Vuloo sighs, "Well, it doesn't appear that we'll get much useful information out of Mr. Vast. We may as well send them back."
He examines the southeast door before opening it.
Relan shrugs and drinks a healing potion.
"Luonim, is you have any beneficial spells to cast on us do so then you and Hasari will return to the surface. Nalar commands.
Nalar sends the dominated failed excursion members back to the library.
Vuloo opens the door to the next room.
A pair of large archways provide access to this circular room, its recessed floor covered in two feet of clear standing water. Glowing runes adorn the walls just above the water-level. Near the middle of the room stands a metal cage. In the room is a strange sight. A 7-foot-long, four-eyed fish swims clumsily in the 2 feet of water, trapped in the cage, its spines and tentacles sticking out awkwardly between the bars. On its head is a curious metal cap, with long wires that trail down and disappear beneath its body.
A grodair is intelligent, but extremely absentminded and careless. Its memory is poor, and it has difficulty remembering things it was told even 5 minutes prior—though it can recall some events of the distant past with perfect (and often frustrating) clarity.
Braelex approaches the cage carefully, frowning. "This appears to be a grodair, a magical fey fish that can hold absurd amounts of water in its extra-dimensional gills."
"They're intelligent, but have fleeting memories." She looks around the room, trying to make sense of the cage and metal cap. Unfortunately, the place is highly distracting.
"Ugh, this place is so bizarre... only a sick, sadistic mind would design these experiments."
Vuloo frowns, "This room feels like a trap. If the fish is intelligent, perhaps we should try to communicate with it."
He tries to catch the fish's attention by waving something shiny. "You there, Grodair. Can you understand me?"
Vuloo tosses some bread into the cage as a peace offering. He studies the fish's helmet to understand the nature of the device.
Nalar nods with Vuloo. "I agree, this place has no doubt been filled with traps and dangerous experiments, I see no reason why this room should be any different." He says, looking at the helmet.
Relan's wounds close up somewhat. He uncorks and drinks a second potion and his wounds close completely.
I have heard of these things. I bet they are hard to talk to. I wonder what it wants?
The party moves in to inspect and parlay with the grodair.
As soon as the last of you enters the room, there is a twitch from the grodair and a spark on its helmet. Steel gates slam up from the ground on both archways and then the water in the room rapidly begins to rise, approaching the glowing runes.
Relan delays for the time being, taking a deep breath to hold his breath if needed.
Vuloo scrambles to pull out his scroll of water breathing and casts it. "It's going to flood the chamber!"
He touches everyone to pass on the spell's effects.
Andel turns to study the glowing runes.
"Another demented trap, of course!" Braelex quaffs an extract and her hands and feet elongate and gain webbing.
Vuloo casts a spell allowing everyone to breathe under water. Braelex gains some magical swimming enhancement. Relan delays to see what's happening as Andel studies the runes, but they are unfamiliar to him.
Nalar studies the helmet and the grodair swims away from him, still trapped within its cage.
The water rises above your heads and when it hits the runes, they glow bluish white and then arc electricity between them hitting everyone in the room. They begin to start glowing again immediately after.
; Everyone make a DC15 Reflex save for half damage[/dice]
Shocked into action, Relan moves 5' and attacks the fish thing. But instead of an attack to wound he attempts to disarm its sparking helmet.
Relan swims over to the cage awkwardly and stabs out through the bars and slips the helmet off the fish creature. The water in the room instantly disappears and the grodair thrashes on the ground flipping around its cage.
Braelex looks around for a tank or some water to put the fish into.
Relan rakes the helmet away from the creatures and out through the bars, if it will fit. I am unsure how that fish thing put on the helmet. And did it attack us or did the room shock us?
Vuloo shrugs, "I doubt the fish was complicit in any of this. I believe the electricity emanated from the runes."
He moves across the room and inspects the door before attempting to open it.
"No, the poor creature is another victim of the madman who created this place." Braelex continues to find water for the fish.
Vuloo will cast create water until there is enough water to submerge the fish. "That ought to keep him until we can come back and get him out of here."
The fish finishes thrashing as Vuloo creates a small layer of water in the room and rights itself, propping up on its tentacles as the halfling casts spells.
It speaks in a gurgling voice.
Braelex smiles at the fish but shakes her head. "Anyone understand what it said?"
Not I.
Sorry, not a clue." Nalar says as Thyrl leaps off his shoulders and flys over to the fish.
"It says thanks for the water but it's not necessary, it wants to leave and is wondering if we're leaving too. It want's to know if it can travel with us." The familiar says before turning to the grodair,"We are in a Runelord's prison on the Prime Material, do you know how you were trapped here?"
The grodair looks at the little agathion and wriggles toward him
The creature makes a sound like a purr and appears very pleased with itself
"Yes, lets help it escape." She picks up the grodair and looks around. "Does it need a... container of some kind? And what's its name?"
Andel will cast comprehend languages. He considers what the fish will require to safely travel with the group.
As Braelex approaches the creature, it raises up on its tentacles to be about 6 feet in the air ... and then walks on them across the land inside the cage (in which it is still trapped BTW). Once Thyrl translates.
"My name is Hummelgau. Are you going to open the cage? Water is not a problem for me, I can bring all the water I need direct to my gills. It's sorta my thing."
This small room contains two intricate black-and-gray mosaics covering the north and south walls. To the north, the mosaic shows a curving, forested valley with a small black castle in the center, its sky cut off by a great arch of twining leaves and peering, childlike faces. The other wall shows a subterranean city of great domes, spires, and soaring bridges, populated by humanoids with no eyes and two mouths. The eastern wall is unadorned, and contains only a heavy metal door whose face is adorned with an etching of a seven-pointed star surrounded by runes. The center of the star is a polished seven-sided polygon of shiny onyx.
In the middle of the room is a 12-foot long slick black scaled snake with a human head staring at the door with a flickering forked tongue.
It glances at you as you enter the room, and speaks briefly before turning back to the door.
"Ah, reinforcements, excellent. Please, come help me figure this door out."
Braelex looks for a way to unlock the cage.
Before we move on to the next area, Braelex checks her cuts and bruises. "I could use some healing, if possible."
*
"Silasni..." Braelex addresses the naga, keeping a cautious distance. "We've found your companions. None of them are doing well."
Andel points to the north "It is the legendary realm called the Dark Forest, home of the Dark Rider."
He then points to the other wall. "The eyeless figures are depictions of caulborn."
Vuloo will channel twice to heal the group.
Vuloo joins the naga staring at the door. "What's on the other side?"
Thyrl looks over Silansil as Nalar examines the wall, concurring with Andel's deduction.
"A dark naga, I believe." The Agition notes for the party.
Nalar looks up from the wall to the door. "Interesting design, but before we get on with that we should tell you that the way back is clear if you wish to leave and regroup with the rest of your party."
Relan will collect the helmet, both in case it is valuable and to prevent it from causing more mischief. It wants to travel with us? Does it profess a reason? he asks.
Clueless about the paintings and the eyeless figures Relan nods as information is revealed, asking What is a . He recognized the Dark Naga well enough and might even know something of them.
Suspicious of the dark naga Relan speaks up We are not your reinforcements but might consider joining up with you friend. I am Relan. What is your name and what do you seek in this place.
The naga glances at Braelex, "No, they weren't ... their tiny minds were crushed by the research assistant the moment we came in the door. I left them behind to squabble amongst themselves. I'm surprised they haven't all killed each other by now."
With nary a glance at Nalar, she simply states, "I have no interest in rejoining them. They are unreliable in their best state."
As response to Vuloo, she hisses in frustration, "The path to the meetup, of course ... there is no other way out of this workshop. The puzzle eludes me though. I would be most grateful for your assistance in opening it."
She wrinkles her eyebrows in confusion as Relan asks her name and purpose having just been addressed by Braelex by name. She appears to come to a decision and nods politely just saying "Yes, yes, of course." She returns to pondering the door.
"What kind of puzzle?" Braelex asks Silasni curiously.
I asked your name. Why would we agree to help you when you treat me with disdain?
Apparently oblivious to Relan's question, the naga answers Braelex, "This seven pointed star seems to be some sort of magical easel. See here."
She takes the tip of her tail and places it ever so gently on the center of the star.
"If I were to move this around, the light remains, allowing me to draw any sort of image. Once I stop drawing it turns red and then blasts the room with lightning. My guess is that's the wrong image ...", she states wryly.
Relan waves a hand in front of the naga's face. Do not help this creature. Relan states flatly. It is either trying to deceive us or is under some form of metal control. And no one try to draw on the 7 pointed star until the rest of the group is out of the room. he adds, hopefully unnecessarily.
"There is something not right with that man. Was he touched by the Reaearch Assistant, as well?" She gives Braelex a sympathetic glance.
"Have you any ideas about this puzzle?"
Braelex gently pulls Relab away from Silasni, giving him an odd look. "No, but I feel he is somewhat confused. This place has been a foray through a madman's mind. We expect everything in here is a twisted trap."
She examines the star closely, looking for any clues as to the correct pattern.
Perhaps it refuses to deal with men? Relan postulates. Still, I have asked it to consider joining with us and it has not responded as if it heard. I do not trust it. It seems to have little regard for its previous party.
Vuloo shrugs, "All true, Relan. But still, why not work together to solve the puzzle? It seems we can use all the help we can get."
He turns to study the walls, "The murals of the dark rider and the caulborn may be a clue. Or perhaps a runelord symbol is required."
He then turns back to the Naga, "What images have you tried so far?"
Relan has an idea for how to proceed, but frustrated that no one is listening to him backs out of the room.
Nalar looks between Relan and the Naga. "If you treated your former companions with the same respect as you treat our own then I can't help but wonder if you abandoned them to die. I'm with Relan, send this serpent back, I will not solve this puzzle only to risk her fangs sinking into my back." He says as Thyrl sits up on his shoulder, hissing at the Naga.
"Her kind know only selfish treachery," The Agathion spits, hackles raised. "Best rid ourselves of her foul presence, her forked tongues spreads only lies and deceit and desire only dominion over others."