It is turning into a major encounter.
After much anguish and exertion, you manage to get the donkey tied up. :)
Actually, Modestine is quite cooperative. She was a little nervous after the wolves showed up, but the wolves didn’t last long enough to make her get too skittish. Once Modestine is secure, the group proceeds north. There, the central hallway opens into a large chamber with wings leading to the east and west. Across the chamber to the north yawns a twenty-foot-wide open arch draped from top to bottom in translucent cobwebs. An eerie green light flickers from beyond the webs, casting strange shadows about this room. The place smells of animal spoor and wet fur.
To the west, three short stairs lead to a wide marble dais, but the far end of the wing is obscured by darkness. Dara and Udaya can make out part of the north and south walls of the dais and can see a faded fresco on each. Oddly, each wall appears to have a painting of hallways on them, but you’ll need to get closer for more detail.
To the east, huge slabs of cracked masonry and irregular piles of scattered debris choke much of the passage, but unlike the passage to the south, this one does have an area that, while not free of debris, is passable.
The sibilant, almost human whispers present in the passage become a chorus in this chamber, eerily echoing off the walls.
Venedictus moves about the group, casting guidance spells on everybody. This spell lasts for 1 minute, and lets the user apply a +1 competence bonus to any one attack roll, saving throw, or skill check within that time. I'd like for this to become standard operating procedure upon entering any new chamber down here.
Venedictus moves about the group, casting guidance spells on everybody. This spell lasts for 1 minute, and lets the user apply a +1 competence bonus to any one attack roll, saving throw, or skill check within that time. I'd like for this to become standard operating procedure upon entering any new chamber down here.
Venedictus moves about the group, casting guidance spells on everybody. This spell lasts for 1 minute, and lets the user apply a +1 competence bonus to any one attack roll, saving throw, or skill check within that time. I'd like for this to become standard operating procedure upon entering any new chamber down here.
Intrigued by the dais, Venedictus breaks formation and carefully walks over towards it.
"Be careful, Venedictus." Fredrik calls out to the wayward priest. Seeing the strange archway glowing with the strange greenish light, he utters the same phrase used earlier.
Venedictus stops well short of the dais. "Right. Probably should not get separated." He shuffles back across and rejoins his place in line.
Intrigued by the dais, Venedictus breaks formation and carefully walks over towards it.
Unless one of the wizards with their light spells moves with him, he will reach the edge of what he can see when he reaches the steps to the dais.
"Be careful, Venedictus." Fredrik calls out to the wayward priest. Seeing the strange archway glowing with the strange greenish light, he utters the same phrase used earlier.
Fredrik does not detect any magic.
"I think this place is safe to walk on, but the last thing to do here is to get overconfident here. Dara, Udaya, let's check out the dais." Fredrik renews his Light spell, once he has finished detecting magic. He hangs back near the ladies, concerned about the north archway.
"I say we humor the man. Unless someone objects" Bear hands his light-emitting rock to Ven and follows him to the dias, wary for any dangers.
Venedictus climbs the steps with the rest of the group. He tenderly and carefully runs a hand over the dust covering the remains of the frescoes, examining the colours beneath.
The wide dais has faded frescoes on its north, west, and south walls. From a vantage point at the centre of the dais, the wall paintings make it look like you stand within a massive room with seven short hallways radiating outward from a central point. A chain dangles from the ceiling at the end of each hallway, and each chain bears a gleaming coloured lantern. Clockwise, the colours are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
Venedictus spends some time carefully wiping the dust away from each of the lanterns in the frescoes.
"This looks like it would be quite stunning if it were real, though I have no idea what it may mean."
"Fascinating! There are seven colored lanterns, all matching the colors of the rainbow. The Wind Dukes constructed the Rod of Seven Parts. I do not believe that is a coincidence. This could be another portal, currently inactive. I wonder if you need the Rod to activate the portal."
"Any o' the rest of you notice that whispering sound is sayin' actual words? Ain't like any language I know... So uh, what's with the fruity lanterns and the paintings and this rod Fred keeps yappin' about?"
Fredrik whirls on Dara, a gleam in his eyes. "Waitaminute! You can understand the words, what are they saying?"
"Well, I can hear 'em, but I couldn't tell ya what they mean anymore than I could tell ya what an elf's sayin'. Guess I can try an' sound it out to ya though..."
Dara will do her best to repeat what she is hearing phonetically to Fred.
O_O
Bear slides a finger along the surface of the southern fresco as the others talk, then rubs the gathered dust from his fingertip. He speaks without looking from the fresco, "Wonder where this rainbow room is." He shrugs as he looks back at you, "Anyhow, we're not gettin' any richer standin' here. Wanna head in deeper?"
Venedicuts turns from the frescoes, looks to the green glowing webs, and says with a tremor in his voice, "Perhaps we should try that partially collapsed passageway over there first?"
"Well, this is neat and all, but if this ain't magical then I don't get the point. Unless you guys wanna keep lookin' at art," she points to the eastern end of the room, "I'm gonna check out that cave-in over there — see if we can get past."
Evidently Dara must be making a point about stomping her feet to express her desire to move on. :P
Bear follows Dara across the room muttering, "Shtev sha ol Shapak" while holding his blade forth.
Dara does a remarkable job repeating the unfamiliar sounding words. Although Fred is not familiar with the meanings of the words either, he is fairly certain that the language is Auran.
Bear motions to the eastern passage with his weapon and whispers to Dara, "Nothin' obviously magical."
Dara stomps rather noisily across the chamber, probably waking every dead body in the tomb. The smell of animal fur is much stronger over this way. Crossing to the other side of the cave-in should be quite possible as long as people take care.
On the other side, you can make out irregular piles of rubble along with numerous bones and animal droppings. It's a reasonable guess that the wolves were lairing back here.
As the group moves through, he helps reorganize them into their pre-determined marching order in case more aggressive natives are about - taking up his usual position as rear-guard.
Venedictus begins poking around the presumably wolves' den, looking for any bits and pieces of former prey.
Perception check:
Presuming the others go with Venedictus,...
It's clear that the bones are from numerous different things, some of them human, but most of them animal. Venedictus does discover an old leather backpack half-buried under a pile of humanoid bones. On the other side of the room, Udaya turns up an intricately carved armband bearing a leaf motif.
She is unsure of its value.
"Find somethin' interesting, UU?"
Assuming it is made of metal (just like Dara \m/ -_- \m/) she'll attempt to appraise it.
"Pff, looks like sissy elf jewelry to me."
Bear will offer to support Flash in his endeavors to detect magic on both of the group's finds.
Cast Detect Magic.
Aid Another Spellcraft
Bear will offer to support Flash in his endeavors to detect magic on both of the group's finds.
Cast Detect Magic.
Aid Another Spellcraft 1d20 + 6
Edit Sorry about that,
"Pff, looks like sissy elf jewelry to me."
"sissy jewelry can bring in some coin, sometimes."
"Bear, maybe you or Slick could better estimate the value of this trinket." She tosses the ornament to him. "And if it's worthless, I'll keep it and put it in my Hope Chest." She chuckles.
"I am shocked! A lovely lady such as yourself should have suitors lined up outside her door!" Fredrik grins at her, almost daring her to be offended.
Venedictus opens the backpack and pulls out whatever he finds inside.
Gold, diamonds, rubies, snakes...?
...Udaya's Hope Chest?
There is a single item in the backpack: an elaborate lantern with a metal frame and indigo glass panes. It looks a great deal like the lanterns in the fresco across the hall.