Amari hears a *thump thump* and then a squelching noise as something falls to the ground.
Zaza can tell the blindheim is dead.
Lo and Serenity operate exactly as expected and drop the monk. But another moves forward.
Amari looks at Zaza for confirmation, then quickly continues to poke at (maybe) thin air and (hopefully) solid ground with his bow in a way that reminds you of a blind man with his seeking stick.
You move forward and find more wall.
You see more of the map in addition to a door which appears to be locked.
Lo'laan takes down a monk, who falls to the ground making it harder for others to move into the room. But two more move forward and strike out at Lo and at Serenity but both miss. There are clearly more monks out in the hallway than you can tell but they are all clamoring to enter. "Protect the elder!"
Lo struggles to wield his Glaive in an ever increasingly cramped room as he and Serenity attempt to fend off the swarm of monks.
Agaban and Lo'laan cut down another monk. One tries to move forward but is tripped by Serenity as she bites his calf. He then stands back up. Lo'laan strikes at him again but misses.
A monk in the doorway strikes twice at Serenity and has difficulty from there but manages to land a well-placed kick on the cheetah's flank (10 damage to Serenity).
Hadha unlocks the door with relative ease and you all begin moving down a hallway that winds around. You come to an area where you could go right but, consulting each other on what walls you can see, you conclude that direction is a dead-end. Instead, you pass through a door to the north.
Now you find yourselves in a large chamber where, to the north ahead of you, stands a large, ornate door with two keyholes in it. One keyhole appears to be made of pure sapphire while the other is made of pure ruby.
You start in surprise as you see a large, insect-like creature with feathery antennae lying in the northwest corner of this room. But then you relax. It must be dead. It doesn't move toward you or react to you entering the room at all. Then you see it gets up, explores the corner near it with its antennae, and relaxes again.
Unsure what to make of this, you look around and also note what appears to be a key made of pure sapphire in the southeast corner of this large chamber.
Immediately to the east of you, in the southeast corner of the room, you see a humanoid form made of what appears to be gold stalking back and forth with great agitation. The features look vaguely human but are contorted permanently in a sinister expression. It paces back and forth, never getting closer to you than 10 ft.
In the northwest corner of the chamber, you see a key made of pure ruby.
You see that this large area of the maze seems to have two rooms of some sort in the corners, each with their own door.
"It will take more than this to dissuade these fanatics." Lo replies.
Another monk goes down but another takes its place as they move forward, determined to rescue the elder they have come to value so greatly.
One of them steps through the door and hits Serenity hard with an elbow while one standing just outside the doorway tries to punch but misses. He carries his momentum, however, into a spinning kick that knocks the cheetah to the ground. The dangerous cat does not get up.
Lo lashes out at the monk who dared to strike down his companion. "I'll not hold back any longer, those who enter will find their lives forfeit!" He shouts at the monks.
<Two smaller doors, right beside me and one to the north-west.
Maybe the keys can be found in there?>
Amari will also attempt to open the door to his right but does not open it yet.
The creature seems to be a large rust monster, known for seeking out metal. It would likely be quite dangerous for the three of you to fight.
The construct Hadha sees is a golden guardian, known for ferociously defending an area. It would likely be quite dangerous for the three of you to fight.
In the northwest corner of the chamber, I see a key made of pure ruby.
I don't recognize zaza's vision, but mine is a construct. A Golden Guardian. It would be very dangerous.
<Where you say to see monsters, I see only walls and a door each.
I think you're right about them being trapped there.
There four doors total I can see: two which we think lock the monsters away, the big one ahead and the one we just came through.>
Amari simply nods, and starts to hand over his backpack and quiver after extracting a single arrow. After a moments hesitation he also hands over his bow to Zaza.
<You must warn me when they start to follow me.
What a foolish thing to do. Baiting a thing you cannot see.
But it cannot be helped. We must end this quickly!>
Wearing only the deep black shadow stealth suit now, he motions the others to head over to towards the big door ahead of them.
Then with a grimace, he opens the door to the rust monster and waves at it with the arrow, ready to run over to the other door at a warning call from Zaza or Hadha.
From signing to each other what is happening, you determine that the metal-eating monster is making quick work of the odd metal construct. Despite being equally formidable, this is just a match-up the construct is not designed to win.
Lo nearly drops a monk but the monks continue moving in, pressing their attack.
<Then guide my hand!>
Amari lungs in the other direction from Hadha, feverishly feeling about to get a grasp at the key and rush to Zazas side if possible.
He knows about the keyholes and the way they ought to match!
Hadha rushes off to the spot indicated by Amari to hold the door, feeling the wall as he goes. Amari rushes south through another door. Hadha sees the golden monster lash out at Amari as he runs by and Amari feels something red-hot slam into him (12 bludg and 4 fire dam). Then the construct lashes out at the bug and seems to land one decent blow but misses horribly on another. The bug reaches forward with its tentacles and disintegrates the central torso of the grotesquely humanoid-looking monster. It falls to the ground in a pool of molten gold, burning the bug but cooling quickly. Amari only need move carefully over it not to fall (acro check but I'll allow at full speed).
The hit causes Amari to flinch in pain and search for his footing...
Lo'laan knocks out a monk while the hyena fails to bite another. The monks then strike at the hyena but only one manages to quick the beast (10 dam).
The monster shakes off the spell both times but seems to be focused on consuming the molten gold. It looks as if it will only attack those moving past but not chase them.
Lo continues to mow down any who try and enter the room.
Hadha rushes out, carrying one bejeweled key. He feels something massive bite him in the side (15 damage) but continues running and makes it to the door. Amari rushes by at the same time, managing to keep his feet on the hot gold (taking 1 fire damage but otherwise fine). You insert your keys quickly into the bejeweled lock and open the door, rushing through and closing it behind you before the large metal-eater takes an interest to follow.
In the next room, you can all see. There, you find two great, thick golden chains threaded through massive holes in opposite walls. They come together to meet in a massive golden clasp of complicated design held suspended by the tension in the chains a few feet above the floor.
The entire complicated clasp hinges on a sturdy pin deep in the interior. If one could reach in and pull it out firmly and quickly enough, the giant clasp would come undone without one losing an arm.
Lo'laan manages to take down one of the monks and injure another which steps up but the monk keeps his feet and punches the half-orc hard (9 damage) while two more monks finish off the hyena with quick blows.
From looking at the chain and clasp, you can't tell what it releases.
Hadha grunts and limps into the room as fast as he can, feeling flesh try to rip apart in the grievous wound with every step. Needless to say, he is entirely done with this crap.
I'm in no condition to attempt something like that. But maybe I can help.
He touches over- of his many tattoos. It goes and sliders off him and across the ground towards Amari. It touches him and the monk feels his muscles grow.
Go at it, big guy.