Morrow reaches to grab the door and close it. "The door should muffle it some on this side.... And whatever set it already knows. Let's get out of here!"
A quick tug proves that the block is magically adhered to the back of the door - probably until a command word to silence the thing is uttered. Morrow quickly determines that closing the door does indeed muffle the noise somewhat on the other side - back the way they came. Though it can still be heard, at least it's not going to cause your ears to bleed or anything.
"Lets check the doors at at the black slime before we descend down.
If any monster opens this door, we will hear it and we will be ready for it"
Those doors turn out to be 'false doors' that were probably trapped at one point, though not any longer. Probably whoever originally set the traps isn't around any longer to reset them.
"I don't see or hear any danger, but anything remotely aware heard that alarm and will be alert. I think we should hole up in the secret room where the Gauth was. I doubt that many of the creatures that live here even consider stopping by to visit with it. Probably the safest place here to rest."
"After a good rest the alert will be back to normal. Whatever creature set that alarm will probably reset it.... But we should set a guard for while we rest. I don't need to prepare magic but do need rest to recover my magical energy. I'll take whichever watch is most convenient for us."
"Agreed, relative safety, sleep, recover, move on. I'll take first watch if no one minds." Nebuzaradan puts in.
Reonnyn nods in agreement here. "No telling what monsters will come to investigate that noise. I'll take second watch."
Moonday, 10th day of Planting, 594 C.Y.
Weather outside is unknown (underground for 3 days)
Current time is unknown, probably very early morning or so.
-------------------------------------------------
The foul stench in the gauth's lair is too much to stomach at first, but after letting it air out for a bit, the smaller room to the south where the creature had hid its treasure becomes at least somewhat tolerable. In any case, the eight or so hours of rest passes without interruption and after preparations are made, the party finds themselves in a position to move on. Thankfully, the alarm they'd set off earlier has silenced itself - or been silenced by something...
Ruins of Castle Greyhawk (Overview)
----------------------------------------------
PC Health and Adventure Notes
Verdan 61/61
Reonnyn 64/64 [Darkvision; DR 1 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation)]
Shadow 63/63
Nebuzaradan 50/50 [Darkvision]
Aurora 52/52 [Carrying Everburning Torch]
Morrow 75/75
I will update spells this evening after work.
Moonday, 10th day of Planting, 594 C.Y.
Weather outside is unknown (underground for 3 days)
Current time is unknown, probably very early morning or so.
-------------------------------------------------
The party makes ready and then heads through the door and down the stone steps in a cautious manner. No traps are spotted by Aurora, and at the bottom they find a passage that leads south into a naturally-formed cave apparently used for storage, as it is filled with neat stacks of barrels and crates. These look to have been recently placed here, unlike the other cave with the alarmed door. Everything is quite orderly and there are no signs of dust that might indicate it has been abandoned.
A worked passage leads west, and though the corridor hooks back north after only twenty feet or so, there is a door set in the southern wall.
Ruins of Castle Greyhawk (Overview)
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PC Health and Adventure Notes
Verdan 61/61 [No AC Penalty when using Hide/Move Silently (Iron Silence) for 10 hours]
Reonnyn 64/64 [DR 1 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation)]
Shadow 63/63
Nebuzaradan 50/50 +17 THP [Darkvision; +6 armor bonus to AC (Greater Mage Armor) for 10 hours; can fly [average] manueverability] at a speed of 40' (Overland Flight) for 10 hours; has 17 temporary hit points (False Life) for 10 hours]
Aurora 52/52 [Carrying Everburning Torch]
Morrow 75/75 [Darkvision (Norebo's Hand)]
"Interesting," Reonnyn comments wryly. Thoe half ogres were definitely prepared here for a long stay judging by the supplies. Let's see if they were part of that 'General' gang, see what they were storing here. Maybe just foodstuffs but you never know. Neb, Aurora and Morrow, please check it out. Verdan and I will guard the corridor."
Nebuzaradan looks over his spectacles at the halfling then shrugs. He lands and walks over to the casks and barrels. First he looks for labels, then he looks about for any that look as if they can be opened by hand. If not easily opened by hand he draws a dagger and tries to pry up a lid.
Moonday, 10th day of Planting, 594 C.Y.
Weather outside is unknown (underground for 3 days)
Current time is unknown, probably very early morning or so.
-------------------------------------------------
Neb gives the warlock a long, steady look then drifts over to investigate the crates. He finds plenty of rations and skins that likely hold drinking water - in fact, there must be hundreds of days' worth here. The containers are in good shape and several bear various sigils and marks.
Ruins of Castle Greyhawk (Overview)
----------------------------------------------
PC Health and Adventure Notes
Verdan 61/61 [No AC Penalty when using Hide/Move Silently (Iron Silence) for 10 hours]
Reonnyn 64/64 [DR 1 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation)]
Shadow 63/63
Nebuzaradan 50/50 +17 THP [Darkvision; +6 armor bonus to AC (Greater Mage Armor) for 10 hours; can fly [average] manueverability] at a speed of 40' (Overland Flight) for 10 hours; has 17 temporary hit points (False Life) for 10 hours]
Aurora 52/52 [Carrying Everburning Torch]
Morrow 75/75 [Darkvision (Norebo's Hand)]
Neb looks through the barrels and takes note of the sigils. After perusing the stuff he comes back to report his find, "Food stuffs. Interestingly enough it looks like it was provided by..."
Morrow moves over to the crates and barrels to check them out. He doesn't recognize any of the marking but uses Norebo's Hand to scan quickly for any enchantments. "Never know. It could be poisoned.... Probably not though. Stolen would be my guess. Are they provisioning an army? Or just long term planning?"
Once done he moves down the corridor past the door. He looks around the corner while someone else checks the door for traps.
Moonday, 10th day of Planting, 594 C.Y.
Weather outside is unknown (underground for 3 days)
Current time is unknown, probably very early morning or so.
-------------------------------------------------
Morrow detects no enchantments as Neb looks over the sigils and marks. He recognizes several of them as merchant houses common to the City of Greyhawk, as well as a few out of nearby Nyrond and a couple out of the Duchy of Urnst as well. But there are a good many that bear a grinning skull - the symbol of Iuz.
The duskblade investigates the passage to the north, his darkvision allowing him to see that the narrow corridor extends for some fifty feet or so before ending in a T-intersection.
Ruins of Castle Greyhawk (Overview)
----------------------------------------------
Verdan 61/61 [No AC Penalty when using Hide/Move Silently (Iron Silence) for 10 hours]
Reonnyn 64/64 [DR 1 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation)]
Shadow 63/63
Nebuzaradan 50/50 +17 THP [Darkvision; +6 armor bonus to AC (Greater Mage Armor) for 10 hours; can fly [average] manueverability] at a speed of 40' (Overland Flight) for 10 hours; has 17 temporary hit points (False Life) for 10 hours]
Aurora 52/52 [Carrying Everburning Torch]
Morrow 75/75 [Darkvision (Norebo's Hand)]
Morrow signals for quiet when he sees the corridor to the T-intersection. "Check for traps on the door, but I think we should follow this open hallway first. Could be something dangerous that could hear us and fall on our rear guard....
He moves a little way then pauses to verify that the group is following.
Reonnyn nods silently and creeps along behind Morrow, motioning for Verdan to guard the rear passage with the stairwell. "Right behind you."
Nebuzaradan rises from the ground, helps to avoid pressure plates, and follows Reonnyn.
Moonday, 10th day of Planting, 594 C.Y.
Weather outside is unknown (underground for 3 days)
Current time is unknown, probably very early morning or so.
-------------------------------------------------
Aurora confirms that, to the best of her knowledge, there are no traps to be found along the hallway and the group proceeds, with the dwarven wizard floating austerely above them toward the middle of the single file formation. At the intersection, the party finds a door some twenty feet away where the corridor ends. To the left is what appears to be a small chamber, or at least a more elaborate intersection. Again hallways are glimpsed heading north and south while directly across from them about twenty feet away is an alcove housing a large statue of a bearded wizard with fingers tented before his face - as though concentrating deeply.
Verdan frowns slightly upon seeing the figure, but shakes his head. "Seems familiar, but I'm not sure..."
Ruins of Castle Greyhawk (Overview)
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Verdan 61/61 [No AC Penalty when using Hide/Move Silently (Iron Silence) for 10 hours]
Reonnyn 64/64 [DR 1 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation)]
Shadow 63/63
Nebuzaradan 50/50 +17 THP [Darkvision; +6 armor bonus to AC (Greater Mage Armor) for 10 hours; can fly [average] manueverability] at a speed of 40' (Overland Flight) for 10 hours; has 17 temporary hit points (False Life) for 10 hours]
Aurora 52/52 [Carrying Everburning Torch]
Morrow 75/75 [Darkvision (Norebo's Hand)]
"Hmm... Well, it can't be anybody important if nobody knows who it is! A quick scan to see if there are any enchantments on the statue, and the door. Please step back for a moment Verdan."
The statue radiates a moderate aura of conjuration magic. The door radiates no magic, nor does Morrow detect anything beyond.
Nebuzaradan looks at the statue, "Oh, its a classic stylized likeness of ..."
Nebuzaradan looks at the statue, "Oh, its a classic stylized likeness of ..."
Neb knows that Boccob was said to have guided the apotheosis of his servant Zagig to godhood. He is also known as 'The Uncaring' and 'The Lord of All Magics'. The recently deceased Riggby of the Circle of Eight, whose body still lies in state in the City of Greyhawk, was a major cleric of Boccob.
"I'm more concerned about the aura laid upon the statue than whoever it represents," Reonnyn mutters darkly. "Anyway you see to bypass or suppress the aura?" He asks Aurora.
Morrow turns away from the door, barely glancing at the statue. "No magic on the door. Check for traps though, and I'll have a look in the corridor to either side of the statue. I'll try not to touch it though so hopefully the magic won't reach out and grab me...."
Morrow edges closer to the statue without triggering any sort of fell magic enough to check the two passages. Both of them are choked with rubble and impassible. Whether this was done purposefully at some point long ago or as a result of some local cataclysm is impossible to determine.
Morrow nods and turns back to the door. "Nothing useful that way. Collapsed or was collapsed. Either way we can't go that way unless we wanted to dig. Any traps on that door? I'll take the lead again once it's checked."
Moonday, 10th day of Planting, 594 C.Y.
Weather outside is unknown (underground for 3 days)
Current time is unknown, probably very early morning or so.
-------------------------------------------------
Finding no traps, Morrow eases open the unlocked door to behold quite a sight. The soft sound of dripping water echoes through this large, damp cavern. A forest of stalactites hangs from the high ceiling some thirty feet up, the display mirrored below by an equally impressive array of stalagmites measuring anywhere from three feet to ten feet or more. A few of the formations have in fact merged to form massive columns that meet delicately in the center. Swaths of color - deep purple in some spots and scintillating green in others - run along the rocky walls, and a thick mat of fungus and ropy mushrooms cover the floor. The glowing hues serve to illuminate most of the enormous cavern, save for some areas where the stalagmites and columns block line of sight.
It is around one of these formations that a figure appears, toward the far end of the exotically beautiful cave, and those same qualities can be said to reflect the features of the creature herself - if one were to look past the obviously fiendish characteristics. The figure is statuesque, well-muscled and standing more than six feet tall with ebony skin and long silver hair that matches the tattoos of spiraling runes that decorate her arms and legs. However, the cloven feet, bat-like wings, red eyes and dainty ivory horns growing from her brow give away her demonic heritage.
But the creature suddenly raises both hands in a gesture of supplication and calls out pleadingly. "By the gods, you have found me! Please, you must help! This form you see is not what I truly am! I have been cursed!"
Ruins of Castle Greyhawk (Overview)
----------------------------------------------
Verdan 61/61 [No AC Penalty when using Hide/Move Silently (Iron Silence) for 10 hours]
Reonnyn 64/64 [DR 1 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation)]
Shadow 63/63
Nebuzaradan 50/50 +17 THP [Darkvision; +6 armor bonus to AC (Greater Mage Armor) for 10 hours; can fly [average] manueverability] at a speed of 40' (Overland Flight) for 10 hours; has 17 temporary hit points (False Life) for 10 hours]
Aurora 52/52 [Carrying Everburning Torch]
Morrow 75/75 [Darkvision (Norebo's Hand)]
Despite every instinct screaming at him this is an obvious trap Reonnyn does not let loose a blast of eldritch fire here. Instead he calls out in hopefully a persuaive tone, "We have no quarrel with you, but we must be careful nonetheless! who are you, and how did you come to be trapped here?"
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The demonic creature eagerly answers the warlock. "My name is Rhaiani, and my true form is an elven maiden. My father is ruler of Sonestri, an elvish city deep within the forest humans call the Celadon. Many years ago I made the mistake of falling in love with an elven bard named Aerich. He performed at my parents' court every winter solstice, and was considered quite mysterious and handsome by the ladies of my father's palace. I fell for his charms and he offered me a place by his side, to see the many cities and people where he performed. It sounded so... exciting to me at the time. A princess who had never seen the world beyond her father's court." She pauses then, and sighs.
"But he was a fraud, and I soon learned why he was so mysterious. He was a drow elf in disguise, a powerful enchanter that enjoyed visiting the world above to sow chaos and death. But he said was taken by my beauty, and thought to turn me to his side. He promised that once we were united together, I would rule Sonestri under his guidance and support. He quickly learned that never would I betray my people, and so he brought me here, to this awful place and imprisoned me. He gave me this hideous form so that if adventurers exploring these old dungeons ever ran across me, they would surely kill me. He comes back every now and again to give me food and to demand that I bond myself to him in marriage. He comes perhaps once a week give or take a few days... it is difficult to keep track of time in this terrible prison. But Aerich has told me that I am magically bound here, and it is true that I cannot set foot past the cave about halfway to the door and freedom! Please... can you help me?"
Nebuzaradan considers her story then casts detect magic. He looks upon the maiden and the doorway of which she spoke to determine what he can of any magics thereof.
While the story sounds convincing, perhaps too much so?, Morrow isn't immediately convinced. Noticing Nebuzaradan casting his detection spell Morrow speaks up to disguise the casting. "If you are magically bound here how exactly are we to assist you? Is it that you cannot move through the doorway under your own power? Maybe we just carry you? Or is it some more powerful ward? Does it stop us from entering? Or if we do so will we also be trapped? How about breaking through the wall instead of the door?"
Rhaiani shakes her head at Morrow's question. "Aerich taunts me constantly, knowing that I can do nothing about this magical prison. He has said it requires a powerful spell to dismiss. An anti-magic enchantment, or a dysfunction spell, I think. You can walk through freely, I believe, for he approaches me when he visits. But for myself, if I were to attempt to approach you, I would walk into some kind of invisible barrier. I have used rocks to try and batter through, but to no avail."
Neb casts his spell and he detects several magical auras upon the demonic creature, emanating from articles of clothing or jewelry she wears. Bracers, an amulet, two rings and a cloak. They all appear to be protective magic of moderate power. The dwarf also detects the magical binding of which she speaks - a powerful compulsion enchantment. The wizard is quite versed in this type of magic, and identifies it as a Hedged Prison Binding spell. It appears she speaks the truth about her enforced captivity at any rate, and the only spells that could possibly dismiss such a spell are either an Antimagic Field or Mordenkeinen's Disjunction - an irony not lost on the dwarf as the party had met the creator of that very spell only a few days ago.
Rhaiani raises an eyebrow...
Once Neb explains the spell to Reonnyn (which mostly goes over his head) he glances back at the statue of the god Boccob before turning his attention to the statuesque demoness. "We are inclined to believe you here, yet we lack the means to free you." He pauses here trying to formulate the proper question, "Did your...captor offer any clues or some other hints as to when he would grant your freedom?"
Nebuzaradan being the curmudgeon that he is, speaks his mind, "She's lying. Someone has captured her but she's no princess. She has enough magical protections on her to take on a small army. It could have been Mordenkeinen himself who locked her in here. Regardless of who did it, I don't think we should get her out."
Rhaiani cries out at Neb's words. "Please, no! You must believe me! These trinkets were given me by Aerich. He told me that they might keep me alive were I attacked by roaming treasure seekers. I don't think he cares really, and I certainly don't. Perhaps you can use some of them to purchase the spells that might free me? I will gladly give you whatever you think you might sell. Master dwarf, you have the look of a powerful wizard. Won't you help me? Aerich will only free me if I agree to his evil plans. And I never will!"
Reonnyn considers her words thoughtfully, "When was the last time Aerich visited you? Could you describe him to us? Maybe we can persuade him to release you?"
It sounds like she may be a useful ally against Bilarro...should she prove trustworthy.
Rhaiani looks gratefully at Reonnyn. "I thank you, but know he is a powerful wizard. Aerich is a drow, dark of skin as mine appears to be, with short silver hair and he usually wears robes of black with red trim. I know not when he will return, though he visited but three days ago. I would much rather be gone from this place entirely when he returns, for if I can reach the safety of my father's court I am certain I will be quite safe there."
Neb hasn't heard of Sonestri, nor of the disappearance of an elven princess - though the dwarf doesn't know much about the elves of the Celadon forest in truth. He does know that their 'cities' are generally little more than small communities where homes of the common folk and the rulers (as well as shops and the like) are either built up in the trees for the most part or at least utilizing the living forest in their construction. In any case, Neb's limited knowledge can neither confirm nor deny Rhaiani's story.
Reonnyn motions for Verdan to follow him out of earshot of the captive. Once out of sight he grimaces, "Her story smells of rancid garbage but IF she is telling the truth she may be willing to help us find that Orb. Do you have any means to determine whether her words carry the ring of truth?"
Verdan nods at Reonnyn's idea, but there is a slight frown on his face. "I don't trust her either, and your idea is sound. Unfortunately, I must pray for those spells, as the ones I have been granted by Pelor for today will not assist in discerning truth from lie."
”I say camp out and test her story. If, and that’s a big if, she is telling the truth we should help her. If she is a lying succubus, then we send her back to the abyss and take her trinkets.” Neb says in private conversation safely away from Rhaiani.
"I don't like the idea of wasting time down here, even though we now have enough food supplies here," Reonnyn disagrees, "We should press on here...I am fairly sure she is NOT going anywhere! We can verify her story on the morrow."