Zagathoth raises his weapon and prepares to head whichever way the party is going. ”We comed down here to kill things,” he reasons with a furrowed brow, ”why would we go where the lessest things to kill are?”
Cardinal Lucius is well aware that Saint Cecilia, patron of musicians, is entombed here in the catacombs San Callisto... He also feels certain it was she who visited him during his brief spell of unconsciousness...
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"Sancta Cecilia!" The Cardinal whispered, before raising his voice. "Le fantôme est Sainte Cécile. Ça vaudrait la peine de visiter sa tombe. Tu as dit que c'est comme ça Ogon Fox?"
The Cardinal picks himself up and heads in the direction Ogon indicated, clearly enthused by the idea of visiting the Saint's grave.
Traveling through the east archway, the adventurers traverse a corridor with shallow alcoves filled with bones and skulls...
The corridor opens upon a square ossuary where the skeletal remains of generations of dead Romans are unceremoniously stacked in shallow alcoves... The hewn stone floor seems to sag near the center...
A dark archway in the east wall opens into another corridor...
Hopping from skull to skull, the talking rats accompany the adventurers...
Watch yer step...
"Give me a moment, friends. I will take the shape of a true fox. In that form my nose may give us warning even against what we cannot see."
With that, the Ogon Fox's body shrinks and morphs seamlessly until you see before you what appears to be a normal fox.
The fox winks at Johann before trotting eastward, nose sniffing away.
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With the rat's warning, Johann freezes. "Pssst. Fox! Traps! This place could be like a field of bear traps, set and ready to grab a passing fox's leg!"
Johann is so concerned about the possibility of this that he only subconsiously realizes that the Fox has really turned into an ugly flea-ridden fox.
Ogon Fox feels confident that in his Fox form, he would be able to cross the floor of this chamber without worrying about the stability of the floor... but he wonders if the Bear’s weight might be too much and cause a collapse...
Of course, to the Bear, all looks hunky dory...
The fox yaps at the group in an attempt at warning . He scampers back to more solid footing, and transforms back into his usual kitsune form.
"The ground ahead seems very unstable for creatures of our size. I will cross it in my smaller form and see if I can find how far the dangerous area extends, or a way around."
Then it's back to fox form again, and he begins to gingerly move throughout the area, testing it.
The fox yaps at the group in an attempt at warning . He scampers back to more solid footing, and transforms back into his usual kitsune form.
"The ground ahead seems very unstable for creatures of our size. I will cross it in my smaller form and see if I can find how far the dangerous area extends, or a way around."
Then it's back to fox form again, and he begins to gingerly move throughout the area, testing it.
"Go cautiously, Monsieur Ogon. If you stray too far from the group and encounter a threat, we may not be able to aid you in time."
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Meanwhile, in the Black Forest of the Holy Roman Empire...
*sigh!* I’m bored. The scheme to hold the Emperor for ransom in the cloud giants’ castle was foiled by that uppity cat-wizard, Prospero Blue, and his goody-two-shoes paladin friend, Tunes D’Holiday... What new trouble can I stir up?... I miss old Johann. He was always fun to pull pranks on... wonder what he’s doing right now?... Well, i’ll just pull out my trusty crystal ball and have a peek...
The bored and mischievous Rumplestilskin produces a clear orb, into which he gazes as he chants an incantation to scry on his old pal Johann...
Oh, I think I've found it!
[dice=Perception for safe path]d20+1
Oh, I think I've found it!
Indeed, the nimble Fox determines that if the bigger humans tread near the walls, the floor should hold them.
Thanks to the Fox’s careful scouting, the adventurers are able to safely traverse the unstable ossuary, moving on eastward through the archway on the far side...
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"WELL, I WAS NERVOUS AT FIRST, BUT THEN I LOOKED, AND I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU ARE MAKING US BE ALL CAUTIOUS, DURNED FOX."
But despite his words, Johann does what the Fox says and sticks to the walls rather than walking right across the floor.
As he does so, he feels a little prickling on his brain. He decides to ignore it. BAH, JUST IMAGINING THINGS.
No...f@&$ing...way!... What’s he doing down there!? That looks like the catacombs under Rome... And he’s with a bunch of others...including a cardinal of the Roman Church! Why, that Bear is getting a little too big for his pantaloons!... How’d he wind up in the Roman Catacombs with a cardinal and other adventurers types? He must be on some kind of important quest for the Pope! ...I can’t let that big fat honey gobbler steal all the fun and glory! How can I work an angle on this...
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Lucius's senses, honed from long practise lead him to glance up and observe the tell-tale ripple in the air of a scrying sensor. Bending down he waves towards the tiny fox and when Ogon approaches, scoops him up, rubbing behind his ears and whispering at close range.
"Someone is watching us with magic. Tell the others, quietly."
Zagathoth cautiously crosses the unstable floor then returns to watching for things to kill.
in the pits your enemy was always right in front of you... I don’t know if I like looking for them...
The little fox purrs appreciatively at the head scratching, then hops down from the cardinal's arms and prances some 50ft away from the group before transforming back into a kitsune. He then casts his message cantrip several times, whispering a message to each of his companions in turn:
"Lucius has spotted some sign of magic; someone is spying on us."
After the kitsune's warning Quinlan casually raises a hand and sweeps it across the room a few times, muttering under his breath in a strange dialect.
Everyone seemed to be in a hurry. The party had gone on before, and now he was to join them as quickly as he could. He was hurriedly shown the entrance, was bade a quick "God be with you", and was left alone. All alone. No one to make introductions to his new comrades or even be sure they connected. "Must not be putting too much hope in this quest, but with God, all things are possible," Boga reassured himself. He grasped the relic, crossed himself, and began to descend the stairs. When the light began to fail, he said a quick prayer, igniting a halo above his head. With the light of God showing the way, Boga continued. He was quite nervous, but actually began to move faster the farther he went. He became quite anxious to meet the group and know they were ok. Boga finished the descent and almost gagged on the ghastly scent and the sight of fresh blood. "Is that human blood? What terrible thing has happened here? I must find them quickly!" He looked around for clues as to where they may have gone. He then paused to listen intently.
"Magic spy?!?" the orc asks loudly, looking around erratically (and waving his sword around a bit more than his companions might prefer), "where is magic spy?!?
As Boga approaches the center of the room, he sees a light not too far down the eastern tunnel. It illuminates several individuals who seem to match the description of those for whom he looks. "They're safe!" is his first thought. Reflexively, he starts to call out, but he quickly stops himself before making too much noise in such a location. He starts to move slowly towards them, waving while calling out in a series of "Hello"s in escalating volumes. By waving, calling out, and bearing a light, he is sure he will not approach them unnoticed.
He takes a last look over his shoulder towards the stairs, memorizing the best path across the carnage in case he should need to flee.
“Hold - is that another voice approaching?” Arc turns to look back from whence the party came, trying to spot the source of the sound. He tightens his grip on his blade reflexively, but doesn’t go looking for trouble unless the entire party decides to move.
Peering east down the long (40 ft) corridor, Johann can see that it widens into a large circular chamber with a very broad (25 ft diameter) central column, which reflects his light back like a mirror... The entire surface of the central convex column is silvery and smooth, like a mirror... Little else about this area can be discerned from this distance...
The 40-ft-long corridor linking the chamber with the weak floor to the one further east is lined with shallow alcoves containing ancient skeletal remains of long-dead Romans...
Meanwhile, at Rapunzel’s Tower in the Black Forest...
Rapunzel leans over the side of the balcony of her tower, a puzzled expression on her beautiful young face...
In German: You...you want a lock of my hair? Fifty-feet-long? What in Hell for, Rumpelstilskin!? Do you have any idea how how hard this hair is to cut!?
Ja, ich weiß, schöne Jungfrau, deshalb brauche ich deine Haare. Es ist für Johann Kaltgeboren...
Rumplestilskin stands in the grassy meadow in which stands the high tower of Rapunzel, hands folded politely, supplicatingly, in front of him, smiling like a fox...
*Gasp!* Johann!? Dieser große, süße, kuschelige Bär? Natürlich haben Sie vielleicht eine fünfzig Fuß Haarlocke! Aber warum braucht er meine Haare?
Mein süßes Mädchen, ich würde dich nicht mit solchen langweilen ... Laß nur einen Eimer am Ende deiner Haare runter, und ich werde darin ein Messer legen, das scharf genug ist, um ein Schloß deines schönen goldenen Haares leicht zu durchtrennen ...
Rumplestilskin holds up a gleaming jeweled dagger he produces from a haversack on his back...
Rapunzel disappears momentarily from the balcony, appearing a moment later with a bucket tied to the end of her long, beautiful, golden locks...
She lowers the bucket down to Rumplestilskin, who places the jeweled magic daggger inside...
After the kitsune's warning Quinlan casually raises a hand and sweeps it across the room a few times, muttering under his breath in a strange dialect.
[dice=Spellcraft]1d20+9
Later that day, on the North Sea coast of Denmark...
Princess Ariel, known to future bards as the Little Mermaid, gives the gnome wizard a quizzical look from where her head and shoulders emerge from the frigid tide...
In Danish: Rumplestilskin!? Why have you summoned me? What mischief are you brewing?
In Danish: No mischief, Your Highness! I’m here on behalf of good Johann Kaltgeboren, that kindly Bear of the Black Forest, protector of all the forest’s innocent creatures... Surely, sweet princess, ye wouldn’t refuse a request from your old pal Rumplestilskin, who seeks to do a good deed to help the goodly Bear Johann on a noble quest for the pope himself...would ye?
Narrowing her eyes at the gnome. She asks: What do want, Rump?
Well, remember when you showed me that nifty aquamarine decanter with the wave motif on it? The one you recovered from that ancient sunken galley?
Yes,my decanter of endless water... You want me to part with one of my things!? I love each one so! The only thing I love more than my things is... Nevermind...
What is it, Your Highness? You can tell your old pal Rump...
Well... I love a human prince... He is the most beautiful thing from the surface world I have ever seen! His name is Prince Eric, of Denmark... I see him aboard the royal ship some times... If only I had the courage to approach him, and tell him of my love!
The gears spin in Rumplestilskin's devious little head...
if I can convince this little mermaid nitwit that I can make this Prince Eric fall in love with her... Maybe she'll hand over that decanter of endless water to sweeten the honey pot for the Bear...
What if I could find a way to make Prince Eric notice ye... Not only that, I could arrange a royal shipwreck! Ye can save him from drowning, and he will surely ask ye to be his bride! Would ye trade thine decanter for such a deed?
Ariel considers Rumplestilskin's dubious proposal for a long moment, struggling with the amoral nature of the scheme, but desperate to attract her beloved Prince Eric...
*Sigh!* Very well, Rump! You can have my decanter... But only for the greater good deeds it may help goodly Johann the Bear to perform on behalf of the pope! You aren't making that part up, are you?... It sounds kind of...ridiculous, frankly...