Hm, 'it had to do with the the stars…'.
The man looks on the verge of a breakdown; “I don’t know! All I know is it had to do with the stars, he would mention them every now and then and would sometimes catch himself talking about what’s beyond. Just take the stairwell down, and go past the freezer room.
Thinking on the term and what you’ve read you are learned enough to know that the stars offer up quite a lot of information based on their position. They also house other stellar bodies that are of interest, planets, suns, and etc. People have been contemplating and studying them for eons, though of course they do seem to have a nasty habit of finding more than they bargained for, as there are numerous myths and legends of things coming here from other species like us, to strange gods, to plain otherworldly horrors. More information would be needed to get a clearer goal in mind.
Zuriel inspects the stairwell for traps as the group descends.
Lyiur wary eyes find no traps and you all work your way down the steps into the basement; leaving behind the blubbering servant. In the basement you see three rooms will small arches separating segments of the room. It is cluttered with boxes and chests all dust covered.
A door in the first segment is the only exit leading westward.
"Seems like there is nothing but useless crap in here." Zuriel says as he rummages around the room. After ensuring the area is safe, he moves onto the next room.
Considering all the doors, Zuriel sigh with irritation. "Well, it looks like we have a lot to look through in this area." He states just before inspecting the hallway for traps. After ensuring the area is trap free, he continues onto the doors.
"Are you sure Zuriel? Ah think that box looks very much like a trap."
But since the elf seems so very sure of his investigations, August believes him and follows.
"Na, the stooped box is full of junk. Know one puts traps on boxes to protect junky crap."
Gavia follows after the others with her eyes peeled in just case anything gets missed by the others. It seems not.
As they start towards the stairs, Ethulfel instructs the servant, "while we inspect the basement, walk through the areas where you're allowed free access and look for anything that may be missing. If the other servants took anything with them when they left our employer will, I'm sure, want to know about it."
While the others are searching, the handsome gentleman moves between them pronouncing minor blessings to aid in their work.
The servant nods and starts looking around as you head down into the basement. “Oh ok, I’ll ugh do that, I shouldn’t take too long I think.”
No traps are found and you are unable to find anything of note, continuing forward you exit the main storage are into a corridor heading North to South and both turning West. Looking down the turn on the South end reveals four door three of them on the side and one at the very end. Inspecting the Northern turn reveals a single door at the end.
Starting from the south you don’t find any traps in the hall, you inspect the doors and find that they are all safe in the south, However Gavia does notice the last door on the side does have a trap on its handle, a small glyph etched into the center of it.
"Oh! Look at this!"
Gavia points at the glyph on the door handle so the others can see it.
"Does anyone know how to disable magical traps?" Ethulfel asks as he looks around at the others. "If not, we could look for a broom--or maybe a shovel or something--and try to open the door with that?"
Zuriel takes a deep breath. "Well, I got lucky on the last one. Let see if I can get lucky with this one as well."
Zuriel pulls out his fine tools and begins working on the door handle.
Gavia takes a healthy few steps away from Zuriel and the door.
As Zuriel goes to etch out the rune it suddenly alights and you all watch as Zuriel clutches at his ears as he along hears an ear piercing scream emit from nowhere. His ears bleeding slightly from the sudden pain.
As you open the door you see inside various magical components and other items that you could only assume are for other such things.
Zuriel drops his tools and grabs his ears tightly. With water in his eyes, he drops to the ground and lets out an ear-piercing scream. Sitting there, holding the sides of his head, he completely ignores what's beyond the door.
"Are you okay, Zuriel?" August comes closer to inspect the screaming elf. "Do you need healing?"
The paladin takes the healing and from his belt, and using its magic to mend Zuriels wounds.
Zuriel takes a moment as the pain subsides. Looking over at August, he nods. “Yes. Thank you. That helped a lot. I must have triggered the trap. It blasted me with some sort of high-pitched sound, which brought great pain to my ears.” With the sound still echoing through his head, he stood up and tried to regain his composure.
After recovering, Zuriel took the time to inspect the newly reviled room. “This looks like a magic room of some sort.” Looking a bit closer, he says a few words in elven and then begins concentrating on the room's contents.
Ethulfel grimaces at the sight of the elf doubling over in pain, and at the tortured noise he makes. While August heals Zuriel's bleeding ears, the gentlemen keeps watch to make sure they hadn't attracted the attention of any other dangers.
When the elf is feeling well enough to cast a cantrip, he somewhat tentatively offers, "perhaps next time we try the broom?"
Gavia is glad she stepped back, and decides the Zuriel definitely has the crappiest job among them.
She waits a little extra time to make sure the effect has truly ended, or that a second such rune or other trap isn't inside, before she gets closer for a look.
You search the room and nothing gives off an aura of magic unfortunately. Likely this is all components and pieces used in the process of casting or conducting rituals.
With the doors to the three rooms checked you have your choice of exits that are on the south or north sections of the corridor. Studying both doors they appear to be unlocked and untrapped. However on the southern side you notice the door has markings on it.
You recognize the symbols as those used to imprison dangerous summoned creatures, and not allow those that are brought there to teleport out.
Gavia stares at things.
Zuriel points over at the markings and then looks over at Jenise. "What's that?"
Studying the symbols Gavin you don’t know exactly what it says; you reckon it there are symbols associated with conjugation magics but other than that you aren’t quite sure.
After considering the fact that no one in the group seems to know what the glyphs mean, Zuriel takes a deep breath and then opens the door. “Here goes nothing.” He says as the door swings open.
"Wait, the broom..." Ethulfel calls out to no avail as the elf swings open the door.
Opening the door nothing untoward happens to you. You see beyond however a ten-foot-square antechamber’s north wall is an artfully wrought gate of bright metal that opens onto the larger chamber beyond. The walls of this chamber are covered with strange glyphs and runes, including one enormous word scrawled in one-foot-high letters across the north wall.
As the door opens you hear from beyond a guttural voice call out. [b] “Here to gloat over me some more, wizard? And without your usual greeting? You’ll play that game one time too often, and on that day I’ll enjoy supping on your entrails.” [b]
Studying the walls and the words they are unintelligible and in a different language. But if you speak abyssal you are able to make out a name.
“No, I am Zumar. The wizard’s new apprentice. I was unaware that someone else was down here. Who are you?” Zuriel states through the open door while quietly drawing his blade.
"What..? That's not.." August starts, but then stops. The elf sounds really convincing... Is Zuriel not his real name!? And a wizard's apprentice? He did cast some spell a moment ago, so maybe?
The paladin is very confused right now, but follows into the room to see what is the source of this other voice.
Ethulfel quietly follows Zuriel and August into the small room, craning his neck to try to see the source of the voice.
Gavia is fairly well convinced there's something pretty bad going on in the room. she's in no hurry to enter it so she lets anyone who does want to go ahead before peeking in herself.
She can't make heads or tails of the writing so she waits to see if she's needed for anything. Hopefully there's nothing to catalogue in there so they can just move right along.
you hear a growl in response to you from beyond. Those of you that move forward see that the other part of the room is a empty space with smooth stone across it, there are scrapes and gouges in occasionally with the far eastern side of the room having a 10 foot wide pit in a small alcove. The source of the voice isn’t visible and you can seem to guess it comes from below.
Seeing Gavia's reluctance to enter the room, Zuriel decides to move in before her. Slowly and carefully, he moves into the room and continues with his shenanigans.
"Perhaps if you explain who you are, I can be of help. I have a lot of influence with the old man. Hell, I would even go as far as to say that I could make decisions for him, and he would be ok with it."
While trying to convince the unknown person to give away their location, Zuriel begins to carefully search the room.
can’t succeed :(
You hear the deep voice e again speak; “I am a prisoner against my will. Release me and you’ll be rewarded.” the voice echoes from the pit.
You inspect the gate and the room and find no traps. Though you can see slight symbols etched into the walls similar to the door you entered. The gate is also unlocked.
First thing is first. Who are you is the question of the day. Master never said anything about a prisoner. Secondly, what kind of "REWARD" are you offering?"
The voice speaks again, this time with a little bit of effort. “Your master is truly someone with no good in him. Serving him will only bring you down with him.”
"I'm thinking your stalling with comments like that. I suspect the master may not even know you are in here ransacking his shit. I have half a mind to simply alert the authorities and let them deal with you. That is, unless you tell me WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN HERE."
Ethulfel begins to doubt the efficacy of Zuriel's gambit but, not wanting to risk spoiling it if a brilliant final maneuver has not yet been made, he continues to quietly observe the exchange.
You listen as a sudden silence happens. Then suddenly you watch as our of the pit a larger horned creature with a goats head and gangly with grey hair patchy across its muscles frame leaps out of the pit. In its hands is a halberd, it has lacerations that look painful but barely deep enough across its skin.
It bellows loudly “I WILL BE FREE!”
Init Order: Cthepaltagoulgi, Ethylfel, Gavin, August, Jenise, Zuriel
As it crests the hole it lands running and sprints to the gate, slamming its halberd into it.
The gate shudders but doesn’t give for the moment as the creature bellows angrily. “I will gut you for serving your master, then devour him as you watch!”
Gavia hasn't liked the drift of things ever since they didn't just close the door and walk away. The thing coming up out of the pit is still a shocker though. She tries to figure out what it is.
Gavia you recognize that this is a Schir, a demon from the abyss. You would recall that the creature chews its halberd giving it a disease ridden weapon. It also has a powerful charge that it uses to gore its enemies. And that it is a tough beast to kill with it being resistant to weapons not cold iron or infused with the power of good.
Ethulfel calmly draws his starknife from its sheath while looking over the fiendish creature. "We all know the wizard's wards have you trapped in there," he says, "what do you hope to gain by your aggression? Do you think one of us would be dumb enough to break the ward?"
After stepping back, out of the reach of the creature's halberd, Zuriel scratches his chin. "Hmm, spell wards you say. That explains a few things." After looking back over at the caged beasty, Zuriel continues. "Why didn't you just come out and say who and what you were from the get-go. That would have saved a lot of time. Now, let's continue about this reward. Could you be a bit more specific?"
Gavia rattles off the things she knows about Schir demons in a quick, rat-a-tat recital. There's a bit of panic in her voice.
"What? A demon? Zuriel, we must not talk with it, we must kill it. They are evil!"
At least August thinks it is, and flicks on his detect evil to be sure.
The paladin feels he should charge in to smite the spawn of evil, but Ethulfel's mention of wards make him hesitate. He doesn't want to be dumb and let the creature free.
But, in case the demon would get free, he draws the sword made from cold iron. If he understood Gavia correctly, that should cause the enemy greater harm.
Zuriel rolls his eyes. “Clearly this demon could simply swat us down without hesitation if it were free. It’s powerful, imposing, and damn right cool as hell. Get it, cool as hell. Apologies for the little, not so funny, pun. Banish it might be an option. Or, a more accurate statement would be, have it banished. That said, I can’t say that I’m not a little bit curious about the reward he mentioned. Say, something like he agreed to serve as my familiar for a thousand years. He would then be bound to do my bidding, and of course, I would never have him do anything evil. That would be a thousand years of no evil from this supper powerful demon lord. He's naturally evil, yes, but wouldn’t be allowed to do evil things. Heck, I might even be able to get it to good things. It's not like he chose to be born an evil demon. I say we hear him out."
Zuriel looks back over at the demon. "What do you think Bob? Or would you rather I address you by a different name?"
August scanning with detect evil you see it has a moderately strong aura about it, reassuring you that it is indeed quite evil.
The demon with spit flying out cackles wildly “The wizard didn’t tell you what to say did he! Your reward will be a swift death, you have no power over me.”
With that he takes another swing att he gate this time aiming for the lock between the gate.
And with a now guided swing the blade of the halberd cleaves through the middle of the gate. The steel that held the gate close is sheared in two and the creature leers as it hefts the halberd up.
“Yessssss…” it says in a ultra low tone.
Init Order: Cthepaltagoulgi, Ethylfel, Gavia, August, Jenise, Zuriel
"No escape for you, evil thing!" August yells, and strides towards the demon. He calls the divines to guide his blows, and smite down the creature of evil. Placing himself between the others and the demon, the paladin strikes with his sword.