Casimir nods slowly, scanning the cave for tracks and signs of threats.
"We should check the last chamber and the corridor for hidden doors, to make sure we don't go into the water unless we absolutely have to."
Catching up to the duo, Kalev looks around for signs of passage.
(+3)
I wonder if the water can be lowered somehow, he muses, as he scans the ground and walls.
Casimir joins Kalev in the search.
"Perhaps the water sinks at low tide or something."
Malthir looks at the water...then his armor, I would be...hesitant to get into that water. There must be another way in!
Casimir and Kalev found absolutely nothing in their search for another exit, or tracks leading from this room. For just a moment, Casimir caught a glint of something shiny in the water before the silt and mirk obscured it once more.
To be honest I can barely swim...let alone in armor. Maybe there is a way through, maybe not. Malthir finally fesses up...
Do we have any magic to help? I can only think of fly as a method to move quickly through the water...if it works.
"There, in the water...something shiny. Lets see if we can get a closer look. Unseen servant, pick up the light and move into the water."
To be honest I can barely swim...let alone in armor. Maybe there is a way through, maybe not. Malthir finally fesses up...
Do we have any magic to help? I can only think of fly as a method to move quickly through the water...if it works.
"I have a single scroll that will allow me to take the shape of a boggard for a single minute, and gain it's ability to swim and see in the dark as part of the deal. I only have the one scroll, and it will only work on me, though. Maybe Kip is packing something. Otherwise, I'll use it to scout ahead."
"I am carrying a potion which would increase the imbiber's ability to swim, for a similar period."
"The lower level did not seem to be submerged through the glass; there must be something below to prevent the water from spreading, so we might need only travel a short distance underwater."
Casimir's remark causes Kip to come out of a daydream. Huh? What's that now? Oh yes. Of course! The diminutive sorcerer put a hand into his magic pack and pulls out three vials .I almost forgot I bought these. I try to be prepared you know. Holding them up he proclaims, One grants you the ability to breathe underwater while the other two allow you to swim like a fish. Webs your fingers and toes and everything! Doesn't help you breathe underwater though.
Ah, so if we all hold hands when you consume it we will be able to breath water for a while. Fine with me, I can walk across the bottom.
"Good work, Kip. It's a relief to see our fearsome band is not foiled by a moderately sized body of water. Because I likely would have been."
Thank you Ricter.
Ah, so if we all hold hands when you consume it we will be able to breath water for a while. Fine with me, I can walk across the bottom.
Casimir shoots Malthir a puzzled look. "I'm too weary to tell if you jest or not, but last time I checked, potions don't quite work like that. Otherwise, I'll come and hold your hand next time you quaff a healing potion."
If we rest till morning, I can pray for help, though I may not be able to cover everyone with Erastil's blessings.
The problem with vision in the pool had nothing to do with light; it was more to do with the brackishness, silt and mirk of the water. Unable to swim, the Unseen Servant walked upon the water, an eerie glowing light above the pool.
In we go then? Or is someone going to go first.
Casimir pulls some rope out of his pack and ties it around his waist. "Let me check something first. Be ready to pull me out if something grabs me and drags me under."
He then makes sure his scroll cases are securely fastened and puts any delicate items into his waterproof bag and wades out into the water looking for the shiny object he saw.
Be careful Cas... Kip whispers as Cas prepares to scout the water route before them.
Having a brief swim, Casimir saw that the pool was not excessively large. The stairs seemed to descend about twenty feet, judging from his exploration, before turning. The pool itself was about thirty feet deep, with a passage leading north that seemed to flow back into the river. At the bottom of this pool, Casimir found the calcified skeletal remains of a long-dead humanoid on the pool bed. The contents of a ruined belt pouch had surely flowed away by now over the months or years the skeleton had been here, but Casimir was able to take the red ruby and platinum ring on the skeleton's figure without incident.
So no apparent way into the tower? If not we start searching for secret entrances.
"So, assuming retreat is still not an option, we are left with two choices: stay here and set an ambush for Vordakai or head down the submerged stairs. If we head down, should I scout ahead in boggard form, or should we all use the water breathing and go together?"
Let us stay together. If you are caught alone, it could prove perilous...
The ring Casimir examined did seem to radiate with a varied aura of moderate strength. After some experimentation, discussion and some testing, the Guardians concluded that it was a lesser Ring of Revelation, which Fenna seemed to have an affinity with. While wearing it, the Bleaching's feet seemed to barely touch the ground, not leaving tracks. In addition, she found herself able to levitate several inches from the ground at will.
Cas, Malthir, Kip, Fenna, Ricter and Kalev?
+1
In formation, the Guardians awkwardly navigated the water. While some of them were able to swim it would be more accurate to say that Malthir and Ricter simply walked along the bottom of the pool, weighed down as they were by their full platemail.
The stairs descended steeply north for about twenty feet before eventually turning sharply west before rising, eventually ascending out of the flooded area once more, coming into a small chamber full of ancient looking pottery- primarily vases, cups and amphoras. This pottery depicted lotus flowers, cities, and one-eyed humanoids engaged in everything from worship to fighting to athletic contests. Some even show vicious confrontations between these humanoids and centaurs. The humanoids are all portrayed in a distinctive stylistic manner with a wide-legged, sway backed stance.
The oddly shaped chamber has a set of stairs descending to a bronze double door to the southwest.
Kip looks around at the others before settling on Kalev. Elbowing his good naturedly in the knee (his ribs too high for Kip to reach) Kip smirks, You are the one who deals with mysterious doors aren't you?
Ricter checks inside some of the pots, suspecting that they may contain the ashes of the dead.
Casimir moves down to the doors, looks them over and listens for sounds on the other side.
Assuming he finds nothing, he says "Let's move on, no need to linger among shards of broken pots." and opens the doors.
When did I become the designated trapfinder? Kalev says with a smile, moving up to the doors and assisting Casimir in searching the doors and listening for clues.
Peering inside the pots, Ricter found only ashes kept in neat piles inside; his hunch was right.
Checking over the door, Kalev was fairly sure it wasn't trapped. He still let Casimir open it, just in case. It opened without a hitch and with magical light, the group peered into the dark stone room ahead.
A ten-foot-high hallway extends at an angle from a bronze door, passing two shallow alcoves before reaching a square room. Standing in the side alcoves are two man-sized statues of painted stone depicting one-eyed humanoids. More of these statues stand in ranks within the room beyond. There was no obvious exit from the room.
Casimir-
Malthir-
Fenna- (GM reminder- + 19 at night)
Ricter-
Kalev- (GM reminder- terrain bond woods: Kalev +3 init, kno: geog, perception, stealth, survival, party +2 init, perception, stealth, survival)
Kip-
Of all of the Guardians, Kalev was the most alert. He spotted the tell-tale tips of a raised portcullis in a shadowy recess of the initial hall’s ceiling just shy of the alcoves; although he did not spot any trip wire, pressure plates or obvious mechanism that would trigger it.
Careful, there's a raised portcullis. I suspect a trap...
"Right...good thing you spotted it. Hmm....with no apparent trigger here, I suspect it is meant to fall as we move further into the room, trapping us. We had better move with extreme care. Do any of you have any pitons or something similar we can use to jam it, in case we do trigger it?"
Casimir gives each of the two statues in the alcoves a close inspection.
"I have no pitons," Fenna admits calmly, peering towards the statuary, "though if nothing else, I may be able to magically lift it for our exit, or perhaps keep it elevated as we pass should trapping us not be the only danger it poses."
I don't have anything to help here either... sorry.
I suppose I would have room for a few more useful things in my pack. I'll try and remember to pack some for next time.
Casimir moved to examine the statues, but realised that to reach them he would have to approach the portcullis. From a distance of twenty feet, the statues appeared to be made of stone and were worn, with fragments missing from their shape. They seemed to depict one-eyed, hulking warriors.