Capricia moves about 10 feet to intercept the nearest pair of assassins, readying an attack if they move within 5 feet of her.
Hopefully this gives the others time to get their weapons ready.
for
As Marcus watches the Grand Prince thrust his dagger through Kalbio, his feet begin moving him toward the stage, seemingly against his will, and dark thoughts start to run through his head.
They kill us, they kill us all. We must get our retribution. Blackfingers, guide my hand and protect me against all who would stand in the way of your will.
His hand moves toward the dagger at his belt, but when he finds it peace-bonded, he ignores it and continues toward the Grand Prince and the weaver. The panic - and particularly the shout from the Vudrani Lion Blade - shakes Marcus from his trance. He stops in place and scans the scene.
There's nothing I can do for him now, and I have a duty to uphold - I will place my faith in Eutropia, Lotheed, and this group for now.
He begins to unwrap his dagger, searching for one of the assassins.
Celad moves up and joins Capricia to put themselves between the others and the approaching assassins. Celad works to unbind his weapon. Sara yells out and her voice seems to carry rather well inspiring everyone around her. Rossana moves closer to Martella and calls on her mystical powers to Bless all of her allies, including Martella. Marcus works to unbind his dagger in the chaos around him.
Members of the Lion Blades fight valiantly against the assassins but they are far outnumbered. They manage to strike down 6 assassins throughout the senate floor but the assassins are cutting through the crowd and the Lion Blades at a much quicker rate.
The two assassins approaching the group move in range and Caprcia strikes out. She slahes into the assassin but it only seems to anger the man who glares at her "Your little paper cut won't save your life b!@$%!"
While Celad fumbles with the peace binding the two men attack, one each on Celad and Capricia.
It all happens so quickly Celad gets hit first as the blades crashes down on his aid badge, shattering it, before cutting into the man. The other raises his blood drenched bastard sword and brings it to bear against Capricia. Just as the blade begins to cut into her flesh, there is a blinding flash of light, and when it fades, only blackness and the smell of cold earth remain. It is pitch black and ominously silent.
None of you are on the senate floor any longer -- but where are you?
Faded wallpaper lines the walls of this thirty-five-foot-by thirty-five-foot room, peeling up at the seams. Six beds line the western wall, each pristinely made but caked in a thick layer of dust. Eight closed wooden lockers line the northeastern corner of the room. Two doors exit the room: one to the north and one to the east. A panel of brass and glass is on the wall next to the door leading north. There is another door to the south that also leads east.
"Is that you, Bimble?" Capricia asks the darkness. "Are we dead?" There's a little pain in her side where she'd failed to parry the black-clad assassin's attack...but nowhere near what she was expecting.
What's happening with those things? Why are they glowing?
Marcus is temporarily blinded by a bright light before finding himself in total darkness.
"If you're dead, I am too. Can anyone give us some light? I didn't bring my matches with me to the party..."
"I never learned that one... creating light, I mean. Always seemed more interesting to make things float, pass whispered messages, or heat my drink. The city always had light. What would be the point." Sara stops herself from rambling. The fear in her voice is evident. Some hero of the people she is.
"Our badges.. They erupted in light before whatever just happened. Did anyone else see that. Also I... I saw Celad die. Lots of people die. And poor Kalbio, he was so proud! We have to get back, to help. Somehow." her voice trailed off in the silence.
Rossana looks around uneasily before realizing that her companions seem to be unable to see. "Hang on a moment." Undoing her peace-bound dagger, Rossana pulls out a small vial with a little, glowing firefly within. Starting a small, quick chant, Rossana transfers and intensifies the glow into her dagger, shedding light for the rest of her allies.
"Alright, that should do for now. I didn't notice the light on our badges, mostly because it was way too chaotic in there! The Grand Prince stabbed that man! And then everyone started fighting, and... This is a lot to take in."
After catching her breath, Rossana looks around the room once more, trying to take in where they are. Moving to the lockers, Rossana carefully opens them to try to not get any dust on herself. "I think we've been teleported or something, but where?"
With the light from Rossana's spell now illuminating the room you look about. Faded wallpaper lines the walls of this thirty-five-foot-by thirty-five-foot room, peeling up at the seams. Six beds line the western wall, each pristinely made but caked in a thick layer of dust. Eight closed wooden lockers line the northeastern corner of the room. Two doors exit the room: one to the north and one to the east. A panel of brass and green glass is on the wall next to the door leading north. There is another door to the south that also leads east.
As Rossana starts opening the lockers inside one she does find a few items. The one locker contains a grooming kit, a moth-eaten change of clothes, and a simple hand mirror, but the rest are empty.
While she searches, your badges buzz and you can hear Martella's voice in your heads. "Where did you go?! I just saw you and several others in the senate vanish into thin air!"
"We don't know, but we are all here. A small room, six beds, lots of dust. Are you and the princess alright?" Sara asks with trepidation. While she waits for an answer, she'll concentrate and cast Sift.
Capricia stands guard near Bimble as he fiddles with the strange wall panel. She tells the others she'll save her return message for later, in case this is a once-a-day ability of the badges.
Sara uses a spell to quickly search the area but doesn’t seem to find anything of note. Bimble brushes the layer of dust off the brass and glass plate. When he touches it, there is a brief click, but you don’t notice any other effect.
"Doesn't that spell have a range limit?" Rossana asks, referring to the message from Martella. "If so, we must not be too far away. For now, though, let's try getting out of here."
Bimble takes some time to detect magic in the room. He finds two sources of magic in the room, a faint aura is emanating from four round circles on the ceiling and the brass and glass plate. The circles and plate have an aura of evocation magic.
Marcus starts moving around the room slowly, checking for traps. He starts with the doors, but then moves over to where Bimble hears the click.
Taking a look around Marcus doesn't find anything of particular note, other than what has already been found.
"She did say that others disappeared as well, though. So we're probably not alone in here." Expecting a closet of sorts, Rossana opens the door to the southeast.
Sara will rummage in one of the beds, to see if the second layer (like a sheet under a blanket) is not quite as nastily caked in dust. If so she'll take one and drape it over her shoulders like a shawl, and letting the rest wrap around her dress as best as possible, like a 'mess' shield.
Her cheeks will turn a little rosy if anyone looks or asks why, deflecting with "We might need a rope or to tie up one of those assassins."
Armored up she'll get ready in case something jobs out of the door Rossana opened.
"Ah, about those assassins...," Capricia says hesitantly. "They might be more than a match for us. The one I struck laughed off my attack like it was a gnat bite, and his return strike was faster than I could defend against. We might want to run if we meet any more of them."
With the magic not being active it is hard to discern the actual effect of the circles on the ceiling, aside from it being a faint evocation aura.
Rossana opens the door to the southeast to find a small bathroom that appears to still be functional even though it is covered in a layer of dust.
"This would be a cozy little suite, if not for the disuse." Sara muses. "One door left." Sara will open it.
Capricia acts as a bodyguard as Sara opens the door(s).
Sara shakes her head, noticing another door just as she starts opening the one to the north. Too much excitement has clouded her senses it seems. Already committed though, Sara continues to open the door in hand.
Sara throws the northern door open to find an unlit hallway that is ten-foot-by-twenty-foot. It ends at yet another doorway, however, there is a sliver of light spilling out from the crack beneath the door.
Marcus moves to the front of the group, detecting for traps as he moves. If he doesn't detect any, he moves toward the doorway at the end of the hall and listens closely at it.
How strange this all is. Where have we found ourselves? Can't be too careful.
Marcus moves ahead and doesn't find any signs of traps. There also doesn't seem to be any noise from the other side of the door.
Opening the door, as opposed to the previous room, the circles on the ceiling here are illuminated, casting light through out the room.
A wooden counter juts from the northwest corner of this thirty-foot- by-thirty-foot chamber. Open cabinets of dusty liquor bottles stand behind the bar, while one cabinet remains tightly sealed with a visible lock. Three tables with adjacent chairs fill much of the room. Portraits of posing nobles and historical scenes adorn the walls, all faded with age. The only other door exits to the east. There is another brass and green glass plate near the eastern door.
Bimble gives the room a quick scan for magical auras. Other than the light and the wall plate, he detects a magical aura on the locked cabinet. Taking some time to study it he finds a moderate aura of transmutation. It appears the wood of the cabinet has been magically treated to better preserve and protect it.
After looking over the pictures it's evident that they are pretty old but hard to pinpoint exactly. However, his best guess is around 100 years old.
"So...this thing makes the ceiling light up?" Rossana comments, trying the work the wall plate to make the lights go off and on. "If this was already on, though, then someone must have been here earlier."
Sara will also cast her sift spell to check on additional items left unseen.
"A bar, coupled with sleeping quarters, and a bathroom. Very nice... at least once was." as she wanders around looking at the liquir bottles, and seeing if any of them have dates, she listens to Bimble. "Galitian? I've heard of him, not much more than the name and what you've said, but shows I listened to my elder's stories at least once in a while." she smiles over at the gnome.
Abou the lights, "Unless Bimble pressing the plate in the other room activated anything. Are there any footprints... other than ours?" She'll look down in hopes the haven't obliterated evidence.
She will also aid another when Marcus wishes to pick/disarm.
Sara uses her magic to search through the room. Many of the liquors here have soured or evaporated away over the apparent eons they have been here, but two bottles of whiskey remain sealed in wax and appear to be in good shape. She also finds a wand and a particularly nice looking spoon in a drawer under the bar.
Afterwards Sara goes to work on the locked cabinet, but doesn't seem to have much luck. The mechanisms are quite complex and she thinks it is likely beyond her skill to pick.
As Rosanna pushes on the plate their is a brief click each time, but you don't see any apparent effect.
There are no apparent footprints in the layer of dust on the floor, other than your own.
So this thing doesn't do that. Hmm... "Let's keep going." After letting Marcus do his thing, Rossana will open the door to the east.
"That sounds perfect." Sara says to Bimble's explaination, more dread in her voice than excitement do to the thought of being stuck down here so long starvation is an option. "I've never heard of my brand of magic being able to conjure up dinner though. And our estimeed chef would be better at turning gruel into something edible than me. If it doesn't rise, I'm all thumbs." says the baker as she wiggles her thumbs in emphasis.
"Hmm...could the panels somehow control the doors, locking and unlocking them?" Capricia wonders aloud. She gives the gruel-producing spoon the same sort of hateful glare she once shot Lady Martella's way.
Deciding to press on you let Marcus do his thing and check the door.
Not finding any threat he steps aside and let's Capricia open the door. On the other side is another ten-by-twenty foot hallway leading to another door. You all give the hallway a quick look for any signs of traps before moving on.
Not noticing anything Marcus goes to check the other door.
Finding this door safe as well, Capricia opens it to another room shrouded in darkness. Heavy wooden bookshelves line the walls of this opulent bedchamber. A posh chair sits in the northwestern corner alongside a small circular table. An ornate golden key rests in a layer of dust on the small table. A massive bed and an adjoining table rest along the eastern side of the room. An open bathroom fits into the southwest, with a bathtub matching the room’s opulence. Another closed door exits to the south, with a brass and green glass plate is on the wall nearby.
Bimble looks the room over for any sources of magic. He eventually finds a strong aura of conjuration magic from a spot on the floor near one of the bookshelves. Sara uses her spell to quick search the room.
The first thing that draws her attention is a scroll case hanging from the railing of the bathtub. This bronzed and pitted case opens to reveal a tattered note that reads: “Fourth bed from the north. Comforter. Backup key.” She also finds a hand mirror and a frayed brush rest on the sink in the bathroom.
"Fourth bed from the north? Anyone have any ideas which that could be?"
"The first room we 'showed up' in had six beds. We should probably search the fourth one from whatever direction north is. I usually use city land marks to tell direction, and so far we've seen no windows. I guess we could search both beds that are fourth from a wall."
Sara will look to see if there is any hair in the brush, just since she is in an investigative mood. Since other ordinary things have been tinged with magic she'll ask Bimble "Is there anything magical about the mirror and brush, hopefully nothing gruel related this time."
Rossana nods in agreement about the key. "I'll go check," she says, grabbing the key on the table as she heads back to the first room. She checks both possible beds and comforters for anything resembling a key.
Searching the beds, you eventually find another key. This smaller key, as compared to the one on the table you picked up, appears it would fit in the locked cabinet.
Trying the key the cabinet unlocks. Inside the locked cabinet is something that resembles an immovable crystal ball built into the wall. The appears to be missing a rectangular, leaving a hole in the top of the device.
Sara follows Rossana, and marvels a bit at the crystal ball. "Master Bimble." she calls to him quietly, after heading back into the opulent room to get his attention. "Rossana found something very interesting. Would you mind looking at it to see what you think?"
When Bimble hits the panel on the wall the lights go off in the dining room. If he hits it again the lights come back on in that same room.
Examining the magic Bimble can't quite tell what it is, since whatever magic is there hasn't been used in a very long time. Without seeing it active it's too difficult to tell the specific function. However, he is confident it is not a trap, but likely something that needs to be manually activated somehow.
Bimble detects a faint aura of divination magic from the crystal ball. Once again, he isn't quite sure of the use, it isn't a magic item per say, but seems to a piece of a magical contraption, possibly with some link to the conjuration aura in the other room. However, he can't be certain especially since the crystal ball appears to be missing a piece.