Yeda grimaces at the assortment of macabre effects in the room.
I don't want to know what they do here...
She approaches one of the shelves and flips through a scroll or book to get a sense of the literature here.
"Well, I don't see Tsuto's head in any of those jars, so. Looks like this is a dead end." She glances back down the hall to the south. "Seems like the way forward lies in that direction."
He startled for a moment spinning about peering into the darkness behind them one hand gripping his spear and almost using it the ward away the darkness the other hand brushing himself along the shoulders like something had just brushed against him. He frowned into the darkness barely paying attention to the others until they mentioned Tsuto. His eyes snapped to Evriani with an almost supernatural quickness.
"I should have cut his location from her lying tongue."
He began his voice a hint too harsh for just a moment. His skin did darken a shade in embaressment. He wasnt sure why his emotions were running so wild recently... though a lot had happened. Whatever the cool feeling that had brushed across his skin was gone...
Evie frowned at his snappy reply. "Corrin? We'll find the body, don't worry. Are you okay?"
Jarl watches the others, keeping an eye out for trouble. After giving them a few moments to examine the room and some contents, he'll note "If there's nothing obviously important here, the odds are good we can dig through this later without having to worry that somebody may come looking to hurt us. Right? Might be time to see if we can find them before they start looking."
Loxley followed the party in silence. The Arcanist’s gaze leapt from one flickering shadow to another. She was no woman of devout faith, but every step seemed to drive the hairs on the back of her neck to raise.
Her all too human eyes struggled with the darkness until lights were called up by magic and flint. She still squinted into the darkness beyond their light, bow ready for anything waiting to jump out at them.
But nothing came.
They carefully made their way along the corridor, allowing those better at spotting nasty surprises a chance to preceed the rest. At the intersection she peered down the halls as Yeda suggested Sazzat check the Northern hall. She actually caught herself chuckling a little at his giantess remark, but it was a nervous chuckle.
At the rogue’s call Loxley had little faith there was just a simple fountain, given all they had found so far. Moving up to the doorway she found she was not wrong. Under better circumstances, she would be the first in line to examine the aging books, papers and other oddities lining the shelves. But these were not ‘better circumstances’ and so Loxley turned away from the room to regard the other halls.
Following Jarl back to the intersection she looks between the corridor heading South from the ‘skull room’, as she was thinking of it, and the West one, across from the hall the entered from.
”The Southern hall looks like it splits again.”
She commented.
”Should we check the West hall first?”
Loxley asked the others with a gesture to the hall to the groups left, across from the hall the had come down originally.
The warrior continues back South through the corridor. Stopping at the split she looks back and forth, not liking either prospect of darkness.
West it is...
Sazzat moves quietly a short distance south to stealthly look around the corners to see what can be seen. While also making sure there are no traps leading up to the T-intersection.
Okay, I'll bite. Hey everyone, what's up with these flaming skulls? Can you wizards give them a quick scan?
Evie looks back at Yeda and shrugs, more concerned with what she what she sees as Corrin's fraying nerves at that moment, but comes a bit closer to look. She uses detect magic as well as thinking about the possible religious significance they might carry.
Yeda glances at a series of books and scrolls on the shelf, commenting lightly about the contents as she goes.
Sandpoint notes. Something called "runewells". All Nualia's personal notes. Oh, love letters from Tsuto. I'm sure those kept her thoroughly entertained...
She drops the stack back onto the shelf with a satisfying thud, and follows the rest of the party to continue South.
Evie looks over the writings. "We should take these. Get a better look at them later."
"Runewell?" Zeldana asked as she moved to look. "Let me have a look at that." Zeldana requested as she held out her hand for the notes.
Hunh. Interesting.
"So, ladies, which way would you like to continue? South, was it?"
Yeda hands the thick stack of papers to Zeldana.
I suppose we could also just bring some of these with us to study later. Does "runewell" mean anything to you?
Then to Jarl.
Yes, we may as well. That's the next direction, and then...
Her heavy footsteps pass the Varisian, her hand tracing the wall as she caught up with Sazzat.
What do you think, West from here?
Sazzat shakes his head no and softly says as he points to his left where the hall narrows to an odd column of carved gold coins, "I think ignoring that would be bad idea." He then looks at Yeda, "Further I think a Detect Magic would set my mind at ease prior to me stepping out into that hallway."
Evriani steps forward and searches for magic in the area Sazzat indicated...
Sazzat adjusts his position to allow Evriani to the front. Of course it also allows him to subtly get closer to not one but two strikingly pretty woman which while fleeting is never unpleasant.
Loxley stood at the intersection. She could hear the others well enough back down the hall. The mention of ‘runewell’ didn’t trigger any immediate recognition, but she pondered the term as she waited for the others to join them.
”Taking any notes back with us could shed a plethora of insight on the terrible plans laid within these dark walls.”
She commented as Yeda passed her and approached Sazzat. Loxley glanced from the rogue to the witch as Zeldana stepped up to search for magic.
She waited patiently, ready to follow again. An arrow notched to string, she watched and waited.
"Do you all remember that pool we found? Under Sandpoint? With the things that crawled out of it? That was a Runewell. If they have notes on it then they might of actually learned important things about it." Zeldana explained as she began to look through them.
"Pool under Sandpoint? Runewell? When we're back safe at a tavern table, someone's going to have to tell me about all of this."
Jarl shakes his head, trying to keep overwatch and follow along, all while hearing strange and unusual stories about his own home, things that seem to violate every concept of it as a safe place to live.
Evriani seems less curious than Jarl, seemingly lacking the attachment to Sandpoint the rest of you have.
"Those coins are enchanted with some sort of spell, but I can't pinpoint its nature. It could be a trap. Let's be honest, it's almost certainly a trap."
Yeda holds up the blade of her current sword in front of her non-dominant eye, so that she can focus on the coins with the main one.
You're right. I bet it's an illusion placed just over or under some trap.
"Well I can deal with mundane traps but magical traps are completely outside my ability to deal with. Further that trap may affect this entire hallway for all we know. So we need to figure out how to bypass it or someone not afraid of dying needs to step into the hallway ahead of us and no I am not that someone."
"Not afraid of dying? I try not to be, but I AM human. Deadeye directs me to protect the community, though, so fear isn't the only motivator." Jarl starts to stride forward, but, let's be honest, his steps get shorter and more ginger after he starts walking down that hallway.
Sazzat responds to Jarl, "Ah yes, do I fear death, nay. However, I do not feel one should pursue it either. Caution is always a good thing to harbor as it lets you live much longer and ultimately is that not the goal of everyone's life to live it long and to the fullest?" He closely watches Jarl's progress attempting to notice anything out of the ordinary that might be triggered by Jarl's movements. "Are you still watching the magic?" he asks to see if those that can see magic notice any fluctuations in that magic.
Evie keeps an eye on the aura as Jarl slowly approaches. "I am. If it suddenly begins to change I'll let you know, though it will likely be too late at that point."
"Such a confidence builder!"
"It looks like a big stack of small coins. Some kind of rough decoration on the coin edges, though."
"Ah well coins are good, assuming they are not cursed." seeing as approaching the coins did not cause an magical explosion Sazzat is very tempted to walk down and gather up the coins. However, he remembers hearing stories about things like this. Traps for the unwary and greedy. Especially since no one leaves a stack of coins out like that without some alterior motive. Still I would suggest not touching those coins quite yet." Sazzat walks down to examine the stack of coins more closely looking to see if there might be any physical traps laid along with any possible magical ones. Thinking to himself as he does so, 'Best as well check one item off the list of possibilities.
Orik slips past everyone and stands next to Sazzat and Jarl.
I heard about this coin stack. Nualia and the others talked about it. Said it held a heavy enchantment upon it. Nothing more than carved stone and glamored to look like coins. They think it might be a door or something. Not sure. Nualia said she was going to seek information elsewhere after Sandpoint he trails off with a subtle cough. He coughs a little louder and continues after that stuff, she was going to get information on what's beyond and how this door works.
Zeldana, stuffing her bags with some of the papers that mention runewells and sandpoint, she hurries to catch up.
Yeda steps forward behind Orik, now more curious.
Did she say where, or from who she might get that info?
Evie looked at Orik. "Did she not know, then? Well if these wonderful people didn't even know how to pass that, we've no need to go that way, correct? At least not for what Corrin is after. What say we go the other direction, before Jarl turns into gold or something." She flashed the man in question a wry grin.
Loxley was thoughtful as she stood at the intersection waiting patiently. At Zeldana’s prompt she remembered the unnatural pool beneath the town and gave a tiny shudder. It also reminded her of the book they had recovered from the outing as well. It seemed similar to the one of the ones they had just discovered, at least at a cursory glance. They would have to look closer once back at town.
Watching as Jarl and Orik approached the ‘coin stack’ she held her bow ready.
”A door of some kind?”
She mused, a little curious now. Lowing her bow she moved down the hall to join the men. Calling on her magic she opens her eyes to magical energies.
”There maybe something in the books and papers. We can check later, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Nualia probably went through them already.”
She mentioned off-handedly without looking away from the enchantment.
”I could try to fire an arrow at it.”
Loxley offered. Her curiosity was being peaked again, the hunt for the villainous traitor’s remains slipping from the forefront of her concerns.
It was a bad habit she knew, but she’d never been able shake it only reign it in when she caught herself.
As the others talk Sazzat continues examining this seeming stack of coins to see if it had any noticable physical traps and/or a means of opening a door should there be one here.
Orik shrugs at Yeda. I know not. I can only assume that magic or other dark arts would be involved.
Evriani's eyes swim with shadows, turning completely black for a moment, and she gets an odd, pensive look on her face. She walks up to the golden coins, staring at them. "Someone give me a gold piece." She holds out her hand palm up, expectantly.
She places it atop one of the piles, or looks for an otherwise appropriate place to put it, like a slot in a piggy bank. She seems unconcerned about any consequences of doing so.
Sazzat hands a gold coin to Evriani, "I want this back with interest." he says continues scrutinizing the seeming stack of coins.
Evie quirks an eyebrow and the corner of her mouth curls into a small smile. "Oh don't worry. I always repay my debts. But given the state you all found me in yesterday, it shouldn't surprise you I'm broke."
She puts the gold into a slot, if they find one amidst the coins.