Mara remembers that each level they've been through is about 15ft with 5-10ft in between each. You're on the 3rd level of 5 levels.
"I don't want to keep going deeper without Theophilus. Maybe we should go find a place to rest. Or first clear more of the floors we have visited and then rest - I can keep going for a while.
But once we rest, maybe Mara can prepare a spell to help find or contact Theophilus."
Mara responded, "If we can find as safe place to rest! Still, I suppose it's worth a try. We still have two more levels to go, I think."
The guards find their voice and are apparently unfazed by the darkness or the demon, "We're not opening the doors again, you can teleport out, you can teleport back in."
Theophilus--not feeling exactly good--sighs.
If you will not let us back in; you will be retired from your post forth with!
Kat sighs and folds her arms. ”Never thought he’d just poof like that. I agree waiting for him is the best call. Somewhere nearby most likely, so he can find us again easy.”
Theophilus (once again being carried by Semore), the White Rabbit (who is hiding in Theophilus' trouser leg) and a bearded devil (probably not named Semore) walk into a Mysterious Museum. The Darkness shrouds them from eyes not made for the dark (so, most likely five or six humans in town). The bearded devil stealthily slides through the hallways; making use of his telepathy 100' to grant the group a heads up at their approach.
Mara suggested, "If we're going to rest, can we get out of this accursed fog? Kat's the only one of us that can see properly in it, and she can't be on watch all the time. Is there a spot on the level above, near where we came down, where the ceiling is stable enough?"
"Yeah, let's go back up. But not in the damaged room, you are right. We know where those haunts are to avoid, at least.
Remember that somebody was watching us with that eye spell when we were fighting the blob-monsters. Maybe we should try to find them before we rest, so they don't ambush us."
"Oh, for sure. Maybe wait here a couple more minutes just in case he pops back. I also don't much like the idea of this arcane eye person snoopin' on us. GOt mixed feelings on that one as they might be waiting way at the top and we'd have to fight through a lot before findin' 'em. But also, obviously don't want 'em spyin' on us sleeping and thinking 'well, might as well pop on down to kill those fine people in their sleep!'"
Theo and Seymour manage to twist all the heads of all the angels on the first level and get to the first angel gate when Seymour unceremoniously vanishes dropping Theo onto the hard sandstone floor with a thud.
The rest of the party wait just outside the collapsing room for about a minute with the various corpses of scholars, Nethysians, and mercenaries. Theo fails to appear as suddenly as he disappeared.
"Let's go back up to the level above and explore some more. Maybe we'll find a safe place to rest, or the caster of that magic eye."
Mara said, "Kat, you mentioned that you felt like you were forgetting something. Could it have been something you saw on this level? Something about one of the bodies, perhaps?"
Nothing good last, my friends!
Theo attempts to retrace their steps...
Mara said, "Kat, you mentioned that you felt like you were forgetting something. Could it have been something you saw on this level? Something about one of the bodies, perhaps?"
"Let's keep going up - to the level where the Hounds were."
As the party makes its way back up to the 1st level the angel gate suddenly and unexpectedly opens. Your apprehension is strangled when not some awful monster or insane cultist descends, but a newly acid burned mad hatter.
Kat slowly lowers her spear as she begins to realize that it is actually Theo, though she noticeably more on edge than usual. It wouldn't be out-of-character for the types of things they are fighting to try some kind of switcheroo, replacing the real Theo with a fake. That said, she trusts herself well enough to know that if he is a fake, she'll figure it out.
"So, uh, what was that all about, Theo? Something come up? And, why are you all acid burned?"
"Yeah. Your coat is ruined."
Dervak also looks at 'Theophilus.' His sense are not as keen as Kat's, of course, but he's better than he used to be.
Theophilus--not at all feeling, looking, thinking well--sadly smiles at his friends.
You see what happened was...
The White Rabbit kicks him in the trouser leg!
Ouch! As if I haven't quite endured enough? Oh, the shame, folly, regret to which I have succumbed! I had an irresistible suggestion prompting me to depart here at once. I then had to convince those parking maids to allow my re-entrance! I may have summoned a demon; which insisted on carrying me...
The White Rabbit face palms!
...anyway; here we are just as insanity insists! Shall we take a nap? I am not feeling all too well!
He smiles weakly.
"Theo, what happened to you?", Mara asked the bedraggled hatter, with concern written over her face. She examined her friend for clues about his condition, alert for uncharacteristic signs of sanity.
"You summoned a babau, didn't you? You summoned a bloody babau with acid skin to carry you." Kat just descends into uncontrollable laughter for at least a solid thirty seconds. "Theo...bruv...I swear you are the dumbest smart person I have ever met. The luckiest unlucky guy I've ever met, too." She starts laughing again for a few moments, finally wiping the tears from her eyes. "Well I know that you must be the real Theo cause no doppelganger would be crazy enough to do that."
The White Rabbit winks at Kat!
"Well, it's no good being half dissolved in acid. Let's get you fixed up." She drew out her wand and started healing the hatter.
"I don't think we had completely explored the first two levels before descending further. Do we want to do that? Or just keep going down?"
Mara considered Dervak's proposal, "I suppose we could try exploring a bit more. My concern is running out of healing; if we sustain too many injuries, we may have to abandon the extra exploration."
Theophilus crys.
This place needs an enema!
He then smiles at Mara.
Thank you, my dear. I have been feeling out of sorts. I can continue for a bit. I believe my Healing hex is stil good for everyone.
"Yeah, I just don't want to leave enemies behind us on our way down. I guess that's not a big problem if we can Teleport out of here once we deal with the Soul chamber.
Either way, we need to find a halfway secure place to rest before we absolutely need it."
"Yeah I'm good with that. My extracts last a good long while so I should still be good for a bit, yeah?"
"Okay, how about this one?"
Dervak casts Shield (from a spell slot, so 10 minutes), and moves to the door west of the first floor's Angel Gate.
Mara healed Theo a bit more and followed behind Dervak, on the lookout for trouble.
Theophilus nods his gratitude to Mara. His cheeks a bit less sunken, his eyes a bit less red, his hands a bit less shaky; the Mad Hatter straightens his hat.
Well, here we go.
This chamber has a raised lectern that stands some 3 feet above the flagged floor. The flood is littered with rugs and cushions.
Mara commented, "Any of these rooms would work as a place to rest, if and when we need it."
Theophilus nervously proceeds...
"This classroom seems a good enough place to rest when we need to. Where to now? Keep exploring the other rooms on this floor, or go back down?"
"Let's go back down, bruv. Good idea to have as much cleared behind us as possible, eh?"
Mara concurred, "Let's go back down."
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"Okay. We could see some double doors from where we fought the ooze-monsters; let's go see what is through there."
Theophilus seems even more paranoid than normal....
Dervak tries the door but it doesn't move. From behind the barricaded door a manic yet familiar voice exclaims, "Lowls sent you to finish me off didn't he? You won't take me alive!" It sounds an awful lot like the skin golems Miacknian Mun made.
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Mara followed Dervak and Kat to the second level. "We should check these doors for traps. I know that sounds paranoid, but I don't want to take any chances!"
When she heard the voice from behind the door, she tried to reassure the speaker, "We haven't spoken with Lowls in a long time. We have no intention of harming you.
"We're actually trying to find him. We found correspondence indicating he might be coming to this part of the world. Do you know where he's gone?"
Theophilus sadly shakes his head. The Hatter removes his hat. He leans closely against the locked door.
Alas, my poor, poor, Loric! I knew him well! I shall repent in such ways as to be forgiven? Prick me; do I not bleed? Four score and seven years ago; I met a strange raven; knocking, knocking on my door!
The White Rabbit looks at the group. He shrugs his shoulders, mouthing
What the f@+@!
Theo just gently pats the door.
"It is cruel and dishonest to say we mean him no harm. If this is Mun, then Kat most certainly means him harm. If that is to be his fate, better to just honor Gorum and get down to the fighting than pretend we are here to talk."
Dervak is fine with fighting or talking, but does not like pretending to be a man's friend before killing him. So talking only if it is in good faith.
Mara wasn't sure exactly who she was talking to. Was it Mun, or another homunculus? She added, "I should clarify: Lowls hasn't sent us to do anything. But some extremely distressing things were found in a certain laboratory in Casomir. Can you explain the contents of Jar 61? Because if that was your doing, I can't guarantee your safety."
Kat stands back, her hands gripping her spear tighter at the mention of jar 61. She knows enough that she's better to keep quiet now.
Mun’s words become increasingly angry at the mention of Mari, ”The kitchen wench? I have no idea why that damned Count brought her along, utterly useless. Not even useful material for my research.”