Unsure of what to make of this strange encounter, Marcus opened his sensed to see what Torm thought about the matter.
Ari braces herself against the wall as she stares at the giant spider.
Lest it hear her, she whispers to her companions (loudly enough to be heard over the waterfall), "We should probably kill that thing before it decides to make a meal of more than just fish."
"Agreed.". Hakon hefts his shield and sword, ready for a fight.
Unsure of what to make of this strange encounter, Marcus opened his sensed to see what Torm thought about the matter.
Marcus sensed no fell taint from the spider.
Ranek held onto the wall as they were stopped, with the spider's web blocking their path. He whispered, "I could try to burn the web, but with the moisture I don't know if it would work."
”No need to fight if we don’t have to. Keep climbing. I’ll keep an eye on the beastie.”
Barra looks just a little queazy, seeing that big a spider this high up. "Keep climbing sounds good. Keep looking up sounds good."
Hakon shrugs, stows away his gear and continues climbing.
Ranek held onto the wall as they were stopped, with the spider's web blocking their path. He whispered, "I could try to burn the web, but with the moisture I don't know if it would work."
Ari sighs and puts away her bow. As she moves to climb further up the tunnel, she says to the others, "If we're going to let it be, we should hurry to get out of the area before it finishes with that fish."
Ranek nods and continues climbing, hoping to avoid tangling with the spider.
Marcus nodded at Ariyana's words, "Indeed Ma'am, there's little point picking unnecessary fights and there's nothing to keep us here."
Following after Rankek, Marcus continued climbing.
The company ascended past the webs and spider, coming at length in turn to two more with similar perches. None took any special interest in them. They arrive at the top, thoroughly soaked.
In the light of the glowing water, they find themselves in a rough room that mostly consists of the ramp finally reaching something vaguely approaching level ground. Water cascades down from above still, pouring through a tunnel near the ceiling. To one side, five feet above the floor, the wall gives way to what appears to be a squared-off chamber lost in the darkness above.
Thurvek crawls to the edge of the squared-off chamber.
By Clanggedin Silverbeard, that looks like just the place to hold children!!
"Hello. Anyone down here?" The cleric said tentatively.
Ranek mutters and casts a cantrip, causing light to illuminate his sword, cautiously moving towards the squared-off chamber.
Standing next to his kinsman, Bolkvar peered into the darkness.
To say that it was hard to see was an understatement. He squinted as the light of Ranek's sword momentarily stung his eyes. Shaking his head he also began walking towards the chamber, expecting trouble to find them at any moment.
His heart pounded within his chest. He hoped that they would find the children safe and sound, ready to be saved and brought back to their parents. But at the same time he fully expected to find naught but corpses within...
Hakon readies himself and uses his heavens-blessed sight to search for signs of danger
No one responded to Thurvek's call or Ranek's light, but Hakon did see an odd shimmer in the air just where the wall opened up above the party. It stretched edge to edge of the opening, so any who wished to go through must surely pass it.
Ari climbs up to the opening in the wall. Pulling out an arrow from her quiver, she uses it to poke at the odd shimmer, trying to determine what's causing it.
Ari climbs up to the opening in the wall. Pulling out an arrow from her quiver, she uses it to poke at the odd shimmer, trying to determine what's causing it.
[dice=Will Save (To Disbelieve the Shimmer)]d20+8
[dice=Knowledge (arcana)]d20+10
[dice=Spellcraft]d20+10
The shimmer did not vanish or visibly react when Ari shot her arrow through it. Her divination revealed faint protective Art.
From her studies, Ari knew that such a spell-field was a standing effect. Most warding magic worked this way, creating a specific barrier which might be penetrated rather than filling its volume. It might contain slaying Art but could be something as simple as a silent, mental alarm to let the caster know when it was passed. Such Art might be everlasting, at least until disrupted, or renewed on every day or tenday. To extend it long would require some sort of fuel, whether from the life of the caster, costly reagents, some renewable source, or all the previous.
There are metals and cloaking Art that might let those within slip through the ward without tripping it. Certain passwords or spells cast into it might strengthen, dispel, or suspend the field but which and how would take investigation or experimentation to learn. She's heard rumors of much more powerful Art than this, unless its faint aura comes only from some kind of dormancy, which might drink spells and the Art stored in items to feed themselves.
The downfall of such Art was that one might use other Art to pass it, which some powerful mages did by teleporting. It might also be passed by going around it physically, such as by cutting the passage wider or wriggling through irregularities on its margins.
Ari shares what she knows with the others. Then she says, "I think we'll have to risk going through it, unless someone has a way of dispelling the barrier."
Thurvek shakes his head to the negative.
”Stand back then.” Bolkvar strode through.
Ranek shook his head. "Such Art is beyond me, for now. Hopefully whatever it is will not be problematic for us."
Hakon follows Thurvek through the barrier, shield and sword ready
Marcus scratched his chin as the party examined the strange phenomenon, "Well isn't that something..." Noting brave Ser Hackon advancing, Marcus decided to follow right behind.
Bolkvar and Hakon climbed the five feet of wall and passed through the shimmer. As they did, all the water that had stuck to them through the long climb next to the torrent vanished.
"Huh. Bolkvar, have you ever seen this before?"
Ari, a bit nervous about her companions' fate, shouts through the shimmer, "Are you all okay in there? Is it safe to come through?"
”Well lad, can’t say I’ve read much about this, but from seein’ it close up...”
"So something lives here. Something that gets cold like we do." Barra mutters, following them.
Ranek follows the group, since it appeared that no harm had befallen the rest. His clothing drying from the effect was a pleasant surprise - although he should have thought to do it himself. He had prepared a spell that accomplished that exact thing.
Thurvek follows the rest enter the strange magical area.
"Well well well. A student of the art apparently lives here, let us proceed with caution..." said Marcus before taking point.
He cautiously scanned the way for any threats and surprises.
The others made their way through the spell field, which dried each in turn. Bolkvar was quite sure now that it was a simple ward to keep the spray of the falls from the room.
With the light of the water and their new vantage, the company could take in the chamber. It had squared corners and straight walls of fitted stone. In the main it was empty, save for a broad archway at the far end leading into another chamber and a corridor that went off to the north. In one corner, liberally adorned with cobwebs, stood an oversized dragonchess set. Each piece was nearly four feet tall and looked to be made of cooper green with age. An old brass bell stood beside it. Almost lost in the dust, a greened-over copper dragon's face was embedded in one wall.
Ari starts to brush herself off after passing through the shimmer, but then realizes that she's no longer wet at all. Of all the effects the barrier could have had, this certainly isn't what Ari had expected.
Catching up to her companions, Ari eyes their surroundings. All signs are pointing more and more to this having once been a dragon's lair. Perhaps even a community formed around a dragon. Ari just hopes the dragon and the community are long gone. She doesn't think he's likely to be a very good dragon.
Going to one knee, Ari examines the ground in search of tracks other than their own.
Barra ignores the massive chess-set just like he would a regular-sized one; instead he moves slowly and carefully to peer into the chamber and down the corridor.
Ranek sees the dragonchess set and moves closer to it, examining the massive pieces from a distance, before turning his attention to the dragon face embedded in the wall.
Noting Lady Ariyana searching for even the faintest of tracks, Marcus does what little he can to aid her.
Once that was done he took another look at the strangely appointed room, "I suppose we should be wary of slumbering art. Lets see if there's any here."
Hakon surveys the room witha critical, heavens-blessed eeye.
Aldon has been so quiet so long, it is as if he was not with the group at all!
"This Copperdeath, he is a Dragon that practices the Way. My own powers he wields I would wager but likely with greater mastery than I currently possess".
Knowledge Psionics
Perception
”I am tempted to rest here. To medidtate to recoup our expended powers. If anyone lives here, they may come back as well.”
"Here? Really? Not down with the lady, or in the place we've already cleared of monsters? I suppose you cleric types know best, but I'd be worried about somebody wandering by."
"I can stand watch during the latest part of the night The heavens guides my eyes and fortifies me."
”That’s the point. I want someone to wander by. I want to know who is here. I’d also like to recharge my art before we tangle with something powerful.”
Thurvek casts his head down in defeat. "Damn..Bolkvar's right. We need to rest. We can't help those missing children if we are starving, half-crazed from lack of sleep, and without proper spells."
Looking up, the cleric addresses the rest of the party. "For any who are still very injured, please step forward to receive the last of my healing for the day."
Ranek clenches his teeth at Thurvek's words, thinking, Oh, sure, when I say we should fall back and rest, it's all 'Think of the children' and 'Fine, be a coward.' But when the Dwarf says it, it's 'Oh, he's right, we need to rest, we can't help the children if we don't have the proper spells.' Stupid Dwarves.
Out loud, he says, "I agree with Bolkvar. Let's take the time to rest here."
"Agreed, my fists are willing but my Will has been sapped by our ordeals. A rest will allow us to confront yon dangers sound of mind and body".
Bolkvar looked at Ranek knowingly. He slapped the man on the back. The man was obviously annoyed...a common reaction when dealing with dwarves. But he was also keeping a civil tongue while remaining professional and not showing weakness. Three things, when put together, that Bolkvar respected. He said nothing though, for he was not about to insult the mage with empty words.
Marcus looked resigned and drained, "I worry for the children, but I suppose we are drained. It probably would be foolhardy for us not to rest before pressing on... Still I can't say resting here fills me with joy." He eyes the dragon themed room with suspicion, "Somebody or something lives here, something obsessed with dragons. There's enough of us for double watches, I say that would be prudent."