Sorry. Crazy-busy weekend. I'll try to get something typed up in an hour or so.
"Nasty things," Min shook her head with conviction. "But they sap the strength of the body, not of the mind. Magdi seemed to know of them, but they shouldn't account for his current state. Since we're going to have take some time to rest anyway, I think we should try to find out where he was between his capture and his present location. Was it the Swamp Speaker's forces which defeated Hamsa's party, or Shavtha's?"
Min allowed Nsizi to negotiate the terms of their stay among Shavtha's people; she got the feeling that the chieftain and her husbands hadn't taken to her very readily. Othok, on the other hand, seemed less political.
"Othok," she asked him, "the human prisoner. The chieftain said he wasn't her prisoner. Was it the Swamp Speaker who took him captive?"
Action 1:
Before Othok left them for the evening, Zeljka asked him again, "Is there another way to get below? I don't want to fight anymore shadows if I don't have to."
The half-orc asked Magdi's companion, "You've obviously been together for a bit. Can you make any sense of Magdi's babblings? It's curious that he was taken below only to be released. Why not just keep him downstairs?"
Even though the trio were among non-hostile hosts for the night, Zeljka still suggested setting up a watch. "They may not want to openly kill us but that doesn't mean we're safe. As usual, I can take middle watch when night is darkest."
Action 2:
He shivered, “Swamp Speaker said he chosen so he go downstairs with his people. He warn other not follow.”
Nsizi didn't understand. "He may be protected from the shadows, but how did he get the door open? We found half the key in another room."
Tag Othok
They brought Magdi in with them for the night. Nsizi hoped that having human company and good food would help him feel calmer, if not restore his mind. Nsizi spent some time just sitting with the man, telling him stories of his people, and encouraging him to eat and drink.
The strange blue creature stayed near. At one point, Nsizi said, "My friend, do you know if there are other ways to get under the temple? Are there secret tunnels you can sense?"
tag
Othok was perplexed and replied, "The Swamp Speaker is cursed. Tainted. And the spirits below open the door for him and do not attack him or those that are with him."
He shook his head, "I know not other way in. Swamp Speaker always enter through double stone doors."
tag?
so... if you give some direction as to what you want to do, I may be able to move this along tonight...
"If there's no other way in then it looks like we have no other choice. Hopefully when we open the door again, the remaining shadow hasn't brought friends."
Turning to Magdi the half-orc tried again, "Is there anything useful you can tell us about what to expect down there? What freaked you out so badly?"
Zelkja, Nisizi: I think you leveled up already but please confirm.
Min: have you had a chance to level up?
Othok was perplexed and replied, "The Swamp Speaker is cursed. Tainted. And the spirits below open the door for him and do not attack him or those that are with him."
"I believe there are spells that mask the presence of the living from the undead," Min mused, "though those are unfortunately divine spells and not among those I was taught at the Academae. Tell me, Othok, does the Swamp Speaker worship Gozreh? Is he and she the god of your people?"
Nsizi stood at the double doors, and took a few deep breaths. It was time. They put in the keys, and the doors opened. He took a step back, waiting a moment to see if the shadow reappeared.
"Wait," Min interjected as Nsizi prepared to reopen the doors. "Let's have a better plan than just blundering in and hoping for the best, now that we know what we may be facing."
You all have your full STR and hit points and spells per day in the morning of your second attempt.
I intend to move this along later today.
Questions?
Game on!
I'll go with Min's suggestions (Zelkja with +1 corrosive rapier and with mage armor) unless I hear otherwise.
I intend to recap later today.
Questions?
Game on!
Turn 155 - The Swamp Speaker is Tainted
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
"'Evil wind, evil water, evil spirits,'" Min repeated thoughtfully. "Do you suppose he could mean elementals? That the Swamp Speaker is summoning water and air elementals?"
"'Evil wind, evil water, evil spirits,'" Min repeated thoughtfully. "Do you suppose he could mean elementals? That the Swamp Speaker is summoning water and air elementals?"
"I have no idea. Those kind of things are for you and Nsizi to figure out."
Action 2:
Zeljka didn't like the feel of light blade in her hand. She couldn't use it two handed which she really didn't like. "How do people fight with something so insignificant?" she grouses. Then she thanks Min for her protective spell. Shaking out her shoulders and stretching her neck, Zeljka jogged a few steps in place. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Open the door and let's get on with this."
When the shadow manifested, Zeljka studied it for a moment even though she had remembered quite a bit from yesterday. Lunging forward, a little wildly, she attempts to skewer the shadow on her toothpick of a weapon.
"'Evil wind, evil water, evil spirits,'" Min repeated thoughtfully. "Do you suppose he could mean elementals? That the Swamp Speaker is summoning water and air elementals?"
"I have no idea. Those kind of things are for you and Nsizi to figure out."
Nsizi frowned. "I do not believe that elementals are evil in nature. Though if he is bending them to his purposes, they could be made to do evil acts. If poor Magdi can give us no further information, we cannot know until we see for ourselves."
He looked out the hut. "I wonder if Evalina will be back tomorrow. I do not like going in, just the three of us. I fear we will be badly outnumbered."
Nsizi frowned. "I do not believe that elementals are evil in nature. Though if he is bending them to his purposes, they could be made to do evil acts. If poor Magdi can give us no further information, we cannot know until we see for ourselves."
Min shrugged. "If he's summoning them, they'd do what he wants, just as the earth elemental I summoned attacked Ms. Gadd and Mr. Blackwell without stopping to quiz both sides on their motivations. Magic can be ... expedient that way. It's why so many bad guys go into it."
He looked out the hut. "I wonder if Evalina will be back tomorrow. I do not like going in, just the three of us. I fear we will be badly outnumbered."
Min shifted uneasily. "Have you seen the husbands back?" she asked. "I do hope there wasn't any ... unpleasantness when they met Achahut that Evalina might have got caught up in. If they had some grudge against Achahut and Evalina tried to defend him...."
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, miss
Nsizi hesitated only a moment. He had two options - enchant his weapon and join Zeljka in the fray, or use magic to attack. He didn't have the option of magical armour, so he thought it better to stay back. "Spirits, loan me your weapon, that it may protect and defend."
A blue-glowing iwisa appeared before him, floating in a circular motion around him. It would help deflect attacks, should they appear. However, that was not why he'd summoned it. The magical weapon was also meant to be thrown, and throw it he would.
Feeling far more equipped than the last time they faced the shadow, Min waggled two fingers at the incorporeal undead, and two missiles sped around Zeljka to strike it.
Zeljka continued to press her attack even with the threat of the shadow touching her and draining her strength. Lunging forward, she poked at it again.
Nsizi had one hand on the handle of the magical iwisa when the shadow disappeared. Relieved that the foe was defeated without injury to them, he was nonetheless disappointed that he'd called upon the spirits and not had time to use their gift. "Oh well, perhaps we'll be attacked again in a few minutes anyway."
Looking to Zeljka, he said, "You are unhurt? That went better than yesterday. Perhaps it is a good omen for things to come."
As they prepared to go down the stairs, Nsizi unfastened a leather strap from his neswambi. The braided leather had a small stone sewn into the middle. Calling up on the spirits for light, Nsizi cast the spell on the stone. The stone glowed brightly, and Nsizi tied the strap around his close-cropped head. "I am ready," he said.
action 2
"This...does not look good." Nsizi looked around, up and down, but could see nowhere to go other than onto the strange stone plinth. He wasn't sure what good that would do, however. "Do we go upon this?" he asked the others.
"Oh well, perhaps we'll be attacked again in a few minutes anyway."
"Yes," Min replied with a sardonic laugh, "let's do look on the bright side!"
I think the plinth is on the same level as us. The lake is 20 feet down, and the plinth is 20 feet above the lake. We probably won't be able to see if it goes into the clouds or not until we get closer. I think we'll be able to hop the gap and get onto the plinth.
Mind. The. Gap.
I think the plinth is on the same level as us. The lake is 20 feet down, and the plinth is 20 feet above the lake. We probably won't be able to see if it goes into the clouds or not until we get closer. I think we'll be able to hop the gap and get onto the plinth.
Mind. The. Gap.
Correct.
And it does not go into the 'clouds'.
Questions?
Game on!
"Nicely done, Min," Zeljka grunted. At Nsizi's concern, the half-orc nodded. "Unhurt and good to continue."
Zeljka studied the strange plinth and took in the ropes that anchored it to the walls. "Seems like an odd contraption."
Sorry but got caught up in a daddy-daughter moment so recap tomorrow...
You can just walk on to the plinth. The plinth seems to be held in place by the ropes. If you get on it and then release the ropes, it would move to the right, following the current below.
I intend to recap later today so I need some sort of action from you guys.
Questions?
Game on!
"This...does not look good." Nsizi looked around, up and down, but could see nowhere to go other than onto the strange stone plinth. He wasn't sure what good that would do, however. "Do we go upon this?" he asked the others.
"We seem to have little other choice," Min replied, looking around in vain for a separate passageway or staircase, "other than going back. And I think we've just about worn out our welcome with the lizardfolk until we've made some progress against the Swamp Speaker. Unless you want to swim ... or fly...."
Before boarding the plinth, she withdrew the wand of touch of the sea from her pack, just in case.
Nsizi and Zeljka followed the wizard. Nsizi took a good look around the strangely stable floating rock, but could see no other way off. "Well, hold on. Here we go," and he untied the ropes from their rings in the cave wall.
Peering down the passageway, Nsizi said, "Should we get off here? Or shall we go all the way around, and see what else there is? I presume it will make a loop and return to the starting point, and then back here."
He looked at the walls to see if they had rings, so they could lash their strange craft to it and prevent it from leaving without them.
"Elements," Min said softly to herself. "If that's the pattern, then we should find a hot one and a windy one and an ... earthy one? I wonder how that works."
"Why don't we make a circuit, if possible, and see exactly what we're dealing with? We're hardly dressed to be stuck in the ice with no way out if the plinth doesn't keep coming back."
There is a place to tie off the plinth here...
The half-orc shrugs, "I'm all for riding it around to get an idea of what we're dealing with."
Nsizi spotted the rings, but decided against tying up. "Okay. Hopefully we are correct, and this will take us around again. Off we go."
Nsizi sighed. The thought of all those passages, all those tests, exhausted him. "I suppose we are meant to go through in the order this boat arrives at them. So, ice first?"
Zeljka scowled, "None of the options are good so we might as well start with ice."
Nsizi shivered as he walked carefully over the slippery ground. He took a moment to adjust his neswambi - by releasing a button here and a strap there, he was able to make a hood of sorts, and to cover his bare arms. It wasn't as good as a proper coat, but it helped a bit.
He didn't recognize either statues, and had a feeling that he probably didn't want to. Upon discovering the hidden door, he asked, "Shall we explore the hall first? Or see where this leads? I do not wish to wander further into the cold if we do not need to. Perhaps we can chop through this ice. Or do you have any fire magic, Mina? I do not."
Nsizi shivered yet again. The cold wind coming from the east cut through them. Wind...hmmm...I wonder Hoping the spirits could hear him from this far underground, he said, "Spirits, blow this cold air back the way it came."
Zeljka couldn't stop shivering and her teeth chattering against her tusks made an eerie noise.
"Ei-ei-th-er w-we l-lea-ve or-r w-we t-t-ry th-the c-con-ceal-ed d-d-oo-r. Ss-sso c-c-cold h-h-ere."
Nsizi sighed. The thought of all those passages, all those tests, exhausted him. "I suppose we are meant to go through in the order this boat arrives at them. So, ice first?"
Min pursed her lips unhappily. "There may be something to be said for not doing what we're expected to. But I don't know that there's a better place to start than here so that we can figure out what's expected of us. I have a wand and scroll that may help with the underwater passage, but communication is likely to be difficult there, and my earth elemental may be able to help with the earth tunnel ... if we know what to tell him to do. There are spells that protect from the elements ... but unfortunately, I don't know any."
"Lightning is associated with the element of air," she turned to inform Zeljka specifically. "It may well be similar to fighting the shaman on the barricades at Pridon's Hearth. You may wish to remove your metal armor for that tunnel, if we get there before my armor spell wears off."
Min shrugged, shivering. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Nsizi knew they wouldn't last long in this cold. Taking his morningstar, he started to bash away at the ice covering the hidden door. Zeljka likewise attacked the ice with her greater strength, though her teeth were chattering as she did so.