"I can't believe I wasted my great 'guy who wants to bake' character when he already knew who we were," Teodor mutters.
Korriban sneaks to the door to the south.
"The Lord has a plan for you, dear sir. I'll see you again." Teodor giggles at the high and mighty stack of meat and blood.
Lantressa was a bit disappointed about Lord Arkona's lack of reaction to her kiss but she didn't let it show. She had no further questions about the Labyrinth she let the others ask any that came to mind. She had stepped back when Glorio rose but stayed near him, keeping an acceptable social distance and waited until the questions were finished.
When the others were finished with their immediate questions Lantressa asked before they left the room, "About the other business I spoke of M'lord." She smiled at him as enticingly as she could, "Would the proposal be interesting enough to you to pursue," she paused a second, "Assuming we come back alive?"
"She actually is sincere about that proposition, for whatever it's worth, Lord Arkona." If Lantressa wants to profit off servicing those snakes, more power to her. But I'd rather see this house burn or sink if I could.
"As to other questions--this fiend, that your," Callie coughs, "Ancestors bound there... I don't suppose you have a means of checking on or securing that binding, do you? For your own safety. I'd assume a clever enough soul in the labyrinth might otherwise try to free her, and she'd likely not be kind to the descendants of her captors. That might well help us evade her in the worst case scenario."
Glorio Arkona hadn't called him out yet, so Matoska focused on acting doglike (following protectively at Lantressa's heels) and hopes his presence could be give his new allies an edge.
Korriban decides to check the room immediately to his right.
Arkona smiles at Arkona and (if she permits him) brushes a hand gently across her cheek. "I must admit, I've tasted plenty of pleasures at the House of Clouds...but never so unique a professional as you. I'd certainly be interested in speaking further, my dear."
To Callie, he adds: "The darksphinx was bound a couple of centuries ago, and I have some appreciable magical talent. I would certainly know whether there was a way for her to get free--and I can think of none."
If none of you offer any more questions, he gives Teodor an odd look, but then opens the door. "Korriban! Korriban Balros! It's time for you to rejoin your friends!" he calls in a loud voice, echoing through the foyer. Then he glances wryly back at Lantressa and Callie. "Perhaps it would be best if you were to call him yourselves - it might set him at ease. I wouldn't want him to run afoul of any of my more paranoid servants."
------------------------------
Korriban proceeds through the door to his right . Glass cases line this hallway's north and south walls. The northern case displays exotic weapons, many of which resemble swords, spears, and starknives, hanging on the wall around a suit of bright blue leather and ivory armor. The southern case displays a gruesome tableau of a stuffed tiger feeding on an extremely realistic sculpture of a dead Vudrani man.
You also notice that the exposed heart in the sculpture of the Vudrani man is a particularly large bloodstone, probably worth hundreds of gold pieces (though the armor and sword are probably far more valuable, particularly if they're magical).
Both display cases are locked, though you don't see any traps or alarms. As you're considering the next door, you realize two things: first, your invisibility is likely to run out in the next few minutes; secondly, you think you can distantly hear someone calling your name?
Callie mutters through her message spell, while pretending to cough, that it's alright if Korriban returns.
Glorio does not seem to notice Callie casting her spell - though Korriban receives the message!
Korriban looks at the valuable items in interest when he hears someone calling his name. He panics a bit before hearing Callie's message. He eases a bit before replying, "Are you sure? What about Glorio? What's going on?"
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"Get IN here, Korriban!" Callie shouts this time. She couldn't stand there whispering a play by play of what had occurred. Best to just get all of this over with.
Korriban blinks at Callie’s shout. ”Okay! Okay! I’m coming! Jeez!” He walks back to the waiting room. Seeing Glorio, Korriban keeps a neutral face. ”Hello, Glorio.” Turnong to the others, he says, ”So what’s the situation?”
Ears perked forward, Matoska remains alert for danger, hovering near Lantressa and trying not to be jealous of Korriban's exploration, however brief.
"They had us made from the start. Now we're going to a maze. Hee... going to amaze in a maze!"
Korriban blinks. "A maze? Wait, are we going into the Labyrinth? Is that the only way to get to our friends?"
Before Glorio leads the group to the Labyrinth, Korriban turns to him. "Wait a minute, Glorio. I have a few questions for you. If you don't mind answering them?"
Callie gives him the summary of what happened.
Korriban nods in thanks at Callie's explaination.
Glorio chuckles when Korriban emerges. “I’m glad to see you again, young man. And even more glad that you haven’t run afoul of my staff!” He listens to Callie’s summary, nodding approvingly as she speaks. “Your friend here’s got the size of it. Of course I’m happy to answer any further questions...if I may, though, o suggest we head toward the entrance to the Labyrinth?” Turning, he prepares to lead you all to the greenhouse, clearly expecting you to follow and talk as you go.
On the way, Korriban says, "Well, Glorio, it's not about the Labyrinth. It's about a different matter entirely. You remember that dagger I gave to Bavarsi? The one that disappeared and made him p****d off at me? Well, I had found it a couple of weeks ago from a man. After I gave it away, I began to find it all over the place. No matter where I was or what I did with it, it would always show up. Eventually, I took it to the Church of Pharasma to be examined and destroyed. It turns out that it was a snake demon called a Raktavarna. I've been told that they operate as spies. Now I tell you this because, when I questioned the gentleman who I got it from, he said that he got it from an Arkona. So I am curious: Would you know anything about it or who would have been using it to keep an eye on me?"
Glorio chuckles as he pushes the doors to the conservatory open. “It’s always a convoluted story with you, eh, Korriban? I’m guessing that, given that you say you got it from a man, the Arkona in question would have to be my sister Meliya. We’re the only ones in town, after all...but I don’t pry into my sister’s, shall we say, extracurricular dalliances.” He winks at you. “That said, the fact that it is some kind of snake demon is alarming. I’m sure Meliya doesn’t truck with such foul beings, but perhaps she was given the knife herself by someone else...I’ll inquire. Then again, I know my sister’s taste in lovers runs toward the...less refined. So while I’ll inquire, I have to ask: do you trust your source? How much? How well do you know him?” He shakes his head gravely and ushers you into the lush greenhouse, dominated by the massive elephant statue at its center.
“Don’t forget to say the passcode first—it gets quite messy otherwise. I must go about my own business, but if you need anything, approach my staff. I’ll give them your names and descriptions. Best of luck, and be safe.” Assuming that none of you stop him, he gives you all a deep bow and exits, leaving the door ajar behind him.
Lantressa was pleased with the way things were turning out, mostly, and was almost sorry to see Glorio leave. As he slipped out the doors she blew him a kiss and said, "Later handsome."
Tturning to the others Lantressa arched one eyebrow and said, "Are we ready?"
Lantressa cast a spell to provide herself more protection against whatever they ran into down there and said, "because I am ready."
There is so much Callie wants to say and do. She wants to fight or at least argue with the smarmy bastard glibly leading them to their possible deaths. At the same time, she doesn't doubt the people they need to find are indeed in the Labyrinth, and possibly in need of rescue. No matter what, they have to go in there to look for them. She sets her jaw. Once the people they needed to find were safe, she could worry about the Arkonas. If they were lucky, maybe they'd find some secrets in the labyrinth that'd be key to wrecking the palace, if not the family themselves.
Following suit after Lantressa, Callie casts heroism on herself. She says to the others, "I'll cast other wards on you as the need arises."
She is then ready to go.
Korriban frowns as Glorio leaves. When he's sure the man is gone, he says, "The guy seems like he's telling the truth. But, I don't know. Maybe it's paranoia from dealing with the dagger all this time. Maybe it's because every time we're fighting bad guys, there's some sort of connections to the Arkonas. But part of me doesn't full trust him. We may need to look into the Arkonas more after this." He removes his blonde wig and draws his rapier. "Ready to go."
"Of course we don't trust him! He's royal AND he has AN EVIL MAZE. Why WOULD anyone trust him?"
Matoska makes a low ruff sound in agreement with Teodor and looks at Korriban askance.
Korriban sighs. "Fine, fine. You got a point there, guys. We'll take care of him after we do this."
Since you know where to look, it doesn't take too long to find the hidden pressure plate on the plinth of the elephant statue that Glorio told you about. Carefully following his instructions, you first utter the passphrase, "Chamidu is blind" before depressing it. When you do so, there's a loud grinding sound, and the elephant statue slowly rotates 180 degrees. As it turns, it reveals a semicircular opening that allows you access to a flight of stone spiral stairs...descending into darkness.
You descend the stairs carefully, though as you pass Korriban notes a second pressure plate on the inside wall of the spiral staircase; presumably allowing you to open the hidden trap door from this side. After about five minutes' descent, by which time you know you must be within the rock of the island itself, you emerge from the staircase into an unexpected vista.
The air in this vast grotto is cool. An iron-framed flight of spiral stairs winds up through a hole in the ceiling in the northwest section of the room from the top of a semicircular ledge. The ledge winds down along the cavern’s inner wall to a series of rope bridges that descend even lower from ledge to ledge. The upper ledge is breathtaking and strangely beautiful--a tableau of all manner of odd-colored fungi, lichens, and molds. The fungi have been cultivated, shaped into symmetrical patterns normally not seen in nature, transforming the ledge into a sort of underground fungal garden. Here and there, flickering torches burn in sconces above the fungi, while from somewhere in the darkness below comes the soft splash of water against an unseen shore.
(+2 vs. traps)
Sniffing at the air, Matoska lays his ears back and gazes about the room suspiciously with his yellow eyes.
Callie casts light on her buckler.
She wonders if the odd patterns in which the flora grows has any arcane significance.
Korriban looks around, keeping an eye for anything that may cause some shenanigans.
As you move slowly forward into the fungal garden, Callie looks around--but as far as she can tell, the garden has no arcane significance (besides a few scattered mushrooms being useful in particular potions). You keep well back from the edge of the ledge you're walking on--it looks like it's about 100' down to the water below. Here's a map for reference!
Not far in, though, Matoska's hackles rise.
Hackles raised and ears back, Matoska growls and points like a hunting hound in the direction of the rotten scent. Glancing at the others, the wolf paws sharply at the ground, twice.
Callie can't see anything, but obviously Matoska is smelling something. She's not sure this will help, but just in case casts see invisibility.
Lantressa was uneasy as they entered the labyrinth. The place was unpleasant, damp and smelling of fungus, and oddly pretty. The way the lichen and fungi were sculpted was obviously not natural but it seemed someone or something tried to make it look nicer. It meant the place might not be totally bad. Still Tressa kept an eye out for trouble as she didn't trust the place at all.
Callie casts her spell when Matoska growls, and as it happens it is extremely useful: as her vision shifts, she spots four spectral forms lurking among the fungus! They seem to be some sort of skeletons covered in fungal growths, clad in armor and carrying shields and scimitars, but they're too tall and slender to be human skeletons--they're almost seven feet tall. Two lurk on each side of the narrow ramp that winds its way around the cavern, clearly hoping to trap you between them.
As Callie finishes her spell, the skeletal beings raise their swords in fury and, still invisible, begin to move toward your group!
Callie shouts her warning as she completes her spell and takes in the four ghastly figures--this gives some of her party time to act!
Initiative
Korriban, Lantressa, Matoska<-----
Garden Guardians
Callie, Teodor
Heeding Callie's warning, Matoska takes a deep breath and centers himself, the crouches down--ready to spring into action once the foes are revealed.
AC22 after charging.
Korriban hears Callie's warning. Not seeing anything, Korriban settles into a defensive stance.
Matoska readies himself to charge, and Korriban prepares for an attack - while Lantressa goes on the defensive. With a smirk and a whispered word, thanks to Callie's direction, she waves her hand and summons a cloud of golden particles in the corner of the chamber directly opposite them. As the particles coat the fungus, they also cover the hulking, armored skeletons that Callie sees there, making them at least crudely visible to everyone.
Matoska charges forward, lunging at the closest of the undead foes. He strikes the creature twice, snapping bones and sending fungus flying . As he lands back on his feet, though, the creatures drag themselves toward him and open their mouths, exhaling a stream of noxious spores that hover in the air! Matoska coughs, but otherwise feels all right - though he gets the impression he doesn't want to hang out here too long. Across the cavern, the other skeletons are slowly, still invisibly, proceeding up the ramp.
Initiative
Korriban, Lantressa, Matoska (rd. 2 actions)
Garden Guardians
Callie, Teodor<-----
Guardians: HP: Red 61, others 80 | AC/T/FF: 23/12/21 | F +9 R +7 W +5 | CMD: 26 | resist fire 10 | Yellow BLIND until rd. 10
Callie casts expeditious retreat on herself, then moves up just shy of where the spores fall and leaps over to the bridge.
She will keep reporting the positions of the still-invisible creatures if they move.
Lantressa saw the approaching undead and knew they needed to be slowed down somehow. Fortunately she had just the spell for that. She moved closer then chanted and gestured while one hand dipped to her pouch of components and pulled out a tiny shovel before releasing her spell not on the undead but the ground beneath them.
As Lantressa's pit opens up Matoska leaps up to slam into the chest of the skeleton nearest it, hoping the knock the creature in. Pushing on its rips to land on his feet he tries to latch onto the leg of the other monster and yank its feet out from under it.