"Wait! We're here to help ... we have your hands, would you like them back? We'd rather not have you as enemies!"
Seeing Malvo trip up a bit, Tornell puts on his best street preacher voice and calls out:
"WE COME IN PEACE BY THE LIGHT OF SARENRAE. HE SPEAKS THE TRUTH, WE CAN RESTORE YOUR DAMAGED FORMS!"
Ridill can't help but shake his hand after seeing the unnerving illusion.
When they are greeted, so to say, by the handless Wyrwoods he rolls his eyes. "What are the lot of you gonna do without your hands?"
Alara emerges from the shadows, holding up the hands she was able to salvage.
Artyom holds, waiting to see what happens. The thought had crossed his mind. But, Malvo had the same idea.
The little wyrwoods charge for you and then stop short as you call out that you have their hands.
"You.. you have their hands? Oh thank the makers. Colulus was unhappy with our work - said we had to earn back our hands finger by finger. Please, give them to us!"
Alara walks out to give back the hands.
"Can we help you put them back on?"
Malvo nods and asks, "Who is Colulus? We understood that a Mrs. Pedipalp was currently in charge here."
Artyom nods as well. "They were attached to some other wyrwoods, if that makes any difference or gives you information."
The wyrwoods move over to you. The sad little constructs are about the side of Malvo and have expressionless faces but curious body language. Their voices echo strangely from their wooden bodies as they extend their stumps.
"Colulus rewarded the others with our hands! Thank you for fetching them."
Another speaks up. "There was a teleportation accident that brought us here - Salighara hired us with Mrs. Pedipalp to transcribe her notes on the realm of dreams. She used a gate to the realm of dreams - a Dream Gate for her studying. But then Mrs. Pedipalp corrupted the gate and brought out Colulus who is some form of ettercap. Nightmare influences are everywhere. They're somewhat real but don't trust what you see!"
It turns out that attaching the hands with some simple screws is enough for the magic to flood back into them so they work. The wyrwoods are ecstatic and about to leave but hang back in case you have further questions.
"I think we may have met Colulus then ... unless there are more than one of those things here? Do you know where we might find Colulus or Mrs. Pedipalp?"
"Any other things to be concerned about besides Mrs. Pedipalp and Colulus? What exactly are these nightmares? What do they look like?"
"It's hard to tell what's come through the Dream Gate and if it is dangerous or an illusion," says one.
"There's some spiders in the garden. Watch for those. One ran off with Tem's foot."
"Colulus walks the scriptorium, there's some sort of portal effect on the door to his chamber in the southwest. Hard to pin down, that one."
"Mrs. Pedipalp is probably at the top of hte tower with the Dream Gate! We've never been allowed to be there."
One looks strangely at Artyom. "What do your nightmares look like? We don't know, they change."
"Right... so, looks like we should deal with this Colulus first. Then we can take on Mrs. Pedipalp."
"Colulus walks the scriptorium, there's some sort of portal effect on the door to his chamber in the southwest. Hard to pin down, that one."
"Yeah, we discovered that. Do you know anything about it, how to get around it or anything?" I doubt they do, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
"Right... so, looks like we should deal with this Colulus first. Then we can take on Mrs. Pedipalp."
Malvo nods, and looks back to the Wyroods. "Any other traps or surprises we should be aware of while we're walking around?" He peers down the angled side hall as he gets ready to move out.
Tornell simply shrugs. "Glad to help. Can't think of anything to ask at the moment."
Artyom thinks before saying, "I don't have any other questions."
The wyrwoods don't offer much that's of help to you, although one does mention something about the printing press acting strangely. With that, they all get the hell out of this place as quickly as possible.
You all head down the long angled hallway which eventually leads you to said printing press which you can see from a distance.
A monstrous contraption of wooden beams and steel plates occupies the east side of this noticeably chilly room. Narrow shelves hold containers of ink, sheets of paper, and boxes with small metal cubes, each cube bearing a single letter.
A hall leads out of this room to the north, and a door opens to the west.
Alara looks around the room.
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"How much you wanna bet that thing's gonna animate and try to print out our obituaries on our own hides with our blood as ink?"
"Wouldn't doubt it."
"Thank you for my new nightmare, Tornell ..."
Malvo joins the others in carefully searching the room.
"Well, that would be interesting, Tornell. Perhaps it would give us a chance to take it apart and learn how it works. I wonder if it could be used to expand or enhance my spellbook in some way."
As the group approaches the printing press, there's a loud CLAMP and hiss, and slowly it opens like a mouth. A single piece of paper lies within its print-y maw.
Malvo looks at the paper, then back at Tornell. "Don't give it any more ideas."
He then says to everyone, "OK, let's step up nice and slow. Keep your eyes and ears open."
"Well, that would be interesting, Tornell. Perhaps it would give us a chance to take it apart and learn how it works. I wonder if it could be used to expand or enhance my spellbook in some way."
Tornell looks incredulously at Artyom.
"Seriously? Murderous machines and your first thought is how to use it for your books and writing? Sheesh." He turns back around, rolling his eyes.
Tornell's own eyebrows raise in surprise.
"Uhhh..." He calls out to the machine, somewhat suspicious that he now finds himself talking to a machine. "Why?"
He still follows Malvo's lead, keeping far away from the thing as he presses against the wall.
The printing press goes still as the group very, very cautiously approaches. As Malvo comes nearer he has a sudden vision of a wyrwood screaming as it is smashed to bits by the press clamping down in a horrible industrial accident.
He looks down at his body, and he himself is the wyrwood! And he moves closer...
The group watches as Malvo approaches the printing press and then without thinking, stick his hands right into the press.
CLOMP
Malvo then snaps out of it, screaming in pain as his hands are smashed!
The press goes dormant, sated.
Malvo's inspiring speech starts to trail off as he sticks his hands into the press, but suddenly he snaps out of it and back into his military patter! He yanks his hands out just as the press snaps shut.
The danger seems to be over for the time being.
Tornell looks incredulously at Artyom.
"Seriously? Murderous machines and your first thought is how to use it for your books and writing? Sheesh." He turns back around, rolling his eyes.
Artyom blinks at Tornell. "Just because they're murderous doesn't mean it entirely cancels out their original purpose. Some adjustments were made to them and they can be undone." However, as Malvo nearly gets his hands chomped by the printing press, the wizard blinks a few times before saying, "Well, I could be wrong."
Alara watches as Malvo almost gets his hands crushed in the printing press.
"Wow. They'll print anything these days."
Hearing the snap of the printing press, Tornell whips over to quickly check for any injuries. He breathes a slight sigh of relief to see Malvo yanked his hands out in time.
"ONE MORE STUNT LIKE THAT AND I'M TURNING YOU INTO FIREWOOD," he shouts, attempting to threaten a machine.
Malvo finds himself reaching into the press, and catches himself just in time with a sharp, "Company, HALT!"
He just stares for a moment as his magically-enhanced words snap him out of it.
Hearing the snap of the printing press, Tornell whips over to quickly check for any injuries. He breathes a slight sigh of relief to see Malvo yanked his hands out in time.
"ONE MORE STUNT LIKE THAT AND I'M TURNING YOU INTO FIREWOOD," he shouts, attempting to threaten a machine.
Malvo is impressed at Tornell's threat, and watches to see if it has any result. As he does, he concentrates for a moment on the machine.
Tornell loudly tells off the machine with all of his priestly ire. It remains implacable but he... feels a bit of shame?
The machine doesn't appear magical, which leads Artyom to the conclusion that it is clearly haunted. Malvo's vision of a wyrwood being smashed by the machine is likely the source.
Sure enough, looking under the printing press you see the splinters of what was once a wyrwood. You also find six vials of ink and 100 sheets of fancy paper that are likely quite valuable. Finally, there is what looks like a long shard of ice on the ground that radiates magic.
Completing your investigation, Artyom notices the patterns on the letters are shifting weirdly. He seems fascinated until Tornell tells him off for just falling for another of the weird illusions in this place.
This is a rod of ice. The wearer can use the rod to make a melee touch attack that deals 1d4 points of cold damage to any creature struck. Also, once per day on command, the wielder can touch the rod to the ground to create a 30-foot cone of ice that encrusts the earth, affecting the area as per the spell grease.
"Well, even if the press isn't useful to you, that paper and ink ought to be. "
Malvo completes his investigation of the room and moves to the next exit, ready to move on once the others are in place.
Artyom blinks before it clicks in his head. "Oh! That makes sense! It's not magical. It's only haunted. Likely due to that wyrwood being crushed by it." The paper and vials of ink get the wizard's attention. He groans. Ugh! They would! But I already have too much in my pack!" He looks at the others. Squashing his pride, he says, "Would one of you help me in carrying some of my things? That way, I can keep up with you guys."
He examines the shard of ice.
Nodding, he says, "This is a rod of ice. You can attack an enemy for a bit of cold damage. Also, once per day, you can command the rod and touch the ground to create a 30 foot cone of ice. The effects are similar to my grease spell."
As Tornell snaps Artyom out of the letters' spell, the wizard turns to the priest and says, "Thank you."
With the printing press sorted, you press on into the next room which is a meditation hall.
This square room contains nooks at varying heights in the west wall, each containing a candle with an eerie, green-hued flame. Several thin mats cover the floor near the nooks. A narrow archway in the north wall leads into a garden, while doors stand in the east and south walls.
The flame on each candle is a strange, sickly green.
To the north is a beautiful garden. To the south is... an identical garden.
"Great, more gardens." Ridill grumbles as he steps in to the fell lit room.
Malvo looks at the two garden entries, and attempts to discern if either sees more traffic, or more recent traffic.
Once the groups selects a direction, Malvo follows Ridill, watching for signs of danger.
Artyom frowns at the gardens. He and Ricky look for any dangers or tricks.
Artyom will also cast detect magic to check for any signs of illusions or magic in general.
You take a little bit and as you step into the southern garden you exit out the north door. A similar portal effect seems to be going on here as the southern door wraps to send you out of the northern one into the garden.
As you step into the garden, reality seems to shift around you.
This garden’s many fruit trees are swathed in spider webs. A
gravel path meanders from the southern end of the garden
to a web-shrouded pergola in a high hedge at the north end.
As you look around, there are no apparent exits, even from when you came. You just see trees and spider webs and tangled hedges. The building walls around you extend up to dizzying heights.
"This place is trying too hard to be like the First World," Ridill thinks aloud as he steps into the garden.
"I am really getting tired of these magical doors..." Malvo mutters as he enters the room, wary of things that aren't as they seem.
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You look around trying to find a door in the mess of spiderwebs and plantlife to little avail. Ridill notices a very curious peach tree and as he reaches for one, it suddenly grows a mouth and bites his finger!
Alara looks around the room as well, keeping her fingers away from the trees.
"I am really getting tired of these magical doors..."
"You aren't the only one..."
"You alright there, Ridill? So now even the trees are nasty in here. Great."
Seeing confusion, Tornell decides to attempt a few things.
Artyom blinks at the peach attacking Ridill. He decides to stay away from the trees and look around, while scanning for magic.
Artyom detects illusions everywhere and he soon starts to see through them. The doors of the room start to reveal themselves! He can see exits to the west and to the north.
However, as he does so he also spots spiders descending from the trees. Giant crab spiders land on the ground around the party and it's bitin' time!
Alara lunges at the black spider!