Korynne whips her head around at the unfamiliar shrine, sending a light spray of water from her hair. She gives a suspicious glance to the dripping man and the ladle woman, but eases back to lie down when she sees Uro and Jym. Listening to the ladle woman, Korynne guess she must be some sort of healer, and her leftover headache lightens at the phrase "I require no payment".
"Hi there," she greets to no one in particular, pinching the bridge of her nose with her eyes screwed shut. "Thanks for the help. What kind of obligation needs discharging? I'm certainly not averse to doing some favors to get our balances in order."
She opens an eye to look over the acolyte. "You're wetter than I am. Did you get in a losing fight with a snake, too, or do you just like swimming? I'm Korynne, by the way," she says, sitting up and offering a hand to shake.
A pair of fleeting emotions wash briefly over his fishy face as the priestess makes her request: surprise and dismay look very human on his contorted features. He opens his mouth to protest, then shrugs and nods his head.
He gathers a mottled bundle of cloth from the corner of the shrine and drapes it across his shoulders. After some adjustments, it becomes clear the cloth was once a cloak, though generations of patches cover it like a barnacled hull. He draws the hood close, hiding his head, and tucks his arms into the deep sleeves.
Replying to Korynne, his voice again evokes rushing water. "No s-snake. S-swimming. Diving. S-seeking. I am Gwlyb-bwr." He shakes her offered hand, leaving a slimy residue as he does. He wipes his webbed hand apologetically on his cloak. "S-sorry. I s-still forget about the s-slime."
"I require no payment for discharging this duty," she continues, "but there now exists an imbalance between you and the goddess, that needs to be righted. I would like to send my acolyte here with you, to observe that the obligation is discharged."
"No, see, that's why they invented money! For JUST this sort of situation! Why, if I hand you over an appropriate stack of metal coins, then there's no need for any of this bartering, material, cosmological, or otherwise! Our ancestors were obviously sick of it, and I can see why!
"No, Uro! Calm down! She didn't intentionally mean to insult your ancestors! They were probably very big into some sort of violent bartering system, anyway! It's fine! Relax!
"Where was I... So, not only do we need to redress some undefined ethical quantity, but the redressing needs to be observed? (And due diligence requires that I bring up that we know nothing of Mr. Gwlybwr's observational acuity, moral standing, or general mental facilities.) What happens should our observer lose his way or (heavens forbid) befall some unfortunate violent circumstance or even just stay out sunbathing too long? Do we then have to come back for another observer, potentially requiring us to re-accomplish said redressing (which I must reiterate is still undefined)?
"As you can see, us taking on your acolyte actually pushes the imbalance the other direction to weigh heavily on us, which you've already established is something that needs to be righted. For consistency's sake, I'll suggest that you give us more healing! Some further potions to make sure that observer Gwlybwr stay hale, hearty, and humid should be about right. We'll accept purchasing them at a discount, I suppose, to support the good work your goddess does here between these two well-regarded eateries."
At first, she is not impressed -- who are you to question the will of a goddess! But as you ramble on, she thankfully begins to grasp the tenor of your remarks, and by the time you come right out and ask her to sell you some potions, she's half-expecting it.
Indicating a set of 4 flasks, she says, "The goddess has purified these waters of well, river, lake, and spring to such an extent that they will heal wounds," she says. "The Church of Cuthbert demands an exorbitant sum for their less-effective substitute -- 50 gold each flask, if you can believe it! -- but the goddess Geshtai has no interest in gilded candlesticks and mitres. If you would be willing to make a single lump-sum donation to our poor shrine, perhaps even 150 gp, I'm sure the goddess would approve of you taking along these waters to ensure the well-being of her new servant and his companions..."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, uhh, Gwill-bur?" Korynne replies, wiping the slime off on her cloak and falling to pronounce the acolyte's name.
She listens to Jym's finagling with amusement before taking the priestess' offer. She hands over fifteen platinum coins and expertly disappears the healing water into her sleeves. "I hope our humble donation will be of some use to the goddess and her faithful. Perhaps we should discuss this 'obligation' before too long - how about over brunch? Although maybe I should change first..." Korynne trails off, glancing at the growing puddle beneath her. "I probably have to re-do my makeup after getting splashed in the face, too. What's the damage?" she asks, trying to determine if wringing out her robes in a water goddess' shrine is a bad idea or not.
Jym purses his lips and appears to consider the priestess' offer, continuing even after Korynne accepts and completes the transaction. When Korynne mentions brunch, he completely forgets about the potions and darts out to the street to head to whichever next door restaurant smells better.
Once outside the shrine, Gwlybwr asks for the story behind her injuries, in an order to ascertain who he's gotten himself involved with.
"What were you do-o-ing fighting a s-snake? Is this-s s-something you do-o often? Your friends. The angry one is U-uro. Who-o is the s-small one?"
"Well, first of all, it wasn't a snake, it was a metal snake," Korynne corrects. "Or at least, I think it was. I didn't see it for, uh, very long. Us three were hired by a very important lady to found out what's in her family's tomb-vault."
She gestures toward "the small one" who just rushed out for brunch. "That would be Jym," she indicates, while fishing out a small mirror from her pack. She peers into it and uses her dripping sleeve to wipe off the worst of the makeup smudges, leaving her face more presentable. "Before that, we helped her deal with a situation involving some nasty sailors. Could've been pirates, too, I suppose. I'm ready for brunch, in any case--I'll pay for yours, uh, Gwlybur? Is that it? Why don't we talk out what exactly we'll all be doing together over some coffee."
"I have never s-seen a metal s-snake before, and I have b-been all over S-sass-serine. S-sailors-s I know. Pirates-s too. S-so fighting is what you do. You are merc-cenaries-s?"
In the sunlight, Gwlybwr's exposed feet are iridescent, like oily water or the surface of a soap bubble. They seem sodden and make the same wet, slapping sound as before, but leave dry footprints behind. Their wetness is contained within, and the vivid pattern changes as the tendons in his foot flex with each step. He keeps the rest of himself hidden within the cloak as much as possible.
"You know many s-strange things. What is a b-brunch? Is it a fis-sh? I have not eaten this-s thing, but I do like fis-sh. Could we walk as we eat? S-sitting and eating, it is not for me."
"Mercenaries, perhaps. More like...retainers. And brunch is, I'm sorry to say, not a fish--it's a portmanteau. But I'm sure we can get some fish. Have you never been to either of the eateries right next to your shrine?" Korynne asks, raising a concerned eyebrow. She glances down as they enter the sunlight at the iridescent feet beneath Gwlybwr's cloak inquisitively, but says nothing.
"In any case, I think it's a sit-down place, but I'm sure we could get some food and take it with us?" she guesses, shrugging with a wet squelch. She removes her outer robe and wrings out a large puddle on the street before placing it back on and feeling the sun start to dry it properly. She peers into the windows of the nearest restaurant, and without looking asks, "Uro, did you see which one Jym went into? I'd rather not lose him in the crowd. I suppose I can just listen for interminable stories..."
"This-s s-shrine, I came here only rec-cently. It is not my s-shrine, but they have s-something I s-seek." He looks in the window with Korynne. "No, this-s plac-ce is not for me. They are s-sus-spic-cious-s."
"Better to eat what you catch yours-self," he says, waving his spear emphatically. "Less-s trouble that way."
"Helloooooooo!" Jym calls from a table in the outside seating area of whichever place his nose led him to. He speaks around a mouthful of waffles which he has somehow already managed to order and be served. Around him waiters are already placing the dishes he's ordered for the others at the table.
"It turns out that my uncle's cousin's boyfriend works here! He's a fine, upstanding hob, and I'm not just saying that because everybody in the street around you is staring at me, for some reason!"
The food is quite good, by Jym's standards -- plenty of side dishes, garnishes, marmalades, syrups, and other sweet glop. To Gwlybwr, it looks like what gets washed up on the beach after a squall. Uro is skeptical of the portion sizes: the meat dishes seem to consist of some small bits, covered in a sauce in some sort of artistic pattern in the midst of a giant, mostly-empty plate. Korynne, aware of costs, realizes that this place will put a dent in what's left of the heavy currency Lady Vanderboren has given you so far -- but that said, the mimosas do look quite good!
After tasting a small portion of the sauced meat, which he spits out immediately, Gwlybwr refrains from eating anything else. He seems extremely nervous in the place, and fidgets constantly. Finally, his hunger gets the best of him and he leans towards Jym.
"D-do they have any food here? Rockfis-sh or kelp bass? They d-don't need to burn it, either. Raw fis-sh is fine."
Jym happily orders Gwlybwr some ceviche.
No need to postpone. Looking forward to it.
Though still unsettled at having to eat surrounded by strangers, Gwlybwr tentatively tastes the ceviche, then proceeds to eat it with gusto. He digs the chunks of raw fish out of the bowl with his hands and slurps them down, after which he licks his fingers and the bowl clean.
"Thank you for the fis-sh, Jym. May you at the pinnacle perfection find." His last words are spoken with a formality that connotes reverence and recurrent repetition. He waits as the others eat, fidgeting again after a few minutes.
"Korynne, you s-spoke of s-speaking further earlier. You have some unfinis-shed buisnes-s. The pries-stes-s wis-shes me to accompany you for s-some time. I will do this-s because s-she wis-shes it. I will follow you until s-she does not wis-sh it. If you are fighting, I can fight. If you are s-sneaking, I can s-sneak. If you are d-dancing and d-dining with lords and ladies, I can d-do nothing." He chuckles, before becoming serious again, holding up his hand and chopping it toward the table.
"This-s you mus-st know: I will d-do nothing to bring harm to child-dren. If this-s is your busines-s, tell me. I will go, and follow you no longer, and d-damn the cure! I would rather b-be b-blue than -" He bites his words off, and shakes his head. "No. I will d-do nothing to harm them. This-s is clear."
Uro looks disappointingly at his plate and shrugs, picks it up and tilts the thing into his mouth, catching every bit. A moment of chewing and gulp later, he looks toward Gwlybwr.
"I am sorry for the business in the temple. I wouldn't have harmed your priestess in any way. I just get upset when my friends are hurt." He nods to Korynne. "And when my people get angry," the orc shrugs again, nonchalantly. "We tend to yell."
After Gwlybwr's karate chop.
Uro looks a bit confused as the fish man asks about the groups kid killing policies.
"We have no intention of harming any children.
..unless you count Jym." Uro adds with with a dry chuckle.
Korynne weighs the significantly lighter coin purse in her pocket, and decides to order a drink anyway. The way things have been going, she might as well enjoy herself before throwing herself into more life-threatening situations.
Sipping her mimosa, she grins at Uro. "You yelled at a priestess on my behalf? That's so sweet of you!" Korynne laughs, but her appreciation sounds genuine.
At Gwlybwr's declaration, she raises an eyebrow. "Like Uro said, we have no intention of harming children." Her eyes gleam with curiosity about the "cure" that her new obligatory friend mentions, but she doesn't pry - for now. "Well, like I mentioned earlier, we have an appointment with a dangerous vault tomorrow morning, so be prepared. I think Lady Vanderboren might even have some funds for a fourth retainer, if you're going to be sticking with us for long. Welcome aboard!"
"It is good you s-say this-s. I know when times are tough, merc-cenaries s-sometimes become s-slavers." He shakes his head sadly. "Often it is los-st children they catch. This-s I have s-seen for mys-self."
"S-she is not my pries-stes-s, but it would s-still be bad if you had hurt her. S-she is a healer, the only one in this-s c-ces-spool of a c-city that I trus-st. S-she is helping me, but I s-sus-spect s-she wanted me out from underfoot, which is why s-she s-sent me with you."
"I also get ups-set when friends are hurt. S-some were hurt badly, and I s-seek those res-spons-sible. I believe you when you s-say you would not do s-such things, but I needed it clear from the s-start."
He gives Korynne a searching look and asks, "you are returning to fight the metal s-snake again? It is quite dangerous-s, your line of work. I hope this lady pays you well. And s-she will pay me if I help you rob this vault? I had not thought to take s-such work, but 'looters become looted, while time and tide make us-s merc-cenaries all,' as my friend would s-say."
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"I'm not a child!" Jym crosses his arms and pouts, while kicking his legs back and forth from the too-tall chair. But then he forgets to be upset and stands up on his chair excitedly.
"But we're not robbing a vault! The vault belongs to Lady Vanderboren, but she's forgotten how to bypass the traps! Unless of course she's lying and the vault doesn't really belong to her, in which case we are vault robbers, which makes us sound pretty daring! We just won't mention the part where Korynne nearly died or Uro tried to kill your priestess or where I ate all of your extra food.
"Also, your proverb makes a lot of sense to me! I might use it in a song!
"Li'l Nobby Remington
ate his shepherd's pie in the fall,
but looters become looted,
while time and tide make us mercenaries all.
"Hmm, that might need work."
"Er... What is the current state of that snake thing by the way?
"Uro killed it.
"Er, broke it, I guess."
Breakfast is free -- Lady Vanderboren feeds you guys pretty well after you meet the next morning, and is quite solicitous of Korynne's health. Upon seeing Gwlybwr, she doesn't even bat an eye -- your group showing up with new people is something she half-expects now. She greets him politely and, seeing him pick at the pastries but eat the smoked fish, cheerfully sends a servant for more fish.
Back in the vault, the destroyed junk that used to be a metal snake is still in the middle of the floor. There are three inscribed pillars in the room -- one straight ahead and one to either side (the iron cobra had slithered out from behind the lefthand one) -- and no obvious exits.
"There's another room somewhere; I'm just not sure how to get into it."
Two 15-ft. alcoves, one to each side, have lower ceilings, each supported by a pillar carved to resemble a snake. Another pillar is embedded in the far wall, supporting that end of the room.
At breakfast, Gwlybwr pecks at his food, and though he eats his smoked fish and attempts to appear pleased to appease his hostess and new employer, his dissatisfaction is poorly concealed. As the group journeys to the vault, he lags behind somewhat. While never far enough to lose the group, he stays just in sight and surreptitiously devours some silvery morsels from inside his tattered cloak. Catching up, the unmistakable odor of raw fish wafts from him and he gives a wide, sated smile - this one much more genuine than his earlier paltry attempts at breakfast.
"I am interes-sted in the vault. Never have I s-seen s-such a thing." He looks at Korynne. "You were clos-se to s-speaking my s-street name yes-sterday. Gwlyb-bwr is a mouthful, even when you can s-speak s-straight. Mos-st of my friends call me Wil. You s-should too." He looks to Jym and Uro, and also at Lady V. "And you."
Inside the vault, Wil cautiously approaches the destroyed remains of the metal snake and pokes at them hesitantly with the tip of his spear. He scatters the largest piece apart from the others before picking it up and examining it. He turns it over in his hands to feel the surface, peers closely at it with his too-wide eyes, and bites it gingerly with his incisors. Finally he flicks it with the tip of his tongue and drops it to the floor. He repeats this with each of the larger pieces of the snake.
Finally, he wanders around the room, tapping on the walls and floor with his spear's haft. He presses the side of his head against the wall when he taps (just a hole in his head - no ears!) and listens as he taps. He kneels to do the same when he taps the floor.
1: Identify*D, Bless
Korynne hangs back cautiously, watching Gwlybwr go over the snake parts and poke around the room. Once convinced that it's relatively safe, she joins the newly dubbed "Wil" in looking around the room for secret doors, panels, or other tricky architecture for hiding secrets.
The snake patterns on the pillar ahead seem different than those on the two side pillars. As Wil taps at the walls and floor, Korynne hears a noticably hollow sound when he taps the far wall, where the odd pillar is. Her perceptiveness does not, unfortunately, give her any insight into how a secret door might have been installed, or how it would work.
You can pick locks, bypass or disarm mechanical traps, and rig devices so that they fail. You can also set mechanical traps and construct simple devices yourself.
Check: Various tasks that can be accomplished with this skill, and the relevant time and check DCs, are summarized in the following tables. If you attempt to leave no sign of your tampering, add 5 to the check DC.
Searching/Troubleshooting / Time / DC
Find concealed door / 1 round / 15+
Find hidden compartment / 1 round / 15+
Find and operate secret door / 1 round / 20+
Find item / Varies / 10+
Find Trap, Hidden Compartment, Item, Secret Door, etc.: You generally must be able to touch the object or surface to be searched. You can attempt a check at a distance, but at a -10 penalty if within 10 ft., and a -20 penalty if within 30 ft.
To Search For… Use this Skill…
Magical traps... Spellcraft
Mechanical traps... Disable Device
Records, files, etc. in an office... Profession (Administration)
Secret doors... Craft (Construction) or Disable Device
Stonework traps, changes in grade, etc... Profession (Mining)
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Seeing that Gwlybwr and Korynne are touching everything without setting off more metal poisonous snakes that Gwlybwr doesn't want to eat, Jym also starts to search using his limited spellcraft knowledge to see what he can see.
He'll also examine the three snake pillars and consider if the markings on them could be a language or if they could be a code for another language he's picked up.
At one point, Jym will get distracted and start wondering if his uncle Pebbert Cheeseheap will ever that boil on his backside checked out.
Korynne slides over to the hollow sounding spot in the wall and flashes a quick grin at Wil. She investigates the area thoroughly, looking for signs of more traps or secret doors.
After her first tentative fumblings, Korynne cringes, waiting for the ceiling to collapse or a bunch of poisoned arrows to shoot out of the walls or something. When none of things occur after ten seconds or so, she releases her breath and opens her eyes, and starts a more careful search. A few minutes later, she thinks "Of course!" -- pressing on the fangs of one of the snakes on the main pillar causes the snake carvings to writhe aside, revealing an opening into the next room.
Beyond is an octagonal chamber supported by a single large pillar with dozens of deep grooves along its sides. The seven walls each bear fantastically detailed bas-relief carvings of exotic monsters in threatening poses. Starting at the wall immediately to your left and moving clockwise, the carvings depict:
The ceiling is only 10' or so high, decorated with the now-familiar eight-pointed star logo of the Seekers, radiating out from the grooved pillar. The arms of the star are black, except for the one pointing to the now-open doorway, which is red.
The pillar itself is grooved all over; it's about 4' in diameter, and is in the center of the room.
The room itself is about 20' across, from one wall to the opposite wall; as stated previously, it's octagonal.
I'm not sure what the common area is.
Could the deep grooves on the pillar be claw marks?
Is there any way to tell what this side of the "door" we entered looks like?
The grooves are too regular to be claw marks -- they almost look like they were put there to increase friction against the otherwise smooth stone of the pillar. Or maybe they're just decorative. Or maybe they're there to make one erect pillar, in the center of the room, with a big star pattern exploding from the top, not seem quite so phallic at first glance.
I'm assuming you're looking into this secret octagonal room from the snake room, until you tell me you're walking in. In essence, the big third pillar in the snake room is the door to this room. With it open, you realize that it was blocking one of the sides of the secret octagonal chamber.
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The parchment says:
A chimera looks to the sunrise.
Cyclops looks to sunset.
Bulette looks to sunrise.
Umber hulk looks to sunset.
Basilisk looks to sunrise.
Korynne peers into the room from the doorway, mentally comparing the creatures from Lady Vanderboren's parchment to the bas relief carvings to see if anything matches up.
Gwlybwr peers into the chamber, taking in the elaborate carvings. He takes a step back and makes a sign to ward off evil - elbows bent, his right fist pressed into his extended left palm, both at chest level - when he spots the tentacled horror.
Pulling his eyes away, he is still fascinated at the detail in the other carvings. He gapes at each, trying to recognize them from the stories his mentor used to tell of Zuoken's adventures during his ascension.
He tries to keep from looking at the carving that makes him queasy, but his eyes keep sliding involuntarily over to it. Finally, he grits his teeth and stares at it, trying to will away the eels slithering in his stomach.
After several tense seconds, he breaks his gaze, cowed by the carving. He looks around guiltily, hoping the others haven't noticed his shame.
Vertical.
Sadly, a 9 doesn't allow you to hit the DC 10 for even the most common critters.
[dice=K. Planes]1d20+4
Gwylbwr has heard enough stories about monsters from beyond the sane borders of the universe. He recognizes the aboleth carving right away (#3) -- aquatic, psionic monsters that predate humanity, and whose memories actually stretch back that far. They are known to take human slaves and transform them into monstrous servants.
He can also put a name to the roper (#1) and the beholder (#5). The gorilla-like thing (#6) reminds him of maybe a smaller relative of the psionic "gray glutton," which he knows of from his instruction in the cult of Zuoken.
"Are the creatures listed by Lady Vandorboren's parents somehow opposites of these creatures? Maybe they're unrelated, since there's more creatures here than what's on that parchment.
"Uro, can you identify any of these creatures?"