As the trio drags a thrashing Ro An Hap all the way across the room from the west to the southeast, the portal on his chest expands until it fills most of his entire body. Once pressed against the wall, you can see a chamber beyond through the guardian's body. There is no question: Gandel is correct, Ro An Hap is some form of living (or perhaps unliving) portal.
The room beyond appears to be small and empty. Once again, vertical hieroglyphs line the walls. At the northeast end of this apparent antechamber is an exit, leading northeast in a tight 5-foot wide corridor.
"Shall I summon forth an ally of the Firelord to inbestigate?"
"Yes, please!" Gandel replies, studying the portal in Ro Ap Han's chest with barely restrained curiosity.
"Oh no ya don't, lad! I'll be for goin' through! We can be sendin' the rock monsters and yer fire monsters through there all day; that's not gonna learn us anythin'. I'm goin'. Hold still, doorman! Hold him still!" Once they are able to keep him somewhat steady, Breach will attempt to "walk" through.
Breach waives off Halstadt, and leaps through Ro Ap Han's glowing body into the strange space beyond.
And_is_never_seen_again.
At least until my next post, it would seem. For the Dune Squad can now see an image of Breach walking around an ancient stone chamber that is visible only through the hole in Ro An Hap's chest.
The dwarf seems to be peering at the various hieroglyphs that line the walls in their organized columns, but you suspect he is unable to decipher them. Just as is the case in grand chamber the rest of the Dune Squad is in now, it is very unclear where the illumination in Breach's room is coming from.
As Gandel's elemental reported, this new chamber is not terribly large in size. It would probably not host too many more persons than the full membership of the Dune Squad.
Ro An Hap does appear pleased that his body is being forcibly used as a conduit. If Karek or Hurgah let up for a second, they fully expect Ro will roll away from the wall.
The "hole" that Breach leaped through is still there on the wall he passed through (the other side of it anyway, now behind him to the south). It appears that he can return at anytime. Unless there's some kind of trickery, this was not a one way trip. Though he has no idea what happens when Ro An Hap moves away from the wall again.
This room Breach is in looks to be pretty darn empty.
Gandel moves to stand in front of the glowing portal and watches with fascination as Breach moves about in the small chamber beyond.
the halfling scholar shouts at the top of his lungs, curious as to whether sound can pass through the magical portal as easily as flesh.
Breach is noticed looking around the room before being seen staring back toward the others. Making his way back through Ro An Hap, "Okay. That room was completely empty. But I've got a greater concern... what if the doorman were ta move?" he looks around at all the others, letting the idea sink in before continuing. "Would I 'ave been stuck? If we be needin' this doorman ta get in and out, how are we all gonna be able ta use 'im? Somehow, someway, we're gonna 'ave ta get 'im to cooperate. Otherwise... well... I guess 'tis not necessary ta spell it out for ya."
Gandel moves to stand in front of the glowing portal and watches with fascination as Breach moves about in the small chamber beyond.
the halfling scholar shouts at the top of his lungs, curious as to whether sound can pass through the magical portal as easily as flesh.
-
He hears Gandel just fine and quickly returns.
"Oh and Trapspringer, I could hear ya just fine. Ya know, I may be old but I'm not deaf," he tells him, grinning wryly.
"Breach makes a good point for certain, I think we should send allies through the portal in the morning and determine into which portal we need to go. This may require us to split our forces again which is not a comforting thought. We can determine how to split ourselves then but I think at least Gandel, one of the warriors and either Donkor or myself should go through. The others should stay back to handle the Guardian and any other foe that may come after us. Any chance we can all go through and use your portal to the elemental planes to escape again Donkor?"
Xerissa returns from guarding the hall to watch the spectacle. "Well thanks to Krenshar, we do have a couple of burrow potions right? How thick is the stone between the two chambers? We could tunnel back through in a pinch to get back, right?"
"Breach makes a good point for certain, I think we should send allies through the portal in the morning and determine into which portal we need to go. This may require us to split our forces again which is not a comforting thought. We can determine how to split ourselves then but I think at least Gandel, one of the warriors and either Donkor or myself should go through. The others should stay back to handle the Guardian and any other foe that may come after us. Any chance we can all go through and use your portal to the elemental planes to escape again Donkor?"
"That sounds pretty cool too. When did you go through the elemental planes?"
"Breach makes a good point for certain, I think we should send allies through the portal in the morning and determine into which portal we need to go. . . "
-
Does this mean we're back to sleep?If so, I'd love some detailed instructions as to how that's going to go.
"Breach makes a good point for certain, I think we should send allies through the portal in the morning and determine into which portal we need to go. This may require us to split our forces again which is not a comforting thought. We can determine how to split ourselves then but I think at least Gandel, one of the warriors and either Donkor or myself should go through. The others should stay back to handle the Guardian and any other foe that may come after us. Any chance we can all go through and use your portal to the elemental planes to escape again Donkor?"
The Pate gets up from the throne and approaches the "portal" with a mixture of awe and wariness.
"Master Hal, you are most correct that splitting our group provides little if any comfort. We are barely within the vast confines of this diabolical pyramid and already are beset with creatures and curses that refuse to stay dead. It is sure to be worse further in. I fear all of our talents will be needed to make it back out alive. Furthermore, we have no sanctuary where any of us can get even a half-decent nap. I just don't see splitting up as a good option, or even staying around here 'till the morning. We must figure out how to move on, with or without this portal's cooperation.""Gandel, do you think that since Breach successfully went through that we may have demonstrated to this door man our worthiness and he will now allow all of us to pass? If not, all but myself and two others holding the door man in place must pass through. I can then use my arcane bond to draw upon just enough energy to transport the three of us through a portal of my own making to join the others on the other side. And if we are to do this, we must pick the right room, which should be scouted in force. Getting back is another matter, but one I am less concerned about. There would have been no purpose for this Ro Hap fellow if the door only swings one way."
I just don't see splitting up as a good option, or even staying around here 'till the morning. . . And if we are to do this, we must pick the right room, which should be scouted in force. . .
-
Or I could be mistaken, in which case how about instead then some details on this scouting?
"I'm with Pate. I'll be for helpin' with holdin' the doorman, while one o' ya others go through. Odds are they'll be some o' that mumbo jumbo ya been speakin' written on the walls, and I'll not be for understandin' if I go through."
Hal considers what Moonpate has to say and nods, "Very well Master Pate. I suppose we need to move the doorman to each location and try to determine which is the best choice? Gandel which do you suppose we should choose?"
Gandel shrugs his shoulders. "Might as well go down the line and see what's behind each location," the halfling scholar suggests.
Hurgah hefts the captured guardian, testing his grip in case he has to move him.
"Just tell us where you want him. Me an Karek will put him there."
Dragging Ro An Hap along the ellipse-shaped wall reveals that his body seems to create a passage that penetrates through several feet of stone. Most often that leads to nothing but more stone, but in four fascinating instances, it creates a portal that leads to a magnificent and very ancient chamber beyond.
You can’t help but recall that Gandel’s octopus-patterned elemental distinctively reported five chambers. You can only find four:
(Going from your left to right, or west to east. . .)
1. A 20 x 40 foot chamber with four large pillars arrayed around the room. Each column has a carved relief of a human-headed snake wrapped around it. The room has a single exit, an open archway leading northwest.
2. A square 25 x 25 chamber. This room also has a single exit, a set of mammoth double-doors leading northwest. The walls are lined with vertical hieroglyphics, only much much smaller. The writing has been carved in exquisite detail.
3. An irregular shaped room approximately 30 x 30 feet in size. It has a circular dais surrounded by five scales, hanging from the ceiling. The scales look like the kind a merchant might have used. Small green stones rest on the dais. The room contains hieroglyphs on each wall . There is though no exit to this chamber.
4. Finally, there is the room that Breach was briefly in, an empty 15 x 20 foot chamber. It has a single exit, an open archway leading northeast. The room also contains hieroglyphs on each wall.
So, where is the fifth chamber? The one Corundus called a 'cavity that is an orb, with a shallow pool of not-water'?" Gandel muses. "It should've been behind the northernmost point in the wall..."
Karek, with Hurgah's help, wrestles Ro An Hap to the throne itself, to see if that reveals a portal anywhere else.
Karek, with Hurgah's help, wrestles Ro An Hap to the throne itself, to see if that reveals a portal anywhere else.
Karek, with Hurgah's help, wrestles Ro An Hap to the throne itself, to see if that reveals a portal anywhere else.
-
Forcing Ro Ap Han to sit in the throne does not turn up a fifth room. It does though succeed in making him angrier, were that actually possible.The throne is close to the north wall so once the guardian is seated (or even in the vicinity) that does trigger his 'body-gate', but it only leads to solid stone.
Perhaps Corundus was mistaken.
"Perhaps that last room is only accessible through these others? Perhaps we should pick the largest room, enter it and then take our rest before we explore the rest of this place. One of my concerns is that Ro Ap will follow us to wherever we go".
. . . Perhaps we should pick the largest room, enter it and then take our rest before we explore the rest of this place. . .
-
That's probably room #3, though rooms #1 & #2 are close seconds. Room #4 is the smallest of the lot.
I'm still curious about the 5th room. Is there any chance it's up higher than the others? Can we hold the portal up a few feet and scan again?
You can!
The combined strength of Karek, Breach and Hurgah can force "the portal" to be the top of their high-school, cheer-squad pyramid by hoisting him up by his legs. They can then scan the wall right to the ceiling.
Assuming they choose to heap such further insult on the ancient guardian, and I am sure they would--
--it fails to detect any further rooms. A clever thought though.
But on the plus side, I am now imagining the brawny trio with pom poms.
Hal pulls Moonpate aside away from Ro Ap Han.
"I am not sure if he can understand us but I don;t think we can be too careful here. Once the bulk of us get through, you will use your arcane magic to follow us yes? Well what do we do with Ro Ap? If we are followed in here we certainly do not want to leave him leaning up against the wall. Do you think you can use your magic to take him with us? That would prevent anyone from following us very easily I think."
Hal pulls Moonpate aside away from Ro Ap Han.
"I am not sure if he can understand us but I don;t think we can be too careful here. Once the bulk of us get through, you will use your arcane magic to follow us yes? Well what do we do with Ro Ap? If we are followed in here we certainly do not want to leave him leaning up against the wall. Do you think you can use your magic to take him with us? That would prevent anyone from following us very easily I think."
Moon rubs his pate reflexively as he contemplates Hal's line of reasoning.
"Unfortunately, Master Hal, even if I wanted to take this portal fellow with us I am unable to do so. My power is yet limited to crossing the veil with myself and two others. I surmise that there is very little we can do about this situation, though I am less worried about what we leave behind than what we will find ahead. This Ro chap is the doorway and apparently he has a sacred charge to remain here in service to some unknown purpose, so I can't imagine he is willing or capable of going through what is essentially himself to follow us. Nor do I believe he will allow any of those devil monks who hunt us to go through. They will surely be found unworthy of the Four Pharaohs, just as apparently we are. After we are gone, I imagine he will recover his dignity and sit his righteous rump back down on that throne and think evil thoughts about what will befall us fools who have dared so much."
-
Upon running the sacred guardian along the floor like a swiffer mop, the Dune Squad does not find any hidden rooms. Certainly not any with pools of not-water. Though they do manage to tidy the place a bit.
"very well Master Pate. Let's move through then and soon."
"I agree. As you suggested, Hal, let's try the largest room. I believe it was the one with the circular dais surrounded by five scales hanging from the ceiling," Gandel suggests.
Sounds like consensus for door number #3?
Who goes through first? Who is on holding duty? Who is going last? I've even heard some suggestions that some of the Dune Squad might remain behind?
And ooooh! Boxed text:
Five scales hang from the ceiling. Behind them, twenty-three tiny
jade statuettes of various men and woman hard at work have been
carefully arranged on a raised dais. Hieroglyphs line the walls in
vertical columns.
As the Dune Squad steps through Ro An Hap's portal he ceases his struggles and says:
Sounds like consensus for door number #3?
Who goes through first? Who is on holding duty? Who is going last? I've even heard some suggestions that some of the Dune Squad might remain behind?
-
Default marching order? . . .
-
Breach suspects it is highly likely that Ro An Hap will resist and fight, and yes he's likely to be quite feisty, particularly against the last guy when there's no one left to hold him in place. But if you don't have someone who can handle a dude who's completely tied up, maybe it's time to get out of the combat business. You've never tried it before, so there's no certainty, but there doesn't seem to be a reason the last guy can't just shove his way through the hole or go for a quick dive roll against a moving target.Default marching order tells me Gandel will be first to climb in through what we're calling "door number three". . .
Gandel grins at his companions and then jumps through the portal in Ro Ap Han's chest.
Gandel hops through Ro An Hap's body while Hurgha and Breach lock the guardian in place against the wall. This probably requires an Acrobatics check, but the DC in the circumstances has been lowered to zero, so let' put that aside. The courageous halfling is to be followed by Karek, then Hal, then Donkor. Then it's Moonpate and Xerissa, leaving Hurgah and Breach behind.
Who wants to be the last? (And left to deal with the issue Breach has identified?) Or was the plan to leave anyone behind?
Gandel (and those that followed) are being treated to another generous helping of vertical hieroglyphs, though there is also the matter of the stone dais with the jade miniature statues on it, as well as the hanging scales.
-
Just for the record, the Potentate has already cast dimension door today (in the conflict against the girallon to rather good effect). So he can't do that without a rest session, unless he still has his arcane bond available. But I think he might. . .
You got it! Let us just check that Moonpate doesn't have a dimension door lined up instead.
You got it! Let us just check that Moonpate doesn't have a dimension door lined up instead.