"I'd love to, but I'm pretty beat up and I have no means of healing left. We can explore, but may need to retreat if we find anything else that needs killing."
Sighing, when the battle is over and looking at others, Algar leans against the wall. So many things had happened and he started to feel better. I don´t see anything against the suggestion to continue exploring. We might find something interesting.
Thinking back, the adventurers come up with two possible areas they could explore more fully. The first is beyond the double doors to the south east. It's the cathedral-like room where they first encountered and fought the quasit. It's also the location of the strange triangular pool that the small demon used to spawn one of those long-limbed creature. The second is the area of the red marble woman statue, close to where they defeated Koruvus. Several unexplored passages lead away from it.
"Let's go check out the double doors here. We know there is a cathedral on the other side, where we first encountered her before."
Venmirl slowly stands up, his bones aching like that of an old man. "I'm ready, let's see what we find."
The adventurers take a few minutes to catch their breath and bandage their wounds as best they can . They then open up the double doors to south east and explore the room beyond. It is much like Darst saw it initially.
The room beyond is huge and has very high domed ceilings, in fact it looks like nothing more than an immense underground cathedral. The walls are carved with strange, spiky runes. In the center of the room is a large pool, a ring of polished human skulls balanced on stone spikes arranged in a circle around the deeper midsection. At the far end of the room, a pair of stone stairways leads up to a pulpit on which sits a second pool, this one triangular and filled with churning, bubbling water that looks almost like translucent lava.
While wisps of what looks like heat and steam rise from the strange orange liquid, the room is still deathly cold .
Izbahn stands at the doorway to the cathedral, and stares at the contents of the cathedral, and casts a magical cantrip, to detect magical auras.
Izbahn looks around the room, then turns back to the others, "That pool in this room...it has the essence of all of the schools of magic. I am sure this is how that quasit was able to create those sinspawn." He shudders, "I would advise us to leave it alone, I cannot control what the magic will do here if we trigger it."
Izbahn looks around the room, then turns back to the others, "That pool in this room...it has the essence of all of the schools of magic. I am sure this is how that quasit was able to create those sinspawn." He shudders, "I would advise us to leave it alone, I cannot control what the magic will do here if we trigger it."
"So what's we do? Hide it? Moving it?"
"So what's we do? Hide it? Moving it?"
"I would advise us to leave it alone for now. If this is an old Thassilonian ruin, then this could be Thassilonian magic."
Crunching and muttering to himself, Algar hands tighten and body trembles from the feeling of hatred, each moment passing by getting him frustrated and angrier.
I don't know... but I feel like just punching you people to face or smacking your body around the floor. This is odd feeling and this room especially... all the time I felt more angry than before and now... I just see red
Looking to others and face showing emotions of hatred and rage, Algar is for now keeping it under control. What is this place... I would say to get out of here, since I will not promise what I will do if we don't move out here and as he said those words, Algar withdraw from the room
Izbahn remembers feeling those sensations before, and realizes they must be related to the magical aura radiating from the pool. Thassilonian ruins, indeed!
"All right, lets backtrack to the room with the marble statue. Algar, do you want to take point, in case there are any more surprises lying in wait?"
The group backtracks, leaving the cathedral and the triangular pool behind. They return to the statue room.
There are exits on the room's four walls. [They] entered from the corridor to the south. There's a stone door similar to the one already encountered to the north. The west wall is pierced by a carved tunnel, like the one that brought the group to this complex. Finally, to the east, a corridor leads to a few steps going up in the darkness. The main feature of the room, however, is a full sized red marble statue of a strikingly beautiful but, at the same time, monstrously enraged human woman. Her stony expression is twisted in fury. The woman wears flowing robes, and her long hair is held back from her face by an intricate headdress of hooks and blades. She faces east and carries a large book with her left hand. The book's face is inscribed with a seven-pointed star. Her right hand holds a glittering metal and ivory ranseur.
The tunnel to the west goes either north or south. To the south is where the combat with the quasit started and where the dead Koruvus and his two remaining weapon are lying. To the north, the passage leads to an apparent dead end but there's a hole on the floor that could be explored with some effort.
Nodding to Izbahn, Algar grunts.
Later as they walk around and look for more ways and come to hole on the floor, Algar looks at it for a while. Walking nearby carefully and looking down while also listening for a moment. Turning to others Something here and seems to be leading somewhere, but got no idea. Apparently will take some time to explore but we got time now
Izbahn examines the statue again, looking for any clues as to who the human female may have been. He also scans for magical auras as well.
Once finished, he nods to Algar, "Go ahead and check it out, but be careful."
The hole is barely large enough to let Algar squeeze his body through. With his darkvision, the half-orc can see that the hole is about 3 feet deep before it opens up into what appears to be a small square cell. The cell is empty, save for a few human bones that litter the floor. From the top of the hole, Algar can't really see what's beyond the rusted metal bars that form the cell's northern wall.
Izbahn doesn't know more about the statue then he did 2 days ago. Perhaps if he consulted the proper books and/or experts he could learn more.
Izbahn studies the statue for a moment. While he doesn't recognize the woman, the style of her robe and headdress is reminiscent of similar articles of clothing 'worn' by ancient statues he saw drawn in various history books. From what he remembers, those statue are from old monuments that dot the Varisian landscape. They represent the mighty wizards of Thassilon who were the strength behind the ancient empire. If he's correct, Izbahn thinks this statue could be a representation of one such ancient wizard. Who she was and how powerful she was remain a mystery. In any case, the statue is in excellent condition if it was really made at the time of the ancient empire (several thousands years ago).
There's nothing magical about the statue but her ranseur appears to be somewhat valuable.
Venmirl sees Izbahn eying the shiny weapon. "I'm not sure who she is, but I wouldn't be too sure that weapon isn't cursed or trapped."
Izbahn glances at Venmirl, and replies, a note of acerbicness in his voice, "I am not a tomb robber, I was just noting the fine quality of the weapon. As for it being cursed, there are no magical auras on either the weapon or the statue."
Once Algar returns, he says, "Are you ready to continue exploring?"
Izbahn glances at Venmirl, and replies, a note of acerbicness in his voice, "I am not a tomb robber, I was just noting the fine quality of the weapon. As for it being cursed, there are no magical auras on either the weapon or the statue."
Once Algar returns, he says, "Are you ready to continue exploring?"
"Good quality? So it is worth the shinies?"
Izbahn looks at Darst. His face holds a barely concealed smirk, as he replies, "It is good quality, You can carry it, if you'd like."
Nodding to Izbahn I agree although I have a bad feeling somehow. These... creatures or monsters just keep popping back up even after we killed them. Where did they come from actually, since I have never saw something like them before in my life Algar asks while walking in front of others
Wondering what all this is, so many things has happened in such a short time...What time of day it is even now
"Algar, the demon we killed summoned then from her own blood! She uses the magic from the pool somehow. I have no idead how, I need to study this further."
"So it's not cursed?" Naomi says thoughtfully as she regards the weapon. "I think we should take it so we can sell it and buy supplies."
"I won't stop you from taking it , Naomi, but just keep in mind we are not here to loot this place, we're here to stop the goblin invasion."
Not paying attention to Izbahn, Darst approaches and eyes the ranseur carefully. He tries to climb up the statue and pull out the pole arm.
"It would seem, Izbahn, that Darst has already started trying to beat me too it." Naomi say softly as she watches the goblin.
Izbahn sidles up to Naomi, and whispers in her ear, "Yeah, maybe I should tell him we can return here after we are done exploring this place...naaahhh...this is more fun."
"I wouldn't mind learning more about who this statue is supposed to be. And maybe the weapon holds some key to learning that, but I don't want to carry it." Venmirl says, unable to suppress his superstitions.
Perhaps fascinated by the beautiful bronze and ivory that make up the weapon, Darst easily climbs on the base of the statue and manages to detach the ranseur from the marble hands. There's no apparent consequences to the goblin's actions, unlike some of the others had feared. With its long pole and heavy head, Darst has some trouble keeping the polearm upright. It is clearly too big of a weapon for him.
Darst hears Venmirl's words, and pauses. Then, with a shriek, the goblin drops the weapon and leaps off the statue at Izbahn. "Curse! Curse on me! Curse on me!" He tries to latch on to the mage's leg.
The ranseur falls down on the stony floor with a loud 'CLANG'.
Izbahn is surprised by the goblin's actions, but he is able to avoid the goblin's 'embrace'. He glares at Darst, as the ranseur flls to the ground. "Care to make any more racket?"
"Just as I feared, it's cursed. Cursed with the unfortunate announcement telling everything in this place that we are here!!" Venmirl angrily says in a now unnecessary whisper.
Naomi calmly picks up the ranseur and props it over her shoulder.
"Or Darst is just mad it's to big for him. I can't use it either without making a fool of myself, except to sell it. I suppose I could use it to pay my family for the cold iron mace that's being brought, since we killed the quasit I wanted it for. I don't really need it now, do I?"
"Equal shares for us all before I do that though."
Venmirl stands still for a few moments while watching Naomi closely. When she doesn't turn into a statue he relaxes a bit and turns to Izbahn "Let's move on a bit more then. Darst, can you check out this passage? Maybe a little more quietly this time."
Shaking his head as he watches this show of strangers. Goblin jumping and grabbing ranseur, the noise and the comments, Algar shakes his head for disappoinment No sense of of balance, believe of curses... and most of all, what was that! Fist is all you need but smile appears to his face, as he sees Darst "embrace" attempt.
Grunting and turning to follow Venmirl, Algar shakes bad feelings of his shoulder. Continuing talking from earlier with Izbahn So, you say that monster made some more monsters by dropping his own blood to that liquid or well? Did it do something special or just dropping blood? Can't we try it or something? clearly curious about this information
Izbahn shakes his head at Algar, "I have no idea how that pool functions. I don't know if it is keyed to her blood or not. And even if you created one, then there is no guarantee you could control it."
The group heads east and climbs four short sets of stairs, each followed by a 5' by 5' landing, before coming up on another stony door.
Perhaps not trusting the little goblin to be quiet, Venmirl sneaks up to the door to take a listen.
Stealth:
Perception:
Venmirl doesn't hear anything coming from beyond the door.
Venmirl cautiously opens the door...
Venmirl slowly pulls on the thin stone door and looks at what's beyond it. It's a small round room, about 15 feet in diameter, with another door on the opposite side, further east. Water ripples quietly in a circular stone pool lined with sculpted skulls in the room's center. Smears of what looks like blood mar the pool’s rim in places. Beside these marks, the pool's water looks clean.
Izbahn sees the pool ,and immediately thinks Another one? He chants his cantrip and again scans for magical auras.
Izbahn can see a faint magical aura on the pool. Whatever magic is in effect here, it's far less powerful then that triangular pool they encountered earlier.
"This place is reminding me more and more of ancient temples, filled with traps and old magics and monstrous guards..." Naomi says as she looks around the room. "What was the temple for though?"
Izbahn glances at Naomi, seeing how enchantingly beautiful she looked when she was searching for clues.
"I don't know, Naomi. I am not sure this is a temple, I suspect this is an old Thassilonian complex, maybe constructed for magical experiments. It would explain why we found a quasit here."
Algar follows after and looks around but laugh as he sees Izbahn only starting at Naomi. Muttering to himself with low voice, which might be heard by others Women... and human at all! What's so fascinating about them... I prefer some muscle and ferocity
Perception