Yasmeena gasps and catches her breath. Once she recovers, she says: "Lo, another artifact of incomparable power-- the Impossible Eye! Perhaps a seeing-stone, capable of scrying what passes in places that are otherwise forbidden? Learned Aithaloessa, perhaps it should be you who takes it into your hands and gazes into its depths, for among all of us I think you have the most knowledge and mental fortitude to guide the eye where we need most to view."
Having already been stunned by one too=powerful orb, Bylo stays back. "What? 'glass ablutions in a dozen and one sacred draughts' and wish for the imprisoned to be released'? Why can't they speak clearly? Do we need the magic of a wish?"
“Possibly partly a side-effect of cooping themselves up here away from all the little people like us,” Aith says, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the city far below, beyond the palace walls. “That probably leaves a lot of time for silly games with words. Although, if this thing is anywhere near as powerful as it probably has to be, a certain amount of respectful caution is understandable.”
Aith braces herself as best she can for what she’s sure will be an overwhelming emanation if she opens herself up to the orb’s magic directly, every new mystery pushing more divinations higher up on her mental research agenda.
As she gathers herself and reaches inwardly for the wisp of her own magic that she’ll need, she adds, “Fortunately, we know where to find a princess with a pool of exceptional pure water that she didn’t want us to just dabble in. I don’t like the sound of the ‘eyes of the grand vizier,’ though.”
While Aithaloessa takes her turn on taking on that stoned look while watching tremendously powerful magic, she inquires from Bylo "What's a sacred draught? An ale fresh from the barrel at a temple of Caiden Calean?"
Bylo watches Aith to see if she is harmed by what she attempts. He considers Haleen's question. "I hate word puzzles like that. But.... ablutions normally refers to cleansing. Glass ablutions would likely refer to a glass container holding a fluid for cleaning, like cups used at a fancy meal to clean greasy fingers? Sacred draughts could refer to drinks used for holy ceremonies, not just by followers of Cayden. So it could refer to blessed wine, or even healing potions, but for something more.... generic, maybe holy water?"
Once she shakes off the worst of staring directly at so powerful an artifact’s magic – which leaves her rather sympathetic to fireflies and their problems with lanterns, honestly – after a toss of her head and twitch of her hair back into place, Aith muses aloud as she tries to resist another look in.
“I’m not sure – too much like looking right into a fire to see how bright it is,” she says, going over the impressions she was able to glean before being overwhelmed, again, “but it feels a bit like the same sort of magic that was bound up in the scroll that brought us here, in the end. Interesting! To bind elemental energies into a demiplane, and into a space... maybe one could use the same sort of idea to cut off a space from all other planes…”
She lets her wizardy witterings peter out, knowing that the more technical aspects are probably not going to interest anyone else as much, and gets to the business end of things: "Anyway, like Kakishon and the scroll bound to it, this thing probably isn't going to weather being unbound very well. Pity, really."
She would have liked to have a luxurious pocket plane to study, and while a fancy dimensional lock on a bit of the Plane of Fire is less exciting ... still. She'll have to pay careful attention when they find their sacred draughts: as past experience (and arguably regrettable enthusiasm) has taught her all too well, destructive testing can still be most instructive. "Well, moving quickly and breaking things it is, then. Hey-ho!"
"... maybe holy water?"
Did you bring some?"
"... maybe holy water?"
Did you bring some?"
Bylo shakes his head. "I haven't needed any for so long that I didn't see any need to carry it around. Simple magic can create it. But it still needs the flasks of water and quite a bit of powdered silver."
"How about that 'pool of exceptional pure water' from the princess that you mentioned? Any chance it's holy water?"
“Worth a try,” Aith suggests distractedly, going over her mental inventory of reagents and components likely to have settled to the bottom of her pockets and pouches, and deciding she should probably keep a flask of holy water on hand in future, just in case.
She wonders how many silvers she might be able to rummage up, but also starts thinking.
Going over the unusual spells she’s learned from her explorations of the traditions of the schools of the far west of the continent, the mage is pretty sure that combining rain magic with a blessing – say, an aggressive, smiting one, even – and, why not, a couple of other factors… Well, it’s more god-magic type stuff anyway, so putting her own spin on it would probably need seeing it in action, but someone like Bylo, now…
“I suppose it depends on how much silver we need, really, and how much patience we have with files or whetstones and such, but, if it comes to that, how does this sound?”
With the rapidity of excitement, a certain amount of theological corners cut, but complex general ideas about magic across the arcane/divine divide, and lots of energetic waving of arms around, Aith picks Bylo’s brains about a spell that he might be able to pray up. Holy Ice. How hard can it be to count out and melt the javelin version of the spell, on the Plane of Fire? :)
“If our royal, watery patron’s fountain won’t work, maybe? Unless we want to be more experimental first?” She heads for the door and a quick swoop down to the main pile of the palace and the princess trapped therein, but her light tone makes it clear that she is absolutely curious enough to try lunatic ideas before more sensible ones, if her friends prefer.
"Waters blessed of the gods themselves are necessary for success. Such a substance is illegal in the city but has been known to be kept as contraband in the troves of certain unscrupulous groups." The reflection in the Impossible Eye objects as Aithaloessa takes a turn down the crazy path.
"Hmm, right," Aith frowns in concentration as the adventurers' reflected guide rather bursts her bubble, and tries not to look too pleased by the thought of a portable second head - or orb, at least - to bounce ideas off of. "Bottled breath of a goddess and all that. It stands to reason that some very, very exceptionally blessed water would be needed.
After some more expressive facial expressions reflecting her mental contortions replacing her previous gesticulations, Aith perks up again as recalling her mental map of the palace to find their other trapped genie reminds her of something else. [b]"There was that other door! Near where we found Iavesk? We must be getting close!"
It remains to be seen whether her optimism is warranted. Probably soon, unless she's collared before she manages to zoom off.
Dwon it goes once again and through the room where the kobolds have their sleeping room. Stacked at the end of this corridor where the walls widen out into a room is a collection of crates, boxes, and barrels. They appear to have been recently placed here.
The items stored here include all sorts of valuable goods such as art objects and jewels (worth a combined total of 4,500 gp), as well as items illegal in the City of Brass, including 15 flasks of holy water and a decanter of endless water.
Bylo follows along, remembering the route but not the missed door. "I wonder what else we've missed? Or what traps and creatures are still hidden here. But 15 flasks should be more than enough. Supposedly we need a dozen plus one?"
Yasmeena is particularly impressed with Aithaloessa's spacial reasoning, and releases a cry of unfiltered delight when they uncover the trove. Her avaricious nature is apparent in her wide eyes and broad grin as they collect the treasures.
"Who holds it, and who pours?" Haleen inquires, and her stance makes it clear she is volunteering for neither.
Yasmeena looks at the members of their party, and shrugs. "I can do one or the other, but I think it would be most appropriate for Aithaloessa to hold and Bylo to pour. I can assist with an inspirational song?" She draws her oud and plucks out an exploratory note.
With Aithaloessa holding the Impossible Eye and Bylo pouring the holy water over it, suddenly a large guy with dark skin and bright blonde hair appears. Basically the man talking from the reflection, just a lot bigger than expected.
He adresses the group of people who freed him: "Hand over the Impossible Eye!" he demands, stretching out his hand.
Yasmeena frowns, with a quick glance at Neelah. She's not sure what she expected, but something tells her they're not likely to be granted a wish this time. With lightning speed she draws her bow and notches an arrow. "Who are you, and what will you give us in return for the artifact?" she asks with a pleasant lilt to her voice.
"I am Ezer Hazzebaim and in return for handing me the artifact, I'll let you live."
Bylo sees the situation quickly spiraling out of control and joins Yasmeena acting. "Well Ezer, considering what we've been through here that sounds quite unfriendly. You asked for help, now we'd like a bit of help too. But I think we'll just keep on living by our own."
He draws his rapier while calling out a prayer to Sarenrae, calling for the Blessing of Fervor on the party.
Though it may be useless, Yasmeena still attempts to sway the guy with her charm. "My friends and I are trapped here on this plane, same as you are I imagine. Do you believe the artifact will allow you to leave?"
The giant warrior readies his sword.
Bylo steps up to the warrior and attacks. He wonders if the guy is always rude or if there is some particular reason....