Quest #47 "The Eyes Have It"

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ethereal Marketplace
Zuhma’s Sewer Quest
Process Of Elimination

Andronichishche uses magic to detect for dangerous traps in the immediate room, finding no glowing auras revealing anything deadly nearby.

BJ wishes she could do that when she hears the telltale sound of a trip wire snap at her feet. "SHIT!" is all you hear her say before a massive ballista flies across the room in front of the door, hitting her so hard it takes her off her feet and pins her shapely body against the wooden door she just opened. By the sound of her grunt when it hit, she did not enjoy the experience.

Just before that happens, Maag enters the opposite room unseen, finding something he wasn't expecting. Besides locating a fourth unmoving golden skeletal statue inside, he also sees another one of those weird black holes on the wall with the door he just entered. Directly below the shiny black hole is a pile of what appears to be remains of some kind. Hovering above those remains is a large sized purple mass that really gets the thugs attention. This hovering purple blob floats in the air in front of the black hole, bobbing up and down as he watches it. In the far corner of the room, an extremely lifelike gargoyle is carved into the stone wall, across from another normal looking wooden door.

Actions?

IMG_4300.jpeg (38.13 KiB) Viewed 466 times

Alordan AC3 22/22 (Sword)
BJ
Torbath (M3) AC8 18/18 RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 1/1 (top of backpack) Comet AC:7 4/4
Aliendron AC10 17/17 (CL4) 1st: 5/5 2nd: 2/4 FT:30 (MU3) RM, CL, DM, 1st: 1/2 2nd: 0/1
Feanol (MU3) AC:10 14/14 RM, CL, DM 4/4 1st 2/2 2nd
Theo AC:5 13/13 (Sword)
Maag AC4 20/20 Invisible

[jemmus]

Theo hears the cry of "Shit!" and the terrible thud and crack of a powerful projectile piercing flesh and wood. He turns and runs in lope (not a noisy full run, because that isn't the way of a ranger) toward BJ's door. He sees that its wood is splintered on this side with large iron spearhead protruding. He steps around it and looks to see if the master thief yet lives.

Alive or not, Theo will remove BJ from the door and move her into the corridor near Andron and Alordan.

[gurusql]

Torbath

Torbath will help Theo get BJ free.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


"All is clear in this area, I don't see any ..." His voice is interrupted by the BJ's exclamation and subsequent impalement. As Torbath and Theo rush to help her, Andron moves to the other open doorway to quickly scan that room for traps. If he finds any, he will verbally alert Maag to their locations.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan keeps to the main room with sword ready.

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag doesn't want to be killed by black stuff, purple blobs and/or gargoyles. He decides to retreat. As he backs out, something nudges the mouse in the wheel in what passes for Maag's brain.

He moves over to Andron. "Der is a flyin' purple fing lookin' into a black 'ole in dat room. Just floatin' der, like it is starin' at it."

"It makes me fink of dat black 'ole on der island wiv der minotaurs an' der cats. Dat messed people up too. Do yer reckon dat it is der same fing?"

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ethereal Marketplace
Zuhma’s Sewer Quest
Process Of Elimination

Adron moves into the doorway of the room Maag is searching alone, seeing the same thing the Half-Orc initially found inside. The only glow he receives from his magical vision is on the handle of the far door. No other portion of the room appears to be trapped in any way. As they talk, the purple blob floating over the remains at the base of the filmy black hole slowly turns towards them. A human sized arm extends from the blob before disappearing back inside it once again. Then a human sized face appears within the blob, and then another. A raspy noise rises out from the thing as it slowly floats across the room, but it sounds like several voices all talking over each other at the same time, making the words themselves incomprehensible. It does not appear to be related to the black anomaly in the wall, nor does that anomaly remind you of anything you remember from back on Big Shiny Island.

Theo and Torbath skillfully rush to the aid of the impaled BJ, who seems to be still breathing despite the spear sized missile currently sticking her to the door. She slowly pulls a dagger from her belt and places its leather wrapped handle into her mouth to bite down upon, motioning for the others to pull her from the stuck projectile. The pain from her removal appears to be too much for her as she topples to the floor once the spear is fully dislodged again, blood literally pouring out from her wounds. The noise made from this rescue is enough to trigger another encounter when a timid male voice sounds out from the dark room beyond the iron bars in the back wall. "Hell......hello? Is there....someone there? Can you.......can you help me please?"

Feanol enters the room to discover a disheveled elven prisoner behind these bars looking rather haggard and frightened.

Actions?
X=Golden Skeleton
G=Gargoyle Statue

IMG_4300.jpeg (39.27 KiB) Viewed 356 times

Alordan AC3 22/22 (Sword)
BJ
Torbath (M3) AC8 18/18 RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 1/1 (top of backpack) Comet AC:7 4/4
Aliendron AC10 17/17 (CL4) 1st: 5/5 2nd: 2/4 FT:29 (MU3) RM, CL, DM, 1st: 1/2 2nd: 0/1
Feanol (MU3) AC:10 14/14 RM, CL, DM 4/4 1st 2/2 2nd
Theo AC:5 13/13 (Sword)
Maag AC4 20/20 Invisible

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


While Maag approaches and announces his discoveries, Andron is transfixed by the referenced purple mass now closing on them, "Indeed, Mr. Maag. I suggest we retreat and close the door, first!" He darts back into the main room to assess BJ's injury, now that she was unpinned from the door.

Casts Cure Light Wounds.

Cure Light Wounds: [1d8]=7

[gurusql]

Torbath

With Andron healing BJ, Torbath will get out of the way and watch the main hallway for a change (like a golden statue moving or something happening with the slit.)

[jemmus]

Theo gets out of the way of Andron's inspection of BJ and his care of her wound. He moves to beside the slit in the floor and the piled rubble and pans his glowing bastard sword around to light things up. There's no time to dig throw the rubble, but he looks above to see what might have collapsed and what's beyond.

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag slips out of the room, closing the door behind him. He slips around the curved wall to the right and waits, unseen.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ethereal Marketplace
Zuhma’s Sewer Quest
Process Of Elimination

Torbath and Theo move away from the injured BJ, allowing Andron to heal her back to consciousness again since being removed from the shaft.

The pair watching the main hallway now sees no movement form the golden statues, the slit in the floor, or their comrade Alordan.

BJ takes a moment to catch her breath again, glad for the healing powers of her new accomplices.

Moving over to the piled rubble from the ceiling cave-in, Theo spots two items of interest. The first is obvious remains, mostly just bones, laying on the floor strewn within the stone rubble. Aiming his light at the caved-in ceiling, he then spots three places where more of that weird black substance is showing through the stone construction. It looks just like the black sheen you found making up the weird round portals you have seen so far, but there is no indication of another circular portal in this area.

Feanol simply walks up to the bars in the wall where the male elf is obviously imprisoned. "I apologize for the rudeness of my companions who prefer to ignore your cries for help. May I ask who you are you and how is it you come to be trapped in this strange place?"

The imprisoned elf begins to answer from behind his iron bars, speaking softly enough for only his kin to hear. He appears to be directing Feanol towards the mirror hanging on the wall next to his cell door.

Actions?
X=Golden Skeleton
G=Gargoyle Statue

IMG_4300.jpeg (41.06 KiB) Viewed 285 times

Alordan AC3 22/22 (Sword)
BJ
Torbath (M3) AC8 18/18 RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 1/1 (top of backpack) Comet AC:7 4/4
Aliendron AC10 17/17 (CL4) 1st: 4/5 2nd: 2/4 FT:28 (MU3) RM, CL, DM, 1st: 1/2 2nd: 0/1
Feanol (MU3) AC:10 14/14 RM, CL, DM 4/4 1st 2/2 2nd
Theo AC:5 13/13 (Sword)
Maag AC4 20/20 Invisible

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


"Rest here a moment, catch your breath," He says to BJ.

He the moves to join Feanol by the cell, motioning for her to stay where she is. "Let us not get ahead of ourselves, here." To the imprisoned elf, "Now, who do we have here, and what do you know of this place?"

[gurusql]

Torbath

Torbath will continue to watch for movement or another reaction of the space.

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag maintains a watch on the doorway he just exited.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan seeing no immediate threat and no desire to stick anything in the slot on the floor at the moment moves east to check out the golden statue more closely.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ethereal Marketplace
Zuhma’s Sewer Quest
Process Of Elimination

Alordan moves to the armed golden colored statue of the skeletal figure dressed in heavy armor. It doesn't move or react to his visual scrutiny, but the Ranger believes these "statues" would make difficult adversaries if they were to ever animate and attack.

golden statues.jpg (36.8 KiB) Viewed 222 times

Andron moves to the side of Feanol, motioning for her to stay put but watching as she steps to the side. The elf behind the iron bars appears both disheveled and desperate. Dressed in the gear of an adventurer, he has long blonde hair and the fair features of his kinfolk. He nods at the strange looking Priest of Rao before responding. "I am Elroie, of the Woodland Realm. My friends and I entered this dungeon by accessing the upper level and were soon attacked by black tentacles protruding from those round portals." He points to the wall opposite his cage door. "I was pulled into one of them and ended up trapped inside here. I have not seen my friends or anyone else since, and I believe it has been several days or even weeks since this happened to me. Can you try to aid me in escaping this prison?"

Feanol looks into the mirror next to the iron bars and her eyes eventually widen. She snaps her fingers twice towards Andron before pointing towards the surface of the glass.

Actions?
X=Golden Skeleton
G=Gargoyle Statue

IMG_4300.jpeg (41.15 KiB) Viewed 222 times

Alordan AC3 22/22 (Sword)
BJ
Torbath (M3) AC8 18/18 RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 1/1 (top of backpack) Comet AC:7 4/4
Aliendron AC10 17/17 (CL4) 1st: 4/5 2nd: 2/4 FT:27 (MU3) RM, CL, DM, 1st: 1/2 2nd: 0/1
Feanol (MU3) AC:10 14/14 RM, CL, DM 4/4 1st 2/2 2nd
Theo AC:5 13/13 (Sword)
Maag AC4 20/20 Invisible

[Quonundrum]

Are there any lit torches in this room?

[OGRE MAGE]

Are there any lit torches in this room?

2 of them, actually.

One a few feet away on the same wall as the iron bars, and another down in the corner opposite the ballista.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


Andron appears thoughtful as he listens to the prisoner's woeful tale. "Several days or even weeks?" He intones this almost to himself as he glances around at the burning torches nearby. "Yes, we will certainly help you if we can, but we need more information."

"The torches must have been lit recently, yet you have not seen anyone else? I assume you were provided with food and water somehow?"

"We also encountered a black portal, but it was rather inert. Do you recall what actions you took before the tentacles attacked?"

Feanol's finger snaps and the look of her eyes distracts him from the conversation and he moves to examine the mirror.