Mikkitar let's out a low whistle at the sight of this architecture.
"Well-well, this is-is quite interesting. Someone put a lot-lot of time and effort into this place, God's only know-know how long ago. I wonder what this was for-for, hmm? And those doors are probably the-the burning portal that human-girl spoke of up above."
runes in a pattern that you recognize—they resemble the paradox box’s tiles from back in the Pathfinder lodge.
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Nocki looks at the others excited and says like a child who just finished a puzzle "Look look! This pattern! It's the same as the one in that box. You know, the one lady Heidmarch gave us to solve! Now what was the answer anyway..." At the time, Nocki didn't seem interested enough to learn the pattern.
"Yes-yes, the puzzle box and this burning-door must be related in some fashion. Maybe they-they were constructed by the same-same people?"
Perception checks please!
The group enters the room and is studying the large, imposing door.
If you get close, then you can feel the heat it generates, like the top of a cooking stove.
"More-more rats looking on and spying. More than likely another wererat is down below-elsewhere. I wonder if the triangle piece will work-work like a key. Or maybe there is some kind of password-activation?"
Mikkitar makes sure he has a bolt loaded and his crossbow ready to fire.
You definitely can see that the door has a similar mechanism as the puzzlebox.
None of you can read the runes, but you assume that they will spell words and if aligned correctly, will most likely open the door.
Aside from the puzzle locked doors, there are doors in the NE,NW, SE, and SW corners of the room.
The party entered through the SE corner of the room.
What lies behind any of the other doors is a mystery.
Sandu grips his crossbow tightly, aims it at the ceiling, and moves behind the others.
"Is anyone still injured?"
“Desna, Mother of my life, I give Thee thanks for Thy blessing -the fruit of the vines, the fruit of my spirit; life’s abundance. My sustenace and nourishment . Blessed Be of lafy of the stars, let my life be changed by your butterfly effect, emerging with the wanderlust of a new traveller.” He reaches to touch Nocki as Dwarf moves by, healing energy glowing in his palm.
"Right-right, we should go and find-hunt those remaining tower girls. Then we can seek-look through this puzzle door."
From the way the old, broken mosaic tiles have been shoved away from the doors, you can tell there has been recent traffic through the NE and SE doors.
Not nearly so much around the NW door.
"After you, friend. "
Nocki opens the NE door and sees that it opens into a large room.
You can see that both the NE and SE doors open into the same room.
Several pieces of furniture decorate this room, the modern furnishings clashing with the ancient carvings of Thassilonian wizards crafting deformed monsters from dead bodies decorating the walls. Luxurious crimson Varisian drapes have been pinned up in an archway to the southeast.
There's a bed, table, and chair.
There's a stack of random items on the table.
The sound of wind and waves comes from the east side of the room.
You don't see any living occupants in the room.
"Maybe they-they ran away? I mean, we haven't been very-vwry quiet coming here. If they're smart-sharp, they will have fled-run and not come back."
As you enter the room you notice heaped on the table are sections of wall mural, ancient coins, pieces of jewelry, gems, bits and pieces
of pottery.
You don't find any traps when looking at the curtains.
Behind them, you find a rumpled bed with a small chest beneath it.
"Something seems off." After Nocki seems to clear the bed he moves over and reaches out to the curtains.
"This all seems out of place"
Heaped on a table are sections of wall mural, ancient coins, pieces of jewelry, gems, bits and pieces of pottery.
There are a couple of books/journals that are not as old.
Everyone in the room can hear the sound of waves against the side of the Crow, like you were outside. The sound seems to come from the east side of the room.
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Nocki says "This is a fortune in treasure! We could get almost 900 gold pieces for it!" He almost says that this is why he became a pathfinder, but keeps it to himself.
He stays away from the eastern side of the room and says "Come on, we should find these wererat. This will be for nothing if they catch us off-guard."
Sandu moves over to the books and begins to leaf through them.
Eirnar is extremely pleased to see the books and journals the Heidmarch's will surely reward the pathfinders for.
Agreed, we should try to be quiet!
As Sandu and Olander read, Nocki and Mikkitar poke about the room some more.
The books are full of scratchy handwriting recording the thoughts and notes they provide details on Ayala’s history with and plans for the Tower Girls, including her increasing frustration at Natalya’s betrayal.
The sound and smell of the ocean is really strong on the east side of the room, as if the water was right there and not behind a thick stone wall.
There is no sign of the whereabouts of Ayala, the wererat leader.
Neither of you notice anything.
"Weird, I can swear I smell salt-salt air, like being on-on the shore. But when I look around I can't see-see anything like a door or window or anything-thing. Oh well, let's go-go."
Mikkitar follows behind Nocki, crossbow readied.
Nocki heads out into the larger room and checks the northwest door.
It opens stiffly and you have to push some broken tiles and rubble out of the way to open it.
It is pretty disappointing, with only a short hallway that ends in a collapse of rubble after a few feet.
Sandu looks left, then right and drags one of the chests out from under the bed.
Inside the chest, Sandu finds 87 gp and 175 sp.
As Sandu empties the chest full of coins, he leans with one hand against the wall.
To his surprise, his hand passes through the stone like it wasn't really there.
"whoa, what the what.