Leaving the confines of the dog's... kennel...? Nightshade steps up to the nearby corner and peeks around it.
Nightshade sees another long hallway, almost identical to the other hallway the party passed. This one has one door on the east side and two doors on the west side.
Nightshade calls to the others. [color=red]"Speck?"[/color] He cocks his head toward the new doors.
Speck peers down the hallway looking for traps, then moves to the inner door to examine it and attempt to open it quietly.
The door is not locked or trapped. Speck opens it slowly and peers in. Dark portraits cover the walls of this otherwise empty ballroom, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. Most of the portraits are of fetchlings, but there are a handful of shaes and two humans, whom you recognize at Iozif and Henric Boroi .
The inner wall of the room is black with dripping ichor, and seems to pulsate even more than the other walls in the structure. There is a strong sense of foreboding in this room, but it is otherwise empty.
Eyes narrowed, pistol out, Nightshade steps into the room and inspects the paintings, paying particular attention to the Boroi brothers.
The portraits are universally dour but otherwise unremarkable.
Nightshade shakes his head at the others. [color=red]"I feel like this room is representative of something. The taint of this mirror, perhaps. But I am beginning to feel the chill of this place. We should check the next room."[/color]
Speck heeds Nightshades' words and heads to the next door and looks it over before entering.
After Speck opens the door he looks into the room to see what he can find
(+2 for traps)
The door is neither trapped nor locked. It leads into another long hallway, with several doors along the north side. You now get a sense that this floor is a rectangular hallway with inner rooms and outer rooms. Directly across from the door you just opened is a shorter hallway that seems to lead to some smaller rooms. There are still many unexplored doors.
"Thank you for bringing me back, Lefdam. I thought I was lost for a moment, but the blessing of the Dawnflower seems to be upon me. I am glad that I can continue to take up arms with you in our fight for good." Rupert pats Lefdam on the arm as he walks past him, through the room, and up to Speck.
With a nod, Rupert opens the door and peers out into the hallway.
Rupert steps through the door and hugs the wall to his left. His movements are slow and deliberate. He beckons back to Speck and whispers, "Speck, can you check this door for traps? And listen for dogs while you're at it."
Speck walks up to the door and inspects it for traps and locks.
He finds no traps but the door is locked.
Speck's first attempt fails so he tries again.
And again.
This time his thieves tools slip in his hands and make an audible snick sound. Anything that is in this room now knows that you are here and Speck is getting visibly frustrated. One more shot.
Finally, the lock disengages and a look of relief crosses Speck's face. He takes a step back, stows his tools, and gestures to Rupert and Lefdam. "After you."
Lefdam nods to Rupert. "You would have done the same for me. I glad we didn't lose you there.
Lefdam watches as Speck does his thing and then follows everyone in when Speck deams it safe.
Lefdam steps into the room and takes a look around.
[Dice=Perception] 1d20+8 [/b]
Lefdam opens the door and is immediately attacked by a shadowy fire creature. Despite its fiery appearance, it puts off a frigid aura of cold. It has an identical friend directly next to it. Both make a slam attack on Lefdam.
Lefdam manages to dodge out of the first creature's attack, but the second one slams down upon his shoulder. He feels bitter cold seep into his body and threaten to slow him down.
He shakes off the effects of the cold and prepares himself for combat.
Round 1
Lefdam
Nightshade
Rupert
Creature 1
Creature 2
Speck
Bold may act.
Nightshade loads and blasts at one of the creatures , taking the time to aim carefully to avoid his allies.
EVERYTHING YOU GOT: You are exhausted (fort negates).
You're all right :)
Rupert expected trouble in the room, but he's surprised by the sudden attack on Lefdam as he opens the door. After taking a moment to line up his swing around the door, Rupert brings his greatsword down in a sweeping arc.
I don't know what you are, but clearly something has twisted your nature. May Sarenrae relight your fire for good in the afterlife.
Lefdam has no idea what these things are either but they do not look like they want to have tea and crumpets.
He unleashes an attack on the thing standing in front of him.
Rupert's mighty strike with his greatsword takes the creature by surprise, which makes it a simple matter for Lefdam to finish it off with his first punch. Noticing that it went down, Lefdam targets the second creature with his second punch and hits even with the difficulty of attacking around a door jamb.
The remaining creature attempts to slam Lefdam.
Lefdam casually sidesteps the slam and the attack misses.
Speck attempts to squeeze by the creature in an attempt to get into an attack position
Speck is so slippery and quick that the creature doesn't even react as he tumbles by and stabs with his rapier.
Speck smiles to himself as he finally does something useful .
Round 2:
Lefdam (6 damage)
Nightshade
Rupert
Creature 1
Creature 2 (14 damage)
Speck
Bold may act.
Rupert is emboldened by his strike and Lefdam's quick finish. He steps into the room and raises his greatsword again - confident that this will be a quick fight.
Rupert kills the crap out of the second creature, then takes a look around the room.
As if in a cruel jest, this freezing room has a twenty-foot-wide fireplace housing a raging fire, albeit one that has no color, and generates no light or heat. The northern wall drips ichor similarly to the eastern wall in the portrait room, and that same sense of dread and foreboding permeates the air.
Nightshade ignores the cackling, mocking voice in the back of his head as he clears the jam out of Damocles and strides into the room to look around.
“Lefdam, are you alright? Do you need healing?”
Rupert knows that his eyes won’t catch anything the others’ will, so he sets himself in front of the door to watch for anyone approaching.
Nightshade can hear a fire crackling, but there is no visible fire in the fireplace, and there is certainly no heat. In fact, this room seems even colder than the rest of this plane.
In fact, you've been here for about an hour and you're all starting to get weary from the cold.
Only Speck is adversely affected by the cold ... so far.
Ignoring the chill trying to seep into his partially necrotized flesh, Nightshade steps out to the hallway and moves down to the next inward-facing door, waiting for the others to join him.
Speck examines the door.
He finds no traps but this door is locked as well.
Speck grins at the rest of the party as the lock disengages. Then he says something arrogant and stupid and you all roll your eyes.
Lefdam pats Speck on the back and takes a step into the room as quietly as he can and takes a look around.
This elegant room resembles a fine dining room on the Material Plane, spread with a feast fit for a great lord. The beautiful table setting, set with ornate bone flatware and delicate porcelain dishes, looks almost inviting. A stairway in the room's northwest corner leads up to another floor. The western wall drips ichor. The sense of foreboding permeating this room is familiar by now, but no less unsettling.
Nightshade shakes his head. [color=red]"Let's clear this floor first."[/color]
He moves back to the small, narrow corridor to the west and peers down from around the corner, pistol out.
Nightshade peers down the corridor and sees a crooked table and mismatched chairs. There are four closed doors.
Nightshade steps into the corridor cautiously, motioning toward the doors, hoping Speck picks up on the message.
Speck checks the four doors.
None of the doors are locked or trapped, and he is able to hear faint breathing through the first door.
Rupert touches Lefdam with the wand a couple of times as Nightshade investigates the hallway.
Rupert the proceeds to open the door that Speck and Nightshade are in front of.
Rupert opens the door to find three bored-looking fetchlings lounging about in a bed and a couple chairs. The man looks up at the intrusion, then looks to the two women and says, "Merys, Jerda, looks like we've got some new residents." Without getting up or even moving much, he looks at Rupert and the others behind him and says, "Well, you're an interesting bunch. What did you do to get thrown in here?"
Rupert is taken aback at the casual introduction. Is this some sort of prison? Did the Baron throw them in here?
“Erm, hello. I am Rupert Stillwater and these are my companions. We haven’t been thrown anywhere, as such. We’re more like emissaries from Golarion. Might I ask what leads you all to be in this room at this time?”
The man shrugs. "We live here. And it seems you do now too. You are the first new arrivals since those two nobles a while back." He turns to one of the women. "How long ago was that, Merys?" She just looks at him. "Yeah, it's kind of hard to tell in here. Anyway, it's been a while. Is there something you need?"
”You live here? May I ask why, and since when? How do you stand this cold? As you can probably tell by looking at me, I’m accustomed to warmer climates.”
And those two nobles you mentioned, were they, by chance, called Iozif and Henric Boroi? Either way, it may be helpful for us to speak with them. Do you know where they might be?”
“And last question from me, I promise, though I don’t speak for my friends, are you interested in leaving this place? We may be able to, ehem, negotiate, your relocation if you had the desire.”
How can they be so blasé about living in a place like this? They seem well enough, I suppose, but I can’t believe that they are happy here. Sarenrae, have you given me the task of saving these poor souls?
The man looks at the women and sighs. "We were misguided. We were caught up in Nicasor's talk of rebellion and a better life for kayal in Karpad. In truth, the Boroi had always been kind and fair to our people. We were wrong to follow Nicasor and we ended up in this place because of it. We have all come to terms with our mistake. Elenuta has not. If you value your lives, you will avoid her room across from the dining room.
"As to the cold, I suppose after all these years, we simply don't notice it anymore.
"I don't know who the nobles were. They arrived and Nicasor immediately took them upstairs with the other Updwellers. We are not allowed up there."
At Rupert's last question, the man chuckles to himself. "You are not the first to think he could escape this place. I will ask you again in a few hundred years how your plan is coming along."
[color=red]"Defeatists."[/color] The word comes out as a sneer. Nightshade turns away from them and looks to Rupert. [color=red]"The only thing of use they have said is that we should avoid this Elenuta's room. Let us move on."[/color]
He skulks from the room and heads to one of the other doors, waiting for the others to join him.
“These updwellers, do you know how many there are? Aside from Nicasio and these nobles that is.”
"Can you tell us more about Elenuta? What is makes her so dangerous? Is there anything we can do to calm her down? I think you already know we are going into her room...so...perhaps you can help us...help her?
He smiles a little as he says the last bit.
The man sighs in frustration. "As I said, we are not allowed upstairs, and the Updwellers do not deign to come down here. I do not know how many there are."
He turns to Lefdam. "Elenuta has powerful magics, and she is still passionate about the rebellion. You would be wise to avoid her."
"Well, thank you for your information. We will certainly leave this Elenuta alone." Rupert gives a hard look at Lefdam, nods to the Kayal in the room, and heads out the door.
"Speck, whatever you're doing over there, it's gross."
He steps to the next door South and opens it.
Nightshade heads to the closest door on the west, waiting for Speck to work his magic.
Speck checks the door.
The door is not locked or trapped. Speck moves out of the way so someone beefier can open the door.