Eltariel looks about to speak, then thinks better and draws Gashelle to one side.
"This place would make a great base of operations, and anyway, we'll never move some of that gear downstairs, like the library, but we can use them. With the force-fields in the other rooms and the keys we can keep it secure. I say we set up shop here," she says in a low whisper. "Think of what you can make at that desk!"
"Ahh go stuff yourself" is the only answer you get from the small fiend as it sits sulking on the floor..oddly enough it still maintains the exotic and sultry tones of the brunettes voice
Gashelle gives Etariel a lop-sided grin. "Let's worry about surviving this expedition first, and then we can discuss whether we want to retire."
Onward.
Outside the listening range of the demon: "In any case, you saw as well as I that the force field around the tower has vanished. We didn't exactly hide the fact that we were planning on exploring these grounds. I would wager that Sirena's Company of the Green Hart will be waiting when we make it out, either to congratulate us or to waylay us."
"I never said anything abut retiring, I just said it would make a good base of operations. As for Sirena's company, we'll deal with them when we come to them. No-one in four hundred years got to the bottom of this mystery, so I don't think anyone is likely looking at the tower. If they do discover our changes, we can hold it. If they come to try and sack the place should we leave, they won't get far without the skeleton keys.
"Lastly, I think I can get us official backing to make this place ours. After all, this city is ruled by druids ..."
Eltariel approaches the disgruntled imp.
"One good turn deserves another. If you can tell us anything of what else we are likely to find up those stairs, I'm prepared to consider freeing you. But if you lie to us, your imprisonment will last longer. And bear in mind we will test what you tell us before we reach a decision."
"Ohhh hark at her..little Miss prissy knickers want's to know whats up the stairs..well deary..I could spin you tales of untold riches and mighty magics..but..I won't..because I can't..so there"
The creature folds it's arms and turns it's back on you
Layjani, bemused at the series of events, had simply smiled genuinely at the Celestial's joy in freedom. It was hard to imagine how terrible being trapped for four hundred years with nothing to do and no company but an evil imp must have been. Out of curiosity, never having seen such a creature before, the ranger moves up as close as she can to the force field, taking a good look at small outsider.
Once her curiosity was satisfied, the rogue then moves to the foot of the stairs and looks to see what, if anything, can be seen just by looking up them. She hasn't let her guard down at all yet though so she of course is careful to check for anything dangerous or out of the ordinary along the way.
"Fair enough," Eltariel nods. "Let us continue my friends."
"What was all the cheering about? I heard another voice even down the stairs."
"So, we are going up the stairs then?"
"Indeed." (Once we opened the field to the opposite stairway, the potential danger to Holgur was past. I don't see any reason he couldn't have met with the celestial, if he'd wished to do so.)
You’ve entered another level of this round tower. This time, however, there are no other stairs in sight. Instead, you see seven doors.
Three are spaced evenly along the eastern edge of the tower wall. Two more are in standalone door frames in the middle of the room.
Each of these doors is in front of a 10-by-10 force cage. In each of the force cages is another stand-alone doorframe with another door. All
the doors are locked. The rest of the room is filled with magical apparatus of all kind, as well as several books opened to various pages.
"All right ... let's not play with the doors until we look at the books, my friends. This could be wondrous, dangerous, or both."
Elariel casts detect magic to ensure the books aren't magically trapped, and to see if there is anything else of interest.
Eltariel pores through the books for a while, occasionally making odd exclemations, shaking her head. It takes a LONG time if anyone wants to do anything else!
"There's a lot here about force spells ... I can make a lot with this, given time and study and research. But the rest ... well that lying little quasit downstairs must be our wizard's familiar. he knows ALL about this tower, I think, if he's even imprisoned at all," Eltariel snorts her contempt of the fiendish creature. "To work out where these lead from the books would take me days of study though ... so I'm afraid we will have to experiment a little."
Still quite fascinated with the idea of animals who can be summoned to do one's bidding without any permanent harm being done to them, Layjiani simply points at Eltariel's wand, then at one of the force doors and raises her eyebrows in question.
"Hmmm?" Eltariel looks up from a book. "He made many of these doors trying to escape. I don't know if any of them will work. I suggest we try the doors in the wall first ... I think they may have been more integral to the tower's design."
Eltariel crosses to the first door in the outer wall.
"Do you want to check this? he was paranoid after all ..."
"Do the sorcerer's books mention any enemies of his? It it possible that we may find some of them behind these glistening walls. Of course, this could just be his private menagerie. Either way I think blood will be shed very soon."
"No, although there are pages missing," I say softly. "But I think it is unlikely he kept any enemies inside the tower. Guardians, on the other hand, they are another matter."
During the second hour of Etariel's studies, Gashelle wanders down to the door where Avinar is waiting, and fills him in on what we've found so far.
For Wellard and Larcifer:
Layjiani dutifully checks for any traps or dangers of any sort
Making her usual careful search of the area you are in Layjiani finds to her surprise a secret door in the tower wall.it sits at the opposite end of the line of doors in that wall from the one Eltariel is standing at[map forthcoming]
"My guess is that the doors here were the mage's ...do we have a name for him in all those books?... attempts at escape. But the secret door? I'd bet it leads to further recesses in the tower."
"I agree - or possibly an exit from the tower, one unusable until we removed the force field. I am fairly certain one of these exits has to lead to a space where there is some means of making food and drink - he had to eat something in here for all those years, after all. Of course there is only one way to find out."
Making sure it is not trapped, Layniani opens the secret door and peeks through. If all seems safe, she opens it wider and proceeds through cautiously, an arrow drawn and nocked.
Layjiani's first view
If you do open the door further
"Ah, so you would be the presence I sensed earlier," Eltrariel does not enter, but speaks from the door. "I take it, sir, that you are the guardian of the long-departed wizard's belongings?"
If Gashelle can react to this, she'd suggest to her comrades, "I think that, as the people who freed the mage's spectre and set his bones to rest, we might have some authority here to dismiss this guardian. At least, we might ask how he can be released."
"Ah, so you would be the presence I sensed earlier," Eltrariel does not enter, but speaks from the door. "I take it, sir, that you are the guardian of the long-departed wizard's belongings?"
You detect a few Magical auras in the room but nothing to suggest this is an illusion.
The man rises and bows touching heart lips and foehead..."I am Rasheem ibn Fadil al Sahari..and you have indeed surmised my purpose correctly.Whom do I have the honour of adressing"
What Gashelle would like to say:
"Greetings and honors to you, mighty and patient Rasheem. We who stand before you are explorers, who have opened this place and laid the long-dead remains of its master to a decorous rest. We have little need for all that gold, and we do not challenge your guardianship.
"We would know all we can about this tower and its mysterious master. And if you would be released of your task and dismissed back to your home, we would be honored to oblige you in this regard."
The rogue's eyebrows seem to racing each other to the top of her forehead as she espies the vast wealth strewn around the room. However, although she has to use every ounce of her will-power, she does not step foot within the room at all. Although normally she would much prefer to stay silent and allow others to do the talking for her, in her curiosity she can't help but blurt out "Do you be a D'jinn?"
"An honour to meet you Rasheem; I am Eltariel Elessand, child of Ifiniel Elessand and Dominin Terrelem. My friends speak truly, we came to explore this ruin and it's strange field of force. When we found how to deactivate it, we discovered the maker deceased below us. We have laid him to rest in the courtyard bellow, and if Farrah spoke truly, four hundred years have elapsed since he passed away, although the spell he used restrained his spirit hear also, until we switched it off."
Ah the unfortunate Mortin Kirrin....I am glad you gave him proper burial and released his spirit..he brought me to his service 500 years ago..before this madness overtook him. Unfortunately even his death and final passing do not free me from the contract he forced from me so please do not be tempted to steal his gold..it would pain me greatly to have to destroy you"
"Tell us of this contract, oh Rasheem. We may be able to assist you in some way, it pains me to see any creature enslaved, especially one so noble."
"I am charged with guarding his gold from thieves for 1001 years...a relatively minor task and one which would normally have been easy to fulfill..until that fateful day he activated the spell which trapped himself and all those in the tower..for 400 years I have waited here..listening to that mournful spirits wailing...and I must admit the silence is...refreshing...but where are my Manners..you have the look of those who have not eaten well in the last day or so...let me remedy that"
He gestures and a table appears in the room you stand in, laden with fine foods and wines
"Ah good" he says "I was afraid I might have lost my touch"
"You assuredly have not," Eltriel compliments the Djinni, suitably impressed.
"But I see the fault in the contract. Does Mortin Kirrin have any heirs to succeed him and place a claim upon his belongings?" She asks. "If not, then by the laws of the city of Tarsh, within whose jurisdiction this tower now stands, his abandoned belongings not laid to rest with him now constitute treasure trove, and are the possessions of whomsoever discovers them.
"In either case, Rasheem, this hoard is no longer the possession of Mortin Kirrin, and your duty is discharged."
Holgur watches in fascination at this interplay. He had not intended to give his true name until he heard the others do so. There is power in knowing someone's name he had heard. "Is this another spirit being?" he thought to himself. "My companions seem very trusting of him."
"I am Holgur, sir. Tell me, what have you done to keep your mind occupied these many years?" Holgur hopes that there might be some advantage to be gained by knowing his host's behaviors.
Holgur watches in fascination at this interplay. He had not intended to give his true name until he heard the others do so. There is power in knowing someone's name he had heard. "Is this another spirit being?" he thought to himself. "My companions seem very trusting of him."
If Holgur will be so kind to note, Gashelle certainly did not give her name.
Rasheem stops and thinks...."Unfortunately I am not aware of any heirs the wizard may have had...had you a document proclaiming yourselves as the towers rightful owners I might be persuaded of your arguments merits..as it is I am still tasked under the Seal of Sulieman to guard this gold"
Eltariel grins, thinking of the Archdruid who rules Tarsh.
"I am sure we can arrange such within a few days ... but you say you are to guard the gold; does this mean that other items in this room are exempted from your guardianship? I have seen the other works of magic in this tower and they are impressive. I would very much like to examine these also, if I may."
When it seems polite to do so, Gashelle will inquire what there might be that we could do for the genie, to make his duty less burdensome? (She ill be careful not to phrase this in such a way as to imply any promise that we would do so.)
She would also ask Rasheem what he would know about the upper chambers, or where all these doors lead.
Holgur watches in fascination at this interplay. He had not intended to give his true name until he heard the others do so. There is power in knowing someone's name he had heard. "Is this another spirit being?" he thought to himself. "My companions seem very trusting of him."If Holgur will be so kind to note, Gashelle certainly did not give her name.
Aude to the genie :
"what would be your reaction if one was to ask after your exact conditions of employment ? "
She is intent on the reply
Rasheem chuckles at your comments.."And there my friends is the flaw in the contract...I am not to allow anyone into this room nor am I allowed to let anyone remove the gold..and I myself am bound not to handle any item within this chamber..however if some enterprising person was to find a way to remove the objects without entering the room then ..there is nothing I can do to prevent that. I'm afraid that precision was never one of my Masters strong points"
"Rasheem, remind me never to try and bind a djinni into a contract - not that I would be inclined to anyway," Eltariel laughs, and starts making use of detect magic and mage hand rather liberally ... failing the low strength of mage hand she can use her Arcane Bond to cast unseen servant to fetch items.
This seems like a good time for Gashelle to ask her questions.
Rasheeem unfortunately can not be of any assistance in that line of questioning
"Ah it pains me greatly but those portals were made after I was confined to this room..I know that my Master was trying to escape from the tower..but had no sucess..and as to where those doors lead he was most secretive about that"
"I know of the nymph Farrah and the Quasit..my Masters familiar as you may have surmised by now..a most annoying and irritating creature"
Gashelle will inquire what there might be that she could do for the genie, to make his duty less burdensome.
|
"What can you do..there is not much that you can do little one..except perhaps bring some chests to store this gold in..I never did understand why my Master had it scattered across the floor like this but as I say precision was never his strong point"
Eltariel locates and lifts out the following magical items...
• Eight potions, all with their names neatly inscribed on paper
labels glued to the metal vials: jump, mage
armor, invisibility, levitate, and cure light
wounds x3 (all at CL10)
• Three scrolls with burning hands (caster level
3), all contained in fine hollow rods (nonmagical)
made of steel.(all at CL10)
• A ring of force shield.
• A bag of holding,type II.
• Three +2 daggers
+1 light crossbow.
Excuse me ,but if we pick up all the gold , would not that free you as then you would not have anymore gold to guard ?
"Ah no..for if you remove the gold then I will be forced to destroy you..and I am sure none of us want that to happen.."
Rasheem turns to Eltariel.."You should be aware that there are beasts tunneling under the keep that surrounds this tower"
"The owlbears? We were forced to slay several of them, although a mother and it's chicks remain," Eltariel replies sadly. "We'll have to see if we can encourage those to move on to a place where they will do no harm, although in the case of owlbears that is fairly problematic," she concedes.
"At some point we will have to deepen and reinforce the foundations and shore up the stonework if we do not want the surrounding structure to collapse. It needs modernising anyway, but if this is accomplished this could provide valuable protection for the people in the surrounding area, should the need arise."
Rasheem frowns It is not those of which I speak..there is a nest of some sort of insect...I have been aware of them since you dropped the field as indeed I was aware of you and all the other beings within this compound..it is part of the compulsions my Master laid upon me."