Seeing the lone sandman fall back Hepsubia attempts to coax it into surrender with veiled threats...but the creature doesn't seem to understand her words.
Less optimistic, Maria is finally able to draw her bow and does so, taking aim and readying an arrow should Blue attempt to strike one of her allies.
Zithembe decides to take more direct action, stepping after Blue and delivering another sound strike to the sandman with the weighted end of his kunai! A hunk of sand and earth goes flying from the creature's torso.
Holan-Ji also isn't inclined to let the sandman off easy and moves to attack as well, but Hepsubia's weird threat about cats and sand throws off his concentration and the strike misses!
The Grandfrogger continues to give the sandman the evil eye...
...and the sandman seems to grow just a little bit weaker, somehow! But Effie quickly puts an end to the sandman's resistance and misery by planting a bullet right between his eyes!
As the sounds of battle end Iyasset comes swooping in, clapping enthusiastically.
"You put them down quicker than I'd expected and I didn't even need to help you at all! Well done!"
At least your guide seems pleased.
"Next up is a little romp through the Plane of Air, when you're ready to continue! Er, not the actual Plane of Air, but a snippet of something like it, you know. You'll have a grand time, I just know it!"
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The flames on Holan-Ji's teeth and hands wink out. He turns to face away from his new colleagues for a minute and takes several deep shuddering breaths. The first rumbles like an awakening volcano but each is a little longer and a little softer than the last until he's as calm and as normal as ever. Well, as normal as the rest of this weird team.
He finally turns back to Effie with his usual happy-go-lucky grin. "Nice shot! Damn, that was some good fightin'! Just what I needed." He holds his massive hand out to Effie and Zithembe for a high-five, they being the closest. Though he certainly wouldn't turn down a celebratory high-five from anyone else, either.
He unstraps the cestus and hands it back to Effie with a gentle and sincere thanks. Then he turns to Iyasset with steel in his voice. "I asked once, and you didn't give us a straight answer. I ain't asking again. What's the deal with this next test? Be specific, or go find yerself some new prophets."
"Whoa, geeze, lighten up a little," Iyasset responds, holding up both hands in a placating manner. "And yes, I know you none of you can fly - a crying shame if you ask me - because you'd have done it already if you could."
"The next chamber? It's like a little slice of the Plane of Air. By that, I mean the gravity's what you want it to be. There's a chest floating around in there - reach it and you prove your mastery of the air and get to keep what's inside. But you also need to navigate through the chamber to the passage beyond."
The elemental smiles, clearly trying to be reassuring. "It's fine. It'll be easy. Just don't try going too high up because gravity returns to normal past a certain point. Oh and you'll want to dodge the rocks and stuff that's floating around, getting hit by one of those might hurt."
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Maria quickly puts her bow away and pulls out her wand of healing, tapping herself with it, "Anyone else hurt or was I the only one too slow to dodge?"
She writes a few notes about the next chamber, "Iyasset, do you mind if we harvest a few of these flowers now that we sent their guardians back home? It's partly so we can get past them and partly for our research purposes."
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Holan-Ji listens closely as Iyasset explains, maintaining his steely gaze until the elemental is finished. He begins nodding as a small smile spreads. "Okay. Yeah. Now that you lay it out, it does sound kinda fun." He gives Iyasset a small nod and a thank you, before turning to Hepsubia.
"Sorry about the comment about cats, I didn't realize. Do you want a hug?"
Holan-Ji gives Hepsubia a light punch in the shoulder. "Nah. I was just messin' with you." He pauses and leans down to Hep's level putting his enormous head a little close to hers. "But maybe I oughta be the one ta' say sorry. I can get a little...uh... intense when the Beast comes out, ya' know." He rolls his shoulders and pantomimes with his hands to illustrate something rising up from within him.
But hugs are always nice.
"Huh? Oh yeah, knock yourself out," Iyasset remarks with a wave of his hand. "We've got plenty of time and that chest isn't going anywhere. Well, not technically, haha!"
______________
"Just call me 'J'," the young spiritualist reminds Zithembe as they conjure forth the requested unseen servant. "And will do! Compared to what you're having to tackle, I can't complain."
Not only does the unseen servant safely retrieve some flowers for you, but J also sends it to investigate the half-buried skeleton nearby and the servant returns with a still-usable backpack containing 50 ft. of silk rope and what appears to be a wand, a potion, and strangely pristine-looking chain shirt.
Barkskin
Cure Moderate Wounds w/ 10 charges.
+1 Chain Shirt
"Easy peasy! Now I'll let the rest of you get back to it," J declares before fading back into the background once more.
______________
Once you're ready to proceed, you make your way through the sandy tunnel towards the next chamber. As you do, you begin to hear the sound of roaring wind, which grows stronger the closer you get, until you reach a large depression in the earth. The roar of swirling winds becomes overwhelming at the entrance to this depression. The ground drops away at the entrance, leaving a sheer 30-foot drop down and open sky above. Debris floats through the air, moving in a never-ending dance conducted by extremely localized winds. Chunks of rock, several of human size or larger, hang in midair, openly defying any laws of gravity. A large, sealed treasure chest floats near the center of the debris. Halfway up the northern wall of the depression lies an opening that leads to a tunnel beyond.
Iyasset makes a high-pitched roaring sound that almost matches the noise of the wind and states, "You must retrieve the chest in order to proceed beyond, but enjoy yourself upon this voyage. In this chamber, we are all of air!" He then flies into the maelstrom. He arcs toward the chest, gesturing at you meaningfully before continuing through the area. He ends his journey at the mouth of the tunnel but does not enter it, instead seeming content to remain floating in the air here so he can observe your progress. Curiously, the winds seem to die down just a bit when Iyasset enters the chamber.
The howling winds - and the chest, which seems to be floating about 25 ft. above the ground and roughly 5 ft. below the level of the chamber entrance - await.
______________
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Maria
Effie
Zithembe
Holan-Ji
Hepsubia
Grandfrogger
==============
Chest
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: Subjective Gravity, Yo!
Everyone is UP!
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"This cannot be worse than the Abyss," Zithembe says and then flings himself feet first into the chamber, trusting that the air elemental has not played an extremely cruel prank.
Zithembe falls sideways through the air and comes to a three-point landing in open space just above the chest. He reaches for the chest to grab hold of it.
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"Oh, she was like an intern. Cool. I wondered why she was followin' a stuffy old guy like you around, Z. Take care, J!" he calls out with a wave as the young spiritualist departs, even as he gives the shabti a friendly elbow and a wink.
He steps to the edge of the corridor and surveys the room and its floating(!!) rocks. He calls on the tiger inside him - not the Beast - but the tiger for its agility and grace, and then launches himself out toward the chest in Zithembe's wake.
He dives underneath the chest, playfully slaps one of Zithembe's shoes on his way past, and rises to stop himself next to it also.
"WOOHOO! The windbag was right! This is fun! C'mon!"
Zithembe makes this whole thing look easy as he steps out into the void and 'falls' sideways towards the west, only to come to a stop just above the chest. He's able to reach out and grab it, no problem!
Nearby, Iyasset gives an impressed whistle.
"Wow! You're off to a great start!"
Of course getting the chest is just part of the task. The other half is getting everyone to the chamber's exit.
______________
Maria
Effie
Zithembe
Holan-Ji
Hepsubia
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: Subjective Gravity, Yo!
Maria, Effie, Holan-Ji, Hepsubia and Grandfrogger are UP!
Now that he's seen how Zithembe does it, Holan-Ji bravely decides to go next. Rather than simply step into the void, he does more of a dive but otherwise follows a similar trajectory as Zith, 'falling' to the west, passing underneath the chest before 'falling' upward to hover near the shabti.
______________
Maria
Effie
Zithembe
Holan-Ji
Hepsubia
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: Subjective Gravity, Yo!
Maria, Effie, Hepsubia and Grandfrogger are UP!
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Hepsubia soars in the air with ease, tumbling around Zith (just to tease and annoy him, and because it's funnier that way of course) while singing
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The Grandfrogger carefully tucks his walking stick inside his heavy woolen cloak and wraps the garment around himself. One eye focuses on the far platform, then squints.
The small figure suddenly starts falling forward. Red eyes are wide open in surprise now, though he does not say anything as the far wall approaches.
Slowly he comes to a stop, then turns to face the nearby elemental. “For your guidance, I thank you.” His voice wobbles slightly as he bobs in the air.
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Maria sighs as her allies all begin diving out into the open air and flying around like birds. She frowns and then begins calculating trajectories.
”I’m sorry, this is just to much to believe that our force of will controls our movement here. I think I’ll stick with calculated science.”
She launches herself at the first hovering rock and then vaults off it to the next.
She aims for the exit seeing two allies already have the chest.
Now everyone gets in on the fun, with Hepsubia and Grandfrogger leaping and/or stepping out into the open air next. Hepsubia strikes up a jaunty tune as she careens toward Zithembe before slowing up to 'hover' near the shabti. The Grandfrogger decides to move straight for the tunnel opening to the north, falling forward in a northwesterly direction until he slows himself to a stop to hover a few feet away from the opening.
"Hey, no problem!" Iyasset cheerfully calls back to the grippli. "You guys sure you haven't done this before? You're handling it like pros!"
Meanwhile, both Maria and Effie decide they'd rather leave gravity as it is and take their chances leaping from floating rock to floating rock. Maria goes first, leaping onto the first rock with ease. But as she leaps for the second, her destination wobbles slightly and she bangs her shins into the rock before falling towards...
...the south, heading towards the back wall. But just before the elf slams into the wall the winds swirling about seem to 'catch' her and push her back in the opposite direction, towards the rest of the group.
Effie tries her luck next, trying to take the same route that Maria took. Just as Maria did, the ifrit manages to land the first jump no problem but slips on the second...
...and falls towards the west, smacking her arm on the rock as she does. Luckily, Effie also finds herself saved by the strange winds as they buffet her away from actually hitting the wall, sending back towards the east again. Then, just when it seems she's about to hit the eastern wall, the same thing happens as the winds push her away and back towards the west.
At least it seems as though you're safe from actually crashing into the ground or walls at full speed...though that might be small comfort to Maria and Effie, now sporting some scratches and bruises for their trouble.
______________
Maria
Effie
Zithembe
Holan-Ji
Hepsubia
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: Subjective Gravity, Yo!
Everyone is UP!
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"Wait a moment, and I shall help you," Zithembe says, clearly indicating Maria and Effie.
The shabti rotates in the air and then falls toward the distant tunnel, turning as he does to land upon the ledge in a standing position. He drops the chest upon the ground and then fishes out the silk rope from the skeleton earlier. "If you can keep from crashing into the rocks, the Grandfrogger may be able to fly here and take the rope back to you."
Zithembe 'falls' towards the tunnel opening, reaching it with ease whereupon normal gravity reasserts itself and he's able to stand firmly upright on the ground. After dropping the chest to one side he pulls out the rope you found earlier, calling out a plan to pass a rope along to Maria and Effie.
Hepsubia, meanwhile, seems to be having great fun flapping about and hovering in place. Though even she has enough sense to know when a teammate needs help and reaches out her hand to Maria, perhaps trying to steady or 'catch' her.
Nodding in agreement with Zith's plan, the Grandfrogger reaches out a comforting and guiding hand to Effie before 'flying' over to the tunnel opening to join the shabti.
______________
Maria
Effie
Zithembe
Holan-Ji
Hepsubia
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: Subjective Gravity, Yo!
Maria, Effie and Holan-Ji are UP!
With the help of the Grandfrogger's guidance, Effie finally manages to get herself focused enough to bend gravity to her whims. She soars easily and gracefully the rest of the way across the chamber and touches down just inside the exit tunnel.
______________
Maria
Effie
Zithembe
Holan-Ji
Hepsubia
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: Subjective Gravity, Yo!
Maria and Holan-Ji are UP!
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Maria takes a deep breath and twists herself into a sitting position for meditation. Repeating the mantra, ”This is not real, the floor is where Zithembe stands, this is not real...” she falls towards the shabti. At the last moment, she tries to control her landing.
Touching down at the exit her nose flairs once in annoyance over her earlier failure and then she retrieves a wand to heal up her bruised arm. Her bruised ego may take longer to fix though.
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Holan-Ji waits, hovering in place until he's sure everyone else has made it safely to the exit. This flying thing really did feel easy. Almost... natural. It made him wonder if maybe there were other creatures buried in his soul along with the tiger. If so, they hadn't made themselves known to him. Yet.
No sooner does he think about that possibility than a desert dragonfly zips effortlessly through the cavern. Its green scales gleam in the sunlight filtering down through the open roof, and it seems completely unaffected by the winds or the subjective gravity. The dragonfly stops and hovers also, peering in curiosity at the floating tiefling before darting up and out of the cavern.
Ji watches it leave as he turns slowly in place, wondering if it was a sign or just a coincidence. He shrugs his shoulders as he decides he's had enough, wills himself to head for the exit, and lands as easily as a ... well, as a drangonfly alongside his teammates, a happy smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
As it turns out, the rope idea isn't really needed as Maria also finally gets her bearings and soars the rest of the way to the tunnel exit, followed by Holan-Ji...who seems to have really enjoyed the whole experience.
Though probably not more than Hepsubia, who spends a few more moments tumbling and zipping around through the air before finally joining the rest of you.
"Well well, that didn't take long at all," Iyasset applauds. "And a few of you even looked like you were having fun! I'm sure a little return visit later won't be a problem for anyone that wants to fly again," he adds with a wink at Hepsubia.
"Take a few moments to rest up and don't forget to crack your prize open," the elemental continues, gesturing to the chest.
______________
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"Crack it open?" Holan-Ji asks as he laces his fingers together, flips his hands over and stretches. The popping of his knuckles echoes like gunfire from the narrow cave walls, but he politely steps aside when the girls move in to open the chest the proper way.
"Whatcha got there, Hep?" he asks curiously while peering over her slim shoulders.
Though Maria is certain she can pop the lock herself and Holan-Ji is equally certain he can bust it open, both obligingly stand aside to allow Hepsubia the chance to take a crack at it and get some practice in. It takes just a little bit and some encouraging words (and totally not magic) from the Grandfrogger, but her persistence is rewarded with a quiet *click* as the lock opens.
Inside the chest lie six small quartz crystals, a set of bracers, a potion, and a feather-shaped token.
Levitate
Bracers of Armor +2
"Splendid! And like I said earlier, those items are all yours - a reward for your mastery of the air," Iyasset reminds you. "Now, once you're ready, let's continue on. I'll be...interested...to see how you deal with our squatter Qiarah..."
______________
Once everyone is ready, you proceed onward. The tunnel follows a downward slope to a large chamber that stands out as particularly artificial among the otherwise roughly crafted trenches and caverns of the rest of the Sandflow Source. The circular chamber is approximately 45 feet in diameter, with a clay-colored floor, rocky walls, and a ceiling that rises to at least 40 feet in height. Eight statues ring the chamber, each sheathed in an element that clings to the figurines like an aura - constantly burning fire, a swirling cloud of fog, slate-colored stone, or a pocket of water held in place by an invisible force. Triangles etched into the floor connect matching pairs of statues. At the center of the room stands a large wooden desk with several jars on top. Some jars contain nothing more than a bit of dirt or rock, while others are grislier, containing blood or, in one case, a disembodied eye.
You recognize these statues as effigies of the elemental lords.
As you look at the statue you note that they are not truly matched pairs - subtle differences between each similarly-sheathed elemental lord become more evident the longer one looks.
More importantly, standing near the desk is an oread woman who gazes at you with a tense, menacing expression. You note that instead of flesh, her left hand and forearm seem to be made of stone, and that one eye has been replaced with an emerald. Hovering near the oread are two small, horned and bat-winged creatures whose bodies glitter in the light.
These two winged creatures are salt mephits, elementals commonly found on the Plane of Earth.
"I see Iyasset returns, but now with lapdogs," the woman sneers. "What is your intent here? Are you here to do violence as he has long promised?"
Notably, your elemental guide says nothing and instead hovers near the top of the chamber with a rather imperious expression.
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"This is an interesting potion and may come in useful if we encounter a particularly steep shaft within these caves," Zithembe says. "The bracers are decent protection for those who do not wear armor. So perhaps they would benefit Holan-Ji?"
He frowns at the feather token. "It bears a relatively powerful transmutation and evocation magic, but I am unable to discern its specific power or activation at the moment."
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Zithembe sheathes his sword and slowly passes Holan-Ji. "We could, but we have decided that we would rather have a parlay than serve Iyasset's eviction, for it is unclear to us to whom this place belongs. If you would spend the time to discuss with us the power in this place and your interactions with the elementals of the region, it would benefit us greatly in understanding our true purpose here."
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(+1 vs. traps)
Maria shares as they walk, ”The statues are obviously effigies of the elemental lords, but... hmmm. That is odd. It seems they are supposed to be matching pairs, but each one has enough subtle differences to set them apart. I wonder what it all means.”
She takes good notes.
After Zithembe speaks she adds, ”I seek all knowledge and only reflect violence when it is pressed upon me. Hopefully that won’t be an issue here, you seem like a reasonable being.”
Qiarah continues to watch your movements with a guarded expression. The two mephits nearby give her questioning looks but a small flick of the oread's hand seems to answer their unspoken question and they maintain their own watchful guard over their ally.
"You don't want to fight, hmm? Pretty words but it seems to me that there are an awful lot of you with an awful lot of weapons. Not like any scholars I've met."
She glances to those of you who haven't spoken yet.
"Well? Anything from the rest of you?"
______________
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"Not all of us have your talent for magic, Quiarah" Effie smiles glibly "and though some of us are working on that, in the meantime we have to be able to defend ourselves. We're not the kind of scholars who pass our days away in stuffy libraries. Neither are you, it appears. That's an impressive transformation you're undertaking! What will you do once you complete the process?"
Effie tries flattery.
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The Grandfrogger also studies the contents of the chest, but has nothing useful to add to the conversation and merely nods as Zithembe speaks.
Again the Grandfrogger has nothing useful to add to Maria’s observations, though he pauses to sniff the air for a moment upon entering the chamber.
The Grandfrogger blinks a few times as the earthen woman speaks. “To harm you, we have no reason,” he finally adds in his thin scratchy voice. “Understand, we wish to.”
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Holan-Ji gratefully accepts the bracers from Zith, and is still strapping them on when they all move into the audience chamber. He chuckles at Hep's fart joke, cause fart jokes are always funny.
With a last tug on the lace, he spreads his hands out wide as he steps in to make way for the others.
"I got no weapons," he says with a shrug, "but I ain't no scholar either. I'll admit I do a lot o' violence, but sometimes it's better to talk. 'Specially before takin' sides in someone else's fight," he finishes with a meaningful look at Iyasset.