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This is an elaborate trap, no doubt the snake ahead will confront me as this one pushes me forward. I may be trapped between the both of them. Well that's one way to experience the crushing walls traps from the childhood stories I suppose. I should pace myself ahead of this serpent, maybe Ansel and Vala can get me out of this jam. In the meantime I best keep my eyes peeled for any advantage that may present itself.
"At least its quiet." says the paladin as he breaks his silence up until now. With that he slowly walks the hallway toward what he assumes is another serpent.
Ansel hops over the mueky water. It's swirling green color hiding the depth below. He examines the stone and pulls out a chisel. Robin's chide makes everyone look up, even Vala who stands at the edge of sight 10 feet down the stairs.
With this request the she-wolf bounds back up the stairs, and starts nipping at the dwarf to get him to go where Robin wants him. 'This one tastes different...' she thinks as she performs her duties. 'must be a different kind of man-cub.'
Ayame bounds close to Rboud near the water.. seeing no way to fit on the other side, she nips Ansel's pants.
Ayame tugs a little too easily and Ansel falls on his butt into the water, disappearing from sight for the moment.
Despite not being his forte, he easily surfaces again grabbing the ledge.
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Well this is different, I didn't expect a place to fan out.. even if it is only a small room. That corridor on the end.. I wonder if that has the other serpent? It could be that I am wrong.. which would be nice - since being right sounds rather painful.
Agriver steps into the room and runs his hands over the walls searching for clues before he checks the short corridor beyond this new area.
Agriver listens.. but can't hear anything over the din of snake hiss.
He peaks around the corner... just in time to see another spectral snake turning towards him...
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Robin calls back to Yon and Ansel, "Guys, we need to get moving, to try and find Agriver. We can checkout the statue on the way out, like we always do."
He turns to Vala, "Would you like to be on point, or would you prefer me to be?"
Robin checks his gear, makes sure his light won't go out, and starts heading down, leading or trailing as Vala prefers.
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Ansel spits up water and starts coughing. "Gah! Ahhh!! It! It tried to eat me! It.." The dwarf then stares into the face of Ayame as she rolls her eyes at him. He simply sighs as he then heaves himself out of the pool. "I had'a motive Robin, I figure dat idol may be a key to the teleportation that took Agriver. Sought to remove it, inspect it further, but please lead on if you believe he in still in this dungeon, let alone this floor, with all your expert wisdom."
Ansel is an unhappy dwarf, a very wet, cold, and uncomfortable dwarf.
The snakes converge on Agriver, who takes a defensive posture... they change color and breathe a cloud of gas to fill the room.
The party follows Vala.. A short distance down the stairs, the wall ripples and takes on the shape of a human mouth about a foot across. In a feminine voice, it whispers, “I, Tiawask, a mage of the Goldenfire Order, leave this message for any who are exploring the Spire. I escaped from Klarkosh and the serpentfolk, but am continuing my descent in the hopes that I will find a way out somewhere below. If you have come this far, I beg you to help me escape. You shall be richly rewarded.”
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Seeing that the exits are barred and the nature of the trap, Agriver looks inward toward his deity to fortify is body against the poison.
While doing so however he does tap himself with his healing wand.
And tries to see if there are any vents on the walls or areas to depress to possibly offer an escape.
Agriver heals himself.... as he is affected by the poison... he feels tired and staggered.
As he slumps against the wall, he notices the color change in the snakes... almost as if they changed their tangible nature. They continue breathing their poison gas.
As for escape, agriver sees no retreat.
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"Hey, bro," starts Robin to Yon, "Why don't you summon a bat or an air elemental or something... have it fly down as fast as it can, and come up after it finds the bottom. Yeah... air elementals are fast, and I am sure Ansel here can understand them. Then we would know how far down this goes!"
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Feeling gross Agriver moves to knee and instantly feels the explosive divine energy of his goddess cure his condition.
He then moves and strikes one of the newly colored snakes with a massive cleave of his sword Justice.
"I will not make it easy on your creatures! My friends will be here soon enough!"
One of your initial quests in the spire was to rescue two goldenfire order wizards. You found Jharun and returned him to the fort.
The air elemental returns quickly... and reports to Ansel who translates:
220 feet down is a landing. looks like a badly damaged rubble disaster of an area.
And the creature vanishes
As Robin begins to continue down the stairs, Ayame huffs and scoffs before sitting down dramatically while staring at him.
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"Robin! Stop running in circles! We're all worried about Agriver, I know you two just got off a long trip and now have a close bond, but we'll figure this out after addressing the facts!" Ansel steadies his breathing. "Can you swim? That fountain is goes for quiet a while and may be worth a glance. Otherwise after searching the room and top of the stairs we only have one choice but to push through whatever the pup noticed but won't tell us."
In a huff Ansel sets about the area in a fervor.
"Hey come here for a moment.." While everyone is touching...
After rebuking Robin, Ansel resumes his interest in the statue. It is no longer magical.. but he is certain it is worth a small fortune if removed.
Robin takes Ansel's advice, and dives into the water. At the bottom of the 20 foot pool, he believes he finds a secret door to the West.
Agriver awakes, still very groggy from the poison effects. He finds himself nearly naked... save for his pair of undershorts. His arms and legs are tightly manacles to the wall. His belongings nowhere to be seen.
Looking up.. He is not alone. Across the pit he sees a beaten and wounded, yet beautiful black haired woman. Scurrying across the floor are a handful of dire rats... though they stay just out of reach of the prisoners.
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Agriver remains quiet while he takes in his surroundings. The fact that his captors could remove his full plate and weapons while he was unconscious is a bit unnerving. Not only is it difficult to remove, it highlights that he has not been outside of his protective metal shell in a long while. Robin was correct that it was odd of him not to remove it while on the way to Daggermark – but the truth is.. it comforts him.
Now he is nearly naked, and for the most part alone. He takes a moment to scan the aura’s of his cellmate and determines she is not evil at heart before continuing to examine the rest of his environment. As usual he is silent and avoids speaking for a time.
My blade! The celestial that made it her home is in the hands of another – I MUST GET HER BACK!
”Iomadae what trials do you present to me today… Milady, my name is Agriver, I wish I met you in better circumstances, but the goddess has a plan for us all it would seem. Who are you? How did you come to be here?”
Guys…. where are you…?
"my name... is Tiawask. A wizard from Thornkeep... i escaped Klarkosh... fled down as i had no alternative. The spell trap got me."
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Agriver lets eyes narrow somewhat as he hears the woman speak.
"The weight of your heart is evil Tiawask. We will soon be free of this place and I must know if you mean harm to those who would free you. I believe we found one of your cohorts above and helped him get back to Thornkeep - believe his name was Jharun.."
The paladin watches the womans reaction at the wizards name before continuing.
"We should be free soon, and then you will have some choices to make. Should you co-operate I will see you healed on my honor.. What else do you know of this level? Have you seen our captors? Do you know where they are keeping my equipment?"
Robin finds the door opens safely. Beyond there is a flooded passage leading East for as far as his wayfinder light can see in the murky water.
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Seeing that the way is clear, Robin comes back up again. "Ayame, heel!" he calls out. "Come on, guys, it is safe down here!"
He goes back down again, and keeps moving through, with his trident out, until he is clear of the water. Ayame will follow.
Once out, he'll draw draw out his falchion, putting the trident back in his efficient quiver, and wait.... semi-patiently... for the others.
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”Robin, you idjit,” Yon says falling back on “High Taldane” for his last word, ”The wolves only doggy paddle, heads above water. We,d have to teleport them or something, and only once we know where we’re going.”
”The 4 of us Two-Legs should go and leave the wolves here, until we know Agriver is safe. Then you and Ansel can swim back and teleport into wherever we find is safe, with the wolves.” Yon reaches into his bag and extracts a bit of dried deer haunch, and lays it on the ground for the wolves to eat while for the duration.
She seems hesitant about her response to Jharun's rescue.
"I was captured at the entrance.. i don't remember being in any other room.."
She is lying.
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Agriver listens to the woman lie to him and looks inward for patience from his diety.
If she will not be honest with me, when I talk of her release – she would likely plant a knife in a friends back.. perhaps she will remain here unless she changes her tune…
”That sounds dreadful. You said you were captured at the entrance, but just a moment ago you indicated you fled downward with no choice – perhaps I am just misunderstanding…
Watching her reactions carefully he continues ”I feel perhaps I should be a bit more transparent. I am a paladin of Iomadae, and I need you to be honest if you wish the goddesses mercy. I understand that you have just met me, and given your harsh treatment at the hands of your captors you have little reason to trust me. But understand that there will be a moment in the near future where you will need to reassure those I travel with given what my divine eyes are telling me of your heart.”
The paladin continues to watch his new cell mate. ”You will be granted mercy if you are truthful and promise no ill will toward those I travel with… but I think we should start again…. Tell me your tale as I asked before… where else have you been in this accursed spire –what do you know of our captors… and where is my equipment… tell me what you know please?”
The team follows Robin and Ayame into the water. Rboud doesn't look pleased but follows Yon's commands.
They swim down the 20 feet of the pond and pass through the door. The passage leads about 30 feet before Robin spots a glowing arcane mark TWSK
10 feet up, Robin and Ayame emerge into a a cloud of hot steam. The misty room contains a steaming pool edged with glistening stones.
- Bold May Act!
Yon
Rboud
Serpentfolk
Vala
Robin
Ansel
Ayame
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Yon and Rbuod surface behind Robin. Spotting the serpentfolk, Yon clambers up on the North end, going to the corner opposite the single serpentfolk. Rbuod climbs up behind him, shaking off water, and snarls.
”Be you friends?” Yon asks, with hands up to appear non threatening, but in fact ready to twist out somatic Druidic symbols.
Yon swims to the surface before realizing there's a threat. He and Rboud try to climb out...
Yon successfully climbs out of the water. Rboud however has trouble and fails to get out.
The Serpentfolk next to Yon responds by biting him.
and hits
saves
He then draws his dagger, while his allies draw their daggers and suddenly appear as many images.
- Bold May Act!
Yon
Rboud
Serpentfolk
Vala
Robin
Ansel
Ayame