She seems to be agreeing with you a lot...
"Wow!" Wyssilka says, after watching Shula's virtuoso display with the juggling balls. "You're amazing my Lady!" She joins in, tossing balls back and forth with Shula and creating quite the impromptu spectacle between them!
After a mighty round of applause Wyssilka grins at Shula and nudges her towards a tall, fashionably dressed woman who is approaching their audience. "That's Countess Pace, you should go talk to her!" The halfling whispers. "Try not to make her disappear though, she's important!"
"Well spoken my Lady, I have rarely seen wit melded so well with argument. Do come to my chambers at some point, I would delighted to employ an associate with such skills!" He hands her a signet ring emblazoned with his family crest (Mercenian) and a hefty amethyst. "Well done again."
Shortly afterwards a hush falls across the senate and the crowd parts as servants unroll a red carpet through the Arcade of Triumphs, a few paces ahead of Grand Prince Stavian III and a coterie of his Ulfen Guard. He stops to greet a few people by name, including Prince Ali of Qadira while the crowds flock to see them both. Victor receives a passing nod from the Grand Prince, which is more recognition than his daughter gets! She however follows her father into the Emperor's Hall which is promptly cordoned off by the Ulfen Guard.
About a half hour after Stavian arrives the servants bring out a light supper and the confused mumbling and general discontent caused by the Grand Prince's arrival and subsequent departure subsides in the face of good food and excellent wine. The notable exception however is the hundred-year-old bottle of wine donated by Bartelby Lotheed which is opened and served at this point. The senators sampling it react with disgust thanks to Shula's sabotage! Caspian ends up spending quite a while deflecting comments about it. "My brother is a good lord and a highly accomplished mage." He says over and over. "A good taste in wine is sadly not among his skills..."
Finally, the Taldan senate convenes to vote on various issues while guests watch from the gallery above. The hall spends 30 minutes arguing and voting on formalities and spending bills before reaching the event all of Taldor has been waiting for.
The political ruling body of Taldor spreads out twenty feet below the observation deck of the gallery. Dozens of senators and their immediate aides scurry below. The cacophony of voices is almost deafening, and it seems like the ceaseless chatter will continue endlessly. Suddenly, the magically amplified voice of the senate speaker interrupts the noise.
"Thank you all. I would ask that our observers please be silent and seat themselves. We will now begin voting on addendum number twenty-two thousand eighty-seven: the repeal of the ancient law of primogeniture, the issuance of inheritance and aristocratic title solely through male heirs."
Following this proclamation, the speaker begins calling on individual senators one at a time to support or oppose the repeal. Early declarations split evenly between the options, with many senators abstaining entirely, and only halfway through the process do votes begin to favor Princess Eutropia's bid to end primogeniture. By the end of the tabulations, the repeal passes with roughly 60 percent of the senate's backing. The speaker takes a moment to compose himself, seemingly shocked by the results, before continuing to formally announce the initial results in a distant monotone.
"And so, the final tally for addendum twenty-two thousand eighty-seven, the repeal of primogeniture, with thirty-six abstentions, the final tally stands at one hundred and seven for, seventy-nine against. The addendum passes. Among other business tonight, the senate recognizes Princess Eutropia Stavian I as the new heir to the Primogen Crown, and the first heir the empire has seen in twenty years."
With the declaration made, the chamber explodes in a riot of applause and condemnation. It takes several minutes for the cacophony to die down. The speaker declares that a closed senate recount is to take place, an event signaled by the speaker declaring a temporary recess of the senate to outsiders.
Following the vote, Martella Lotheed summons you for one last meeting, just as ushers begin announcing Grand Prince Stavian's speech and exaltation to begin in thirty minutes.
"Well done, my friends. It seems we all can bask in the glow of a successful evening. You completed every task I set out for you with plenty of time to spare! As promised, you'll each receive 300 gold tomorrow, and I will definitely have further work for you in the future if you're so inclined."
Combined with the various gifts you have all received (and stolen) tonight's work is going to net you each a tidy sum! Caspian is standing with his sister and insists on shaking or kissing each of your hands as appropriate. "Thank you very much for your help this evening. Martella couldn't have pulled this off without you all!"
Shula continues floating on cloud nine throughout the rest of the evening. She isn't even bored by the slow counting of the votes for (or against) primogeniture; too busy daydreaming about the many adventures her and her new dagger are going to have. She does notice when the final tally is called and the chambers erupt into chaos. Huh. Guess the Princess did it. Good for her.
As Martella summons them, Shula preens at the praise. And...did she say three hundred gold?! That was twice what Shula had been expecting! This has definitely been the most profitable endeavor she's ever undertaken.
In her current mood she decides she doesn't care what Victor thinks and also is in a position to be generous. Besides, without Lucretia's nudge she's not certain she would have gone back for the other items. "Here Lucretia." She pulls out the silk fan and spyglass, (after a habitual look around to make sure no one outside the group is paying attention). "More donations from your uncle. I'm sure you'll put them to better use?" Her new best friend stays unmentioned in her pocket.
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Although apprehensive with the result, Robert spends the voting time in the commons watching the High Strategos and his reaction to it.
However, when the result is announced, he stands up applauding. Adoption will not give the general his desired Lord, as now the Princess was the heir to the throne. This worried Robert. Did the High Strategos know of something else that was about to happen?
Later, he thanks Martella and says "I am grateful that you mean to keep your promise. But I hope we can continue to work together. So you can count on me for whatever follow-up work you have."
Lollia nods in satisfaction as the final vote is counted and tallied. She hides her surprise at their announced payment.
"I think this may call for a more intimate celebration," she says to the others, including Caspian in her conversation. "Perhaps we should find a more secluded venue for wine and good music?"
This is one part of the Senate that Lucretia would have trouble with; the counting of the votes. Its all well and good having a debate and influencing change, but having to sit around for these votes each time would be a challenge that she is not sure she could bear.
Lucretia cannot help but join in with Robert's applause as the votes are counted and just about manages to hold back a loud whoop, knowing this is not necessarily the correct occasion.
"Yes Lollia, but we are so short of time before Stavian's speech and we don't want to cut short any celebrations to be had as missing the speech is certainly not an option. Let's all gather after the speech to celebrate ours, or should I say Oppara's triumph! Caspian, Martella, it would be wonderful if you could both join us?" Lucretia replies.
Victor returns the Grand Prince’s nod, though his eyes remain devoid of emotion at the acknowledgement. He does applaud at the passing of the vote, but his celebration remains relatively subdued compared to that of his companions. He strokes Leona’s fur as he watches the others throughtfully.
Shula doesn't particularly care about the emperor's speech, but she understands that the others do. "After the speech would be perfect. Perhaps we could go back to the Young Lion's club?" Not that she herself is a member, but she was allowed in as part of Martella's retinue before.
"I'd be interested in continuing to work together as well." Shula hopes they can. Even aside from how profitable the night has been, it's been rather nice to have...colleagues? Co-conspirators?
Hundreds of dignitaries, senators, and visitors cram onto the senate floor. A dozen hulking members of the Ulfen Guard, personal bodyguards of the grand prince, stand arrayed around a podium atop the central, circular stage of the chamber. A mix of senatorial staffers and Ulfen Guard assign people to positions within the chamber based on rank and influence, placing the five of you toward the outer wall of the room, well over 80 feet away from the grand prince's podium. Martella Lotheed stands 20 feet closer, while Princess Eutropia and several prominent nobles stand at the podium's edge.
Grand Prince Stavian III ascends to the tall stage that overlooks the hall from its center. He raises a single hand to calm the murmurs of the assembled crowd. A member of the prince's Ulfen Guard escorts a thrilled-looking Kalbio to stand several paces behind the prince.
"Quite the assembly we have here today," the grand prince says. "I don't think I've ever seen the senate building packed so full; especially not for any of my previous speeches. Even my lovely daughter, now a woman, sits among the players of Oppara's greatest game. Of course, none of you are here for me. No, today is about something else entirely. Today is about elevation. It is no secret that today is about exalting others to a new status in life."
"I'm sure many of you have had the opportunity to meet Kalbio here. He is a man of the people, elevated at the urging of all the ladies, lords, senators, and aides present in this chamber. I think we should all give him a hearty round of applause, to commemorate this momentous change in his life."
The room erupts into cheers as Stavian pauses in his proclamation. The grand prince of Taldor smiles widely as he takes in the adulation of the crowd.
However, as you glance around the room, you notice subtle repositioning movements by armed, black-garbed personnel to block the exits.
Lucretia claps with gusto for the young man who has been given a great opportunity, but she cannot help but feel that more people should be given this opportunity each year, perhaps one woman and one man to make it much more equal?
Shaking her head ever so slightly, she glances around to lay eyes on Caspian. Does he seem to be impressed with the exaltation?
Whilst looking around the room, Lucretia begins to feel uneasy.
Who are these personnel? What purpose do they have? Is he about to announce a change in the vote?
Lucretia gently taps Victor on the elbow and nods towards the entrance way. "Take note, they're closing off the exits."
Victor follows Lucretia's gaze, his brow creasing with worry. "That is not a good sign. Stay close together. I have a bad feeling about this.."
Leona yowls uneasily.
As Lucretia and Victor mutter uneasily amongst themselves, a hulking Ulfen Guard pushes Kalbio forward, almost knocking the commoner down as he awkwardly regains his balance beside Grand Prince Stavian. The leader of Taldor maintains his calm, placing a hand on Kalbio's shoulder without ever taking his eyes off the crowd.
"I understand your parents sacrificed everything to help you reach this day, my boy. Saving up for your apprenticeship and the tools you needed to achieve greatness. And today you are a grateful son, no doubt making them proud. I too understand what it is to sacrifice; I have given so much for the people of this nation: a brother, a son, a lifetime of service. Even my own daughter's loyalty." He pauses, licking his lips and pulling the awkward Kalbio closer to his side. "But unlike you, Lord Kalbio, these Taldans — my children, truly—are not grateful. They scheme and plot, dream of hanging their dutiful father and placing a woman—a woman, sir!—on the Lion Throne! And they have seen fit this very day to induct you into their conspiratorial ranks. And that is why here, now, you, Lord Kalbio, will be the first among them to die."
And with that, the Emperor of Taldor plunges a jeweled dagger between the ribs of the astonished man in his clutches.
While Stavian's accusations stun the crowd, Kalbio's blood showers the front row of the senate floor. Kalbio mouths "Ma...ma...pa..." before he collapses to the stage in a heap. A red-stained Princess Eutropia defiantly stands among the nobility, starring up at her father in disbelief. Casting aside cloaks to reveal armor and blades, the unidentified soldiers in the chamber already begin moving to cut down the attending masses in a wholesale slaughter.
After a moment's confusion from most of the Ulfen Guard, the viking warriors attempt to close ranks around their emperor, cutting down anyone—black-clad warrior and panicked senator alike—who approaches. Masked soldiers guard the doors and make wide-arc slashes with their swords to keep the crowds at bay. Within mere seconds, the senate floor becomes a killing field, as Stavian III looks around in deranged wonder at the butchery he has ordered.
As the conflict escalates, other members of the crowd pull hidden weapons from their clothing and engage the Stavian agents. You recognize Kathann Zalar, the helpful guard who inspected you upon entry to the gala, as she leaps into combat, shouting, "Lion Blades! To your duties! Defend the senate! Defend Taldor!" Even Martella Lotheed and Princess Eutropia draw their weapons to fight back against the assassins!
Victor immediately moves to interpose himself between the nearest swordsman and his companions as Caspian does the same, stepping between Lucretia and a man dressed in black. Lord Lotheed manages to produce a blade from his cane and deflects the attack but Victor, unable to withdraw a weapon in time, can only throw up an arm as the sword comes arching down towards...
flash
When the burst of light fades it is pitch dark, stale smelling and quiet... The senate floor and the massacre proceeding there are gone. But so, apparently, are you...
Victor's heart pounds as the sword comes towards him, but then there comes the light, followed by darkness. Leona mews and rubs against Victor's legs as he tries to see anything in the pitch black.
"Is everybody alright? Does anybody have a light?"
Lucretia swears loudly, just as Victor steps up in front of her and tries to start casting, but just as she does so everything goes black.
Totally disoriented, Lucretia examines the room they have arrived in checking to see who else is with her. Upon Victor's request, she snaps her fingers and some small lights dance around the room, illuminating the immediate surroundings.
"I...I'm Okay. What the hell just happened?" She exclaims, standing up and dusting herself off when she sees everyone else around her is also unharmed.
Shula has no trouble seeing in the pitch blackness of the room, even before Lucretia summons her lights. From the corner of the room where she landed, the others can hear her muttering in a thick Narrows accent. "Starvin' nish of an emperor, musta lost his starvin' mind..."
A few deep breaths later, she's calm enough to answer Victor's question. "Hurt, no. Alright, also no. Where the hells are we?!"
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Robert watches the speech incredulous and he does not see the assassination coming. Confused, he sees the massacre starting. He fumbles his clothes looking for weapons, but he didn't bring any. He can still try to frighten one enemy, but before he can choose which one, there's a flash of light and Robert covers his eyes.
He opens them with floating lights above the group's heads. He asks "Are we still in the senate?" His eyes take a while adjusting to the sudden shifts in luminosity.
Shulamit finds Lollia standing right next to her when they appear in the dark. The woman's face is a mask of terror and her hands grasp out frantically. When one brushes against the slayer's sleeve it seeks out the attached hand and clutches at it like a lifeline.
Lollia strangles back a cry of desperation when light finally appears. She turns to see whose hand she'd clung to and her face shifts from a ghost white to a rosy crimson.
Dropping the hand and drawing ragged breaths, she manages a faint smile. "Sorry. I'm ... I'm afraid of the dark."
Unaware that she's doing it, Lollia begins to hum a simple melody.
Shula discreetly shakes some feeling back into her hand. "Don't worry about it. Looks like Lucretia's got us covered in the light department; it's not going to be dark again anytime soon." Although she wishes it would be. There's a certain comfort in knowing you'll be able to see most people coming before they can see you.
Not at all trusting these new circumstances, she quickly begins removing the peace-bonds from the kukris hidden up her sleeves. After a second's thought, (and with a slightly apologetic glance towards Lucretia), she also takes out the silver dagger and clutches it in her left hand. "I don't hear any screaming, but I also don't know where we are. Or what else might be around here. Anyone need a weapon? I've got an extra."
Lucretia's light reveal the room around you. Between the faded wallpaper, the musty smell in the air, and dust caking all the surfaces, it doesn't look like anybody has been in this chamber in a long time. The bed frames and lockers are too simple to really help in placing where you might be located.
As Maria investigates the scene, your badges buzz and you can hear Martella's voice in your heads. "Where did you go?! I just saw you and several others in the senate vanish into thin air!"
With a sigh, Lollia produces a dagger from underneath her sheer dress and holds it awkwardly in a hand that still trembles.
"We've been magicked to somewhere dark and disused," Lollia replies. "An old barracks or storeroom of some sort. We're going to attempt to make our way out."
"We're unharmed and safe more or less. Are you and Caspian safe?" Lucretia adds to Lollia's reply.
Lucretia holds her hands up free in the air. "What's with all the sneaking in of weapons eh? Here I was thinking it was going to be a party and didn't bring anything along! Shula, I will take your spare dagger if you have it? Who knows what we're going to come across here? Not after the events in the speech just now." Her voice quavers slightly towards the end of the sentence.
Keep it together, come on Lucretia.
"Absolutely no idea." Shula responds to Martella's question. "We'll meet you somewhere once we figure it out."
"I never go anywhere unarmed." Shula sounds like she's announcing water is wet. "Martella talked me into peace-binding the kukris, just in case one of the guards took a closer look. The dagger is a more recent acquisition. In that I stole it from your uncle's exhibits about an hour ago." Given the danger of the situation, she's lost any interest in mincing words.
"I guess it is technically yours...and it's easier to use than the kukris..." She hands the silver dagger to Lucretia with a facial expression that would be more appropriate if she was stabbing herself with it. "Take good care of her, she's worth a fortune."
In an attempt to distract herself, she begins looking around the room for exits.
"A woman should never depend on the kindness of strangers for protection," is Lollia's only reply as she begins moving cautiously around the dimly lit area.
She can see better than most in the light cast by Lucretia's spell, but the darkened shadows are still impenetrable to her and cause her heart to race.
Ignoring what Lucretia assumes is a barbed comment from Lollia, Lucretia gratefully takes the dagger.
"Oh I'm not judging you Shula, no need to worry. I'll give this back to you when we're done. You earned it fair and square. Are we all ready to try and find out where the hell we even are?"
As Shula looks for exits, Lucretia searches the room for any useful tidbits of information she can gather.
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Robert mentally replies to Martella "I don't know, we're in a strange old room. But if you can talk to us, maybe not too far? Are you all right?"
He dismisses the need for weapon saying "It seems whoever brought us here could beat us in a fight. I think we're going to have to outsmart them instead." He begins checking the lockers to see if there's anything of use.
"To be fair," Lollia continues as she moves about the room. "I've only used a weapon twice in self-defense. And the first time, displaying it was enough to dissuade the overly familiar tavern keeper to keep his hands to himself."
Lucretia's search turns up nothing of interest, but Shula finds, very easily, two exits - one leading north and another east. Both lead to short rectangular hallways.
Heading east you move through the passage, which has the same musty smell as the room you arrived in. The room you enter appears to be a storage chamber. Stacked crates cover the southern wall, and more crates occupy the northwestern corner. Wooden shelves fill much of the eastern half of the room, each tier filled with dust-coated bottles, crockery, and glass jars.
Looking through the crates reveals changes of clothes, condiments, pickled vegetables, preserved delicacies and a well-stocked toolkit. Whoever built this place clearly stocked it for the long term. While examining the boxes it becomes clear that the southern wall has some sort of mural or fresco on it, but it is obscured by the boxes and would take some considerable time to reveal properly.
Aside from the door you arrived by, their is another door that leads north once again.
Lucretia picks up the clothes and takes a wary sniff to see how musty they are to check if they've been there for some time or if they are fresh. She very much hopes they are old, and not very fresh as if they are fresh, then this would surely be a planned kidnapping attempt.
"Come on, not much use here, and we don't have time to mess around with this mural right now, let's keep going." She suggests, gesturing to the northern door that they did not come from previously.
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Robert looks at the clothes and tries to tell something from their quality. It should say something about who stocked this place.
After, he agrees with Lucretia and says "Yes, let's try to find our way out of here. Let's just keep in mind that this painting may reveal something about whoever built this place. In case we ever get curious."
He moves towards the northern door, but doesn't open it, clearly afraid of what may be in the other side.
Shula frowns as she sifts through the crates. "Almost looks like a hideout. I know a few people who keep some dried food and the like tucked away in case they need to lay low for a bit. I'd expect some weapons though...maybe in another room?"
Moving towards the northern door, she pauses for a moment to listen and see if there's any sounds coming from the other side. If she doesn't hear anything, she opens it and steps through.
The clothes are very musty although they seem to have been of good solid quality, suitable for a nobles servants or a prosperous artisan.
The next chamber is a bedchamber, and an opulent one at that! Heavy wooden shelves line the walls, a posh chair sits in the northwest corner alongside a small circular table and a massive bed with adjoining table rests along the eastern side of the room. An open bathroom fits into the southwest corner, with a bathtub which matches the rooms opulance but adds a somewhat ignoble odor. Apart from the door you entered through there is another door exiting west. The shelves are lined with history books.
In this room is a small green panel on the wall which glows steadily. Touching it turns on lights in the room you just left and, after opening the next door, in the western room - but not in this one. Clearly the system is defective!
Equally interesting is an ornate gold key which lies on the table next to the chair.
Moving on into what seems likely to be the final room, your suspicions are confirmed when you discover a door leading southwards and back to your original starting point. This area is completely closed in! Fortunately though, you have a bar! In fact it is a large wooden counter, which juts from the northwest corner of the chamber. Behind it stand open cabinets of dusty liquor bottles, while one cabinet is sealed with a rather hefty lock. Three tables with adjacent chairs fill much of the space. The decoration is provided by portraits, which seem to all be historical scenes.
Investigating behind the bar proves that the lock is definitely functional, but there are also a pair of old whiskeys that seem to have survived the test of time very well as well as a wand of create food and water and a sustaining spoon, which are both in a shallow drawer behind the bar.
Lucretia discards the clothes and follows everyone to the next few rooms. Digging around, she finds a scroll case on the far side of the bath tub and uncurls it, reading it out loud for everyone to hear. "Back-up key. Comforter. Fourth bed from the North. We should have a look for this backup key, perhaps it will be our way out of here."
Distracted in her search for this backup key, Lucretia ignores the significance of the mural and the portraits.
"So we have food, shelter, clothing, and entertainment. Someone was planning on staying here for a very long time." Shula snatches the golden key and uses it on the locked cabinet. "Wonder why they made a backup key? Maybe they were worried this one would get bent out of shape. Gold's pretty soft." She completely ignores the portraits, determined to solve the mystery of the cabinet.
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Robert heard the others find interesting things in the apartment. He comments "I recognize these portraits. They seem to be famous scenes from the Fourth Army of Exploration." He waits patiently for Shula to try the key on the cabinet.
Robert comments "If no on knows how to open locks, we could always break the cabinet door."
He tells the others "We should try to reveal the wall painting on the southeast room." Meanwhile, he goes to the original room and tries to see if any of the beds there can be called the "fourth bed from the north" to investigate it in detail.
It is not, in fact, the right key. It's much too big and doesn't have a hope of fitting into the lock.
Robert scratches at the cupboard experimentally, but even the Vernisant's enchanted dagger doesn't leave a scratch in the wood. It appears that someone thought ahead!
Thankfully there is a 'fourth bed from the north' in the first room and hidden inside the comforter you find a second, much smaller key. This one does fit the lock and you open the cupboard to find... a crystal ball! With a piece missing...?!?!
So now instead of a locked cupboard you have an unlocked cupboard and a broken crystal ball... Is that better?
Shula's brows furrow as she stares at the crystal ball. "Either someone put a broken crystal ball in a locked cabinet, or a crystal ball somehow got broken while sitting in a locked cabinet. Neither of those possibilities make much sense to me." She shrugs her shoulders and seems content to let Robert handle that particular mystery. Unfortunately that leaves her rather at a loss for what to do now. A locked door she could handle. No door is proving to be more of a challenge.
"I guess we move some boxes so we can check out the wall painting?" Looking over at the other women, she tilts her head slightly to one side as she contemplates their muscles. Or the lack thereof. "Um, since the light's on in the storage room now," (not that she needs it), "maybe while Victor and I move boxes and Robert does...whatever he's doing, you two could use your magic lights in the bedroom and take a look at those books? There might be a clue in one of them. If nothing else you'd probably be able to get a sense of how long this place has been abandoned from when the latest books were published." It apparently doesn't occur to her to ask what Victor thinks of being delegated to manual labor.
Revealing the fresco takes a lot of box moving but eventually reveals a fresco of a heroically posed man on a horse with the inscription Noble Galitian Maramaxus, hero of the Fourth Army of exploration, champion of Taldor'.
Searching the crates also reveals a minor trove of useful items. Aside from the toolkit there is also three daggers, two longswords, a halberd, a masterwork rapier, twelve masterwork darts and a masterwork suit of studded leather with embossed pectorals.
Meanwhile in the other room experimentation shows that you can use the light switches in every room - its just that none of them work as you'd expect...
Lucretia and Lollia, being endowed with ample intellect and tremendous charm but little native wit, can think of nothing better to do than start a methodical search of the room, book by book. There are a lot. In the process they note a coin sized slot cut prominently into an otherwise blank section of wall.
After two hours laborious toil they locate a book entitled 'The Heroic Life and Tragic Death of the Great Galitian Maramaxus'. Within, carefully enclosed by cut pages is a curved section of glass, which appears to fit the missing section of the crystal ball.
It does indeed fit and the crystal ball lights up, showing the recently uncovered fresco a few rooms away. The room is well lit, the detail of the fresco is impressive and there is absolutely nothing there...
"Obviously this place has been closed off and hidden for a very long time," Lollia points out needlessly. "But why is there so little dust?" Her head turns this way and that. "Unless it's completely sealed?" A note of panic begins to slip into her voice. "No fresh air? How l-long do you think the air will last in here? How long have we been here already?"
In an attempt to distract herself from the thought of dying of suffocation, the woman examines the crystal ball more closely in the hope of finding something - anything - to keep her mind off the shadows and the diminishing air supply.
Some experimentation with the different light switches eventually reveals that once the crystal ball is lit and the mural is not a section of the mural starts to glow.
This glow is not visible to anyone standing in the mural room itself...
Following along with Robert as he attempts his own experiments with the crystal ball, Lollia's eyes widen with surprise. "Hey!" she calls out, her fears momentarily forgotten. "Go back and change that light! There's a section of the mural that's glowing."
She leaves Robert's side and approaches the mural, indicating which section is glowing. Her fingers prod and poke, seeking a switch or button that might open a secret way out of this series of rooms.
There is no switch or button but when she touches the right section Robert sees a different section light up. Getting all the right sections done takes a little time and causes some confusion but eventually a section of Maximilar's right hand recesses, revealing a bag which proves to hold round coins - larger than any standard currency in Taldor and faintly magical...
"Didn't someone say they found an opening the size of a coin?" Lollia questions as she grabs the bag and turns to the others. Once it's pointed out to her she walks quickly to it and with only a small amount of trembling, attempts to insert one of coins into the slot.
"Don't mind me..." Shula grabs the masterwork leather armor and practically runs to the bathroom. A few moments later she emerges, clad in the new gear.
(The embossed pectorals look rather amusing when prominently displayed on Shula's rather small chest.)
"Air? Don't worry about it. Anyone designing this place would have included contingencies for that." Shula still has no idea who that person might have been, but anyone this well-prepared would have accounted for the fact that people needed to breathe. "There's probably some magic something or other blowing fresh air inside. Anyway, you found a coin?" Shula missed the majority of the poking and prodding, being a bit too busy changing into her fancy new armor.
She watches as Lollia inserts the coin. "Insert coin A into slot B...and let's see what happens!" She seems remarkably jovial considering the massacre they'd witnessed only a few hours before.
(Honestly she's rather enjoying herself. Sure, it's a shame the emperor apparently lost his mind and decided to kill everyone, but she's very much a creature of the present and a bunch of rooms filled with random puzzles appeals to her sense of drama. Besides, she's gotten a sweet new set of armor out of it.)
With a shimmer a section of the floor phases away, revealing steps and a passageway out of the room. A faint, flickering glow lights the way onwards.
Heading down the stairs you find yourselves in a short passage. Stairs rise at the far end where a bronze lantern sits with a gently dancing flame inside.
At the end of the passageway is a door with an elaborate brass lever. Where it leads... nobody knows!
Lucretia eyes the lever with suspicion. "Is it really that easy, or is this something else? Pulling that lever risks a lot."
She hangs back, not wanting to be the person to pull it recklessly.
The door opens surprisingly smoothly... and nothing horrible happens.
You find yourselves in a large, rather ominous hall. Chiseled stone statues of Taldan Phalanx soldiers stand atop plinths in the corners to your left and right. Sturdy wooden doors outline the outer edge of the hall: one inset in the wall on either side of the door you have entered by. A single larger door is visible directly in front of you through the gloom.
The passageway seems to turn sharply by the taldan soldiers at either end. Towards the corner of the left-hand passage lies a bloody corpse, which seems to be dressed in up-to-date court finery.
As soon as she sees the corpse Shula draws her kukris. Just in case. "Martella did mention that several others had also disappeared. Guess one of them wasn't as lucky as we were. The question is: was he killed on the Senate floor? Or was he killed by something down here?"
She goes to peek around the corner. Not the left-hand one, where the corpse is, but the right-hand one. There's always a chance that the corpse is a trap meant to lure them into looking the wrong way.