Thurrios follows Narku with Tempest at the ready.
Anapa was also ready now. This was a place of treachery and deceit. He will make sure to remove their lies
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With his torch held aloft, Narku leads the way into the next chamber of the refuge. Much like the chamber you were just in, its walls are decorated with carvings celebrating the many triumphs of Nethys, as well as his status as a two-faced god. At first glance, the room appears to be a dead end... that is, until you take a look at the floor. One of the stone slabs tiling the ground appears to be missing, in its place a dark, open shaft - a trapdoor no longer secret.
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Sarala walks after the half-orc, gently resting her temple sword against her shoulder still at the ready, just in case those chokers come back.
"What's that? Is it a tight space that a nimble, slender and attractive Vanaran can scout out without making too much noise?" says Sarala, trying to see past Narkû. "Or is it a boring hole with a ladder in it?"
"Perhaps it is a boring hole with a ladder, which a nimble, slender and attractive Vanaran can scout out without making too much noise"
Narkû steps carefully over to the hole, testing each step before putting his full weight forward.
"Careful Sarala, if Narkû was gonna lay a trap, Narkû would put a open trapdoor in the room to sucker, err... entice others in."
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Current Effects: Whetstone edge on falchion, +1 damage on next successful hit; Torch, 20' radius, 1 hr;
Nothing seems to happen when Narku approaches the open trapdoor, nor when he takes a peek down inside. With his darkvision, the half-orc can see that the shaft is a straight 30-foot drop, leading deeper into the refuge. There is no ladder in sight, but the sides of the shaft are all decorated with bas-relief sculptures depicting ancient gods - there are enough protrusions for them to act as impromptu ladders.
Narkû looks back at Sarala, "Narkû does not see anything down there, but Sarala should be be able to climb down on the noses and ears of those faces. Or Narkû can go down first."
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"Nah, I'll climb down," says Sarala, cracking her knuckles and preparing to do just that. She shimmies on past Narkû and adds, "Fun and interesting fact about me, I like climbing." Once she gets to the shaft, she rubs her hands together and starts down to scout it out. She attempts to be careful with any hand or footholds, in case any of them are some kind of elaborate trap.
Ruika waits in the doorway away from the hole, her eyes flicking between the group as they start to descend and the wide-eyed mage. The white-orc watches as he obsesses about the statues and softly mutters to himself.
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Julius remains enraptured with the artwork prevalent in this section of the ruins. He continues to mutter incomprehensible things in his excitement. All the while he makes sketches in one of his journals of the wall art and statuary.
"Sarala!" he suddenly bursts out and spins around. "You have to see thi—" He doesn't see the monk anywhere, of course as she is currently nimbly, slenderly and attractively descending a hole in the floor in true Vanaran style.
He blinks several times as his mind processes the sight of the others peering down a hole in the floor with Sarala nowhere around.
"Oh!" he emits as he makes the obvious connection. Julius dashes up next everyone and sees Sarala's progress.
"There! That one of Gozreh's male form. That part of his beard should make a good foothold," he says unnecessarily helpful to a master climber such as Sarala. He grins at her and waves to his friend his eyes alight with an excited fervor. Julius' 'backseat climbing' has always been one of his more irritating personal traits to Sarala.
There is no shortage of beards, arms, legs, and other stony appendages (use your imagination) for Sarala to use as sturdy footholds, making the climb down virtually effortless. She spots nothing in the way of traps, but of note is the fact that the statues are in astonishingly good condition compared to those on the ground floor. It does not take long at all to reach the bottom, where there is a short drop from the ceiling to the ground.
There is a peculiar sight in the small chamber below - just inches off the ground below the exit of the shaft float the pieces of a broken stone slab, much like those that tiled the floor of the upper levels. To the west the floor slopes off, leading down another stairway.
Narkû holds the torch over the hole so others can climb down with the benefit of the light. Then will climb down after all have made it down safely.
"I have a rope."
"We secure rope at top. Leave nasty surprise if anyone tries to cut it." Ruika says with a vicious softness, holding up a hand and in it are some spiked pieces of metal. The lantern light flickers across the caltrops spikes glinting. She picks up Lyssa before she descends.
"You always state obvious?" Ruika asks genuinely curious as she moves carefully down the faces, her desert robes pulled taught against her form to avoid tripping over the hem.
If that's the case, I'll take 10 and come on down.
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"State the obvious? It may be obvious to you, but you have not yet spent much time with our taciturn and humorless friends. It's my humane duty to try and help engage and expand their minds, and hopefully, their awareness of more than fighting," Julius states matter-of-factly as he and Ruika make their descent. He smiles and winks when Lyssa peeks out of the witch's robe to regard him.
"Better watch your hands, else your mind be expanded after fall to stone floor." she says taciturnly. "Humour of tribe tends to physical than lingual, maybe humans different?"
Slowly she ensures that her grip is tight enough, despite Lyssa's wheezing chuckle at the exchange.
Hearing Julius's words, Narkû shakes his head in sorrow, never realizing till now that Anapa was humorless.
That explains much for Narkû. Poor Anapa. he thinks to himself.
With none but himself remaining after Anapa finishes the descent, Narkû gives warning and drops the torch through the hole, then climbs down the rope himself.
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Current Effects: Whetstone edge on falchion, +1 damage on next successful hit; Torch, 20' radius, 50 min;
Ruika lands softly on the broken floor. Having been careful upon her descent to avoid the other stony appendages that protruded from the shaft; lest she find herself the focus of Julius' wit. She picks up some of the broken tiles and examines them, just to ascertain if they were from above & any evidence of how they were broken.
Lyssa jumps out of the collar of the shadowy robe, preening herself with a haughty look to her friend. 'I didn't need your help to climb down, but I guess I'll deign to have let you.'
The witch moves to avoid Julius falling form and nods to Sarala to lead the way.
Between the rope and highly climbable surface, the entire party is able to descend the shaft with ease. The tiny little chamber at the bottom is rather cramped with everyone standing in it.
Ruika finds that she is able to move the floating rubble with ease. When she releases the piece of broken tile, it simply floats back toward the others, clearly suspended by some kind of magic. The slab must have been smashed into pieces with brute force, though it is impossible to tell how long ago.
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Julius snaps his fingers and the glowing lights reappear being the only human, he needs the light to see. When he sees the floating rubble, he immediately begin to examine it to the exclusion of all else.
He hears Sarala say something which sounds like interest in a magical effect. He grins broadly and works out how best to explain the phenomenon.
"Looking for things worthy of being 'liberated' are you"
Narkû heads down the western passage of stairs, falchion at the ready for anything to jump out at him.
"Looks clear down this way... other than the blue creepy light and some nasty looking statues. It looks like some crapped in the models gruel when they made these though." Narkû says back up the stairs.
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Current Effects: Whetstone edge on falchion, +1 damage on next successful hit; Torch, 20' radius, 50 min;
Ruika follows Narkû down the stairs, interested in the floating tiles but seeing that some of the others have moved forward down into the gloom. Her footsteps soft on the stone stairs as she pads down into the cool room below.
I will follow along, with sword upraised.
Narku is the first to enter the chamber, having descended the stairs with a watchful eye. He does not perceive anything unusual - nothing he has not already seen, at least - nor does anything pop out at him. The doors to the south and west lead into other hallways, but unlike the ones on the surface, they appear to wind, leaving the rooms beyond a mystery.
"Ok, something with very large claws ripped those doors apart!"
"Baboon looks very life-like." Ruika says, examining the statue. Whilst ensuring that there's sufficient light for Julius, by intoning a soft airy song that match the fluid motions of her hands. A quartet of pale orbs are conjured to float above her hands.
"Good eye, Thurrios. We be careful. Through southern door." Her words are short and sharp as she looks towards the doorway.
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Julius takes a breath and begins to speak in an affable teaching tone.
"The pieces of stone were once whole as I am certain you have gathered. The former slab was under the effect of a permanent levitate spell. This is an arcane spell currently associated with the modern Transmutation school. A minor form of telekinesis, the specific intent of this magic is to raise or lower an object not currently manipulated by a soul-filled vessel (otherwise called a person or creature) as this type of magic is unable to overcome 'will' (that being of course a debatable philosophical topic regarding the nature of 'intent' by said soul-filled vessel), or, alternatively, one can raise or lower a willing soul-filled vessel as if said vessel allows the intent of the spell it can act upon their being. This fuels all kinds of magical debate given that there are, of course, several magicks which are able to act upon a being without their intent or against their will."
Julius pauses and taps a finger to his lips.
"I have often theorized that it is this fundamental understanding of how magic operates and why such limitations exist which caused my illustrious divine patron to ascend to his apotheosis and yet also split his mind regarding the usage of magic. But, currently, I have no proof beyond my own musings."
Julius shakes his head and waves a hand before him as if shooing an invisible pest, but his eyes are pressed close and his lips are set as if troubled. The look passes, and he continues.
"Back to the slab...given that the spell was made permanent, one can suppose it was intended as specific means of entry into this lower section of the temple which makes perfect sense as only those with magic..." Julius stops and frowns. Then with a sigh and a roll of his eyes, he says "Or someone with a heavy enough hammer—could get down here. But still more likely the former as this tile would probably have been indistinguishable from the other floorstones to those not trained to recognize the magic aura of the spell."
Julius cocks his head. "Hmph...you know, I feel I should warn you all that Temples of Nethys like this were often laboratories and places where great magical research were performed. And perhaps you are not aware of this, but until a spells's required arcane gestures and magical words are fully realized much of the flow of magic is very unstable and produces some unexpected and often hazardous results."
He gestures to the floating broken pieces. "I would venture to say this portal may have been in fact the entry to the research area as it would definitely not have been a place that any of the clergy would have wanted easy access (or escape) from the outside where some may have just come to worship. So please be very careful"
Turning with a smile that everyone was so kind to listen to him, he's a little taken aback when he sees only Anapa and his friend Sarala remaining in the little room with him. Sighing, his shoulders slump slightly.
"Well, at least you stayed. I suppose I should be thankful enough for that." His smile returns and he winks. "But I am glad the others are just as eager as I to see the rest of the laboratory as me! Let's go."
He strides down the stairs sending is own magical orbs ahead of him and immediately begins to examine the statues and the blue-flame which burns in the lamps.
Julius is so lost in his study, he doesn't see anything else. "Yes, yes. The craftsmanship does make it seem very real..." he says distractedly in response to the Orc witch.
The blue flames are simply the products of continual flame spells.
The statues, which depict lesser-known spirits of destructive magic, also emit faint auras of the evocation school.
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Julius frowns and glances at the venturing Narkû and Thurrios. "I am detecting auras of evocation from these statues. Rather odd. If anything I would have suspected their lifelike appearance to mean they were trapped conjured creatures. Be very careful. They may be linked to some kind of destructive magic as these figures are minor representatives of such according to lore. Possibly a trap? Or more likely some kind of defense to guard against intrusion. Or worse—escape."
"Pffft, a floating lifter... what use that when you have strong arms. Or the spirits to make one float." Ruika rolls her eyes at Julius'; "This your God flappy lips man? Her heralds were depicted upstairs - in statues. Although those not come to life....unlike these?" She adds her voice having the first hint of wariness after the bold proclamations.
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Julius' usual good humor returns at Ruika's primitive ignorance. He chuckles at the elf's orc's words.
"No, I don't expect 'Her' heralds to come to life." There is a slight mocking emphasis on "her." "I was actually just saying the magic that seems to surround or infuse these monuments is actually one associated with focused energy magic. Most commonly used for attack magic or other such 'burst' type evocations. Which suggests something other than coming to life...though I could be wrong. There are many ways to use the different schools of magic. Some well beyond my ken. If this was indeed a research facility, we may in fact be seeing a very complex use of evocation magic which could indeed give some semblance of life to these likenesses. But such a use would be somewhat of a waste as other schools would be able to produce the same result much easier. Those being Transmutation or Conjuration."
Julius straightens from where is examining the figure shrouded in robes and looks at the witch and her fox Lyssa. "When we have time, I hope you will allow me to witness some of your witchcraft. It is a magic I have seldom had chance to examine and understand."
"BWahaha' Her laughter becomes a chilling cackle, which causes the little fox to move out of her thick desert robes and nip at her neck. 'hahahaha.... Lyssa no, I cackling here. Not many men foolish enough see true Spirit powers."
"You sure of evidence? You see claws on doors, like claws of statue, now you claim they evoke elements instead. An elemental bound in statue - with trapped energies; would that be evocative enough for you?" She sighs, not used to wasting this much breathe for a while.
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Julius frowns at Ruika's words.
"Claw marks...?" Julius' attention now switches to the doors Ruika has pointed out. His eyes widen in surprise.
"Uh...well," he says lamely. "My guess about this being a dangerous research section may not be very far off the mark, I'm thinking."
Julius draws his mage armor wand again and reapplies the spell seeing as he is uncertain of the time that has passed. Once complete, he puts it away and draws the wand of summon monster i in his off-hand and a javelin in the other.
A much more wary expression rather than an investigative one is now firmly in place on the human's face.
Seeing that Julius' lips have stopped moving, Thurrios takes a deep breath, and states dryly, "is that all? Can we proceed without interrupting the walking library?"
Narkû just sat down at the bottom of the steps, just outside the room, so not to cramp the scholars in their discussion. He just sits where looking at the flame of his torch the entire time with a blank eyed stare.
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Current Effects: Whetstone edge on falchion, +1 damage on next successful hit; Torch, 20' radius, 50 min;