to be her but both acted quite different...not sure the two were the same...perhaps Marislova knows. You might ask her...the women of this dungeon haven’t taken too kindly to me, so I dare not ask...”
"I suspect one of them was lying about her name. We girls are notoriously devious."
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Not interested in digging through a bunch of books, Maka kept an eye on the southern exit to the room. "Well if a bunch of witches are fighting each other as well that would help explain why everything has been so confusing."
Although Selena isn’t sure what to make of the book, Tezuzu is sure it’s important. “Sharp eye Findurel. I’ll need time to study this.” Without another word Tezuzu settles in to study the book.
Selena humphs a bit as Tez takes the book, but is conflicted as she is happy he ignored the broom and pestle. SO she turns around to catch Quasit and Fin whispering at each other. She glares a moment, then tosses the broom at Quasit and the pestle at Fin. "Here. A giant club to slow you down and give others a chance to kill things. And the broom for the non-witch. Maybe you'll wish to be a witch afterwards. Who knows."
She makes sure the rust stuff isn't eating the ladder. If not, she'll use her scarf to skip the gap and take a look around from a higher vantage point. She'll leave the exit alone for the moment though.