"So, I would feel much better if we knew how to get out of here. I'm still not sure how I feel after entering that teleportation circle. Personally, I would prefer to not have to stay the night down here."
"I wonder what this key ring with the two keys on it goes to? This may be our way out of here."
After taking care of the wretched head, Bibi takes a careful look through the room. While always on the lookout for baubles and shineys, this is more for information, clues, data, DIGITS!!!
Let's check out some of the writings, see if we can glean any further understanding of what's up here.
I'm willing to be methodical in here & check everything, but in case anyone is impatient...
Bibi sifts through, and finds quite a bit, though it's scattered and requires a bit of work:
"Look at this stuff! This healer's kit will help me keep you all alive!"
Elena, ever curious, will study the magical contraption. Her goal is to see if she can understand its purpose and method of activation.
Elena determines that it's a Crafter's Eyepiece.
Can Tal use skills to ID any of those items we got from the Scaramucci?
Arcana is +11 I'm looking at that bow and that rapier.
Tal spends about 20 minutes looking over the items. He determines that the rapier is , but the bow eludes him for some reason.
"Do you need me to look at that bow? I just need a moment."
Elena takes the bow and determines that it's
DO it. DO it.
DONE double door FTMFW
Carrufikus makes mention of stairs that go up, and while there were some in the previous room, Bibi's sense of adventure gets the better of her.
Finding no reason not to, she opens the door. A wide walkway around this cavernous chamber looks out over a stone arena floor 30 feet below. Six balconies with built-in seating provide the best view. Each balcony has a bright torch jutting from it, illuminating the entire arena while leaving this viewing level shrouded in shadows. An enormous metal gong on the eastern end of the chamber hangs on thick chains. Two steep staircases lead down from the central balcony on the north side of the arena floor.
In the center of the floor below is a massive amalgamation of bone, flesh, and ....gods-know-what-else. It's not currently moving, and show no signs of being aware of your presence.
In my long life, have I encountered any mention of what this thing might be below? Any myths of vanished civilizations? Any horrors only whispered about by mad seers?
Occultism +11: for a total of 26
Tal has no idea, but given the body parts that make up this thing, it's likely some kind of fleshwarping secret similar to that which produced the drow.
"I don't like it. Another thing that is a clear monster made by our foe in this place. I can place a magical web on it and we can try to destroy it from afar. Or would we rather sneak to the walkway and avoid it? Thoughts?"
"Let's try to avoid it. It looks to me like a form of, 'entertainment', concocted by the ones that built this place. I see no reason to engage it if we can pass over it... Or we can back up and check for another way up."
Backing up, the party decides that simply walking up the stairs they skipped is best... They empty out next to the teleportation pad that Peldur stepped on to transport everyone down one floor.
Location: Slide 5
Noroc: DR 5/Physical
"This looks like a lot of work to build an arcane teleportation rune when you can just take the stairs. Well, at least we know where we are. Shall we head back to town and take a rest? We can come back tomorrow and keep on trying to eradicate the evil from this place.
Carrufikus ponders, looking at the rest of team, all of whom have glowing glyphs still on their foreheads left over from the teleportation.
Noroc gives a yawn. I could take a rest, he says.
"Sure. If anything it'll give me more time to study these pesky glyphs we seem to be sporting."
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The party retreats to Otari for the night. The trek back has become routine. It seems like so long ago that the ruins above ground were rife with mitflits, but it was only a month and a half ago.
Common enough that at the end of the day, children run to the edge of town. They great you with cheers, with questions, and with swords made of sticks and impressions born of youthful imagination.
Elena smiles at the enthusiasm demonstrated by the arrayed youth upon their return, but is nonetheless mindful that there's more work to be done.
To her friends she says, "I think a meal, early rest, and a quick start tomorrow is best. Agreed?"
Noroc, already stuffing a sweetmeat into his mouth, can only nod in agreement.
The party eventually finds their way back to the house, and takes a well earned rest.
Let's do it.
While no one chides Peldur's rash teleportation incident, the party - glowing tattooes and all since no research beyond Dispel Magic bears any fruit - opts to return to a higher floor.
Bibi clears the door for Peldur, who opens it to find a long hall with three more doors.
"Please check that door on the right, Bibi. We don't want to leave one room unchecked."
You got it small fry!!
She happily pulls out her tools, turns Otari's Sneaky Key, and whistles while working.
While Bibi works, Elena finally loses patience with the arcane mark upon her forehead. She calls forth abjurative magics that she directs at the offending symbol with the goal of dispelling it.
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While Bibi works, Elena finally loses patience with the arcane mark upon her forehead. She calls forth abjurative magics that she directs at the offending symbol with the goal of dispelling it.
[dice=Dispel Magic (3rd)]1d20+12
Elena gets rid of the mark, thankfully. Meanwhile, Bibi has a little problem with the lock, but gets it in about a minute.
This room’s shelves are well stocked with jars of preserved organs, crates filled with bones wrapped in rags, and surgical tools. Two armor stands flank a weapon rack to the south, but they bear only a pair of gnarled sticks in leather sheaths.
The spellcaster confirm that the sticks are magic wands.
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"Two wands, one for each hand. This is the old way, the magick of Woo and his associate and physician, Holiday."
"Two wands, one for each hand. This is the old way, the magick of Woo and his associate and physician, Holiday."
"An obscure reference, but I suppose I take your meaning," Elena says in respond. "If you'll allow me to examine them, I may be able to quickly identify what magic they contain."
In a mere two minutes, Elena confidently declares the wands to be a wand of summon animal and a wand of heal.
Summon Animal! Could be fun!
"Hooray for Desna! I could use that extra wand of heal to try and keep all of you alive!"
"Tal, please wait up. Let Bibi check the door for traps first. Everybody down here wants to hurt any stranger that dares enter their territory. In this case, I think we are the strangers."
"Bibi, when you have a chance, could you please give us the all clear on this door up on the left where Tal is investigating?"
Leaving the nonmagical vials and jars, the party moves to the other side of the hall. There Bibi detects nothing on the other side, nor a lock. She steps aside for Peldur to open the door.
The floor of this room contains several open square pits: one in each of the three alcoves to the north and two larger pits in the middle of the room. A dais at the room’s west end contains a stone throne with two rusty levers jutting from the floor next to it.
As Carrufikus moves into the room, he looks around vigilantly.
"I suppose the leader who sat on that throne would throw the levers if he didn't like who he was talking to. It saddens me what vile creatures do for entertainment around here."
"That seems likely," Elena agrees with Carrufikus. "Might be there's something in the pits to find. Or the levers do different things in different positions. Let's explore this room with care, mindful that there might be other pits."
Tal makes an examination of the floor, looking for seams or other tells. Are there other pits here and can I mark them?
Perception: plus I'm an Elf. IT MATTERS TO ME, ALL RIGHT?
The party inches into the space. Tal immediately experiences noticeable horripilation. There's something living in some of these pits, but which one?
Initiative assumes Talborel is Scouting
Avoid Notice (T)
Detect Magic (A: +2 (U), N: +11 (T), O: +2 (U) , R: +11 (T))
Investigate (A: +13 (T), N: +9 (T), O: +11 (T) , R: +9 (T))
Search (E)
Avoid Notice (E)
Scout (Init ties to Tal)
ROUND 1
Tal: Go
Peldur: Go
Bibi: Go
Carrufikus: TBD
Elena: TBD
Noroc: TBD
Location: The Library
Noroc: DR 5/Physical