In response to Shade's question as he hurries underground, the giant responds, "Kotas." Then says, in what sounds like a rehearsed chant, "my work is finished, I return to the ground to await the pilgrims." The outlines of the spell begin to shine through the skin on his forehead and as you pass into the darkness underground, you hear the clatter of bones.
The earth seals behind you.
The stairs are steep, obviously made for longer legs than any in the group have so the going is slow. The ceiling is vaulted and it's far enough above your head that you have to squint in the torchlight to see it, easily 15-20 feet. At regular intervals there is a landing, lined with columns like the staircase, with walls set with basins and alcoves. The alcoves must be there for illumination but contain no lamps, the basins are empty.
The stairs go on for quite a long time. Your knees grow tired from stepping, stepping, stepping down farther than is comfortable with every step. Your back hurts from the weight of your pack, bouncing on your back. Your eyes are sore from squinting and you can hear the pounding of your heart in your ears.
Finally, at a depth that Rayla estimates as 600 feet below the earth, you see that the stairs open up into a large doorway which in turn opens up into a room lined with columns. It is still dark, and even those with darkvision can see nothing beyond the torches but more columns.
The room is quiet and dark as a tomb, you stand 10-15 feet back up the stairs, near the same level as the top of the entrance to the great room. What do you do?
Shade realizes that the light being provided is not adequate for the entire group and lights a torch, hanging his lantern from Twiggy's pack. And moving away from twiggy to spread the light.
ReplyDeleteRayla looks around in the torchlight. Noticing some of the others squinting in the darkness and peering about uncertainly, she casts a light on the front of Thor's helm so that it shines in whatever direction he turns his head. Smiling, mutters, "Maybe that'll keep you from running into the walls down here.
ReplyDeleteIlluminated as though he bore a torch upon his helm, Thor was a little shaken by the sudden illumination directly above and before him. He quickly adjusted, however, finding it extremely helpful to suddenly have a light directed wherever he looked. "If I had a pickaxe and were half as tall, I could probably pass as a dwarf," Thor chided the shorter members of the group.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the problem of the room before him, Thor looked to Tom for some much needed guidance from the group's usual guide. When Tom pointed to the left, it was good enough for Thor.
"This way," Thor proclaimed, as though he knew exactly where he was going, and he headed off to the left, moving at a cautious pace.
The flagstones are covered with centuries' worth of dust so it muffles the sound of your passing. As your lights illuminate more of the room, you see that the columns continue beyond the range of your light. Rayla can just barely make out the far wall in the darkness, the room is about 100 feet deep and 150 feet wide. She thinks if the lights were gone she could see very well, and in more detail down here.
ReplyDeleteDraymun casts detect magic and he senses Thor's magic sword ahead of him. That is, he senses it until Thor steps off the stairs, then the spell detects no magic. This happens again and again as the party steps off the stairs: potions, wands, rings, all stop giving off magical signatures as soon as they pass the threshold of the steps.
At the same time, Twiggy glances to the right and sees something strange: a lever sticks out of the wall to the right of the entrance to the room, about 6 feet up. It's set in a plate that has been whitewashed. The paint is flaking, but the lever is still a dull white in color. The lever is currently pointing down.
"Something is wrong, I feel a disturbance in the mystical force. I think we have entered some sort of anti-magic field. While this means we haven't any magic, our foes will not either. Whatever charms and items we have will not function unless we can identify a way to shut off this field or move beyond it."
ReplyDeleteFrom the outside it looks like a regular first class lever, approximately 8 inches in length and with a diameter of 1 inch. It is whitewashed as well as the plate that it sticks out of. It looks like it is attached to something, from the fact that it's still in the wall rather than on the ground. Looking into the hole, you can make out that the lever is attached to a series of pulleys and counterweights that probably run all the way up to the ceiling. It's an elaborate system, but for what you can't tell.
ReplyDeleteNodding, Rayla scurries back to the stairs to watch and wait.
ReplyDelete"I do not trust going anywhere devoid of my magic, I shall go back to the stairs also."
DeleteShade watches as Tom guides the beast back up the steps with the deft hands of one practiced in handling animals.
DeleteDraymun and Kumo usher everyone back onto the stairwell as they make their swift retreat. When Draymun, the last of the group to re-scend, finally makes his first steps he nods to Twiggy that all is ready. He turns and braces for what is to come.
Delete"Let's see it, Elf."
Twiggy grabs the lever with both hands and pushes it firmly up.
ReplyDeleteThere is a series of faint clicking noises and then the room begins to light up. Each column has, near the top, a glass sconce with a small, smooth ball of marble set in the center. The balls all begin to glow and the multifaceted glow from the cut glass sconces is quite beautiful. In the center of the room an elaborate brass and glass structure hangs from the ceiling and it is set with the same glowing marbles.
At the far end of the room, opposite the party's entry point, you can just make out a painting of some sort that begins to speak. It's hard to make out from here, but it is definitely speaking the giant language.
It is an impressive creation. The suspension system is attached directly to the stone of the ceiling. The motif isn't something you're familiar with. The glowing marble balls obviously have Light cast on them, most likely permanently.
ReplyDeleteAn important thing that you notice, however, is that the metal it's constructed from is very, very well refined. You're not that familiar with metalurgy, but much of brass you've seen is pocked and weak and unable to be worked in such a fine, intricate manner that this piece has been.
The room is 100 by 150 feet, there are columns in the whole room. There is the large talking picture on the wall opposite you. There are two doors on the wall to the right, at the front and back of the room, there is one door on the left near the opposite wall of the room.
ReplyDeleteShade moves closer to the sound, hoping to catch what is being spoken, and stands beside Twiggy.
ReplyDeleteThe face is of a cyclops woman, speaking in gentle, chipper tones. She's wearing a colorful tunic with silver jewelry and her hair is pinned up.
Delete"...this is your last destination before departure through the gate. Please be sure your possessions and families are accounted for. Do not leave your baggage unattended at any time. Do not let anyone else put anything in your baggage. Do not agree to hold a stranger's baggage. Please have a safe journey.
Greetings pilgrim, you have arrived at gate location alpha. From here you will be transported to your new home on Lemnos. Remember honored pilgrim, that this is a one way journey. This is your last destination before..."
The practiced lines continue to drone on.
Shade repeats the lines for the benefits of all in attendance, his words catching in his throat as he notes the one-way trip.
Delete"I don't know about all of you, but heading to Cyclops Island on a one-way trip is not likely to work out for us in my opinion. I'm gonna do a thorough search of the room and try and see if I can find any runes indicating passages or the like so we don't accidentally step through to our Cyclopic Nightmares. Remind me whose bright idea it was to awaken the guardian and then go inside and get sealed in the earth."
"Harken, see if you can help me spot anything!"
Ok, it takes you 15 minutes to give the room a thorough search.
Delete(Let's assume the doorway you entered is to the south.)
There are two doorways to the East. Of those doors, the southern door is labelled Temporary Housing and it is shut but not locked. The northern door reads Staff Only and is also shut but not locked.
There is a small door in the north wall, (note small meaning not cyclops sized) that you didn't notice until you got closer. This door is beneath and to the right of the talking picture. Above it a sign reads Executive Offices. It is shut and locked.
To the West there is one door. It reads Gate Alpha. It is shut but not locked.
Shade heads to the door marked temporary housing and opens the door, thoroughly scanning inside.
ReplyDeleteThe door swings open quite easily and behind it is a wide, long hall or perhaps sitting room with what look to be lockers on the right (south) and furniture, low seats and benches as well as tables and bookshelves, scattered around the room in small clusters.
DeleteThe room is 40 by 70
There are three exits from the room:
One to your left is an open door.
One directly ahead of you is a shut door.
At the northeast corner of the room is another shut door.
Not waiting for an engraved invitation, Thor's curiosity got the better of him and he pushed past Shade where he stood in the doorway. Looking around briefly, Thor makes his way over to what appear to be lockers and begins checking whether there are any locked or unlocked.
Delete((If there are any unlocked, Thor will open six of them at random and glance inside. Let me know if you need rolls for anything))
There are 19 lockers and of those 8 stand unlocked.
DeleteThe first locker you check is empty.
The second contains a large sized heavy crossbow, the string has long been rotted away.
The third contains nothing but dust.
The fourth you check contains a set of well crafted leatherworking tools and an ornate scabbard set with jewels.
The fifth contains a stack of books and a small metal rectangle with a hinged lid.
The sixth is empty.
"Twiggy see if anything is magical in any of the lockers, I'm gonna have a quick read." Shade grabs up the books carefully checking for magical traps, glyphs and wards before opening any of them.
Delete"Thorvald, that's a scabbard in need of a fine blade wouldn't you say?" Shade mentions causally as he hefts the tiny box and looks it over more closely before waiting on Twiggy's Detect Magic to try and open it.
Emboldened by the bountiful booty, Thor bashes on, unabated, opening the remaining two unlocked lockers.
DeleteThe books have titles like "Queen's Ransom" and "Master of Desire" and feature pictures of shirtless, tanned cyclops men embracing busty cyclops women whose hair is flowing in the wind off the roiling ocean behind them.
DeleteThe seventh locker opens with a puff of yellow smoke. I need Fortitude saves from whoever is near the lockers. Shade and Thorvald for sure.
Shade says to himself, "I'm gonna have to save these..." Shade recognizes there can't be too many Cyclopic romance novels circulating and wonders what a lone cyclops in a cave might pay for such fare. He stashes the books in his pack. Turning as the wave of yellow smoke comes out, Shade tries deftly to not inhale and to squeeze shut his eyes. ((20 on Fort Roll))
DeleteRayla helps Tom coax the reluctant mule back down the stairs and then follows the group into the locker room in time to see Shade open the small mechanical box.
Delete((Fort Save: 1d20 + 7 = 13 + 7 = 20
DeleteMiraculously both Shade and Thorvald withstand the yellow dust and are unharmed.
DeleteShade opens the small box. The lid is hinged and pops back to reveal a small wheel and a grate of some sort with a wick in it.
ReplyDeleteShade stashes his curio in his pack and turns to Draymun," you mind checking for magical auras brother druid?" Then he stands back to watch Twiggy work her magic on the doors of the lockers.
ReplyDeleteDraymun nods at Shade and signals for Kumo to remain in the grand hall as a sentry. Slowly and methodically, Draymun begins to reach out, probing for magical signatures in the area.
ReplyDelete(( Action: Detect Magic
Starting in the locker room, then I'll move on as we get details. ))
There are no magical signatures in the locker room besides those of your party.
DeleteRayla saunters up to the last 6 lockers, unlocked by Twiggy, hefts her heavy mace and slams it into each one in turn.
Delete((d20+1 to hit. Damage is 1d8.
DeleteLocker 1= 7 Damage=2
Locker 2= 6 Damage=3
Locker 3= 13 Damage=1
Locker 4= 16 Damage=3
Locker 5= 6 Damage=6
Locker 6= 12 Damage=2
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DeleteSeeing little result from her assault on the lockers, Rayla pauses and stares at them with grim determination. Thinking to herself that if they are locked there must be something worthwhile inside them, she digs into her pack and pulls out her crowbar. She carefully inserts the end and pries each one open. (She's going to stand next to the row of lockers not directly in front of them in case they are booby trapped.)
Delete3 of the lockers are empty.
DeleteIn the other three lockers you find a scroll wrapped with ribbon, a gold ring worth 50 gp and a cyclops sized silk vest trimmed with fur.
Rayla pockets the gold ring and the scroll and moves to follow the rest of the party back to the main hall.
Delete5 more lockers pop open and you find that two are empty, in the last 3 you find:
ReplyDeleteA sack with several dirty cyclops loincloths and a small glass bottle full of a clear liquid.
2 Azurite stones worth about 25 gp and a pile of loose coins worth another 50 gp.
A silver holy symbol in the shape of an anvil with a hammer etched in it.
Seeing they are busy Shade peeks his head into the room marked staff only and surveys it with his lantern closely from the entrance.
ReplyDeleteOpening the door marked Staff Only, Shade sees a long, double wide hallway and can just barely make out two doors farther along.
ReplyDeleteYou think you hear a faint rattling.
Shade closes the door and grabs out a length of rope. He quickly loops a slip knot around the door handle and then he runs to the closest pillar, quickly circling it several times. He passes word to the others as he ties it off,
ReplyDeleteRayla places the vial of liquid, the stones, coins and the holy symbol in her pack.
ReplyDelete