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Arien takes a peek, returning to the others with a frown. With a muttered curse, realization dawns upon her. “Accuser devil. Minor demon, but a real annoyance. Immune to fire, poison… I'm wishing I held on to that silver dagger, now. Silver and Good weapons seem to be the only thing they really can’t stand.”
“Maybe we can see if Hunclay has an armory of blessed silver weapons around here, somewhere?”
"Well, is it trapped within that circle?" Temperance eyes it without fear. He pulls out a small phial of sulfury, perfumey stuff.
[
Mithral weapons count as silver for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
The devil looks up, its face a mask of sorrow. "I can hear you, you know. Yes, I'm trapped here...the wizard summoned me and trapped me, and I want nothing more than to return."
Huc slings his greataxe across his back and draws a shortspear. "To return where? And why'd he keep you trapped in there?"
As he asks, he looks around the room, searching for further threats.
"Return home. He wanted me to do something, I didn't think much of his offer, and he left me here to, as he put it, 'ponder the wisdom of my actions.'"
Huc's eyes narrow on the little creature, "To do what?"
It seems to be telling the truth.
"Why should I tell you? You're just going to leave me here like he did."
"If you have already decided what we will do, then there is no purpose in continuing the conversation, especially considering the fact that you may attack us if we make a mistake," says Temperance thoughtfully. "Unless you can tell us how to dismiss you, and a way to guarantee you're telling the truth--and we would request some things in return."
Apparently mollified, the creature replies, "I'll tell you if you let me out. All you have to do is lay something across the circle."
"How about we reverse that?" Huc responds carefully. "I ain't never heard of helpful devils, so you may need to show some worth before we let ya out, there, buddy."
The devil considers for a moment. "If you give your word to free me, I'll tell you. And I swear by my name that I will return to whence I came immediately after I'm free."
Huc scrunches up his face, "If you return right after we free you, how you gonna tell us anything', bud?" He sees Arien's skepticism, which only reinforces his own. "You ain't got many options, here. So you sit tight. When you want out, start talkin.'"
He begins helping Arien in her search of the room.
"I can't tell if the devil is telling the truth," says the monk thoughtfully. "I don't think we should let it out for now. We'll consider your words. You are immortal, yes? Then I don't think that waiting a little while will bother you."
Huc nods, "I'm good leavin' it in there for now. Let's see what else we can find."
Arien, a quick perusal of the book reveals it to be a journal of Hunclay's summoning activities. It will take some time to extract useful information from it, though.
As the team considers their next move, Huc makes his way by Arien, where he pauses and pitches his voice low. "Can you rig that door shut so if he escapes while we're explorin' he'll get stuck in here?"
Regardless, he moves back out to the branching hallway. "So," he grunts, pointing down the southern hallway, "that way?"
"Down the hallway," says Temperance. "Arien, if you don't mind continuing to sniff out traps." The little gnome bows to the investigator.
The corridor winds around south, east, and north again before ending at a door.
Fynn sniffs curiously at the door as Arien does her thing. Huc hangs in his usual spot, his axe back at the ready.
Rowane calmly moves with the group....
The door is untrapped. It opens to reveal an oddly-shaped room. Up ahead, all can see a glow coming from an opening to the left. The walls of the room are covered with arcane symbols. To the north, a wooden table sits against the eastern wall, with several items laid upon it.
The runes are meant to assist in conjuration magic, but carry no particular function other than that.
At Arien's gesture, Huc commands Fynn to stay. The mutt sits down on its haunches, its mismatched eyes following Arien's movements into the room.
Huc strides into the room, whistling for Fynn to once again take up a defending position with the team's half-elf trap-breaker. Huc scans the room, first with his eyes then with a magical detection spell.
Fynn, taking his responsibility seriously, puts his nose to work as he seeks threats.
The objects on the table include an exotic-looking suit of leather armor that has a metallic appearance, a scimitar, and a shortsword. Both of the weapons have magical auras. The light from around the corner is likewise associated with a magical aura.
Arien notices nothing else in the room. Looking around the corner leaves her dazzled for a moment despite her goggles, and she figures that if she approached the source of the light it would blind her for a short time,
After a quick nudge from Arien, Huc makes his way to the armor and weapons. He mutters old words of power as he touches the scimitar. "Welp, the blades are magical, but damn me if I know what they do."
He shrugs, "Magical weapons can be used to help clear this place out, if we need'em. We can always turn'em in after our job is done."
Not getting any suggestions, Huc picks up the magical armor and weapons and slides them into Fynn's harness. He shrugs, "We can hand them over when we're done clearing this place out."
Then he moves towards the bright lights, shielding his eyes and squinting as he tries to determine the source. As he looks, he casts his magical detection energies its way.
As mentioned above, the light is associated with a magical aura. It's extremely bright, and Huc can't see anything past it.
Not knowing any better way of gaining a better understanding of the nature of the brilliant light, Huc pauses. "Arien, be ready in case this goes poorly." Then he draws out the magical short sword that he'd just claimed from this room, then walks into the light, feeling his way forward with the blade.