Here is where our adventures will unfold.
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testing, testing.
"What just happened?"
As you rise to consciousness, you find yourself disoriented. You are in a long, perhaps infinitely long, roofless space between two walls of fitted stone, 15 feet apart, something like granite, that reaches 50 feet above you. Applying a compass randomly, the path runs North/South. 100 feet to the north the floor ends and the walls continue down into darkness. Forty feet further on, the floor resumes, so essentially it is a pit 40 feet long. To the south, the path stretches on. In the Western wall there is a metal panel, possibly a door? It is 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It seems to be fitted into the stone with no visible hinges or means of operation.
Above you is a low ceiling (in the atmospheric sense) of red and grey, like a sky of ash in a volcanic eruption.
You can know the basic set up of the scenario. Baphomet, Maze, captured entertainment, philosophy of tooth and claw.
"Ohhh…. My back. What happened?" Andros lifts himself up from the ground, using two hands to push himself up, one to rub his face, and the last one going to draw a blade from their sheath on his back. Not finding anything, his top right arm starts frantically feeling around for some- any- of his gear.
Suddenly wide awake, the kasatha leaps up to his feet, frantically looking for his gear, all hands patting himself down. Finding his holy symbol still hung around his neck, Andros calms down a little, but is still panicking a little.
"This is… this is not good." the anxiety is evident in his voice, rising to a crescendo as he talks. He looks around, "Where am I?"
It is then he notices he's not alone here, "Who are all of you?"
Quiet and dressed in dark clothing, a human woman goes almost unnoticed in the dark, even to those with darkvision.
Shaking her head to clear it a middle aged elven woman looks around and begins to curse in Abyssal as she gets to her feat. Looking about at first for threats and then to assess her surroundings and finally to those with her. Something small seems be moving around within her robes.
As she seems to get her balance she says The bastard did it. I should have know something like this would happen when my patron went to play games of chance with the demon lords. I am sooo screwed. She then turns to address those with her. We all are sooo screwed. Unless I am off my mark, and I seldom am, she elaborates We now find ourselves on the 600th layer of the abyss and the Endless Maze of the demon lord Baphomet. In lecture like fashion she continues as she casts a few spell on herself (Threefold Aspect and False Life). Baphomet is the patron of savagery. He despises civilization and culture and so encourages his followers to embrace brutal animal savagery and beasthood. Despite his brutal nature and beliefs, the Prince of Beasts has an intelligent mind, and he searches for a way to perfect savagery and brutality in creatures. I fear we are not part of that search. As she finishes speaking her appearance changes and she then looks younger and more vital.
If we've any chance to survive in this place then we better learn to work as a team. I am a witch, and a good one. I can curse and heal a little and have a selections of useful spells. But I do not fight with weapons well. We seem to be missing almost all our gear so I have no weapons at all. I have one spell of Mage Armor memorized today and can cast it on one of you. If you think you need it speak up.
Jovich stands up as he takes in his surroundings and his predicament.
I hope those f!#*ers choke on the coin. Ah f+*@ me a gods damned slave....s~%@!!!!!
As the confusion ends, Tavius stands up. He holds his body perfectly straight and still, folding his hands together in front of him. His voice is controlled, a cultured, upper-class accent. "The elven lady is correct. This is Baphomet's domain. She is also correct in that cooperating with one another shall enhance our ability to survive. I swear to act in the best interests of all of us so long as the four of you all swear the same."
"I am Tavius, and I bring my own magic to the table. I do not need physical items to defend myself or others. Give me a moment to prepare myself."
He casts without words, but with gestures that cause his scars to glow with a pulsing violet energy. It seems incredibly painful, and he seems carried away for a moment on the first spell. When the casting is done, he regains his absolutely straight posture.
"Allow me to correct my earlier statement. I swear to act in the best interests of all of us so long as the five of you all swear the same. I will be able to provide some protective magic, though I will suggest that we be conservative as I can also use my energies to heal."
Kjell wakes with a start, not sure how he got here. He staggers to his feet and curses as he realizes he's all but naked--only clad in scant hides and his tribal markings. Even his ancestral axe is gone, and he flexes his fists as if seeking its grip. Then he starts listening to what others are saying. The strange appearance of several, including the four-armed creature, gives him pause. But when none of them move to attack him, and they seem to be in a similar predicament, he nods.
"Baphomet? Accursed demon lord, then. I am no pawn in the games of the Abyss." He thuds one arm against his chest and raises his head. "I am Kjell Strongarm, son of Kromax, killer of demons. I lead my people against the abyssal horde for many seasons. I will not fall to them now."
"Ummm... So, I'm Andros, warrior of Iomedae, sworn enemy of the Technic League, etcetera etcetera. Has anyone seen any kukris around? Small curved blades, that is. Four would be ideal, but I'd settle for one."
There is light. It isn't bright, but there is light reflected from the clouds down onto the ground, like a city on a cloudy night.
The human woman shrinking against the wall is drab and plain, in simple working clothes - a barmaid or farmwife, perhaps?
In the dim light she's visible but seems to be unhappy about the situation, with a narrow frown crossing her face and a tendency to stay close to the wall while glancing back and forth.
"Where are we, exactly?" she finally says.
Tavius does not seem surprised as she comes out of the shadows. "Exactly where we are is obfuscated by design. That is the whole raison d'etre of a maze. I would not be surprised if it connects in ways indescribable in three dimensions, or if it reconfigures itself chaotically. We must simply move on and face the challenges placed before us. Tales of previous occupants do show that it is possible to escape if one is skilled and clever and resilient and lucky. Therefore we must endeavor to be that way."
This talkative fellow does not seem particularly upset at finding himself here. In fact, there seems to be a bit of enthusiasm in his voice.
He does seem fascinated by Andros. "You are quite fascinating. I have heard of the visitants who live in Numeria, but I have never met one before." He turns to address the others, "An elf of the surface and one from the Darklands. A pair of humans, and a person that was once human," he indicates himself at that, "An interesting group."
The woman closes her eyes briefly and rubs the bridge of her nose, then says, "You must be an engineer. You gave me an answer that is technically precise and at the same time does nothing to answer my question. We're in a maze - what maze? In what place? Why? Someone transported us here - one of you? Someone else? There are many questions... though it's starting to seem that none of us have the answers, or if one does, is not forthcoming with them."
"Were you not listening earlier when this lady mentioned that we are on the 600th level of the Abyss? Baphomet's maze?"
"I did not hear that."
As the others start to talk to one another about who they are and what they are doing here...where here is...He is more interested in figuring out what is going on right now and in the immediate area.
Jovich starts to look around the area. Down the hallways both north and south. then at the western wall, specifically the door like object.
The panel is a thin layer of adamantium, so smooth as to be slightly reflective. There is a whiff of ozone near the panel. It does not appear to have any mechanism to open or slide, but to the right of the "door" is a carefully concealed group of stones that are not quite so well fitted as the rest. If they all moved, they might form an irregular opening that would allow passage. There are tiny bits of gray ash on the ground near the panel.
As Druhir sees the dark elf near the door like object she backs away a few steps and warns I recommend we spend a moment more organizing and preparing before we try to open that. To the others she asks I am called Druhir, and this little one is known as Lyr. the small face of an angelic female shows itself from the color of the witch's robe. Now who most needs my offer of Mage armor? Perhaps you Kjell?[/b]
The drab woman edges somewhat closer to the door, though not quite in front of it.
"Okay, so... I should be able to manage for now. Oh, Iomedae, please guide me, oh, Iomedae please protect me, oh, Iomedae..." As Andros chants, small brushes of divine light wash over him. After a few seconds, he stops distinctly chanting, but under his breath, it's possible to decipher his mantra, repeated over and over again,
"Iamonewiththeinheritorandsheiswithme. Iamonewiththeinheritorandsheiswithme..."
At seeing the human ignoring Druhir's sound advice, Tavius will give her a sympathetic glance.
It was obvious she was the only one of the group on the same intellectual level as he. Her familiar implied that she was probably lacking in discipline and focus, but he'd have to live with that.
The alien followed the crusader god. That could be useful here and it implied an ordered mind.
The others... Time would tell.
Kjell shrugs at Druhir. "I do not use magic, and I do not trust it. But if you wish to use your spell, you may do so--for now." He brushes a stray hair from his eyes and moves toward the door, although he doesn't get close enough to open it just yet. "But my destiny protects me."
I have no doubt strong Kjell that my being here is part of your destiny. Druhir agrees stronlyt with the barbarian as she cast Mage armor on the man. And just like your destiny protects you, you can also protect me.
Kjell laughs. "Fair enough. But do not try that in the throes of combat."
Paused about ten feet from the door, the nondescript woman regards the small pile of ash, then casts her eyes over the door and the stones around it.
"Unless the ash is cosmetic, this portal's already claimed a victim," she finally says.
Jovich kneels down and takes a closer look at the ash. His head rises to look at the door, slowly moving from the bottom all the way to the top.
Having seen many strange things in her career, Laurelin wonders if touching the panel somehow moves the stones, but also potentially causes damage to the toucher. She can't quite figure it out.
Jovich looks around at the other members in the group.
His face is a set and the tone of his voice is confident.
"Does it seem like the harm only affects the immediate area?" he asks. "I could open it from a distance."
He will examine it himself.
Attuning his sight to the wall, Tavius observes the occasional ripple of magic running through the metal plate. There it is focused through the stones. By altering the flow of magic across the plate, one could manipulate the stones, but a mistake could result in the powerful magic being channeled though the one who is manipulating it.
Druhir will cast Detect Magic and study the door.
I think I can figure something out here. Everyone stand back. Lyr comes out of Druhir's robes and assists with the spellcraft skill.
"Ohhhh... Guys. Be careful! Oh, Iomedae, guide them, oh, Iomedae, help them." Andros touches each of the people working on the door, giving them a hint of divine inspiration.
Tavius does tell everybody what he has learned. Since Druhir seems confident of her abilities, he will step aside and let her make the attempt. Tavius will gesture and focus on channeling the fluctuations of random chance in her favor.
"This is a waste of time. Why not just push it open? I can work it if no one else will." Kjell rolls his shoulders and scowls, clearly agitated at how slow things are going.
The drab woman points at the ashes on the floor and says to Kjell, "That probably used to be a person. Let's keep it safe."
She squints against the dim light and looks about the walls, saying, "If this is a legendary maze, there's also the chance that there are secret apertures and passages around here." She starts slowly making her way down the wall, hand hovering near it but never touching it, occasionally checking up or down toward the ceiling or floor.
Just after Laurelin tells the large human about the door not being safe.
If you wish to try your strength against the door, by all means go for it.
With a wave is his arm, Jovich takes a few steps away from the door as he gives room to the large human.
I personally would not recommend such actions.
There are definitely a set of stones, set in a diagonal pattern moving from left at the bottom to right at the top, about 6 feet tall, that could form a door if opened.
As the magic energy ripples across the metal panel, Druhir "pokes" the magic, swirling her hand through it like a painter. The redirected magic crackles across the stones and they grate across one another. A diagonal gash opens in the wall, stretching almost 8 feet high and 3 feet wide, irregular as the shape of the stones fitted together. The stones retract, revealing a parallel corridor within the wall. You could go right or left. The interior is similar fitted stone, grey in color, relatively hard, cut and closely fitted.
"Wooaahh! Guys! Which way should we go?"
Andros peeks around the doorway, looking both directions.
Tavius will examine both directions. He can sense magic up to 55'and smell creatures up to 180' away. He can smell blood further. Up to a mile. Given the nature of the maze, I expect he'll always be scenting blood, but I should be able to tell what's closer.