Rissi turns invisible while Lucian stops the strip show before it really gets started. Miana delivers a round-house kick to three of the demons as Kufieno claws one of them from behind. Seal cleaves through three of the demons and takes one out in the process!
The demons keep clawing desperately at Miana but her holy training protects her from the attacks and the party, now no longer stripping, quickly takes out the succubi simulacra!
"Obviously Kufieno and Sealman weren't quite themselves there... Maybe it is time for us to get a rest?" suggests the Varisian boy before channelling Desna's restful sound of the spheres to soothe his companions.
"I don't know what you are talking about Lucian. I feel fine. It was just getting' hot in herr, I just wanted to take off all my clothes.
"I agree. Time for a nap. Center room OK?"
"Although magic may indeed have been involved, it did not seem to take much *chhh* encouragement for you to *squeak* reach your natural state. I have no particular care as to where we stay, although the central chambers hardly seem defensible."
She retires for a bit, focusing on studying the central pool.
"You are right, Rissi. Duh! To the pillow room it is!"
"Maybe we'll find more information on the ritual in another wing of that complex. There's still lots to explore."
When Sealman suggests the pillow room, Lucian frowns a bit. "As comfortable as it may seem, I'm not too sure about that choice. I mean, isn't that in the Lust wing? We crawl into a magic we don't understand, Seal, and I sure wouldn't like any... unwanted intimacy due to the lingering magic there, if you see what I mean. Of course Desna encourages us to travel many paths, but this one I'm willing to leave alone for now."
The company heads back to the central room and takes a rest, during which Rissi spends some more time studying the central pool. Her magical assessment draws her to several conclusions about the use of this structure: the inhabitants of Runeforge once used the runeforge pool as a method to communicate with the runelords, but the pool’s primary use seemed to be to temper newly created magic items. With the runeforge pool, the wizards could create magic items much more efficiently and rapidly.
A large iron door studded with dozens of colorful gemstones stands in the eastern wall at the end of this corridor. Although the door appears to have no latch, a depression in the center contains a keyhole.
Kufieno actually easily notes that the door on the side of the hall is fake and trapped and the real door is hidden in the stone straight ahead.
Kufieno points to the door. "That's a fake and it is trapped. The real door is over here." He says, leading the way.
Sealman taps his dorn with his Lead Blades wand, stands behind Miana and nods to proceed.
Before proceeding, the oracle asks the powers that be whether it is a good idea to use the central pool or not.
Then Lucian wards his companions and friends against various perils that might will surely await them in the Vaults of Greed.
Lucian sits down with some parchment and closes his eyes as he scratches out the question. Moments later, his hand starts to move across the page. When he looks down, he sees the word Weal scribbled beneath his question.
After some preparations, you let yourselves through the secret door. A beautiful tunnel of polished wood inlaid with silver and gold runes stretches for at least a hundred feet before ending at a wall of greenish mist sparkling with silver motes of light.
"I would be mindful of the *chhh* mist. It will transform you - unhelpfully - and then transport you away to somewhere most likely lethal. Perhaps we can suppress it, or find a way around."
"That would be an interesting fate, to say the least. Would our beads protect us from that effect? Not that I'd like to squander it that way, just asking."
Lucian thinks for a moment, and adds "I can also try to dispel the mists, if needed. However, both solutions you are considering seem sound ones."
"Indeed. The *chh* teleport will still be problematic. Cancelation of the *squeak* magic, removal of runes, wind to blow away the miasma. Teleportation magic. I am certain we can find a trivial way through if we put our minds to it. Perhaps even a mundane solution exists."
Rissi summons a gust of wind to clear the foul vapors and everyone rushes through the lavish hall before it refills itself.
The chamber beyond is paved with ivory tiles, each one engraved with a silver rune depicting what appears to be a claw gripping a gemstone. The walls and ceiling are of polished marble. A large silver basin in the center of the room contains an icy sculpture of a whale spraying crystal-clear water from its blowhole. The water cascades around it to keep the basin full, but never quite overflowing.
A mephit pops its head above the water. It sinks back down for a second and then reemerges, followed by three others. "Oh look! Another group of fleshies come to slobber in our pool!" the first says, to the laughter of the others.
"We are here on matters that are *squeak* unlikely to directly involve your pool, unless your pool has exceptional magical qualities. We were, in fact, seeking the lord of this place. We have need of the *chhh* secrets of the runeforge for our own pressing need." the wizard remarks conversationally.
Lucian's eyes glimmer with marvel as he beholds the watery creatures.
"Hello there! Nice to meet you, name's Lucian. It's truly wonderful to meet such special creatures such as yourselves!" the oracle enthusiastically says with a hint of child-like attitude.
"As my good friend Rissi puts it, we're looking for the wizard in charge of this part of the Runeforge. Any chance you might tell us something about him? Or what dangers lie ahead?"
Sealman resists the urge to run and jump into the pool while yelling, "CANNONBALL!"
The mephits giggle a bit as they gawk at Lucian, clearly taken in by his young features. One answers, "Well, there's this mean silver man who keeps coming and casting hurtful spells at us. That's probably who you're talking about." Another pipes up, "There are more pools around here. Four of them have goldfish and they're all linked. There's another big one made of magic. Never been there though." The others shake their heads as well. "Pretty quiet around here though, other than the mean silver man, that is. Just sold old statues in each of the goldfish rooms is all we've ever seen."
"Golems, perhaps" Rissi intuits, worried. "I rather *sqeuak* dislike encounters with such creatures, if that is what they are." She claws at her whiskers nervously. "Thank you for the information. We needn't disturb you any longer." She waver her hand, prestidigitating a small cloud of rain over the head of a mephit.
"Thank you very much for this information, that'll prove most useful. By the way, who feeds the goldfishes?" Lucian wonders aloud.
"It would be interesting to collect these goldfish and *nnnn* break enchantment. Perhaps some would revert to minds of worth."
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Pleased that they came across something not naturally evil or programmed to attack, Miana nods approvingly at Rissi's diplomatic skills. "Yes, peace be with you.", the robed paladin bows.
Upon the mephit's words, Miana switches necklaces to her golembane scarab. "Let's inspect these other pools and see if we can find this silver man they speak of."
The mephits are overjoyed at the rain shower but only shrug at Lucian. "Maybe the silver man."
To the south, just as the mephits described, you find a room with a fountain spraying water towards the ceiling thirty feet above. The water cascades back into a pool in which colorful goldfish swim. The fountain features a nine-foot-tall stone statue of a human wizard holding a staff in one hand. The other hand is raised over his head, and it is from this hand's palm that the water issues. Sure enough, the statue activates upon your entry!
Lucian raises his hand to the where the stars are - that is, if he could see them.
"Great Desna, guide our hearts and arms into battle once again!"
Rissi contents herself with hurling acid.
On the advice of possible golem, Sealman draws Isoult and taps her with the Lead Blades wands as they enter the next room. He also reactivates his Adaptation to AC.
Seeing the stone statue come to life, Seal grins with glee as he brandishes Isoult. He jerks and jukes his way into the room dodging any incoming blows.
Kufieno casts a spell, creating multiple images of himself, then moves forward, drawing his weapons.
Rissi hits the statue with a glob of acid as Lucian blesses the party's movements. Seal swings but not hard enough and Isoult only bounces off the statue. Kufieno then protects himself with a set of images as he moves to the edge of the pool. The statue reaches out to slam its arm and staff into the two eager combatants!
active: good hope, blessing of fervor
Lucian blesses his companions with a prayer to Desna.
Rissi, master of the elements, defender of Sandpoint, ratfolk who helped slay Mokmurian...
...throws a glob of acid!
"I'm not seeing any gold fish... Ugh!!" says Sealman as he is gut shoted by the golem.
Seal begins to carve this stone golem down to a more manageable size.
"I feel there is an elephant inside you wanting to be free!"
Rissi's acid-lobbing continues to be the most effective attack so far as Lucian offers up a prayer. Seal then manages to hit this time-thrice, in fact-and sends the golem toppling into the pool!
"First door we come to sound good? Unless anybody has a more reasonable method?"
"Agreed Sealman, let's see what these doors hide."
Kufieno moves up to the door and begins checking for traps.
Kufieno finds no traps and inside the room you find what were shops or rooms for storing building materials. Each room is now mostly empty save for a scattering of raw materials like sheets of cloth, stacks of lumber, blocks of stone, metal bars, and bones. In fact, all of the rooms in the hall are similarly stocked as are the rooms in the northern part of the complex.
The rooms radiate strong transmutation magic. Studying it for a moment, Rissi thinks she understands it: a user can cast fabricate at will when inside, but the magic is underlined with a distinct sense of greed that must align with the user's own persona to make this function properly.
"This place is permeated with the metaphysical manifestation of greed, and may be used to fabricate any item from *shhh* something of the same value. I would use caution wielding its powers *chhh*, however. We have already seen how an exercise of greed strengthens the runelord. I suggest we leave it be and move on" She points to the northern door.
"How wonderful! But you're right, we should leave it alone... for now."
Just think of the possibilities!
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"Your magical perceptions are astounding.", Miana complimenting her diminutive ally. "I imagine such items created would be useful for greed-aligned runeforge items, no?"
Miana ponders this some more, looking at her hands and the amulet at her neck. "I wonder about using magic from an empire fallen to corruption to defeat similar evils, especially given the options."
After studying the complex a bit, you head through the next door. Rows of thick wooden worktables occupy the center of this long chamber. Bookcases lining the walls hold hundreds of books and scrolls. Crates next to or pushed under the worktables appear to be filled with an odd variety of mundane items, such as rope, sticks, sacks, tools, and cookware. A dog on one of the tables looks dead, though its hind end appears to made of some kind of metal. A few other animals pace back and forth in small metal cages-a house cat, a few rats, a snake, and a small white-faced monkey.
The metal man you were warned about is here, studying books on a workbench before him. "Foul mortal intruders!" the man shouts in Thassilonian. "Disturbing my work and breaking my creations! Ten thousand years I have defended these halls and you have the audacity to approach my workspace! Be gone!"