"Hmmm... Better an empty room than one with a guillotine?"
He looks up to guarantee there's no guillotine this time, and then steps in, searching the room carefully afterwards.
Lorenzo had his mace and shield ready, on the lookout for trouble.
A thorough search of the room turns up nothing of interest.
The next door opened reveals a 15x15 room with a door in the north and an archway leading to a hall on the east wall. Just to the north of the archway is a humanoid-shaped statue with the vague impression of a face.
When Alec steps into the room, a voice comes from the statue. "Ask, and be answered."
How can we re-enter Haven? Lorenzo ventured.
"You cannot."
Random encounter check (25%):
Next random encounter check: = 11:15 AM
Statue:
Lorenzo spoke quieter, to his comrades.
Perhaps we can ask more questions. I am inclined to think that only when we have reclaimed some of our former power; we will be able to re-enter Haven. We could ask. I do not wish to use another question without your input though; I have no right to use twice, what might be a limited resource to us all.
"Is there any limit to questions?"
"Is there any way at all for us to return to Haven?"
"What are we trying to find in here?"
"Yes."
Statue:
Robert considered for a moment, before speaking quietly amongst his fellows. We don't even know if this thing is speaking the truth. For all we know, it could be lying, or simply unknowledgeable on matters of Haven."
He didn't like this, not one bit. He wished for Haven. For that strange familiarity, like being safe and sound at home. If the statue was to be believed, they would never get there again. "Perhaps I'm being too paranoid. Yesterday almost ended us, and if we truly cannot return to Haven, then that could very well have been the end for us. I can't think of anything to ask at the moment, someone else ask a question."
"We could ask where Haven is. Or find a safe place to rest and recover for a day or two."
Alec detects evil on the statue, knowing it could be a trap. Again.
"I also have no important question to ask, so we might leave it for later. I would ask how do we leave this place, thus returning to Haven, but I bet the statue would say something like 'dying', so I'll pass and keep my hopes up." He thinks for a bit over what the statue represents.
"Whatever game we're playing, it won't hurt if we believe in some things. One of those is that beyond the door that lead us here was the means to recover the power we once had. Even if it's a lie, we will want to keep living, so we have to find a way to get out of here. I'm ready to move on and come back later if we need some specific knowledge."
"Hey Robert, can I take a look at that book we found yesterday?"
If the wizard agrees he will take a quick look over its pages for signs of magic in it.
The archway turns into a hall leading to the north, with a door into the room just to the north of the one you were just in. This ceiling of this room is 20 feet high, and an iron chandelier hangs from it in the center of the room. Otherwise, the room is empty.
Next random encounter: 11:15 AM
Alec moves in, slowly at first, and being careful not to go under the out-of-place decoration. "Careful with that. It may be a trap."
Robert had handed over the Asmodean text with no debate. "It's a simple text of Asmodean worship. I went over the thing yesterday after we encountered that statue. I found nothing of interest, but perhaps your eyes will find something I had not."
Assuming nothing happened as soon as Alec entered the room, Robert will also walk in and begin examining the room. He will stay away from being directly under the chandelier for fear of it being a trap.
That chandelier looks like it could hurt if it fell on someone... Lorenzo mused, focusing his eyes on the mechanism that held it up.
Likewise, Nareth avoids standing underneath the hanging object.
The party searches the room after guaranteeing the chandelier will not fall, then open the unknown door heading east.
Searching the room reveals no traps - the chandelier is fastened to the ceiling by a length of chain. Nareth's customary detect magic sweep, however, does reveal a magical aura at where the chain meets the stone ceiling.
Next random encounter: 11:15 AM
Magical aura is a stubborn nail used to hold the chandelier in place.
Nareth frowns up at the chandelier. "It's got some magic on it, but I can't tell what. Best avoid it and move on."
"Ok. To the door then!"
The door leads to a hall with many exits, including a staircase that leads down.
"Well, I consider the staircase more dangerous than the doors, since there may be something on the lower level and no door between us and it, so I would vote for it. Although we could follow the left door rule and go to the northern door."
Agreed. I don't want to descend until we have to. Lead on through the northern door fine Dwarf.
"I mean the opposite Lorenzo. If it is left the way it is now we could have trouble. So I would deal with it first."
I would not leave an unopened door behind us... Weigh in please Robert, Nareth?
Robert mused over the issue for a moment before speaking. "It stands to reason that whatever lies below may be far worse than anything we have yet encountered. In such a case, I fear we are not yet prepared for what we may find. Therefore I would vote to forestall our descent. The northern door seems like an adequate alternative."
"I agree with Robert. Especially in our condition."
Alec, you'll have full rights to say "I told you so" if thins go wrong. But only if thy go wrong and we make it out alive. Lorenzo promised with a grin as, mace and shield at the ready, he led the group through the door.
Combat Round 1
Creature - 13/13 hp - AC 17 T 10 FF 17 CMD 13 Fort +4 Ref -1 Will +3
The door opens into an empty room. As you begin searching it, however, a mound of the stone floor forms into a vaguely humanoid creature and strikes at Robert. The creature grazes the wizard, doing no damage.
Earth elementals are especially effective in combat against creatures touching the ground.
Next random encounter: 11:15 AM
This encounter: 400 XP
hp:
Attacks (1=Lorenzo, 2=Alec, 3=Robert, 4=Nareth):
Alec:
Lorenzo:
Nareth:
Robert:
Lorenzo bashed the humanoid creature with his mace, but although the blow was accurate there was not much strength behind it.
"I gain nothing for being right or wrong, Lorenzo." It seems he doesn't get the joke very well. "These are all the same, but in my point of view, a staircase is still considered a hallway, and I consider a hallway worth of a complete search before any closed room." He lifts his shoulder. "But I bet the result will not be much different, so whatever."
"Holy..."
Alec moves closer to the whatever-that-is while drawing a longsword and finishes his movement swinging it at the thing, apparently finishing it up after Lorenzo's strike!
Nareth's heart jumps at the sudden appearance of an enemy. He swings but the attack is hastily done and misses badly.
Robert stands stock still as soon as he notices the monster. It's swing just misses his faces by mere centimeters. His eyes wide, he clutches his quarterstaff all the more tighter. Before he can truly react however, his allies rush in. After being pummeled into death, Robert takes a step back, eyeing it warily. "I believe it's dead now. Many thanks, my friends."
Giving the now lifeless thing a thorough examination, he attempts to deduce it's identity.
Robert explains, "It's a good thing the fight was as short as it was. This is an earth elemental. It's quite adept at fighting multiple opponents, and thus cannot be outflanked. It also has no vital organs, and so cannot be struck with a precise blow. It may have been summoned here, so be on the lookout. In any case, we may as well move on. I suggest that door," indicating the door on the left wall.
"I've stopped trying to understand the weirdness of this place. Thankfully no one was hurt, so let's proceed."
He moves to the door indicated by the nekomancer.
A long, twisting hallway leads back to a familiar room. The floor is still covered in pebbles.
Next random encounter: 11:15 AM
Well struck, Alec. Have we missed any doors on this level?
"Thanks. This Longsword is a real nice piece. I believe we left some doors unopened, yes. One is really close, let's take a look? Careful with the pebbles."
Nothing happens as the party moves through the pebble-strewn room. The next door leads to a room with three more doors, although one of them is unusual. While the previous doors in this place have all been made of sturdy wood, the second door on the north wall looks like a solid block of steel. No hinges are visible where the door meets the wall, and you see no obvious way to open it.
Next random encounter: 11:15 AM
Random:
"Hmmm." Alec moves into the room, but focus his gaze on the metal door. "What the heck is this now?"
Nareth scans it with detect magic but doesn't pick anything up. Then he narrows his eyes, kneeling to the ground to peer through a small hole in the steel door. "There's some music on the other side."
Alec puts his hands together to provide a step for Nareth to see it.
Nareth puts down his weapons, then climbs up on Alec's hand and peers through.
Worried that the music might be a lure, Lorenzo expected the door carefully for traps.
Robert's attention is immediately captured by the strange door in the north wall.
He did indeed hear the faint music from the other side. He desperately wracked his brain, trying to remember if there had been this same kind of faint music back in Haven. Perhaps they had found the doorway back?
"Hmm, no handle or any other clear indicator of how to open it. Has anyone tried to see if this door is magical? Perhaps there is a passphrase?"