Her friend, or her employer ? Our camp where you met up with us this morning, would be the least tough situation.
Listening to the discussion Elektra with a smile speaks up."I think if you need to discuss it, let us bring them back to basecamp, or even back to sandpoint. I think we have cleared the danger here, and all that is missing is some cleaning up. We can do that at our leisure. Also, I think Sheriff hemlock and a few other people deserve to know what was going on."
"This thing, Malfes...this thing is still down here. Nualia was looking to find it. I don't think there is only cleaning to do here."
I don't think we are done here, yet. However, we can send them back to sandpoint with any information that the sheriff needs.
"I understand, but if she was seeking something... I would prefer to meet the something fully rested and with some aces up my sleeve!"
The party makes it back to base camp.
"Well who are these? Shalelu has a certain disdain in her voice as she eyes the two new Humans in the party.
Brandark is content to let the others answer the question, while he checks on Abacus, and then lays out his bedroll.
My watch will come soon enough, I am for bed.
"Well, Shalelu, we found two lost souls, who could be... persuaded to abonden a lost cause. The woman is a sage of sorts with decent magical skills, and the man a men-at-arms, willing to prove his worth to sandpoint."
Shalelu will look at the party, "We need to return to the Sheriff with these two and let them know what happened. We can leave in the morning."
Actually, Lady Shalelu, we are not quite finished in Thistletop. There is more that we have to check, but we should be able to leave by the next day.
"It is a good thing I don't need actual sleep. I am guessing you are leaving me to watch these two while you finish eploring?" Shalelu sighs. "By the way, that was a very fine horse the Goblins were keeping."
I could not leave that horse with the goblins, but I think someone somewhere is missing it.
The party hears things nearby in the forest during the first and third watches, but nothing approaches the encampment.
Day Fifteen
Brandark goes through his morning routine, and also checks on the new horse.
I think we can give up the cold camp though, no goblins are left in Thistletop.
As he pulls some cooking stuff out of his saddlebags.
After spending a few hours copying spells Elektra prepares for the next day.
When you illuminate the area you notice that the southern wing of this L-shaped hallway ends at a pair of stone doors carved with the depictions of two skeletons reaching out to clutch a skull between them, while to the east the hallway narrows down to frame a circular carving of what seems to be an immense stack of tens of thousands of gold coins that rises from floor to ceiling.
Looking to left O9/10
double door
double door
Kelvin steps into the room and looks to the left to see what the end of the pointed hall way looks like, then heads over to the double door. Checks it for traps and listens for anything beyond.
Well, that looks odd
Brandark moves over to look at the picture
He then follows along behind Kelvin.
Looking at the painting, Weaving a quick cantrip Elektra inspects the area. Still concentrating she nods to kevin
Kelvin doesn't detect a trap or hear anything beyond the double doors.
When Kelvin approaches what appears to be a stack of gold coins he notices that the edges of these coins are carved with tiny, spiky runes.
Upon further examination, he determines that there is an area beyond the stack of coins. He further determines that the stack of coins are not real, and likely an illusion. Then he finds something that had been eluding Nualia for weeks, just to the left of the stack of coins, and well hidden, so much so that typically only someone who knew it was there would know its existence, a tiny slot roughly the size of a coin.
Elektra confirms that the stack of coins is indeed an illusion and a powerful one at that, likely from a Permanent Illusion spell.
"Can you dispel the illusion, Elektra?"
"Well, if it is coins they want, lets give them a couple." and he puts a copper piece in the slot, working up to silver, then gold piece if the previous coin doesn't do something.
"Illusions lose a lot of its potency if you know that they are illusions! And, I am afraid I am close to do so, but not yet. And even if I know the spell to do so, I have a feeling my power will be not enough."
Brandark just watches what happens when Kelvin puts coins into the slot.
But otherwise continues to keep an eye out for anything that may come along.
Nothing happens when Kelvin puts in a copper coin, the same with the silver coin, but when the gold coin is put into the slot, the pillar of coins begins to make a horrible grinding noise. Then ever so slowly, the column slides down to become flush with the floor.
Beyond is a large open area, three double doors, North, East and South can be seen.
"It seems some stories where true. Those runelords were greedy basterds!"
"At least I didn't have to put a platinum coin in it" snickers Kelvin.
Starting with the north door, he checks for traps and listens at all the doors.
The North Door is plain and made of stone. There is a door handle. Kelvin does not detect a trap. He hears someone talking in a strange language.
The East Door is also plain and made of stone. It too has a door handle. Kelvin does not detect a trap, nor hear anything beyond.
The South Door is made of stone but bears no handles. An indented outline of a seven-pointed star, its shape covered by hollows and slits, graces the spot where handles should be. Kelvin does not detect a trap. He doesn't hear anything beyond the door either.
Aye, that would be a pricy lock. However, did you find anything
Brandark strolls into the room following kelvin.
"No traps, and I hear something beyond the north door."
"Now, how we open this southern door is a mystery to me. Does anyone have a clue? Did we find anything that would fit into this star?"
"The question I'd like an answer to is, where does all the money put in the slot go to?" Garrath looks at the door, "Didn't we find a medallion like that?
This might
Indicating the medallion, but I think we should deal with whomever happens to be behind that door.
Kelvin will look at the size of Brandark's Sihedron Medalion and notice that though it is the same type of star, the Medalion is larger in size than the indentions in the door.
"Lets enter the north door. I do not like leaving someone behind us."
Nor do I.
Brandark moves over to the north door, and gets ready to open it.
When you go through the North door, you find a barren room that contains an upraised dais on which sits a marble throne. To either side stand statues of a man clutching a book and a glaive. A ghostly figure seems to be seated on the throne, an image of the same man who appears in the statues. He seems to be addressing an audience as he moves his hands about, his fngers decorated with hooked rings, but the words issuing from his phantom mouth are difcult to make out and in a strange language.
Well, this is not what I expected. Can anyone understand what that is saying?
Brandark walks into the room to look around, while still keeping an eye out on the figure on the throne.
Statue 1
Statue 2
"Not I. I'll check the statues."
The statues are not trapped. Kelvin doesn't notice anything special about them either.
How about the throne that ghostly thing is sitting on
Brandark moves close to the throne in case it lunges at kelvin when he goes to look at it.
The throne is not trapped, come alive or turn into a pumpkin.:)
"Not every door can be opened instantly. Let us check the other rooms."
Brandark moves over to the east door in the main hall.
Shall we try this one next
He inquires with the group.