Azalia still thinks the gold idea sounds pretty good, but in the face of all of those other ideas, she shuts up, not wanting to seem shallow... even if she sort of was.
If she got all of that gold, maybe she'd give some of it to an orphanage or something. That would make it better, right?
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Marten raises both his hands in what's meant to be a calming motion, but is ruined because he looks like he might be irritated.
"Everyone, please remain calm. It's too early to answer any of those questions. Nobody from our time has this sort of knowledge that I know of. It will require weeks of study to understand. But I can theorize about a few things right now:
"First, damaging this incorrectly could release a massive amount of energy that may kill us all before we have a chance to even encounter Karzoug, and is not even likely to make this portal irreparable. If we die, Karzoug or his minions could probably fix whatever damage we do if we can't finish the job.
"The best way to properly destroy this would also require effort on the other side of the portal (which isn't even fully operational). Anyone from the present who goes through would not be able to return. Perhaps that Ze'ev fellow would be willing.
"Second, this device is set for a particular time. We don't know how to operate it. IF it can be re-purposed for another time, it would also take time to discover and figure out.
"Finally, Drazh... Anneka... there are many theories about manipulating time, and those theories are often nearly impossible to verify because of the rarity of opportunities and resources. But most theories agree, to change past events -- to alter the timestream from what has naturally occurred -- requires massive amounts of energy. The sort of energy wielded by a god. I can't... I won't say it's impossible, but to alter time and not be challenged doing so and without understanding the consequences... I'm sorry, but it's very unlikely.
"But for now..."
Marten casts wall of stone to envelop the ring containing the portal, carefully avoiding damaging any tubes or wires running out from it. If anything is yet visible on the other side of the portal, this will hopefully keep them out for a time.
The group continues in silence for a while after this considering the possibilities... still at least there is hope and if Karzoug can be vanquished maybe more information can be gleaned.
This large space has several chambers lining it's walls, each quite large and the room curves off out of line of sight. Each of these empty chambers radiates lingering transmutation magic. A character who studies these auras and makes a successful
utilizing an effect similar to that created by temporal stasis.
"Hmm. Transmutation magic. How droll," Marten probably says.
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"Isn't that one when one thing is changed to another?" Drazh asked. He thought he heard Marten say something along that at some point. He didn't always tune the mage out, but when he didn't the man didn't always make sense. "Maybe they turn rock into gold here! Wouldn't that explain how they got so much wealth in one place?"
Looks like they were some kind of stasis chambers. The weave looks similar to what you would see with temporal stasis.
Not rock into gold, unfortunately. More like stopping your body, or something, from aging.
"Someones preserved since before Earthfall, perhaps? Karzoug hasn't placed all of his eggs in one basket, has he."
The southern wall of this otherwise empty chamber shimmers and glows, a wall of swirling golden mist rather than the polished stone seen elsewhere in the complex. Now and then strange shapes can be half-seen through the mist.
The strongest magical aura here is conjuration.
Azalia goes closer to examine the spell, but tries not to touch it, being wary of the advanced magics in this place.
"What do you think?" Marten asks Azalia as they examine the extraneous plot device.
Err... it fairly reeks of conjuration, not illusion, so not sure what those shapes are. Frankly, more interested in the stasis chambers... wouldn't it be amazing to get one of those going again and be able to study it and recapture how to do it? Prevent important things from aging? ... as for this, doesn't look as interesting, at least yet. Still trying to get a handle on it. What are your thoughts?
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Compared to the stasis chamber this appears to be a portal that leads back to the city below.
This triangular room is empty, save for a golden bed strewn with exotic furs and silk sheets. A long shelf above the bed holds nearly two dozen leather-bound books.
These are spellbooks that contain all spells from the Core Rulebook plus monstrous physique spells from the Advanced Player’s Guide, save for any enchantment and illusion spells)
What are your thoughts?
"My thoughts are that I would love to spend months studying and archiving this entire complex. But we can't do that until this Karzoug is defeated. We should keep moving."
In the next room, Marten pushes his thick-rimmed glasses with masking tape around the nose-piece up his nose so that he can inspect the books better. But he's ready to keep moving towards Karzoug for now.
Azalia folds up the silk sheets and furs and puts them in her portable hole, then puts all the books in there too after Marten has a chance to check them out.
If the bed is actually made of gold rather than just colored gold, she tries to remove part of it to take with them as well.
Anneka lounges on the now-naked bed as Azalia attempts to dismantle it. "The thing about greed," she thinks aloud, "is that the more you have, the more you want. The particular sin seems more concerned with the acquisition of wealth than the enjoyment of it. I suppose that would be more in line with the sins of lust, gluttony, and sloth. I'm not saying I would ever fall in with a runelord, but but those others seem more enjoyable."
"Hmm. Acquirement, but not enjoyment. That could explain why most of these luxurious rooms are empty."
Hmm. Well, what if you like to acquire AND enjoy? I don't think I'd need a big city full of gold. Just, you know, enough to be able to retire. Although, you know, you have to have a hobby. Maybe run a nice magic shop or something.
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"Aye, Azalia has the right of it. Gold is nice to look at, but so too is a well crafted tunnel. The thing about money is, it can get ye what ye want. Me? I'd love to have a place to call me own. A nice tower, going up above ground and even further below. With a right proper workshop where I can forge enchanted arms and armor, fully stocked with all the materials I need to experiment. Rooms for apprentices that I can teach. For merchants, and all of their families." He smiled at the thought. "A place of life, and craft. The noise of hammer on anvil and the boots of the wee children echoing down the halls. Of voices raised in haggling and drinking." He shook his head, dispelling the illusions. "It'll take a FOOK ton of gold to make that come true, ye know? More than I ever thought I'd see. But this place? This place has it. And I'd kill for this dream to come true. For example, Karzoug."
What could go wrong with that plan of his? Nothing. Nothing at all.
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Azalia finds it's not solid gold but removes a panel of polished gold worth a few hundred gold... she quickly estimates all the panels will probably be worth maybe ten thousand. The fine wooden frame beneath will probably be worth a pretty penny. To fully loot this place might take years... luckily elves are long lived.
A twenty-foot-tall golden statue of Karzoug, Runelord of Greed, stands in the southern portion of this chamber, his hands before him as if they may have once held an object between them. A brazier stands before the statue, plumes of smokeless fire churning inside of it. North of the statue stands a stone pagoda-like structure, a single opening in its southern face revealing two smaller statues of Karzoug within, on either side of a twenty foot-long sarcophagus bearing the likeness of the runelord on its golden lid. To the west, a massive pair of golden double doors shimmers behind a hazy screen of golden energy.
An enormous, bestial demon combines the worst aspects of a bear, a mantis, a wolf, and a reptilian humanoid stands guard here.
Azalia
Ferocia
Marten
Anneka
Monster
Drazh
Azalia dismisses the diplomacy idea just as quickly as it pops into her head and moves straight to violence, shooting the demon.
(acid, vs evil, sneak (flatfooted), point blank)
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Reconsidering whether or not it was worth using his scroll of banishment earlier, Marten considers his other options and opts for a spell called mage's sword. He augments the spell with a handful of dweomer's essencce, and a sword-shaped plane of force appears to strike out at the demon.
Ferocia races into battle, transforming into a bear with a powerful roar and digging her claws into the demon's hide.
Azalia dismisses the diplomacy idea just as quickly as it pops into her head and moves straight to violence, shooting the demon. The arrows don't seem to pierce it's hide.
Ferocia races into battle, transforming into a bear with a powerful roar and digging her claws into the demon's hide.
Reconsidering whether or not it was worth using his scroll of banishment earlier, Marten considers his other options and opts for a spell called mage's sword. He augments the spell with a handful of dweomer's essencce, and a sword-shaped plane of force appears to strike out at the demon.
Anneka casts blessing of fervour.
With this blessing, you call your allies to move forth and empower them to conquer and become victorious. Each round for the duration of this spell, each of your allies can choose one of the following bonuses for that round at the beginning of its turn (their choice).
Increase its speed by 30 feet.
Stand up as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Make one extra attack as part of a full attack action, using its highest base attack bonus.
Gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.
Cast a single spell of 2nd level or lower as if it were an enlarged, extended, silent, or still spell.
These effects are not cumulative with similar effects, such as those provided by haste or a speed weapon, nor do they actually grant an extra action, so you can’t use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in the round. Blessing of fervor does not stack with haste.
The monstrosity focuses it's attacks on Ferocia in a series of powerful blows leaving her beaten but still standing.
Drazh
Azalia
Ferocia
Marten
Anneka
Monster -60
"Demons are immune or resistant to everythiiiinnnnng," Marten whines before casting magic missile.
Azalia shoots again, hoping that the demon's skin was just thick and not impenetrable.
(Fervor, rapid shot)
(acid, vs evil, point blank)
(confirmed)
”Oi! Ugly! See how ye like a taste of me hammer!” Drazh called out, trying to get its attention.
Azalia shoots again, hoping that the demon's skin was just thick and not impenetrable.
Ferocia pounces on the demon.
"Demons are immune or resistant to everythiiiinnnnng," Marten whines before casting magic missile.
Anneka moves up and casts heal on Ferocia.
Frustrated by it's wonderful work of putting Ferocia one foot in the grave it renews its assault.
Drazh
Azalia
Ferocia
Marten
Anneka
Monster -205
"I don't understand why it's angry. It should have realized that we would want to mitigate any damage done to us. It should have expected this. I guess it's rather slow."
While his mage's sword continues its attack, Marten lazily rummages around in his pack for the scroll of disintegrate he keeps in there.
Azalia continues the attack, not feeling sorry for the frustrated demon.
(Fervor, rapid shot)
(acid, vs evil, point blank)
Bloodied but far from beaten, Ferocia snarls and digs her claws right back into the demon.
"I don't understand why it's angry. It should have realized that we would want to mitigate any damage done to us. It should have expected this. I guess it's rather slow."
While his mage's sword continues its attack, Marten lazily rummages around in his pack for the scroll of disintegrate he keeps in there.
"I can understand." Drazh said. "If I was getting walloped in the head like it is, then it would put me in a bad mood, regardless of how justified the beating was."
Azalia continues the attack, not feeling sorry for the frustrated demon.
Bloodied but far from beaten, Ferocia snarls and digs her claws right back into the demon.
By the time Marten has the scroll taken out he has
The contents of the pagoda are mostly symbolic; opening the sarcophagus reveals it to be empty. An examination of the statues themselves reveals
that they once seemed to hold a large object between them, perhaps something that even arched over the sarcophagus.
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Ferocia shoves a hand in her pocket and starts pulling out her healing potions, drinking them down one after the other to heal her wounds, without any apparent concern.
"Any idea what's missing?" she asks aloud, meaning the question for Azalia but knowing Marten was likely to answer first. And longest. In fact, maybe she shouldn't have asked.
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"Aye, something to open those doors." Drazh said. "Oi, Marten! Got any spells to do it? Huh...I wonder." Drazh proceeded to take the body of their slain foe and threw a handful of it at the shimmering golden energy, to see what effect it would have. Truly, proof that he was a scientist at heart.
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"Any idea what's missing?" she asks aloud, meaning the question for Azalia but knowing Marten was likely to answer first. And longest. In fact, maybe she shouldn't have asked.
"I don't know how we can be expected to know that, Ferocia. It could be any number of things, possibly things not even necessary for any of the operation of the arcane magics used in this place."
"I swear," Marten agitates, motioning at the symbols and other paraphernalia in the pagoda, "the amount of vanity this so-called Runelord exhibits is astounding. It's like he wants to announce to the world that his pride wars with his greed as his primary deficiency."
As he gets more worked up, the three magical stones of power seem to speed up as they circle the intricate, gold headband that sits on his brow. The crimson silk robes that he wears over his immaculate black suit flaps around as he gesticulates.
"Aye, something to open those doors." Drazh said. "Oi, Marten! Got any spells to do it? Huh...I wonder."
"Well, better than using your own hard head, I suppose. Still...."
Assuming that the golden haze of energy still remains, Marten sends his mage's sword at it to see how it reacts to being struck by a plane of pure force energy. Afterwards, he'll cast detect magic to study the doors and the other objects in the room, especially the sarcophagus and the three statues that are supposed to be holding something.
Azalia gets closer, trying to see if there is some kind of trick to all of it. No loot, really? In a place as decked out as this? It had to be hidden.
There is no significant reaction to Marten's mystical strikes. The haze is brushed aside but the door itself seems sturdy.
Unsurprisingly all of the objects seem magical, an unusual lens object being held by the statue almost seems almost as powerful as an artifact, it radiates an aura of transmutation. He does notice as Drazh draws near there is a certain resonance.
Azalia examines the area but there's no grand riches as she had hoped, at least not any easily tranportable ones. The statues are fixed in place and heavy. The peculiar looking lens will not budge from it's current position but she can see nothing fixing it in place.
"Hmm. Drazh, aren't you carrying an aligned something-or-other? Runeforged, was it? See if you can pick up the lens."
Azalia suspects something similar to the Lens was held there but much larger.
If Drazh brings his weapon near the lens it had a definite effect, a swirling portal of amber energy opens before you.
Azalia looks around, thinks Drazh's suggestion is foolhardy, but can't think of anything better, so she shrugs and jumps through the portal.
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"That was foolhardy of her to just jump through like that. You better go through next, Drazh. I'll be right behind you, and then Anneka."
Marten casts Moment of Prescience on himself and then enters the portal after Drazh.
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Ferocia follows the others, 99% confident this would end in bloodshed—that was the goal, of course, so it seemed like a pretty solid plan.