She gulps and moves back quickly like Artemis, "Yup... that looks dangerous..."
You hear a squeal of delight come from one of the asiles of book and Jellena quickly emerges, "It is so good to see you, I was wondering how long it would take someone to come after me. The door only works one way and it was being used when I tried to go back through. It has been hours..." Seeing the obvious look of confusion on your face she pauses and then asks, "How long were you out there?"
As Joe lets the substance roll over his leg he quickly gets yanked down to the ground and then summarily sucked into the concrete ooze. Delman and Ryada move even farther away from the stuff.
Landing in water you are likely confused as you look around to see a stone room, a very plain stone room. You are in a simple pool of water that has steps leading up out of it towards the doorway still filled with the concrete like substance. You have plenty of room to walk either right or left and then back into a larger room beyond. You see shelves with towels and simple cloth mosaics on the walls. Globes are spaced every 5 feet that give off a bit of light, just enough that shadows are easily made from all angles.
Leaving the entryway to enter the large room beyond you take steps up and find yourself in a large library. The main room is open with two large tables mostly empty except for a few books at the far end.
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If not she points out some options after a brief pause, "Well you could look into something scholarly, but there does seem to be lots of different subjects. Or take a nap. Or exercise. Or..." She trails off looking you over again thinking to herself.
Artemis would join them in moving further away from the ooze. Sighing as he looks around, Artemis would just say, "So uh... I suggest we maybe try the fountain?"
The paladin landed with a loud splash. Lucky the pool wasn't that deep, and Joe was able to scramble out quickly. Brandon quickly lands on his shoulder. Joe looks to his celestial familiar and asks, still catching his breath, "Brandon. I thought I told you to stay behind. I didn't know if.."
The cassassian angel, in it's favored form of a crow, begins a barely contained tirade at the paladin in Truespeak.
"JOSEPH ALAN WASKALIS!! YOU ARE MY CHARGE! IT'S MY JOB TO PROTECT YOU AS MUCH AS I AM ABLE! AND I CAN'T DO THAT WHEN YOU JUMP INTO STRANGE OOZES WITHOUT ME!" The feathered companion seems to take a breath then continues. "I appreciate the gesture, but I will stick by you like glue. Imagine! Standing before The Mistress, without a charge, so soon after receiving my first! Shameful!" Brandon finished with a huff.
"OKAY! Okay! Brandon, I'm sorry. I just had a hutch this was going to work. I only had seconds to act." Joe reaches up to pet Brandon's neck, who initial pulled away slightly, then accepted the gesture.
The paladin reaches the top of the landing and uses the slightly damp towels offered by the large room to dry off.
"These towels are still a little damp. Hopefully we're not to far away from Jellena."
Before taking another step, Joe draws out his magical sword in front of him. "Excalibur, please scan the immediate area for undead. Brandon, you constantly can detect evil, right? Let us know if anything evil 'pings' on your radar."
At that realization that they all could be gone tears begin to streak her face. Moments later she runs forward and jumps into the ooze too.
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"Hours? So a pocket dimension. Time certainly works different in here. I followed right behind you. So it seems we do have some time to pass and my research has never been something if find very fun." He smiles as she takes the lead and rambles off a few suggestions. He catches up to her reaching out he grabs her by the wrist securely but gently at the same time.
"Exercise could be fun if you want to spar again?"
He pulls at her wrist in a firm but playful manner positioning her against one of the stacks taking the hints he pins her against the shelve and moves in. His massive frame to her petite one he easily over powers her but in a secure yet safe way obviously having experience in being the dominant one. His other hand slowly moves to her throat and caresses it before cupping up under her chin. He forcefully but still gently tilts her head back while moving in still closer pressing his body to hers he bends down and delivers at first a soft and sweet kiss for a second or two. When he pulls back looking into her eyes for only a moment that seems to last an eternity he goes back in this time more forcefully but passionately.
"Well that was fun. I hope we can do this again soon. So did you find anything interesting in here while alone? We can look around and see if anyone else shows up before trying to make our way out. What are we even looking for?"
Joe sheaths Excalibur back in his scabbard. "Thanks, buddy. Go get some rest. Hopefully, I should have to interrupt you, at least for a while."
The paladin carefully makes his way into the large library.
Artemis would reach out towards Ryada to try and pull her back, but wouldn't take his chances as she ultimately gets closer towards the group. Rubbing the bridge of his nose a bit as he squats briefly, Artemis gets up and walks back towards Delman, "Look, they might be gone, they might not be, I don't f+#*ing know, that..." Artemis pauses to think as he points at the ooze, "Goop isn't my area of expertise." Artemis proceeds to take a deep breath, giving Delman a glare before shouting, "You just make it that much harder for us to help them, even if we can help! I don't know if they are dead, I certainly hope not, but if they are alive and trapped, we are the only ones that can help.
Artemis glares at Delman before just heading over towards the fountain, as he lowers his voice, "Look, you do you, but..." he pauses and turns around, "Think about this right, if we truly lost our muscle how are we going to get back to town safely? Our best shot is to stay here and at least try...
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"Yes I see your point, I don't know what to do either, then another one goes in... *sigh*, I am not going in. I grabbed one of those orb things so we could return to the temple. I don't want to investigate anything more. Waiting sounds good." He relays with his face sour at the whole situation and moves to the debris opposite of the library and sits down in some shade. He then ponders out loud, "I just don't get 4, 7, 2, 5."
Joe entering the large room Jellena and Frank look up as they have been reading some books.
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Once done she gives him a long kiss and then pulls him up. She leads Frank to the pool. Once in she casts a simple spell that makes a chunk of soap float over to them. She happily cleans him. While cleaning she asks, "So besides me, what do you want to study, there are all sorts of books here including ones that allow you to learn spells? Like mage hand that I just produced. Or are you going to take a nap?"
All clean, with a flick of her hand she produces a simple soft robe for Frank. Her dark clothing almost seem to transform at her whim and the black clothing has turned into a similar robe. She leads you to a study with lots of pillows for rest or guides you in looking for clues of what is secreted away on the shelves.
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"It would take a lifetime to study you. Let's see where this goes. I was married before dying and coming here and I am more than happy to keep having fun with you I'm not looking to lock or hold you down at least outside of the physical aspect. Maybe next time we can use some rope or manacles." He smirks and gives a simple laugh.
"A bit of magic would not hurt at all. Where do I start?" He ask eager to learn from his new teacher.
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After being asked about magic she asks, "There are many kinds of magic, what are you looking for generically or specifically? Offensive or utility spells would be generic whereas a fire bolt or invisibility are specific. It seems you could learn an orison or cantrio with the right book in a few hours. A first tier spell would likely take a day or more. A second tier spell weeks, third months, and so on. Though time is relative here at least from my understanding."
Joe is relieved to find Jellena and Frank alive and well; a little more surprised to see the warlord. The holy warrior greets his friends with hugs of relief.
"Well hopefully no one else joins us so we can get out of here."
"Wait. You mean we are stuck here until the other let us out. Damn."
"Otherwise we have another 4 or more hours to study..." Her smile then weakens as she sees the large crystal on the wall turn from a glowing white to green, "We have another incoming, so Joe what do you want to learn?"
Joe looks confused. "What do you mean 4 hours? I just saw you minutes ago. What is this place? What do you mean 'learn'? What have you found out so far?"
""Hey Joe. So you wanted to try and save us? Well you found us." He then looks to Jellena "Ah so that's how it works. If I were a betting man and well I usually am I would wager Joe's crush jumped in to try and save him. So after she gets here if none of the others come we can get out? Does the doorway back work similarly?"
Answering Frank's question quickly she states, "Likely. Hopefully we can get back to the crew then. Yes the flow of the door can be changed and then we can get out. The blood symbol has been washed away from the pool so we wont be protected any more."
Joe ignored the jib from Frank to state his report. "We believe we are by ourselves", Joe gestured to Brandon and Excalibur. "Nothing evil or undead in the general vicinity." The paladin did indeed check his shield and forehead; yep, both sigils were gone.
Artemis would walk over towards the fountain and look at it, seeing if he can determine anything unusual or interesting about it. Turning back towards Delman, Artemis asks, "4, 7, 2, 5? Is a combination for a safe or what?"
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She responds to Joe empathetically, "Well no, we can leave using the recall stone but that takes us to the temple in New Faces or the recall outside of the black sand. Also we could leave using the front door but only when someone is not coming through it."
Continuing to answer the paladin almost as a teacher, "Well I have been down here nearly 8 hours. There is some kind of time dilation between outside and inside. 4 hours to every minute or so. I have been looking into a way to stop it but most of the magic talk is way over my head. This is a grand library of some sort. There are many books here, some magical but mostly books holding knowledge of a lot of topics: magic, spells, the force, nature, religion, most knowledge, how to be a jedi, knowledge of our world, this world, and other worlds and galaxies, such as how to construct a lightsaber. You know I am joking but you get the idea. I have been around this place to find lots of rooms, lots. A few of them have corpses but mostly it is just empty. Also from what I have gathered so far this would be a great HQ, we could even start rebuilding the city once we clear out the skate, close the rift, and get water flowing again."
Four hours later another splash can easily be heard and Jellena is ready for it this time jumping through the doorway before something else can come through.
Jellena emerges from the goo with a bit of thrust making air as if had just jumped at the track and field. She doesn't clear it but the ooze seems to back away from her, back into the door.
"By the Mistress!" The paladin exclaimed after listening to Jellena's explanation. "With a huge stockpile of rations and water, you could learn the mysteries of the universe. Or without, the perfect prison and doom for any intellectual. Myself included."
Joe blinked. Taking it all in. "Okay. If this is the repository of all knowledge, I'll researching how to become a gestalt class, and since we're 'shooting for the moon' here", Joe pauses looking around in awe and determination, "And the Universe likes to listen in, multiclassing into one of the godling classes".
The holy warrior sighed at his oracle friend. "Wish me luck."
During his research of the library, Joe exclaims loudly, "OOH MY GOD!" The paladin quickly apologizes to those around him. After two hours of searching, the holy warrior finds a book that looks very close to the D&D 3.5 book, Unearthed Arcana, entitled Becoming Gestalt Classed.
After 4 hours of research, Joe hears the telltale sound of someone arriving from the outside. The paladin, taking a break, goes to meet the new arrival, offering a towel.
Artemis jumps a bit in shock at loud landing of someone behind him, quickly turning around and stumbling to the ground as he aims his gun briefly at Jellena before lowering his weapon, "Wait, you guys are alive?" Artemis gets up, shaking and brushing the sand off of him, "So, that... ooze isn't going to dissolve, and therefore instantly kill us?
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Very happy for Joe she exclaims, "What an awesome find!!! I hope you share! What is Geastalt?"
Calmly she motions Artemis to come closer waving her fingers at him, "I don't have all the details yet but I am working on it, it merely is a portal into the building. It was made by mages so it is bigger on the inside than what it appears. Come let me show you." She offers her hands one to each of them. By now the ooze has fit itself back into the archway and Jellena waves her hand in front of one of the sides where a rune lights up and you can see others activate to put the magical seal back in place.
Artemis bites his lip, looking towards Delman and Jellena before sighing as he walks up towards them, taking Jellena's hand a bit hesitantly.
Very happy for Joe she exclaims, "What an awesome find!!! I hope you share! What is Geastalt?"
"I intend to share!" The paladin said with enthusiasm. "A gestalt class is taking two different classes and merging them into one: taking the best hit points, base attack bonus and saves, while keeping all the class's special and spellcasting abilities. Oh! And both class skills from each class become your new class skills! Imagine how much more deadly you would be if you became a gestalt oracle/rogue class?"
You realize quickly that it literally sucks you in. Then you feel the suffocating presence, though it is calming, you are not suffocating. Momentarily you are in darkness before you are flung out of the substance with more velocity than what pulled you into it.
Landing in water you are likely confused as you look around to see a stone room, a very plain stone room. You are in a simple pool of water that has steps leading up out of it towards the doorway still filled with the concrete like substance. You have plenty of room to walk either right or left and then back into a larger room beyond. You see shelves with towels and simple cloth mosaics on the walls. Globes are spaced every 5 feet that give off a bit of light, just enough that shadows are easily made from all angles.
Jellena leads you out of the water. She grabs a towel and dries herself off, leaving it on top of the shelf.
Leaving the entryway to enter the large room beyond you take steps up and find yourself in a large library. The main room is open with two large tables mostly empty except for a few books at the far end. Joe and Frank are likely pouring over books and look up at your approach...
Four hours later another splash can easily be heard and Jellena is ready for it this time jumping through the doorway before something else can come through.
After 4 hours of research, Joe hears the telltale sound of someone arriving from the outside. The paladin, taking a break, goes to meet the new arrival, offering a towel.
The paladin helps the soaked elven bard up from the water and into the library proper.
Artemis groans a bit as he lands in water, getting up and quickly drying himself off as he looks at Jellena, "You know, not as bad as I thought, but..." he shivers a bit, "Please tell me its not like that on the way back..." Waiting for Jellena's answer, he walks over towards Joe and Frank, giving a small wave, "I'm still alive...
Joe walks over to the gunslinger and gives him a heartly pat on the back. "Sorry if we made you worry, Artemis." The paladin waves his hand at the aisles of books behind him. This place is amazing! It's like Arcanium's internet. It's a true font of information! We found some amazing stuff already!"
Artemis would just nod a bit, thinking on what to say, "Please, please don't do that again as a split second decision." Listening to the paladin's remarks, Artemis nods, "So... what have you found so far?
The paladin's face breaks in a huge smile. "We can learn how to gestalt class!" Joe then explains what gestalt classes are and the benefits. "We just need to find 3 nearby arcane wells, according to the talking book."
Artemis would take a seat, placing his hands together as he rests two fingers on his lips. Nodding a bit, Artemis looks up at the paladin, "Do we know where the wells are?"
"Not yet", admits Joe. "We've been studying other things, working out how we would leave, and worrying about you lot", the paladin said with a smile. "Glad we're all together again. Jellena's been down here the longest. For her, nearly a day as passed." The holy warrior looks to the oracle. "Jellena, you getting tired yet?"
Artemis just blinks a bit, "Hold on, did you just say a day?"
The holy warrior looks back at Artemis. "Apparently, while we were split up; half of us here, half of us 'above'; a few seconds 'up' there was several hours down here. That's why we were able to get so much research done in a few minutes to you."
Artemis just nods, "Nice... did we find anything else other than the gestalt class stuff yet?"
Joe scratches the back of his head. "Um..Jellena said she found some good books. I think she said she's got them in a pile in the back of the library."
The paladin pats the gunslinger's shoulder. "You have to go through the 'stacks', man. Histories, bestiaries, joke books, journals, minutes from city council meetings. It's all here. You just need to search for it!"
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Frank has been listening and watching.
"Yep seems like we found our own hyperbolic time chamber. Time to look and train like Goku. If we can find a book on the mighty godling I could become like Thor in a lot of ways. I will help you look Joe."
Joe's eyes light up! "Hel-I mean. Heck yes!!" The paladin and the warlord clasps hands like true bros. "Let's go!"
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"We should probably leave though and stock up on provisions. Jellena and I have been down here for some time. My belly is grumbling at me. Eventually we may be able to sustain ourselves with magic but until then. Jellena should we give the box a try? I can try thinking of the time my college roommates and I got the tacos or cheeseburgers. What are you all in the mood for?"
After Ryada is dry the other three come crashing into the water. That is Artemis, Delman and Jellena. There was some time delay but not as bad as before.
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Artemis groans a bit as he lands in water, getting up and quickly drying himself off as he looks at Jellena, "You know, not as bad as I thought, but..." he shivers a bit, "Please tell me its not like that on the way back..." Waiting for Jellena's answer, he walks over towards Joe and Frank, giving a small wave, "I'm still alive...
In a matter of factly way she responds, "It will be unless I can get it all fixed. It seems that with disabling the seals on the outside messed with the spell. I should be able to fix it. We are lucky that the spell didn't send us somewhere else." After taking a brief pause she adds more agreeable, "You are right, I hope to have that fixed soon."
After she realizes that the conversation with her is at an end she turns and begins working on the door and the runes around it. She has a black stick she is making runes with.
At the mention of her being tired she flaps her hand to the group before continuing.
If everyone is fine with tacos and hamburgers there is plenty to go around. She hands the device to Frank and goes back to her work in the entryway. Also she mentions, "I have the time dilation down to 1:10. So 10 seconds here is 1 second in the real world. Unless you want me to pump it back up to months."
Artemis would take a seat, placing his hands together as he rests two fingers on his lips. Nodding a bit, Artemis looks up at the paladin, "Do we know where the wells are?"
At the mention of the wells you can hear a voice echo from the tables, "Yes! One is very near, one is in New Faces, and the last is much deeper."