Ibrox struggles mightily to put his back into it.
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"Trapped you say? Ah, that is a bad way to go, just laying in a puddle, entrapped, robbed of even the chance to bleed to death and just waiting for the gnawing thirst to steal you life. Aye, let's be about it."
Aterro strides the way to the trapped miners. As he settles in to lift he mutters a brief prayer. "Anything worth doing is worth dying for..."
Aterro growls in frustration. "I can not get a good grip on this fallen junk." He looks around, tentatively reaching for his hammer. "I might be able to get a good swing at this beam, and dislodge it, although I can not guarantee its...precision."
STR Check
Vrindel moves forward, and grasps the beam lifting it off the men.
"Hurry! Pull them out! This thing is heavy".
Trevor helps Aterro to lift the rubbles and free the men, dead or alive. He stays well away from Vrindel, still not comfortable with the spider form.
"Is the other one really dead? Are we too late?!"
Neither Zove or Aterro, even with Trevor's help can budge the big beam. All they seem to succeed in doing is causing a few more bits of rock and dirt to crumble from the tunnel roof.
But the effort may not have been for nothing as Vrindel is able to pull free the first victim. Then trying a different approach the shadow fey manages to yank the second free, waking him from his unconscious state for just long enough for him to scream out in pain (and the sight of a trollkin and shadow fey standing over him) before he feints again. Both men appear to still be alive, although badly wounded and malnourished.
Without the bodies underneath and someone managing the weight of the beam, it shifts again, this time causing more rubble and dirt to tumble into the room as the clattering of the small collapse echoes through the underground passages. Fortunately the minor cave in causes no real harm except creating a lot of noise and filling the room with a cloud of choking dust.
Trevor takes a step back. Now that the two are pulled out, he's not sure what else he should do. He looks to Vrindel and only now computes that he is no longer a spider.
He decides to move to one of the passages and listen for trouble, axe ready.
"Let's take these guys and get out of here. We need to rest up before we go any further... and before that...". the big Trollkin holds up a finger, and lifts one big ear. "Gets here".
Perception
He sling one of the men over his shoulder, and begins to work himself back to the surface.
"We need to find somewhere safe to rest for the evening".
"Yeah, we need to go back up now-now!"
And he grabs the second injured peasant and heads back up.
Ibrox doesn't need to be told twice to retreat.
You all quickly grab the wounded men and retreat back up the stairs and out into the open courtyard. Both men still seem to be hanging on, but are severely injured. One has a badly crushed leg and remains unconscious. The other seems a bit better off, but is clearly suffering from a lack of water and food as well as a dislocated shoulder and cracked ribs. His eyes flutter open as you set him down in the open air.
"Wh...wh...where...what? Thank the gods. You got us out of there? Did Eadeger send you?" He says weakly, but then his eyes swivel toward the opening of the keep. "Wait...Don't stop here!" He says trying to drag himself toward the path down the hill. "Those things'll get us for sure. You've got to run...run!"
"Someone get these guys some water while I tend to their wounds. Does anybody know of somewhere to hole up for the evening, that might be safe... or at least safer than here"?
Vrindel uses his last two 1st level slots for a cure wounds spell for each. First is for the conscious one, second for the unconscious one.
CW #1
CW #2
We can speak more after we find a safe place to camp.
"Let's just stay in the tent. Attero can clobber anything that comes up the stairs." The wounded by cheerful gnome replies to the trollkin.
He offers rations and water to the former prisoners and asks, "Hey, we just defeated the Reavers and liberated the town, so relax. Who's Eadeger? And, tell us about the necromancer and what you know that can help us save your friends."
Trevor looks around to find a way to turn the area around the tent somewhat safer, but fails. He really just wants to go back to their previous campsite. His feet say otherwise, but he manages to ignore them.
While Vrindel does what he can to help the villagers, Zove spends the next several minutes pondering the residual elements, symbols, and energies surrounding the chest and it's magical trap.
At first, there is simply too little for the shadow mage to work with, but then Snicker gives a quick chirp and taps at another set of symbols etched into the lid and partially hidden but the inner lining. This new find seems to allow many of the puzzle pieces to click into place.
She pulls out a small knife and begins carving some additional symbols and roughly changing a few of the existing ones. The chest could remain the trigger, but she still needed some blood to help rebuild the energy needed for the gate. Her eyes flick to Trevor as he circles the tent for the dozenth time, but then with a quick shake of head she simply decides to poke her own finger with the small knife. Slowly the blood drips onto the now closed lid and lock of the chest. Eight...nine...ten drops.
She can once again feel the power fueling the magic as the modified trap appears to be reset and functioning again.
There's a look of triumph in her eyes that quickly turns to alarm as, only moments later, the warning spell she set back inside the ruin jangles furiously in her head.
While Zove puzzles over the chest and trap, Ibrox's initial attempts to gather any meaningful information from the two men are foiled by their exhausted and still fairly delusional state. Despite the healing of the body, their minds still hold a stark terror that has the one man mostly babbling about running and needing to escape and the other still unconscious. But for one short moment the one seems to be more aware of the gnome and the questions being asked.
"Eadeger...yes...yes...he must have made it out." He says, still breathing heavily. "He was quicker, got out before...before...IT came through. Past the guards...saw him make it to the stairs." His eyes grow wide and terror starts to grip him again, but he manages a few more moments of clarity.
"Dead...the Morgau bastard is dead...but, oh gods, what killed him...and that little creature. Thought he was harmless...but no..no not harmless at all." He suddenly breaks down into quiet sobs and his eyes are wild again as he looks toward the door and then reaches out to grab Ibrox. "Run! We've got to run! It's our only hope. He has the spear now."
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Attero keeps a sharp eye until the men are dumped in what will be their resting spot and he keeps up an active watch.
His natural clerical training makes him thinking of Healing the men, but as Vrindel steps up to the task, he just nods. "Aye, good. I'll save my remaining power for the night."
The news from the deranged man is disturbing. Most like it means that little creature now has the spear he is looking for?
"I will take first watch. Gather your strength."
Facing the awful cavern, he takes knee and meditates on the fate of the Shards of Divinity.
Ibrox shrugs at the villagers and goes to find a comfortable spot in the tent for a short rest.
Vrindel watches Zove's work with interest. He lets his Ley Line sense extend to see if anything is shifting concerning those.
"What are you doing with that? Be careful, remember what happened last time".
Assuming that Zove shares what is being attempted...
"Do you really think it will work? If not what might be the outcome? It would be the safest place to wait out the evening... I think anyway, but we can't separate the group... particularly if danger approaches.
Vrindel raises his voice so that everyone can hear.
"Zove might have discovered a way to hide us in a place for the evening. There is danger involved however there is also danger is taking on whatever approaches with our resources nearly depleted. If we vote to try her way it must be unanimous. We'll leave nobody behind. I vote to try the extra dimensional Inn".
Ibrox perks up from his small next. "Dimension inn? I'm in." He wonders if this 'inn' is just as powerful as his redcap to hide him from the Grandmother. It would be nice to scratch the top of his head.
The red glow from the passage is dimmer, nearly gone leaving much of the room in darkness. It takes a few moments to spot, but then you see it. A single rubbery tentacle, exploring the opening. At first it is only one, then another slithers past the alarm, then another. Soon a half dozen stretch two or three feet into the room. Swirling, reaching, exploring. Each one emanating the cold, chaotic energy of the void.
"Bigger... Yeah, I say we take a few steps back then. We need a safe place to lay our head down."
Would Ibrox have a guess of any weaknesses of a bigger void squid, besides ranged attacks?
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Aterro steps back into the tent and with a soft click Zove opens the chest. With the sound of the lock still echoing softly in your ears, each of you suddenly feel yourself stretched in every direction at once like a skin stretched over and infinitely large drum, which is in turn being played by an enthusiastic storm giant child. Just as it seems like you will burst apart, shattering into nothing but your elemental essence, your body, mind and soul slam back into existence....only to go through the entire process again...and again...and again. Each cycle is a little easier and shorter than the previous, like a ball slowly bouncing to a stop until everything finally comes to a blessed rest.
Each of you are dizzy, nauseous, and feel utterly and completely exhausted. But find yourselves in a four way intersection of a simple set of stone walled corridors, lit by a slowly burning sconces. The air is slightly damp, cool and smells of musty dirt and stone. You hear nothing but your own heavy breathing as your stomach continues to do flip-flops and get rid of anything you've eaten over the last day.
After Ibrox finishes dry heaving on the floor, he rolls over on his back to examine the ceiling. He starts counting the stones until the room stops spinning. "Is this better? Are we sure that we can escape on command?"
With anything resembling positive answers to his questions, the wounded and nauseous gnome breaks out his waterskin and some dry rations for an unhealthy does of salt. While slowly chewing, he magically cleans all the vomit from the room and ensures it smells fresh.
He continues finishing the pair of dwarven leather clothes for the lady in exchange for the tools, until he feels drowsy enough to sleep. Then, he curls up in his traveling cloak and passes out.
============ later ==============
After breaking his fast when everyone has completed their long rest, he asks to no one in particular, "So, what's the plan?"
Vrindel did not expect the voyage to be pleasant... he knew Zove... but even he was unprepared for the unsettling journey. At least his sturdy constitution helped him survive more easily than some of his other companions. After helping his companions, and the two rescued villagers get more comfortable, he found a place to sleep, and drifted off with dreams of Giants playing drums polluting his dreams.
"Woah..." says Trevor as his body and stomach get wrenched.
"Woah!" he adds when the others start puking around him.
"Right, I'm not staying here... I'm gonna see if the old man is back, then I'll find a place to sleep, far from here. It's too... Raunchy in here!"
He returns in the morning with a big smile on his face, until he remembers where he is and what's waiting for them out there.
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The cloak feels light, but strong. In fact stronger than most fabrics and resistant to attempts to pierce or tear it in any way.
The book is scuffed and old looking on the outside, but the interior pages are in almost new condition and covered with a very fine, small handwriting accompanied by various diagrams, tables, and other notes. Most of which involving the various states of life, death, and removing blood from a wide range of creatures. Much of the information appears to be well beyond your knowledge and experience, but you do understand some of the concepts.
The time in Zove's makeshift sanctuary passes uneventfully. Trevor wanders down the corridor a way, but ultimately finds himself back near the center of the maze and the rest of his companions, despite whatever twists and turns he makes during his explorations. (And the old man he is constantly speaking about is nowhere to be found.) Eventually even the restless teenager finds a spot to throw his blankets and fall asleep.
It is hard to tell given the lack of any kind of daylight or other way to tell time within this maze like dimension, but you all sleep and wake after what you believe to be a full eight hours. Or in Zove's case meditate and then spend several hours in deep study of the items found inside the chest.
But you wake up cold and shivering. Over the last hour or two, the temperature has slowly but steadily dropped making the air cold enough you can see your breath as you breathe. A thin frost lines the rims of waterskins and the small pools of vomit from those who didn't make the transition easily are now frozen solid.
Although the sconces still burn, they never really gave off any heat and there doesn't seem to be any wood, coal, or other fuel for an actual fire.
Recovered from many of their wounds thanks to Vrindel's healing. The two villagers wake up shortly after you do. Teeth chattering they look around confused at both their surroundings and you.
"W-w-who are y-y-you?" Asks the dark haired one who spoke before. "And-d-d w-wh-wh-where are we?" He says trying to rub some feeling and warmth back into his hands and feet.