Fromagalli identifies one extra painting as being a depiction of a sunset over the Aspodell Mountains in Isger, but is unable to place the last landscape.
Liet-Gar and the group check out the next door before the half-elf pulls it open. Once-fine furniture, now ripped and faded from neglect, adorns this chamber. Two large mirrors have been set on the north wall here, but cracks and dark stains mar their silvery surface, and many pieces are missing. A lute rests against the back of a stained red velvet sofa.
Not much appears to be of value, though the broken lute is definitely of high quality. Liet-Gar starts checking the next door over closely.
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"Trespasser? That's a horrible guess. If you are going to play a game like this you have to try. Like this. I'm gonna guess your name is...Braf! See, I guessed a name. You guessed a thing. You may as well have guessed 'vitner' or 'dung supervisor'." The gnome looks at the others, "What? How do YOU play the game? Wait, did you not hear the question? Oh...do I have voices in my head now?" Dimple claps her hands and starts to bounce on her feet. "YES! My own voices. Oh, that changes everything. Braf, I change my guess. Your name is ...Conscience. No, Drizzle. No, Grumpy!" A big smile reaches her lips. "My own voices. This is going to be so much fun. I'm gonna take you everywhere. Just to be clear Grump, is it just you in there, or are they others? Cuz I wanna meet you all. Do I have to eat more? Am I eating for two?" Looking at her concerned teammates, Dimple waves them off. Plugging one ear, she leans towards them, "My 'inner voice' just arrived. His name is Grumpy and he likes to play games." She points at Liet-Gar, "Okay Grump, what's his name?"
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She thinks a moment, "Well, he sounded all gruff, then said, 'Who are you, trespasser?', which, of course, is a terrible guess for a name. Although, now that I think about it, shouldn't Grumpy know my name? I mean he does live in my head after all. Oh no! What if he has amnesia?"
Her eyes roll upwards slightly as she taps on her forehead, "You okay in there Grump? Did you bang your voice head on something? I mean, maybe that's what woke you up all of a sudden. Hey, by the way, I was wondering if you have any food allergies or anything. I don't want to eat something if it's going to give you a rash. I mean, how would I scratch it?"
"Wh..."
"Bu..."
"St..."
"Sh..."
"Uh..."
"AR..."
"FORTHE..."
When she finally stops chattering for a brief second while her allies are asking questions, it speaks again in a very frustrated tone. "Do I need to speak to someone else who isn't a fool? F~#%ing pedestrian you little people are. Just slow down and tell me why you are here and maybe you can help me out of my current predicament."
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"Ah ha! He DOES have amnesia! But Grumpy has changed the game. Now he's asking some kind of riddle. Can he trust us, are we worth the time, and what skills do we have?"
She let's that hang in the air for a moment before enthusiastically shouting, I would have said carnival, but we don't have any games."
'Hey Grumpy, can you hear the others, or just me?"
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Dimple considers the question. "I don't think so. No. Probably not. I mean, we helped those kids in Sarringallow, helped all those farmers, and stopped that big monster soldier thing in the fort. Yeah, I think we have been getting pretty good at helping." He eyes roll towards the other wall, "So, what skills do you have? And, if you don't have a hour-glass, how do you now how much time is passing. It seems that would be the only way to know if you are wasting it."
You feel a bit of joy and then nothing as the voice disappears. Any attempts at further contact yield no results.
The voice(s) remain quiet, or at least the new voice(s) in Dimple's head. Liet-Gar finishes his check and confirms the door is totally 100% safe. Niza opens it and everyone looks to see...
...long bookshelves in these dusty alcoves are filled with books. The smell of mildewed paper hangs in the air. A cursory glance shows the small library to be devoid of enemies. Many of the books appear mildewed and destroyed, but some may still have value.
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"If we can find more about what these Sarini's were up to here, we may be able to better prepare for what we have to face." Kasvot points out, adding "and the mayor will probably be happy to have a more complete history as well."
As long as nobody objects, Kasvot begins picking through the tomes looking for information.
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"It may be worth scanning this place for any magic but a proper study of these books can wait until we have made sure his place has no surprises. And it would be rude to keep Grumpy waiting too long"
"I Would prefer to enter by the main doors rather than risk a fight spilling back into the library however"
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Fromagalli does a wise quick check of the room with glowing eyes to indicate his detection of magic. In a corner of the room, inside a very subtle hollowed out box that was painted to resemble books, there are a stack of papers. All the papers emanate magic and the half-elf quickly guesses they might have magical writing, switches spells and easily identifies them.
Scrolls of alarm, charm animal, comprehend languages, disguise self, jump, mount, obscuring mist, and shield of faith.
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He then digs into searching for non-magical information. It takes a while, but after Dimple and Kasvot have already given up, he finds a single tome that is in excellent condition. It is titled From Rivers to Mountains and appears to be an old collection of maps and travel literature for the nation of Iskger. Fromagalli spends a few minutes (10) studying it for additional details about their mission while Niza continues searching the room. He does not learn anything about their mission, but does gain a bit of knowledge .
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Right as Fromagalli starts spouting off random Iskgerian geographical facts, Niza pipes up, "Found something!" She presents to the group a similar tome titled History of Isger. Does anyone with to spend a bit of time studying it (for 10 minutes).
Dimple takes a gander as Niza hands the book over. After a very engrossing ten minutes of study, she is quite sure she knows EVERYTHING about the History of Iskger.
________________________________________________________________
for x 10 minutes
for x 10 minutes
Liet-Gar locates another book, titled The Nine Secrets.
Vie searches high and wide, thoroughly checking the rest of the library. Nothing else of value remains!
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Dimple thinks a moment. "In a hurry? Yeah. Not knowing things? Yeah. Lost...no, I don't think so."
She looks at the book and is struck with an idea. Dimple places the book on the ground and does a handstand over it. "Maybe if I'm upsidedown, Grumpy will slide forward, like a boat in the ocean. Then he can see the book too." Moments later, the red-faced gnome asks, "Grumpy, can you see this?"
After a few failed attempts to switch arms, "Can someone open the book for me please?"
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Fromagalli hands the book he found to dimple before looking to take the nine secrets from Liet Gar
may I look at that before adding in a whisper I think one of us should while the other distracts Dimple. Rock Paper Scissors?
Resources Used
Fromagalli: Longstrider Wand (1)
Liet-Gar: NA
Kasvot: Mage Armor Wand (1)
Dimple: NA
Niza: Mage Armor Wand (1)
Albis: NA
Vie: Mage Armor Wand (1)
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With the group making a solid decision, they head to the double doors. Knowing that getting more eyes onto whatever is inside, Fromagalli pulls open the door as Niza opens the left one for Liet-Gar.
Inside, the floor, walls, pillars, and fireplaces of this majestic ballroom are all made of polished marble. On the north side of the room, a grand staircase with divided flights leads up to a balcony overlooking the ballroom floor. An angel of black marble is standing menacingly on a platform behind the middle landing of the staircase.
But all that is secondary to the immediate threat. Standing at the top of the steps raised up on its back legs hissing at you all is a FIENDISH CENTIPEDE AHHHHH!!!
Centipede
Vie
Liet-Gar
Niza & Albis
Dimple
Kasvot
Fromagalli
The centipede seems to be waiting for something, maybe this one is smart enough to force you to move up the stairs?
Bold are up! Just remember that you generally have to go up the stairs to get to the balcony.
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Hesitating for only a moment, the half-elf grumbles "Why'd it have to be more bugs!"
Tugging his favored weapon free, he hustles towards the stairs. A thought creeps into his mind as he moves. "Uh...you there...you know grumpy? Let us pass peacefully and things need not be violent."
for x3 crit
Liet-Gar moves up to the stairs to get to the creature, giving it a bit of a chance to... surrender? Either way, he doesn't notice the mite hiding on the balcony drawing down on him and firing two arrows at his back. The first arrow thunks into a banister nearby and alerts Liet-Gar to the enemy, allowing him to easily dodge the second attack.
for
Centipede
Liet-Gar
Mite
Vie
Niza & Albis
Dimple
Kasvot
Fromagalli
Bold are up! Just remember that you generally have to go up the stairs (difficult terrain) to get to the balcony.
Vie steps into the room and quickly manifests a pile of grey goop that splatters down upon the shortbow held by the mite. He attempts to pull the bow back to avoid the ooze and JUST BARELY manages to do so.
Dimple inspires her allies by confirming that the voice in her head is most likely probably not the same as the creature shooting at LGZ. The mite's distraction makes him an easy target for Kasvot to send brutal bolts of force slamming into the creature. Fromagalli moves up, increasing his focus on his next strike.
Niza moves into the room and attempts to punch the creature in the jaw... at range. She cracks his head back HARD with her strike, but it still stands.
for
for
The centipede steps down the stairs and bites at the not currently greased but still super hott half-elf. It misses, probably awed by his beauty.
Inspire Courage +1
Centipede
Liet-Gar
Mite (-19 HP)
Vie
Niza & Albis
Dimple
Kasvot
Fromagalli (True Strike)
Bold are up! Just remember that you generally have to go up the stairs (difficult terrain) to get to the balcony.
The centipede doesn't even seem to notice the half-elf zipping away as it half-halfheartedly bites at empty air. The mite, reeling from the multiple attacks against it, steps back away from the edge and pulls a potion, slamming it down while glaring at the half-elf. His wounds heal a small bit and more importantly, he has some cover from attacks below.
Inspire Courage +1
Centipede
Liet-Gar
Mite (-15 HP)
Vie
Niza & Albis
Dimple
Kasvot
Fromagalli (True Strike)
Bold are up! Just remember that you generally have to go up the stairs (difficult terrain) to get to the balcony.
Niza moves up the stairs to get a decent view of the last mite, punching the air again to try to finish the jerk off.
for
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Dimple's Arrow strikes true, though doesn't manage to finish off the creepy crawler. Fromagalli's sword strikes dead center into the creature, piercing easily through it and pinning it to the stairs before returning to his hand. The creature quickly curls up into a dead ball of legs. Vie moves up the stairs, but nothing else needs to be done as Kasvot and Niza combine for a literal one-two punch to drop the fiendish mite to the ground.