Nothus mutters, "That... can't be good."
Careful for the waters as well. They are evil necromantic auras coming from them. We need to figure a way to raise those doors as well!
Knowledge arcane for the waters to identify purpose/function
Ndombe, Nothus and Neltji are not happy with their predictiment!
Galdon rushes to one of the doors and tries to push it back.
Cevill Looks for a hidden way out.
A pendulum tipped with a razor sharp axe blade swings down from one of the grooves and ridges in the ceiling and swings towards Ndombe!
As soon as it slices Ndombe and swings into the ceiling, another one begins its fall heading to Neltji!
As soon as that one ends its trek, another one begins its trek heading to Nothus!
That one does not seem to hurt Nothus.
As that pendulum goes back into place, the bronze plates retract from where you came in from and the exit across the room.
Neltji hustles out of the far side of the room before she becomes impaled further on the deadly traps.
Ndombe takes a deep breath, "That nearly did me in!"
"Still a dangerous place after all these years. We should be cautious going forward--but let's get out of here!"
Nothus says, "I'm just pleased that we survived that, and can get out."
Wand of cure mod x2 full health
1 for Ndombe
And the last cure light for him
I am so glad we found these wands earlier. I don’t think we would make it through this without them. I may have to consider figuring out how to make them myself at some point.
"Thank you Neltji."
Any time. Let’s just get through this and figure out what it all means so we can get out of here. I still have a full wand as well so let’s keep moving.
Neltji also casts Guidance on who ever leads onward.
"Wow that was a hell of a trap."
Indeed. I can't imagine why someone would go through all this trouble to trap this place when it was so difficult to find in the first place. And why would you make a magical font that kept blood from solidifying? That just sounds...gross. Yuck!
"Very good questions. May it is to sate and endless thus for blood. Or a font of blood magic. But most likely a macabre decorating style."
Nothus says, "Imagine the bard's right -- think of all the distasteful other rituals we've learned about -- and who they're dedicated to."
There is a door at the end of this chamber.
Nothus heads toward the door, then pauses to look for any traps before proceeding.
The door is not trapped or locked and Nothus now hears the unmistakable clacking of bones.
After Nothus passes the word, Ndombe comments, "skeletons it seems."
Nothus nods, then taps his staff, "Probably. Let's get ready to break some bones."
Neltji casts guidance on Blackleaf hoping his bite will put the skeletons down! Neltji then sets herself up at the back of the party with the healing wand out ready to enter the room.
"Blunt arrows it is."
Ndombe readies himself in the door, ready to stand against the rush of enemies.
Seeing everyone ready, Nothus grips his staff, nods again and opens the door.
Judging from this cathedral-like chamber’s decor, this area must have once been a significant temple dedicated to some vile god. To the west, a few steps lead up to a shrine presided over by a ten-foot-high statue of a beautiful, fanged woman, save that instead of arms she possesses two upraised bat-like wings and instead of feet her legs end in talons. She looms over a glistening altar of blood-red stone that seems to weep blood into a trough below; this trough of blood runs the length of the room before disappearing to the east through a set of bronze bars in front of a wide opening in the wall that drops away into darkness. Stone pillars support the roof 25 feet above, and two dry fountains sit opposite each other against the walls in the middle of the room. Three large alcoves, one to the south and two to the north, contain complex wall carvings. The entire chamber feels unnaturally cold, and now and then strange disembodied whispers slither through the air.
Four skeletons are arrayed to defend the door and a serpentfolk woman is standing in the back. Neltji recognizes her clothing as the same clothing that the Varisian scholar Ieana was wearing.
She looks at you all and sneers, Impressive, but you are too late. I am about to solve a puzzle that your fragile race has not been able to solve since the sky fell so long ago.
Neltji takes in the awe inspiring room with wide eyes. The stream of blood looks revolting g but she doesn’t have much time to speculate on it. The skeletons before them are too threatening and the snake thing looks like it was wearing Ieana’s clothes. Who and what are you and what secret are you about to figure out? I don’t know about too late as we were never invited or told of a time to arrive. Frankly I am surprised we even made it this far what with all the blood and traps and undead and everything else. If you could just explain this all it would be nice knowing why we almost died like a hundred times in the last 45 minutes alone. Those that have been around Neltji long enough know she is beginning to ramble on when confronted with something scary/new/exciting. Now may not be the time for that though.
Ndombe scans about, and tries to make sense of the tableau before him...
Nothus says grimly, "Don't much like puzzles. Or undead. Or dark blood rituals. But that's just me. Oh, Blackleaf, too."
The serpentfolk laghs. Dear child, you knew me as Ieana in my human disguise. This is my true, beautiful form! My real name is Yarzoth. You all were so easy to fool! And that stupid captain was so easy to dominate. He is on this island somewhere, she waves dismissively. You want an explanation? Sure, I'll give you one. Why not? Some time ago, while exploring the dungeons below the ruined serpentfolk fortress of Viperwall in Varisia, I discovered something shocking. According to my discovery, an ancient serpentfolk temple hidden on Smuggler’s Shiv contains a clue to the location of a legendary city named Saventh-Yhi—the same city in which my deity was defeated eons ago. Eager to learn more and perhaps discover the legendary ruined city and maybe even relics left behind by my god’s ancient decapitation, I killed a Varisian scholar, assumed her identity via disguise self, and bought passage on the Jenivere. I caused the ship to crash here and start my search. I have deciphered most of the clues to the lost city and someday my god will rise and enslave the children of Azlant!
"Disgusting, a shrine to Zura, the Vampire Queen, who is worshipped by cannibals, drow, and of course vampires. Her symbol is the blood red fanged skull, embossed with runes."
Neltji has a puzzled look on her face as Ieana gives them the details of what happened to them. But why go through all that work of killing someone, disguising yourself as her, dominating the captain, and crashing the ship when you could have just hired passage here as a disguise. Seems a lot simpler and not as risky. Plus you wouldn’t piss off people that survived the shipwreck and are now stranded here. All this to find out about some made-up fanciful city and some ancient deceased god. You must be so desperate for companionship. As she says this she gives Anthony a pat.
Cevill watches as if he missed the first few chapters of a great story and is now getting to catch up.
Ieana gives Neltji an incredulous look. No Captain goes to Smuggler's Shiv with its reputation. And it is not a fanciful city! It is real! She motions to her research. And Ydersius will rise and enslave or kill you all! She has a look like she is trying to reason with an idiot.
Ndombe has a similar look on his face as he looks at Neltji.
Ok you had to dominate the captain. That still doesn’t explain crashing then ship. How were you expecting to leave the island isolated and no one coming here ? That still puzzles me. Did someone else know of your plan and was going to pick you up at a predetermined date?
There was no way that fool-hardy Captain would have sailed to this island with its reputation. I had to shipwreck the vessel to get it here. As for getting off of the island, I am sure 'Ieana' would have attracted some rescue while I plan my way to Saventh-Yhi!
This still seems like a half baked plan and this Ydersius seems kind of impotent at this rage as well. Just another half dead or forgotten god that society doesn’t even acknowledge today. Good luck with that.
Neltji refrains from any aggressive action but does keep an eye upon the undead knowing they will lurch forward at any moment.
Nothus growls, and his emotions are caught by his small companion who immediately begins to hiss. "Stupid as her plan is, she's dangerous. She killed many and may have doomed us all to rot here."
"We're pretty beat up, but if we want off the island, I suspect the path goes through her."
Cevill cays to the serpentfolk, "Well I guess you can go a solve that puzzle now and impress us."
You are inconsequential gnats and whatever false deities you worship will cower in the sight of the risen Ydersius! Now be quiet and let me get back to work!
She then begins to go back paging through her research and while she is ignoring you, you feel the undead watch you through their sightless eye sockets.
Ndombe will enlarge himself (as a swift action) and charge her and kick this battle off...
Melee vs flatfooted