We were picked with parts to play.
But now the play's turned real.
"We need to take stock, before we go on." Doreen says, looking at the group. "Each enemy's worst than the last. This one nearly killed Calia. We don't know if the people who went for help made it or if help is coming. We're relatively safe here. Going further down, we might not have the option to come back. And the given how many undead we've fought so far, we might have to destroy the walking corpse of the girl we're trying to save."
"You can take it, Calia. It looks good on you. Just try not to jump into anymore fires." With Calia's most grievous wounds taken care of, Forest readies to set off for the next unexplored room. "All the more reason to keep moving, Doreen. We don't know how much time she has, or what might try coming back this way while we rest. Better to push forward before the monsters realize they're being pursued, if they don't already. Hit fast and hard."
The door at the end of the hallway where Laird had been trapped does not seem to be locked, but rather barred- as if some heavy object was moved in front of the door. It seems as if it might be able to be moved with enough force.
'We do need to take stock.' Sariel smiles at Doreen, "we do need to take stock." Pointing to his head. "Through all this undead I have learned I have a halo.' Nodding to his companions "We have learned who has the bravery to continue.' Lifting up the empty bottle. "We were able to see Calia restored." Pointing to the east and then the west, "We know where the blocked doors are and that one of them should be where Dimira was taken."
Smiling, he continues. "So let me take stock, or inventory if you will: One scared young lady to rescue, one halo, one empty bottle." which he then tosses back into the pile of bones, nodding to Calia. "One magic shortsword, two doors to kick open and seven loyal friends willing to help each other accomplish more than their town ever expected."
Nodding to Forest, Sariel wearily lifts his sword and shield, brightening his halo as much as he can. "Now my friend, why don't you lead us back to one of those two doors, and we will find a way to move it." looking at the big quiet barbarian, "Won't we Artemis!"
Artemis had frozen. There is no two ways about it. No other way to carve around that knot in the lumber. He's looking over to Calia, watching as her wounds stitch shut, and wanting to crawl inside himself for having allowed her to be so grievously hurt.
Do you want to see her or the rest of them die like Micah, coward? Are you so keen ta save your own worthless hide that going thru that fear is the better lot?
Sariel's bold claims gives him a shake, and he nods numbly. He pulls his shield from his back and slings the newly gifted club. He didn't exactly feel worthy of the implement. At the least, with his grandfather's shield his ancestor would grant him some bravery to protect his friends.
He remains quiet but nods to Sariel once and whispers, "Lemme take the lead, you watch o'er Cal...I ain't hurt..." Artie's eyes are downcast for a brief moment. Cuz I didn't jump inta the fight...cuz I'm a... He looks back to the halo'd fellow and works his jaw. "Lemme take the lead."
He lights the second of his 3 torches and moves off down the hallway.
Die young.
Leave an animated corpse.
"Fine." Doreen says as she prepares to, once again, march with the group. "I hope if I do get killed and become undead I at least become one of the sexy ones."
With the threat of the shadow extinguished and the key and dagger retrieved, the party retreat from the smoke-filled chamber and back into the hall. The loop back past the room where they fought the beetle- a beetle that has now disappeared, perhaps having crawled back into the crack in the wall from whence it came- and try the door on this side.
They find that it is completely immovable. There are no keyholes or doorhandles anywhere on the door, though it is obvious that this door is intended to open... perhaps it only opens from the other side?
Stumped, the party makes a circuit back around to the room in which they found Laird and take another look at the door there. Its position opposite the other unopened door suggests they lead into the same room; this time, however, the door appears to open without difficulty! Whatever barred it shut would seem to have vanished. Maybe the heavy mechanical noise the party heard upon defeating Kassen's wooden golem earlier had something to do with this.
The door is heavy, but Artemis pushes it open without difficulty.
A single pillar in the center of the room supports this wide, domed chamber. The pillar is surrounded by a deep pit, but a stone bridge crosses the short gap on the south side. The pillar is riddled with tiny holes of a uniform size, facing every direction. The door on the opposite end of the chamber would seem to be the very one the party just failed to get in through in the opposite hallway, but there is also another door at the south side of the chamber.
Artie keeps his shield raised. "I don't like the looks o' them holes. Mebbe snakes? Arrows? Spikes?" He readies himself to step into the room, desperate to prove himself not a coward, but he pauses. "Brave not foolish, grandson."
He glances over his shoulder. "Wonder we should go back n' get them big Kessen shields? You n' me, Sariel, we could protect one o' the others n' go take a looksee."
Oh uhm...wait a minute... Lair rubs his temples...When we came to set up Roldare, maybe, said said something about a pillar that was meant to shock or surprise you. We were carrying blunted arrows and I've not seen the bag since...there are a lot of holes in that thing. Maybe....I mean, I'm not sure but those shileds might be a really good idea.
Laird gestures to Woodruff, He can go back and get one of them if someone wants to go with him?
"Sounds like a plan to me. I'll stay here." Forest would rather not drop his bow to carry a giant wood slab. He pulls back to the little alcove in the hall to watch the northern entrance, presuming nothing was going to come through the possibly trapped round room while they waited.
Artemis nods. "I can go with him. Sariel will need to hold here with his shield." He looks to the doorway into the circular room.
As they retrace their steps to Kessen's chamber, Artie considers Woodruff for a few moments in silence. Before long, and once they're alone, he asks, "Ain't none o' my business mind you...n' Laird ain't given no case for me ta think so, but are you n' he a relation?" The big youth clears his throat nervously. "Thing is, there's talk 'round town you're a serv...uh..." He laughs uncomfortable and shrugs his shoulders. "I thought it was gossip, ya know. Idle minds not goin' 'bout their proper work. Seems silly actually..."
He busies himself with fumbling for the compass device the old Pathfinder had given him, plaguing out by torchlight how it works so he can use it to capture true north. "Sorry, Woodruff. I should keep my big mouth shut."
compass use
Woodruff shuffles off with Artemis towards the shield room wordlessly. As the barbarian starts to talk Woodruff smiles at Artemis his voice quiet but friendly,
I am closer to Laird than any relation. I serve his wishes and keep him safe. [
The eidolon nods at the thought, sure that he has explained himself well.
Artie nods understanding, a smile on his face that shows his genuine appreciation. But a glum thought drifts across his mind like grey clouds in the horizon. "Protecting those weaker than us...it ain't always easy."
Woodruff furrows his brow and seems to struggle with a mighty thought before shrugging, It is easy to love. Love makes fights easy. Who to hit. Who to save. It is doing it wrong that scares me most.
"The times when I lose control...when the forge takes me..." Woodruff's words dig into a concern Artie has struggled with since the time he'd pummeled those Woodcutter boys out front Doreen's home. "When the fights all done...there's a part o' me what's panicky...like I might've put a hurt on someone I didn't mean to."
Artemis and Woodruff are able to make their way back to the golem's chamber unmolested. The two heavy wooden tower shields lie where they fell on the ground, the golem looming silently over them, unmoving.
Woodruff puts a hand on the barbarian, perhaps otherworldly naivete or some simple compassion, and squeezes Artemis' shoulder, You are a hero. You destroy evil and keep friends safe. You can always say you are sorry. Once again nodding as though it were such a simple thing the angel moves off and offers an almost surprised Oh! at the sight of the shields.
Smiling wide the eidolon picks one and nods clearly pleased that he has done what was asked of him.
As the others stand and wait Laird clears his throat as he taps his foot with anxiety, Woodruff doesn't usually go do things without me...I mean he does...you know...but this place being more dangerous than most other places...I've never really...that is...I hope they get back soon. We are all safer together.
I know it's smartest to wait until Artie and Woodruff get back with those shields...but that pillar looks so neat...I wonder how they rigged it up?
I'll go in with them, behind the shield, Calia chimes in, mostly to distract herself. I'll be even more hidden behind them than anyone else, and if anyone's gonna be able to stop that thing shooting at everyone else, it's me. She peers into the room again, looking eager to examine the holed pillar.
Sariel stands, trying to regain strength, his halo flickering as his concentration wonders. Looking at Laird he nods his head in agreement, "I know how you feel, I don't leave Proudsnout alone much." Realizing he had compared his pet pig to Laird's, albeit strange, friend. Looking at the young man quickly I'm not saying Woodruff is a pig or an animal or anything, I'm just saying I understand!"
'Glad I dodged that!' Turning to Calia, "Yes, you certainly are the only one that can figure it out, why we need you to be careful!'
Artemis nods thanks to Woodruff's kind words as he hefts the second tower shield. "Let's get back to the others before Auntie Cal gets into trouble."
His spirits somewhat lifted he follows Woodruff back to the rest of the group. After sorting out his own shield into his offhand, he makes sure he can handle the weight of the big tower shield in one arm.
Looking to Sariel and Woodruff, "Not sure wants the other, but we may wanna have a third person ta manage one o' our own shields ta guard our backs. The big ones go up front." He frowns down at Calia, not happy about her idea to accompany them. But Artie knew he had no mind for puzzles. And that's probably what they'd find out there. "Aunt Cal, you stay close ta me, ok? Nothin' fancy."
Turning his attention to the shields, he nods for whomever is holding the other to come alongside. "My granddad taught me this 'un. Said there was a fella up from Taldor what taught his guys the Tortoise. Ya lock up shields so there ain't no gaps..."
"Once again I'd rather see if we could bypass the trap without disarming it or spending all its ammunition. Never know what might be following us. But I'll defer to our resident expert on traps. Regardless, I'll stay here and cover the hall while you guys figure it out." His gaze rests expectantly on the little gnome.
I'll do what I can, see if there's any way we'd be able to leave it armed behind us. But if it was rigged by the folks from home, odds are it wouldn't do a whole lot of good in terms of hurting anything, anyway - it'd be a deterrent at best. Which isn't nothing. Calia takes her spot behind Artie. His defense is excellent, but there's a couple of gaps where the shields narrow at the bottom, and she peeks expectantly from between them. Let's go - I want a crack at that thing!
hit?
... :< maybe not
With the tower shields raised, three of the party begin slowly making their way into the room, one step at a time- Calia hiding between them, almost completely covered by the shields thanks to her small size. After only a few steps into the chamber, the pillar begins to move with a groan of grinding stone- slowly at first, then quickly accelerating...
The chamber then fills with sounds not unlike flies whipping past one's ear at close range. Projectiles fly from the holes on the pillar, seemingly at random, and smack into the walls of the chamber... and against the massive wooden tower shields, one after another! Though these arrows have been blunted, they still strike hard, pounding against the shields and nearly driving the shield bearers back a step; Calia very nearly is struck by one during the confusion.
Unfortunately, the torrent of arrows shows no sign of stopping as of yet...
Let's keep going - just get me close to that pillar and I can shut this thing down, even reset it behind us once we want to go below. You guys are doing great - all I need is for you to get me there, then I'll get everything sorted. Or at least I'll take a shot at it, eh? Sariel and Artemis may not have seen her wink, but they could hear it in her voice.
The air filled with arrows.
That's not a metaphor.
The air's actually filled with arrows.
From the other room, where Doreen has less risk of being turned into a pincushion, she shouts.
"Unless those traps are magically creating arrows, they have to stop eventually right?!"
Laird winces from the hallway, That doesn't sound fun.
Artie chuckles despite the dire circumstances. "C'mon, guys, let's keep going."
'Old deadeye, keep them safe from the arrows of this trap.' Seamus stands beside Doreen, shield and sword in hand, nodding his head in agreement with her. Watching Artemis, Woodruff and Calia attempt to disable the diabolical machine while the rest of the them wait, impotently watching, ready to help but hoping there will be no need.
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I bet I could fire arrows into the holes and plug up the machine...nah. That's silly. Forest continues to cover the hallway.
Pressing forward against the never-ending volley of blunted arrows, which continue to batter the old wooden tower shields, Woodruff and Artemis, with Calia just behind them, press onward toward the spinning pillar.
Sariel watches carefully, hoping his friends stay safe.
As Woodruff and Artemis push forward cautiously, Calia fidgets with anticipation - both nervousness and excitement. Just a little bit closer! she murmurs to her protectors.
possible hit; miss
possible hit; miss
As Artemis and Woodruff close the distance to the pillar, Calia sees her chance. Suddenly, she shoves aside the bottom edges of each of the shields, leaving just enough of a gap for her to duck through. Arrows come whizzing after her, but each keeps passing overhead - it's clear they hadn't had people quite her size in mind as the primary targets. Finally she makes her way to the center pillar, pulls out her tools, and gets to work.
Laird peeks into the room, watching the tense happenings with bated breath....
To be fair, it is a tiny window of time to try to work out how to stop the spinning pillar; with arrows whizzing past her head and battering against the study wooden shields held by Artemis and Woodruff, Calia can't be blamed for failing to disarm the trap.
Realizing that there is no way to shut off the pillar without becoming a walking pincushion, Calia is forced to duck back into safety.
Blinded by fear for Calia's, Artemis can't think of what else to do. "Maybe we wait. It ain't like they got a lumber yard in the basement, right?"
Could we just jam it? Break it?
Forest yells over the thuds of the arrows against the shields. "If they're unlimited we can sell the wood from the arrows. Put Vetnar out of business. Unlimited wood, unlimited money!"
After over a minute of agonizing waiting...
...the pillar slows to a stop, accompanied by the sound of stones and gears grinding. It would seem there are no more arrows to fire, and the floor of the chamber is riddled with the projectiles. It suddenly becomes very quiet in the room.
The tower shields are battered, and appear to be so heavily damaged that they may no longer function.
Two doors await the party- one to the east, and another to the south.
When the battering finally stops, Calia peeks out from behind the heavy shields - or, former shields, at least. Now they're closer to kindling than anything, though the heavy metal bands crossing them manage to just hold the wood chunks together. Well, at least they held that long...
Now that the danger is past, she takes a chance to look more carefully around the room. That door would take us back by Roldare's room, I think, she muses, pointing to the one opposite where they had entered. It's this one that'd take us further down... ...to gods know what... You guys up for it? I'm game if you are. But I don't know if I'm going to be able to reset the pillar to cover us...it was a tricky bit of work.
Arrows forever.
Singing through eternity.
Lethal, dancing killers.
Doreen peeks into the room, then steps inside. She narrows her eyes, fingers shuffling her deck with the dexterity of a professional gambler.
Forest picks up and inspects one of the many arrows. "Arrows take a decent bit of skill to make. Interesting way to use them. It's all unknown forward form here. Do any of you need to rest before we go on?"
"I'm ready to continue." Artie says, working his shoulders. Heaving around the broad shield had been more taxing than he'd thought, but he doesn't want to risk not saving the girl should she be in immediate danger.
As to the shields, Artemis looks at their state of disrepair and sighs heavily. "These woulda been nice ta bring back one as souvenirs, yeah? Mebbe get 'em hung up on a wall somewhere ta help us remember..." A grin has painted itself on his face, an image of the old Artie before the finding of dead bodies and attacking skeletons. When he looks around he blushes with embarrassment at his enthusiasm. He picks up one of the shields and head over to the doorway thru which they'd arrived, leaves it, then returns to get the other one. "Might be a good thing ta wedge these guys into this spot, keep the door open so we can beat feet...in case we run into big trouble..."
He busies himself with making sure the door won't close behind them. Artie brings out some of his woodworking tools and begins shaping the edges of the shields to create wedges.
Once done he packs up and looks to the other doorway. "Want me ta check the door 'fore we all gob thru?"