Last chance for Rifiki to post. Will move story along tonight, with updated map.
Rifiki will hang in the back with the shadows, where he feels most comfortable. When presented of which path to take, he inserts his own views.
Me, I would prefer the non direct approach. However, if the Hucrele kids went that way and got caught, I can only assume the same may happen to us. So both ways may be direct, since the Goblins aren't as stupid as we may hope they are. As long as we find the kids, and with our limbs intact I am for it, he says with a smile at the last part.
On a side note, I don't remember The Princess ever telling us a rough head count of the Goblin nation, Meepo do you by chance have any idea how many they number?
"Either way, we'll be walking into danger. Keep a sharp lookout and proceed cautiously."
Meepo leads the group back the way they came, through his lair(area 15) and takes the door in the northeast corner. It leads to a long hallway with two twist, before ending at a door. Meepo looks up at S'koth.
Meepo not know what behind the door, Knight went through but Meepo did not follow, never see. Many Goblins, no Goblins, many Rats, no Rats, Meepo know not.
With that being said, without warning, Meepo simply opens the door and hops inside, eyes closed tightly in eithe fear or anticipation!
Empty and lightless, this lonely chamber is home only to rat droppings, crumbled flagstones, and nameless stains. There is a door on the north wall. Meepo begins moving towards it as well, stopping every couple of steps as if he expects to explode.
What do you do?
(Sternly, in Common) "Meepo! Tail! (points at own tail) "Tail" means you stay behind me at all times! If not know danger - not go door. Maybe die! Maybe call goblins by foolish-foolish run!"
S'koth turns to the rest of the party with a pained expression on his reptilian face. "Hrrmm. Ssorry about thiss. Rifiki? Care to tesst the door? Zar you watch Rifiki, Melissaria and Yenli sstay alert. I'll take Meepo to the rear for now. We only have him to lead the way until we decide we're better off on our own - we might not need him right now as he hasn't been thiss way and doesn't know what lies beyond thiss area, but Calcryx will need to recognise him, (thinks for a moment) or tell uss a messsage we can give the dragon. I fear Meepo will get uss into trouble..."
He turns on the kobold and gabbles in Draconic quickly:
"Vatchkass Meepo! Vissho kerpa tulsi Drakos ffar! Kinkiss magi? Kinkiss grachsö?"
Meepo looks blankly around at each of you. S'koth, you dont think he speaks Common.
Melisaria just rolls her eyes and follows along behind the strange cast of characters which is only growing stranger.
Rifiki will check the door for any traps, along with it being locked or not. He will also check the 5 foot space before the door as well for traps.
Rifiki, you do not find any traps.
Hedrroth cautiously sniffs the air and listens for any noises that don't come from the party.
S'koth, I meant that more for the others. Also, Meepo responds in Draconic.
Meepo great warrior, strong like Dragonman! Meepo good with spear and claw!]
Zar, you do not hear anything out of the ordinary.
Rifiki, as you search the ground, you also realize the floor is covered in numerous tracks, both fresh and old. The door north is not locked.
Yenli, Meepo moves over to you, staying very close at all times, almost grasping your clothing and holding onto you.
When Rifiki notices the tracks he looks back to the others and motions that there are tracks near the door, and to be ready for something behind the door.
When all are ready Rifiki will open the door as silently as possible.
Dust and odd bits of stony bebris and rubble lie scattered on the floor. An ornate fountain is built into the eastern wall. Though cracked, stained, and dry, the fountain's carving of a diving Dragon retains its beauty. A relief carved stone door stands on the western wall, and a long passage lined with partially ajar doors leads into a larger room to the north.
The door to the west shows intricate carvings of skeletal dragons, and anyone who moves within a foot of the door can feel palpable coldness. Inscriptions in Draconic are carved over the door.
By the Blood of the Righteous, and a Show of Faith, Call forth and Open the Way!
There are numerous tracks and such, continuing from the previous room and moving into this room, going to the fountain, the door, and further into the chamber, of various kinds.
What do you do?
"It's a beautiful fountain. This place must have honored dragons...How old is it? Any idea what that writing says?"
Rifiki will quietly walk up to the fountain on the eastern wall and check it for anything (i.e traps, switches, etc)
If anything...
If nothing, Rifiki will move onto the door on the western wall and try to hear anything beyond the door to give any hints might be behind it.
"I suppose the door responds to a password or the like. Why these sorts of things are always written in riddles, I'll never know. It's like everyone was enamored with them back then or something."
S'koth looks around, taking in the grandeur of the carvings, the fountain - sniffing the air as if that alone would bring him closer to his Draconic heritage.
His reptilian eyes finally fix on the carved door on the western wall. He stands in front of it, shivering in the unearthly chill. He hunches his shoulders, grips his falchion tight and utters one dread word:
"Ashardalon!"
"Could the blood of the righteous actually mean it requires blood?" Melisaria asks. "Blood sacrifice seems in keeping with this place."
She advances to the fountain to see if there's any more detail to be seen.
S'koth blinks quickly.
"Good thinking Melisaria! Maybe we need to cut Yenli and drop her blood in the fountain!" S'koth jests, half seriously.
"Or Meepo's." he adds, before frowning - "The trackss do sseem to passs from fountain to door - right Rifiki?" S'koth naively ignores the fact that the rest of the party has eyes or brains, stereotyping the Drow Rogue as the "Scout".
S'koth turns to Meepo:
"Skava grek skorsha Drakos vodrat? (points at fountain) Kinko sklaro chi?"
Melisaria, you do not notice anything else regarding the fountain, beyond the obvious craftmanship put into it.
Rifiki, you do not hear anything beyond the Western Door, nor do you find anything unusual on it. On the fountain however, as you search it, you find a mostly worn away inscription near the bottom, with a strange word in Draconic. Nainarya
Let there be fire.
Rifiki, you also realize the tracks do not go from fountain to door, rather there are tracks all over this area, some leading to the fountain, some through the door you entered, some up to the western door, and others leading north further into the chamber. However, you do realize that in addition to the small footprints you have seen, there are also fresher, medium sized bootprints in the debris as well...
S'koth, Meepo looks thorougly befuddled and out of his element, merely shrugging his shoulders and looking at the ground in response to your question.
"I certainly hope we have a way to make fire. I forgot to pack flint and steel."
I don't have any fire, never had any use for it. I guess this shows me he says with s slight chuckle, in a hushed voice. If there is no way to create fire, I suggest we check out the western door first since it's the first one we came to, thoughts anyone. If anyone has a way to create fire, I wouldn't object to lighting a small one near the inscription to see if anything happens.
EDIT: removed rolls, since I think we're gonna light a torch to see what happens...damn my Drow curiosity lol
Melisaria agrees to light a torch if it will help the group, although she's not at all clear why.
Rifiki will help Yenli check the door for any hints or signs of what or where to ignite...sid another, take 10 gives a total of 22
In the interest of moving forward...
Rifiki, Yenli, neither one of you find anything of note regarding the inscription, the door, or the fountain. You cannot see anywhere that appears to be made to burn, or have a fire made upon it, other than the actualy basin of the fountain.
Melisaria, you light up a torch and wave it in front of the inscription, on the inscription, in the basin of the fountain, and all over the fountain and the western door, but nothing appears to have any sort of effect.
Melisaria, make me an Intelligence check.
Melisaria, two things...
First, after using the torch, and the others confirming that there does not appear to be a spot to catch on fire or anything of the sort, you think the inscription on the fountain doesnt mean you need fire, but rather that it somehow produces fire. That the translation is actually telling you what the effect is, not how to activate it.
Thinking back on your religious training and such, you suspect that the translation on the Western Door could actually be referencing Clerical abilities, such as Channel Energy and things of that nature.
Waiting on Melisaria...
Melisaria has a burst of insight. "What if the fire isn't the trigger but the outcome? We say or do the action and fire comes out? Now what could the "blood of the righteous and a show of faith" mean?"
She ponders if for a moment or two then the light of further understanding dawns. She grasps her holy symbol and calls for the Eloria the Mother to bring her energy forth in prayer...hopeful that this is what the inscription is calling for.
Hedrroth steps well back, uncertain why Melisaria thinks that triggering what sounds to him like a fire trap is a good idea.
S'koth, untrigued by developments but nonetheless cautious, follows Hedrroth's lead - moving well away from the door.
As Melisaria calls upon the power of Eloria, the Skeletal Dragons carved into the stone door begin to glow with an otherworldly light. With a grinding noise indicating the age of the doors, they slowly slide open, and a gust of cold, stale air blows out into the chamber. A scything blade slices across the door, before coming to a rest, obviously a trap that would have affected the first to attempt the door without opening it correctly first.
The room revealed is covered in thick inches of dust, and easily twenty five feet long and twenty feet wide. Five dusty sarcophagi stand on end in this silent chamber; three stand on the north wall, and two stand on the south. The carved stone sarcophagi each resemble a noble elflike humanoid in ceremonial robes. A shrine carved of obsidian is set in the center of the west wall, on which a single candle yet burns. The shrine is covered in carvings of Dragons, and sitting upon it, in addition to the burning candle, are a flask and a whistle carved out of what appears to be colored, transparent glass.
The Dragon Fountain back in the chamber you all are currently standing in does not react to the show of faith.
What do you do?
"Burial crypts in a place like this are likely a danger. Approach them with caution, but I do want to see what is on that altar."
Melisaria will wait for the more robust fighter types to enter but will come soon thereafter.
"Skathraiss!" exhales S'koth, evidently a prayer or Draconic oath.
He steps inside to secure the area, looking around but touching nothing.
Hedrroth steps gingerly forward to just outside the door and peers in.
Melisaria's excitement over the items outweighs her good sense. She steps past the warriors and into the room approaching the obsidian altar.
She looks apprasingly at the items and casts Detect Magic over them.