"Hey guys, I think it's safe. Dervick, cover me; I'm going to take a look."
Bringor steps into the room and looks around.
Fenn pauses to acknowledge Brin, "Good job Brin...! Find tha' bottle o' dwarven boze...!"
Turning back to the rift Fenn mutters,
Fenn move cautiously toward the revealed secret door drawing his shortsword... wielding both long and short eyeing the vines warily.
He listens at the door first... then tries to push it open with the tip of his longsword.. trying to figure out what that bright light is comming from...
Stepping just inside to room to cover Bringor with his bow, Dervick spies the body of the goblin and chuckles.
"I guess some just can't hold their drink."
"Yep. It looks like they passed out a little too much."
"Careful Fenn," Zabela says softly, a hand on his back, "there's powerful magic coming from there."
Fenn tenses slightly at the gentle feminine touch at his back... his elven ears coloring slightly, "Uhm.. ok, t-thanks for the warning.. Za-bela.."
This close and her touching him he can feel the warmth of her nearby and the scent of the elven woman bringing his senses to full awareness... somewhat distracting to the young half-elf...
He strains to focus his attention on the glowing coming from behind the concealed door and not the elven woman so close... getting ready to interpose between Zabela and any threat that might present itself as he opens the door...
"Hey, Dervick, look at this!" Bringor points at the strange masonry. "D'you think we should try to figure this out, or check with Fenn first?"
Fenn looks around the laboratory...
"Wha, tha HELL is going on in heah?!?!"
Fenn sheaths his shortsword, keeping his longsword in hand and moves forward cautiously avoiding the vines on the floor.
"Za-Bel', don't step on any o' tha vines..."
Fenn makes his way leading Zabela to the work benches where the stacks of books are... but keeps a cautious eye on the brightly colored bird.
"Za-bela, can you figure out from these hereh books who was experementing here and what they was doing? I don' need ta be mo wizard ta know tha' broken mirrior ain't natural and is powerful magic! Is tha' bird someone's familiar ya think?"
"Let's take a look. I'll cover you, if you want to check the wall." Dervick stands back and to one side of Bringor, bow trained on the odd spot in the wall.
From here I'm not sure that I can tell how long this particular goblin has been down here, you young ones can go a bit ahead while I get a better look. Dont go out of earshot...!
Take 10 on heal if allowed for 17 to inspect the goblin's body for cause/time of death
Zabela attempts to identify the vines, the bird, and the manner of magic being used for the mirror portal before perusing the books for their information.
Bringor begins investigating the strange masonry.
Bringor pushes the strange masonry.
Bringor grabs the bottle, and shows it to Dervick. "I think this is what we were in here for originally, or at least it's related somehow. Let's take it to Fenn." With that, Bringor heads towards the room where Fenn and Zabela are.
Fenn lets Zabela ponder the manuscripts.
"Just tell me what needs to be collected..."
Fenn leans his longsword against one of the benches, pulls his rope and grapple and tries to grapple the the piece of masonry resting int he center of the shattered mirror portal trying to move it so.. the mirror might be perhaps moved back into one piece.
He does not move from his position next to Zabella... and his longsword is easily in reach.
"We need to collect these potions, they may come in handy. And I've got myself a new spellbook!" She holds it up proudly. She removes her book from her pack and holds them both looking at them both longingly for a moment. She places the new book in her pack, and gingerly places her first one in the place of the new one.
She pauses a moment before analyzing the potions available.
"Uhm... begging yur pardon Za-bela.. but I'm kinda interested in learning magic as well... you might not want to be leaving your spellbook here for just practical reasons... it leaves an identity o' who was here last!"
Fenn looks around and nods, "As far as I'm concerned..we're not leaving anything here.. we're taking it all.. laboratory included! It make take us a day or two to fashion a large enough wagon from all the wood-work left available to us here in the house and surrounding woods.. but if we want ta be successful adventures.. I'm not planning on abandoning any resource we find... its all treasure! This here lab looks real delicate like and expensive.. tha's money just waiting ta be packed up and sold as far as I'm concerned!"
"Right," Zabela answers Fenn. She then hands over her book to him, "You should have this, it'll at least give you a good starting point in your studies."
Fenns eyes widen at the honor she just bestowed upon him, "Uh.. wow.. Miss Bela'.. thanks! Ah.. can read elvish a bit... but Ah'm a little rusty~ I might need some pointers an all."
Fenn begins collecting the bottles or potions Zabela indicated should be collected...
"Er.. can you determine with you magical senses and spell-lore if tha' mirror can be repaired or tha' portal be moved? Ah'd hate ta' leave such a seeming hazard behind un-resolved like. Plus, them plants on tha' otherside don' belong here .. stuff not part o' this area could come through and cause trouble for the animals and plants already here.. we should stop that... if'n we can!"
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
"In order for anything to be done with the mirror, it must first be repaired." She looks directly at the large rock in the middle, "Didn't I see someone try to move this earlier?"
I don't mean to call anyone's magicking capabilities into question but perhaps isn't this the kind of thing the local wizards guild or constable should be notified about? Perhaps someone back in town has a better idea what this guy was up to here. Even if they can't offer guidance they have a right to know what was happening in their own back yard, so to speak.
Fenn pauses in his efforts to move the rock int he center of the shattered mirror to answer Jeseare, "Well I had every intention of handing it over to the in New Wesel... hopefully for a significant... 'finder's fee', as it were; but we gotta figure out how ta move it first."
Zabela claps excitedly when the rock falls hard off the pedestal and the shards of the mirror are all exposed. "This is the spell combo that won me the Adept Competition at the Academy!" Zabela proceeds to use both hands and a great deal of concentration to use Mage Hand and Mending to attempt to fuse the pieces of the mirror two shards at a time.
Fenn nods, "Piece together what you can, ."
Turning to Bringor and Dervik, ", ... go upstairs to check on our prisoners... we've been away from them long enough. Ah don't perceive anymore obvious threats down heah. Now we need ta' secure them for tha' time we'll need to prepare a wagon ta' leave. Ah and tha' good father ... will stay and help . Walk tha' perimeter and see if'n there are any new goblin forces gathering as well. I'll be up in 'bout 10 minute ta' help as well! Remembah.. those prisoners mean bounty gold.. so we want them alive!"
"Ugh! That's frustrating," Bela says with a slight hint of what someone who's never been angry might call anger, she looks up from her work to address Fenn, "It's not all here, some of it must've been destroyed. What do you want to do?"
"Ugh! That's frustrating," Bela says with a slight hint of what someone who's never been angry might call anger, she looks up from her work to address Fenn, "It's not all here, some of it must've been destroyed. What do you want to do?"
Fenn nods, "Just piece together what you can , it will be easier to transport a single artifact, especially since we don't know how to close the portal... but it CAN'T be left here... its a hazard of unknown danger. Just be careful... Bela'!"
Turning to Jeseare, "Father , let's go have a look at that Wine cellar and see what alls salvageable... maybe there is some booze left that can be packed up and carted away. At least the wood can be useful in building our wagon to transport all our loot. Let's find out what we got to work with!"
Fenn leaves the laboratory to Zabela, and goes to have a closer look at the wineceller.
Zabela brings a piece of the mirror into the wine cellar, " Here's something odd...When I pick up the mirror, it's no longer a portal; if we're worried about it being dangerous, perhaps we should simply move it elsewhere? Maybe it's the room that's magic, and the mirror's just the conduit."
Fenn ponders the held mirror in the elven woman's hands...
"Why don't you detect for magic on it now? Ah'm betting... if you set it down again.. tha' portal will reappear.. it just goes dormant when its not anchored to the ground or in motion... "
Bringor goes up to check on the prisoners.
Catalogue the wine cellar? Well, I suppose I could be convinced.
Rummages around for some scrap paper to write on, right before he leaves turns around and comes back to lean in and say to Zabela
Should I happen to fine something nice enough for us, but not nice enough to be worth taking back... you want to share? Sometimes it helps me think.
Then takes 20 to thoroughly investigate the storage room for a Perception 24 paying special attention to fancy looking bottles, older dated bottles, and unopened bottles.
Fenn chuckled as he slapped Jeseare in good jest upon the shoulder, "No, no you big lush..! We're just going ta' see if'n anything is o' value tha' can be taken back as loot.. and if not how suitable tha' wooden structures in there will be fur making portions of our make-shift wagon.. as such!"
Zabela's eyebrows rise at Fenn, "Well look at you! You really have been studying your wizardry! Let's see..." She casts Detect Magic before and after putting the mirror shard on the ground.
Zabela blushes at Jeseare's proposal, "Oh I'm afraid it has the opposite effect for me, but thank you all the same!"
Dervick follows Bringor up the stairs, an arrow still nocked to his bow.
When Bringor sees the pile of rope, he says to Bosk, "We've got to hurry back down to Fenn and the others. We may have company soon."