Aldebert takes the lead and walks down the hall to the next chamber. He’s moving slowly keeping an eye open for more spirits - or something worse.
As he reaches the next chamber, he wonders why the room wasn't completely ransacked. Why leave some of the treasure behind?
Maybe they were scared off by something nasty.
Aldebert cautiously walks around the room, looking for trouble.
Beyond the sound of footsteps as Aldebert walks around the chamber, all is quiet.
Ami and Yeen pad after Alde, the cat and rider keenly looking for gnolls or gnollsign.
Perception
Know (Religion)
Ami takes the time to hiss at Aldebert while they briefly wait for the gnome and man to catch up.
"Brother, what happened to Kul? Is he done with us? I would feel better if we had his sword with us...not matter, though, you are the new Kul and will slay many with your guisarme," Ami states.
Pent gives the statue a good pat, then returns to the well room.
"I heard a rumbling in the well, when we banged the gong. It rumbled as many times as the gong was hit, so both the doors up here and the well down there are given to the gong. Lovely gong, by the way. If we weren't in Sarah's Stead, I'd have you guys take this thing outta here so we could bang a gong all night long in the streets of Kelmarane... wow, does that ever sound like a bard's song if I ever had to lyricize with an instrumentalist."
Pent takes a longer look down the well at first, keeping the fire angels at bay with his upturned elbow. Then, he takes the striker up, again, and whacks the gong, then looks back down the well again.
Ami takes the time to hiss at Aldebert while they briefly wait for the gnome and man to catch up.
"Brother, what happened to Kul? Is he done with us? I would feel better if we had his sword with us...not matter, though, you are the new Kul and will slay many with your guisarme," Ami states.
"I don't know Amiamble, I don't know. It may be he's headed back out into the desert and we won't see him again. If so, perhaps we should hire one of the guards to assist us. My arm is stronger than most, but Kul... wow, the things he could do! We could use some help I think."
The sounds of the gong are accompanied by the closing door, sounds from within the well, and the creatures heading into the well. When they return with the sound of the gong the door opens and further sounds are heard within the well. Though they momentarily look aggressive, the creatures halt their progress once they see Pent's holy symbol.
Ami disagrees with his brother, believing him to be more than capable of filling in for Kul, but does not dally to argue when the gong is, uh, gonged. Ami returns to the gong room to see what other mysteries would be revealed.
Pent lays down on his belly, chin resting on his palms, forearms still presented for inspection. He struggles to kick at the gong, and fails to accomplish a single strike, as the gong lies too far away from the well to allow a gnomelength to both kick and observe.
"Looks like there's a bottom below the bottom. If we leave be the angels, letting them retreat, then we just need to drop down thirty feet. Below that thirty feet lies another thirty feet. That's sixty feet total, Aldi. You don't have enough fingers, and you were starting to stick out your tongue, a reflex born of heavy thinking, likely." Pent sticks his rather long tongue out, then demonstrates how one rolls one's tongue back into the mouth.
"If you think you've inspected the rooms beyond, then we need to go below."
Making sure the gong has retracted the floor to allow for a sixty-foot well, Pent draws an equation in the air, using his two longest fingers to simulate his legs running up to the edge, while he retreats towards the gong. He mumbles something in argument with himself, resolving tones coming last. The gnome polishes the gong, before turning towards the well.
Pent deliberately jumps into the well, the light on the crossbow leading his way into darkness.
As Pent and his holy symbol fly from view, Ami has but a moment to produce a wooden symbol to keep the creatures from becoming aggressive.
Reflex
"Do not harm me! I burn with Sarenrae's fire, much like you! Show me where her enemies lie and I shall join you in bringing them to flame!"
Ami holds his symbol aloft.
A new sound emanates from the well. Laughter from the belly of a gnome, bordering on insanity. He spirals for twenty feet, he swims for another twenty feet, before simulating a leaf bobbing and dropping to the floor.
"That was... brilliant!! Oh, the places we'll go!! The vantage points we'll discover!! The closeness to Sarah herself!! Ahahahaha!!!"
Taking in the portcullis, he takes the barrier in stride. He slowly ascends, understanding as slowly that upwards movement is not downwards.
Arriving back at the well's mouth, Pent takes in the scene. He flies around the angels, before swinging by to pat Ami on the back. "That's it! You show 'em. They respect your authority here, don't let them forget it. Might just... want to hold it a bit... straighter there... I know you're nervous, what, all in the face of angel aggression, but you should trust in Sarah to see you safe here."
Pent circles the well again. "The well's constipated down below. Not sure how we're gonna loosen its bowels. Huh. How're you all gonna get down there?"
"We are missing something here," Mahdi mutters. He looks suitably sullen at Pent's flying shenanigans and discovery of the hidden bottom well.
"....how is the nitwit doing that," he mutters to nobody in particular. It is incredibly galling to have HIS destiny of glorious fire (prophesied and all, okay!?), pushed to the side by the antics of a flying gnome.
Scowling and not at all jealous, Mahdi looks over the gong's base.
"They're not angels, they're more fire elementals," he can't help but point out peevishly to Pent.
The creatures immediately respond to Ami's quick retrieval of a holy symbol. They stand motionless now focused on Ami's symbol much as they were Pent's.
Aldebert moves back into the gong room and looks into the pit.
"Let's not forget the loot in the other room. Don't want to leave that behind for grave robbers. Unless we're going to clean it up and seal this place when we leave."
He watches Mahdi move around the room. Catching his drift, he takes off his pack and uncoils his silk rope and ties it to his grapple. He hands it to Mahdi.
"Here, this'll help I think."
"Loot? What loot? There's no loot in a church, Aldi. You calling it like you're seeing it then, huh? Now we'll have to keep our eyes on you..." Pent tries to keep himself flying upside-down, while judging the halfling.
After flailing badly, Pent realizes that he's better off moving about the room at a steady pace. He waits patiently enough as the others secure the rope, and figure out a way of descending.
"We really need Maddie's eyes to look over that portcullis. Lever's busted, and we'll need a way to bypass it. Maddie's really good at understanding architectural constipation."
Ami takes a tight grip on Yeen, as the cat has a penchant for chasing flying bugs. Flying gnomes would be sure to earn a bat or two.
Calm, Yeen. Do not pounce...it would be unseemly.
Ami turn to his brother and the grapple hook, his face blanching. The forced bath would not be pleasant...especially if there was no easy egress from the water.
"Gnome, are you sure we want to go that way? Might there not be another path?" Ami speaks directly to Pent.
"They're not angels, they're more fire elementals."
Pent almost stops, midair, until he thinks better of it, then scrambles to keep his speed up. "Aw, now. Really? That's... disheartening and heartening at the same time, for different reasons. The 'dis' is for the learning that angels aren't present and presentable. The ' ' is for the learning that angels aren't tethered here, down in the dark. Thanks for letting me know my folly, Maddie."
"Might there not be another path?"
"Yeh, there might not. Then again, there might. Then again, not there might not be no other path? Other than this well, I see no other place an evil would not want to be, other than to be somewhere one wouldn't consider it not welcome, nor expected directly." Pent continues to swirl.
"Ooooohhh. Your cat can't climb, nor fly. Bet it can fall well enough, but that's a fool's bet, right? Catch as catch can, can you catch it if it comes to you from above?" The gnome waits for the team to descend, and figure out a way to deal with what keeps them from advancing any further below.
Ami stares at the flying gnome, wondering how quickly Yeen would bat him out of the sky and hold him to the ground...
"Would you like to see how well Yeen can jump? Or climb?" Ami says defensively, having seen cats climb trees and walls most adeptly.
Ami looks down the well.
"My cat can get down there..."...I think..."But enjoying the water is another matter."
Ami goes to help Alde with the rope.
Yeen paces the edge of the well, looking in peevishly. As The One and The Other get too close, she "Mrieowww" in warning, emphasizing it with the light touch of one paw.
The gnome continues to supervise from on high. As he flits, he mumbles to himself. "Steady, steady now, this flying thing isn't getting any easier..."
"My cat can get down there, but enjoying the water is another matter."
"Yeah, because where there's a well, there's water, huh?" Pent pats his dry self. "That's like thinking 'Well looky there, a shoe. Must be a foot in it.' All shoes have foots in them, all hats have heads under them, all pots have kahve in them, all barns have horses in them, all nests have birds in them, all bellies have babies in them..." He winks at Ami. "...and all skulls have brains in them? I'm convinced!" Pent chuckles, forgetting himself, and tumbling through the air until he regains himself.
Gauging that the rope is secure, and the team is about to descend, Pent returns to the bottom of the well, pretending to swim through non-existent water. He calls up to Ami.
"Don't forget to keep our guests entertained, Ami!! Wouldn't do to tuck your symbol away, seeing as the ellies like seeing it!!"
He looks over the portcullis, and debates what to do next. He listens beyond the barrier, making sure he's alone at the moment.
Reassured by the sound of no running water, he tries to lift the portcullis, making the path ready for the others once they arrive.
Ami, stung by the gnome's insight, goes and looks for water; Yeen snuffs for it.
Ami and Yeen prepare to climb down.
As Ami looks over the well, the unmistakable light of a torch can be seen growing near the entry way to the underground area.
Ami and Yeen wait for Aldebert and Mahdi to go down before making their way. They take their time, ensuring a safe trip down.
"Into the pit eh brother?"
Aldebert waits until the way is clear, and then he leaps into the pit, floating to the bottom on his ring of feather falling.
Once there, he goes over to the portcullis to see what he can do to help Pent lift it.
"Pent, step back a second would you? I've got this."
He tries again.
Pent lands, and plants both hands on halfling hips, steadying from any overexertion. "From the legs, now. Lemme spot you..."
After the second try Aldebert is able to lift the portcullis.
Waiting near the well, Ami can easily make out a figure carrying a torch making their way through the entrance to the underground area. A second figure follows close behind.
"There you go!" Pent claps Aldebert on the back. "Next time, you'll be able to do it all by yourself, I'm sure of it! You're a quick learner, no doubt about it." Pent flies back up the well and announces Aldebert's success, before flying back down to join the halfling again.
"Alright then, Muscles. You first." Pent waits for the others to meet up, then claps Aldebert on the back again, but brings a touch of Sarah on the second.
Ami renews his light spell on his brother's guisarme (before he descends), proud of his brother's might.
He fills Kul's shoes so easily. He's a good brother and together we will slay many gnolls.
At seeing the light and figure, Ami and Yeen sneak forward, ready to pounce the assuredly gnollish figure ahead.
Stealth
Torch in hand, a burly human male dressed in green livery slowly descends the stairs. Yeen seems quite disquieted by him. A young woman dressed in layered scarves of a variety of colors follows close behind.
"No need to be wary friend. I've come here looking for my brother."
Yeen sniffs, his tail bristling as the burly human descends the stairs. He circles to the side of The One prepared to leap in front of him if it proves necessary.
Mahdi hesitates at the top a little while, licking his lips a bit nervously once the others aren't there to see him do it. His pride would never have let him be nervous with the others there to see, of course.
This just seems a lot longer than the other climb they did... after one last check of the rope, Mahdi climbs down, slowly, carefully, and taking his time.
He is still a little out of breath when he reaches the ground floor and dusts off his hands. He follows after the others, freezing when he hears the voice and sees the approaching people.
"Ah... good day to you, too," he says with a sidelong look. "We've seen nobody else. Beg pardon, but exactly who are you and how did you get in here-- the door we came in by was locked. Heavily."
And if the door was locked.. and sealed... then who could be down here but the evil that was thus imprisoned? Mahdi's tone is light enough, but his eyes are sharp.
Or dull. His eyes could be very dull.
Turning briefly to look back toward the entrance.
"Are you sure you locked it? It was open when I approached. Seeming a bit more concerned than she was a moment ago. As for me, I am Quinn. I'm looking for my brother. Word was that he was on the trail of a strange creature. The locals seem to think the creature has something to do with this place. He would have been traveling with his friend, a dwarven fellow."
"I know what you mean about brothers. Still, it was heavily locked as Mahdi here said. I'm Aldebert by the way, this is my brother Amiamble, and our friend Pent."
"We've been told there is a great evil down here, came through a heavily locked door, and find you - so you understand if we're a little skeptical and uneasy."
He gives him the Paladin Stare... Detect Evil.
Pent hears chatter, a new feminine voice no less, and simply has to know what takes place at the mouth of the well above.
Flying upwards, he lands next to the gong, and takes in the strangers.
"You have arrived at too coincidental a time to be taken lightly. You've been sent, haven't you? Sarah's looking after us, and has brought us even more might by which we might overcome the witchery that lies below."
The burly man stands still, holding the torch while the young woman looks very concerned.
"Of course. If you'd prefer I'll happily wait outside. I imagine if there are any clues of my brother or his friend having been here you'll find them. Looking back toward the door. As for the door, I have not touched it. It was open when I approached and so I entered. Surprised by the gnome, she pauses a moment before addressing his questions. The locals sent me, if that's what you mean. Though I think if you asked them they'd tell you I have no business being here. Apparently I don't look mighty. The light laugher that follows betrays a sense of confidence that seems to say otherwise."
Ami waits for Pent's words to wash over the intruders, debating whether to strike while they are confused by the ramble.
Yeen's tail swishes, waiting for the order to pounce.
Ami slides a stone into his slingstaff...looking for gnollsign among the humans.
"I am Quinn. I'm looking for my brother. Word was that he was on the trail of a strange creature. The locals seem to think the creature has something to do with this place."
Ami pauses...listening...changing...Brothers are important.
"Who is your brother? Go back to Kelmarane and if we find him, we will send word there."
Smiling.
"So you've decided not to be so wary. I'm glad. My brother's name is Thomas. He's a renowned investigator. I hadn't heard from him for months so I parted company from the royal family I was serving to see if I could track him down. The trail has lead me here. Looking around the area, then down the well. Are you sure you don't want my help?"
"So you've decided not to be so wary...."
Yeen listens to The One's body as it becomes less tense. Uncertain at first, then with more confidence, Yeen pads forward to check out the newcomer more closely.
With a wave of her hand, the burly humanoid carrying the torch disappears.
"What a fine animal. I'm sorry if my faux companion was disturbing."
Mahdi arches a brow at the casual dismissal of what was, perhaps, an illusion...? Hrmf. He is unclear how he feels about another student of the arcane showing up and possibly subverting his personal fiery destiny.
"I see you're a student of the arcane mysteries as well," he says a bit archly. "We do not need your help, madam... Quinn, was it... but, should a lady require accompaniment through these tunnels, our aid is rather more solid than that of figments. I am Mahdi al-Jabira, and I too have a brother, so my heart goes out to you in that regard.
"Still: we entered this place less than an hour gone, and as I said, it was heavily locked when we arrived. When exactly was your brother supposed to have entered this place?"
"Whoa. Didn't even think to think of your thug as nothing more than thought. That is a worthy trick, to stave off cads and creeps, eh?" Pent looks at Mahdi. "Don't go getting any ideas, now that you know she's single. She's still got a brother, remember."
The gnome turns back to the woman. "We're in a little bit of a hurry, I'm sure you'll understand. There's an evil, we think down there, and we need to get to it so we can get to it. If you can keep up, and you can keep safe, then we'll keep you. If not, you need to keep out of trouble, for we'll not keep promises we never made to you, knowing how dangerous it's going to become once we keep our date with the thing kept contained all this time."
Pent flies back down to wait by the portcullis, his light out, and him gazing down the corridor, expecting trouble any moment now.
"Come on, now, Aldi, we have evil to banish. Can't let it weasel away, or vanish, especially now that we've opened the door above."
Aldebert holds the portcullis in place as he watches the exchange take place.
"Fine then, come with us and let us seek your brother. Only let us get going, this portcullis is... unreliable and heavy. Shall we?"
With a wave of her hand, the burly humanoid carrying the torch disappears.
"What a fine animal. I'm sorry if my faux companion was disturbing."
Yeen leaps, landing where the burly humanoid was but now isn't. He sniffs and paws, then turns with his tail held high. He circles, making sure to rub against his people on the way back to The One's side, but ignores the woman altogether, as if she too might disappear at any moment.
Bowing deeply toward Mahdi. Then speaking to all
"Well met. You might say I know a bit. A small matter I am sure sir al-Jabira. As for an offer of aid I would graciously accept, if you don't think I'll be to much of a burden. There might even be a benefit for all of you if we manage to find my brother. As for how he could have gotten into such a forsaken place let us hope we find out." With a wink she runs toward the well, jumps over the edge, and flies at speed to the bottom.
Ami watches the man disappear, then watches the woman as if she might disappear in the same manner. When she does not, Ami mounts Yeen and they back trail her path to the front doors, looking and snuffling about for other scents/prints.
Perception
Perception Yeen with scent
If nothing is found, they will both race to the well and make their ways down.
Can everyone fly? Mahdi wrinkles his nose and (as usual) ignores any intimations on the part of Pent that Mahdi might be anything other than perfect in all his motivations and intentions.
Though the lady is rather intriguing... And Almah still hasn't invited him to her tent... hrm...
Mahdi thoughtfully descends the rope after the others, with all of that huffing and puffing that was typed earlier.
Pent shuffles everyone past him, starting to grow uneasy as to how soon his flight may depart.
His unease grows, as they pass the portcullis. He looks at the metal warily, expecting the halfling's attempts at lifting it merely temporary.
"Alright, alright, alright. Let's push forward." The gnome brings his forearms to his chest, and he shudders, bringing forth one of his remaining Sarah Soothes this day.
4 O Level Spells [Create Water, Detect Magic, Guidance, Light]
4 1 Level Spells [Air Bubble,
1 1 Level Domain Spell [Longstrider]
3 2 Level Spells [Resist Energy, Spiritual Weapon, Summon Monster II]
1 2 Level Domain Spell [Cure Moderate Wounds]
2 3 Level Spells [Summon Monster III, Dispel Magic]
1 3 Level Domain Spell
Channeling (8) 3d6
Niches along this rough-hewn hallway contain burials of ancient church dignitaries.
"I hope my brother didn't end up like one of these fellows."
Ami and Yeen finish their quick scan, taking their findings down in the well to report to their leader, Aldebert. He reports to him but does not mind if Mahdi overhears.
"Brother, I found two sets of footsteps through the church and surrounding area. At the boarder of the grounds, there is only one set of footsteps. Some of those footsteps disturbed Yeen, but I cannot say why...but not the set by themselves at the edge of the church grounds."
Ami, after reporting, turns to look again at Quinn while Yeen offers another sniff at the woman. It is clear that neither one trusts the newcomer despite his brother's acceptance.
Her actions will decide much.
Ami and Yeen move forward, certain that going forward is the only way to learn about the Lady and of this place.