Looking around the room, Vors examines the chest.
"Well, Brynn", the half-orc sighs "I guess write this one up as 'chest of mystery'. Since we're not keeping the contents, let's not waste time trying to open it. Let the new owners figure it out."
Grilnik attempts to search for any obvious traps on the chest as he speaks
"Well, I suppose that as long as there isn't any trap on it, we don't need to bother."
He walks over to the table with potions on it.
"Why don't we go upstairs? After I take a whiff of these and try to label them..."
Grilnik begins unstoppering each flask one at a time to try and divine the contents with his nose and tongue.
Grilnik does't detect any trap to the chest. Though it could potentially be picked open.
Brynn gets to work cataloguing the valuable, magical objects that they aren't allowed to keep. She smirks as she writes down 'chest of mystery.'
When Grilnik mentions moving on she smiles. "Yes, I'd like to check out the observatory."
Vors begins the climb up to the observatory, checking the stairs, walls, and ceiling for traps along the way.
As they ascend the spiral staircase, Grilnik also attempts to find the next pit trap before falling into triggering it.
Within this glass-domed chamber is an enormous telescope that sits upon a platform over a veritable sea of metal gears. An angled metal chair sits below the device, within reach of a cluster of pedals and levers that enable its occupant to perform adjustments to the telescope's orientation. Tables covered in books and charts occupy the southeast corner. The view of the surrounding skies afforded by the glass dome is breathtaking in its expanse.
As you enter the room there seems to be a ledge moving around high up on the wall around the room. As you move into the room there is a small creature sitting on the ledge just behind you as you enter.
It looks like an obese infant, but with leathery skin mottled with spots of grim, curling ram's horns, sharp blackened teeth, and black eyes with no puples.
It just stares at you as you enter the room. With a toothy grin. Watching each of you enter the room.
"Well, hello, 'Smiley'", Vors says to the outsider as he lays his hand on the pommel of his rapier. "I don't suppose you know where Hunclay is, do you?"
Bethany gives a little start when she sees the creature having first thought t was an infant and then.... not.
She eyes eyes it warily and lets Vors do the talking happily.
Brynn eyes the creature warily, but let's Vors talk to it for now.
After a quick look you realize this is a homunculus. A construct, created by wizards. Will retain the alignment of the creator. Often made to perform just some task. Could also be a familiar.
The small creature looks over at Vors. It points to the chair under the telescope. Then mimics sitting down and looking into the telescope. It is seems very insistent.
"Yeah, the guy that sits there, can you not speak?"
Grilnik puts a hand in front of his mouth and whispers to Vors
"I think he's trying to trick us into sitting down. I have a hard time figuring out how a telescope might be trapped, but I can't think of a good reason to sit around stargazing either."
With Grilnik talking to it, he just starts to point at dwarf then at the chair again.
While it has a mouth it does not seem to be trying to speak at all.
I wonder if we can get the demon baby looking thing to go first...
Grilnik points at the leathery creature, mimes walking, points at the chair, and then nods enthusiastically while pointing at the creature again.
I suppose either way we'll want to figure out if it's a trap and make it safe...
The creature shakes its head and arms. Then points at you again and the chair. Nodding up and down.
Vors walks over to the chair to examine the various gear and mechanics surrounding it, looking for traps.
You look over the chair, and it seems like a normal chair.
"Without climbing up into the telescope for further explorations, the chair looks safe", the half-orc explains to the dwarf. "If you wish me to try out the chair, I will. Cayden's been pretty cozy with me lately. I'm sure I'll be fine."
"Thanks for offering, Vors. I can't in good conscience ask you to try it out, though.
I'll take a look.
If worse comes to worse, you haven't healed as much yet today..."
Grilnik makes his way to the apparatus being sure to avoid tripping on anything, and then he sits down. After scrutinizing the telescope and taking a deep breath, he looks through the eye piece of the telescope.
As grilnik sits down on the chair, it suddenly shoots a shock of electricy into him.
As soon as Grilnik gets shocked by the chair the small creature on the ledge flips up a small stick and points it at everyone, lining up Grilnik and Vors. A bolt of electricity shoots out of it striking through them and hitting the wall on the other side.
Grilnick slouches down into the chair, passed out from the shock to his system.
Round 1
Bethany, Brynn, Vors < - Go go go
Monster
Grilnik
The half-orc sinks to the floor unconscious.
I talked you up and everything, Cay..den...
"Why you little s&*+!"
Bethany grips her earthbreaker and mutters a quick prayer.
"Accidental god lend you strength so I can smash that thing."
Her weapon glows green as she moves directly in front of the little creature.
As he falls, Vors's hand seem to move on their own accord, touch his holy symbol around his neck and unleash a wave of positive energy.
Brynn takes aim at the homunculus with her bow. She fires an arrow at it, then casts a spell on herself, causing a shimmering shield of force to appear in front of her, before vanishing.
"Hunclay is dead! You're no longer his minion! Leave this place and be free!" Brynn commands the homunculus.
Brynn's arrow flys wide as the small creature flys down and with a shrill shreak to try to bite Bethany. Then swings its giant horns at her face.
It growls at her, looking almost more angry than aggressive.
Round 2
Grilnik, Bethany, Brynn, Vors < - Go go go
Monster
Ouch! I have and enough of getting hit today."
With that the trademark grin grows on Bethanys face as she slips into a rage as she tries to smash the pest.
5 points is only if evil.
Grilnik, beard hairs frayed for the first time that anyone present knows of, moves to the edge of the telescope's platform.
"Bad idea, foul beast!"
Grilnik combines a small leap off of the platform with a swing of his Longhammer.
Far too upset to aim well, Grilnik swings wide and only hits the floor.
Standing back up, Vors drew his rapier. "Little $#|+!" the half-orc grunted. The roguish cleric advanced on the monster attacking Cayden's newest warpriest.
Brynn circles around for a better shot then fires an arrow at the homunculus.
The earthbreaker, rapier, and arrow strike the target.
With a shreak that sounds like a baby's cry mixed with a dying bear it lashes out again and Bethany.
As the creature lashes out, the damage seems to be split between the small raging human and the cleric. But as some strange poison gets injected into Bethany, she just shrugs off any effects and pushes forward.
Round 3
Grilnik, Bethany, Brynn, Vors < - Go go go
Monster (26 damage)
Bethany almost stumbles to one knee from the force of the blow. Fortunatly her rage is great enough to keep her on her feet.... barley. With a grunt she brings the earthbreaker around again.
Brynn mutters a few arcane words as she fires her bow at the monster baby. Her first arrow drips goopy mud as it flies, while the second seems normal.
As her arrows fly off course she narrows her eyes at the humunculus and purses her
lips.
Hearing Grilnik come up behind him, Vors takes a step to the left to givwe the dwarf some room to wreck. The half-orc continues his assault on the evil construct.
Feeling half of Bethany's injury, Grilnik calms down enough to heal himself before raising his hammer off the ground and stepping aside to give Brynn a better shot.
Bethany's swing hits the small creature in the head, you can feel it crack and break open.
The creature falls to the floor, dead.
On the little creature's body is a wand it used on you. Wand of Lighting Bolt with 4 charges left on it.
In this room there are 50 strange star charts that seem to focus on strangely empty looking swaths of the night sky. There is also a exquisite platiunum astrolabe, size strange astronomy tomes. 2 expensive handheld telescopes. All worth quite a bit.
Bethany takes a deep breath exiting her rage. As always she is exausted but still has the energy to deliver a small kick to the fallen body.
"As 'trapfinder' in our little band of misfits", Vors signed wearily, "I put forth the idea of a break. I know I definitely need it."
The half-orc slid down the nearby wall to rest.
Brynn picks up the wand a slips it into her belt before remembering she doesn't get to keep it. She sighs, puts it on a nearby shelf and goes back to taking notes on the contents of the room.
Sitting back, pulling a trail ration from his backpack, Vors called out to his fellow explorers.
"I've got one cure spell. If someone needs it, they can have it. If not, I'm gonna use it."
Grilnik returns his longhammer to the holder on his back.
"That's fine, let's take a breather. Hey Brynn, do you know what kind of creature that thing was?" He asks, as he points to the fallen creature.
"'Cause if it's a living thing I'd like to climb downstairs before touching everyone up."
After Brynn points out that it's a construct and can't be healed with healing magic, Grilnik presents his holy symbol again and healing light washes over everyone.
"Please mend as you see fit, Vors. After we finish documenting this stuff, let's head back downstairs."
Grilnik helps Brynn to guess the value of some of the things in the observatory before heading down stairs.
Vors gets up and dusts himself off as he receives the dwarf's channel.
"Thanks, Grilnik", the half-orc smiled. "I'm ready when Brynn's ready."
Once the adrenaline and exhaustion leaves her Bethany is absolutely bouncing with excitement.
"Did you see that! The Accidental God gave me his blessing. My hammer, it GLOWED! I know it did SO much damage. This is amazing!"
As the others take more practical actions she calms down but the smile stays as they wait on Brynn.
Looking worried, Vors goes up to Bethany and gives her a pat on the back.
"Feels good, doesn't", the half-orc admits. "I think he was definitely with us this day. Because..", Vors pauses, "I'm not exactly sure I channelled that energy earlier. As I fell..I remember wanting to, but don't necessarily remember actually..doing it."
Brynn represses the urge to roll her eyes at all the talk of gods and blessings. Instead she finishes up her notes, puts away the writing supplies, then draws her bow.
"Sorry for the delay. I'm ready to move on to the next room.."
So with this room cleared out, and recorded. The things you know about that are unexplored.
There is the chest in the study down stairs.
The spiral staircase goes down that got you up to the second floor also goes down to a lower level.
Which way are you all going?
"No need for apologies, but yes, let's get going."
Grilnik, only catching the tail end of Vors' non-explanation for his channeled energy, speaks up on the way down the spiral staircase.
"Don't remember, Vors?" Grilnik adds, one hand tracing the wall of the staircase as they descend.
"Are you saying the father of Kurgess intervened directly?" he adds, slightly incredulous.