When the halfling starts towards unknown territory, Rik tsks. "Wait for me to look. I'm less likely to walk into a trap."
"Thanks for the healing, Badabar." Andros smiles at the gnome.
Cedric identifies the star symbol as belonging to the Seekers, a group of unscrupulous archeologists and pseudo-historians.
You investigate the western room. Eight man-sized stone slabs, about four feet off the ground, are arranged in two rows in this large room. A long-dead corpse, possibly a human, lays sprawled out upon one of these slabs, his red leather armor the only hint of color in the otherwise drab room. The north and south walls taper in somewhat, and the short west wall abuts a small stone stage. The red clay statue of a powerfully built warrior wielding a cylinder-headed greatclub stands tall upon the stage, its eyes surveying the room.
As Rik enters the room, he suddenly feels woozy, his arms and legs feel heavy, as he feels the burn in his muscles as he moves around. He starts blinking, as he feels an urge to rest. . Badabar enters the room after the alchemist and does not feel any fatigue.
While Rik looks at the potions, Cedric examines the pearl and ring to try to determine what they are.
Cedric shakes his head after a few moments. "I'm not sure what these do. Maybe you can take a look, Rik," he says disappointed he couldn't identify the items.
He looks at the corpses. "I wonder how long they have been here. Perhaps they fell victim to the beetles and the survivors left them here. If the Seekers have already been here, who knows if we will find anything. I wouldn't be surprised if it was them that broke the mirror in the room earlier."
"When we have time, I'll try to identify the items. I have an extract that should help."
On entering the room, the ratfolk stumbles and yawns. "Wha--what's happening? Get me out of here...." He staggers under the weight of his pack, suddenly slower in his movements.
Following Rik and Badabar to the next room, Cedric doesn't notice anything wrong with Rik until he says something. He helps his companion back out to the hall and then inspects him.
Cedric then casts Detect Magic into the room.
"I have felt nothing...." Badabar says.
"I don't know what could be bothering him."
Badabar concentrates and tries to Detect Evil in the room.
"Something made me *yawn* tired, but I didn't notice any sort of trap."
Andros walks in after Rik to see if he suffers from similar effects, on guard in case the scary, large statue should topple on him.
Cedric and Andros enter the room and do not feel any fatigue for now. Badabar does not detect any evil in the room. When Cedric accompanies Rik back out of the room, his fatigue wears off immediately. You surmise there must me some magical effect that causes fatigue in the room.
"Strange that I don't feel a thing, and that the rest of you do." Badbar says.
"I can search the room by myself if you like." he offers.
The ratfolk shakes his head vigorously. "Come back out now! I'm afraid that the dead human over there fell asleep and died there. You can explore the room, but first let's tie a rope around you so we--well, Andros--can pull you out if the magic takes you. Do any of you recognize that statue?"
"The statue doesn't mean anything to me, but I never studied history." Badabar says.
He waits a moment for Andros to tie a rope around his waist and then goes back in the room to search.
Cedric studies the statue from the safety of the hallway.
"Maybe it's a religious idol. I don't know. I never studied religion."
"Odd for a room to cause fatigue and sleep." Intrigued by the corpse, the monk drags the corpse out of the room to examine it outside of the radius of the magical effect.
Cedric, your spell detected necromantic magic..i.e. the fatigue effect. You do not recognize the statue from your knowledge of history. Other than the fatigue and sleep effect and the corpse, there is nothing more of interest. Between Rik and Andros, you drag out the corpse, who you learn is wearing masterwork leather armor emblazoned with the eight-pointed symbol of the Seekers and a silver ring, which does not detect as magical.
Unless someone wants to sleep in the room to see if that causes anything, do you wish to go south?
Rik sketches the statue. "Maybe Allustan will know about it. Let's go south and see what else is here."
You head south and see some stairs leading down. However, halfway down the ramp, some 20 steps down, you realize the room ahead of you is completely submerged underwater. The water is dark and filled with debris making visibility difficult. What now?
The ratfolk crouches down near the edge of the water, tapping his claws rapidly on the stone and pondering. "I have an extract for that. It makes me swim faster. But I can't give it to anyone else. Don't know that trick yet. Master Andros, how are you at swimming?"
Andros looks at the alchemist, "Not very good. Stone sink in water."
Cedric considers if he recognizes the statue from his religious studies.
He then follows the group to the stairs and frowns when they see that it is submerged. "I don't think I can swim in all of this equipment. Perhaps we need to return to the lantern room and pick a different one. At some point in the future, if we can find a way to breathe under water, then we can return to this location to see what is beyond here," Cedric says hoping the group doesn't try to swim through the water.
Rik shakes his head. "I was thinking that I could use my extract and explore the room. Since I can see in the dark, too. But I wanted someone else to come with, in case there's something dangerous in the water. I have an idea, though. Let's throw a piece of beetle in, and see if anything tries to eat it."
You go back up the stairs and break off the beetle's carapace or leg and return down the stairs. You throw the pieces in, while the party stands a healthy 10' from the surface of the water, just in case.
The beetle leg strikes the water, setting off vibrations in the water. Suddenly, you see an unnatural small wave of water breach the surface, about 20' away, coming toward the party in a zig-zag fashion!
Rik's whiskers twitch. "Glad I didn't go in there alone!" He aims his crossbow at the wave, preparing to shoot as soon as anything breaks the surface.
Badabar raises his axe and interposes himself between the oncoming water creature and the rest of the party.
"Come to me, beastie!" he exclaims as he prepares to defend his comrades.
"That was a good idea to throw something into the water before you entered it. We wouldn't have been able to help you much if you were attacked while under water," Cedric says to Rik while he anxiously waits to see what is in the water.
The 3' wave appears sentient as it approaches and rises to attack Badabar! The watery spray wets the gnome's armor and shield, but not much else!
It is a small water elemental.
Round 1: Wave
"Wilberforce! "
Cedric seems shocked and confused when the wave itself attacks Badabar. "It seems it isn't a creature in the water but the water itself! What force of nature is this?" Cedric exclaims.
Not entirely sure how to fight water, Cedric moves up behind Badabar and tries to stab the wave with his longspear.