Now right as rain, BK tries a couple of practice flips and tumbles.
"Right, up the stairs!" he repeats back at Tess.
Marius checks the injuries of the party, and decides to advance with them up the stairs, very cautiously. How big do we think this place is?
"Well, however big it is, it looks bigger to me than you! I wish I could fly."
BK starts flapping his arms and hopping, as if trying to reach the ceiling.
Up the stairs.
"There could also be a 'down' part as well. No one opened the other doors we passed below."
Seeing as how I’m lacking in the armor department I’ll allow those of you more heavily armored to first. Off we go up the stairs
You head up the ramp that rises up to the next level, leaving the odd tank and library behind you. You enter out of the ramp onto another floor, which is almost entirely open. In the center of the room is a vast tank of water with transparent walls and no floor that extends down to the story below. A single transparent door with an opaque handle is built into the eastern face of the tank.
Just east of the tank is a much smaller transparent chamber with a similar door. This one contains no water, however, and a blanket is hung casually over the open door. On the floor nearby are some damp blankets, and pots and bowls that contain picked-over rations and the remains of partially eaten flesh.
There are two people in here, and they both immediately stand from their seats on the floor. One is a woman in a greenish-blue dress with long hair and the other is a tall and strong man in armor with long blond hair and a proud moustache. They both appear to have oddly slick skin, as if covered in a fine sheen of something.
The woman looks surprised. Oh, thank goodness! Are....are you hear to save us? Did...[b] She looks at the ramp, as if expecting someone else to come up. [b]...did you deal with the...beasts downstairs?
Marius double-takes upon suddenly seeing people unexpectedly, looking at the rest of the party, he shrugs and smiles, Um yes, we're here to save you! I'm Marius, who are you? How did you come to be prisoners here?
With a flamboyant gesture, Banterknell bows and smiles.
"Banterknell, at your service. Adventurer par excellence and rescuer of many a fair maiden. Those rune fellows downstairs have been dealt with, and harshly, might I add. So, how exactly did you come to be under their tyrannical imprisonment?"
"My name is Tess, it's a pleasure. As far as we can tell, downstairs should be safe right now. Do your have any wounds that need tending? I can help in that regard."
We aren't...hurt...but, well our memories are.... She puts a hand to her head. ...spotty. I am sorry...if you are here to save us then I thank you! I am Eliza...Eliza Haniver. And this is Rayland Arkley. We were...are...colonists.
The man looks on grimly.
Tess gasps for a bit. "Tides' bounty, you're alive! That's fantastic! We're from the second wave of colonists, we're thrilled to find survivors! The colony was abandoned when we arrived, you see."
After the initial joy of surprise has subsided, she calms down a bit and turns to the others. "I think we'd best get them back to Talmandor's Bounty and in the hands of our healers." She then turns back to the duo. "When you're rested up, could you tell us everything that's happened? There's still a lot of people unaccounted for, any bit of information you can give us is welcome. For now, let's get you home."
In her mind, Tess also has some concerns she doesn't want to say out loud with the survivors in the room.
It's great to know we've found some survivors... But if what we'd pieced together so far is right, these two essentially split the whole town apart in some sort of internal conflict... It'll pay to be cautious with them.
BK tucks the ladies hand into his arm and starts leading her out of the place, if allowed.
Excitedly he say "Well, come along then."
While glad he doesn’t have to face angry fish people again Grunyar is a little skeptical about meeting the people here. The sheen on their skin is most unsettling he wonders what it might be caused from
While he knows that they are obviously more than just wet he is drawing a complete blank on what might be on them.
Grunyar nods to the man and woman but does not introduce himself to them.
Unfortunately, none of you are quite sure what this odd effect is on them. The pair of them don’t seem to take notice.
Eliza allows you to take her hand and lead her away. Rayland watches, standing stiffly, before turning to follow. He says nothing. Eliza puts a hand to her head, as if remembering is painful for her.
I feel as if….my memories….they seem to have been tampered with….invaded. I…I remember learning about this tower from a pair of talking statues that I met – they directed me here. I was exploring this place, and then….everything goes fuzzy after that. I’m afraid I don’t remember much beyond that…I – we are colonists. We’re here for…. She trails off, her eyes unfocused as she tries to remember.
Marius suggests, Let's bring them from here and back to safety- we can always re-enter this place tomorrow after we've had a chance to recuperate and develop a plan? he looks to Tessamine and Grunyar first since they've been longer in the field than he and BK.
You head back out from the tower, listening still to Eliza's musings - generally it is about her lack of understanding. She seems to have memories of the area come back every now and again, but she shakes her head in confusion at them. Rayland moves stiffly and doesn't say a word.
You break out only the shattered fragments of rock and stone jutting from the grasses nearby, and once again see the path this strange tumbleweed of steel bearings that you'd seen on the way in. This time, it's passing to your south, but is about two -hundred feet away. It seems to be slowly veering in your direction.
BK entertains himself using TK projection to hurl the steel bearings at interesting targets, like fallen logs, mushrooms, and that ugly toad.
"Let's continue to keep a wide berth from that thing for the time being." Tess says, and suggests they move along. While Eliza and Rayland are in their care, she doesn't really feel comfortable with too much adventure.
Very well let’s return to camp. These two look like they’ve seen their share of troubles for a while. Besides this dwarf could use a pint!
As BK attempts to grab on the bearings, the strange rolling swarm seems to lock onto you! It streaks towards you in a rolling mass!
"Ack!"
Marius, contentedly walking back to camp, is startled by the sudden threat of the bearings, and..
waits to see what happens.
"Ugh, THIS thing!"
Tess will attempt to push the bearings' course out of the way using Tidal Surge.
Grunyar will look to get out of the way of the thing so at not to be hurt. Then if he thinks it will help he will zap it with an electric arc. With the hope that it would disable the mechanical device