Karsk shrugs and nods as he moves through the door. "Waterfall"
Nigel says to the roc "STAY here, within sight of the sphinx and await my return. I will be back shortly."
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The party passes into the passage while saying the password without any plausible event. The waterlogged corridor stretches ahead. Patches of algae and lichen decorate the walls and ceiling.
After traveling 60' Aothan stops the party. He notices a pit in the floor through the mucky waters. The pit fills the width of the corridor and extends 10' before them.
Karsk peers across the pit, looking for any dangers hiding on the other side. "I have some rope and I believe I could jump across the pit and then toss over then rope. Maybe there is something to tie off to on the other side."
Aothan notes a few things to discuss, "Jumping is not necessary; I can both fly and teleport to places I've seen at my leisure, though I share the notion of safety coming first."
"If only Prudential would have been able to come on this trip. He would have flown right across this like nobody's business."
Nigel sighs for a minute then smiles as Aothan mentions flying.
"Oh, that helps tremendously!"
"Well, we could always go back and get our pets and see what happens when they walk through without speaking the answer. But it was a risk I wasn't willing to take with ol' Noggin. We've been through a lot together and for a long time. Had him since an egg, I did."
Aothan will bluntly ask a few inquiries, "Do you wish for me to fly across? Or perhaps teleport? Do you have any precautions to supply? I again offer the Aid of Heaven to anyone."
If a consensus is reached, Aothan will be the bait whatever bad thing happens here and cross as instructed.
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Aothan can easily cross the pit. Once on the other side, nothing occurs. With ropes and ingenuity, the group is able to cross the water filled pit without any event.
The corridor continues on for 70' before making a right handed turn. As the group rounds the corner, they can sense the humidity dry up. The walls of this water-filled corridor are lined with 6-foot-square, copper-colored metal plates. Those with darkvision can see the cooridor continues on past the range of what you can see.
"Good job, Aothan! Falling to the bottom would not have been a good start to this adventure. Let's see what awaits us next."
Nigel will gather his ropes and ingenuity (if there is any left to spare) and grabs his bow and pauses before pressing onward with the others.
"Say, I doubt they would hide it here, but any chance of you magic wielders wanting to detect if there is a missing magic trident in the bottom of that water? You know, since we are missing one?"
Aothan stops the party before the plates, "These are traps." He then tries to disable one (left, if it matters.)
Barely cracking through his current Aid spell, Aothan will continue his current trial until haw hits, say, 15 HP, and then only if nobody's healing him.
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Aothan tries to keep his hands steady as he begins to cook in his armor.
Aothan thinks he's about 1/2 through the traps delicate mechanisms. His skin is now blistering, then charing through his anglic skin. His clothing starts to smolder, but Aothan is able to stave off it catching fire. The longer he stays near the copper plate the hotter it appears to get. Aothan breaks free from the plate as another moment near it would surely kill him.
Aothan snaps back and quickly removes his burning chain shirt. "That was... unpleasant." He'll then Aid Himself again, and focus on lowering his Spell Resistance for if others have actual spells.
"My tools are metal. Even approaching with no armaments will suffice for such crafty means."
"Whoa! Aothan, that looks painful. Please take a break. I am not sure that is the answer and we do not want you killed!"
"I'm sorry, I don't think I have anything to help in this matter."
"Alas, I had just below the funds to purchase a wand before leaving. If anyone wants, I can return to town and buy one with a portion of the total cost."
"If you are talking a wand of cures, I have only 100 to 150 gold in cash, but think that is a grand idea."
"I do mean that. I have 600 and some remainder, and am willing to bear the brunt of the cost. Money means very little to one who needs no home or food."
"Here, I had the foresight to bring a wand of healing. Help yourself, though you may feel a little dirty for about a minute afterward, it nothing, pay no mind." Karsk says, proffering a wand.
Nigel will hand 150gp to Aothan.
"Well, I will leave it up to you. We still need to get past this room. So if a wand will help, have at it."
"A wand is a good idea. But to get through this why don't we get a scroll to protect him from fire though? Wouldn't that be more economical?"
Karsk holds his wand up toward Aothan. "Want me use it?" He says slyly.
"Though grateful, and I thank you for the offer, I will be going with the less legally-binding option." he nods to the half-orc. "Is there anoy other purchases needed from town while I am there?"
"We will be waitin' for you, bud!"
Nigel will continue to ponder the firey traps in the room while Aothan is gone.
"Well, that way quick. Did they have the wand? We did not touch anything yet. Was going to look for other ideas or what goodies you brought back."
Given the money he now owes, Aothan goes back upstairs (informing the room of Waterfalls as suggested to not explode.) From upstairs, he'll use Greater Teleport to return to town and buy a wand of cure light wounds. Then he'll return in the same manner.
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The sphinx nods silently at Aothan's caution as he passes the threshold while saying the correct password.
Once he reaches the surface, Aothan pops in and out of existence at the town. He is able to find a wand of cure light wounds at the temple. The priest gives him a nod and silent prayer.
Aothan returns without any other event.
What would you like to do?
After a gratuitous amount of wanding, Aothan will suggest maybe overcoming another riddle.
"That wand will be empty before we hit the next room. " the Halfling half smiles, but switches to a look of genuine concern.
"If you do not think you were getting close on that trap, then I agree with another route as well. "
The Halfling greets his roc companion as if it had been months since they parted.
Turning towards the sphinx to answer her quesitions with a few of his own.
"Perhaps. What can you say of the other routes? Are they all warded the same as this? And how long have you been here anyway?"
"Well, I suppose you have riddles for the other three. How about we try the next one. Unless you just want to tell riddles for fun. I love them you know. "
"Yes, let's try another tunnel and see if that yields better results. Although I still think some resistance or protection from fire might have gotten us through that trapped room."
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"I could be here all day with riddles. But I feel you want to get moving a long. Let's see . . . ah yes."
The sphinx then points to the eastern hall way.
"This riddle is one of my favorites:
My creator wants me not,
And much in dread will I be bought.
My cold embrace is fiercely fought,
Most all who need me know it not."
"Sounds like something to do with death," Leo postulates to his friends.
"Aye, like a coffin or something along those lines? . " the Halfling replies back to Leopold.
"Hmm, yes! That fits all of the lines I think. Well, I suppose I'll be the first to try."
Leo walks towards the tunnel and announces, "coffin,"[/b] as he walks down.
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Leopold says Coffin as he passes the eastern tunnel and nothing occurs.
The rest of the party, saying Coffin, cross without any episode as well. The waterlogged corridor stretches on ahead. The walls and ceiling are covered with a patchwork of algae and lichen.
As the party passes, globs of algae and slime drip and drop to the ground but none strike the party. The tunnel bends and turns but soon comes to another junction. One passage leads to the north while the other leads south.
Which way do you go?
"Well, one way is good as another..." Nigel pulls out a copper piece to flip.
"North ok? "
"North it is." Leopold agrees.
"Say, Nigel, do the others seem a bit standoffish to you? Wonder if we said something to upset them, they've been awful quiet since we turned away from that fire thing."