Chpt. 4 - The Tower of Roses

[Marcel]

"You said a silver bedroom above us?" says Poltux the fighter after Ianin's hookah hike story.

The half-orc thinks greedily about what riches Lady Myshella's chambers may hold.

"After hearing so much about the Silver Princess, we must see what is in there! Riches, more secrets of her mystery, maybe the red crystal heart of Xiombarg? Didn't her ghost want to be freed or something?"

[MonkeyWrench]

Raquinel, sorceress

Raquinel listens in wonder at Ianin's experience. She wishes she had used the hookah.

"Then the Runestaff isn't in the tower?" she wonders. "Who was the boy?" She asks Ianin.

Ianin gives her a knowing smile and a wink, "That may be one conclusion my dear, but what of the others? Why the possibilities of what our cleric friend found is astounding! Such as, the child being the staff? Ha! Just imagine the powers at work to accomplish something like that!"

"You said a silver bedroom above us?" says Poltux the fighter after Ianin's hookah hike story.

The half-orc thinks greedily about what riches Lady Myshella's chambers may hold.

"After hearing so much about the Silver Princess, we must see what is in there! Riches, more secrets of her mystery, maybe the red crystal heart of Xiombarg? Didn't her ghost want to be freed or something?"

Ianin nods his head at the half-orc, "At the very least ancient items that would be worth a fortune, she was a princess after all"

[tkrexx]

The boy could see your astral form?? This seems to confound Flint for a moment. Much as I like Durandal, I say this boy is the key we need to find the runestaff, or at very least a clue. I realize I was the first to suggest we stay and recoup more, but The Priest seems to be in a bad way, and risking all for this boy. We need to find him, quickly.

[tkrexx]

Honnilee shakes her head a bit. You guys are speaking Goblinese. I don't get any of what you're saying. If we're going to find Durandal, then let's go find him. She removes herself from the conversation having said her piece, and roots around for a sheath or something she can stash her extra sword in.

[MonkeyWrench]

Ianin, "My thought exactly! I believe everyone has rested enough while I was, ahem, "scouting", hehe; Let us depart for the cleric and the boy!"

[Grognardsw]

After returning from his extra-dimensional transmigration, Ianin finds that his wounds have been healed! A strange side effect of the Hookah?

Honnilee practices with new short sword. She spars with some comrades. Beyond the ray of light ability, the blade is definitely enchanted (+2). Andover ponders the grey box with buttons.

Raquinel, curious about the wondrous collection of speaking art, casts a Read Magic dweomer to enable her to comprehend the hundreds-year-old arcane rune-script. The words are for the most part related to the Magic Mouth variation spells cast upon the pictures, which cause them to variously mutter, exclaim, moan, laugh, and state logical or nonsensical words. Many of the runes are signed by a 'Catharandamus,' a name Raquinel vaguely remembers. Wasn't he the ghost that inflicted the adventurers' worst nightmares upon them in the library?

The runes magic speech, like the pictures, seem thematically focused on different aspects of Lady Myshella - her moods, likes, dislikes, desires, nightmares. The Princess seemed quite enamored with herself it seems.

The party gathers equipment and discusses the next step: back to the second floor of the Palace or to the silver bedroom above.

- Hookah healing [2d8] = 11
- I'll go by majority on whether to proceed to the second floor or check the silver bedroom.

[Zhym]

Andover lets curiosity get the better of him again. He presses the button labeled "POWER" on the grey box.

[GreyWolfVT]

Bjorn goes over to Andover and presses the mute button on the strange gray box in Andover's hands.

[Grognardsw]

Andover the ranger presses the "Power" button and a red light blinks near the tip of the box. There is no direct effect he can see or feel. Perhaps it is a wand with a power word to activate?

Does Andover let Bjorn press "Mute?"

[AleBelly]

Raquinel, the task-oriented,"riches are a distraction, and in the end, gaining them will be for naught if the Runestaff is discovered by dark forces before us. Let us make haste to the most likely location of this powerful artifact!"

[MonkeyWrench]

Ianin, "That will lead us to the same location due to the Clerics last wish. In order to get the most efficient use of everyones skills we must allow them to fight for their own values, we may as well merge them all into one driving goal. Fortunately is seems that in this instance we can merge the goal of finding the staff and the possible loot from such an extravagant castle." Ianin has all of his things packed, "In either case, we should continue on, they were obviously running from something and I would much rather find them before whatever IT was."

[GreyWolfVT]

Bjorn "Aww come on now Andy let me push the one that says m u t e (mutay) sounds like a fun one." he realizes he's had a bit of his child like whimsy slip out again "Lets keep moving on I agree. I was hopin' to check the last two doors here. After that I dunno what we need ta do. Other than find that blasted elusive staff."

[tkrexx]

Hold one moment, Flint seems to be having more fun than he has since entering the Palace, his interest piqued by one thing after another regarding Ianin's astral adventure. Your wounds... Where are your wounds??

[tkrexx]

Honnilee is getting frustrated as the others discuss plans and theories. Ooooooh, I'd hate to leave my original sword behind, I'd just hate that! She is heard quietly muttering, reminding all that Halflings tend to have short attention spans.

[Grognardsw]

Flint takes note of Ianin's healed wounds. Apparently the hookah's transmigration of spiritual body also healed the physical body. The illusionist notes there is no more herbs to burn in the hookah. Honnilee the hobbit wraps her sword in cloth as a make-to scabbard.

The Fellowship of Law exits the Art Emporium and takes the tower stairway down to the entrance to the second floor of the Palace. They again see the wide, ornate hallway going west...


... and the ruined lounge room to the south with its dragon statued dried fountain; and the two chambers to the north where fierce combat with the weird giants occured. The hallway continues west for 30', turns north, while continuing west also.

[GreyWolfVT]

Bjorn "Alright which way shall we go north or west?" he stops and scratches his beard "Me beard says north."

[MonkeyWrench]

Ianin, "Well, our goal being to reach the floor above us I would say which way has stairs leading up yes? Hah! But if we cannot tell which hallway leads us to these stairs I am fine with picking to continue on North until we no longer feel this to be the correct way.""

[AleBelly]

Raquinel feels a twinge in her back as she reprises the battle against the giants in her head. She shakes her head to dispel the memory and looks around at her comrades."I'm not one to argue with that mop hanging from Bjorn's cheeks. North it is!"

[Grognardsw]

Ianin, "Well, our goal being to reach the floor above us I would say which way has stairs leading up yes? Hah! But if we cannot tell which hallway leads us to these stairs I am fine with picking to continue on North until we no longer feel this to be the correct way.""

The party is on the second floor. You may recall that after exiting the Atrium into the tower, you went up the tower stairs and into the second floor, had the giant fight, then went back into the tower to explore that.

[AleBelly]

ooc: by the way, did Raquinel learn anything interesting by casting read magic and reading the magic runes on the back of the pictures? I didn't see an outcome from that action, so if she wasn't able to for some reason I'll add it back to spells she can cast today...