With effort, Anna lifts her head and looks at Tolvan, her eyes haunted by the red-rimmed rage that possessed her. She shudders, then turns and spits several times onto the floor. "It was too strong," she says in a small voice, not able to look at anyone as she pushes herself to her feet.
She looks around for her dagger as she hugs herself tightly. "It came back before 48 hours. Or what if there's another one? What if the stone gets me again?" Her hands move up to clutch her head as she works herself into a panic. "Or what if it's still inside me?"
She starts breathing fast in ragged gulps.
Tolvan focuses on Anna. I do not know how it came back so quickly. But we've put it down now in its place or origin. And now we can beat it here and be done with it. Anna, we can destroy it. Lets find it, together. He extends a thin elven hand to Anna and waits patiently, confidence in his voice.
Anna tentatively reaches her hand out to Tolvan's, but sees the blood still on her fingers and pulls it back. She looks into his eyes and sees his forgiveness and understanding but she can't bring herself to accept it. "I'm sorry," she whispers as she turns away.
Spotting her dagger on the floor near the archway deeper into the ruins, she steps over and picks it up. Then she looks down the corridor. "Danica, do you know what the stone looks like?"
Oathar will move towards the arch and cover the party.
Tolvan looks hurt, but only for a moment. a resolve forms on his features and stands. Yes, let us complete our exploration of this place and the destruction of that stone.
In the dim light of evening, you can see down the hallway through the arch. You can just barely make out a portcullis blocking each doorway.
I am a student of teleportation. Those portculli will not block me if I need to pass. Tolvan notes. Let us search each in turn.
Danica continue to cast Detect Magic as she searches for the "stone".
" We must find the stone. That creature will return after 48 hours if the canopic stone used to create and control it isn't destroyed."
Anna looks at the portcullises (portculli?) and grimaces. She shakes her head. "Lemme see."
With a thought, she activates her ring and she fades from sight. She then moves as quietly as she can down the corridor. She checks out the grates to see if any are trapped or if there are any way to bypass them.
Kimberly tried to give Tolvan and Anna space, she knew he would be the best one to truly help her.
Just before Anna takes off Kimberly asks her, I have magic that can protect your mind from that evil creature, it doesn't last very long but I will save it for you if you need it.
She seems somewhat guilty at letting the creature possess Anna in the first place. Hoping that she can prevent it the next time.
Once Anna goes to investigate Kimberly goes to stay by Dancia. I hope she will be alright. Kimberly whispers to Dancia as she maintains a vigil for additional creatures that may approach.
Danica places her arm around her friend and says, "She'll be fine. She has us to watch her back."
The set of the bars on the left hand door are bent, as if a creature of some strength tore them aside. On the right, the bars are lifted up halfway into their embrasure.
The small iron portcullis that once blocked the entrance to this room has been bent to the side, allowing access to what lies beyond. The chamber might once have been some sort of private quarters, though no furnishings remain. Dirt and dust across lie tracked across the floor, and the pungent stench of rot ebbs from the room.
This room may once have served as some sort of private quarters. Only a few pieces of rusted metal furniture remain, the rest having long rotted away. The dirt has been swept clear from most of the floor, exposing the flagstones beneath.
Choosing the left room first Tolvan casts Dancing Lights, creating 4 globes of light to illuminate the room well then cast Detect Magic before he enters and begins searching the room.
Something very stong wanted in, or out of here. he notes as he looks closely at the bent bars.
Still invisible and mindful of where she steps to keep footprints from appearing, Anna slips under the portcullis on the right.
After another quick sweep of the room to make sure nothing is lurking in an alcove Or on the ceiling, she studies the flagstones to see if there are signs of trap doors.
The smell is coming from a human corpse rotting in a heap in the corner. There is no magic to be detected.
Anna begins to step through the archway whens she notices something on the floor. Stopping just in time, she notices a magical trap inscribed just inside the opening!
Anna freezes when she spot the trap. Then she slowly crouches down and pulls out her tools of the trade. Her presence is betrayed when she starts humming to herself as she works at the trap. "Lock and key, warded door; dusty chest upon the floor; secrets lost and rusty sword; let me see your treasure hoard."
Lots of tracks here. Tolvan says as he continues to search the room.
Oathar covers Tolvan from the hall.
Danica looks over the tracks that Tolvan has found hoping to add a little more information.
Tolvan finds a ring on the corpse. It's plain iron etched with strange symbols.
There is also a leather satchel. It contains a number of onyx gemstones - a total of 1000 gp worth.
She also carried a map of Ustalav with several coordinates scrawled on the back.
Taking the ring in hand Tolvan notes These symbols inscribed here are those of the Whispering Way. He goes on to point out. And these black onyx gemstones are known to me to be most often used to animate the dead. There is no doubt in my mind that this woman was agent of the Whispering Way. And look here. This map highlights Ravengro, Leipstadt, and where we are now; All locations of Whispering Way activities!
"Well done Tolvan. Let's keep all of this as evidence. As for the body, it appears that it is a woman that dragged her wounded body before dying."
Oathar keeps the over watch in the hall
Anna freezes when she spot the trap. Then she slowly crouches down and pulls out her tools of the trade. Her presence is betrayed when she starts humming to herself as she works at the trap. "Lock and key, warded door; dusty chest upon the floor; secrets lost and rusty sword; let me see your treasure hoard."
Anna continues working on the trap. After a few minutes, it appears that she has it.
After his search of the room with the dead Whispering Way agent Tolvan goes to check on Anna. What have you found? he asks quietly from across the hall.
"Just a trap. Nothing I can't handle," comes the disembodied voice.
Anna then steps across the threshold and checks out the flagstones in the floor, expecting there to be a trap door.
As Anna takes her first step, the rune on the floor flashes with sharp green light. The light fills the corridor and room beyond. Anna and Tolvan are wracked with a searing pain. Oathar is stricken, but manages to shrug off the effects.
"Bloody hell. This is trickier than I thought. You guys might want to get back," Anna says while waving them back -- completely wasting the gesture since she's presently invisible.
Once everyone's outside the corridor, she makes another attempt.
Disabling the rune trap is unlike anything Anna has seen before. She knows that merely looking at the rune sets the trap off, so extra care must be taken. It is a good 10 minutes of sweat-inducing work before she gets it.
Once in the room, it isn't hard to see that someone piled up a bunch of debris on the north wall in an effort to hide an opening there.
Tolvan watches Anna work admiring her expertise and attention to detail. When he thinks she is done he asks All clear?
Danica looks to Tolvan then to Anna, waiting for the clear status.
"Yeah," Anna says as she moves into the room, tucking her tools away. "There's an opening in here." She points to the mess piled up over the entrance, visible now since the spell would have expired while she was working on the trap.
Oathar follows in behind Tolvar looking at the entrance.
She points to the mess piled up over the entrance, visible now since the spell would have expired while she was working on the trap.
Oathar follows in behind Tolvar looking at the entrance.
She points to the mess piled up over the entrance, visible now since the spell would have expired while she was working on the trap.
Hmm. Tolvan ponders as he puts away his notebook after jotting down a summery of their findings so far. Clearing all that is going to make some noise. And it will take some time. It might attract enemies.
"As if my snarling and growling from before wouldn't have drawn attention," Anna says while folding her arms and leaning against the wall.
Kimberly wanders into the area, starts poking around in the debris.
The debris seems like it was hastily placed - from the inside. Removing it wouldn't take every long.
Oathar assists in removing the debris.
Be prepared. Tolvan warns as he helps move stones. If anything is within it will have plenty of time to prepare for us.
The tedious but steady work with the trap seemed to have settled Anna's nerves and she had taken on a sulking silence. But then an idea comes to her and she perks back up. Making sure a fresh bolt is loaded in her heavy crossbow, she holds it at the ready.
Then in a singing but menacing tone, she calls out toward the opening. "Oh, Estooooovion! Why don't you come on out?"
Danica approaches the debris to assist in its removal.
"Kim, stay close to us and keep an eye out for any bad guys."