The gnome bristles at the room and stays closer to the door, "This seems in poor taste really...the room I mean."
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The gnome bristles at the room and stays closer to the door, "This seems in poor taste really...the room I mean."
"The whole exercise is in poor taste, why should they break theme now? But yes, yes this is a new level."
"Nice. Our captors didn't bother anyone who mattered... These are the poor of the city. Lower class beggars, day workers... some working girls thrown in for color I suppose. Should not be too hard to identify one or two, and that will tell where they were stolen from. This was a mistake."
Caun's mouth tightens to a thin line as he listens to Ryzern before curtly adding "There are going to be answers for this."
Caun begins to walk with anger in his step towards the next room.
The voice comes back and seems to come from everywhere. "As a matter of fact: no. These bodies were retrieved from a body harvester who collected them intending to sell them to an outside buyer. We have yet to identify the buyer. If you're interested in finding out who that is we can talk about it later. This test was intended merely to determine if you can get over your own squeamishness. The bodies themselves had been alchemically sterilized. However, as you can see the plague gets around such measures. Now we will be forced to take more forceful measures to ensure cleansing."
Lienhol follows along, otherwise untroubled by the corpses.
Aiseilura ponders the voice. They have very good surveillance of the area. And apparently their altruism goes beyond just dealing with the plague... or at least, that's what they'd have us believe. I wonder what sort of resources they're working with?
To nothing and everything in particular, "I'd love to talk about that when we have a moment, yes."
Ryzern returns the flame flask to his pocket at the mention of "...forceful measures".
"Yes and I would love some anti-plague while you clean up your mistake. After all your stupidity exposed us to the plague you claim to fight.."
Caun continues on, his mood not much better on the matter.
The plague in Freeden has also created an odd niche for body harvesters. While strictly speaking the sale of bodies is illegal nothing stops one from bringing in the carcass of a plague creature and claiming bounties or the shredded body of a victim and collecting a reward. As repugnant as the practice is some authorities grudgingly admit that missing person cases would remain such if such grey areas did not exist. With the quarantine in place someone looking to sell carcasses, especially like the ones that came after you, would be executed without question. Survival hinges on the plague never leaving the city.
Moving on in as sour a mood as evr the group cracks open the door to the top middle room to reveal a fairly well lit room.
A 15ft wide circular moat surrounds an obsidian altar where from here you can plainly see the metal piece glinting in the light. A fiery brazier hangs from the ceiling above the altar creating playful shadows on all the walls.
"So what's in the moat, you think?"
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Bubbly green fluid.
"No doubt something unpleasant. No matter - you should be able to cross that gap with ease, right Brittiri?"
1. The altar is made of a shining black obsidian and seems undecorated. From here it seems to be about waist high.
2. It sits on a stone platform with some room to stand on for everyone if they spread around it.
3. It seems secured by thick chains. The bowl itself is quite wide.
4. Not enough space to get a running jump back if you land on the platform.
5. The ceiling is 20ft. high with the brazier hanging 5ft. below that at 15ft.
"So, the most obvious thing to do is jump across. The second most obvious thing would be to use my grappling hook and the brazier to swing over to the altar. Based on things so far, I'm guessing one or both of those will have some unintended consequences, like someone getting attacked while on the platform. Thoughts?"
"Yes, I wouldn't put it past them to have some devious device in here, given what we've experienced so far. Perhaps some exploratory caution would be warranted? We could send in a "test" subject to search. Unfortunately I cannot communicate with anyone of the creatures that I can conjure forth with flight capabilities, so they would be of limited value.
Let me see if anything is magical."
Caun will then cast and sweep the room within the spells range.
"Hm. Even if you could conjure a creature to fly over, that's nearly the same as jumping or swinging. Going through the moat is almost assuredly a bad idea... Is there any way we can go under it? Surely that platform isn't somehow floating -- it must reach a bottom."
. .
Hmmm. Above the law and incompetent. Winning combination.
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Ryzern studies the set up.
"There are about a thousand ways to do this with magic. Trick is to do it without."
Ryvern cuts a couple of inches of normal rope and ties it into a simple knot.
To Aiseilura "I would recommend against swinging on the brazier. Previously the lighting has been by magic. They are using fire here for a reason. I suspect that pan of fire is rigged to tip should anyone get underneath it."
Ryzern smokes a bit. "And if they are dumping fire on things then why not go whole hog? I'll lay odds this green gunk will go up most satisfactorily. Leaving anyone on the alter on fire and in a nice little oven."
Time for a test I think. Step one, is what we are seeing there?
Ryzern will toss the bit of rope at the altar. Goal is for the know to hit the 'stone' and then fall back into the green stuff. The dry rope should float, at least for a little while, which would confirm that both the altar and the liquid are real. We will also learn if the green goo is a strong acid by what happens when the knot lands.
"I think I have a plan"...
Assuming that 1) the alter and green goo are real and 2) that there is a goo-free path around the moat-altar centerpiece, then we can swipe this without touching the goo or the stone and without using resources.
Someone takes one end of a rope and walks round the room so the alter is between him and the exit. Britti climbs onto that person's shoulders and spikes the rope solidly to the wall. Undignified but we need the height.
Same thing happens on the exit side. There is now a rope strung over the target. Britti (sorry but you are the lightest of us) climbs out on the rope and snags the key part. Retrieve Gnome, spike and rope, bobs your uncle.
One problem is if the key part is on a weight trigger a'la Raiders of the lost Ark. But we do have the (probably) false key part to do a swap if that is thought the best idea.
Any thoughts?
There is a small wispy amount of smoke coming from the brazier and you detect no magic from within it.
The moat most definitely has that distinct smell of a strong acid.
There is a small wispy amount of smoke coming from the brazier and you detect no magic from within it.
The moat most definitely has that distinct smell of a strong acid.
Brittiri ignores Caun at first as Ryzern and the others assess the situation after a few moments the gnome finally speaks, With a run I can make the platform probably pretty easy. Getting off would be more of an issue...
"The area does not appear to be magically warded in any way that I can detect."
"The area does not appear to be magically warded in any way that I can detect."
"Well that is good news Caun." Ryzern says as he pulls a large bundle of rope, a hammer, and leather wrapped bundle of spikes from his belt pouch.
'Britti, would you and Mr. Leinhol kindly take these and string the rope over the island? I'll tie this end to the upper door hinge. That should let you shimmy out and snag the key."
<puf>
"Ms. Saravosa, if you would be so kind as to grapple the brazier and pull it aside. It is safer, I think, if Mr. Longtread does not have to pass directly underneath it."
Lienhol moves along with Ryzern's instructions
"Sure thing."
She ties her rope to the grappling hook, then moves to the west side of the room, lets out a roar, and attempts to catch the brazier.
With a roar of confidence the tiefling manages to strike the altar with a metallic clink barely managing to pull it back before it get more than superficial damage from the acid.
As she recovers the grappling hook, "That didn't go quite as planned... Seems like I pulled it back without the acid doing much to it, though."
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Come on, Ice. This is an easy throw. You can do this. For him.
Eyes still closed, Aiseilura plants her feet and begins swinging the grappling hook in a tight circle. As she find a good rhythm, she opens her eyes, sights her target, and shouts, "For Benjamin!" as she lets the hook fly.
It catches the brazier and she pulls the rope taut, slowly drawing the brazier toward her to spill any unwanted contents.
Brittiri watches with interest as Aiseilura works with the grappling hook. After the first through the gnome cannot help but wince but says nothing, not wanting to disrupt her efforts. The gnome instead begins a series of simple exercises to limber himself up so that he is as ready as possible to climb once the rope is in place...
As Lienhol works on the other end of the rope he decides to break the silence a little:
"So what did you all do before this? Rather, what led to you deciding to involve yourself with this situation?"
Carefully Aiselura pulls on the brazier and it starts to tip slowly but she pauses as she hears a crackling snort as a small gray claw flops out slightly. It grasps the air and with another crackling snort the brazier shakes a bit as the arm tucks itself back into the brazier and the whole thing goes still again.
As Lienhol works on the other end of the rope he decides to break the silence a little:
"So what did you all do before this? Rather, what led to you deciding to involve yourself with this situation?"
"I worked as a sort of peacekeeper of sorts, serving the temple of The One Lord. My job was to help maintain balance between the various factions of the city. As to this whole mess, it's as simple as working towards the good of the city. This plague has claimed far too many lives and order in the city must be restored."
Caun watches with careful eyes as the claw thing pops out. "It does not seem to want to be moved. Perhaps a group effort might shake whatever that thing is free? Assuming we still want to move the brazier?"
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As Lienhol works on the other end of the rope he decides to break the silence a little: "So what did you all do before this? Rather, what led to you deciding to involve yourself with this situation?"
Guard. Mercenary. A bit of this and that...
AS the brazier reacts to the efforts of the group the gnome pauses and snorts, Well I wasn't expecting that. Is it that the brazier is magic or there is something within? I am fine to keep trying at knocking at it and see...
As Lienhol works on the other end of the rope he decides to break the silence a little:
"So what did you all do before this? Rather, what led to you deciding to involve yourself with this situation?"
"It was the flashy magic with the note that got me. I checked with some friends and they assured me it was no simple trick."
"The skill in either Alchemy or Magic required proved our hosts had some power. That meant they were either a potential aid in fighting the plague or a threat. In either case, worth investigating. So I dropped a note to my master at the Imbuers and here I am."
As the brazier tips...
"Thought that was a trap. Lets see if we can trigger it."
The chains seem to prevent much movement or even tipping without pushing it upwards rather than pulling it down.
It can be positioned over the acid before this but that would take flight or some very long poles.
The chains seem to prevent much movement or even tipping without pushing it upwards rather than pulling it down.
It can be positioned over the acid before this but that would take flight or some very long poles.
The brazier has four chains secured not at once like above or horizontally but diagonally along the ceiling. So it can e pushed upward and over the about for it to be pulled itd have to be from above. that make sense?
"Parley? Does anyone speak Ignan?"
I don' though if you think something in there can talk it I have the ability to understand it...
"I do." says Lienhol, quietly raising his hand from across the room. "I can translate."
"Well don't wait on us, find out what it wants."
Leinhol steps forward and speaks, directing his voice at the brazer
"Creature, we seek parlay. What say you?"
Caun stands at the ready for whatever follows, his hands tightly bound to his glaive as the Dreadguard works his words.
Brittiri stands at attention with Caun waiting to see what, if anything, might be said...
Two sets of grayish clawed hands grip the edge of the brazier as a pair of tiny horned figures raise their heads just barely above the rim to regard you with fiery eyes. A voice rings out from it the sounds reminiscent of wood popping in a fireplace.
Lienhol collected his thoughts quickly. He spoke a dialect of Ignan, more akin to the sound hissing steam, that made the creatures difficult to keep up with.
"I am Lienhol, these are my companions. We want only the small object that rests on that platform you occupy."