G21. MEDITATION CHAMBER
A wall of silent darkness looms past this solid brass door, obscuring and muting anything within.
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G22. STOREROOM
Dozens of crates fill this small storeroom, the air heavy with the smell of incense.
Treasure:
The cyclops seers stored special incense called irthaval here as a means for readying visitors to the Eye of Serenity. The incense has lost much of its potency over the years, but when used in quantity, it can still produce its original effect. Irthaval incense is an addictive, mind-altering drug. The storeroom holds enough remaining incense for 8 preparations.
Type inhaled; Addiction minor, Fortitude DC18
Price 200 gp
Effects 1 hour; +1d4 alchemical bonus to Wisdom, the user is blinded
Effect after 1 hour; -2 penalty on Perception and Sense Motive skill checks for 1d2 hours
Damage 1d2 Con and 1d2 Cha damage
What are you doing now?
"So the incense acts as a drug, that makes you temporarily blind, but likely induced visions when meditating in the chamber. It's mildly addictive, and the after-effects are that you're less aware and perceptive for a few hours, and it takes a toll on your body and leaves you a bit numb...mentally. Rhialla explains. "It heightens your Wisdom and awareness for an hour while you're blinded, so ironically I'm probably the best candidate to use it."
"I have a couple of spells prepared that can help with the side effects, though tomorrow I can prepare ones that completely heal them fully."
In the center of the hall, a thirty-foot-high egg-shaped structure stands on the floor. Stone stairs climb the side of this domed structure, ending before a stone wall chiseled to resemble an immense eye, circled with strange runes glowing with an eldritch light.
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What are you doing?
Cassiopeia takes a moment to scrutinize the runes and casts detect magic to get a better idea of what they might be doing.
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"Only by blinding yourself to the world around you can you see the way forward to the Eye of Serenity."
Ashlei makes the obvious observation when Cassie tells everyone what the runes mean.
"Could it be talking about the incense? The stuff makes you blind, right? I'm from Katapesh: I've heard things like Pesh can f$+! you up but can 'enhance your insight.' All I ever saw were drug addled Pesh-heads who looked like they were about to die of starvation...so I won't be touching that stuff even if you paid me to do it. Although I'm unsure how that will help you find the 'Eye' thing."
Being silly, Ashlei closes her eyes and tries to touch the 'egg-shaped' dome to see if its there when she's not seeing anything.
Rhialla shakes her head with an amused expression, as it seemed Ashlei completely missed her explanation.
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"this the spot for the drugs?"
He asked quietly his voice held a hint of something in it.. concern, fear... worry? It was one of those for sure. It was a little used tone for sure. It was clear he didnt like the plan but that it was a sound one so he wouldnt argue.
"So uh.. find some sort of spot.. in case something goes awry while she is dosed up. It will blind her, so dont expert her to be able to come and rush to heal you.. so keep it together and focus."
Rhialla inhales the thick, aromatic smoke of the incense and finds her vision gone except for:
In order to enter the Eye, a supplicant must purposefully blind themself, either with magic (such as blindness/deafness) or by using the irthaval incense kept in the storeroom to the east (area G22).
Thus blinded to the real world, a character can perceive doorways in the irises of the giant eyes and pass through them as if they were incorporeal, entering the Eye of Serenity (area G20).
Wearing a blindfold or closing the eyes is not enough; to enter, one's eyes must remain open and uncovered.
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Rhialla is the only one who can see and use the doors. What are you doing?
Ashlei shrugs, looking bored as the woman passes through the wall.
“I guess that’s cool.”
With the incense having taken her sight, Rhialla perceives doorways in the irises of the giant eyes, and begins walking toward them, entering the Eye of Serenity with a deep breath.
Rhialla carefully makes her blinded way up the stairs and to your eyes steps through the carving of an eye to enter the concealed chamber.
G20. THE EYE OF SERENITY
A flare of light sweeps through this oval chamber, blazing from a large, singular crystal resting atop a six-foot-high silver pedestal in the center of a raised dais. Two large statues face the pedestal, holding up large, curved swords that nearly touch the chamber's ceiling.
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Hazard: For living creatures, time is slowed inside the Eye of Serenity-a purposeful feature the seers found useful for their divinations. As a result, any living creature entering the Eye must succeed at a DC19 Will save or be immediately affected by a slow effect.
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Unfortunately the ancient Cyclopes left guardians within the eye. Two undead Cyclopes move to attack when the walls turn incorporeal!
Everyone may act before the undead!
Hissing at the sudden appearance of the Undead, Ashlei quick draws and throws a dagger at the knee of one slightly closer to Rhialla!
"Get her the F&&# out of there Captain!"
Possible Crit?
Targeted Strike (Ex): At 7th level, as a full-round action the swashbuckler can spend 1 panache point to make an attack with a single light or one-handed piercing melee weapon that cripples part of a foe’s body. The swashbuckler chooses a part of the body to target. If the attack succeeds, in addition to the attack’s normal damage, the target suffers one of the following effects based on the part of the body targeted. If a creature doesn’t have one of the listed body locations, that body part cannot be targeted. Creatures that are immune to sneak attacks are also immune to targeted strikes. Items or abilities that protect a creature from critical hits also protect a creature from targeted strikes.
**Legs: The target is knocked prone. Creatures with four or more legs or that are immune to trip attacks are immune to this effect.
"Of course it is something, it is always something!" Esmarelda said as she ran up to grab Rhialla. "Trade me ya? You really shouldn't be the one so close."
"Don't forget to Grab the Crystal 'Eye' thingy!"
Entering the chamber, Rhialla is immediately aware of a shift in the flow of time, the magic taking hold of her for a mere instant before she shrugs it off.
To her magically augmented sight, the undead cyclopes are a surprise and a horror, her extensive knowledge of the supernatural letting her know exactly how dangerous these monsters are.
"They're Gholdako! Powerful undead cyclopes that spread disease with a bite or claw, and have a breath weapon that will blind you!" she calls out in warning to her companions. "They're resistant to most attacks, cold and fire especially but other forms of energy work"
As Es comes to her side, guiding her behind her, she nods, giving the rogue's hand arm a squeeze before sending forth a wave of Basmara's divine power, to scour the undead.
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He rushed up the stairs. His Rhialla was in trouble and he did not like that one bit. The pike was already in the process of extending when he felt ... heavy. Time seemed to slow to a trickle as he set his foot down on top of hte magically extending boarding pike. He was in the process to set for the charge but things just seemed to move so slow
Seeing the Slow effecting the group Cassiopeia casts Haste on the front four.
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Rhialla channels and the Gholdako resist the energy, interestingly the dreamstone on the pedestal seems to flash as it is hit with positive energy?
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Yellow advances and breathes a noxious cone on Percy, Rhialla & Esmeralda
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Red advances and claws at Percy
The party can now act again
Shaking off the effects of the mummified cyclops' foul breath, Rhialla begins casting a powerful spell, raising the palm of her hand to aim over Esmaralda's head, unleashing a blast of searing light into the creature's face.
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Cass scooches up closer to the team and bisects the room with a wall of force so that the group can burn down one (red) while the other is isolated.
Letting the spell increase her already blinding reflexes, Ashlei just starts trying to wear down the undead on her side of the new Wall of Force...daggers flying in a deadly hail of searing metal.
Full ATTACK(Thrown Daggers w/Haste!)
Possible Crit (Iterative)
Ashlei then curses as she steps right to start circling to the creature's rear. (5ft step) and spreading out from Cassie in case the thing try to cough again.
Esmarelda stumbled back, covering her eyes as she shouted "I CAN'T SEE!"
Ashlei, Rhialla & Percy hammer Red.
Esmarelda stumbles back blinded.
Cassioeia splits the two undead with her spell.
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Yellow presses forward and hammers at the Wall of force in futile rage.
The party can now all act. That Wall of force really changed things. :(
Seeing the red cyclopes fall, Ashlei moves back to grab Esmerelda's hand and lead her towards the others.
"Let's grab this 'Eye' thing and get out of here!"
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As Ashlei guides Es out of the room, Rhialla steps up to grab the eye.
"STOP! Don't forget that undead wizard a@+##~* that drove everybody crazy is haunting that thing! Wrap it in a blanket first!"
Unwilling to risk dealing with possession while blind, Rhialla quickly removes her cloak before wrapping it around the eye as she takes it.
"We should definitely head back and settle in for a bit. I can pray for the magic to heal us all, and then we can decide our next step." Rhialla agrees, leaning into Percy as he carries her.
Though she would admit it to very few, the idea of being blind permanently was terrifying, so voluntarily subjecting herself to the condition, even temporarily, was a lot.
"Yes I agree... as I cannot see anything either." Esmarelda said as she reached out to try and find something to lean on. "... You know now that I think about it this day has been horrible."
"Could have been worse...or was...either way, we're all still here though." Rhialla replies, knowing what must be going through Es' mind. "We can spend the next couple of days forgetting all about it."
"If I were a different kind of person, I might take advantage of this transient blindness to smack some asses. Fortuntely, I am aware of the risk."
Ashlei grabs Esmerelda’s hand again.
”What’s the point of smacking ass, if you can’t watch the bounce?
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The captain shifts Hislover in his arms, tossing her over his shoulder on the left side... eh motioned to Ashlei to bring Es closer and ... awkwardly he lifted her up over the other...
"Not too heavy... but lets go and get out of here...."
He offered taking a deep breath and moving out with a purpose....