"Spirits are normally sent by the Kami to give guidance and wisdom." says Tenchi in his matter-of-fact tone as the group followed the boy into the blackened room.
Aw, hell. Not like I know where we should go anyways. Moq mutters following.
Thratch follows along.
Ashlyn dashes ahead, motherly taking the boys hand in hers.
She playfully catches his hands before he can remove her dress, redirecting him to her hips.
"You misinterpret restraint, for reluctance. The act you speak of is just one of many pleasures."
She expertly lowers his trousers. Then she slowly climbs into his lap, pressing her still covered backside into him. Her body dancing on him as she begins a story.
"Two men are invited to a gallery. The first sprinted through the halls and found the exit an hour later. The second examined each work of art. Taking in its color, its strokes, its content, and its meaning. He left the gallery days later."
Her body purposefully grinding against his, drawing him close to finish. Ensuring that both he, and her tale end together.
"Both can say they saw the gallery. True. But which would you rather be?"
She allows him to enjoy the bliss of his gratification before reaching back pressing a soft kiss to his cheek again. "I'm sure we will have more than enough time to find even more enjoyment." Lifting herself up from him, she smiles down at him.
"This really was wonderful Attero. Thank you, it truly was so sweet of you."
She will quietly return to camp. Leaving Attero alone to clean himself, and his picnic.
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"Ummmmmmmm...." Atteroo stammers awkwardly as Ashlyn depantses and mounts him.
'Again with a galleery? Didn't a gallery start this whole mess? Wait, so now there are story problems? Will one horse leave Hammerfell going East at ooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....' His thought processes go offline as the pleasure steadily, and surprisingly, increases.
Relinquishing his conscious thought for the encounter, he simply surrenders to the experience, giving the whole damn thing the benefit of the doubt and leaving off the after-action analysis for after the action.
After she leaves Aterro spends some time motionless, recovering from both the post-coital rush as well the sur-reality of the meeting. 'That...has GOT to be the STRANGEST roll-in-the-hay I've ever had. And that INCLUDES the half-orc double-agent near Amaranth.'
In time he rallies himself up and again uses the infinite bottle of thin wine to cleanse all that needs cleansing.
With the appetite of a soldier, he consumes the whole of the leftovers, knowing he should feast now, for he might starve tomorrow. He rinses, washes and dries the dishes--again with wine--and kicks over the fire.
He takes a last swig of water from his skin and begins the process of putting on his armor, securing the mask of Aterro the WarCleric for the rest of the world.
'So...maiden, eh? Or maybe vows of chastity? Meh. Still a possibility.
But the question is...do I want to do that again?
....
Will think upon that.'
"This spirit gives neither of those, Kusinagi. We've no clue what his plans are, for good or ill. Follow we might, but do not suffer from hope.
...
Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment."
"Hope is a paradox that is both the first step to disappointment and the first step to success." Riven stated in a very unlike Riven manner from nearby, an outline of blurred light and shadows on the wall.
He slipped ahead keeping pace with the child and Ashlyn too as she moved to take the child's hand.
"Hope is what a Samurai gives others, not what he keeps for himself."
Eh. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
The ghost boy moves to the door leading back to the starlit stones and waits.
As you catch up to him and prepare to exit, you see three of the soapstone statues lightly illuminated by the boy's faint glow and Moq's lantern. They're wrapped in dried vines and dead growth and begin to seemingly move.
More specifically, the vines slither and tighten around them and cause the statues to move toward you. Their poorly-carved soapstone arms raise up as the vines twist across them. From appearances they don't want to see you go.
--
84 Avg -> 14
Riven whirls toward the threat as do his animal menagerie. Beta flutters upward to remain distant from the statues while Gamma charges the lead one with his tusks out.
As it closes in Riven raises his right arm over top of his shield and his forearm slides open. Out of the space within rises a tube shaped protrusion and arcane energy surges. A beam of heat shoots toward the lead statue over the boar's head.
Thratch nocks an arrow and let's it loose almost immediately, firing at the same vine-statue-puppet-thing the boar charged.
Tenchi sets down Wan'di's body, Draws his glowing Katana, and charges one of the vine creatures that are enwrapping the stone beings.
Tenchi sets down Wan'di's body, Draws his glowing jade Katana, and swings at the vines which are animating the statue.
Ashlyn realized she was so distracted with last nights activities. She never reactivated her shielding enchantment.
She quickly twists the weave into a barrier around her.
,
Moq attempts to push over one of the statues and plunge his sword into its joints. He remains cautious though.
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Aterro walks unhurriedly into battle. He advances on the same target that Kusinagi is engaging and hefts his two-handed sword in a salute to the caryatids that have decided to sacrifice themselves to GLORIOUS COMBAT this day.
"If a job's worth doing it's worth dying for."
As he gets within striking range, he EXPLODES in a furry of action, striking the statues quickly with STEEL!
The boar charges at a statue but misses in the darkness. Riven hurls a fire bolt and misses the statue as well.
You notice the vines controlling the statues recoil from the flame.
Thratch fires an arrow and hits, dealing significant damage to the same statue.
Tenchi attacks another statue and hits, cutting at the vines, and his blade slashing into the soft soapstone of the statue.
Ashlyn suits up in her mage armor.
Moq shoves the third statue, easily knocking it down, and then stabs into it with his sword.
Aterro explodes with great fury and steel against statue 2 and hits hard, destroying the statue and severing the remaining vines from it.
Statue 1 lunges at Tenchi and attempts to grab him.
Statue 2 crumbles on the ground.
Statue 3 rocks back and forth on the ground as the vines try to tighten and pull around it to stand it back up.
Thratch fires at Statue 1 again.
Moq pins the statue to the ground to make taking it away from being a danger.
,
Then he strikes again with the shortsword.
,
Tenchi will move to Statue 3 and cut the controlling vines off of it, ideally without damaging the statue.
Riven strides forward drawing his sword as Gamma the boar attempts to gore the Statue 1 in the leg.
Swinging his blade back and forth in a high and low combination Riven attempts to dismember the vines and the statue.
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Aterro sees that between Kusinagi's intrinsic deadliness, and Riven overwhelming it with sword and boar, the grappling statue seems well in hand.
He turns to where Moq wars with the downed statue.
"Foolish are those who fear nothing, yet claim to know everything."
He turns his sword around in a downward-grip and advances menacingly upon the prone construct.
"Mercy is a sign of weakness."
The sword stabs uncaringly into the soapstone caryatid.
Ashlyn will release the boys hand for a moment. "Just a second dear." She focuses her attention forward and gathers the weave into a flame then splits it. Launching orbs of fire at each of the statues.
Ashlyn will watch the burning vines to ensure they are no longer moving. "As much as I love watching your manly displays of strength. I do grow tired of the constant interruptions. At least Carnifex was entertaining."
The group obliterates the remaining 2 statues. Ashlyn discovers that the vines are highly vulnerable to fire as they burst into flame from her chromatic orb spell and burn hard.
As the remains of the vines smolder and burn and smoke fills the darkened room, the ghost boy walks over to where the door is located and begins to pass through the wall, waving on the group to follow. You remember that the door leads back to the starlit stones.
The door creaks open, flooding the room with the artificial light from the adjoining area. The ghost boy waits, casting no shadow upon the stones.
"Efficient." Riven starts forward to cross the room where the ghost boy points him alone first so as to not creates pits into the others fall.
Tenchi will fling the blood from his blade then resheath it and again pick up Wan'di's wrapped corpse.
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What the hell were those? Is it safe to go?
Pretty simple Thratch: who cares, and no not never.
Ashlyn shrugs also to Thratch's question. "I've never heard of half the things in this place. I'm starting to believe it is a world of questions without answers."
The group makes their way quickly through the starlit stones, careful to avoid stepping into each others shadows.
The boy continues east, into the large chamber where you first met Lady Crucem Capilli.
Surprisingly, you see her tall winged form pacing in the shadows, holding what appears to be the severed head and still-attached spine of the Negamancer and chatting with it.
She spies you walking into the large chamber and stops her conversation to greet you.
"I see most of you have still survived," she starts,
"and picked up some strays, it seems." she continues, looking at Moq and Riven.
"What curiosities have you found for me?"
The ghost boy walks to the entrance of the escher stairs and merely waits.
Riven looks questioningly at the party as he remains ready to react this new encounter. "What sort of interactions are required here?"
Ha! Thratch exclaims. You took that Nega out!
"I guess it was not his maze after all."
Moq tucks his unlit lantern behind his shield.
"Nothing at all you wish to sell? You've found nothing of interest?"
Lady Capilli raises her head with a frown.
"You disappoint me. I expected you'd retrieve some manner of wonders from within the Maze."
She really notices Riven and walks around him, inspecting him closely.
"What of this construct? I have only heard legends of such wondrous things." she says, sticking her face close to his as she looks around his metallic features. "It was not with you before."
"Two thousand gold for the construct! What else might you have to sell?"
"I have bonded with these people and do not desire to leave them unless you can give them passage out of the maze if they desire. I also have a box which has been classified as a highly dangerous item which is potentially for trade. Objectives currently include female clothing that will never be destroyed with age, more maps of the maze, and other magic items of useful nature."
"A highly dangerous box? You must show it to me! This sounds like some art worth seeing." Lady Capilli excitedly responds to Riven.
She looks deeply into Riven's eyes, close enough to make him uncomfortable.
"You're alive in there, aren't you?" she quietly ponders.
I ain't found s+&* but the death of a friend and some a@@&+~~s who like to kidnap people. Come on, guys, let's follow the ghost.
The glowing lens dilate keeping focus as Lady Capilli gets within uncomfortably close personal space. Without stepping back he tilts his head slightly examining her back.
"I will answer questions if you are willing to do the same. An exchange of information and satisfying curiosity."
As Thratch spoke up Riven turned his head toward him. "I too would like to see what the spectral entity wants to show us but it would be logical to not insult this powerful entity to increase our chance of survival. I wish to know her motive and if she wishes to examine me and the box in exchange for giving aid we only stand to gain."
His eyes moved to the others in the group sensing their impatience to move forward but hoping that his logic might speak to one or more of them. He left the box inside his chest but kept his empty hand close ready to remove it as soon as the Lady or the others spoke their next thoughts.
"Very well. Ask me a question then."
"Question: Why do you seek to acquire items from the maze?"
"I guess they haven't brought you up to speed then. Alright."
Lady Capilli looks slightly flustered as she looks around the group and encapsulates her story again.
"I am tasked with rescuing a daemon from one of the cells, and with destroying the Maze. But I value it's aesthetics, therefore I do not wish to destroy the Maze without preserving some of it. Hence I asked you lot to bring me artifacts of interest."
She stands back and crosses her arms.
"My turn then. May I see the box?"
"Affirmative with the stipulation you do not attempt to open it if it would pose a direct threat to the existence of my companions. What is the name of the Daemon you have been tasked to release?"
Riven slowly opened his mithril armored chest with hissing clicks and prying of his free hand not occupied with his ancient shield. The decorated box came into view securely held between his three fingers and he held it where she could see but did not release his grip on it.
”His name is Dendrosathol. He is Psathyrella the Medusa's father, and he is imprisoned here.” she says passingly.
Lady Capilli surveys the box, going over the strange markings and buttons. She has a look of disappointment and familiarity.
”My dear creature, you don't open this box. It opens doorways.”
”It’s tawdry and tacky. The design is uninspired and pretentious. It looks like it was built by a wizard with no taste whatsoever who’d only read a book about design rather than experiencing it.”
She turns up her nose with some disgust.
”You’d think that for a device like a Cubic Gate, one would try to apply some real aesthetics to it, rather than building a square turd with buttons!”
”What do you want for it?”
A Cubic Gate is a legendary item that opens portals to other planes. Each side is keyed to a different plane of existence, though this one appears damaged and some of the buttons may not work.
"My memory contains an entry on a Cubic Gate device, it is used to travel to other planes of existence though this one if clearly damaged and some of the sides do not work. Likely it was damaged in the fall from the rope bridges."
Riven examines it a bit more armed with this recovered memory looking for clues to what sides the cube might still work and if any were to useful planes.
"What things can you offer in exchange? Gold is a heavy metal and we do not have a use for it but this cubic gate may be useful. I believe useful similar item or a favor of equal value to the box would be of greatest value."
Riven seems to calculate something for a moment as Beta hoots on his shoulder. "As a specific task, acquiring the clothing of the chameleon women that never rots with age would likely be of value."
Ashlyn's ears perk up at Riven's comment about clothing. "Women's clothing? Where have you been hiding those?"
Once she realizes the power of the box the found, she is quick to fret its sale. She would greatly prefer to keep such things out of the hands of her demon master. It did not appear that Riven was considering selling it, so she does not put her concerns to voice just yet.
Your post says "some of the buttons." Can we tell which buttons do work? If yes, can we tell where those buttons would lead?