"I suppose it would be better than these tunnels. Who knows what else awaits us in this place?"
Ushari's wave of healing power dulls the fiery pains of the damage he'd taken, but as he looks down at his clothes, slashed, muddy, sweaty, stained, frozen, and muck-filled, he realizes he is really and truly beginning to hate this place... whatever this place is...
He takes a look around the room as the others talk, seeing if anything stands out as holding a clue about this mysterious maze.
"Yah. I'm not sure. While I really don't like the idea of spending the night in this place, I like the idea of running into another fight while we're ill-equipped to handle it even less." He sighs, looking around as if an exit might appear in front of him. "I guess this beach is as good a place to rest as any... if it's defensible." A thought occurs to him, "Though I'd like to re-trace my steps before we go there. Something sticks out in my mind... something subtle... I just need to go find it before I lose track of where I've been."
He busies himself pushing some of his inner-power once more into his blade while waiting for the others' responses. Might as well be prepared, right?
Ushari immediately picks up on the sense of confusion from Jayse, and realizes this is not something he would mention on a whim.
"If this seems important to you, then I am sure it is. Let's go check it out." She waves to Fin and the others, "I believe they should be safe her for a little while, while we check it out."
As his new comrades banter amongst themselves, Jofram's eyes drift toward the hallway to the west. He steps slowly toward the hallway, peering into the room beyond.
"Hmmm... I can't help but wonder what awaits us just ahead?" The hairs on his arms raise up, and a foreign yet somehow familiar tingle washes over him. The detail of the walls, the dust on the floor - all are as clear to him as if he stood in the room itself.
Jayse watches Jofram look into the room. "Well, I'm curious, too. But I'm afraid that if we keep moving forward, we'll only run into more of these… things. And we can't afford to run into another situation we can't easily handle."
He looks back at Ushari, "yah, I don't know about leaving the women behind. If something came across them, Fin may not be enough to protect them. No offense, intended, Fin, but so far we haven't run across something that only one of us can easily handle. Let's backtrack towards the beach, only detouring enough to check out everywhere I've been. Unless someone has some other ideas that we should look into."
Jayse looks back at Jofram, not realizing what the man is doing, "Jofram, you want to search this room before we head back? Could be something useful for us in here… even if it's just a clue as to what this place actually is. Strae, these frescoes say anything interesting to you?"
Jayse looks back at Jofram, not realizing what the man is doing, "Jofram, you want to search this room before we head back?"
He looks back at Ushari, "yah, I don't know about leaving the women behind. If something came across them, Fin may not be enough to protect them. No offense, intended, Fin, but so far we haven't run across something that only one of us can easily handle. Let's backtrack towards the beach, only detouring enough to check out everywhere I've been. Unless someone has some other ideas that we should look into."]
"Yes, I understand what you are saying, I just don't feel comfortable leading these women into unexplored territory. Still, we do have a better chance of guarding them if they are with us."
She turns to Jofram, "Do you need help in searching that room?"
Ushari calls on the power of her deity one final time to restore vitality to her comrades. Their pains become no more than dull aches.
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Straehan wrinkles his nose at the pus-spattered warriors. With humor, he says, "You fellows stink." With a flick of his wrist and a muttered spell, Jayse and Jofram's clothes are cleaned.
Straehan begins collecting small chunks of golem-ice. When Jayse gives him a look, the gnome smiles mischievously. "All I need is a glass and some whiskey and I'll be ready to toast that bastard's demise."
Jayse examines the frescoed walls of the room. The jungle from the hallway gives way to a pastoral farm scene that occupies the entire room. In one corner is a modest hut with a boy standing out front. After a moment, you recognize him as a younger version of the man in the jungle.
With a distant look in his eye, Jofram scrys upon the next room. It too is empty save for a variety of frescoes. In these pastoral scenes, the man is handling a plow and is in his late teens to early 20's, as he was in the jungle scene in the mirroring corridor.
"Strae, these frescoes say anything interesting to you?"
The gnome sorcerer strokes his beard unconsciously for a moment. "Actually... yes. Initially, I thought this was just an artist's extended flight of fancy... but I recognize some of these places.
Then I thought it was a visual travel-log - sort of a world tour of Miir... but the appearance of the man in multiple scenes belies that.
Then I thought perhaps this was an extensive ego-wall, the way for some rich fool to say "look at me and see the incredible places I've been!"... but we see him aging. I've seen pictures of him from youth through middle-age. I don't doubt that had I continued in the other direction from where I woke up, I'd see the same man growing older." He pauses for a moment, examining his logic for holes.
"All that forces me to draw one conclusion... We are in the burial tomb of the fellow in the frescoes. Although, given how big this place is, we should probably call it a necropolis. And everything we've encountered are the defenses to keep his remains safe."
"If memory serves, it appears that this hallway leads back to the area that Jayse described, with three round interconnected chambers. I see nothing of particular interest, that way. Shall we return to the beach?"
"All that forces me to draw one conclusion... We are in the burial tomb of the fellow in the frescoes. Although, given how big this place is, we should probably call it a necropolis. And everything we've encountered are the defenses to keep his remains safe."
Ushari glances uneasily around her as she responds to the gnome, "That is certainly a likely explanation of why this place was built. However, it does raise some troubling questions, namely who is the chair man? Is he tied to the man in the fresco, maybe as a guardian of this tomb or is it possible he has subverted this whole complex for his own purposes?"
Straehan shrugs, unable to answer Ushari's question. "Since the chair man and 'friend' had us unconscious and chose to toss us around this place rather than killing us outright... I'm hard-pressed to understand any of this."
Fin leads the group of women back along your previous route while the heroes conduct a meticulous search of every square foot of Jayse's path. It takes long, long minutes. In a spot passed a half dozen times to date, close to where Jayse and Fin fought the lantern, a cleverly concealed secret door is found. It is triggered by pressing on the eyes of several different exotic cats that are shown in a set of guilded cages. Straehan believes the door isn't trapped.
"So, shall I pop the lock?"
Jofram asks one of the braver women to tend to Vaelos, showing her the proper means of letting him perch on her arm. Drawing sword and stepping up to the hidden door, he turns to Straehan.
"Let's just hope it doesn't hold more palaesyr tandros. I'm ready when you are."
Straehan shrugs, unable to answer Ushari's question. "Since the chair man and 'friend' had us unconscious and chose to toss us around this place rather than killing us outright... I'm hard-pressed to understand any of this."
Ushari smiles, "Well, we are all in the same boat...so to speak, right?"
Jofram asks one of the braver women to tend to Vaelos, showing her the proper means of letting him perch on her arm. Drawing sword and stepping up to the hidden door, he turns to Straehan.
"Let's just hope it doesn't hold more palaesyr tandros. I'm ready when you are."
Ushari nods silently, ready for whatever is on the other side of the door.
The discovery of the hidden door brings a sigh of relief from Jayse. "I knew I wasn't crazy." he mutters as he once again materializes his blade.
He chuckles at the new guy's strange words, "While I have no idea what that is, I just hope there's not a venom-spewing china cabinet on the other side of this door." After a second of consideration he stops with a thoughtful look.
Then he backs away about fifteen feet, "Okay, now I'm ready." Then he shrugs and grins at the group of women.
He chuckles at the new guy's strange words, "While I have no idea what that is, I just hope there's not a venom-spewing china cabinet on the other side of this door." After a second of consideration he stops with a thoughtful look.
Unaware of his language mix-up, Jofram just responds with a quizzical look.
The gnome smiles. "I speak several languages - but Elven isn't one of them."
Jofram scans the wall. No magic radiates from it, the door, or anything beyond it as far as he can tell.
"Let's step into the lion's den." Straehan depresses the eyes of the painted and caged beasts in a complex pattern. The secret door whispers open and Jofram sees why his spell didn't register anything beyond the wall. The door is over 2' thick and sandwiches a thin sheet of lead. Clearly, the builder understood the limitations of magic.
Jofram doesn't damp his magical sight in time and the kaleidoscope of strong magical auras emanating from the unshielded room blinds him momentarily. He blinks the glare away as he hears the sharp inhalation from his comrades.
The heroes stare into the round room. It is lit by a single lantern hanging down from the domed ceiling. The floor is a colorful mosaic. Resting atop it is a very large and rare circular darkwood table. The ornate leaf pattern filigree and runes declare it to be of Elven manufacture. Scattered across the table is a huge pile of coins, a stack of scrolls, a couple of rings, and a quiver stuffed with well constructed arrows. Resting lightly on the quiver are three ivory arrows each with a unique exotic fletching. Near the quiver are an impressive looking handaxe as well as a wand and a curiously shaped lavender colored stone.
Seemingly guarding the table, one on each side, are man-sized statues made of bronze. They look like striding demons, glaring defiantly at anyone standing in the doorway. Each is armed with a thorn-covered dire flail.
"Hmmm... more 'statues.' Wonderful. I'd suggest we stick close to the doorway, if you plan to go in there. I wouldn't rely on those statues remaining still, after our last encounter with sculpture."
Jayse chuckles, though there is little humor in it. "If only the statues were my only concern. Based on my experience here, anything in that room could end up attacking us. The table, the tiles, the lantern… hell, even the items on the table could decide we're food." He thinks for a second. "Yah, i'd say if there is anything we can do from here to test the room, that'd be good. Can any of you magic-users lift things from this distance? Maybe pick up one of those smaller items on the table and bring it to us? That way, if something wakes up, we can use the doorway as a chokepoint."
Then he mutters, "Geez, this place gives me the willies."
As Ushari stares at the treasure trove, she suddenly feels a sense of divine inspiration. She softly utters, almost to herself "A crypt thing! That is what it must be..."
Jofram's words return her to the here and now. "Yes, in my experience treasure troves are usually well guarded." She turns to Straehan, "Could those statues be like the ice statue we just fought?"
She fingers her belt pouch for a moment, "If the statues are triggered by living creatures entering near them, perhaps Skitter could grab something and not trigger them."
Hands on hips, the gnome regards the pile of treasure with something of a greedy eye. "I've got a spell that will move some of that lot, but it won't effect anything magical and that's the stuff that intrigues me most!"
He kicks at an invisible rock, sulking, "Dumb magic."
Jayse thinks back to the last time Skitter got smashed - the image of the little guy smashed into the ground, "How about we test the room with magic before we sending anyone.. .including Skitter in." Then he looks over at Straehan with another chucke, "I just want to see what happens when something leaves the room. Pull one of the coins out."
Straehan nods and casts his spell. A small stack of coins slide to the edge of the table and then floats off the surface coming towards you. Platinum, gold, silver, and copper shine out. The stack slips past the sorcerer and comes to rest on the floor in the hallway.
"Well, that seemed bessedly uneventful."
"Hmmm." Jayse waits a few seconds, watching back into the room for any signs of change or movement. If none are evident, he shrugs, "And you can only do that to non-magical items, huh? What's the weight limit?"
"About 5 lbs... just enough to goose a pretty girl." He casts a glance at one or two of the more comely women down the hall.
Jayse laughs, "But where's the fun in that? I much prefer the…" he rubs two fingers together on his off-hand, "… hands-on approach."
Shifting back to business, he looks back in the room, "So, could you float in something mundane… like a scarf or shirt… then use that to carry something magical out using that same spell?"
"Well, someone's gotta go... otherwise we'll be here so long, something will find us. Just be ready to run, if it gets bad."
Jofram takes a tentative step into the room, tensing for a reaction.
Jayse catches Jofram's movement out of the corner of his eye, whisper-shouting, "Jofram! Wha--"
Jayse laughs, "But where's the fun in that? I much prefer the…" he rubs two fingers together on his off-hand, "… hands-on approach."
Ushari gives the gnome and monk a look of disgust. Honestly, why are all men like that? This causes her to miss Jofram stepping into the room.
"No, Jofram!"
At Ushari and Jayse's calls, Jofram freezes mid-step, looking back at the others. "Wha...?"
Despite the last second warning, Jofram can't check his movement enough to prevent him from completing a single step into the room, his foot landing on the edge of the elaborate mosaic. Nothing happens. The ranger breathes a sigh of relief... right until the ball of pulsing nacreous green light appears out of nowhere just above his head and sends a ragged bolt of lightning into his skull. The half-elf only has time to gape before a second bolt lashes out, numbing his left arm.
Ja's Init:
Jo's Init:
U's Init:
S's Init:
Zap Init:
Rnd 1 - ZAP HIT: DAM:
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Ushari hears Jofram cry out in pain. I tried to warn him… She steps to the open doorway to get a clear view of the creature.
”Hang on, Jofram! See if it can leave the vault!”
She reaches into her pouch and activates Skitter, then chants another prayer, and a glowing rapier manifests itself in front of the ball of energy.
force
Jofram cries out in pain, as the bolts strike out at him. Thrashing out wildly with his sword, he tries to strike at the source of his pain - the bright green... something. With a grunt of effort, he leaps back through the doorway, out of the room.
Well, they tried to warn me...
"Strae, can you hit it with something and fall back? Jof and I can hold him in!"
He shouts as he drops into a ready stance, blade held high in two hands, ready in case the ball follows Joff out.
In her haste to protect her comrade, Ushari casts her spell before she assesses the threat. As her spell-blade sweeps through the creature to no effect she realises, belatedly, that it is a Will o' Wisp.
- It is immune to any magic that allows SR - with the exceptions being Maze and Magic Missile.
- It is incredibly dextrous.
- In the presence of a fear effect or a dying person - it heals at an alarming rate.
- It is undead and Channels work against it... too bad you guys are out. :)
Ushari recognizes the creature instantly. There is a note of panic in her voice as she yells, ”It’s a Will’o Wisp! Straehan, your magic cannot harm it...unless you still have your Magic Missiles!”
Jofram trips over the less agile gnome while vacating the room. Lightning smotes his shoulder-blade painfully, setting his nerves twitching.
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Straehan scowls - having a natural aversion to any situation where the words "magic" and "immunity" appear together. The little gnome ducks around the corner debating what to do. Magic Missile doesn't do much... far less than Jayse or Jofram would with a little luck. Hmmmm
Seeing the monk prepared to strike, the gnome touches him with a spell.
The ball of light all but leaps into the corridor. It is fast, very fast. Jayse's slash hits the dodging creature. It wobbles but rights itself. Rather than striking the monk or the wounded ranger, it preferentially sends a bolt of lightning at the sorcerer. It deflects off his mystical armor, leaving a scorch mark on the wall near his head.
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The clarity brought on by the gnome's spell leaves an excellent taste in Jayse's mouth. "Straehan, What are the chances you could do that again?!" He hesitates just a second, giving the gnome the chance to cast the spell again if he can.
Then he continues his dance with the small, frustrating blue light.
Jofram staggers backward as he struggles to keep his balance, fighting the pain of his wounds. His mind reaches out for calm and strength - a deep reserve that has served him well in the past.
Ushari knows she has little chance of affecting the will'o'wisp, she also sees Jofram is seriously injured. Not wishing to risk a retaliatory strike in expending a spell to heal Jofram, she instead opts to distract it, in order to aid his defense.
Ushari mounts a vigorous defense of her new colleague. She distracts the glowing creature with feints and precise pokes with her sword. Jofram steps back and eldritch energy suffuses his being causing some of the worst scorch-marks to lessen or heal.
Jayse holds his strikes till the last possible second hoping the gnome has just a little more energy to share...
Strae considers the actions and abilities of this creature as well as the golem they encountered before. He puts a theory to the test. He rolls towards the far wall and weaves his magic on Jayse again.
He is apoplectic with indignation when the monk's first strike catches only air. "Come on, Jayse! Stop thinking about the girls and get your head into this fight!"
The monk's reply - in the form of his follow-up slash - is true. It carves a gash in the odd creature.
The gnome gives him a sheepish grin. "Alright, so maybe my words were hasty."