Bowen see's definite signs of passage along the hallway to the north. It is very likely that the boy went this way. The full light of the axed reveals that just ten feet north of the intersection there is a room filled with steam. There is possibly a fountain within the steam, though it will be necessary to move into the room to see better.
There is the sound of water coming from the room as well.
Bowen see's definite signs of passage along the hallway to the north. It is very likely that the boy went this way. The full light of the axed reveals that just ten feet north of the intersection there is a room filled with steam. There is possibly a fountain within the steam, though it will be necessary to move into the room to see better.
There is the sound of water coming from the room as well.
Rall, dizzy and tired, hangs back and waits to see what the others want to do.
Something skitters inside the steam filled room.
"Savram?"
Something skitters inside the steam filled room.
"Savram?"
"Pssst. Chloe? Did Savram 'skitter' much last time you saw him?"
"Pssst. Chloe? Did Savram 'skitter' much last time you saw him?"
Chloe flashes the deputy a look of annoyance she would normally reserve for a small child making light of something that should be serious.
"It's probably just a rat," she suggests.
Quickly pulling out another bit of his jerky Bowen tosses into the room trying to get it to the right side so they can skirt the left side.
Arla places a hand on Ash's neck to keep the dog still and quiet. "After what we've seen in this place, I really hope it's just a rat.." she comments.
Something vaguely blue and small, perhaps the size of a dog, moves through the steam towards the jerky. Bowen thinks that it might be a lizard.
There is a smell like that after the rain in the room.
Something vaguely blue and small, perhaps the size of a dog, moves through the steam towards the jerky. Bowen thinks that it might be a lizard.
There is a smell like that after the rain in the room.
"Worms? I think I smell worms."
"It's just a lizard..." Chloe notes, "Doesn't seem all that dangerous. Let's pass through and keep searching."
Bowen looks at the lizard before hugging the opposite wall. "Lets just try and keep away from it. No need for any more creatures to die for us."
Rall is happy to attempt to avoid anything dying, particularly himself.
Arla watches as Bowen tosses the dried meat into the room, readying her spear in case the occupant of the room is something more than just a rat.
Knowledge(Nature): 1d20+9 = 19
The druid attempts to stay close to Rall, well aware that the sheriff might not be at his best if something dangerous confronts the group and may need extra assistance.
Details in the steam become apparent as the party enters the room.
A large fountain dominates the room, Steam is rolling off the superheated water which is being poured out from a stone obelisk at the fountain's center.
There is a pair of partially open double doors on the other side of the room.
One bluish gray bipedal lizard, about a foot tall at the shoulders, is near the meat but there is a second lizard perched on the edge of the fountain on the other side of the room.
As the party fully enters the room both lizards suddenly rise up, hissing. Bluish sparks ripple across their small frames.
"I think we should head back. I was hoping the meat looked better to them then it does to me."
"But there's an open door on the other side," Chloe notes, "Maybe Savram got through? Is there another way around?"
Rall backs out of the room quickly.
The room is twenty feet north to south and thirty feet east to west, with the doors set in the middle of the north wall. The one door is opened about a foot and a half wide, just enough for a child to slip through. The pool of steaming water is ten feet in diameter.
"Perhaps we can find a way around. Unless you really want to force our way through. I doubt they will let us in any further."
Rall nods glumly at the ranger's suggestion. "Let's be quick. Before they work up an appetite."
The one lizard grabs the meat and swallows it and then hops back up onto the lip of the fountain. As soon as the adventurers move back to the door, the lizards calm down, eyeing the party warily. The crackling electricity around them seems to dissapear.
Moving back to the door with the others, Arla glances at Bowen. "Have you any more of that meat? If we can convince them that we're not a threat, maybe they'll let us pass by."
Rummaging through his rations he brings out the rest of todays meat and lays them out.
Bowen
"I don't recognize their breed," Chloe says, "But maybe they're just guarding their nest...or some younglings?"
"Lets keep away from the fountain. We can continue to give them bits of meat and perhaps get around them safely."
Bowen tosses a few more strips of meat then turns to the party, "Oh, they are shock lizards, they can hurt us pretty bad if we anger them. So be nice." He hands the others strips of meat to toss as well.
Bowen manages to keep the lizards calm as the party hugs the walls and moves around the edge of the room to the other set of doors.
The lizards eye the party curiously the whole time after the meat is gone, but they do not attack.
Peeking through the double doors reveals a large dark room.
As Bowen sticks his axe through the door to get a better look, he sees that the room is perhaps fifty feet wide and thirty feet long.
Each side, east and west, of the room has statues lining the walls. The statues on the left are of dwarves holding forth spears for battle. The statues on the right are of dwarves holding shields.
There is another set of double doors on the other side of the room, thirty feet away to the north. They are closed.
A child can be heard quietly sobbing inside the room, towards the left, where the soldiers with spears stand guard. As the light shines into the room, the child's breathing quickens as in fear.
"Savram? We are here to help you, we already saved the others. Are you alone?"
Bowen turns his head and relays the layout of the room to the others.
"Don't come in..." sniffles the boy as Bowen tries to tell the others what he sees.
"It's okay, Savram!" Chloe calls to him, "We're getting out of here. Are you okay?"
"Don't come in," the boy intones again, still crying.
"Don't come in," the boy intones again, still crying.
"Don't be ridiculous," Chloe replies, "We're coming to get you. Just stay where you are..."
Rall's neck tingles in fear but he says nothing.
Standing next to Rall, Arla peers at the open door, although she is unable to see anything more than darkness, due to being further back in the group. She hears the child's voice, though. Did he think they were monsters too? She couldn't begin to imagine what he had been through in the last few days.
Arla and Rall:
Hearing nothing more than a scared child Bowen turns to the others, "I think someone else should go to the child before me. I've never been a pleasing sight to any of the towns children."
Rall knows that Chloe should go but he's steps forward anyhow.
"I'll go," he says. Rall steps forward towards the boy's voice.
"I'll go," he says. Rall steps forward towards the boy's voice.
Chloe frowns and puts a hand on Rall's shoulder. "No," she tells him, "It's better if it's me. At least Savram knows me. Maybe I can calm him."
"And besides," she notes, "You're still looking rather pale. It's probably best if you stay with Arla for now."
Chloe then steps past Bowen and Rall to enter the room, looking around cautiously for anything that might have frightened the boy or otherwise prove dangerous.
Arla nods. "He sounds.. worried," she says quietly. "I don't know.. he's probably seen a lot the last few days - I don't know how well he might have coped with that. He might not be thinking properly.."
"Be careful, and don't scare the child. I don't want to have to chase him more to save him."
Arla will step forward just before Chloe enters the room. "Here. This might help."
The druid lays a hand on Chloe's shoulder, casting Guidance. She then moves to stand beside Rall.
As Chloe enters the room, the boy shakes his head in fright and whimpers, "noo..."
Chloe can make out details better as she moves into the room. The chamber is arched. The statues to the east depict fearsome dwarven warriors clad in simple plate armor holding aloft war-hammers. The statues to the west, where the boy lies crouching, are strange caricatures of dwarves. They are obese, pig nosed brutes with huge grinning mouths and beady eyes. There are two lines of these spear wielding dwarves, the front line kneeling, the back line standing. Both lines are leveling their spears at the dwarven smiths on the east wall. Chloe suddenly notices a kobold corpse impaled on one of the spears...
The room suddenly lurches, pivoting as if on some great axis. The west wall falls away and the east wall swings high.
Savram screams.
Chloe falls right at the spears that are suddenly below her.
Trap - Round 1:
Spear Trap: (1d20+10=29)
Damage: (1d8=1)
Chloe manages to roll to avoid the worst. But the room is still on its side and there is a noise on the upper side as if something more is about to happen.
Those at the door can still see into the room. The noise from the trap going off however has made the shock lizards suddenly agitated.
Bowen grips the battleaxe and looks to see if he would be able to go into the room with the boy and if that would help or hinder them.
"You keep those blue things off our backs. I'll save the ...," Rall falters as the words sound odd coming from him. "I'll see what I can do to help Chloe."