Seeing what went on, Liam goes through his pouches, "I've got some medicine for that, I think... Yea, right here, bought it in town, antitoxin. It's yours if you think you need it."
Oh no. Let me know if I need to help you heal." She moves over next to Eli to take a look.
Eli, give me another fort save and then everyone tell me what you do!
If you drink a vial of antitoxin, you get a +5 alchemical bonus on Fortitude saving throws against poison for 1 hour.
Sensing the sudden worry and tension in the room over Eli's condition, Liam puts the antitoxin in Eli's hand, "You better take this."
Eli weakens rapidly and her breath comes in shallow gasps as she downs the vial of antitoxin.
At last the antitoxin takes over, clearing the horrible poison from Eli's veins. Exhausted, sweating and barely able to move, she slumps against the still-locked cabinet.
Liam feels a wave of guilt over forcing the issue of getting the books into his hands, "Looks like she is stabilizing, but she needs help even walking. We need to get her out and home or somewhere to recover and come back when she is ready. We can't continue this without her."
Liam looks longingly at the cabinet with the books. He dares not open it, not knowing if there are other potent, life-threatening traps involved. He stifles the curiosity that drove him to push, and focuses on helping the team.
"Let's get her up and out of here to safety."
|
Thorny eyes the sofas in the corners. He cranes his neck and looks around the room. "I don't know that I would even trust the beds in this place." He leans down and scoops up Eli in his arms. "I agree with Liam. We cannot continue with Eli in this condition. Though we just got here, she is critical to the mission and needs to recover. Let's get her to someone who can help." Thorny begins to retrace his footsteps out of the mansion and back to town.
So the team trudges back to the Wise Piper Inn. Talia Orem, the innkeeper looks dismayed at Eli's bedraggled state and immediately sends a serving girl to run for the help of the druid, Azmurr Kell. She then shoos you all out of the room while she helps Eli get out of her armor and into bed.
The serving girl returns with the news that Azmurr Kell is nowhere to be found. She's brought the Abadaran priestess Eupaphenia Targas, whom she ran into on the street of the town.
The frowning priestess seems put out by the summons. "Yes? What is it?"
After she examines Eli, she says "Poison. And a strong one. You're lucky to be alive. Everyone knows you've been hired to explore the wizard's lair. You'll have to be more careful."
"You'll recover on your own in about a week," she says. "Or, I can cure you. It might take a day or so. That would require a donation to the congregation of Abadar, of course."
Val grabs the birds, and their cage on the way out of the house. "They need taken care of if we're going to be gone for a few days. Liam would you please note the birds were removed to town for safekeeping?"
Val sighs, and pulls out the donation, and hands over the gold. "Here. Please fix her. We need her up and running to finish the job we've been hired for."
Nodding, the silk-clad Abadaran weighs out your offering, finds it acceptable and moves to lay her hands on Eliastra's. Her prayers are genuine and heartfelt, imploring the Lord of the First Vault to reward your investment in Belhaim's souls with a sign of his good favor. Warm light spreads from her hands into Eli's and some the scarlet discolorations on her skin begin to recede. Still pale and exhausted, Eli murmurs her relief and falls asleep.
"I'll return in the morning," says Eupaphenia. "Let her rest. Get Talia to bring her some broth to drink and some cold well water, not the river water."
The next day the priestess returns and prays with Eliastra, speaking softly and reading from The Order of Numbers, the holy scripture of the Lord of Law and Cities.
...the work you are doing is important, for it serves the health of Belhaim and Belhaim is at the forefront of civilization in these dark and lawless woods. For that, you are blessed of Abadar. Hunclay the wizard may have been a man of ill intent, but he was also a man of property. That this property should be sold for the benefit of his heirs is good and just, and just laws bring peace, prosperity and safety. Your actions serve those good and just laws. For that you are blessed of Abadar. Rise now and be well."
After this, Eli feels refreshed and alive. She wants to run! To feel grass under her feet. To shout, to sing! She wants wants to fight some small man in a bareknuckle brawl and win!
Momentarily befuddled by his new assignment as temporary bird-sitter, Liam goes with his mates. Upon being shooed away by Talia putting Eli down to rest, Liam splits off and heads to the Shrine of the Seven Roses.
Trying to look matter-of-fact while holding the cage of birds, he asks for some time with whomever (most likely an acolyte) greets visitors to the Shrine. Once comfortable, Liam starts, "I am sure by now you've heard of Hunclay's passing. Lady Devy has tasked a few of us with cataloging his manor for future auction of his belongings. While doing our inspection, we discovered these gorgeous but undernourished pets. While we are in no position to take on the responsibility of caring for these beauties short or long term, my thoughts went to your shrine and the faithful of Shelyn who possess a deep appreciation for all things of beauty. I am unsure if these birds are in fact valuable in themselves, but they do need a caretaker until such time as we do know if they are up for auction or adoption. I am perfectly willing to donate some coin so there would be no monetary cost to the Shrine, and any excess would go to the needs of the faithful, say... 5 gold?"
The acolytes agree to care for the birds - things of beauty - and to accept Liam's donation for the task.
Liam hurries back to the Wise Piper, silently congratulating himself on the fine accomplishment of one unwanted responsibility; then goes serious as he enters Talia's establishment, rejoining his friends in the middle of the transaction with the Abadar priestess.
Witnessing the healing and the results, Liam is duly impressed by the divine arts on display. He leans over to Val and whispers,
"Val, want to go half with you on the payment to the priestess, you should not be shouldering this cost, Eli's my friend too, and I want to help." He offers her up 63gp.
"Thank you Liam. That was very kind of you." Val says as Liam lets them know what happened to the birds.
When Eli is all healed. "Are we ready to try this place again? Hopefully we'll have better luck this trip."
Onward!
Together again in the Library, Liam looks longingly at the books in the iron-deathtrap-of-poisonous-ruin and shrugs, casting his attention instead to one of the doors, "Right, so... I've cataloged this room, time to explore further." A small shiver goes up his spine as he asks the next question...
"Eli, despite the mishap and life threatening results, you are still our best candidate for uncovering these traps, do you feel comfortable still being point on this?"
Eli, go ahead and give me a Perception check to find traps. Take a +4 now that you know what you're looking for.
The work is too fine for anyone to Aid you.
There it is! You can go ahead and try to disable it now!
"Be careful. Val looks very nervous as Eli tries to pick the lock.
Click.
Eli opens the lock carefully and throws wide the doors of the locked cabinet.
Liam diligently documents all the tome's of note. If I were a lesser halfling, he tells himself, I'd figure a way to make off with these.
"Shall we try the door?"
Looks clear to you!
"My turn to take the trap to the face. I'll give the door a try." Val moves up and opens the door.
Liam closes his eyes and plugs his ears... then opens one eye...
The door opens to reveal a lushly-appointed bedroom with three armoires and three tall wardrobes, a canopied bed with a large locked chest at its foot, a writing desk and chair, elaborate marble tub, and a thick bearskin rug.
Hearing nothing alarming, Liam enters the room with the dancing lights in tow... He cautiously avoids stepping on the bearskin rug, but assumes the rest of the room is fine to walk on.
He touches nothing yet, as he takes out the journal while waiting for the others to join, looking around and observing, "Hunclay sure liked nice things."
As soon as Liam enters the room, a deep growl comes from the bearskin rug.
Eli, you notice a folded scrap of paper on the nightstand and a gold ring with a fat black pearl sitting on the writing desk.
With the growl, Liam leaps to as far away from the rug as possible and readies an action to use the ectoplasmic goo if the bearskin moves.
Val moves into the room. "What happened Liam? Why are you way over there?"
"The rug - you all heard it, right? I didn't step on it and it growled... I thought it might animate and attack, but now... looks like it's just a warning because we're not Hunclay... maybe?"
Liam calms down a bit with the support of his friends and looks around.