Roran growls at the door. "Magic..."
"Probably evil magic. Get ready, I'll open the door."
When every appears ready, Brandor opens it.
"Last time we had to chase the little guy halfway to town."
Trane grabs Uldar and looks at his eyes.
"You ok?"
Trane helps open the door.
"By Deadeye himself!" Roran roars and chops at the door.
Uldar keeps bubling something while his companions try to force open the doors. He is in the floor turned over himself as a cat. A shocking view a halfling suffering in pure fear, it seems at moments he lacks enough air to even breath.
The halfling does not seem in conditions to move at the moment.
"Snap out of it, Uldar. What's gotten into you anyway?"
Trane follows and directs them right where possible.
"Right in then left out."
Suddenly realizing about his environments, the halfling pushes up himself looking how the whole party observes him in silence. Not finding other approach to sooth him than Brandor's comment, Uldar nods at him understanding how hard for dwarfs is to share feelings.
Perhaps still sobbing to his insights, the little halfling helps himself with his bow to stay up. "Nightmare..." is all he ascertains to pronounce as Trane starts looking around for some place to go next.
As Brandor points towards the northwest, Uldar moves on still visibly mourning something not really doing an effort to move silently as the group enters 144.
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The party exits the temple area and turns right at the first hallway. After proceeding about 15 feet, you encounter a divergence of the route. To the right is a stairway leading down (to room 146); To the left is a door (to room 147); and the hallway continues westward for another 50 feet before turning south.
Which direction shall you go?
Trane helps examining and opening the door on the left and exploring the room before moving on.
He points to the stairs and shakes his head.
"Go down AFTER clearing this level."
"Fair 'nuff." Roran helps Trane search.
Under some strange magical depression, Uldar readies his bow as he follows Trane and Roran. He looks to Kalizama trying to see how is she feeling after what happened in the pyramid.
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You open the door to room 147 and see this plain room contains little of interest. A peg shoved between the blocks of stone on the west wall holds a robe of dull black cloth adorned with a pale brown pattern, a pair of triangles one atop the other. In the southeast corner of the room stands an old battered table with two chairs, a stool, and a bench (along its south edge) clustered around it. A cask is on the table, with some earthenware mugs and bits and pieces of food. Three torches burn in wall sconces, and eight fresh ones lie on the floor. An open cupboard in the northeast corner displays old plates, several mugs, lumpy sacks, and a string of small dried sausages. A large water barrel stands near the southwest corner, opposite the door. The lumpy sacks hold hard biscuits.
Your perception, aided by Brandor's stone cunning, discovers the secret door along the west wall of the room...(leads to hallway 151).
After quietly observing all the actions and alarming reactions of the other members of the group, especially Uldar's, I linger behind in the temple room as they move on. I go over to the double doors in the south wall and stand a bit back from them. I study them and cast Arcane Sight to see if I can figure out what is emanating from them to cause such alarming effects, and then I concentrate on the runes to see if I can decipher them.
Spellcraft:
With my newly acquired knowledge, I leave the temple room and rejoin the others. I am especially concerned about Uldar and want to see how he is doing now.
Let's go check out the door at the end of the hall, between rooms 148 and 152.
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Kalizama observes the massive doors in the south wall of the temple room, and she mutters an incantation and makes a brief movement of her fingers...and her eyes emit a blue light, casting the color upon the doors! The blue light is reflected by the silvery runes etched into the doors, and the area is bathed in a glittering blue glow!
She determines that the symbols are glyphs of warding, each created by a spellcaster of tremendous magical power! Each glyph emits the spell of Antipathy, an 8th level spell which causes a compulsion that forces those failing a Will save to abandon the area or item, shunning it and never willingly returning to it while the spell is in effect. A creature that makes a successful saving throw can stay in the area or touch the item but feels uncomfortable doing so. This distracting discomfort reduces the creature's Dexterity score by -4 points.
Kalizama discovers that the blue glow being emitted by her eyes continues to function after her examination of the doors. . As she joins the party you can plainly see that she is casting a blue light out of her eyes that proceeds wherever she looks...
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Let's go check out the door at the end of the hall, between rooms 148 and 152.
The group re-enters the broad hallway on the left side of the temple (144), proceeds south, and then enters a slanting hall that continues westward. Kalizama's glowing eyes emit blue light, illuminating the way...
At the end of the hallway the route branches: an adjoining hall runs north (toward 150), and a doorway blocks the western end (room 152). From behind the doorway to room 152 you here rough, gutteral voices, and someone emits a scream...
Roran just gives another groan of complaining. "Bloody freaking He continues on until he hears the scream, then without even waiting for party input he raises his sword and smashes the door.
Trane casts and he gets very strong (Bull's Strength). If time permits, he also changes into a lion.
While moving along with the rest of the group, I get close to Uldar and look him over to see if I can discern any after effects from his having touched the double bronze doors.
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Roran hears the scream coming from behind the room, and he smashes the door open! Lurid light from a flaming cresset and a glowing brazier full of charcoal reveals a chamber containing a rack, iron maiden, cage, and all the other unspeakable devices common to a torture chamber. Two adjacent 10' square alcoves, one to the south and one east, are barred, their doors held fast by chain and padlock. Two prisoners are in each, obviously here to await the tender mercies of the torturers. Two female humans are in the south alcove, and two orcs in the east.
A human in chain mail and his bugbear assistant are here busily engaged in torturing a human on a rack, and are caught by surprise when the door comes smashing in!
In the midst of the flying wood, Roran follows through and charges into the room, bringing his greatsword in a vicious uppercut against the bugbear!
Initiative:
Uldar moves to H1 where he can spot clearly the vitals of the bugbear and then fires an arrow at the creature.
Trane moves up (to C4) and readies his scimitar for the approach of the last torturer.
"Come on."
Chaandra moves next to Trane on his left facing the thug.
She readies a bite.
Brandor casts Prayer.
When Garm acts he will again Inspire COurage in his allies with stirring tales of old.
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Uldar shoots an arrow at the human torcherer (the bugbear was killed by Roran), and the shaft strikes true, causing a critical hit for 21 damage! The human cries out in agony!
Trane moves forward and readies an attack...(I placed you at C-5, as C-4 is occupied by the rack)...and Chaandra leaps into battle and manages to inflict a bite on the torturer for additional damage!
Brandor invokes the strength of his deity, and offers a prayer...(one of my favorite cleric spells).
Garm begins a rousing speech designed to instill courage in his comrades...
The prisoners in the two cells begin to cheer you on!
Roran roars and follows through, moving over to chop at the torturer! "You evil bastard!"
As he sees his arrows striking the halfling seems to forget about his previous mourning and starts yelling at the torturer "Yes! Evil bastard! Surrender now or you will explode in flames!" looking at the prisoners, the little one cheers them up "The time of the evilness has come to an end!" and back to the torturer "What do you want those free men and women for?"
I hurl Magic Missile at the human torturer.
Damage:
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The man on the rack moans in pain...Help me up, thank the gods you arrived!
Two women prisoners are in the south cell, and they plead to be released. Please kind sirs, help us escape this evil place!
Two orcs are in the east cell, and they likewise plead to be released. Me Grundar, him Orak! You fights good! We hates this place! Gives us weapons, we join you and fight!
Uldar levers his bow over his head in a sign of victory "Good shot Kalizama! You have the hawks eye!"
The halfling then approaches the prisoners and observes them while interrogating trying to guess if they are to rely on "So you guys, it seems you got rid of your torturer. What are your names? Why are you imprisoned?"
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Two women: We were captured by these evil creatures, and brought here to ... feed them! Please, we are just simple folk from Nulb. Show us how to escape this place so we can return to our families!
Man: I am a Nulb town guard. I was on patrol and was ambushed by a group from this temple. They have been torturing me to gain information about how the guard operates in the area...
Orcs: Bah! We was told to join this place...promised gold and glory! They abuse us and we just fodder to them! We resist, and put here to be tortured and killed. We hates this place! We knows how to get to lower level. Let us fight with you! Gives us armor and weapons, and we help you!
"Do not worry women. We will make sure you do it safely to Nulb." he turns to the rest of the party and adds "I trust all of them. I say, let's help them"
The halfling points towards Brandor and tells the man in the rack while helping to free him "We have a good doctor among us. I am sure he will tend to your wounds"
Finally looking at the orcs, not fully convinced he asks "How do we know you are not going against us the moment we free you? But that thing about the lower levels sounds interesting. Keep talking"