Farmer thinks for a minute. "Not that thick-headed," he eventually says.
Sigrit offers the keys to Baaku and Willem. "It's better that you have these, as you are in the lead. I thank you both for your skill and bravery."
Bakuu coos and nudges Willem, enjoying his momentary discomfort. "And thank you for your determination to keep us among the living." She replies to Sigrit.
As they pass underneath the bump in the ceiling, Bakuu takes care to keep her weapon low, which is fairly easy to do because she's adopted what she calls her "dungeon slink".
"Careful, ye wee catlass!" Bakuu all but squawks at Medge's suggestion. "Willem, recognize you a machine of this type?"
Farmer thinks for a minute. "Not that thick-headed," he eventually says.
Willem, who had tensed, relaxes with a squeaky chuckle.
"Careful, ye wee catlass!" Bakuu all but squawks at Medge's suggestion. "Willem, recognize you a machine of this type?"
Willem shakes his head, watching the machine with keen interest.
Neither the lever nor the stormy cloud creature above move. Neither has moved since before the secret door was opened.
Bakuu is curious, but she won't be the one to pull the lever. "Maybe as long as no one finds themselves beneath the storm..."
Given that the ceiling 'bump' leads from the machine to away, the lever probably activates a mechanical device elsewhere in the structure.
Being a creature made of air and electricity, if the cloud is sentient enough to be capable of speech, it would mostly likely speak Auran.
"That cloud up there is an electrical elemental," Farmer says.
"Well, if that is an elemental, I believe we have the choice of trying to free it and likely have it attack us or leave it here in whatever kind of existence it now has." Akatsuki looks up at the dark cloud speculatively, "I don't know which is the better action. Should we bypass it for now or do you think it's too dangerous to leave around for someone to stumble over?" she looks around at the others, "I think personally, I am ready to move on since I'm fairly certain I cannot communicate with it." and moves to do so, unless someone else has other designs.
And then she stops and turns to Bakuu, "Unless we do have a way to communicate with it." she looks back and forth between the elemental and the tengu. "I don't suppose you share a common language, do you? Would you care to try?"
Watching the flickering cloud above warily, Faf says "Perhaps we should investigate where that goes -" indicating the feature on the ceiling leading back out of the room - "before we disturb whatever that is up there?"
"Careful, ye wee catlass!" Bakuu all but squawks at Medge's suggestion.
"We are discussing of the options merely," Medge says. "And 'catlass' is a most lovely neologism. Rolls off of the tongue she does, yes."
Watching the flickering cloud above warily, Faf says "Perhaps we should investigate where that goes -" indicating the feature on the ceiling leading back out of the room - "before we disturb whatever that is up there?"
"This is the best of suggestions so far, I am thinking," Medge says. "If we are maybe determining what it does, we are maybe determining whether pulling the lever is wise or jisplodu."
"Best to know as much as you can about what you're choosing. Slow... but best. Usually."
"Oh ho, and here I was, not even making an attempt to speak to the ceiling cloud!" She chortles. She looks upwards. "ինչ ես անում, մինչեւ այնտեղ, ամպ?"
The cloud jigs up almost a full foot above the lever on hearing the airy language. Then it settles back down, growing darker and pulling in a little.
"Aw. It is a grumpy little raincloud. That is adorable."
Watching the flickering cloud above warily, Faf says "Perhaps we should investigate where that goes -" indicating the feature on the ceiling leading back out of the room - "before we disturb whatever that is up there?"
Following the barely noticeable 'line' on the ceiling, the group find that it heads off to the west but does not turn when the hallway does instead going into the wall. After a through search, the group is certain there is no secret door where the ceiling line goes through the wall.
However there is a door about sixty feet down the hallway to the north.
"Aw. It is a grumpy little raincloud. That is adorable."
After noting where the line in the ceiling travels (roughly), and Medge's comment to the cloud's behavior, she turns her face upwards again. "այն վնասել ձեզ, եթե մենք քաշեք լծակ?"
The cloud gets a little darker at the question, then the side of the creature closest to the group brightens with sparks of energy.
the group is certain there is no secret door where the ceiling line goes through the wall.
However there is a door about sixty feet down the hallway to the north.
"Shall we try going to the door then?" Aka says, not liking the look of the energy sparking in the cloud and begins to edge in that direction.
Bakuu looks back to her companions. "I think, perhaps, we should not pull the lever until we know where it goes, at least, if not also what it does." Back to the cloud: "Ինչպես ենք ազատել ձեզ?"
"Shall we try going to the door then?" Aka says, not liking the look of the cloud and begins to edge in that direction.
Aka finds the small bird woman close by her side as she says this. Edging in the same direction. "If I were a cloud, I would not want to be trapped in a dungeon. I asked if it could tell us how to free it, though I suspect we will have to do some guessing. And after guessing, leaving. Or maybe those be switched."
Aka smiles back at Bakuu, "I have a guess that whichever it is, you are right. At least at some point." She let's Bakuu (and whoever else wants to) get ahead of her.
"Shall we try going to the door then?" Aka says, not liking the look of the energy sparking in the cloud and begins to edge in that direction.
"I would think so yes. And if Mister The Stormcloud is unwillingly here, I too would like to free him."
Which earns Medge an affection smile and scritch around the closer ear.
The door at the end of the hallway proves to be stuck, but with the stronger people in the party working together they are able to force it open.
There can be little doubt what purpose this chamber once served. The dank room stores an ancient rack, a fanciful brazen bull, an iron maiden, a cauldron, iron chairs with sharp edges and cruel protuberances, and a wooden table upon which sit various implements of torture. A bronze plaque affixed to the western wall depicts a crowing rooster above crossed spears. Underneath the spear, a short phrase is inscribed.
From near the western wall a voice, "You look weary. Rest in one of the
chairs provided here." A raven appears, perched on the plaque. It caws. "Cousin."
Bakuu feels no compulsion to follow the raven's words.
The raven's head turns sideways, making it look like its neck has been snapped as it observes the group for a moment. Then with another loud caw, it speaks again in its shrill voice, "Greetings, fine citizens of our glorious empire! So good to have visitors, though I fear I have no refreshments to offer. I assume you are here for the treasure."
It pauses to peck at the top of the plaque with a metallic hammering, "Well, I’d be happy to assist, provided that you give me what I require!" It does a birdy shuffle bounce then resettles.
"It has been so long since I was able to ply my trade. I require only that each of you shed your life’s blood in this room" CAW "simply take a seat in one of my lovely chairs."
Willem's attention wanders from the bird to a section of wall about 10 feet from the way in. "Secret door," he says, pointing.
To the bird, he says, "While both greed and pride wrap around my soul like a pair of black serpents, you'll find pride the fiercer of the two." He sends a stream of spit from between his teeth to the floor of the torture chamber. "Gluttony, as is its wont, devours both."
Willem's attention wanders from the bird to a section of wall about 10 feet from the way in. "Secret door," he says, pointing.
To the bird, he says, "While both greed and pride wrap around my soul like a pair of black serpents, you'll find pride the fiercer of the two." He sends a stream of spit from between his teeth to the floor of the torture chamber. "Gluttony, as is its wont, devours both."
The bird clucks somewhat sympathetically. "Pride needs to be tempered and tamed."
Its beak bobs three times in the direction of the door Willem pointed out, "Path, yes. But locked tight against those who will seek. I know the key, otherwise you need to hunt." This time cocking its black feathered head in the direction of the table covered with clutter.
The bird is lying about something in that statement.
The bird clucks somewhat sympathetically. "Pride needs to be tempered and tamed."
"As does greed." The bird safely dismissed, Willem moves to the secret door and listens.
"I love hunting, me."
Seeing Willem is dealing directly with the secret door at the moment, Medge begins poking around.
Faf scowls darkly at the crow, while watching Willem for some signal of what lies beyond the hidden door.
Pasara nods at Willem's disclosure of the secret door. She doesn't trust that the raven is not still a threat, so she keeps an eye on it while Medge pokes and prods and Willem listens at the door.
It pauses to peck at the top of the plaque with a metallic hammering, "Well, I’d be happy to assist, provided that you give me what I require!" It does a birdy shuffle bounce then resettles.
"It has been so long since I was able to ply my trade. I require only that each of you shed your life’s blood in this room" CAW "simply take a seat in one of my lovely chairs."
** spoiler omitted **
"Cousin, finding you in a strange place, how can you stretch your wings here? Ano ang iyong kalakalan?" She looks around the room as she speaks with the bird.
After the bird's statement about hunting, Bakuu tilts her head. "Surely there is another way..." she moves closer to the table.
"Cousin, finding you in a strange place, how can you stretch your wings here? Ano ang iyong kalakalan?" She looks around the room as she speaks with the bird.
Keeping a cautious eye on the cat, the raven replies, "I was left here. Hard it has been with no one to talk to nor to practice by trade on." A soft, almost sad whistle, "But things may be better now." And the raven hops off his perch taking to wing in Bakuu's direction, disappearing after only a single wing beat.
The bird clucks somewhat sympathetically. "Pride needs to be tempered and tamed.""As does greed." The bird safely dismissed, Willem moves to the secret door and listens.
Willem turns to the now invisible raven and squints. He appears to be tracking its movements. He looks down at his blunderbuss, then back at the raven, snorts, and turns back to the door.
"Silence waits for us. The natural variety."
Bakuu mimics the sad whistle of her now-invisible (distant) cousin. "The bird was incorrect, the door is unlocked. The ghosts here are stuck in their loneliness."
She will push the door open after making sure nothing is going to kill her as she does so.
Pasara keeps facing where she thinks the raven is, in case said raven needs some magical "encouragement."
"Pasara. Sara. Passssara." She entertains herself for a moment with the name. "The coin. The extraordinarily, wonderfully shiny one. Could you use something like that to illuminate a ghost, should it still be here?"
The ghost raven strikes, surprising a totally .... no one.
.
.
██████████○○█
███○○○○○▒█○○█
███○○○○○BS○○█
██○○○○○PW█████
█○▒▒M○○○A╜F○○○
█○*○○▒▒○G╖S○○○
██○○○○○○○█████
███○○○○○○█
███▒▒○○▒▒█
██████████
▒ = various devices of torture
* = Raven (for those who made the DC 20 Perception Roll)
A = Aya
B = Bakuu
W = Willem
G = Faf
F = Farmer
M = Madge
P = Pasara
S = Sigrit
Initiative:
Grapple Check:
Miss chance if necessary:
Text:
Medge leaps at the bird tries to catch it in her hands.
Because bird.
(Current AC: 20)
(Temp hp: 11)
(Regular hp: 9)
Willem advances around the torture devices, fiddling with his ears. Those with the mind to check can see he's inserting earplugs. He then fires at where he believes the raven to be.
Sigrit moves to cover Willem's back, as she cannot see the raven to attack it more directly.
Farmer will move into the room just a bit, and hold his hands out, fingers splayed.
Bakuu will investigate the chair that the raven attempted to get her/others to sit on (and bleed in). She wants to see if there's anything there she can destroy or otherwise use to affect the outcome of this fight.
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14. . (+4 armor, +4 Dex,)
hp 10 (1d10+0)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2 (+5 total vs. charm/compulsion effects)
Akatsuki holds her fire until she has a good idea where the raven has disappeared too, then fires an arrow directly through the apparition.
Faf draws an arrow to his cheek, muttering something about ghosts and goblins - when he thinks he has the right spot he fires:
Unless the ghost birdie is in melee, in which case he will drop bow, quickdraw greatsword, and try to box the ghost birdie in before striking:
Initiative:
Pasara takes a couple of steps to be next to Medge, so as not to catch Medge in her spell. She then spreads her hands in a fan shape, and a cone of flames bursts forth toward where Pasara thinks the raven is.
[Burning Hands. damage. Reflex save DC 16 for half.]