Ohrmizd smiles as the iron surface appear "Oh, well, or we can just walk over a magically created bridge. Well done Rayhan"
With this solved, Ohrmizd advances through the corridor, being attentive to tracks and magical auras found through detect magic.
The corridor leads around another corner to a door. The door is not locked and behind it is a domed room. The walls and domed ceiling of this room have been coated with plaster and inlaid with frescos, now badly damaged with time. The subject matter of the frescoes is still apparent as scenes from ordinary mortal life in some arid land. They depict shepherding, husbandry, agriculture along the banks of a muddy river, and other mundane tasks, all beneath a cloudless cerulean sky. Broken chunks of a vaguely man-shaped ceramic litter the floor; both the shards and the floor bear the brownish stains of dried blood. Two cord-wrapped bundles of coarse cloth lie near the north wall.
The room has octagonal shape. A passage in the third wall to the right leads to the next room. There is movement in the next room and something that looks like a camp.
"Hmm, perhaps you would like to check things out? It may not be people who want to have us killed," Heshan advised.
"This is strange... it is like someone broke this statue... but this blood... someone got injured during the breaking..." Ohrmizd comments, and inspects more closely the broken shards and the cords before continuing into the next room.
Also, detect magic.
"Weird... the broken fists of the statue are bloody..." Ohrmizd frowns, then looks forward to the camp on the next room.
"Let's see what is there..." he does slowly and carefully approaches the next room.
"Does that mean there is another person that arrived here more recently" Heshan added as he followed Ohrmizd. "Of course, it would be good to know exactly where we ended up in."
The frescoed walls of this chamber show a desolate landscape with a large pyramid in the distance. A long procession of torch-bearing priests makes its way toward this pyramid holding aloft a bier bearing an ornate sarcophagus. The flat apex of the pyramid bears a roaring fire to which the procession climbs. The dome above is painted to depict a starry night sky with a gibbous moon. The chamber itself appears to have been used recently as some sort of a camp, with a number of bedrolls and stacks of provisions and equipment.
Four warrior of the same species as the smith in the volcano occupy this room and take on a defensive stance as Ohrmizd and the group approaches.
"Artel Norin?! Is that you?" Ohrmizd looks around at the four figures not sure to whom exactly address his question "Did you also manage to escape Kakishon with your brothers?"
The man smiles happy with the prospects to reencounter with the forger of his loved ebon flame scimitar.
"The blacksmith gave us your name. He has been helping us so far. Hopefully we can do the same for you," Heshan smiles.
"What? Who? No, no one here is Artel Norrin." one of the azer replies. "It looks like you can't tell us apart. Well at least you're not attacking us."
"I apologize for the misunderstanding," Ohrmizd says, lowering his weapon. "We were led to believe that Artel Norrin might be with you. Is there any way you can help us find where we are? We were hoping to find a way out of here to face Javhul."
"More specifically, are we in the Material Plane or a completely different one?"
"We really hope that Jhavhul is not here. But this is his palace in the City of Brass. On the elemental plane of fire."
"The City of Brass? The elemental Plane of Fire?!" Ohrmizd is struck by the news and left jaw open, he turns to the rest of the group "S@#&! How do we get out of here now?"
"Normally I'd say with a greater teleport or a plane shift. Even a dismissal might work. But we are in Javhul's palace and we are after him. I see that as an opportunity."
"That is true," Heshan responded with a small smile. "I bet he would not have expect us to be after him so quickly. If we take him on fast and quick, he would have little time to react."
Ohrmizd agrees with Rayhan and Heshan about the opportunity "Ok, you have been a while in here then I suppose" he tells the azers "What areas have you been in here? What else do you know about the palace?"
"We've been only here. We fought the stone golems in the room you came from and our master is scouting ahead." the azer replies.
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"So it seems that your story matches what we had to go through just now," Heshan remarks. "So who exactly is your master that came along with you?"
"We are with an efreeti and the captain of us soldiers is a bodak."
"We are separated from out campaign leader, as there was a trap with a guardian in it. We're waiting for him to come back."
"A bodak? Isn't that some kind of undead creature?" Ohrmizd looks at the azer a bit more concerned "What does your leader want to achieve in Javhul's palace? Did you came to defeat him?"
The Kheleshite looks around for any exit that might let the group to keep going forward.
"No. Javhul isn't supposed to be here. He is banned. We're just looking what is left in here. Don't know if our master searches something in particular."
They way onwards leads through a passage into the next room where you catch a glimpse of the bodak passing.
"Javhul is banned?" Ohrmizd does not seem to understand what the azers mean by banned but just follows along "Ok, it seems you are a bit lost then here too. If you wish to join us in our search, I think you are well welcomed" he does look at the others in the party to see if the invite is ok.
"Is that the bodak?" Ohrmizd adds looking through the passage "Is he dangerous or there is something we can negotiate with him?"
Either way, Ohrmizd is going to end having to explore that next room with the bodak.
"Hehe. Dangerous!" the bodak mutters to himself.
"No, no, we're fine waiting here. But if you want to move on further and take care of that guardian, be my guest." the undead offers in a deep raspy voice, gesturing towards the next passage.
The walls of the chamber where the bodak camps with three more azers bear frescoes of a dismal river running through a cavern. A boat made of reeds and loaded with treasures floats down this subterranean channel bearing the same sarcophagus as pictured in the previous chamber. All manner of spirits, only faintly seen, look upon the funeral barge from behind stalagmites and from the frothing current itself. In the distance, the river flows through an opening that glows with light.
"You should know never to judge a book by his covers," Heshan smiles. "If he was dangerous, he would have attacked us by now."
As they made their way to the camp, the sorcerer made note of his surroundings, including the numerous spirits that seemed to be accompanying them in the camp. "So if Javhul is banned, how did he manage to get back to his temple?"
"What do you mean with temple?" Rayhan inquires.
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"Well.. his palace. I must have phrased it wrong."
Omari chooses his spot in the room carefully, to have Khedron shielding him against possible charges. He makes conversation as his eyes sweep the chamber, asking the bodak "So, the azers said your master is an efreet and he is scouting ahead. What is your master's name, perhaps we have heard of him? Also, what do you know about this guardian that lies ahead?"
11 rank +4 wis+5 racial
1 rank +3 trained
He will also cast detect magic as he listens to the Bodak's reply.
"I assume those people here are right that Javhul isn't here. We haven't seen him or any of his entourage so far. The place looks pretty abandoned, with only magical guarding that got in our way."
"I might be wrong and this is because we're in the basement, and upstairs is a party. But I'd be surprised if that were the case."
"Hum, well, even if Rayhan you are right, I guess it is in our interest to find out what Javhul left here and maybe get rid of some of his loyalists" Ohrmizd comments before turning his attention to the new group.
He expects to find the bodak to be evil as any other undead, but still does the check with the sacred eyes Sarenrae gave him for that.
"Nice frescoes. Are you looking for the treasures of the ship perhaps?" Ohrmizd inquiries the undead "We are basically concerned about Javhul and his army. Thus, we might be able to reach an agreement if all you want is Javhul's wealth"
"Then who sent the golems after us?" Heshan asked. "Or was that your security we stumbled onto. In that case, we apologize but I can say that your defenses are commendable."
"Yum! I think the golems were part of the treasury guardians, Heshan" Ohrmizd smiles, then, if the bodak has nothing else to say, he moves forward to the next room.
"Be aware that there is a horrible beast in the darkness below." the bodak warns Ohrmizd.
Brass steps rise in a forlorn spiral into darkness overhead. The center of the spiral is an open pit whose depths are lost in shadow. Suspicious brown stains and bits of battered armor and equipment warn of danger ahead. Strangely, a cool breeze carries the smell of death from the central pit’s depths.
11 rank +3 Trained+4 Wis
"A stitch in time saves nine Ohrmizd, we are in no rush here" Omari urges Ohrmizd to take his time, and turns back to the Bodak, asking "Describe this beast if you please, what have you seen?" As he waits for a reply, he casts a light cantrip on a silver piece, in preparation to tossing it into the darkness....
"I'm not sure my master would want you to know his name. As for the monster, it is a giant worm with a huge maw that could swallow one easily. And it has pointy ends everywhere, that attack you."
"Well I have no idea what that could be, but we do have experiences fighting giant worms. Did we manage to kill that one?"
Ohrmizd frowns "Another giant worm? Seems the Age of Worms has fallen upon us"
In preparation for the worm, the Keleshite casts keen edge and bloodhound.
"So the description does not ring any bells with anyone?" Omari looks at each of his companions in turn, and shrugs. He tosses the lit coin into the darkness and raises his eyebrows as the light vanishes 10 ft down the well...
11 rank +3 trained
He pleads for a bit of caution "Anyone have a plan to clear that unnatural mirk? Unless we can do so, I think the worm thing will be at a tremendous advantage..."
"So you think there is a darkness effect on place Omari?" Ohrmizd looks down with curiosity.
"Maybe we can just pierce through it. After all, Sarenrae is the goddess of the Sun and will not leave her faithful followers deprived" the Keleshite looks confident.
"Rayhan, maybe you can summon an acorn or other similar servant of the goddess to cast continual flame or daylight?" Ohrmizd asks the sage, then turns to Heshan "Or maybe you can harness the power of the shadows to create one of those daylight effects my friend, Heshan"
Rayhan casts a spell on himself and takes a look into the hole.
"I don't know what it is, but it is gargantuan. And the place it sits is a big disadvantage for us to fight it. On stairs, where we could fall down into the beasts hole."
"I'm not sure about the way onward, but I would expect that we need to get up. Simply passing without fighting it might be an option. Either by using dimension door to get up, or walling up the hole. But I'd need to prepare that one after a night of rest."
"That solution would also benefit our new aquaintances, as it would create a permanent path."
11 rank +3 trained
"Rayhan, could you see how deep the pit is? Could we bombard the worm with missiles and magic from the doorway, making it come to attack us?"
"There is an effect. A deeper darkness spell, to be exact," Heshan added after doing his own examination on the effect.
The sorcerer places a hand on his chin. "It might be best not to be on the ground. I believe the last worm could feel where we were based on the ground we were walking on."
"It's some 100 feet deep. If you have something you can lob in blindly it might work. If you have to shoot it directly, it will probably come for you."
"And it is too large to follow us into the next room, so it probably won't." Rayhan concludes from the safe distance of the doorway.
"Good point Heshan, we can go flying for better security. As about dealing with the darkness, what about summoning a creature that can create daylight, or to shadow evocate a daylight spell?" Ohrmizd looks down trying to sniff the creature with his bloodhound senses "Anyway, you can start by honoring Omari's idea with some good massive fire and see if it comes out of its lair"
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"I could summon some lantern archons, in hopes, their ability is high enough power to counter this darkness. If you insist on fighting this monster."
If acknowledged Rayhan will step back further, and start summoning.
"That may be tricky. I believe Daylight is at the same spell level as Deeper Darkness, but I do not know of that would be enough to counter the effects if it comes to that."