Edmund sends lights into each room as Ziera opens the doors.
Gray chortled humorlessly as the rest of the doors refused to open, smirking at the others. "Guess we have a clear path now. Assuming this Drem didn't just lead us down into a trap. Probably not, though."
The inquisitor flexed the hand holding the spiked chain, dark eyes looking about for potential issues as he prepared to cross the platform after Vince and Payk, eager to be across the strange area and in a solid room again.
Hmm. Well that was sort of pointless, guys. Sorry. I was hoping we could tell what we should focus on.
She examines the bridge to see if she can find some way to operate or move it
If not, she moves across the bridge into the open door, uncomfortable leaving unopened doors behind them, but not knowing how to avoid it.
”It may well be that the bridge doubles as a locking mechanism.”
"Maybe, but what would be the point? Just to lead us on this one path first?"
Antonio takes the back of the crew, taking glances behind him from time to time.
Edmund trundles along aside Antonio, trying not to look down over the side of the bridge.
As the bridge finally slows and stops, Payk peers over he edge at the darkness below. His head has a force just over the side of he bridge railing. He curses. “That was my best bow! Rantin even said it was an Oathbow!”
Interesting. The disorientation would only work if the entire party was on the bridge at the same time rather than someone reaching the far platform before the last person left. An unlikely trap, but I suppose it worked. Let's leave some space between us next time instead of all crowding together.
Edmund, can you see if you can get light down to the floor so we can spot Payk's bow? I think I heard it hit the floor, so there has to be something down there... and I don't suppose you have Arcane mark? That would help us identify the doors. If not, we'll try other things.
Ziera tosses a copper over the railing of the bridge to see what happens.
I wonder how you lost your bow if there is a force field there. Makes no sense.
I must have missed this when I was examining the bridge and casting spells, guys. I apologize.
Ziera moves off the bridge in whatever way she was originally facing, forward to her even the bridge has flipped around completely. She urges Gray to go the opposite way, and asks at least one person to remain on the bridge. She looks around to see if she can spot Payk's bow, or anything else unusual.
Ziera casts acid splash at the door she is next to, attempting to make it look different than the other doors.
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Following Ziera's lead, Gray stepped off the opposite side of the platform, cocking his head to the side as it remained still. He reached into his haversack and pulled out a crowbar, using the somewhat sharp end to try to mar the door behind him somehow, give it a mark that will distinguish it from the other doors, much as Ziera was trying to do. Then they'd have to determine which door to try at that point.
"Come on, Edmund. It would be a shame to lose your life just after we got here." Antonio manages to heave the elderly man back onto the bridge.
"So... does anyone have any idea which door leads back the way we came? I'd hate to get so lost."
No idea Antonio, sorry. We'll just have to explore and find out... which is essentially what we were about to do anyway, so this just adds one more challenge.
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Edmund takes many deep breaths once he’s back on safety. ”Thank you, my friend.”
Edmund cancels his current dancing lights spell and recasts another, this time creating the four glowing balls on the other side of the forcefield. He tries to send them down into the depths.
Hmm. Payk, did you want to try for your bow? Looks about 20 feet deep, but not sure how healthy that mist is. We could lower you down, if we discover that it is harmless.
Payk nods. “I need to get that bow back. ”
Ziera reaches down into the mist to see if it burns or is painful in any way, ready to pull her hand up immediately if it is.
I can't believe I didn't see this when I was examining the bridge before. I am completely incompetent.
So, looks like the only reason for a railing here, or on the bridge, is just artistic, and the only way for someone to fall off or to lose something is when the bridge is moving. I could cast unseen servant, and he could fetch the bow, but he can't climb back up. Any other ideas before we give up on the bow?
”Is the bow magical? If not, an unseen servant could lift it high enough for me to use a mage hand to retrieve it. For that matter, an unseen servant could take a rope and tie it to the bow.”
Ah, good thinking Edmund. I'll try the rope thing, but why don't you be ready in case the mist interferes with our plan. And first, Payk, is the bow narrow enough to fit in between the protective fields in this area?
If he indicates that it is, she casts unseen servant down into the mist (35 foot range) and directs it to find the bow and tie the rope to it, then tug on the rope. She leaves Payk (with the rope) and Edmund (in case he needs to use mage hand) on the landing by the Acid-marked door and after casting moves to the middle of the bridge so that the unseen servant can go farther within its range looking for the bow.
Payk nods at the plan. “Yes, it is magical, but it should fit between the gap. ”
It takes several minutes of thorough search, but the unseen servant finally locates the how, brings it over to the current platform and ties it to the rope. Payk pulls it up and through the gap and then holds onto it tightly. “Thanks!”
Vince stands on the platform next to Payk, nonchalantly watching the recovering effort. He changes his stance when the bow is pulled through, and then steps up behind Payk to be at it. He curses in infernal. “That’s really the -$@&ing Oathbow! Or at least a really good mimic. I thought you were exaggerating. How the -&@& did you get that?”
Payk shrugs “I don’t know. Rantin just told me the name of it and how to use it. I haven’t yet, but I’m excited to try. ”
Vince stares wide-eyes at Payk. He mutters something and then turns back to the rest of the group. “Shall we pick a door?”
Gray just watched the group work slowly to recover Payk's bow in silent amusement, not really knowing or caring what an Oathbow was. He understood magic, though, and Payk would be more competent with a magical weapon, surely. So the inquisitor bore the delay in grudging silence, nodding to Vince as he asked his question. "Let's."
If no one made any other suggestions, Gray waved them over to the door he had scuffed with the crowbar, eyeing it for traps before motioning for Vince to open it if he determined that it was clean.
Ziera encourages as many people as possible to get onto the landing with Gray before she steps onto the bridge, in case the bridge starts spinning again. Then she makes her way over to them as well.
Hearing the snarling and growling up ahead, Gray called upon Zon-Kuthon's might, shrouding himself in a spell of invisibility. Not wanting to get bottlenecked in the entrance, the inquisitor moved silently into the room, hoping to strike at an opportune time.
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Vince surges forward, dashing towards the HH directly in front of him and slash at it with his falcata. His aim is true, and his attack is vicious. He lowers his falcata as he gets close and then surges it up through the head of the hellhound, dropping it on the spot.
“Return beasts, you will have no power here. ”
Payk steps up into the space vacated by Vince and unleashes his own version of fury. He studies the two closer enemies and the fires off an arrow.
Ziera sees Gray disappear and hopes he is going for the pedestal. She realizes that she is part of the distraction team this time, so she moves up and shoots an arrow as well.
Seeing the beasts being taken care of rather well by his allies, Gray slipped across the room towards the pedestal and its contents. The inquisitor quickly made his way to his destination, then surveyed the area for traps.
”A spell for you, Vince.” Edmund flicks his wrist and his enlarge person wand shoots into his hand. He starts casting from it.
Payk steps back five feet and unleashes two arrows at the hellhound in front of him. The hellhound in front of falls, three arrows now buried in it.