Seeing the brain eater pass through unharmed, Dris follows, but makes sure to beckon forth Shim as well "If our undead companions can not make it past this barrier, we might want to split our team. I believe Del would be best served on this side, as she has a small army under her control already and can likely charm anything that comes to cause trouble."
Illia passes through along with the sergeant.
Religion
Auto-succeed the perception
Meredian steps through the barrier as well and takes a long hard look around the room.
Perception
Just a reminder. The ring has 120 foot blind sense as well as 120 foot regular sight. If theres anything it can see with blind sense, but not regular it would let me know.
Blindsense
Blindsense lets a creature notice things it cannot see, but without the precision of blindsight. The creature with blindsense usually does not need to make Perception checks to notice and locate creatures within range of its blindsense ability, provided that it has line of effect to that creature. Any opponent that cannot be seen has total concealment (50% miss chance) against a creature with blindsense, and the blindsensing creature still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of a creature with blindsense. A creature with blindsense is still denied its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see.
The resurrection spell appears not tied to the archway—it extends out into the walls as well, with a slight curve. With Da tusha's knowledge of both magic and geometry, it appears likely that the spell is part of some large sphere several hundred feet wide meant to enclose something, forming an invisible barrier through the rock as well.
Illia-, Da tusha, Meredian, Drisquar, and Shimsil pass through the curtain, through a short hallway and into a larger room. There is nothing remarkable about the hallway, and the door at the other end is not trapped, though it quickly slams shut with a clang once the party passes through.
The new room is rather large. In the corner, a small, naked Drow man sobs silently, as a somewhat indistinct Drow woman tries to comfort him. This, after a moment or two, appears to be the Summoner's Ghost's eidolon, and the naked man might very well be the summoner himself, although he looks in no condition to fight right now.
The room itself has a tiled floor, with dark and light squares of stone each approximately five feet across. The room itself appears somewhat scuffed up, with strange stains on the walls and floor. The ceiling is rough and stony, although the walls are smooth. At the south end of the room stand three granite statues, each depicting a six-armed demon and carrying real metal swords.
There are dried bloodstains scattered across the floor. Creatures have died in this room, and something has dragged the corpses away.
There are dried bloodstains scattered across the floor. Creatures have died in this room, and something has dragged the corpses away. Two of the statues also appear to have blood encrusted on their weapons, and you suspect that they may be some sort of dormant guardian constructs.
The room itself appears to be trapped; you're able to make out what appear to be several hanging blades hidden in the ceiling, although you're not able to tell the full extent of the trap or what might trigger it.
There are dried bloodstains scattered across the floor. Creatures have died in this room, and something has dragged the corpses away. Two of the statues also appear to have blood encrusted on their weapons, and you suspect that they may be some sort of dormant guardian constructs.
The room itself appears to be trapped; you're able to make out what appear to be several hanging blades hidden in the ceiling, and you can safely identify half a dozen specific floor tiles as triggers for a massive trap that appears to target the entire room.
The statues at the South end of the room appear to be Graven Guardians, living statues keyed to a specific deity that may attack intruders who get too close, if they are still active.
Graven Guardians cannot attack the bearer of their patron deity's holy symbol unless attacked first.
Andirifkhu, the demon lord of traps, is generally recognized as the patron of Mariliths, as well as the former patron demon lord of Lavosha. Her unholy symbol, though relatively obscure, is a stylized skull pierced through with several swords, and you think you could accurately reproduce one from memory.
Once the main party has proceeded into the depths of the tomb, a clicking noise echoes across the cavern, and Mal points out to Anaxian and Delyliath that the door at the other end of the bridge has just been opened. (It's the door to the room marked "Heavily-Fortified Guard Room" on the map). After a few seconds, the door closes again.
You see a shadow slip out of the door and onto the bridge, then disappear as the door closes.
You see a shadow slip out of the door and onto the bridge, then attempt to disappear as the door closes, but with a slight turn of your head you realize that you're seeing a humanoid figure camouflaged using its own shadow. As far as you can tell, this appears to be the shadow dancer Tian Elyia, Lady Mencara's favorite Captain of the Guard, and she seems to be simply content with watching you from afar.
"Well, this is a decidedly unpleasant room. There's several blades hidden in the ceiling waiting to cut us down should we step wrong. Thankfully, I know where not to do just that. Also, those statues are some form of construct keyed to a specific deity. In this case, Andirifkhu, the demon lord of traps, and will attack any who do not present his unholy symbol. I am pretty sure I could recreate one, if need be"
She is more than just a demon lord of traps, she is a ruthless sadist. If we are to reach the end of her labrynth, it would be her will to cripple us and force it upon us again.
The Drow Sergeant has never crossed the bridge, and has no idea what's in this part of the dungeon.
Meridian steps across the portal threshold.
Delyliath follows the rest of the party.
They will indeed allow us to pass if we bare this symbol, but I have no way to fashion one.
So, to review:
-The party has successfully detected trapped tiles in the floor.
-There are statues that may come to life and attack unless the party has a way to present the appropriate holy symbols.
-Exits are to the south-east and south-west.
-Meanwhile, Anaxian may or may not have noticed a strange shadow.
Meredian casts a quick spell and her form melts into that of a cleric wearing a tabard of the symbol Zhu described. Avoiding the trapped tiles she continues to examine the room.
"Do any of you have a preference on which path to take?" Pointing at the doors south-east and South-west.
Dris turns into mist, and slides under the door to the south east.
Anaxian notices the shadowed figure and is content, for the moment, to let her think she hasn't been noticed.
His mental speech reaches out and informs Mal and the rest of the party of their new visitor.
The shadow dancer has made an entrance.
Anaxian wanders near the Gug, putting the big creatures between the shadow dancer and himself, and ducks out of sight.
Drisquar, what do you see?
I'll update the map when I have time; at the moment I can only type-and-paste.
The room is a curving hall, about thirty feet long, its floor coated in strange white stone that quickly melts into about six inches of chalky white mud a few seconds after Dris's gaseous form enters.
Two shimmering, invisible magic barriers sit in the room, just strong enough to set your hair on edge, one near the door in and the other near the door out. They appear to trigger something.
There appear to be two spell effects in this room, activated with proximity triggers. One is Stone to Mud, the other Mud to Stone.
Something mechanical has been worked into the walls of this room. It's not a trap, as far as you can tell, but there are strange ridges in the wall that appear to be concealed tubes of some sort.
Anaxian took a better look at her from his hiding place behind the Gugs. He vanished from sight.
He padded to the corner, not taking his eyes off the shadow dancer and reached out to touch the door and one of the rune-carved scales on his chest. The scale crumbled to dust. A new one immediately re-grew in it's place with a small purple glow that matched his eyes. He wasn't concerned about the brief, low light. He couldn't be seen right now anyway.
Ready yourselves. I am about to get her attention.
Then he collected himself, focused and exhaled another line of emerald energy.
Dris spots the barriers with ease, then notes the pair of spell effects. He does gaze around the room, seeing if he can spot anything of else of import
::"There's some sort of weird mud floor here, along with a pair of nearly invisible barriers. I also found a pair Mud to Stone and Stone to Mud effects, triggered by being near them"::
Kaaay. Illia will use her surprise round to move close to the target.
Err... who is passing into the tomb, and who is staying behind? I was under the impression that only Anaxian and the Gugs were waiting by the bridge while everyone else headed south through the resurrection barrier.
"So, is she is another one of those obstacles that could be effortlessly turned into a resource but you would rather blast into oblivion with great personal expenses?" asks telepathically the succubus at the Dracolich invitation to prepare.
"I'll let you tear her to pieces if that's what you want. but if it comes down to that I call dibs on the next pretty one. You can have the gugs and the big spider back there to do whatever you want with them."
Ok standard action telekinesis to open the door and hold it for the others. Move action to walk back through the resurrection arch.
Median plays coy
"Did I drop my earring back here?
Bluff
"So, is she is another one of those obstacles that could be effortlessly turned into a resource but you would rather blast into oblivion with great personal expenses?" asks telepathically the succubus at the Dracolich invitation to prepare.
"I'll let you tear her to pieces if that's what you want. but if it comes down to that I call dibs on the next pretty one. You can have the gugs and the big spider back there to do whatever you want with them."
I have not harmed her. I have only kept her from leaving. I had not planned on destroying her. She may have useful information. If you would like to add her to your collection, feel free.
“Well,” she says, in strangely-accented Undercommon, “I suppose the time for subtlety is over. Time to parley, then.”
And suddenly her voice is booming, with a strange buzzing timbre that you realize is her simultaneously bellowing in Abyssal as she speaks the same words telepathically.
“Agent of the Red Queen,” she calls out, “Lady Mencara may not know your true purpose here, but my master does. While he still bears you ill for slaughtering his priest in Solku, he wishes to inform you that this will be forgiven and more should you deliver him the skull of Black J'ndarr. And when the Red Woman falls, as she soon will, you will want to be on the side of the Great Eternal Dragon.”
This would be a knowledge roll, but I believe Anaxian would auto-succeed: Tian Elyia appears to be under the effect of some sort of demonic or diabolic possession.
As you approach the door to head back, you hear a voice in your head.
“Agent of the Red Queen,” it calls out, “Lady Mencara may not know your true purpose here, but my master does. While he still bears you ill for slaughtering his priest in Solku, he wishes to inform you that this will be forgiven and more should you deliver him the skull of Black J'ndarr. And when the Red Woman falls, as she soon will, you will want to be on the side of the Great Eternal Dragon.”
"Great Eternal Dragon" is not the sort of name you've ever heard anyone use, but perhaps, in the thousands of tomes you've read, you may have heard some sort of reference to it. "The Great Eternal Dragon" was rumored to be a powerful draconic lich, 3,000-4,000 years ago, who fled to some deep, dark part of the Plane of Shadow.
Aiding another
Planes
Religion
Arcana
Meredian comes back into the room with Anaxian and pretends to look for her earring. She's currently holding the door open telekineticly for a few rounds.
Looking back through and talking to those on the other side of the opening.
"If you're not going to come help me look I'm going to let the door close."
After a couple of rounds she'll let the door go regardless of what the others do. They can come through if they wish or re-open it themselves.
Almost as an after thought Mer looks in the direction of the Shadow dancer. She actively ignored the woman's psychic intrusion.
In a very calm and cold voice,
"Why are you still here? You've delivered your message now go back to your master, Dog, while we continue to permit you to exist."
Meredian waves dismissively in the Dancer's general direction and goes back to "looking for an earring."
Zhu Da tusha follows Meredian, though he makes no attempt to mask his intent. He immediately casts unearthly terror on the woman.
The shadowdancer appears to not even notice Da tusha's fear effect. She takes the time to respond to Meredian, though.
"I'm here," she calls out, "To wait for you to deliver the skull. If you need help getting through that pitiful barrier, I can give you some, but my master has instructed me to watch you once you arrived here."
"Oh, Honey." Meredian says as if speaking to a child that has just thoroughly embarrassed itself
"That's really not going to work and both you and your master can just piss right off."
Meredian waves her hand ending in a gripping motion. Waves of telekinetic force swirl around the dancer in an attempt to grab her.
Combat maneuver Grapple/Pin
CMB:
Vs her CMD. No save, but SR applies.
SR roll if applicable.
The shadowdancer rolls effortlessly out of the way of Meredian's telekinetic swipe, but it is also enough to get her attention. "Cease your trifling, figment!" she shouts, without appearing to do anything, and suddenly Meredian is magically assaulted.
Meredian has just been hit with a Greater Dispel magic effect, which very barely failed to take.
She may have been concealing it before, but now the disguise is beginning to slip; Tian Elyia appears to be possessed by some sort of powerful devil.
The succubus smiles coyly while approaching the shadowdancer.
"Well sweetie... We are flattered by your master offer But this is no way to make a proposition. Before we should at least try to know each other better."
She look at her in the eyes while something ancestral, primal and voracious seems to sparkle in the succubus eyes.
"I do trust we can talk about this in a better environment."