Alak rushes up the corridor, pushing past Shaserai, Jonagher, and Ragna, and steps into the vaultway, into a flanking position with Highness, before swinging his greatsword at the colorful bird.
Ragna steps up the the colorful bird and chops into its long birdy neck with her axe.
Ragna steps over the dead bird and chops into the living one, though her follow-up push with her shield fails to connect solidly.
Highness's fists cartwheel furiously, finally striking the enemy almost by accident. The bird collapses in a heap of feathers.
"Well...that was interesting," Jonagher quips, still standing in the corridor and not yet entering the room...especially after spotting their erstwhile goblin friend muttering and gnashing his teeth while still punching at the air. "Ummm...is he okay?"
He nocks another arrow in case a new danger appears...including from Highness. Then, he moves thru the doorway so he can support Ragna and Alak while covering the hallway.
Warily, Jonagher steps into the vaultway. His elven eyes can see all the way to the far wall, which is set with three doors. In addition, there are three open corridors on the south side of the vaultway and four on the north. A look at the schematics ought to give the party some clues about what they might find in each direction. There appears to be rubble strewn in the northeast corner of the vaultway.
Satisfied that no immediate threats other than their own party members are present, Jonagher tries to calm down Highness. "Hey, pal...we're still your friends, remember? You...uh...got a little dazzled there by those birds, yeah? Maybe try blinking your eyes a few times and see if you can clear your head..."
"Ohh, Shaserai! Help Highness!" Ragna practically wails as the adorable little goblin undergoes some kind of episode.
"He does seem more... gobliny than usual, I suppose," Irenaeus remarks with a slight smirk before entering the room as well and renewing his shielding spell in case their confused companion swings a fist his way.
Ren cautiously enters the vaultway, keeping a dead bird and his own abjuration between himself and the goblin.
Shaserai keeps to the corridor and warily eyes the goblin from behind Ragna. "If it was an emotional attack I could try to revert it easily, but the bird clouded his mind. I'll attempt to jolt his noggin to clear it. Be careful."
The priest calls on the might of Torag to attack Highness's mind, knowing that at best it'll get him to focus, and at worst it might knock him out.
Shaserai edges up to the doorway and attempts to make contact with the goblin's mind.
"This is ridiculous," Alak complains, dropping his sword and striding toward Highness. He reaches out to seize him, but the wiry goblin squirms away.
Ragna drops her axe and shield and also tries to grab the wriggly goblin.
Taking advantage of Highness dodging away from Alak, Ragna darts forward, dropping her weapons, and grabs hold of him.
The goblin reacts in a panic, flailing fists at his supposed assailants wildly, one of which manages to strike a painful blow to Alak's shin, before he seems finally to realize that it is allies rather than enemies surrounding him....
"GET OFF ME!" the goblin roared as he suddenly stopped thrashing and expertly broke out of Ragna's hold, then wormed away across the floor and popped to his feet, panting heavily, eyes wild.
Highness eyed the carnage for a few moments, before pulling himself to his full height, brushing down his purple wrappings and adjusting the crown on his head.
"Where did all the extra bird corpses go? There were about 5 of them a moment ago." he asked, confused.
"No...just the two..." Jonagher replies, "But you were certainly thrashing about like there were three more, alright. I think those hypnotic feathers did a number on your mental clarity. You couldn't tell friend from foe, so we were struggling with how to calm you down...gently, of course..."
The half-elf looks around the chamber again. "You know, these birds aren't from around here. Yet another mysterious beast in these ruins. Either someone's magically brought them here or there's an exotic menagerie nearby..." He pulls a couple of arrows out of the dead carcass, examining them to see if they can be reused. "Where to now?" he asks, "We haven't found a bear yet...and I'm surprised it wouldn't have made quick work of these birds if there was one around..."
”Oh, Highness!” Ragna wails, lunging across the room at the little goblin, throwing her arms around him again. ”I was so worried! Are you alright?!”
"I'm fine, thank you," Alak remarks sourly, rubbing the goblin-fist-sized contusion on his shin. "Thank you for inquiring. Looks like we have several options here which way to go next. Ought we to take a look at the schematics?"
"Indeed. Who's carrying them?" Jonagher looks around, already having forgotten which of their party secured the schematics to Citadel Altaerin. His eyes fall on Shaserai and then Ren, expecting one of the more studious members to have them. "How's everyone holding up?" he asks, "Anyone take any serious hits from those things?"
"It looks as if," Alak notes when the blueprints are produced, "the rooms to the north were residential, while the corridors to the south lead to the hall of graves, where fallen members were buried. Straight ahead, behind those doors ... I'd say this in the middle would have been a war room where battle plans and strategies would have been hashed out, and the rooms in back may have been storage or perhaps some sort of armory."
"All the creatures from below the citadel that we or the goblins have encountered come from across the Inner Sea, the Mwangi Expanse to be precise." Remarks the priest "And by what Warbal said, their presence here is a recent development."
Shaserai takes out the citadel schematics from his sack and hands them to Alak. As the others look at them, he goes over the warriors' recent injuries.
"By my assessment both Ragna and Highness took quite the beating." he starts to take out his healing supplies and looks at their patron "And there's also the punch Highness threw at you. After I've patched them up I might have to use magic to finish their recovery, and if not I'll also take a look at your leg."
As he gets to work he mulls over Alak's explanation of the basement layout "Maybe we could start on the residential wing and work our way around the central hall?"
"I have to admit that I am curious," Irenaeus offers as Shaserai treats their injured companions. The mage himself is unscathed, but he did take care to stay away from not only the birds but the goblin as well.
"Why only from the Mwangi Expanse? Why not from other places and habitats? Eccentricity? Nostalgia? Or simply because that is the place the people who brought had contacts that could procure them?" He sighs. "And what is their purpose anyway? Guardians of this place? I find animals somewhat... unruly for such a task."
As he gets to work he mulls over Alak's explanation of the basement layout "Maybe we could start on the residential wing and work our way around the central hall?"
Alak nods. "I would guess that the residences might be a likely place for Great-Uncle Alceister to have hidden the ring; if not there, then the hall of graves."
"Why only from the Mwangi Expanse? Why not from other places and habitats? Eccentricity? Nostalgia? Or simply because that is the place the people who brought had contacts that could procure them?"
"When I was a child, a Varisian caravan of entertainers once passed through. A storyteller told a tale of a cursed board game about exploring the jungles of Garund; when the children in the tale played the game, it summoned exotic creatures into their encampment, and the only way to banish them was to win the game." He shrugs defensively. "I'm not saying it's true, but it's as good a working hypothesis as we have right now. I wouldn't put it past those goblins to meddle with something they don't understand."
"Well...perhaps we should start with the residences then?" Jonagher suggests, "That seems a little more likely place to find Alak's ring. And that way, we don't have to disturb anyone's grave, trigger any curses, anger any maliciously lingering spirits, and so on..."
Jonagher peers once more at the citadel blueprints. "There's also this secret chamber down the third hallway on the right. It seems rather self-contained. I wonder what the Hellknights used it for? Maybe to hide valuables like the ring? I mean, that's where I'd put it for safekeeping..."
Just before the warrior's got her hugging death grip on the goblin, he squirmed away, nimble as a snake.
"The most important question,"Highness begins as he dodges past Ragna again, "Is how do those birds taste when you roast them? Pretty things usually taste the best!"
"My biggest question (after whether boiling or roasting is the best) is how the Brumblebrashers missed these giant crazy colored birds?"
"Maybe they're recent arrivals?" Jonagher responds, "I mean, those dragon-lizards also seemed to surprise (and trap) the Bumblebrashers. And the monkeys and other creatures they described all seemed new to them, as well. If every unusual thing we've seen here is associated with Garund or the Mwangi Expanse, I think magic must be involved." He nudges one of the birds with his foot and then bends down to pluck a few colorful feathers from it in case they might be useful in fletching some new arrows.
"You know, I used to read tales as a boy from books that my mother kept in her shop back in Breachill. Some of them were about mysterious and powerful wizards summoning creatures from other dimensions to serve them, or using spells to travel to faraway lands where they might capture exotic beasts to take back with them for experiments and such. Assuming there's any truth to such stories...and I think there is...I guess something like that could be possible here, too, right?" Jonagher looks over to Ren for confirmation as the resident expert on all things arcane.
"I used to dream about someday becoming such a wizard and traveling the world..." he finishes, "And when I left Breachill to spend time with my father in Kyonin, I saw an even greater number of magical things among the elves. He used to tell me it took a great deal of study and time. I guess that's why my long-lived ancestors had progressed so far in their spellcraft. Maybe it's time I finally started applying myself to that study, as well? Provided we survive this little bear hunt of ours and recover Alak's ring, of course..."
"Oh, Highness!" Ragna sighs, shaking her head. The more colorful something is, the worse it tastes. That is why they are so colorful: to warn would-be-eaters away. The poor, helpless goblin must still be suffering mental effects from the birds magical feathers. She fidgets and looks after the goblin making Shaserai's efforts to treat her wounds more difficult.
"Maybe there is a tunnel from Mwangi to here. Through the darklands. The spring could be part of a... river or lake, with caverns and tunnels." Ragna wonders aloud. "I do not know. This is all so unnatural."
"Maybe there is a tunnel from Mwangi to here. Through the darklands. The spring could be part of a... river or lake, with caverns and tunnels." Ragna wonders aloud. "I do not know. This is all so unnatural."
"It would have to be one long tunnel..." Jonagher idly replies as they wait for Shaserai to finish ministering to Highness, "And even if there were one, I can't imagine all these beasts would make such a trip willingly...or all together without ravenously falling upon one another. I've been to the Darklands. The ecosystem there is quite different, and it can be disconcerting to surface animals and people alike. Predators can find that they're just prey there unless they quickly adapt. Most will either starve or fall victim to some unseen terror long before they realize its upon them."
"You know, I used to read tales as a boy from books that my mother kept in her shop back in Breachill. Some of them were about mysterious and powerful wizards summoning creatures from other dimensions to serve them, or using spells to travel to faraway lands where they might capture exotic beasts to take back with them for experiments and such. Assuming there's any truth to such stories...and I think there is...I guess something like that could be possible here, too, right?" Jonagher looks over to Ren for confirmation as the resident expert on all things arcane.
"I used to dream about someday becoming such a wizard and traveling the world..." he finishes, "And when I left Breachill to spend time with my father in Kyonin, I saw an even greater number of magical things among the elves. He used to tell me it took a great deal of study and time. I guess that's why my long-lived ancestors had progressed so far in their spellcraft. Maybe it's time I finally started applying myself to that study, as well? Provided we survive this little bear hunt of ours and recover Alak's ring, of course..."
"There are spells that can do such things, yes," Irenaeus nods to more or less confirm Jonagher's words. "Teleportation spells, summoning spells, magical gates that connect two places or even planes. But they do require a certain amount of skill and power from the mage casting them." The wizard pauses for a moment also considering Alak's story. "And as for magical items, that is also a possibility. An enchanted or even cursed item, even a board game or a game of chance like a deck of cards, would hardly be considered impossible or even improbable."
Ren cannot help but smile at the half-elf's interest in magic. "I am sure we can have a nice and interesting chat about your desire to learn more. Although I would prefer to do so under more relaxed circumstances, that much is true."
Ragna hollers down the hall. Seems to be the best way to locate the wayward green ones.
Highness stared with incredulity obviously writ large in his red eyes. For a moment, he opened his mouth, as if to say something, then simply closed it again and shook his head as if changing his mind.
"So anything that is smart is now hiding to ambush us when we come through the door, and anything that isn't smart is likely headed towards us now looking to eat us."
"Besides, you didn't yell that out in gobbitygook, so any goblins who can't understand common are probably scared, and the ones that can understand common are definitely scared of the large longshanks who just cut her way through the crazy birds."
"I can see in the dark, why don't you let me at least move a little bit ahead and see if I can see anything?" Highness suggested.
As the others are discussing the possible origin of the recent invaders of the citadel Shaserai is busy treating Highness's injuries. As he finishes up with the goblin and is about to move to Ragna, the warrior lets out a bellow that startles the priest.
"Let me tend to Ragna and Alak and we can go together." says the elf at Highness's words. "We have to be cautious of the "monkeys" and the "frogmen", especially now."
Shaserai gets to work treating Ragna's wounds and the stress of not knowing if they'll get attacked at any moment seems to motivate him and soon enough the human is as good as new.
As there's the minor injury Alak received from Highness and lingering wounds on the goblin himself and Jonagher the priest intones a prayer to Torag to heal their ailments so they can get on with exploring.
Highness waited until it appeared that Shaserai was ready, then moving as quietly as a goblin in enemy territory (as long as there wasn't glass, fire, dogs, breakable things, eatable things, smellable things or horses) Highness slipped forward into the darkness away from the glow of the party's magelight.
There is no immediate response to Ragna's shout. Then, after a moment, something that might be a low growl echoes out of one of the northern corridors.
Highness slips quietly out of the light to examine the rest of the vaultway. The northern corridors look to be regularly traveled. The easternmost one is choked with chunks of stone and masonry that have spilled out onto the floor; this must be the stairway up to the courtyard by which the Bumblebrashers fled and that then entombed the second grauladon.
The corridors leading south are thick with dust and cobwebs; it appears no one has used them for some time. Similarly, the three doors on the east appear largely unused, although Highness spies fresh disturbances in the dust in front of the middle door, as if it has been opened recently.
Highness spied the disturbance in the dust, motioned towards it quietly for Shaserai's benefit, then moved up the middle door, carefully.
Jonagher is torn between backing up Highness at the door and checking out the noise from the northern corridor that responded to Ragna's shout...which sounded suspiciously like a growl...which could very easily be that of a hungry bear. "Ummm, guys? It sounds like something could be down one of those hallways," he says, "Maybe we should do something about that before we start opening doors to other potential dangers? I'd hate to be trapped between a bear and whatever else may behind door number one, two, or three down there..."
Ragna feels strange after slaying the birbs. A strange, tingling sensation of electricity over her skin. Must be an effect of their colorful feathers...
Ragna shrugs at Jonagher's concern. "Highness is already off." She says, gesturing at the excitable gobbo. [/b]"May as well follow."[b]
"I find the half-elf has a point," Irenaeus says in agreement with Jonagher. "We do not need to open the doors yet. If there are more beasts or worse behind them, I would very much not enjoy being caught between them and whatever made that growl."
As he speaks, the mage takes a step back, putting some more distance between himself and the northern corridors.
"We do have the meat, perhaps we could use it as bait? See if the... owner of the growl takes enough of a liking to it to show itself?"
Jonagher taps his temple with a single finger and then points to Ren. "Now there's a thought..." he says.
"Highness, dear. The others want to go this way first." Ragna whispers to the goblin, hoping his little heart won't be too crushed.
"Which corridor would you say that growl came from?" Alak asks in a low voice, glancing back down at the blueprints. "Looks like they all connect farther back."
"Stupid. The dust is disturbed here...tracks likely, and most likely the birds...they should leave the growling alone for the moment so we can go where the beasts are not. They need to be patient, give me a moment to look and listen before just barging in." Highness said, a frustrated growl in his voice. "You go convince them to be patient for a moment." he finished with finality, and moved away from Ragna up to the middle door.
As the others discuss what strategy to follow with the growling in the northern corridor, Shaserai sees Highness approaching the middle door and opening it "That might not go well." Thinks the priest.
He follows behind the goblin, at a safe distance and ready to assist should anything go wrong.
As the others discuss the growl from the north, Highness edges open the middle door on the east. Beyond is a narrow corridor which opens out into a roughly hexagonal room, somewhat resembling a bottle lying on its side. A splintered table on a moth-eaten rug occupies the middle of the room, while broken chairs, moldy books, and general detritus litter the floor. Two bodies that appear to be frog-like humanoids lie sprawled motionless on the floor where the bottleneck begins to open out.
Sensing no immediate threat, Shaserai observes carefully what he can see of the room, trying to find the creature that recently opened or closed the door and also understand what happened to the "frogs" that so scared the goblins.