"The monster made it clear he didn't want us in his area, since we don't know what 'his area' entails, I fear if we continue to explore this level, we might have to fight him again. It may be in our best interest to continue down for now, and come back later when we are stronger?"
Ah, well Grelthe isn't very clever, she forgets things. ;)
"Let us continue on. Ve vanted to clear dis area, and den head back to town, ves?" She'll follow along in the clockwise direction that Simon suggested.
You backtrack a bit and enter a cluster of hexagonal rooms and triangular rooms that seem to be deserted. There is evidence of camps here and there, however, suggesting that this place is visited, but not inhabited.
You eventually come across a different room. Inside this otherwise barren room is a small pentagram inscribed on the floor with a human skull in the center. When the party approaches, it rises into midair and the eye sockets glow with a red flame. It then speaks:
“I am the Oracle, possessor of all knowledge. Ask what you wish and you
shall learn the answer you seek.”
Wow. What an offer. Try not to ask any questions until we figure out what is most worth knowing. We don't know if it will answer more than once.
Grelthe is.. hesitant of talking skulls. "I think we should ask what the price will be for this knowledge." she says carefully.
"It is gud to know de price of anything." Vuzi agrees with Grelthe's suggestion. She's also careful to not ask a question.
That's a good point. I assume if we come up with an appropriate question, we will be told the price, if there is one. If there isn't one, and it is one shot and we ask the price, that could be tragic. ... Hilarious in a way, but still tragic. Also tragic if we ask something about how to defeat that rakshasha or something and get an answer like "you can't" or "gain skill." ... I guess I don't know what to ask though, so if you want to ask the price, feel free.
The skull giggles to itself. I take payment in many forms. If the question is simple, 500g in coin or items. 1000 gold for difficult questions. 5000 for very difficult questions. Should you be light on coin or items, I happily accept slaves or, if you prefer, I can take some of your own life force, narural abilities, learned skills,... anything, really. I will assign the price. You simply place payment in the center in the pentagram.
At the mention of taking slaves as payment, Simon growls and Emily hisses.
"I want nothing to do with this evil thing-grch.
Let us move on, yesyes!"
Grelthe nods decisively. "I agree, Simon. I have no questions to put it anyway. We can always come back if we decide we do need its services."
To the skull she says "Thank you for the offer, but we do not require answers at the moment."
Zadira likes the idea of being able to know anything, but isn't too keen on the high price, and she leaves with the others.
The party knows that the only area left unexplored is currently infested with very large purple worms, so they continue down to the next level.
The worked stone of the previous area gives away to natural caverns. eventually they re-form into more worked stone and you suddenly come to a T intersection. Left, or right?
You can feel that this is an evil place and your hairs insist that you are bein watched, though you see nothing.
"I do not like dis place. Shall ve go left?" Vuzi shivers at the watched feeling really starts to bother her. She keeps looking behind herself as they move forward.
The hall turns right after a few dozen feet. there is a door on the left wall a little ways down the hall and an un-doored opening before the hall dead-ends.
Emily mews and scratches at a secret door that may have passed a superficial glance.
Kayla emerges from the shadows where she had been lurking, she sets down 20 gold. for answering that last question, how much for info on Kazleth
she waits for an answer before rushing to catch up with the others
Kayla stops to look at the area that Emily is sniffing around looking fro a way to open it, as well as for any traps
Kayla finds that the door is linked to something that will trigger when you open it, but it's not near the door itself and you have no way of knowing what it is. It goes back down the hall from where you came.
Zadira casts detect magic and starts walking back down the hall, looking for the trigger.
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She finds it impossible to trace with any reliability. There is no magic at work, and the chain mechanism is buried in the rock.
Kayla steps back, there is some connection here to something back that way in the hall. a trap probably. best to leave it alone for now.
Kayla tries to look for other things that may give a clue to what might spring.
Kayla ponders the response, the price a little to steep. but good to know.
she thanks the whatever it is, and returns to the others.
Both of you notice a portcullus about 40' back from the door, though why it's there and not somewhere more useful is a mystery.
Simon inspects the linking mechanism.
Maybe there is some way to block it, so the door can be opened without setting of the mechanism?
Know:engineering please
As some investigate the secret door, Kayla glances at the portcullis then the hallway. she moves back down the hallway toward the opening the group passed.
something feels wrong, this is probably a trap. I'll stay here and guard, in case the trap calls other creatures.
Zadira takes a look at the portcullis and tries to say something intelligent about breaking the link to it, but after you listen to her for a few minutes, it becomes very apparent that she doesn't know what the crap she is talking about.
Vuzi has no idea and stands still as to not trigger the trap.
While Simon had read a lot of books in his youth, but most of all, he is following his instincts rather than acting according to learned knowledge.
"No idea what it is supposed to do ...
I could try to block the mechanisms but do not ask me what will happen then-meow."
Grelthe looks at the portcullis as if it had three heads, and shrugs.
"We could try to prop it open, but it may block us off if we try the hidden door. Perhaps for now it may be best if we ignore the hidden door?" She looks uneasy at the suggestion.
Is the portcullis in a position where it would stop us from going forward or back?
Yes. it seems to separate the secret door from the rest of the hall.
"I think dis is a trap. Ve should be careful. Maybe leaf de door alone."
Zadira sets a spike in the chain and makes sure it'll catch on the stone channel. She stands back and tugs on the door. The spike zips down and slams against the stone, but the weight must be tremendous! The iron spike digs into the stone as chips fly like shrapnel! The spike itself starts to bend! The portcullis down the hall drops a few inches.
Seeing Zadiras plan starting to crumble - in the most literal sense - Simon jumps to her side and tries to block the spikes with a couple of the double-finger-sized nails he carried with him since the first day in this forsaken dungeon.
Kayla tries to help stop the impending doom
Working together, you manage to stop the chain, but it's a close thing. The stone portcullis hangs down about four inches from the ceiling.
Vuzi lets out a breath. "Dat vas close. I'm glad vu are all right." She'll take her place toward the back of the line as they enter the other door.
Simon pants heavily and meews weakly as the massive portcullis finally stopped its downfall.
After a few breathless seconds he points at the first door they passed.
"This place feels badwrong-grch!
Better not leave any unchecked areas behind us before pressing on-yesyes?"
Okay, someone else try unlocking this door. I think you guys are better at it than I am.
Marco will offer to try and hold the door still but freely admits to being unskilled at lock picking.
Kayla will take a look at the door lock. to see if it is trapped before making any attempt to unlock it.