"does that coin fit the slot in the other room?"
"I don't know that I can shed any extra light, no pun intended," Aurelia says, renewing her Light spell. "Keep in mind that the conjuration school includes teleportation magic. And given that these are coins and we already found a slot appropriate for coins... might be worth a try."
Let's try it, but that slot was sized for a gold coin. These are... Quite large.
Ianthe reaches into the bag Corran is holding and pulls out one of the large coins.
Wish me luck.
She walks over to the slot in the floor and tries to slide the coin into it.
Ianthe drops a coin in.... and nothing happens
As soon as you put a coin in it vanishes. A 5' square section of the floor becomes translucent, and below you can see a hallway. You're certain you can drop through this section of the floor.
I don't know if this is one per customer, but follow me if you can.
Ianthe steps over to a section of floor and drops down through it.
Ianthe simply vanishes. She doesn't fall through the floor, she simply stepped on a piece of floor and ....vanished.
Leo tires to follow suit. He goes to step on the same part of the floor.
Question: Does the coin disappear as well?
Corran will try the spot in the floor where she dropped through. If he also doesn't drop through, he will take a coin. Leaving the haversack in the little closet, he will repeat Ianthe's actions and drop through the floor.
If no-one takes the Masterwork Rapier, Corran does.
Corran will also take the wand they discovered, and the spoon.
Yes, the coin disappeared.
Corran steps on the floor, and nothing happens. After dropping a coin in the slot:
As soon as you put a coin in it vanishes. A 5' square section of the floor becomes translucent, and below you can see a hallway. You're certain you can drop through this section of the floor.
I follow my sister.
"Adventure awaits, right?"
Aurelia inserts a coin and follows suit.
Leo places a coin and follows along. Sword and dagger in hand.
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Corran drops down into the hallway and is met with a horrific sight. The desiccated remains of his sister lay against the wall across from him. Her dress is in tatters, rotted from age. Confused, Corran looks around him. The hallway, from floor to ceiling, is covered in arcane equations and glyphs. As he peers closer to them, he can make out the writing has been done in blood, dark and crusted. He runs his finger over some of it and it falls away to dust.
Corran runs over to what remains of Ianthe, nothing but skin and bones. He can see the skin on the tips of her fingers exposed to the bone. Confused and starting to panic, Corran start frantically looking around for some clue as to what happened. It's then that he notices something scrawled on the floor next to his sister.
Corran, what took you so long?
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Corran stands and closes his eyes, panting from fear and concern.
Will Save:
His eyes open and he gasps and rushes to Ianthe, holding her in his arms. He begins to wail.
NO! Ianthe! Dear, Sweet Sister! I swear on my life's blood to avenge you and...
And then he drops the act, his face going cold and neutral and he drops her to the ground, recognizing the illusion.
I can't believe you spent the energy on this you brat.
As soon as you put a coin in it vanishes. A 5' square section of the floor becomes translucent, and below you can see a hallway. You're certain you can drop through this section of the floor.
Once everyone drops down, you find yourself in a new and strange place...
It's a simple hallway. A single hooded lantern rests on the ground here, flickering with a blue light.
Xavien pockets a half-dozen more of the coins before returning the rest to the closet where the satchel was found. "Just in case," he mutters.
Now in the new hallway, Xavien eyes the lantern with curiosity.
Xavien finds nothig else of interest, and therefore decides to follow. The hall itself is short. The northern end ends with an elaborate brass lever. After a short examination, the party throws the level to find themselves on the insider's perspective to a secret door. Chiseled stone statues of Taldan Phalanx soldiers stand atop plinths in the outer corners, visible from any point in this ominous hall. Sturdy wooden doors line the outer edge of the hall: two to the east, two to the south, two to the west, and a single larger door to the north.
Disconcertingly, there's a freshly dead noble on the floor in the hall here.
Loe rushes to inspect the body. How did they die? Who were they?
Leo sees that he's been slashed open by either a lot of blades or claws. The man's fingers are bloodied. He didn't go down without a fight. as to his identity:
Lord Develin Manshum. A minor noble who never really rocked any boats.
Who do you have there, Leo?
Hmmm... I believe that's Lord Develin Manshum. He's a minor noble. As far as I know, he keeps mostly to himself; he doesn't make waves. Perhaps he's a casualty of the Prince's attack?
Ianthe remembers seeing the man at the gala. He was frequently engaged in small talk with others.
Leo makes a quick scan of the hall. he wants to know if there is any sign of where his poor man came from.
The body, in the main hall near the door to the north is definitely fresh. Leo looks for a sign. He finds a senate aide badge on the main. The only other thing of value on him is an ornate copper ring on the man's pinky. It's shaped like a shield. The others confirm that the ring and the badge are the only thing magical on him, and even then the magic of the badge seems to be fading.
Aurelia takes a few moments studying the right, whispering a cantrip to help her detect the magical auras.
Lady Aurelia begins to study the ring, when the torso of a humanoid figure with jagged claws extends outward from a wall, its features patterned with the texture of the structure around it. A second later another appears!
Round 1:
Xavien: Go
Leo: Go
Ianthe: Go
Enemy: TBD
Auerlia: TBD
Kenton: TBD
Corran: TBD
Xavien first sizes up the strange beings.
Bardic Knowledge:
Arcana gets +4, Local +5
Similar to the undead monstrosities known as immured, walcofindes are pitiful undead creatures that manifest when a living being is sealed within a structure and perishes there. These unquiet dead often rise after having been intentionally walled into a structure.
Neither man remembers much about them. Corran remembers that if they seal themselves up in a room, they'll heal quickly.
"Quick! Before we meet his fate!" Xavien draws his blade and rushes forward, moving to interpose himself between one undead and Aurelia. He slashes at the strange undead with both hands.
Violence finally comes to the party. Xavien's blade strikes the undead. Despite having skin that looks like stone, it cleaves like flesh. The cut is deep, but the monster is ever intent on vengeance.
Round 1:
Xavien: Hit
Leo: Go
Ianthe: Go
Enemy: TBD
Auerlia: TBD
Kenton: TBD
Corran: TBD
Leo strides up to the undead thing closest to him, "Let's see if Father's sword lessons payoff..."
Leo stabs the thing with his short sword.
Leo splits apart to attack the other. He drives his blade deep into the thing.
Round 1:
Xavien: Hit
Leo: Hit
Ianthe: Go
Enemy: TBD
Auerlia: TBD
Kenton: TBD
Corran: TBD
Hearing the shouts of battle, Ianthe decides that protecting herself and staying out of the others's way would be best.
Ianthe holds the line as the two creatures lash out with a hatred from beyond the grave:
Western foe v. Leo:
for
MISS
Western foe v. Xavien:
for
for
While Leo's wounds are mild, Xavien is brutalized in the exchange.
Round 1:
Xavien: Hit
Leo: Hit
Ianthe: Defend
Enemy: ATK
Auerlia: Go
Kenton: Go
Corran: Go
Violence has found us. On a day so full of death, it seems no one is spared. If only that wasn't so bloody Taldan a situation to be in...
Seeing Xavien in trouble, Aurelia draws upon the wellspring of magic that she has worked so hard to cultivate within her body. She has never been accused of being a sorceress, thank goodness. But this magic... could easily be mistaken for such.
Within seconds an eagle appears opposite the undead harassing the injured lord. With an imperious command and a gesture she calls to the eagle. "Strike down that evil monster!"
It complies.
She then moves closer, longsword held at the ready.
The eagle tears into the body, nearly ripping it apart!
Round 1:
Xavien: Hit
Leo: Hit
Ianthe: Defend
Enemy: ATK
Aurelia: Arcane
Kenton: Go
Corran: Go
Corran draws his falcata and, seeing the creature tear into Xavien, moves to stand alongside him and work in tandem. He weaves glyphs of healing with his off-hand, and speaks a few words of creation, bolstering Xavien's resolve and dulling the pain of his recent exchange with the un-dead monster.
Cast Cure Light Wounds on Xavien, draw weapon on the move. Cures points of damage.
Corran breaks right and Kenton breaks left. Xavien's wounds disappear and Kenton stabs the other monster. Both foes look seriously wounded.
Round 2:
Xavien: Go
Leo: Go
Ianthe: Go
Enemy: TBD
Aurelia: TBD
Kenton: TBD
Corran: TBD
Leo moves around the undead thing to get a better strategic advantage
He thrusts hit sword into the back the of thing! or at least he tries.
Hellbent on destroying his foe, Xavien barely notices either his injuries or their sudden removal. He hacks at the undead with his blade.
Simultaneously, the two men slay the strange undead!
Leo makes sure that everyone is ok and then does to the nearest door.
"might as well start here and move around in some sort of logical order."
Leo moves to the closest door and checks it.
Leo listens for noises at the door
Leo Checks the door for traps:
If it is clear, Leo opens the door.
If it’s trapped, Leo attempts to clear the door:
Leo finds the door simple, unlocked, and untrapped. He opens it to find a far more plebian saferoom than the one the party arrived in. Before he can explore it,
"HELLO! ANYONE OUT THERE? AND I MEAN A NOT UNDEAD SOMEONE?"
The voice comes from the northwest. It's got the pitch and timbre of a halfling.
"Ha, ha!" Xavien cries joyfully as the undead falls. He turns to see that Leo has cut down the other. "No match for us," he grins. He looks down at the slashes in his shirt and doublet, and feels the unbroken skin underneath. Catching Corran looking at him, he grasps what happened. "My thanks," he says, saluting the young Lord Clement.
* * *
"Several someones, indeed," Xavien replies through the door. Wyssilka? "So long as you mean us no harm, you are safe now." He sends two of his lanterns through the door to illuminate whoever hides within.
"YES! Legit, real heroes!" The halfling is positively exuberant at the thought of not dying in this place. He calls out, "HEY! EVERYONE! HEROES! IT'S SAFE TO COME OUT!"
He looks around as a couple doors start to open, "My name is Imistas Gulbend. A pleasure to meet you!"
A few others pour out. A trio of terrified nobles, makeup smeared from tears, introduces themselves, "Thank you. Thank you. I am Lord Wilfen Botoles. This is Sir Gryphus Plastion and she is the Lady Gael Urbaen."
Lord Wilfen Botoles looks over the dead noble on the floor and swallows hard, "If you can get me out of here, I'll give you 300 gold coins." The other two echo the same.
Imistas looks down, "I'm not that rich, but I'll give you my favorite silk hankie. Just please don't leave me alone."
"Stay calm every one. Can you tell us what happened? What brought you to hide like this? Was this the Prince's attack or the undead?"
Corran looks to the dead noble on the floor. He looks for identifiers.
Who fell? We shouldn't leave them here if we can help it.