"Well I suppose you can call me BK too, being an aficionado of the arts! That's BeeeeKaaay! BK! Short for Banterknell!" Every sentence ends in a crescendo, even the ones with 2 syllables, like a really bad reader for an audio book. Seems like he wants every sentence to be exciting.
Welcome human cleric and gnome uh well uh entertainer. If you are willing you are welcome to join our party. Ha ha. I just realized that this ragtag group might be the butt end of a joke someday...A human an elf a dwarf walk into a bar while the kobold and gnome walk under it... what do you think entertainer gnome BK is it you think I got the stuff for comedy? Grunyar looks at the gnome quizzically then states Your right I’ll leave the jokes to you... Well what have you discovered Kib? Is it magic or just skullduggery that our assailants used?
Grunyar tries to discover the assailants secret while holding conversation with the group
BK pouts when yet another uninvited soul insists on calling him by his privileged nickname, though a pout or any other negative emotion does not last long on his face. He starts considering jokes instead, though that is not his strong suit. Nevertheless he does come up with one:
"A dyslexic elf witch cursed me, said the dwarf!"
"Now everything I touch turns to Glod, an increasingly disgruntled gnome"
Kibs runs his hands along the wall, and finds...that it isn't really a wall, but an illusion! He pokes his head in a bit, and finds another room. This room has a simple stone floor and undecorated gray stone walls. The stark nature of the room is interrupted only by a large circle of silvery metal set into the floor in the corner of the room.
"I had a trampoline that looked like that once. You think thy might be related?"
Wow, very strange... I wonder if it is linked to the glow? Marius marvels at what Kib has found in the next chamber. Looking to the gnome, he muses, Perhaps, but I'm unsure. There could be a lot of strange magic here, and we're only beginning to scratch the surface.
Kib steps through the wall, slightly shoved by all those who are making their way forward to look. Knowing how crafty his own people are, he is undeterred and continues his search.
I don't know what that ring is, but I know a secret room when I see one. And if they're smart, they'll have hidden another secret room inside the first. Most people stop looking when they find one secret. That goes for more than just physical things like this. If you want to disguise yourself, have an innocuous secret to tell if you get caught, but that one hides a bigger secret. Kinda like having two secret identities. Or so I've heard anyway. No practical experience on that front. None at all. His usual chatter rolls as he works around the others, feeling the walls and examining the niches.
After trying to study both the arcane nature and the crafting nature of the room Grunyar stumbles upon a solution
Back home we had something similar that now that I think about it. It was used for crafting and repairing constructs. This leads me to believe there might be golems or automatons about in this place. Or at least there used to be. With that don’t trust any inanimate object until we’ve verified that it doesn’t have any semblance of life
Eh? Repairing constructs? Like living statue ladies?
BK grimaces at the thought of battling constructs. His spells are generally more suited to conflicts with folks that have imagination. But then again, he is a healer!
Tess thinks back on the sign at the entrance. "Maybe that's the purpose of this building? An automaton workshop?"
See! This is what I thought it might be! So interesting. I cannot wait to explore the remainder of this place. I wonder how that ring works? Marius looks curiously at the ring, but doesn't touch it, yet...
Kibs does a thorough search of this odd place, but can find little beyond what Grunyar's knowledge seems to indicate. He can assume, however, that there's another such room on the other side of this entry foyer, since it's exactly the same shape. A quick look "into" the opposite wall confirms that!
Kib moves up to the double doors leading out of the room and rests his scaly hand on the handle. He turns his eyes back to the rest of the party and asks, "Everyone ready for some more adventure?" before opening the doors.
Marius nods, taking up a supportive position behind Kib and Tessamine with his glaive, and nods at the kobold, Let's see what other wonders this place holds. I'm curious as to the real purpose of this facility in antiquity, and what wonders were created here.
As the door opens, Marius touches his holy symbol with one hand, and again conjures a magical shield in front of him to protect against whatever's behind the door.
"Adventure is my middle name!"
BK hurries towards the doors, ready to take the lead.
Tess smiles. "Always ready, Kib. Let's get to it!"
Tess lifts her shield and moves towards the doors as well, ready to shield herself (or the funny little gnome) if need be.
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Kib opens the door.
..... and enters a loading screen.
Picture if you will, a small bronze scaled kobold frozen in place and spinning ever so slowly while helpful hints appear periodically on the screen.
You open the pair of doors before you into the next room. A curving ramp along the northern wall of this chamber ascends to the floor above. The east and west walls each have a single door. Murals cover the east and west walls in this space, depicting kind-looking human adult figures smiling benevolently at children. The children, for their part, are smiling and appear healthy and happy. The figures, both adults and children, have tiny jewels orbiting around their heads in shining rings that resemble halos. Bold words are painted above the mural.
Banterknell steps into the middle of the room and does a slow spin, hands outstretched, breathing in the air of adventure.
Kib slides in, keeping one hand on the wall, the other on his weapon. He's just waiting to see if/when his claws slip thorugh the solid stone again into another secret room.
As you both walk into the room, you keep your eyes moving, constantly seeking danger. However, you're far too enamored with the murals to pay much attention, until you hear a whirring sound and a ca-chunk! Two crossbow mechanisms spring out from the walls above the doors in the east and west walls. These weapons are mounted on gyroscopic platforms that allow them to target any position in the room, including straight down. They begin to arm themselves!
Marius takes a few cautious steps behind the others, taking in the room and its artistry. Simply... Oh, no, what's that... and attempts to cower behind his magical shield...
"Heads up!" Tess calls, and she moves in front of Marius (), holding her shield aloft. She then tosses the trident at one of the crossbows.
Grunyar - 14
Tessamine - 14
Xbows - 13
Marius - 11
Banterknell - 8
Kib jumps a bit in surprise and then instinctively flings some acid at the one closest to him (west side, I believe).
Without even looking to see if it hit (which is probably why it didn't), Kib hustles out of the room.
"I don't know how I didn't see those doors. But I don't want them to see me. Like the time I worked at a haunted house. It wasn't actually haunted, we just got paid to pretend it was....."
Grunyar methodically casts the spell Mage hand. He directs the spell to pull the bolt from the nearest crossbow before it can be aimed in any particular direction. If it can’t be quickly dislodged then he directs the spell to pull the trigger of the crossbow before it can be properly aimed. He then yells take cover! as he follows his own instructions by taking cover near the ramp.
Or
The spectral hand grabs out one the the bolt from one of the crossbows, as Kibs splash of acid flies out reflexively at the opposite crossbow and misses. Tessamine's trident finds the same lack of success. The first, now ammo-less crossbow then dry-fires with a loud snapping sound. It whirs as it it reloads.
The other crossbow fires!
Grunyar - 14
Tessamine - 14
Xbows - 13
Marius - 11
Banterknell - 8
Seeing that his initial disarming of the crossbow worked Grunyar is reassured of his next plan. He quickly evaluates in his mind how to possibly permanently disarm each crossbow as he glances over his cover at them
His intent is to jam the crossbows with a bolt that he stole from the mechanism. If that is not quickly observable how to do then he will continue to steal the bolts from at least one crossbow using his Mage hand telekinesis until he can think of a better idea. He focuses his attention on the crossbow that has a better chance at hitting him from his present location.
BK stops spinning in confusion, then looks a little miffed that he was interrupted. Putting his flute to his lips he plays a jaunty tune then ducks for cover on the stairs.
Nor sure if a performance check is needed because it is affecting allies. but if it is, then it is a critical success and the performance will last for 4 rounds.
Kib peaks his head around the edge of the door frame, quickly takes stock of the room, then fires more acid at the nearest crossbow.
Go get 'em, Tessamine. He says before ducking (mostly) back around the doorframe.
"Would love to, but..." she mumbles, looking at the trident on the ground. She rushes to pick it up again and then moves to toss it at the crossbow unattended by Grunyar.
"... I don't throw this thing very often!"
Seeing that his initial disarming of the crossbow worked Grunyar is reassured of his next plan. He quickly evaluates in his mind how to possibly permanently disarm each crossbow as he glances over his cover at them
should be a 15 I don’t know what happened
His intent is to jam the crossbows with a bolt that he stole from the mechanism. If that is not quickly observable how to do then he will continue to steal the bolts from at least one crossbow using his Mage hand telekinesis until he can think of a better idea. He focuses his attention on the crossbow that has a better chance at hitting him from his present location.
@Grunyar
did you add the +1 from the inspire courage?
Marius takes cover behind his conjured shield, looking for a way to help out...
Any other ideas? He'll call out from behind the shimmering shield of force.
Hit it with a rock! Kib replies, the line reminding him of a play he saw that he still enjoys.
Marius can see that this thing does seem to take mechanical damage, though not much. Perhaps the only option here is to beat them until they don't work any more? He can't help but think he's missing something...
There is something more to these things, but I'm not certain what it is, perhaps there's a lever, or what about a pressure switch? Marius, excited about the possibility of exploring the craftsmanship of this defensive trap, heads up the ramp behind his force shield.
One crossbow clicks and dry-fires as Grunyar grabs the bolt out of it again! Undaunted, it begins whirring to reload.
The other turns and tracks Tessara, again loosing an attack.
Grunyar - 14
Tessamine - 14
Xbows - 13
Marius - 11
Banterknell - 8
As people begin to leave the room, Kib shouts to Tessamine, "Tessa! The others are running. Are you going to run or stay?"
Not waiting on an answer, he lobs more acid at the same crossbow....
... and then heads for the back of the room. Not so far that he couldn't return to where he was, but closer to the ramp if that's what the whole group decides on.
BK launches a stone at the crossbow, hoping pure damage will take it out, then retreats up the stairs.