Bedlam peers about for traps at each door; after drinking his Heightened Awareness Extract.
Anzath helps.
You find no traps. Starting with the side door on the principle of "first come, first served" you see:
Water trickles from a crack in the ceiling in the eastern side of this
room, where it gathers behind a thirty-foot long stone dam that is about a foot in height. On the eastern wall, on the far side of the gathered water, there is a niche in the wall. The niche is one foot tall, six inches wide, and six inches deep. The bottom of the niche is ten feet above the surface of the water (the room’s ceiling is fifteen feet high).
The stone dam appears to be carved in the form of a vast serpent.
From the doorway, Tragershen will cast detect magic on the dam. And the niche, if he can.
As Tragershen concentrates on the dam, he thinks he sees it blink. This likely precludes searching the niche...
Talathel maintains a vigil during the search.
Aurora accepts these new refugees with all the grace she can muster. At least the elderly are least-prone to causing a ruckus, right?
———
In the Maw, Aurora trails behind the elven entourage with her quarter staff in hand, occasionally giving it a soft clack against the ground as they go. She takes up position next to Tragershen while the wizard searches for magic.
"Beware, friends. I believe I saw movement there." He points as he says it, indicating the 'face' depicted on the dam.
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"The dam, or at least part of it, seems to be an animated guardian of some sort. I don't see a way to reach the niche without provoking it. Perhaps we will find a key somewhere else to placate it. I don't think any of my magic would meaningfully affect it."
"Well spotted, Tragershen. Let us seek a key elsewhere first before facing this guardian."
Anzath shrugs, “Iz probably shiny skull ve sold already.”
Before they close the door, Trag scans the room for any symbols or clues that may help him identify a key later. He makes a mental note of anything he observes, then follows Anzath to the next door to do his scans on it.
Bedlam looks to where the elves point. The dwarf then takes off his Goggles; wipes them on his dirty sleeve and replaces them back on his head.
Be need'n da do dat fer a bit. Much better!
The dwarf then inspects the next door.
You don't think the door is trapped. On opening it, you find a mysterious room indeed. At first, both sides of the room appear to be mirrors. As you shine more light on them (or as you take a closer look via darkvision), you see that once side is a painting, and the other is a mosaic.
You also see that the reason you thought they were mirrors is that both depict the party as you move around the room. When you take a step, paint swirls after you--and stones shift and recombine. It's very beautiful.
The painting shows a staircase in the far end, heading down. The mosaic shows a treasure chest at precisely the same spot.
In the room you're in, you see nothing but the same dusty floor. It appears to be a dead end.
Talathel has an idea.
"Do any of you have a piece of cloth of sufficient size to cover either the painting or the mosaic? Perhaps if only one can be seen, will what they show be accessible."
Aurora knows exactly what this calls for. She glances sidelong to Tragershen, then gets started on the Detect Magic train.
The dwarf begins rummaging through his pack.
Give Me but a minute and me be mixing a See Invisibility Extract?
Anzath shakes her head in answer to Talathel, awed by the spectacle she sees.
"Iz beautiful," she utters softly as she gently runs gloved fingers across the mosaic's surface.
Detect Magic reveals Illusion auras all over the walls and, surprise surprise, the chest/stairs/empty spot.
Anzath shakes her head in answer to Talathel, awed by the spectacle she sees.
"Iz beautiful," she utters softly as she gently runs gloved fingers across the mosaic's surface.
As Anzath reaches toward the mosaic, stones clink into place to depict her own gloved hand. But nothing scary happens.
You believe.
A minute later, the Alchemist drinks his See Invisibility Extract. He then peers curiously around the room.
Anzath then moves to the painting side of the room. It's not often one gets to see ones own image reflected back to them. Her face twitches and she futzes with her hair. She adjusts her posture when Talathel nears, but otherwise looks impatient while the magically inclined puzzle out the room.
Bedlam sees that there is indeed an invisible staircase descending through the floor into a room beyond.
Bedlam points out his discovery. The dwarf then searches that area for dirty, tricksy traps.
You spot no traps of any sort. Will you continue to the NEXT LEVEL OF THE DUNGEON?!?!
“Vait. Vhat about chest full of treasure?” asks Anzath, pointing across at the mosaic’s representation of the room.
Bedlam looks at the chest.
With Bedlam's information, Talathel does his best to seek a chest, trying to work out where it lies in relation to the now-located staircase.
There's no chest, no matter where the party looks. Just stairs.
"I suggest that we sweep the remaining uncleared portions of the upper two levels before touching those stairs.", suggests Talathel.
"Maddening, is it not? Either the chest is just an illusion meant to delay and frustrate those like us, or it is only accessible by extraordinary means."
"The stairs down are tempting; it feels good to make such progress. But I suggest we examine bypassed passages and chambers on this level and the prior before we go lower. There may be valuables or lore there to aid us, and there may be foes that we wish to eliminate now so they do not impede any exfiltration we attempt."
I picture Anzath on point, is that ok? Tal would make sense and you could go side-by-side if you'd like.
After walking through a few empty rooms, Anzath spots a hovering crumpled suit of chainmail surrounded by a waving cloud of arrows and a few shiny objects: a Gelatinous Cube ahead.
It has no idea you're there, so you may plan an attack or just rumble on in for a surprise round.
Anzath signals for the group to halt and studies the transparent cube, trying to identify a weakness.
When Anzath calls a halt, Tragershen peers ahead to see if he can identify the cause.
Knowledge (dungeoneering)
Bedlam peers intently at the Cube.
Any magical goodies, elf?
Weaknesses? Tragershen knows it is an ooze. It has a very low AC and is slow and stupid. As an ambush predator, you've already noticed its weakness by seeing it at all.
Will you Detect on it, as Bedlam's suggestion?
If we aren't thrust right into combat with it, yes I will detect msgic on it.
Talathel readies his spear in case the ooze suddenly advances towards them. If the others start shooting, he will switch to longbow until it closes.
Anzath readies a flask of Alchemist’s Fire and curses herself for having returned to town thrice now and forgetting to purchase a crossbow or something eac time.
After a round of Detect Magic fails to detect any auras, Tragershen gives the nod.
But the slight delay gives the ooze a chance to notice intruders. Combat begins.
Despite losing the element of surprise, the party still has plenty of time to act before the cube reaches them.
Straightforward initiative this time--party acts, monster acts.
At the first sign of movement towards the party, Talathel launches the first arrow.
Anzath quickly follows with her flask.
Tragershen moves back thirty feet and calls the words to a spell to the fore of his mind.
Bedlam nods to the group, as projectiles protrude post haste.
The cube seems to be having some trouble navigating out of the sticky patch created by Bedlam's bomb.
Gelver's battleshriek is muffled by his gag...
The cube then slams him
Gelver parries the slam with his shield.