I follow Beren, trotting at a somewhat slower pace due to my shorter legs. As I run I consider the many roads that have brought me to this point, thoughts which apparently distract me from paying attention to my surroundings.
Looking over at Merreck after a brief inspection of the statues, Beren points with his bow, "This way." Then noticing Valessa taking the initiative he continues, "Yeah, these statues are not going any where. Best we track down those 'Xoriat Goblins'." With bow in hand, Beren restarts the chase for the Dolgrims.
Sari listens to Beren and Merreck talk. "I too agree with Valessa, that these statues are not moving anytime soon and I think we need to get moving after the Dolgrims. Lets get out of here before these statues do decide to start moving."
I nod and say "Yeah, lets get out of here." and start moving down the corridor.
|
You follow the scant trail of the fleeing aberrations until the creatures own cacophonic attempts and stealth reveal their position. Your strength at arms prevails over the diminutive creature and in seconds the lopsided creations of putty-flesh lie dead about you.
A quick search of their bodies reveal little of any appreciable value, their weapons and armor being poorly crafted and even worse for wear.
Your pursuit carried you within site of another massive door, presumably another entrance to the main spherical chamber. You are reminded of the smeared bloody handprint on the slave door by the presence of a dwarven corpse only a few feet from the door. You can see from fifty feet away that he lies flat on his back, lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling in a puddle of his own blood. Even at this distance you can hear the droning buzz of the flies that have found his innards to be a delectible buffet.
I wrinkle my nose at the stench and move towards the corpse, muttering something under my breath. I stop and look around for any foes before advancing to the body and hastily searching it for valuables or clues.
|
|
Merreck, you approach the body, batting away several dozen of the bloated jungle flies that infest the air. It is easy to recognize that the injury that slew the dwarf is on the back of his head.
He has a leather belt, with a stout iron ring used for hinging weapons, though any such item is conspicuously absent. The belt itself is of fine quality leather, with a large golden belt buckle.
Appraise: DC 18
50 gp
The dwarf still wears a somewhat damaged suit of coin wrought armor, like scale mail only with a variety of coins instead of flat plates. The armor is obviously worth a hefty sum, and you begin inspecting it to determine how best to remove it from the body. Lifting the head slightly you are shocked by the perfectly circular hole in the back of the skull, strangely illuminated from inside by the irridescent larvae of the flies.
Though you may question the intelligence of the dwarf for being down here in the first place, but you are certain he arrived with something inside his brain pan...
Appraise: DC 25
Armor is Mastercrafted coin mail, same stats as scale mail, but will add +1 to diplomacy rolls (+2 versus dwarves)
750gp value
Nothing else of value remains on the body, though it appears someone has hastily scaked his pack and pouches.
Brick followws Merreck, and stops directly in back of the halfling at the discovery of the corpse. As Merreck examines the body, the warforged tilts his head to the side.
"That short man is dead."
This comes as more of a statement, almost affirming that yes, he knows what 'dead' means. Actually, that's exactly what he's doing.
"Yes Brick, he's dead." I say as I take the belt buckle and turn it over in my hands before pocketing it. I turn the corpse over and let it fall with a shout of surprise. "Hey guys, come look at this." I say cautiously, holding the body up. "Ever seen anything like this?" I ask, prodding the larva with a stick, trying to remember if I've heard of anything like this in my travels.
"Yes Brick, he's dead." I say as I take the belt buckle and turn it over in my hands before pocketing it. I turn the corpse over and let it fall with a shout of surprise. "Hey guys, come look at this." I say cautiously, holding the body up.
Ruuz looks down at the poor dwarf, "Must be part of the earlier band. Looks like he has been pick over pretty good. I wonder if it was Jyra?"
"I think his armor might be worth something, especially to a dwarf so we might as well take it. Brick, would you mind carrying it?" I say as I start to get the dwarf-corpse out of his armor.
“Disgusting,” mutters Valessa, swatting away flies, being very careful that none of the bloated vermin land on her. She moves forward and kneels down, looking into the hole in the dwarf’s head, wrinkling her nose delicately.
[occ]Search: 9+9 = 18. See anything interesting? A Heal check by someone might help determine how he died? Also, any applicable knowledge checks for the glowing larvae?[/ooc]
I pass the crest around, asking if anyone recognizes it.
"Wells he definitely wasn't hurting for money to be wearing as armor. Give me a minute and I will check to see if he has any items some one might have missed."
Ruuz ones his coat and grabs a scroll and looks it over, Gathering his thoughts he read the scroll aloud.
He feels the stored magic rush out of the scroll and the arcane writing vanishes from the page.
"Good thinking Ruuz," says Valessa. "I wonder if these might be magical..." She attempts to tug the rings off the dead dwarf's fingers, her previous squeamishness abated.
"I think his armor might be worth something, especially to a dwarf so we might as well take it. Brick, would you mind carrying it?" I say as I start to get the dwarf-corpse out of his armor.
Brick takes the armor, draping the coinmail shirt over his head like a bizarre metal scarf. It looks absolutely ridiculous, but Brick seems to think that it makes him look rather fetching.
Beren puts the back of his hand over his nose as a shield from the stench of death and decay. He takes shorts breaths through gritted teeth to stave off the lingering filth as he approaches Valessa and the body. During his approach, Merreck shows off a crest on the Dwarf’s belt buckle, “No, don’t recognize it. Sorry.” Beren mutters out after a brief inspection.
Then moving toward the Dwarf and inspecting the wound, “No, don’t know what caused this type of wound. Got him good and dead though. Poor guy. Attacked from behind. Maybe even by someone he knew and trusted. Let’s stay alert.” Beren then stands and looks around at any shadowy areas, looking for threats. He then moves to check the door, “Let’s see if these doors have a latch from this side. Then maybe we can figure out how they open,” Beren says as he inspects the doors.
Then the Shifter looks around the hall, “Well, lots of blood. Something had to put that hole in the Dwarf. Let’s find out which way it went.” Beren then scans the area for tracks.
I look at Brick for a moment before saying "I suppose that works."
Beren strides around the hallway quickening his pace with each step, frustration clearly on his face. He lifts his head and sniffs around in obvious bafflement. “Grrrrr,” the Shifter growls, “Something has to be here somewhere. All of this blood. Look at that mess.” He nudges his head toward the body, then looks at Valessa. “I can’t find a single clue. No sign of the monster that did this.” He growls again and throws his arms in the air in frustration and puzzlement. Then he restarts his search unwilling to give up, determined that something has to be here.
For DM:
"Looks like someone was eager to cover their tracks. Maybe our friend Jyra?"
Beren continues to search around, determined as a beaver attempting to dam up the Dagger River running through Sharn, to find a track. Then suddenly he stops. His face quickly goes from the contorted formation of anger and frustration to one of potential fear. His mouth falls agape and his eyes widen into saucers. The Shifter slowly pulls his bow off of his back and takes an arrow. Then lowering himself into a crouch, he surveys the ceiling above. Then in a very low, serious tone Beren explains, “Everyone, we could be in a deep load of trouble!”
Beren continues to search around, determined as a beaver attempting to dam up the Dagger River running through Sharn, to find a track. Then suddenly he stops. His face quickly goes from the contorted formation of anger and frustration to one of potential fear. His mouth falls agape and his eyes widen into saucers. The Shifter slowly pulls his bow off of his back and takes an arrow. Then lowering himself into a crouch, he surveys the ceiling above. Then in a very low, serious tone Beren explains, “Everyone, we could be in a deep load of trouble!”
Sari looks over at Beren and watches as he face seems to lose all of its color. "What are you talking about Beren? What do you know that the rest of us don't know?" Sari steps closer to the wall and starts looking up as she is prepares her bow with an arrow.
"What!?" I ask, looking around slightly nervously. "What's going on?"
Brick looks up frantically, but only succeeds in having a large sheet of mail drape over his face.
"Aah! It's dark!"
“It’s this frakkin place,” mutters Valessa, as the group comes to a communal realisation that danger may not be imminently present. “Not to mention traitorous grad students and unnatural Xoriat spawn …
“Alright, well at least we scored a couple of magic rings out of this. Any ideas what they might do? If not, let’s get moving, as fun as hanging out with stumpy here,” she indicates the dwarven corpse, “ has been.”
“It’s this frakkin place,” mutters Valessa, as the group comes to a communal realisation that danger may not be imminently present. “Not to mention traitorous grad students and unnatural Xoriat spawn …
"I hate those guys. I mean, I really don't like those guys."
“Alright, well at least we scored a couple of magic rings out of this. Any ideas what they might do? If not, let’s get moving, as fun as hanging out with stumpy here,” she indicates the dwarven corpse, “ has been.”
Ruuz looks over the dwarf one last time, "When we get out of here I can figure out what the rings do but for now I would just pocket them. You never now what they might do if you accidently activate one."
Ruuz shifts his pack around and starts after Beren. I am going to have to make a better pack when I get back. All this crap is getting heavy. Ruuz thinks as he quickens his pace to catch the shifter.
After a thorough inspection of the immediate surroundings, Beren starts to lower his bow. He looks around at his companions, “Yes, we should keep moving, but stay alert. What killed that Dwarf is something more dangerous than anything we have ever faced, if my suspicions are correct. After reflecting on that head wound,” Beren nudges his head toward the body, “I am now reminded of brain suckers I have heard stories about. The type that float on air. This explains the absence of tracks. They come from Xoriat, and they make that tentacle covered fiend we defeated seem like a house cat.”
Beren then pauses for a moment looking indecisive then begins to speak again, “Look, this place is huge. We need a plan. This door here seems to have no way to open it. Valessa, what is that saying that removed that trap Sari and I got in to. Maybe that will open this door, and maybe that other door that was shut to us when we first arrived in this blasted place. Other than that, we have the statues with the inverted poles, and I do not believe we thoroughly inspected that first group of statues and all those slave rooms. We need a plan. And some thick helmets wouldn’t hurt either. What shall we do? Oh, and remember, we have to find that thing and save the world and stuff. Rat, I hate this place.”
“Great, brain suckers,” says Valessa, in a voice that suggests she does not think it at all great. “That’s what I was worried about when we saw the Dolgaunt, that it might be led by a mind flayer or an eye tyrant or something … anyway, yeah, the door phrase. That should work … but that would just take us back to the way out wouldn’t it? And we’re not supposed to leave until we save the world … or something. If we need to get to the other axial corridor we should be able to go around the long way.” She points back they way they have come. “I suppose it might be quicker to go this way, but then we might meet those flesh ripper bat things again – what do you want to do?”
"Yeah, I guess we should keep exploring on this side of the doors. I just have a feeling that we missed something in that dark corridor with the Elf slave rooms or around those first set of statues with the giant and the timepiece. That's where the trap was that got Sari and me. So my guess is that there is something important there."
While Beren looks to his companions for their suggestions, an epiphany happens. “Hey, I just had a few more thoughts. In this place, we have to think like giants. That inverted Eberron could be some type of on / off or open / close switch. With their height, they would have no problem accessing that globe. Also, it might be wise to go back and check on that Professor. He could be dead right now, or even more important, he could be robbing us blind.”
"He could be dead right now, or even more important, he could be robbing us blind.”
Ruuz looks at Beren with a smile, "Why do you think I brought all my gear." Looking around the room and back the way they came Ruuz tries to puzzle through there dead end. "I do think you are right that globe must has some significants."
"Well, back to the weird globe." I say with sarcastic cheerfulness. "I think we should wake up the old coot and see if he has any useful information." I comment as I walk down the corridor.
Beren turns to walk down the hall, bow in hand and arrow ready. "So, back to the upside Eberron, then retracing our steps to check in on the good ol' Professor?"
|
|
You enter the intersection, and again the questioning voice and insurmountable force rises up.
Int check, DC 14:
Apparently the trap is only triggered by people moving away from the central chamber when the enter the area.
Since you know the command phrase the trap has little effect on you.
With some effort you manage to climb up to get a closer look at the globe, but discover that it is a single piece statue, with no mechanism.
A growl ruptures from Beren's mouth after finding no additional clues from the statues, "Another dead end. Should we go check on the Professor?"
"Professor? Who's a professor? What's a professor?"
|
|
You return to the bed chamber where you left the professor, his aid.
It is immediately apparent they have been attacked...
Diagnosis:
Heal 15 (twice)
Mishelle:
The girl has been bashed over the back of the head with something heavy. Stable at -8 hp
Ghorkin:
The professor has been stabbed with a broken bottle, since it is still in his chest, you will have to remove it if you want to save him.
Removing the bottle requires a DC 20 heal check. If you succeed he will be stable at -9, fail and he will be dead.
If Ghorkin is healed:
The bottle from the professors chest still bears a label, though it is torn: ...ion of Invisibil...