Gets ready to hustle and hustles when hustling is needed.
Helgash downs the contents of the chalice again in 2 mighty gulps. Again the stones appear leading to the glassed in hourglass. Jetro hurries onward carefully stepping on the slick surface until he gets to the last stone and is confronted by the glass casing around the object that they seek.
Break this thing? Jetro waves his hammer.
"Do it!"
Jetro grips his shaft with two hands and bludoogens the case
The glass cracks before the adamantine warhammer but does not shatter allowing access. You think the cracks are about a 1?4 of the way through the glass. If it was not for the adamantine weapon though you doubt you would have even scratched the surface.
Jetro focuses his chi.
Maybe we should switch places and you can use your super muscles to do this with my hammer
I can drink for ya while you busy the glass, mate? I can handle drink right enough and even if I get a little wobbly I'll keep on my feet.
Jetro manages to do another sizable crack in the glass but it resists being completely shattering. Another 2 blows like that one or a really solid blow might do it.
Beck tries the drink and finds it sits well with him even if it is a bit potent. All those years as a drinking are finally paying off for him.
Jetro suddenly remembers he can swing his warhammer twice! Must be due to using the bow for so long.
With a final 2 blows the glass shatters dropping the shards into the water below. The hourglass sits on the alcove easily within reach but you get a nagging suspicion something is not quite right.
Even though Beck drank from the chalice you are not sure if that reset the stones or not since they were up already. They did stay up longer than the first time already but you don't know for certain how much longer they will remain up.
"Not sure how long the stones will remain up."
Jetro you don't see anything but the warning from Venja does resonate with you as you look at the stones beneath your feet.
whooo, wee. Wow. C'mon home brother! Beck says as the chalice refills. Therm he downs another deep draught. That's the good stuff there
Jetro grabs the hourglass and runs back!
Jetro please make a DC 14 reflex save as you grab the chalice as the stones do indeed begin to go under the water. It seems that no matter how often you drink from the chalice with the stones present that the stones appear for a certain amount of time before lowering. Drinking from the chalice just brings the stones back up to the surface but does not reset the timer.
Duardlara is taken by surprise as the stones withdraw under the archer's feet.
Venja extends her hair and tries to grab Jetro and pull him back.
Jetro slips on the rocks and touches the dark water. Suddenly a terrifying sensation grips him as it feels like the water has somehow been moved into his lungs as he can't catch his breath.
Venja is able to reach out with her hair and grab Jetro and pull him to apparent safety with the hourglass but the damage has already been done.
Jetro is suffering from a suffocation spell and if fails all 3 saves will be dead. You are not able to help the first round but the last 2 rounds you are able to aid with spells and such.
Venja quickly advises the others as she pulls Jetro to her and out of the water, "He's under the affect of a Suffocation spell... He will drown even though he's not in water anymore unless he is very fortunate."
She casts 'resistance' on him, giving him +1 to all saves for 1 minute.
*Cough cough* Much obliged.
Even with the water filling up his lungs Jetro is able to hold out long enough and cough the water out. Tired and slightly fatigued (just fluff not the actually condition) Jetro nonetheless has the hourglass in hand and has successfully completed the challenge as set forth by the second Raven.
So back to the birdy it seems.
Bringng back the hourglass the Raven flies over and picks it up. In exchange he drops his medallion into Jetro's hand. As he flies away You have taken upon yourselves a great burden, he caws, for that which you desire, the changeling holds. Know this as well-you will find the Crone only when the moon wanes.
After that the raven disappears into the darkness of the room. Turning the medallion over you see a strange rune engraved upon it as well.
The iron amulet is engraved with an Iobarian rune for gold.
The medallion is magical as well and identified as an aegis of recovery!
"Venja probably knows better than I, but I believe that is the rune for gold, is it not?"
"You're right, it is the Ioborian rune for gold... and a magic item of some power as well... not only will it help someone who needs to recover from something lingering like poison, it can actually bring someone back from the brink of death, though if that happens, the medallion would crumble to dust."
Moon wanes, so look for a symbol of a moon?
"Is there another path we can continue on? This place seems mazelike in its devious conception" - Helgash pipes in, looking around.
Jetro hunts around to try to find the next room.
currently you see no other exits in the room you were in. Not finding anything of of note unless you want to keep drinking the alcohol and have a party you eventually make your way to the door leading back into the hallway. Again the hallway continues for an infinite distance in both directions. Shrugging at the futility of understanding the conundrum you move on with Jetro in the lead.
After another 150ft or so you find another door similar to the 2 you have already entered. This door though has a different symbol on it than the others. A symbol carved upon the door resembles an upward facing half-circle resting on a horizontal line. Several arrows point out from the circle. At the center of the half circle a single extended arrow points upward.
This symbol is Iobarian for dawn.
As before the door is unlocked and opens easily to you. Flowering vines drape the walls of this chamber. Winding, pebble strewn pathways weave through a magnificent garden of honeysuckle and lilac. A pale warm light fills the room emanating from a stone lined pool of water in the center. The purple and Orange reflection of the early morning sky glitters upon the surface.
Again, as twice previously, a raven flies down upon your entrance and perches at the edge of the pool bobbing its head at you.
Duardlara picks up Migger, scratching the ugly 'cat' while she considers the symbol and its potential meanings.
"This one is a reference to the dawn. Iobarian, also."
Jetro bobs a greeting to the raven and bobasks what the task is.
As they walk along, Helgash shifts his Life Link to encompass both Jetro and Duardlara, as he notices his companions are wounded.
Scolding himself for not having noticed this before, he then smiles as they mend.
Once the paladin is satisfied that his companions are well, he reverts the Life Link to its previous connections, with Greta, Beck, and Sheelah.
With his friends around him, he focuses on the divine power of Iomedae, and channels Her healing powers.
With a stronger prayer, he again invokes the Goddess power to heal him further.
"Beautiful" - Helgash smiles as the warm light encompasses them.
"Master Raven, we do pray tell
Will you again describe our task as well?" - he adds
Duardlara is a bit startled as the tingle of the healing suddenly begins and she looks down at the cut, already reduced to a scar. She looks over at the paladin and sees his satisfied nod and shakes her head with a rueful smile. "Many thanks, Iomedeaen."
Duardlara is a bit startled as the tingle of the healing suddenly begins and she looks down at the cut, already reduced to a scar. She looks over at the paladin and sees his satisfied nod and shakes her head with a rueful smile. "Many thanks, Iomedeaen."
"You are most welcome friend Duardlara" - Helgash smiles back
The raven caws at you eerily before responding. My brothers informed me of your coming. Very well. Before I aid you, you must first convince me you have the resolve to fulfill your desire. To prove your mental fortitude, you must face what I, the herald of the coming day, cannot.
Each night it visits
Sometimes horror,
Sometimes wonder,
Sometimes prophet,
When dawn wakes, it flees.
When you face this thing, you shall know its desire. In its desire, you shall find your own. Only by sharing this desire with me can I bind your fates . Once they are bound, I will be able to see your destiny.
With that the raven bobs his head towards a carefully constructed doorway behind him.
Moving over to the door and opening it you are surprised to see a somewhat normal looking room. This small, candlelit bedroom is empty save for a plain wooden bed and a night table where a pale candle burns in an iron candleholder. The bed is perfectly made, but the sheets display an ominous, dark crimson stain in the middle of the bed.
As you ponder what it is you are to do an apparition appears from the center of the bed rising up through the bloody stain in the sheets. It looks at you with an expression of puzzlement and wonder and not of initial hostility.
This creature is an animate dream, typically created from the fabric of nightmares and dreams upon the ethereal plane.
The creature before you bears a strong resemblance to the Jadwigas of Irrisen.
The creature has distinct markings and looks that lead you to believe that this is none other than Yelizaveta, the thirteenth
daughter of Baba Yaga and former queen of Irrisen.
Got us a ghost.
"I think.... I think it is Yelizaveta. She was the, let's see, thirteenth daughter of Baba Yaga. She was formerly queen of Irrisen."
Beck squints, Oh yeah, I guess kinda... The hells happened to her on the bed? and hw do we know what it wants. I'm lookin at it, and i got nuthin...
"This creature is an animate dream of some kind... That is appropriate since I believe the answer to the riddle is 'a dream'. Perhaps one of us needs to sleep here to gain a revelation. I am willing to do so... " She approaches the bed...