Marcus nods, "Fascinating. Let's hang onto that to give to the Baroness."
Looking around, "well, I guess we should move on then."
Grargath shuffles his feet uncomfortably as Cira goes through the details of Hunclay's journal. Dark Tapestry, Dominion of the Black."Sounds like th' wizard was messin' with things he shouldn't 'ave been." He glances back at the circle where Chirrit had been imprisoned. "Not tha' that's a surprise t' hear."
The dwarf nods in agreement. "Aye, th' Baroness might know more. Let's move on."
The next room is the last for this hallway, its walls covered with arcane symbols. In the northern chamber, a wooden table sits against the eastern wall, with several objects laid atop it. An intense light shines from an opening in the south wall.
"Wow." Cira looks over the room, unsure of what to focus on first. "Something tells me this is unnecessary," she mutters. "But..." She passes her hand in front of her, the air around it rippling with magic.
In addition, there are a pair of minor auras radiating from the table to the north.
"Unsurprisingly, the whole room radiates magic, specifically evocation," Cira says. "Especially that." She points towards the glowing hallway. "There's also something coming from the table. Tread lightly. I do not like the look of this."
"Shocking, it's full of magic and traps" Marcus growls as he also casts detect magic and glares about the room, looking for the inevitable traps.
Grargath surveys the room with a grimace as Cira and Marcus check it for magic and traps. At least there were no bear rugs in this room to come to life. Careful not to touch anything, he tries to get a better look at the objects on the table.
|
"Seems this man meddled in every plane in existence." Francis chuckled darkly. " I suppose there's some irony in the fact the man died by having a tower fall on him."
As they enter the new room, Francis calls out to Sarenrae for guidance and then quickly scans the room for any signs of traps or hidden enemies.
The party finds no traps or hidden enemies.
Atop the table sit a number of items: a scimitar, short sword, a pair of daggers, a suit of studded leather armor, and a porcelain mask.
Although recognizable for what they are, the equipment on the table is crafted from strange, colorless materials that seem to absorb light, colored in a range of dull greys to pitch black. The mask is ivory white and featureless, but for a pair of eyeholes.
Of all these items, only the mask and scimitar are magical.
Marcus whistles low as he looks over the equipment, his magical detection spell still active.
"I'm not sure what the mask is for, short of an Aura of illusion, perhaps Cira has more insight. The blade is indeed nice, enchanted it appears though nothing special of note. It would work fine for a disciple of Sarenrae, no doubt."
Frowning at the table, "Though I dont suppose we are supposed to keep what we find here."
He then walks to look closer at the opening, to see if he can understand its purpose.
I've updated the combat map, by the way.
The opening is actually the entrance to a short hallway, its southern wall entirely replaced by a blinding barrier of light. The glowing wall ends before a single small cell enclosed by a gate of bright metal etched with strange sigils.
Inside the cell is an amorphous cloud of shadow, a shape that is difficult to fix one's eyes on.
"The mask is giving off a weak illusion aura, and the scimitar is weak evocation." Cira shakes her head. "I can't tell you more about either of them past that though. The doorway, however," she says, motioning toward the light, "Is a stronger aura of evocation."
She follows behind Marcus, shielding her eyes with her hand and squinting against the blazing light ahead of them. She steps into the hallway, making her way slowly, carefully forward.
"Though I dont suppose we are supposed to keep what we find here."
Grargath examines the items on the table with interest, before Marcus' reminder tears him away from the weaponry. He cautiously follows the spellcasters toward the glowing hallway, axe at the ready. He blinks rapidly, his eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden intensity of the light.
"D' yah see that?" the dwarf asks once he is able to keep his eyes open. Grargath is examining the cell as best he can, careful to not get too close to the sigils. "There's somethin' in there, but I can't make it out."
Stalking down the bright hallway, eyes keen for traps he looks at the dark, smoky thing at the end of the hall.
"Bright light enchanted hallway blocking in some dark shadowy thing? This doesnt look good, especially considering this wizards dark proclivities. The Baroness might want to keep a closer eye on her next wizard..."
As the party steps past the light, the cloud condenses, its form resolving into a mostly humanoid shape. It tilts its head to the side before speaking, despite where its face should be having no discernable features.
"What’s this now?" it asks, its voice feminine and smokey. "I recognize you not, mortals. Are you minions of the petty human? If not, I plead with you to release me from this unjust and outrageous imprisonment." Its tone is a bizarre mix of wounded pride and desperation.
Marcus snorts at the shadowy thing. "We ain't no friends of that bastard. After dealing with his traps I am only sad we weren't there to kill him ourselves."
Peering into the room, he asks "Who.. and what are you?"
"My name is Maffei," the shadowy being explains. "And I am what your kind calls a shae." The shae's outline pulses, a ripple running through its form like an arc of electricity running up a pair of metal rods.
"My people come from the Shadow Plane. The petty human drew me here and demanded I answer his ignorant questions. I thought his lack of knowledge, so I laughed in his face. I underestimated his hold over me though, and locked me here. Such impertinence!"
"Maffei?" Cira grins. "She's the 'insolent' one from Hunclay's notes."
Grargath steps back as the nebulous form suddenly takes shape. He watches it suspiciously as it tells them how it came to be there.
"Maffei?" Cira grins. "She's the 'insolent' one from Hunclay's notes."
"Is that so?" The dwarf chuckles. "Considerin' what we know of th' wizard now, she might be alright."
Grargath looks back at Maffei. "We freed another one he had trapped 'ere, an' it tried t' kill us. How d' we know we can trust yah?"
Maffei is silent for a moment, which seems like consideration; her lack of features makes it difficult to tell.
"You do not know if you can trust me," she admits. "I am no fiend, bent towards destruction. The only hatred I harbor is for the Hunclay human, although you tell me he is dead."
The shae gestures towards the wall of light when she answers Francis. "Under normal circumstances, no bars would hold me," she explains, her tone bitter. "But now, even if you found a way to unlock the door, that light the wizard conjured... I tried to escape and it burned me. I have not felt the same since and I dare not try it again. I fear it would kill me."
"When he locked me in her, the wizard told me of a magical dust in his possession that, when thrown through the wall, would extinguish it. He told told me he'd hidden it in a secret place, some cave of his, far from my reach. I'm sure the intent was to torment me, but now I have hope for escape."
Marcus cocks his head to the side as the shadow thing explains her story. He didnt trust this thing but he did feel for a being getting trapped behind a hallway of burning death for who knows how long.
"Caves? We haven't found any caves yet. Or magic powder."
"Uh, also, shadow plane? Shae?" looking to Cira, "what's that?"
"Those notes of Hunclay's mentioned a 'safe cave' where he did rituals," Cira says. "That might be it. We just need to figure our where it is."
"Uh, also, shadow plane? Shae?" looking to Cira, "what's that?"
She shrugs and gives Marcus a small, apologetic smile. "Unfortunately I know nothing about the planes," she explains. "Growing up, that wasn't high on my list of... life saving things to know." Her cheeks redden slightly and she clears her throat uncomfortably, turning her attention to Francis. "Any insight?"
Maffei's shifting form pulses again. "My plane and yours are distorted twins: exactly the same, but completely different. It's a place of endless night and muted senses. Its proximity to the Void makes it a place of entropy and decay, but it is our home."
"If it helps you, I make my home in the city of Absalom, although I suspect mortals refer to it as Shadow Absalom."
Grargath shakes his head as the Shae describes her home. As a dwarf, he felt comfortable in dark spaces that other races didn't. But constant, endless night...
"Sounds pretty miserable," he observes gloomily.
"Were there any clues as t' where this cave was in 'is notes?" he asks Cira. "Though I was hopin' t' be done with th' wizard an' 'is traps after all this."
Marcus thinks on it, "I believe we still have the south passage on the basement hallway to check, perhaps it will lead us there." looking over the bright light and shadowy thing.
If we even want to release it, yet I feel much more optimistic about this one keeping its word or the peace over that thrice damned devil. Something to discuss when out of earshot from the thing
Looking about the room, "There doesnt seem to be much else here for us until we find this cave, I suggest we move on and return later."
"The notes just said it's 'a mile north of Belhaim'," Cira says. "But who know's how long that will take. If we're going to release Maffei, maybe there's... some other way?"
She chews on her thumb as she thinks over their various options. "What if we... knock down a wall?" she finally says, quiet and unsure. "We could give Grargath, I don't know... a pickax? Or a really big hammer, and maybe he could make a hole in the wall back around the corner..." She trails off and looks at each of them.
"We could give Grargath, I don't know... a pickax? Or a really big hammer, and maybe he could make a hole in the wall back around the corner..."
Grargath shifts his feet uncertainly as he looks at the surrounding walls. His eyes focus again on the sigils etched into the shae's cage, and he shakes his head.
"I'm sure Hunclay 'as some sort o' protection on th' walls keepin' 'er in there. Even if we can't see it, I don't want t' take a hammer t' th' wall if it might boil my insides."
"I don't think that a hammer is going to be the solution." Francis says. "We might have some luck if we can find his cave though."
"Aye, I think it's best t' try t' find the cave once we're finished here."
Maffei cocks her head. "What the magician suggests might work. If you free me, I swear to you my aid in facing whatever you might face in the wizard's cave and beyond. Hunclay might be dead, but his schemes clearly persist. I would do my part to end them, if only to spite his memory."
Marcus looks at the wall, then the dwarf; trying to decide if he had anything magical or mundane that could help.
"Might be worth a try since we cant dispelled this light. I do hate leaving a sentient in captivity for who knows how long if we can avoid it." narrowing his eyes at the shadowy character.
"Assuming we trust your word."
Grargath runs a hand down his beard as Maffei chimes in. "Aye, is tha' so?"
He looks around at the others. "Fer what it's worth, she seems more sincere than Chirrit was. An' I don' think she'd lead us astray when we're her only hope o' bein' freed, 'specially since it's a lot more complicated than breakin' a circle."
"Let's finish exploring down here first," Cira says. "There's not much left, and then we can work on getting you out, Maffei."
Marcus nods. "Yes, we are nearly finished here. Let's complete our survey, then find this cave and return, it should only be a few hours more."
"I await your return." Maffei shifts back into a shapeless mass of shadow, although she grunts in pain at the transformation. "But hurry, I'm not sure how much longer I can resist that accursed wall."
---
With most of Hunclay's basement fully explored, the party returns to where they entered, a large storage cellar, before heading west down the final hallway.
Running along the north wall are a trio of storage closets.
The western end of the hall is capped with a door of thick, dark iron etched with arcane symbols.
Marcus glides into the room keeping a wary eye for traps, seeing the mysterious door at the end etched with tunes he casts detect magic and gives the room, then this door another look.
Looking back to the group, he says. "The doors dont appear to be trapped, but this one seems to be designed to contain dangerous summoned creatures. I suggest we continue to be wary."
As they continue to look, Marcus makes sure his cold iron longsword is loose in its sheathe, hoping if they meet a for the cold iron will help.
Grargath follows Marcus into the room, cautiously surveying the hallway for any surprises.
"The doors dont appear to be trapped, but this one seems to be designed to contain dangerous summoned creatures. I suggest we continue to be wary."
"Aye, Hunclay wasn't bein' subtle with tha' door. If it's wha' you say it is, we'd best stay away from it." With that, Grargath approaches the first storage locker they passed and carefully tries to open it.
Behind the first storage door is a well-stocked wine cellar, with many fine and rare vintages from across the Inner Sea.
Gazing around the room Marcus speaks up, "Hold on, we've got some magic coming from those two storage doors, let me look into it further before we kick more open."
With his magic detection spell active he studies the two emenations, before looking to Cira.
"Are you seeing what I am?"
Cira gives Marcus a confused look before she turns to the room and casts her own magic detection spell on the area.
"I am seeing what you're seeing, yes," she confirms, looking back at him. "Th auras are muddy though. I can't seem to pinpoint what they are."
Grargath stops just short of making contact with the second storage door. He steps back to the first locker, allowing the magic users to get a closer look.
"Thanks. Wonder wha' he's keepin' behind those two. Must be more interestin' than vintage wines."
Marcus opens the second door slowly, "The eminations is BEHIND this door, hopefully it's not nasty..."
The second storage closet is a meat locker that contains a generous cache of sides of beef, pork, mutton, fowl and fish. The food here is frozen thanks to a wall of solid ice to the north that radiates cold.
Marcus smiles and whistles lowly.
"Handy enchantment, that."
The bard then moves to the third door and inspects it carefully, trying to determine what enchantment would be placed on the door, figuring it might be a trap.