"Why would anyone choose such a fate?" she asks no one in particular.
"I'm guessing they didn't really choose to become zombies. Ugly back there didn't seem like the type to ask nicely first. No, I'm guessing they were smugglers who stumbled across this place."
Vesh says, "It's not dangerous to touch, and quite valuable."
Absently polishing the pulsing stone, Mal says "A bit melodramatic there hmm?" with a grin. "It sounds like an item of some importance to your people, so it seems right you should have it, if you want it." he says and holds the stone out to Vesh before following Zieke down the passage, ready again for a fight.
Slidell listens to the conversation between Vesh and Malcolm without comment. Once he realizes that the stone isn't dangerous, he shifts his gaze to the rest of the room. Seeing nothing else announce itself as magical, he turns back to the door. Moving slowly, he tries to concentrate on maintaining his spell.
"I don't have a See Invisibility spell" he says softly, "But it might help. Never tried to detect anybody by the aura of their invisibility before."
He looks around the hallway, then slowly follows the others towards the room with the basin.
"Why would anyone choose such a fate?" she asks no one in particular.
"I'm guessing they didn't really choose to become zombies. Ugly back there didn't seem like the type to ask nicely first. No, I'm guessing they were smugglers who stumbled across this place."
"Hell of a place to stumble across..." Zieke comments aloud, "I'm guessing our little bat-winged friend arrived a bit differently, though."
"...It sounds like an item of some importance to your people, so it seems right you should have it, if you want it." Mal says and holds the stone out to Vesh....
Zieke casually observes the stone, but seeing nothing immediately dangerous about it, he ignores it and rounds up everyone.
"I don't have a See Invisibility spell," he says softly, "But it might help. Never tried to detect anybody by the aura of their invisibility before."
Unable to make out the wizard's exact words, Zieke spares a glance at him when he hears him mumbling to himself. As he passes Salome, he mutters just so she can hear, "Is he always this distracted...or is it just a part of losing that bird?"
Regardless of the priestess' answer, he leads the group back to Ehlissa and points out their options. "More iron doors that way..." he gestures, "They seem to be open already, but who knows where they go?"
"Down that way," he points in the other direction, "There's a round chamber. It's got a basin of some kind inside it. I'm not sure what that means, but it's open and sizeable enough our little disappearing friend may have taken refuge there. Should we check it first?" Zieke regards Slidell, awaiting any word from the wizard on where he believes Veran might be.
Slidell looks both ways at the corridor junction. He moves slowly and a little stiffly, as if he had too much to drink.
He looks both ways again, and gives a frustrated huff. "I,... don't know which way." He admits through clenched teeth. "The link is EMpathic, not TELEpathic." He continues to no one inparticular as he scans the corridors again. "We can't communicate with words over distance, or see through the others' eyes. He can feel my happiness, I can feel his hunger. That sort of thing. We have a few preset signals, but otherwise,..." He raps his staff on the floor in frustration.
"All I can tell is that he's restrained, nervous but not terrified, so the Quasit probably isn't looming over him at this very moment, and I get the feeling he's in a very large chamber. Of course, when you're a foot tall, EVERYthing looks huge,..."
Slidell leans his head to the side. "He's also frustrated. Whether that's because he thinks I'm too slow or because he hasn't eaten in five minutes, I don't know,..."
Slidell stands up straighter. "We leave no stone unturned. Smaller chamber first, then we see what's behind door #2." He says with a tight-lipped grin. You sense the grin is more of a force of habit, (but again, it could be taken as an improvement?)
"We leave no stone unturned. Smaller chamber first, then we see what's behind door #2," he says with a tight-lipped grin.
"The chamber it is..." Zieke nods, willingly leading the way.
Salome examines the basin with interest, and then takes a glance at the alcoves. "Interesting," she says, "I never would have expected such a thing here." She continues, "Most temples or shrines have some sort of place for symbolically washing, some kind of preparation for entering a holy space. In my land, we remove our sandals and our feet are washed. But I did not expect an evil deity like Lamashtu to have similar requirements for entering an unholy place. So if this is the ceremonial washing basin, those alcoves over there probably stored items needed for the ceremony, vestments, incense, candles, and such." She shudders as she imagines what liquids the basin could have contained.
"What is in there?" she asks, indicating the iron door on the opposite side of the room.
"It sounds like an item of some importance to your people, so it seems right you should have it, if you want it." he says and holds the stone out to Vesh...
Vesh shakes his head and pushes the stone back to Malcolm, "You found it," he says and adds as he produces the butterfly medallion, "besides, I've already got a necklace. If you don't want to keep it, sell it at market when we surface. We can all split the money. But, I'd wear it while you're down here."
Vesh circles the basin, reflexively drawing his dagger and holding it at the ready.
"Most temples or shrines have some sort of place for symbolically washing, some kind of preparation for entering a holy space. In my land, we remove our sandals and our feet are washed. But I did not expect an evil deity like Lamashtu to have similar requirements for entering an unholy place. So if this is the ceremonial washing basin, those alcoves over there probably stored items needed for the ceremony, vestments, incense, candles, and such."
"What is in there?" she asks, indicating the iron door on the opposite side of the room.
"Maybe we haven't found the primary shrine yet?" Zieke answers, "That could be where the iron doors lead, I suppose. If so, perhaps that's where this devil-thing retreated? And maybe it's asking for Lamashtu's favor even now..."
"Let's press on and find out," he finishes, "We should press the attack before it can set a proper defense..."
Slidell enters slowly, looking around. He nods as Salome explains the rooms probable use. He then spends a few seconds staring at the basin.
"Maybe we haven't found the primary shrine yet?" Zieke answers, "That could be where the iron doors lead, I suppose. If so, perhaps that's where this devil-thing retreated? And maybe it's asking for Lamashtu's favor even now..."
"Let's press on and find out," he finishes, "We should press the attack before it can set a proper defense..."
"A temple," Slidell murmurs distractedly, still staring at the basin. "Yes, that could be it."
He starts, almost losing his concentration on the spell. "That could be it!" He hisses excitedly. "If so, be careful. Just let me check,..." He says, switching his gaze to the doorway past the basin.
"I still don't understand why Lamashtu's followers built a temple inside Alzanist's ruins? Or did the temple come first?" Salome murmers as she shines her silverly light in the cramped and musty space. "I cannot imagine those sailors coming in the way we did -- unless they were captured and brought here. Otherwise, it seems that there must be another exit from this cavern..." As the group presses on toward the next door, Salome examines the beasts and monsters on the basin a little more closely.
Vesh frowns as Salome speaks. "I'm beginning to think that we are being under-compensated for our explorations," he mumbles as he notes the dog-headed reliefs on the basin.
"I still don't understand why Lamashtu's followers built a temple inside Alzanist's ruins? Or did the temple come first?" Salome murmers as she shines her silverly light in the cramped and musty space.
"The wizard said this Alzanist lady had some kind of Wrath fixation," Zieke replies, "If Lamashtu's got a thing for monsters, the two might go together. That mutant goblin back there seemed plenty angry...and monstrous."
"I cannot imagine those sailors coming in the way we did -- unless they were captured and brought here. Otherwise, it seems that there must be another exit from this cavern..."
"Smugglers and pirates will go quite a ways to hide or move their treasures around," Zieke comments, "Maybe they were lured here by some tale or such?"
"A temple," Slidell murmurs distractedly, still staring at the basin. "Yes, that could be it."
He starts, almost losing his concentration on the spell. "That could be it!" He hisses excitedly, "If so, be careful. Just let me check...," He says, switching his gaze to the doorway past the basin.
"Be my guest..." Zieke answers, "Just stay behind us in case we disturb something else up ahead."
Vesh approaches the door on the opposite side of the room. "I'll open it," he whispers, "you all (indicating the armored Ehlissa, Zieke, and Salome) rush in. Slidell, you provide cover. Mal...you do that thing you do. Sound good? On three. One...two..."
On three he swings open the door, "...three."
"All of you," Ehlissa whispers tensely, "Be careful. Something's here. It was at the top of the staircase."
"All of you," Ehlissa whispers tensely, "Be careful. Something's here. It was at the top of the staircase."
Wonderful, thinks Vesh, just wonderful.
Vesh sheaths his dagger and readies his bow and arrow. "Come on," he whispers--a grim frown contorting his features, "let's do this."
After the erratic behavior, Salome clearly knows this isn't just Slidell being Slidell. Even as she pushes to the back of the line to attend to him, she starts ticking off possibilities: allergy, seizure, cardiac infarction, magical reaction, harm to Veran...
"What was he doing before he fell?" she asks as she starts her ministrations.
"All of you," Ehlissa whispers tensely, "Be careful. Something's here. It was at the top of the staircase."Moments after Ehlissa gives her assessment, Slidell staggers against the nearest wall, gripping his head with both hands. He stifles a scream as he flails about madly, then clutches the side of his chest. His breath comes in ragged hisses.
Slidell clutches his side, patting around frantically as if looking for something. His eyes are wild and frantic. He keeps looking at his side and his hands, as if expecting to see them covered in blood. His breath begins coming in a long, slow, odd pattern. Then you realize that he isn't breathing,...
He is screaming. But he is in so much pain that he can't get it out.
"Veran." He finally manages to wheeze out, barely audible.
"It's killing Veran."
A single tear tracks down through the dust on Slidell's face. But the look on his face is a mixture of pain and fury. He closes his eyes, and with a groan half of effort and half anguish, forces himself back up and away from the wall. He staggers towards the Iron railing as fast as he can manage.
"I'll kill it." He can barely be heard muttering as he grabs the iron railing of the staircase for support. "It can kill me, and suck the marrow from my bones. I'll rise and kill it with my bare hands!" He snarls as his feet betray him by trying to go anywhere but up the staircase.
"All of you," Ehlissa whispers tensely, "Be careful. Something's here. It was at the top of the staircase."
"Lovely." Mal mutters, nervously fingering the heartstone he now wears around his neck.
When Slidell collapses, he instinctively draws his rapier, looking around for any sign of their foe.Veran." He finally manages to wheeze out, barely audible.
"It's killing Veran."
A single tear tracks down through the dust on Slidell's face. But the look on his face is a mixture of pain and fury. He closes his eyes, and with a groan half of effort and half anguish, forces himself back up and away from the wall. He staggers towards the Iron railing as fast as he can manage.
"I'll kill it." He can barely be heard muttering as he grabs the iron railing of the staircase for support. "It can kill me, and suck the marrow from my bones. I'll rise and kill it with my bare hands!" He snarls as his feet betray him by trying to go anywhere but up the staircase.
Mal's face hardens in anger at seeing what the demon is doing to his friend. "You won't fight alone." he says grimly, trying to help Slidell up the stairs and keep his guard up at the same time.
As Malcolm half supports, half drags Slidell up the stairs, the skinny mage rambles, muttering through lips that have gone pale from shock.
Malcolm hears,...
"You don't,... understand,... don't understand,..."
"Not linked, Bound,... Fate of one,... shared by both."
Slidell manages to catch Malcolm's eyes. The chelaxian's eyes are pain-filled, but crystal clear, entreating.
"It knows,... if it kills Veran, it might,... kill me too. I have to get within sight of him!"
Slidell leans on the rail and catches his breath as Malcolm climbs up. He still looks pale, but no longer appears about to fall over.
"What is it? What do you see?" He hisses up to Malcolm.
Seeing Slidell's determination and Malcolm coming to assist, Salome backs off. Before ascending the stairs, however, she gives the hallway a once-over.
It can go invisible, she remembers. How do we capture something small, flighty, and invisible?
She pulls a large scarf out of her pocket, and secures it across the doorway they just entered. Then she takes another, tears it into strips, and, following behind the others, knots the strips to the exposed twisted metal and uses her blade to push a few other strips into any cracks she can find in the walls of the shaft.
She whispers a poem to herself: "Who has seen the wind? Neither I nor you: But when the leaves hang trembling, The wind is passing through..."
"All of you," Ehlissa whispers tensely, "Be careful. Something's here. It was at the top of the staircase."
Zieke stays alert after the paladin's warning. He can't see anything...whether as a result of the darkness or the creature's invisibility, he doesn't know.
"Come on," he whispers--a grim frown contorting his features, "Let's do this."
Zieke makes ready to accompany Vesh when Slidell's sudden reaction catches his eye.
...Slidell staggers against the nearest wall, gripping his head with both hands. He stifles a scream as he flails about madly, then clutches the side of his chest. His breath comes in ragged hisses.
Zieke reaches out to catch and steady the mage, uncertain if he's under a magical attack or seriously sick.
"What was he doing before he fell?" she asks as she starts her ministrations.
"I have no idea..." Zieke says, staring back up at the stairway.
"Veran." He finally manages to wheeze out, barely audible....It's killing Veran."
"The bird..." Zieke says, "It's doing something to the bird. We must be close..." He leaves Slidell in the hands of Salome and Malcolm to once again squint towards the top of the stairs. Still nothing. He looks back at Ehlissa and pulls her aside as Malcolm gets Slidell to his feet and starts up the staircase with Vesh just behind them.
"You..." he tells her, "You can sense this thing. Somehow you know when it's around. You've got to focus and tell us where it's at so we can get after it. I'll follow your lead and if I can get my hands on it, maybe I can pull it down to the ground so you can use your weapons against it..."
Assuming the paladin agrees, he urges her to take the stairs ahead of him, glancing back only once at Salome when the priestess starts tearing up one of her scarves. Then he climbs as quickly as he can to rejoin the others.
The stair landing opens into a broad hall of similar proportions to the one you first found yourselves in. A massive pile of rubble renders the passageway impassible to your left. However, to your right, there is an arch graven with the rune of Wrath. Beyond the arch, there is a faint orangish light that flickers madly, casting deranged shadows before it....On the floor in front of the arch, barely visible in the light, is what appears to be a black feather.
"There..." Zieke points, noting the dark raven's feather lying on the floor. Inwardly, he reminds himself, 'This could be a trap. It's had plenty of time to prepare. It knows the wizard's vulnerable to harm against the bird. It could be leading us on with the feather...' As he considers all of this, he looks to both Slidell and Ehlissa, curious to see if either of them can pinpoint their quarry for him.
Ehlissa raises an eyebrow at being told to 'focus' by Zieke, "I'm not sure I follow you; can't you feel it too? It's like ice eating into my soul. Surely you can sense it as well?" she says.
As Vesh pulls himself to the top of the landing, he is dismayed at the lack of light. Moving forward so as to not hinder anyone behind him, he slinks off his pack. "Don't approach the arch," he says to Slidell and Mal.
Unsinching the pack, he pockets his last bottle of potion, and gets his last sunrod. He strikes the sunrod hard on the floor to light the landing, the arch, and the hall beyond.
He stands, leaving his pack on the floor against the wall. Seeing the feather and the rune-inscribed arch, he stoops about fifteen feet from both and looks about for traps.
Vesh's Search check (1d20+8=26)
I promised no traps, remember ;)
"I... this is strange. I know there's something beyond the archway, something sinister. But I don't know how I know."
Ehlissa goes up to the feather.
"I... this is strange. I know there's something beyond the archway, something sinister. But I don't know how I know."
"That's good enough for me," Zieke says, turning to regard everyone else, "I think the girl's got a trail on this thing. So, let's form up and she can...Ehlissa, wait!"
Ehlissa goes up to the feather.
The big warrior hurries after the paladin, afraid she might be headed into trouble before they can discuss strategy. He keeps his eyes ahead for any kind of overt trouble...hoping to reach Ehlissa before she gets too close to the feather.
JSL:
Vesh stands and draws his bow. His eyes, looking briefly like they had changed color, return to normal.
"The arch radiates magic," he says, "as does something in there." He hurls the sunrod towards the center of the room beyond the arch in hopes of getting more illumination, "Something powerful."
"Quickly now," he whispers as he draws an arrow, "keep an eye out."
Slidell clambers up to the next level with the help of Mal and Vesh, and looks around. He has caught his breath and looks better, though there are now dark circles under his eyes.
"The arch radiates magic," he says, "as does something in there." He hurls the sunrod towards the center of the room beyond the arch in hopes of getting more illumination, "Something powerful."
"Very good." Slidell starts to tell Vesh. But all he manages to get out is "Very,..." when he finally notices the feather on the floor.
"Quickly now," he whispers as he draws an arrow, "keep an eye out."
Completely absorbed, Slidell frowns slightly, but his face otherwise remains impassive as he walks slowly to the feather. He looks into the room, trying to see what is revealed by Vesh's Sunrod. He then, slowly and deliberately, bends over, plucks the feather from the ground, and firmly places it in the band of his wide brimmed hat. "This has gone on long enough." He says in a much firmer voice. "Cover me."
He strides to the arch and stops within arm's length of it. He plants his staff on the ground and sweeps the room with his the beam of his lantern.
"Greetings, denizen of another plane!" He calls out loud and clear. "I am called 'Stormraven'. It seems we have entered your demesne uninvited. In return, You have taken something I wish returned. Will you bargain? What do you ask in return for the bird?"
The beam of his lantern settles on the object dangling from the pillar,... is it,....?
"This has gone on long enough." He says in a much firmer voice. "Cover me."
Vesh is about to ready an arrow and realizes that it is not cold iron. He has used his two magic arrows. This is no good. He thinks.
He draws his dagger instead and advances slowly.
What in the world? thinks Ehlissa as Slidell confidently strides up.
He really is mad...
Vesh readies an arrow and realizes that it is not cold iron. He has used his two magic arrows. This is no good. He thinks.
As he flexes the bow--and never taking his eyes of Slidell--he whispers, "Salome? Do you think Sarenrae would bless my bow, devotee of Desna that I am?"
You also see shifting shadows off to the sides of the room - a clear indication that a reception is waiting to either side of the door.
From their position next to the wall, Zieke silently points out the shadows to Ehlissa. 'The little beast did arrange an ambush...' he thinks to himself. He watches as Slidell and Vesh move forward and waits to see if the wizard's words evoke a reaction before heading into the room.
For a long moment, there is nothing but silence. Then a soft rustling sound of wings folding and a shrill voice calls out in return, "I am queen of this shrine and favored of the Beast-shaper. You have defiled my abode with your mortal stench and destroyed my servants. Yet you ask of me to bargain?!?"
Zieke leans in closer to Ehlissa. "Try and get a fix on it," he advises, "It's the only way we'll take the creature. And if what the wizard and Salome says is true, my weapons won't hurt it. So it might be better if I deal with whatever allies it has. That should free you up to face it with your blade. Once I've dispatched the others, I'll do my best to aid you."
With that Zieke reaches to his belt to tap the case containing his scrolls of Tian Xia. He consciously invokes the arcane power they contain and transfers them to the ancient sword held in his hand.
Mal stands a few feet behind Slidell, ready to defend him when his negotiations fail. He looks warily around the large chamber. 'Where is the little fiend?'