From the other side of the door, you hear a shrill scream followed by a loud shattering noise, and the triumphant cheers of a small crowd.
Marada looks about for money and armor; something comfortable, that offers protection and looks sexy!
You locate little to scavenge. The women held only daggers, now in the possession of Radik, and the corpses outside have been picked clean, likely by their unseen murderers.
A nod to the decadence of the place, no easy means of preserving or transporting the water from the brightly radiant fountain present themselves.
Kirrish throws clothing to whomever wants it; unfortunately, he can't really tell the difference between male and female garments, so there's a chance for unintentional cross-dressing.
"Uncertain Answer: Current? Water?"
"L...l...l...let's hit the s..s...s...s...streets."
Aso has the box with receipts for the business, an accounting ledger with the word “Sunlight” written on the cover, and a small supply of petty cash, 26 ceramics.
An interesting riddle, So you think "air" is the answer? What about "oil"? It seems that they do not mix, but oil is already wet by it's own nature....hmmmmm. Scirocco, any insight?
"Hey, Aso! Fart in the tub and tell me if it's a wetone! In th' interest o' science..."
Hearing Aso's mumbling, Radik gets an idea.
"Sunlight. That is the answer."
The confidence with which he states this is almost enough to convince himself that it was his idea.
At Radik’s ejaculation, the door opens.
Our allies are inside. Help us to destroy the misguided ones, brave and heroic Radik!
"Who is misguided?"
Holdrus Steps into the room prepared to grab whatever looks like a weapon-friend of Scirocco and any valuables.
well; water; ie other currents; move through water and do not BECOME wet; water is only wet to us; not to itself
Faindriac nods at Zuko's request,
"Not as long as you don't mind me claiming one of these others. A vast improvement over our previous garments."He nods again at the Thri-Kreen's wise words of preparation. But moves to examine the runes that Holdrus has found.
"Hm. Draconic. 'What can move through water and never become wet?'" His frown deepens.
"I detest riddles. Nonsense made up by lesser minds to make themselves feel intelligent. Nevertheless it would appear that we must play this game if we are to continue. And the first thing that comes to mind that can actually travel through water and emerge unaffected would be an air bubble."
well; water; ie other currents; move through water and do not BECOME wet; water is only wet to us; not to itself
Faindriac nods at Zuko's request,
"Not as long as you don't mind me claiming one of these others. A vast improvement over our previous garments."He nods again at the Thri-Kreen's wise words of preparation. But moves to examine the runes that Holdrus has found.
"Hm. Draconic. 'What can move through water and never become wet?'" His frown deepens.
"I detest riddles. Nonsense made up by lesser minds to make themselves feel intelligent. Nevertheless it would appear that we must play this game if we are to continue. And the first thing that comes to mind that can actually travel through water and emerge unaffected would be an air bubble."
yes a metaphor; in existance there are hunters and prey; often the rolls change quite rapidly; if pursued by a flying predator; a small lizard may seek shelter under a tortoise percieveing it to be a rock; the flyer leaves; the lizard sees the rock as a tortoise and become the predator the tortoise as the prey dies for he cannot flee, but in dying he crushes the lizard.
so; the sister daggers that seek to fly and sow death are perhaps the flyer of the story; we who would survive are perhaps the lizards scurrying though life seeking shelter, but also strength; you seem out of place among the others; what is your role in the world; are you the tortoise; sometimes to give aid; sometimes to sow death; a Just role it would seem; one I can respect.
Uhhh, tortoise? Is that some sort of metaphor I’m not privy to, or are you having an “episode?”
yeah, i hadnt read that far yet; but there can be more than one answer; mine is not wrong hehe.
well; water; ie other currents; move through water and do not BECOME wet; water is only wet to us; not to itself
Faindriac nods at Zuko's request,
"Not as long as you don't mind me claiming one of these others. A vast improvement over our previous garments."He nods again at the Thri-Kreen's wise words of preparation. But moves to examine the runes that Holdrus has found.
"Hm. Draconic. 'What can move through water and never become wet?'" His frown deepens.
"I detest riddles. Nonsense made up by lesser minds to make themselves feel intelligent. Nevertheless it would appear that we must play this game if we are to continue. And the first thing that comes to mind that can actually travel through water and emerge unaffected would be an air bubble."
"Ummmm. A...A...Aso n...n...n...not the c...c...craziest anymore. Let's g...g...g...go."
Shsush, click chirp little steel friends; it is time for stealth not talk I whisper.
"The bird speaks nothing."
Holdrus steps forward into darkness. Not the dark of night or an unlit room, but rather a space absent of any light, an area into which not even the illumination or shadow of the previous room trickles.
Faindriac glances at Radik,
'And people say I talk to myself too much. I have a bad feeling about this Cair. Keep an eye on him. And yes, I mean MORE than you already were!
Faindriac peers in to the room ahead, as if he can pierce the darkness by sheer willpower.
'Magic. I detest magic.'
But Fain, you're a,... '
'Shuttup Cair.'
"I have no means of dispelling this darkness. And it is obviously a trap. Perhaps Marada knows a charm that could cancel this?" He asks, looking over his shoulder at the sword-wielding woman.
"If not, then I have something to throw into the room before we enter." He whispers to Holdrus.
Do it then, Magicker. Mine sight can't pierce this darkness.
Kirrish moves quickly up to the darkened portal, slinging his makeshift satchel of clothes and random jewelry over his shoulder with his upper arms as he flexes and relaxes his lower claws.
"Order: Hist! Quiet now! Hairless gladiator in hurry die?"
The kreen flattens himself against the wall next to the doorway and listens intently to who or what may be inside.
Marada approaches within 20ft of the dark portal and cast a light spell on a pebble and throws it into the darkness.
Radik walks calmly up to the unnatural darkness.
"This is ridiculous."
He reaches out, extending his hand into the magical dark.
Faindriac lets Radik by enough to stick his arm in the doorway, but stays close, and pulls out a pinch of sand from his pouch.
'Pay attention Cair, I need to know where the target is.'
Zuko watches with an expression of horror and fascination as Radik grasp the darkness.
He'll either doom us or save us. But is one different from the other.
Kirrish quickly pulls Holdrus back out of the grasping darkness. Marada’s lighted bauble skips into the room, but the gloom swallows the stone just as quickly.
You hear scuttling sounds of indeterminate origin coming from the room. There is definitely something there, but you can’t quite tell what. You hear what you believe to be a single gruff voice, protesting or calling out, but muffled, as if something was sitting on it. So far, no projectiles have gone sailing through the open doorway into your party, which can only be a good thing.
Marada moves back 40 feet upon hearing the sound.
"Hrmm....stick it where the sun don't shine."
"Holdrus old feller! I'll get them!"
When they pull Holdrus back, Schenker runs up and attacks the darkness.
r14+4=18 puchik, dam 3 +2 sneak damage
r12+3=15 bonedagger, dam 2 +5 sneak damage
(if I can stab the darkness in a vital spot).
Marada moves back 40 feet upon hearing the sound.
"Instruction: Think jankx hunt, outside city, yes? Use and hot light thing, get what inside out. Clutch know exits water house. Get no out, these quarry, just where clutch want."
Zuko raises his hand above his head. "From Fire emerges Light, Banishing the Darkness." A ball of flame appears clutched inside Zuko's cupped hand.
Faindriac, standing to the side of the doorway, nods to the fire cleric, holding a palmfull of colored sand as if ready to throw it. He looks around for something (besides the nice garments they just 'claimed') that can be set on fire.
He grins. A scary sight indeed with his barely healed cheek. With an imperious gesture, he beckons the massage table once more. With audible creaks and groans it rights itself once more and clomps its way to the doorway.
"Light it." He orders, still grinning.
As the table begins to burn and smolder, Faindriac gestures, and it marches, clomping and creaking, into the darkness.
"That should get their attention." He says to no one inparticular.
Consider it lit.
Radik strides forward unflinchingly, extending his hand into the black. Darting in behind and around to the side of him, Shenker viciously stabs at everything and nothing, barely missing the taciturn Radik.
Marada backs off to a more strategic vantage as Faindrac and Zuko implement Kirrish’s “jankx proposal.” Thumping and banging, the burning table bumps against the two men standing in the doorway, hedging them between flame and darkness.
Consider it lit.
Radik growls scornfully at Shenker's attack. He begins to move forward into the magical darkness, but is forced to move aside to allow Faindraic's animated table to pass.
Stepping back, he draws two of his daggers from his belt.
Consider it lit.Darting in behind and around to the side of him, Shenker viciously stabs at everything and nothing, barely missing the taciturn Radik.
As the animated massage table lumbers into the darkened room, the bubble of gloom dissipates, though you are unsure if the incidents are related. The room before you is roughly 40 feet by 90 feet, with two rows of thick marble columns supporting a high domed ceiling. The floor is comprised of a series of sun shaped mosaics, accentuating three round pools of warm, gurgling mud in the center of the chamber. A petite waterfall cascades down the face of the east wall, next to a bronze plaque.
Six well-dressed humans are here, glancing uncertainly between your party, the pools, a small pile of ashes on the floor, and a large hole melted into the wall next to a bricked up doorway.
One of the humans greets you cautiously, “Friend or foe?”
Holdrus moves around the people and towards the hole in the wall, "Depends. Where are the weapons and what are you doing here?"
*Scirocco, where are your friends?*
"Faindrac... Marada, can you check if these people are covered by some sort of magical aura?"
Radik's got a bad feeling about this. He raises his arms slightly, daggers clutched tightly in his fists. While staring malevolently into the room, he whispers to Faindraic.
"I don't like this at all."