Zerik returns to his companions matter of factly stating, "There door was trapped, now it is not, but it is also a false doorway. I am not able to find another way through. Perhaps some magic may hold the answer. Be wary though, the words carved on the wall say, "Thou were deceived. Pain is thy reward." I would keep those wands at the ready.
Nahia will furrow her brow at Zericks comment. She will think for a moment before saying, "There must be something we missed. I don't have any magic for finding these kinds of things, but I can help you reach your full potential while you look again, if you'd like."
"Your success is determined by ability and will. You have the ability, focus your will... Your success is..."
You search again, this time with Nahia support, but you still could not find anything.
Taking that as a insult to your skills, you do a complete search in the place, if there's a door now, surely you will find it. And ther's two secret doors in this place.
None of then as trapped.
After looking once more, and still not finding anything, Zerik seens pissed off and spend a really long time looking into the room. He discover then, two other doors, one in the north, other in the south.
After opening, the door in the north conceals a small niche.
Inside that niche is a small pedestal that holds a jewel that glows with pale blue light. It is cold to the touch.
There is another inscription: “Thou hast seen through deception to uncover a useful tool.”
This ‘jewel’ is a cleverly crafted bit of sealed quartz. Inside the quartz is alchemist’s ice. If thrown the jewel breaks and explodes exactly as alchemist’s fire but instead inflicts cold damage.
The south door leads to a passage to the next chamber.
The short passage from the north ends in a wooden door with another inscription: “Following the herd is for fools. Fear not their icy derision. Instead, fear only thy Infernal Lord.”
Inside the stone chamber, there are four doors – each facing a cardinal direction. The entire chamber seems strangely cold. The ground is dirty and dusty And Zerik notices that at least a dozen individuals have walked towards the southern and the eastern doors. No one seems to have approached the western door. This room is also lit with a small oil lantern that hangs from the ceiling. There is a small amount of frost on the lantern’s glass panes.
The eastern and southern doors are plain wooden doors.
The western door is covered in a strange pulsating violet mold.
Following the herd is foolish but so is blindly trusting words on a wall.
Zerik examines the mould attempting to dicifer what it is?
As you walk towards to door, it gets colder, really colder.
Nahia will look examine the odd gem before announcing, ”I’m not sure what this is, but the inscriptions makes it obvious that it is supposed to be helpful in the trials. Does anyone else want to take a look? Maybe together we can figure it out...”
- - - - -
Nahia, will lightly rub her exposed stomach when feeling the cold. Upon reading the inscriptions, she thinks to herself:
"Following the herd is for fools"... Well, this one seems obvious enough."
Nahia will comment, "It seems that we should go to the door without footprints, but what is that stuff growing on it?"
While he does not know what the mold is, Zerik thinks he understands what the nature of the mold. He does not continue towards it instead he says, "Perhaps we may counter the mold with the fire. Fire is favoured by Asmodeous is it not?"
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Seren walks through the first room, letting Zerik handle the first puzzle. She chuckles under her breath at his insistence of finding everything in the room.
"Nahia past me the gem. Maybe I'll have more luck trying to sort this thing out."
Recognizing what the quartz is Seren laughs aloud, a huge smirk on her face as she looks at Nahia. "I'm surpised you couldn't figure it out Nahia. Looks like some Alchemist Ice, figured our resident alchemist would have know that."
Thinking over the latest riddle and noticing the room get steadily colder as they approach the western door Seren will back up, and take a couple of steps towards each of the other doors, feeling for temperature variations in the air as she approaches them.
hmm I wonder if perhaps the western door is also too obvious a choice.
Seren looks over at Zerik. "That's not a bad idea."
Nahia smiles at Seren and says "Well, if I was perfect I never would have ended up in Brandescar." She'll then grin widely and say "Besides, I'm only perfect on average."
"If anyone has a torch or bit of cloth I can light it and we can see what happens." Nahia says, snapping her fingers, creating a few sparks in their friction.
Nahia, thinking about the chill in the room, and the obvious cold effects, begins to become concerned about the possibility of magic. She mutters something under her breath, "Spirits, grant me sight beyond the natural, into the realm of will and whimsy.", before a brief iridescent shimmer appears across her irises, and then fades away.
No magic is detected in the room.
Looking around Zerik doesn't see any of his companions carrying anything to burn the mold. "Wait here. I might have a solution." Zerik struts off into the first room and attempts to use his greatsword to unhook the lantern from it's perch.
Successfully bringing the lantern down Zerik quickly makes his way back to the others. "Let us see if this works. BURN WITH THE FIRE OF ASMODEOUS!" he yells as the tosses the burning oil lantern at the mold.
As you throw the lantern, the fire ends and the mold immediately doubles it size, the cold where you are really strong, even hurting.
You know if you continue where you are it will hurt even more next time.
The sudden burst of cold surprises Zerik and he jumps back dropping his sword, the metal turning so cold it burns his hands.
"Throw the ice shard object at it." he tries to scream his voice coming out in a frozen chatter.[b]"
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Nahia jumps back, startled at the molds sudden growth and the growing chill in the room. She looks at Zerik and says "Are you alright? Do you need healing?" while bringing a wand, like polished bone tipped with a small red sphere, to bear.
"Cold. Cold. Cold. Nope not dressed for this." Seren yells, clutching at the icy quartz. "Here goes nothing."
Seren pitches the Alchemist's Ice towards the mold on the door. Running towards the first room the moment she releases it.
Zerik is surprised at the concern from Nahia. "The master would have laughed at me and mocked my suffering. Insulting me for being hurt by a little cold. Perhaps there is a higher purpose at work. We worked well together in our escape from the prison. I thought we were allies of necessity though this seems like more.
Zerik reflects on what it would be like to have true allies and what responsibilities that would entail as a blast of healing emanates from the wand slowly draining the cold from him.
"Thank you Nahia. I am better now." he says seeing a different being, something more than just a heartless killer.
"I hope that works. he thinks as Seren throws Alchemist's Ice towards the mold.
The quartz explode when it hits the mold dealing Ice Damage. The mold crumbles and dies. The cold subdue and you already can feel the room getting warmer.
Nahia smiles at Zerick, saying "You are very welcome." before moving up and patting him on the shoulder.
She will then turn to Seren and say "Nice throw. Now let us get out of here."
The western door leads to a vaguely u-shaped passage that leads to another closed door.
The western door is plain wood with yet another inscription: “Know your enemy. Shatter all that blinds you and then burn thy adversary to ashes.”
You hear no sound on the other side.
The door is unlocked.
Zeriks open the door, and even tho he can see in it, you can tell it's a dark room. If was not for your darkvision, you would not be seeing anything inside.
There are two other doors inside this room and strange fissures in the ground (an inch). In the middle of the room there's a small stone.
It's a faint aura, the evocation school, the aura comes from the stone.
Upon reading the sign Zerik brings the greatsword up swiftly, ready for anything, glad that the drop from earlier hadn't damaged the blade. He looks to his companions he has learned are more knowledgeable about such things, "There is something strange about this room."
Upon reading the inscription, Nahia thinks to herself:
”Shatter all that blinds you.” Hmm, I’m not sure what that means yet. But it might be obvious when the door is opened. Then there is “burn thy adversary to ashes”. That seems very direct to me.
After seeing the darkness, and the gem in the center of the room, Nahia will speak to the others, ”Hold one moment, let me check something.”
Once again, she will mutter under her breath, "Spirits, grant me sight beyond the natural, into the realm of will and whimsy.", before a brief iridescent shimmer appears across her irises, and then fades away.
Nahia will turn to her companions and say ”Once again, this is most likely obvious, but we should probably get out our alchemical fire. Maybe we should bring out a torch for Eric?"
Nahia herself will retrieve a flask from her haversack.
Seren takes a step into the new room, noticing the stone on the ground.
She takes a moment, studying the stone, the tickle of a magic aura cascades down her spine.
I recognize that particular feeling.
"May not need the alchemist fire. That stone is enchanted with an evocation of some sort. Missing the alchemist's ice, and now the aura from the stone...Seems unlike you Nahia."
Perhaps I overestimated her knowlege?
Nahia will try to keep Seren from actualy entering the room, entering the darkness. "I wouldn't step inside. "burn thy adversary to ashes" remember? Asmodeus wouldn't have us burn darkness, even in symbolism."
After Seren studies the stone and reports back, Nahia will glower a bit before saying "I've had a lot on my mind lately with all of this... Anyway, let's shatter it from here. Remember what the door said, " Shatter all that blinds you"? Zerick, do you think you can hit it with a ranged weapon from here?"
Zerik sheathes the greatsword and withdraws the bow. He pulls on the bowstring checking to make sure the pull is right then he knocks an arrow. He takes careful aim, lining up the target, the releases the arrow with his sword hand.
The arrow barely misses its mark. "Damn it! he curses and tries once more.
A smile spreads across his face as the arrow flies true.
As was speaking and Zerik trying to destroy the stone with this bow, you all see a strange mist leaving the floor, passing throught the fissures.
It's a monster known was Vampiric Mist.
It... sucks blood? (Con DMG)
In those case when he is able to heal itself, for a brief moment, it is extremaly fast. (Gains a move action.)
"Rotten un'! There's a strange mist!" yells the ogre.
Shatter all that blinds you and then burn thy adversary to ashes. Well I can certainly help with the burning part.
"Now might be a good time for that Alchemist's Fire..." Seren whispers, unlatching the pack from her back and quickly grabbing a flask from its gaping maw.
"If we are going to deal with that stone I suggest we do it quickly."
Nahia look at Seren and hoists the flask in her hand, saying "Why not bring a little light to the situation?"
"No worries, I brought my own," says Eric retrieving his own torch and lighting it. Once lit, he affixes the torch to his shield sconce.
__________
At first, upon seeing the mist Eric reaches for his sword, but then realizes that it would be useless against mist. After seeing Nahia throw the alchemist's fire, he then goes to retrieve the alchemist's fire that Nahia gave him.
Waiting a moment to see the effects of her attack, Eric stands poised to throw his own should the Nahia's initial not be enough.
Zerik recoils from the mist, unsure of what it is. "How does one fight mist? he wonders taking a few steps back, concern showing on his face. This is no opponent I can slay with a sword.
I have no idea what this thing is, but we can hurt it.
Nahia speaks to her companions, exclaiming "The fire hurt it! It feels pain!"
I don't have any more alchemical fire, nor any way to create fire. I really don't want to appear useless or weak given the faltering that I have already shown... I guess I'll try what the thing I know best...
Nahia takes a step back and begins speaking in lilting tones, saying "Creature of the mist, hear my voice, and return to your slumber..."
"It seems like the stone is the source of it. Zerik moves into the room and attempts to smash the stone in with his sword.
x DC 14
The mist fall asleep and with one powerful sword swing Zerik destroy the stone. The unnatural darkness vanish, but the room is still dark.
After putting the mist to 'sleep' Nahia confirns it is a monster, and then everyone attacks it while it cannot defend itself.
They are untrapped and unlocked.
The door in the oposite direction from where you came, A passage connects room with the fissures to this other room. Upon the door is an inscription: “The chosen are revealed by their might. The weak deserve no sympathy.”
It is untrapped and unlocked.
This chamber is lit by an oil lantern hanging from its center.
South is a barred door. The bar is heavy but easily lifted.
A short passage leads north from room with the fissues.
At the end of the passage is another wooden door. Unsurprisingly the door is inscribed with yet another platitude: “Cruelty is a tool not a pastime. Be ruthless to thy enemy but reward those who serve thee well.”
There is only one thing in this room – a torturer’s rack.
This cruel implement is functional and ready for use but currently empty. The chamber is lit by an oil lantern that hangs from the center of the room.