There is a balcony running about the upper level of the room with double doors set in the E wall. Opening these reveals a row of guest suites running N/S that are warmly furnished but covered in dust from a century of dissuse. You notice that every room curiously contains two empty picture frames of various sizes.
There is a walkway that goes over the garden below (where you were attacked by the dolls) leading back to the upper story of the main building. Checking and opening the single door at the end of the walkway reveals:
"This room contains a crystalline pool encircled by a border of
eldritch symbols."
There is a single door at the E side of the room.
Pool of crystal clear water? Anything in it?
Move to the door. Look for traps, then listen, then open.
As you examine the pool you see a portion of the water rise up and form an exact replica of what you imagine you look like right now. It's moves shadow your moves as you traverse the room. You note that there is a similar aquatic figure mirroring Ragnar.
As you move on towards the door, the water mimics your movement.
Not finding any traps or hearing any noise, you open the door to another large banquet of guest suites. In addition there is a balcony that is open to the room that had the pictures in it from when you first entered the building. A thorough search reveals nothing else on this level.
Have we left any doors or rooms on entrance level or upper level unexplored?
If not, then head down those stairs leading into the dark using our new lantern, guess I will carry in my off hand instead of my dagger.
You feel highly confident that you have explored all areads of the ground and second level.
Sheathing your dagger and hoisting your new lantern you make your way down the stairs. After a good 50' of descent you find yourself in a large hallway that runs E. There is a door on the N wall and then the hallway continues another 30' to a 4-way intersection.
Here we go....
"Yes, here we go, be ready for anything!"
Advance to the door on the N wall. Check for traps, listen, then open.
sweet rolls
"The walls of this room are decorated with hundreds of
mostly smashed glass display cases that seem to have
once contained thousands of insects, spiders, and other
arthropods. Yet more impressive are the larger, giantsized
vermin that have been preserved and are on display.
Dog-sized ants, man-sized spiders, and even a horse-sized
scorpion are mounted in threatening postures, although
in each case, the immense preserved monster is badly
damaged and, in some cases, in pieces."
The room is 70' E-W and 40' N-S. There is a door in the center of the N wall.
"Be wary Ragnar, I wouldn't be surprised if these things came alive and attacked us."
On the watch for something to attack.
Move to the door, check for traps, listen, then open.
As you cross the room you immediately notice that the critter corpses begin to twitch and move animating into a verminous cannibal storm.
You and Ragnar take points of damage from various bites, knicks, and claws. As the storm of ghostly bugs flies and crawls through your body, leaving behind hideous wounds that look like bite marks left by decidedly human teeth, you suddenly feel fuller, as if your belly was distending with flesh chewed from the body of Ragnar.
The nauseating effect of the instects does points of CHA damage as well. DC 20 Will save for half CHA damage.
An instant later, the verminous storm collapses on itself in a
cannibalistic orgy, the phantasmal creatures tearing themselves
apart and feeding on each other.
~takes a pull of wine~ Urrgh. That tastes....gamey.
~offers you the skin~
The door opens to a long flight of stairs leading down to another door on the E wall. After a good check you open it:
"This chamber showcases a staggering array of model ships, most
of them damaged. Many of the miniature vessels seem to have
once been displayed inside bottles, but these displays are now
universally broken. The ships themselves come in all sizes, ranging
from a half-foot in length to a massive seven-foot frigate on a
stand in the middle of the room, its masts broken and hanging
askew in a tangle of rigging."
"Thanks Ragnar."
Are there any exits from the room that I can see from the doorway?
Negative.
Is the only light in here still from the lantern I am carrying? Imagine that would make it hard to stealth around the room.
Enter and look around the room. If still nothing go back the way we came.
Your lantern is the only light in the still, usettling darkness.
A thorough inspection of the room reveals one of the sails from the model ships is actually a scroll.
You also find a secret door in the EN wall of the room with a hallway leading E away from the SD.
Not sure what this scroll is Ragnar but will take it along anyway.
Check out the secret passage.
The passage appears benign and runs some 60' E before turning S with stairs leading down to a T interseciton that goes E/W. The W path ends in a blank wall and the E goes to antoher T intersection that goes N/S.
Check the blank wall for secret doors and traps.
After a brief search you find neither on the blank wall.
Go to the T intersection and then head South.
The hallway runs S for about 60' before turning W 10' and ending in a non-descript wall.
check around for traps and secret doors
This time you do find a secret door, apparently unarmed.
Opening it you see:
"To the north on an upraised stage, gold, green, and magenta
mosaic tiles form an intricate glyph on the floor of this halfcircle
chamber of a road vanishing into the horizon. The
battered and blasted remains of a stone statue that may have
once depicted a human adventurer lie scattered throughout
the lower southern half of the room."
There are huge double doors to the S and the open hallway to the W you believe will lead you back to where you entered.
Carefully enter the room. Does the "stone statue" seem similar to the one in the devildrome? Do the pieces match up with any of the pathfinder adventurers that I have learned about?
The stone fragments do indeed appear to be handsomely carved in an attempt to resemble someone but not anyone you recognize. Your limited arcane knowledge leads you to believe it was once a mighty stone golem, but now it is just broken rocks.
You notice the stage is curiously marked with the glyph of the open road.
"I can't feel but we're missing something Ragnar, I would think the important Pathfinder treasure would be on the lower levels but so far we have found nothing down here."
Head over to the double doors to the South. Check for traps then listen at the door.
I just can't believe we haven't had to destroy anything yet? What the hells happened to all the guardians; were they nothing more than some animated toys? Probably means there's a dragon ahead... Don't forget the passage to the West also had passages leading N/S and we have the N hallway behind us to explore. I'm sure we'll find something worthwhile, although to be honest, I'm still imagining myself in the Chelaxian knight armor!~gives you a toothy grin~
The door is harmless and you hear nothing beyond it. A quick jiggle of the handle reveals it is securely locked (DC 35).
"The armor is all yours!"
Attempt to pick the lock.
After a few minutes you finally jimmy the pernicious lock loose.
"This room is brightly lit by numerous glowing crystalline lanterns
hanging from the ceiling. A large summoning circle of inlaid
silver and cold iron sits in the center of the room. To the south,
a massive door of red metal, decorated with a devil’s head, bars
passage beyond the south wall. Strange runes decorate the
door’s border. To the northeast, a large desk carved from a giant
block of red stone rests in the corner of the room."
Enter room look around, check out the desk. Stay away from the far door for now.
You can just barely make out a rough gap around the desk that indicates it sits over a hole, and that tiny runes similar to those etched on the red door to the south decorate the edges of the desk. The desk itself appears to be solid stone and you think it is ridiculously heavy.
There are a dozen crystal lanterns hanging from the roof in this room. Each lantern appears to bear a continual flame spell.
If the desk sits over a hole does that mean it is levitating? What holds it up? Does it have any drawers that might contain items? Can I see down into the hole, does it contain anything?
No, it sits over a hole and is just not flush with it so you can see small gaps here and there. No drawers and you can't see into the hole, just see the edges and know that there is one beneath the desk.
You figure there must be something connecting the desk with the door since the runes around both are very similar.
"A door with a devil? Think maybe I should be healed up before opening. Do you need some heals Ragnar?"
Use 2 charges of my CMW wand on myself.
Save your stick. GULP. Good enough for whatever comes next; make your move and let's have some fun.
Gets closer to the door and prepares his greatsword.
Look for traps on the devil door, if none try listening.
You don't hear anything and the door has no obvious traps.
You do notice that the symbols surrounding the door are identical to those around the desk if a little bigger. They seem to float and pulsate.
Do I have any idea what any of the symbols mean?
They look like some kind of symbols...a language maybe or a code? You have never even heard of something even resembling this before.
Curiously the symbols glow a pale blue as your hand passes over them.
"Here goes nothing."
Open the door.
The door suddenly flashes with heat, glowing red-hot as steam and smoke pours out of the develish face decorating the door.
It swings open...revealing nothing but a blank wall beyond.
Somthing attacks you!
Two huge raking claw marks slash across you for and grab ahold of you as two more claws rake into you for . 30 total point of damage.
Gorum's teeth!
Leaps and swings at the invisible attacker.
I think it's here!
~swings~
Uhhh, I think we're in trouble here! Move behind me and try and find this freaking thing!
Rules for invisible foes:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/special-abilities#TOC-Invisibility
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/conditions#TOC-Invisible
Something lets out a horrific yowl as your second blade comes back wet with dark black-red ichor on it.
Getting a better sense of where your foe is you are only clawed once for
Your blade is keen Caldir! Gorum guide my strokes!
Ghaah! Where IS this thing?