Kol also nods in acknowledgment at Delphey and Lycia. He readys his sword in case anything comes down after Delphey.
Kol also tries to determine what caused this staircase to collapse.
The stairs lead up to the floor above, the third level, where there is a door. The stairs continue on to the fourth level.
Kol also tries to determine what caused this staircase to collapse.
The collapse was likely caused by the recent earthquake.
Delphey stops at the door and gives a short series of whistles to signal her companions. She then turns her attention to the lock on the door.
The lock resists Delphey's efforts.
Delphey frowns at her failure. Giving up for the moment she turns to look and make sure Kol and Lycia are on their way up the stairs.
"Is the lock giving you trouble, Delphey?" Lycia smiles reassuringly. "Here is some more light. Forgive me for not offering it sooner."
Kol waits patiently in the back while standing guard. "I might be able to ram it down, though it might alert more of these creatures...", Kol says while inspecting the doors sturdiness.
Kol waits patiently in the back while standing guard. "I might be able to ram it down, though it might alert more of these creatures...", Kol says while inspecting the doors sturdiness.
"While I have no doubt you could turn this door into so much sawdust, I think Delphey can pick this lock in just a moment. You speak wisdom; more troglodytes may be alerted if we try to force it open."
"Yes I'm sure I can pick this lock but it's going to take some time. Kol, if you want to cover the stairs going up, and Lycia you watch the way we came from."
Delphey tries the lock again, carefully probing and maneuvering her pick tools and precisely positioning the tumblers inside.
"Yes I'm sure I can pick this lock but it's going to take some time. Kol, if you want to cover the stairs going up, and Lycia you watch the way we came from."
"Agreed, Delphey." Lycia covers the lower end of the staircase.
Patiently, Delphey overcomes the lock. The door swings open, revealing another octagonal chamber. Across the room are two humanoid skeletons, wreathed in auras of fire. Their jaws open, as if screaming without sound. They raise their weapons to attack.
Lycia shrieks in surprise at the flame-wreathed skeletons. She slides against the eastern corner of the octagon and looses a bolt at the nearest skeleton.
Delphey moves quickly, breaking for the north wall of the octagon, before turning and firing a sling bullet at the closest skeleton.
"What are these foul creatures?!"Kol shouts ferociously and storms
into the room. Raising his great sword over his head he swings down with all of his might.
Delphey ducks to the north wall and fires a bullet at one of the unnatural horrors, and hits!
The hit staggers the skeleton, but it recovers and attacks Delphey with a scimitar...
Attack - MISS
The unstoppable barbarian obliterates the other undead !
Lycia aims at Delphey's attacker, but misses.
Next round begins!
Lycia reloads and shoots at the remaining skeleton!
Now that the monsters have been dealt with, this unusual chamber comes into focus. Two stone altars, one black and one white, sit at either end of the octagonal rooms. The crumbling remains of wooden benches sag in front of each altar beneath rotting ceiling tapestries. Carved symbols and writings snake along the walls. The burnt corpses of two troglodytes lie on the floor in the center of the room.
"Something seems kind of funny about this, so be careful."
Delphey begins by checking for traps around the center of the room, and then around each altar.
Now that the monsters have been dealt with, this unusual chamber comes into focus. Two stone altars, one black and one white, sit at either end of the octagonal rooms. The crumbling remains of wooden benches sag in front of each altar beneath rotting ceiling tapestries. Carved symbols and writings snake along the walls. The burnt corpses of two troglodytes lie on the floor in the center of the room.
Carefully, Lycia follows Delphey around--as not to accidentally trip any possible traps--and examines the altars, tapestries, symbols, and writings.
The meaning of this room soon becomes clear to Lycia. It is a temple dedicated to Nethys, the god of magic, in both of his aspects: protection and destruction. The writings on the walls are quotes from Nethys’s holy book.
On the black altar of destruction there are silver services including a scroll. A similar set of services are on the white altar, including another scroll.
Lycia carefully approaches the white altar and mutters an incantation, slowly waving a hand over the scroll and the services.
Delphey finishes her checks. "I don't think there's any traps. What do you think this is all about?"She wags an arm towards the burnt remains of the trogs before picking up her spent sling stone.
Only the scrolls are truly magical.
Delphey finishes her checks. "I don't think there's any traps. What do you think this is all about?"She wags an arm towards the burnt remains of the trogs before picking up her spent sling stone.
"Probably burned by those fiery skeletons, I suppose." Lycia continues concentrating on her spell.
Only the scrolls are truly magical.
"These scrolls radiate with magical energy. I am going to see if I can make out any writings . . . ." Lycia unfurls the white altar's scroll and reads it.
Kol takes a knee to rest off the fatigue while Delphey and Lycia inspect the room.
The one from the white altar is a scroll of shield.
The one from the white altar is a scroll of shield.
After reading the first scroll, Lycia studies the black altar's scroll.
The other one is a scroll of shatter.
Lycia takes the two scrolls and puts them in her backpack. "These scrolls contain magics; I will hold on to them for safekeeping, if neither of you object."
"No protest on my part", Kol says while standing back up.
"Dont forget the silver."Delphey pilfers the settings from the white altar.
Now that the altars have been cleared, the stairs up beckon ...
Scrolls safely in tow, Lycia turns to her party-mates. "Right, then. Shall we ascend to the next floor, as we did before? Delphey in front, followed by Kol and I? We did well with this formation." She scans the room for her loosed bolts, to see if either are salvageable.
After retrieving her bolt, Lycia steps closely to Kol, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. "How are your wounds? I have a curing potion, if your wounds are too grievous."
Kol straightens up and puffs out his chest. "Thank you for the concern but it will take more than a few bones and lizards to strike me down" Kol says feeling slightly embarrassed of his wounds. "Let us press on Lycia, Delphey lead on."
"As you wish." Lycia nods, and turns to the stairs.
"Ok lets go up then."
Delphey carefully leads up the stairs, inspecting each step first and sticking to the shadows created by Lycia's magic light.
Lycia leads her fellow Pathfinders up to another door.
Sounds of movement can be heard from the behind the door. And the unmistakable stench of troglodyte can be smelt.
A fresh breeze can be felt from further up the stairs, probably from the roof level of the tower.