## page was renamed from Cauldron5
= Cauldron, Part 5 =
11/21/07
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11/21/07

* You are at Ghelve's Locks. A small turret dominates the front of this two-story black stone building. Iron bars are embedded in the thick window frames. Beyond the turret's groundfloor windows sits a lovely display of locks, from large to small, simple to complex. To the left of the turret, above a heavy oak door, swings a simple sign that reads "GHELVE'S LOCKS"

Tillandor glances at the moon for time of night.

Ethkin effectively suddenly feels some scales fall from his eyes...

* A sliver of the moon peeks low over the Bluecrater Academy.  

Calico sits and meditates under the general area of the planned entry while plans are finalized.

Jiona stands outside the building, looking over the exerior of the second floor to determine the best location to create a hole that won't cause the building to collapse, such as through a supporting structure.

Ethkin still worries that we're about to commit a crime, but consoles himself that this would be a lesser evil...

DM pages, "Looks like perhaps somewhere along the back wall would be best." to you.

Tillandor glances up and down the street from his position near Jiona, looking as suspicious as it is possible to look.

Rayne has connected.

* The street is empty as it is getting later in the evening, and this street is not a main one.

Rayne looks at Jiona and asks, "Did you find what you were looking for?"

DM says, "Move to the map of Ghelve's, please."

Jiona shakes her head to Rayne at first, still investigating the building.  As she checks, she circles around to the back side, and finally nods to herself with a satisfied expression.  "This will do.  If we still want to make the entrance on the second story, though, we'll have to climb up there, unless I do something even more obvious."

Calico says, "first floor entry works."

Rayne thinks for a moment, scratching the stubble on his chin.

Rayne says, "I don't think we have to start on the 2nd floor. There was a stairs if I remember correctly."

Jiona nods to Rayne, "There were.  I can even take a peek inside before creating the hole, if we think that'd be useful."

Ethkin sits and meditates, trying to expand his senses...

Rayne says, "I think that would be helpful. I would rather not jump right in to find myself on the wrong end of a spear."

Ethkin feels he's on the verge of, something more...

Tillandor says, "I can get us to the second floor, if necessary."

Calico says, "I'd prefer to get there on my own power."

Tillandor says, "Ok."

Rayne nods his head towards the wall and tells Jiona, "Go for it."

Calico says, "besides, wind would tend to disipate my fog."

Tillandor asks, "Wind?"

Tillandor says, "Oh, you misunderstand.  No wind would be involved."

Calico asks, "you got some other way?"

Rayne shares a puzzled glance split between Tillandor and Calico.

Tillandor says, "Just some stairs I could cook up."

Jiona nods to Rayne, and then to Tillandor.  "I'll look first, then."  She moves up right against the building, putting a hand against the best spot of the wall on the first floor, and stares at it with a look of intense concentration.

Jiona steps back after a moment.  "Looks clear," she informs everyone.  "One entrance, coming right up.... oh.  Can we all squeeze through a small hole, or should I make a larger one?"

Calico asks, "you want that cover we discussed?"

Ethkin exclaims, "Waaaait a minnit!"

Tillandor says, "Perhaps if we just enter single-file."

* A voice down the street shouts, "Who's there?"

Tillandor looks about with wide eyes.

Calico looks, prepared to cast Obscuring Mist.

Rayne pulls himself to the wall and huddles against it attempting to hide.

DM arranges characters as he expects them to be standing?

Tillandor shrinks back against the wall too.

Ethkin stays seated and pretends to be asleep...

Jiona's ears perk towards the sound, and her tail bushes about a little at the unexpected call.  Like Rayne, she also attempts to conceal herself against the shadows, and in a carrying whisper, invites Calico to cast the spell right now.

Rayne is adjusted although isn't sure where the street is in proximity to where he is.

Calico casts Obscuring Mist.

Rayne listens carefully.

* Mists seem to seep up from the ground, quickly covering the area.

Ethkin senses water in the air, out of thin air.

* The mist spills out of the alley between the buildings into the street.  Footsteps come closer, and you hear a voice, "Hello?  Anyone there?"

Tillandor grips his dagger hilt, still sheathed, in one hand, and fishes in a belt pouch with the other.

Calico suggests to Jiona, "better do it quick, the mist won't last long."

- When the mists provide some added cover, Jiona quickly works her effect, creating an entrance that is comfortably wide, but requires crawling through to enter, and she gestures for people to start going through, since her companions should be close enough to see the gesture.

* There is the sound of a window sliding open.

Keygan says, "Hello?  Who's shouting?  I'm trying to sleep up here."

Tillandor glances up, eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Ethkin silent'y 'oh-crap's...

Rayne taps Jiona on the arm nodding upwards and giving her a raised eyebrow.

Calico pokes her head through the hole.

Rayne taps his nose.

* A voice in the street says, "Sorry, I thought I heard shouting over here.  Sorry to bother you Keygan.

Tillandor blinks.  "Keygan?"

Keygan says, "Sure sure.  Just keep it down.  I'm not the only one trying to sleep."

Tillandor OOCly says, "Sorry, wouldn't say that.  Being quiet now."

* The voice of Keygan drifts your direction from somewhere in the front of Keygan's shop.

Jiona starts to go through the hole, but pauses at Rayne's touch.  Quickly interpreting his message, she sniffs the air when Keygan opens the window, trying to determine if that familiar scent is still there.

Calico sniffs, looks, and listens.

Ethkin hears Jiona sniff, and quietly siiiighs...

DM whoopses, noting he used Keygan's last name during the last game.  The gnome who owns this shop is named Keygan Ghelve.

* The voice in the street says, "Goodnight, then."

Ghelve says, "Goodnight.  Glad to know the guard is there... I just don't want to hear them."

Rayne makes motions for the others to quietly go through.

* You hear four or five men walking off down the street.  The window shuts.

Calico slips in.

Tillandor queues up behind Calico.

* Through the hole in the wall, you can hear Keygan shuffling about.

Rayne positions himself to go last.

Calico tries to hide in a corner.

Jiona looks over at Ethkin sighing, and looks puzzled, but doesn't dare ask him what it is about, since she can still hear the owner moving about inside, thanks to those guards.  She follows through the opening after Tillandor.

* DM scoots us over to the Right a bit on the map.

Rayne huddles somewhat with Ethkin trying to whisper quietly and inclining his head to listen.

Jiona stops again on the other side of the wall, and waits patiently for everyone to make it through.

* Inside Ghelve's shop is very dark.  A little moonlight filters in through the hole you just came through and the windows on the upper floor here.  This room's ceiling is 20 feet up.

DM puts in blue what those with low light vision can see...

Jiona says, "Nice."

Rayne says, "Excellent."

Tillandor says, "Sweet."

Rayne whispers to the group, "I wonder what was behind that black curtain?"

DM to Calico and Jiona: You both can smell that strange creature here somewhere... it's been in this room... very recently.

Calico gazes up the stairs, and listens for movement.

Ethkin is still patiently waiting for the DM to tell him how much his 'vision' has improved with his leveling up...

Rayne prods Ethkin forward towards the hole.

* A gentle snore can be heard up the stairs.  There is a slight creak.

Ethkin is meanwhile nervous about 'breaking and entering', and that we stil don't know what 'it' is...

Tillandor creeps toward the curtain, and peeks.

Rayne guides Ethkin towards the hole saying in a small whisper, "Come now, we can't very well leave you outside."

Ethkin says, "Sure you can. I'll, um, guard out door..."

Jiona pokes her head back around the corner of the hole, wondering what the delay is.  "Hurry up!  I'm going to close it up after us."

Rayne says, "With your grand vision to give us warning? Come now - we don't have all day."

Tillandor returns to the group and whispers, "Just the window display behind the curtain."

Calico creaps towards the stairs.

Rayne takes Ethkins hands and leads him forwards with a little umph, placing his hands against the wall right around the hole's edge.

* A shadowy creature leaps down the stairs at Calico, but she dodges out of the way and the creature tumbles to the floor.

DM says, "Purple cube = Creature."

Tillandor leaps backward with a not-very-quiet startled yelp.

DM says, "Roll initiative."

* Calico rolls 1f20+dex: 5,5 = 10.

* Tillandor rolls 1f20+2: 16,2 = 18.

* Rayne rolls 1f20+3: 3,3 = 6.

* Jiona rolls 1f20+3: 18,3 = 21.

Rayne's jaw drops open in surprise and lets go of Ethkin's hands.

* Ethkin rolls 1f20+3: 13,3 = 16.

DM says, "Jiona, go"

DM awaits Jiona.

Jiona looks back around at the sound of commotion, and spots the creature.  She also seems to recognize it, by the change of her expression and posture.  Drawing her spear, she takes a five foot step back and attempts to attack it since it is almost right next to her.

DM says, "Roll to hit."

* Jiona rolls 1f20+3: 7,3 = 10.

DM asks, "Miss.  Tillandor?"

* Jiona stabs at the creature with her spear, but it seems to contort it's limbs out of the way just in time.

* Tillandor rolls 1f20+4+4: 6,4,4 = 14.

Tillandor makes some gestures, but nothing noticable happens.

DM says, "Ethkin, your turn."

Ethkin focuses, and dips into a newly discovered resovoir of power, and 'thrusts' it at the 'whatever'.

* The creature looks dazed for a moment, the shakes it off and looks in the direction of Ethkin (who is outside and out of line of sight... odd)

Calico draws her dagger, backs a couple steps up the stairs, and throws.

* Calico rolls 1f20+dex+1+1: 19,5,1,1 = 26.

* Calico rolls 1d3: 2.

* Calico's dagger hits very true, hitting the creature directly between the shoulder blades.

* Calico rolls 1f20+dex+1+1: 13,5,1,1 = 20.

DM says, "Nice backing."

DM says, "Four damage.  =p"

* The creature whips around and leaps towards Calico swinging a long thin blade.

* Calico manages to slip aside, letting the creature charge by.

Rayne with one hand reaches back and places his hand on the handle. He narrows his shoulders and dives through the opening hearing the beginnings of combat. As he comes out the other side, he places a hand on Jiona's shoulder, bracing himself slightly to balance himself and heaves himself into the room. Drawing his sword free he rushes at the creature, legs assuming the same stance the party saw when they first encountered Rayne the night before. Rayne swings with all his might.

* Rayne rolls 1f20+2: 13,2 = 15.

* Rayne rolls 2d6+3: 4,2,3 = 9.

* Rayne cleaves lunges towards the creature with his massive blade in one hand.  His weapon strikes well, splitting it against the stairs, not even giving the creature a dying gasp.  Its broken body tumbles down to the floor.

Ethkin woots quietly outside.

Calico retrieves her dagger.

Tillandor says, "Uh oh."

* Suddenly the room is filled with light.  Keygan Ghelve stands at the top of the stairs with a lantern in one hand, and a small sword in the other.  He is notably shorter.  He looks down at the group in total horror.

Tillandor shuffles his feet.

Ghelve says, "What.... in the world?  You..."

Ghelve looks down at the dead creature.

Jiona blinks a little as the light suddenly washes away the darkness her eyes had been adjusted to, and... only looks at Ghelve, not quite sure what to say.

* The creature wears form-fitting black clothes, is about Medium sized... its skin is the color of the stone floor beneath it.

Calico pushes at the creature with her foot, "a pet of yours?"

Ghelve blinks with surprise, "No... not at all... I mean..."

Ghelve's face slowly brightens with realization.

Calico attempts to read Ghelves body language.

Ghelve says, "You... you must be..."

Ghelve appears somewhat befuddled.

Ethkin feels his way to the hole, and fumbles his way in...

Ghelve says, "Thank you so much... I ... I must pay you."

Tillandor blurts, "What??"

Rayne looks as befuddled as Ghelve.

Ghelve asks, "But... how did you get in?"

Calico is unconvinced Ghelve is being honest.

Rayne leans towards Jiona and whispers something.

Tillandor frowns at Ghelve.

Rayne whispers, "Do you know what that thing is?" to you.

Ghelve's face turns to horror again... "But... my familiar... they'll kill him now."

Tillandor asks, "Your familiar?"

Ghelve says, "They've got him captive... they said they'd kill him..."

Ghelve says, "You must save him... he's..."

Ghelve's face clouds with despair.

Jiona to DM: Is that creature anything Jiona recognizes?

Ghelve says, "You must understand... I..."

DM to Jiona: Not at all.  Doesn't look natural.

Ghelve spreads his hands wide and begins weeping... "Those children... all those people..."

Calico walks over to the chests in the middle of the room, and kicks one.

Ghelve says, "It's my fault... but they'd kill poor Skizzers if I didn't help them."

Rayne says, "You must tell us everything. Starting now. We can't help you if you don't help us."

Jiona puts her spear away, glancing at the creature, and shaking her head to Rayne.  Then, moving a bit over to Ghelve, she suggests kindly, and in as a reassuring voice as she can pull off, "Perhaps you'd better tell us everything."

Tillandor says, "You'd better start explaining.  And explain well."

Ethkin asks, "But would the Town magistrates believe the noses of some talking animals, er no offence, and the senses of a blind man?"

* The wood is very solid and the chest appears to be locked or closed.

Rayne says, "They would believe me."

Ghelve says, "These creatures... they came up through my basement, held me against my will, took my familiar and said they'd kill him if I didn't do what they wanted."

Ethkin ohs...

Ghelve says, "And they've been keeping guard over me ever since... I'm sure they'll kill both him and me now that ..."

Calico says, "show us this basement."

Ghelve says, "It... it's a secret door... it leads to Jzadirune."

Rayne nods slowly.

Tillandor asks, "You expect us to believe that?"

Ghelve says, "That's where they live.  They come up and kidnap people..."

Ghelve says, "You have to... I need your help."

Jiona says softly, "If all is as you say, then we may yet help you.  We are on the trail of the missing, which led us here."

Rayne looks like he was about to say something, then snaps his mouth shut.

Rayne turns away from Ghelve and walks over to examine the body.

Calico kicks the next chest.

Ghelve nods, "This is where they've been coming from."

Ghelve looks over at Calico, "What... are you doing?"

* Rayne rolls 1f20+4: 7,4 = 11.

Ghelve rushes down the stairs to Calico, "Those are my spare locks"

Tillandor asks, "Why do you have a familiar?"

Ghelve shrugs, "I was getting tired of locksmithing, started dabbling in sorcery.  I took a few night classes at the academy."

Rayne seems to be pondering Ghelve's words.

Jiona moves back down the stairs to the rest of the group, and almost absentmindedly seals up the entrance they made into this room.  She, too, appears to be thinking heavily upon what Ghelve has said.

Tillandor says, "Ah, part of their 'weekend adventurer' series.  Weekend sorceror, weekend wizard, weekend warrior..."

Ghelve does a little gesture and a spinning glowy ball appears above his hand, "I'm not terribly good at it, but I am learning."

Calico glances between Ghelve and the elementalists.

Ethkin starts yelling, "HEY! WAIT!"

Ghelve failed his spot check real bad.

Jiona did realize that Ethkin was in the way just in time, and gestures for him to come into the room, already.

Ghelve looks over as Ethkin shouts, seeing the hole in the wall.

Ghelve says, "What the..."

Ethkin crawls in...

Ghelve asks, "You blew a hole in my wall?"

Tillandor says, "Don't look at me."

Rayne says, "Not exactly."

Rayne turns to face Ghelve.

Ethkin asks, "Did you hear any detonation?"

Jiona shows Ghelve a quick smile, and then gestures, once Ethkin is safely inside.  The wall seals itself back up instantly.

Ghelve asks, "Do you know how much that will cost to fix...?"

Ghelve blinks.

Ghelve asks, "It was an illusion?"

Tillandor says, "A good one."

Ghelve goes over to check.

Ghelve shoves Ethkin out of the way and feels the wall.

Jiona only smiles mysteriously, declining to point out exactly how it was done.

Rayne chuckles inwardly while attempting to maintain an impassive face.

Ghelve falls down on his rump, looking quite overwhelmed.

Ethkin says, "Ack! Oof.."

Ghelve scratches his head and turns around, "So... ummm... why exactly are you here?"

Ghelve says, "I mean, this is MY home... and you just... appeared in my house."

Ethkin points to the coarps.

Rayne says stone faced, "Missing people."

Ghelve says, "Oh, that."

Jiona does tell Ghelve, "Aside from the necessity of following the trail into your building, we were avoiding doing any permanent harm to your establishment."

Calico cryptically quotes, "the locks are the key."

Ghelve looks over and grimaces at the bloody stairs, "Well, the stairs will need a good cleaning."

Ethkin fails to hid a 'oh yeah' grin.

Rayne suddenly smacks his hand against his forehead, realizing the double entendre.

Ghelve asks, "The locks are the... what?"

Rayne looks at Ghelve and says, "You are going to show us the way to these... kidnappers."

Ghelve says, "But we're wasting time... any minute now, that... creature's... replacement will come and then go and alert his friends..."

Ghelve says, "Yes, yes..."

Rayne asks, "Where? Where does it come in?"

Ghelve says, "It's quite clever, really.  My grandfather built it..."

Rayne holds his sword menacingly.

Tillandor looks around, a little startled.  "There's more of them?"

Ghelve asks, "Yes, of course.  You think I'd be afraid of just one of those things?"

Ghelve says, "There's... many of them.  No idea how many, really."

Tillandor asks, "You wouldn't be?"

Ghelve says, "Tall ones and short ones."

Rayne exclaims, "How many are coming and where do they come in? Quickly!"

Calico asks, "anyone know how to set a trap?"

Ghelve says, "Well no.  I could take that one perhaps, but... If I did?  More would come and before long I'd be overwhelmed."

Ghelve says, "They come one at a time, they take shifts watching guard over me."

Rayne looks slightly frustrated that Ghelve has not answered him.

Ghelve gestures at the stair, "The door is here."

Jiona tilts her head, remembering something.  "Say... you seem shorter than when I first saw you."

Rayne nods, he had been thinking the same.

Tillandor grips his staff in white-knuckled fists.

Ethkin sends his senses outwards...

Rayne says, "Ghelve - where do they come in. We need to know RIGHT NOW."

Ghelve pokes a knot with a stubby thumb.  With a loud squeal, it pushes open to reveal a 10 foot square landing at the top of a stone staircase leading down into the darkness.

Ghelve says, "Oh... well.  Parlor trick really."

Ghelve looks somewhat embarassed.

Ghelve says, "I don't like customers looking down on me."

Ethkin grins, "I'd never look down on anyone."

Ghelve gestures in the corner (marked with an X), "See those stilts?"

Ghelve says, "I've got a few long pants."

Rayne Rayne seems to stop, realization slowly creeping on his face.

Calico looks down the newly exposed staircase.

Jiona conceals a brief bark of laughter at Ethkin's comment with a cough.

Ghelve says, "Oh, take care in Jzadirune."

Ghelve asks, "You ever hear of the Vanishing?"

Rayne whispers, "Does that creature have the smell of the one who was in the Orphanage?" to you and DM.

Jiona can't hide her smile as Ghelve reveals the nature of his trick.  "I see."

DM pages, "Yes it does." to you.

Tillandor says, "We have."

You whisper, "Definitely.  Although I couldn't tell you certainly if it was the same exact one.  But yes, the same type of creature." to Rayne and DM.

Ghelve nods, "Well I don't know if it is still there lingering... but... it's not a good thing.  Wiped out the entire city of Jzadirune, they say."

Jiona wonders, "How does your building come to have a hidden entrance to such a dangerous place?"

Rayne puts his sword back in its holster and folds his arms across his chest.

Calico asks, "Rayne, you want to run and get the city guard?"

Rayne says, "Not particularly."

Ghelve asks, "What?  Why?"

Ghelve looks shocked.

Ethkin asks, "Perhaps they could help?"

Rayne shakes his head and says, "I think it would be more trouble than its worth. Ghelve, I want you to come with us."

Calico asks, "I presume there's a button below to open and close this staircase?"

Ghelve shakes his head, "There's no way I'm going down there."

Ghelve says, "But I can help..."

- Still waiting for a response to her query towards Ghelve, Jiona gives Rayne a skeptical look at his request.

Ghelve says, "Well, my grandfather built this house... he was the last of Jzadirune... Managed somehow to not get tainted."

Rayne says, "If you stay here and another of those comes while we are down there - how are you going to explain the body?" and points at the corpse.

Ghelve says, "He built this house to prevent anyone from going down there.  But he also went down every once in a while to get things he forgot to bring back."

Ethkin asks, "Could someone tell me what it even *is*?"

Ghelve says, "I'm not staying here.  I'm going to the Inn for now."

Rayne asks, "No.... no I don't think so. You want your familiar rescued?"

Jiona tilts her head again, tapping her chin with a finger.  "So you, yourself, are a descendant of the Jzadirune?  Hmm."

Tillandor asks, "Did your grandfather ever describe these creatures to you?"

Tillandor asks, "What do they have to do with Jzadirune?"

Ghelve shakes his head, "The only people who Vanished were gnomes."

Calico recalls the thugs from the other night, "these creatures have other allies."

Ghelve says, "I'm a gnome.  I'm not going down there."

Ghelve says, "These things seem to be fine, I..."

Rayne says, "Your grandfather went down there and he didn't vanish."

Ghelve says, "He did.  Eventually.  I guess curiousity got the best of him."

Rayne says, "Besides, it really will be much safer with us. Trust me." and scowls.

Rayne's hand strays towards his sword.

* DM catches up reading...

* Rayne rolls 1f20+7: -10,7 = -3.

Ghelve says, "You're all insane..."

Ghelve runs out into behind the red curtain to the front of the shop.

Ethkin nods proudly, "Yup!"

Calico chases after, flinging asside the curtain.

* You hear the front door slam shut.

Rayne advances slowly on Ghelve saying, "You helped dozens of people go missing. You kept it a secret. Chidlren are down there. Your familiar is down there. You..."

* You hear outside, Ghelve shouting, "Guards!  Guards!"

Rayne says, "Down the hole... now."

Calico stops he persuit, expecting trouble if she goes alone.

Ethkin scowls!!!

Rayne says, "Let him explain the corpse."

Rayne says, "And the passageway."

Calico dashes down the hole.

Jiona watches Ghelve run off, with Calico quickly behind, but doesn't react quickly enough to chase.  Furthermore, she hears his call, and knows they now have bigger problems.  Nodding to the others, she suggests, "Downstairs.  I can block the entrance behind us."

Tillandor follows.

Tillandor says, "Ooh, blocking would be good."

Rayne looks around the room frantically.

DM says, "The SSS is the secret door."

Jiona also goes a short distance down the stone steps, and waits for the others to make it through, but waves for everyone still outside to hurry.

Calico waits at the botton of the stone steps, adjusting to the dim light.

Rayne looks on the inside for a lever or something to open the door once everyone is through.

Ethkin starts forward, and trips on the first chest..

Ethkin exclaims, "Ouch!"

* Black curtains partially obscure a window niche facing the street. The room itself is tidy, but lived in. Carpets cover the stone floor.

DM belatedly describes the room.

DM says, "gah, ah well.  Should have done it sooner."

Rayne picks up the legs of the corpse and drags it to just outside the opening of the secret passageway, then goes inside.

Jiona hears the thump, and pokes her head out to see Ethkin, tripped over the chest.  Shaking her head at herself, she dashes over to him, and attempts to lead him into the stairway.

Ethkin says, "Thank you."

DM says, "Everyone move to Calico's character."

DM can transport them all, if you like.

Tillandor says, "Everyone open the object manager, click on calico, and hit the 'scroll to' button."

Tillandor says, "Then select your own avatar and hit 'grab'"

DM says, "Already done."

Tillandor says, "Oh, ok."

DM says, "I moved the avatars."

Ethkin doesn't see Calico, no really!

DM says, "Just do the scroll to part."

Rayne had a slightly hard time finding it.

Tillandor says, "'Scroll to' would have helped."

DM says, "In the object browser, make sure you are on the 'Actions' tab.  Select your character in the object browser and hit the Scroll To button."

Ethkin found the new map.

DM says, "Again, Blue designates anyone with exceptional vision."

Rayne says, "I found it - but that would have been nice to know earlier."

Tillandor slinks down a few steps, pressed against the wall.

You page, "What's the height and width of the stairway passage?" to DM.

DM says, "Dark brown = Wall.  There are tiles designating 5x5 spaces."

Calico, dagger in hand, sneaks down the other wall.

DM describes:

Jiona still gestures for the others to follow, so she can seal up the passageway and block further pursuit.

Rayne lays his hand on Jiona and shakes his head.

* A stone staircase, its steps shrouded in cobwebs and dust, decends twenty steps to a 10' square landing that then bends to the right and plunges into darkness.

Rayne says, "I want it open."

Rayne says, "Let him explain the corpse and the opening."

* The stair is barely lit by the moonlight creeping into Ghelve's home.

Jiona gives Rayne a doubtful look.  "And what's to stop them from following?"

Rayne says, "I doubt they will chase us."

Ethkin nods with Rayne, feeling betrayed...

Calico rummages through her pack for a candle and flint & steel.

Rayne asks, "Do you have pen and parchment perchance?"

Ghelve says to the Guards, "It must have come up through this passage.  I had no idea it was there, my grandfather must have built it.  Anyway, I managed to kill it... but I wanted to bring you here just in case more had come up.  I'll have to lock it down, I suppose."

DM Grins.

Jiona says skeptically, "I'm not sure I want to pin our safety on a doubt, but... you do know the guards of this town better than I do."

DM says, "That's what *I* would say, anyhow..."

Tillandor says to Jiona, "If you can make a ball of ice, I can light the way."

Rayne asks, "And if I showed evidence of my slaying the creature?"

Rayne asks, "Jiona - Parchment?"

Rayne whoopses

Rayne meant first sentence to be page to dm...

Jiona looks up again at Rayne, having been thinking over Tillandor's request, and shakes her head.  "I'm afraid not.  I don't really carry much with me."

Tillandor glances askance at Rayne.  "What do you want it for?"

Calico checks her pack, but not being that kind of cleric, has only chalk to write with.

Rayne says, "I need to write something, fast."

Tillandor says, "Well my vote is for Jiona to seal the opening."

Rayne asks, "Now or never - please let me use it?"

Calico hands Rayne her chalk.

Rayne grabs the chalk enthusiastically and writes on the floor.

Rayne spells Ghelve lies. Missing children <---- (pointing at the secret passageway)

DM draws the arrow on the map as a reminder.

Tillandor says, "What the heck."

Jiona isn't paying much attention to Rayne, thinking again.  "Yeah... I can do that, Tillandor."

Tillandor says, "Ah."

Rayne runs towards the party and into the opening.

Rayne lets make haste - and don't seal it please.

Rayne whoopses again.

Rayne says, "Let's Make haste - and don't seal it please."

Rayne runs down the corridor.

Ethkin remembers Jiona was guiding him...

Jiona leads Ethkin along.  "How big is a ball?" she asks Tillandor.  To Rayne, she still looks skeptical, not having seen what he wrote, but nods.  "...All right.  Bear in mind I might not be able to block the passageway behind us later so easily."

Rayne says, "If anything we might need you to open it."

Tillandor holds up his fist.  "About this size."

DM asks, "Any chance we can make those name bubbles slightly transparent?"

DM ahs, seeing Tillandor's.

Tillandor says, "Discussion in the other muck window."

Calico looks around the corner into the darkness.

Jiona nods to Tillandor, and concentrates for a moment, holding out her hand.  A small sphere of ice solidifies apparently out of nothingness, and stops when it reaches approximately fist-sized.  She hands that over to him, then resumes heading down.

Rayne chuckles inwardly.

* Tillandor rolls 1f20+4+4: 12,4,4 = 20.

- With a few hand motions and some pine needles, Tillandor produces bright light from the ball of ice.

Calico slips around the corner to where Tillander in again behind her.

DM describes:

Ethkin notices, for the the firsttime in his life, he can sorta 'see' the world!

Ethkin stops and lets go of Joina's paw...

* The stair descends another twenty steps before hitting another landing.  You can hear some odd echoes coming up the stairwell.

Ethkin says, "Whoah..."

Tillandor uhohs.

Calico mutters, "time to set an ambush."

Rayne holds his hand upright against his lips and says lightly, "Shh!"

* Listening for a moment, they sound like... birds?  Rustling leaves? ... and giggles.

Ethkin stops, and sends out his sensors...

Jiona makes sure to stay extra-quiet at Rayne's warning, and keeps her ears perked and her nose scenting.

* The landing itself is bare save for an empty iron torch sconce in the south wall.

Rayne moves against the wall, holding the hilt of his sword with his right hand. Inching along the wall he peeks around the corner.

Calico slips in behind Rayne.

Ethkin tries not to let his new 'vision' distract him. He senses forward trying to 'see' who giggled...

Jiona follows behind Rayne and Calico, next to Tillandor.

* Tillandor's light illuminates part of another stairway that leads down another 20 steps.

Ethkin asks Jiona, "Are you alright?"

Tillandor affixes the ball of ice to the end of his staff using a leather thong from his backpack, to prevent the heat from his hand from melting it faster.

Calico peaks around the corner.

Jiona gives Ethkin a curious glance, wondering what prompted that question.  "Yes," she answers quietly, some of her puzzlement in her tone of voice.  "We're just keeping quiet, since we can hear those noises."

Ethkin nods.

Jiona inquires, still quietly, "Do you want me to keep leading you, or can you safely follow?"

Rayne glances back at Jiona and Ethkin to see what she is referring to.

Ethkin says, "I, I think I'm ok. (wow...) Yeah."

* The staircase ends at a forty-foot-square room with a ten foot ceiling.  A slight draft blows into the room from a ten-foot-wide open passage in the far wall, directly across from the stairs.  

Rayne grunts and mutters, "The blind man can see better in the dark. Amazing..."

Jiona nods to Ethkin, not sure what he means, but it sounds good.  Then she moves to catch up with the rest of the group, tending to be near Tillandor.

DM says, "Here's my thinking... see the OOC room:"

Ethkin mutters to Rayne, "Actually, I still can't _see_ a damn thing, but I can, i dunno, sense things now..."

DM says, "Okay, everyone take a move action."

Rayne stops at the entrance to the room and looks around, wary of the sounds he heard earlier.

Tillandor stays behind the big man.

Calico stops short of entering the room and looks in.

* Two four-foot-diameter circular doors are set into the middle of the south wall.  Each door is made of wood and framed with a ring of mortared stones.  The westernmost door is closed and inscribed with a strange glyph.  The easternmost door bears a different glyph but rests half-open.  The half-open door reveals an iron rim of gearlike teeth, and dim light spills from the chamber beyond.  Mounted to the walls of this room are twelve tarnished copper masks.  The masks are two feet tall and cling four feet above the floor.  Each one depicts a smiling gnome's visage.  The soft giggling, chirping, and rustling noises seem to pour from the very walls.

Ethkin stops behind the big warrior, using him and the wall as a guide. He tries to sense for being other than his party.

DM says, "Okay, another move action."

DM says, "Feel free to move through other player's squares."

Calico steps in for a better look.

DM Watches the gameboard choke.

Rayne points and says, "Beware the door with teeth."

Ethkin higs the wall, fasinated but still not sure of this new ability. He wonders what his range is...

Jiona looks at the half-open door, and starts to echo Rayne until she realizes he's saying the same thing, just a bit ahead of her.

Ethkin *hugs* the wall...

Tillandor says, "Spellcraft:"

* Tillandor rolls 1f20+11: 9,11 = 20.

Tillandor says, "Know:arcana :"

* Tillandor rolls 1f20+9: 2,9 = 11.

Tillandor says, "Know:history:"

* Tillandor rolls 1f20+9: 5,9 = 14.

DM marks North on the map.

Calico tries spellcraft...

* Calico rolls 1f20+1: 2,1 = 3.

Tillandor brightens visibly, and says with a smile, "Ghost sound.  The sounds are just a simple spell, made permanent."

Tillandor says, "The gnomes do enjoy their ambiance."

Ethkin says, "I don't believe in ghosts. I've never seen one."

Jiona looks around in fascination, her ears rapidly moving at the sounds of noises coming from everywhere without a visible source.  She then looks at Tillandor, and grins at his explanation.  "Oh, I see."

Rayne had started to look intently at the masks, but then stops pending Tillandor's explanation.

Rayne asks, "What about the door?"

Rayne asks, "The one we were told to beware of?"

Jiona tells Rayne, "I believe it said 'doors with teeth', plural."

DM says, "Hold... I need to check something."

Rayne ponders Jiona's words and says, "I believe your right. There will probably be more than one of these. I wonder what it is we need to be wary of?"

Jiona gestures at the closed doors.  "I expect these are the same as the one that is half-open.  As to what to be wary of... I couldn't tell you."

Tillandor is unmoving, blocking until he gets some kernel time.

Calico flashes a connection, "gears around the door, gears moving in a device in Ghelves shop."

Tillandor says, "Well he is a gnome, and this place was made by gnomes."

Rayne suddenly remembers he is still holding Calico's chalk. He walks up and hands it back to him.

Calico stows the chalk.

Tillandor rolls local history:

* Tillandor rolls 1f20+9: 30,9 = 39.

- While Tillandor is trying to see what he knows about the doors, Jiona goes over to one of them and sees if she can puzzle out the mechanism of how they work, without actually opening one.

* Jiona rolls 1f20+7: 19,7 = 26.

Tillandor exclaims, "Jiona!"

DM pages, "Looks like there is a small diamond-shaped keyhole set in the doorframe.  The doors seem to roll in and out of the way." to you.

Tillandor exclaims, "All the doors are trapped!"

Rayne asks, "All the open ones? Or all of them period?"

Ethkin eeeps!

Tillandor says, "As for the 'teeth,' we can expect every door down here to have them."

* Jiona rolls 1f20+3: 4,3 = 7.

Calico says, "so we need a way to open them from a distance."

Rayne says, "Or to find a different door."

Tillandor says, "The runes on the doors are in gnomish, and they let the inhabitants know what kind of trap is on it or how to disable it."

* Jiona manages to not stumble into the door when surprised by Tillandor's abrupt shout.

Tillandor says, "And no, I don't know gnomish."

Tillandor looks at Rayne.  "They are ALL trapped."

Rayne asks, "What about secret doors?"

Rayne asks, "Ones that go aside from the normal doors?"

Tillandor shrugs, with no real penchant in that direction.

Jiona slowly backs away, breathing hard from being startled like that.  "Whoa... close call.  Well spotted, Tillandor."

Tillandor says, "I'd say if you find a secret door with a gnomish rune on it, watch out."

Calico pulls out her chalk and bends down to write, 'doors all trapped'

Tillandor says, "The opened door is safe for now."

Tillandor says, "The traps are only active when closed."

Ethkin says, "I would guess also, knowing gnomes that there would be a riddle in vlved too."

Tillandor says, "Good call, Ethkin."

Rayne looks at Calico and asks, "Can you mark the way we go so that if someone were to follow they could see the chalk marks?"

Calico adds an arrow with the word 'out' for good measure.

* As Ethkin enters the space with the red X...

Jiona gets her breathing back under control, and looks around the room, far less certain than she was earlier.  "I can figure out some of these things, but not traps."

* The mask next to Ethkin opens its mouth and says: 

* Welcome to Jzadirune - behold the wonder!

* But beware, ye who seek to plunder,

Calico says, "ok, I'll mark our path when we decide which way to go."

* Traps abound and guardians peer.

* Beyond every portal, behind every gear.

* The mask falls silent and returns to its grin.

DM says, "its"

DM engages the parking brake.

CategoryCauldron