Crypt of Osorin, part 5
Log Info
- Title: Crypt of Osorin, part five
- Emitter: Culix
- Characters: Glasha, Aimarra, Smuldur, Paenitia
- Place: Crypt of Osorin
- Time: Monday, April 05, 2021, 1:59 PM
- Summary: In the battle's aftermath, Smuldur is heavily wounded and Paenitia is suffering from mercury poisonning. Treating herself takes a while, but a long rest seems warranted. The party retreats to the skeleton room, closes the door and beds down. Aimarra collects firewood, builds a fire and takes first watch. A dire badger appears out by the golems, exploring the new scents of the crypt. Aimarra wakes everyone, then successfully chases it off. Paenitia takes over watch and nothing eventful happens. Glasha has last watch, and is so deeply absorbed in her spellbooks she misses the appearance of a majestic, glowing stag. Rested, they barely avoid being locked in, then continue exploring. The southern passage heads west, hooking up with the quicksilver room. The eastern one seems to open into a room, and a side passage also allows access. When Smuldur explores, he is confronted by a large beetle. Paenitia joins him, and gets a beetle of her own. There's a momentary pause before the band starts to play...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Appearing, in Height Order =-=-=-=-=-= Paenitia 3'0" 34 Lb Halfling Female A Lucht knight, dark skinned in bold feathery finery. Smuldur 3'4" 45 Lb Goblin Male A gently used (cut, scraped, burnt, exploded) gobber. Aimarra 5'1" 128 Lb Half-Elf Female Brown hair and eyes, breastplate, leathers, pointed ears. Glasha 5'8" 100 Lb Half-Orc Female Green-skinned, young lady with bleached hair. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As the smallest GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Culix 3'2" 36 Lb Goblin Female Beady-eyed goblin female in leathers and hood. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
When we last left our adventurers, they had managed to dispatch the living runoff of the labs quicksilver pool, but were left worse for wear by it- Smuldur had been at death's door, but between Paenitia's skill and a lucky find of some healing potions stashed away inside the lab, they were able to bring him to- though he's still quite badly wounded.
Meanwhile, Paenitia is beginning to feel the effects of wading into a pool of quicksilver- her fingers are trembling and she has a headache which is growing worse by the minute.
GAME: Paenitia rolls intelligence: (12)+3: 15 GAME: Glasha rolls Intelligence: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Aimarra rolls intelligence: (2)+2: 4
The lab is a pretty defensible position if the party wants to rest - good sight line down the corridor, and anything coming would need to go through the quicksilver or through the trap- which might reset, at some point.
"I have not had the long night of dancing and drinking but I hear the marriachi band still." Paenitia says, fumbling a few things as she packs up her medical kit. "I do not have the supplies for this."
"Mage Glasha, the bottles on the shelf, is there treatment there?"
'Ruaaaaah!' Her peacock-andalusian squawks, somewhat concerned at having to sit --> over there, while his mistress seems to be suffering.
"Yes Ramirez," Paenitia relents, "Come. Move Fast! There is the traps."
That's enough to get him charging into the room.
Glasha hasn't gone into the mercury, which is just as well, as she's seen the effects, now, firsthand. "Are we wanting to rest after all that?" she asks. She gestures around the lab area. "This place is a good place to rest while we regroup." She looks over the bottles. "Alchemy still not my strong suit," she says as she separates the potions of necromancy from the ones of conjuration very, very carefully.
"Smdr nashleepy..." Smuldur insists. Slurred. Torchie appears to have a differeint opinion, as he's already laid down and napping on the floor.
GAME: Paenitia takes ten on heal+2: (10)+8+2: 20
With Ramirez near, Paenitia takes her second healing kit off the saddle opens it, and looks through, "Ole! This one has better supplies."
She looks over a small notebook, takes out a small vial and drinks.
If there is one thing that Aimarra is most decidedly _not_, a healer would most assuredly be near the top of the list. She's plain out of ideas, and so she wanders over to a nearby stone wall, the cleanest and least suspect spot of floor she can find, pulls off her pack, and sliiiiiiiides down the wall, digging into her pack for cleaning rags.
Glasha gathers up as many of the potions as she can figure out what they do. She doesn't share the information with the rest of the people she travels with just yet, potentially to keep grubby gobber hands from chugging all three, even the ones that don't make sense to drink.
"I would like to refresh spells, so I need 8 hours."
With the immediately life threatening wounds tended to, and the Goblin already snoozing, it seems as though the party intend to rest. The lab is cool but not cold, that stable temperature of underground regions. Dry enough, too, to be servicable if not comfortable. All that remains, is for the adventurers to hash out between them who will stand watch.
Smuldur volunteers to take a watch, and Torchie taking the third.
Glasha takes a few minutes to make some colored ribbons to tie around the necks of her three new bottles. "Guys, I know I said this place was defensible, but...why are we staying in here? It would take us five minutes to get back out the front doors, close and lock them, and basically keep anything inside from attacking us. Hopefully, anything outside stays outside, but that would be curious or hungry wildlife, not quicksilver golems and the undead, hopefully."
This prompts further discussion, Glasha would like to swap out some spells, but doesn't have to. The possibility of leaving the dungeon completely and returning later is raised. Aimarra favours the main area, deciding she's unwilling to rest beside the mercury pool. The large room with the skeletons is also a good defensible position. Glasha suggests going back to the golem room, and closing the doors. After all, they only moved when Smuldur approached the doors.
Although, opening or closing the doors might activate the golems and cause a fight when no one is prepared. It's uncertain. Reflecting further, the golems woke up when Smuldur hit the door with his torch, and only stopped moving when the doors were opened. How the doors are opened, with or without a key, might also have bearing. Opening the doors with the key shouldn't wake the golems.
The skeleton room has a door that seems to open and close easily enough.
Aimarra is already hard at work, cleaning her gear, her pack at her side and her bow in her lap. "I'm not sure why we'd consider any place that was full of glassware defensible," she agrees. "I'm fine with going back out and shutting the door, and building us a fire if we can find the materials." So saying, she eyes the tables and furniture in the room closely. "But not all the way out. I don't need to be getting the attention of those golems again."
"Ok, we do as you say." Paenitia stands and tightens the gear on Ramirez's saddle, then heads back down the hallway and up to the skeleton room. It's not possible for the peacock-andalusian to pass the area that was magically alarmed without possibly setting it off again, so they stop in half closer to the rest of the dungeon.
Smuldur's eyes perk up more. "No sleep yet!" That's to Torchi, mostly, whom he picks up. "Bone knight room had stuffs! Soft stuffs to sleep on!" Like, say, rotting haversacks. "And weapons!" Albeit rusty. And no killer liquid pools of shiny. He ambles off there to find some nice comfy and/or mouldering things to rest on.
Glasha says, "Onward...or, rather, offward? :P Backward! Reverseward!"
Retreating back to the antechamber which at one time constained a horde of skeleton guardians is uneventful- and better yet, the door remains operable- they are able to open and close it at their leisure. There is a lever on the other side, mind, so anything with hands and a mind is like to be able to operate it from the other side. But it opens slowly and noisily, so should such a creature follow them out while they rest they will have ample warning. Firewood is easy enough to procure- some dry and dusty stuff within, remnants of ancient chairs or tables perhaps. Enough to start a fire. And a quick journey back to the surface is enough to gather some sturdier wood to burn throughout the night.
The group seals themselves in the skeleton room - meaning it's only the exit that needs watching. Still need to decide how long to rest and who will take the watches, if any.
Paenitia finds a corner of the room that Ramirez can curl up nicely in, that will still leave her some space. As it seems they will be resting for quite some time, a good twelve hours, although she's interrupting hers with a four hour rest in the middle.
Her order's prescription against disrobing and removing her disguise in front of others doesn't seem to apply when her hippogryph can hide her with his wing. He's also her preferred sleeping platform, a literal feathery bed. Her shield and warhammer are kept close at hand, and she sleeps with her mask on.
GAME: Aimarra rolls survival: (3)+13: 16
Aimarra gathers her cleaning stuff and rises without demur, and when they arrive at the appointed space, is quick to scrounge wood for a fire, letting the others settle down as hey will. Only when the fire is laid and burning merrily, the others settled down to sleep, does she pull her stuff back out and resume her cleaning, ears perked for trouble even as she works.
Smuldur finds some lumps of canvas (at least that's what they might have been?) and makes himself a floppad. He then flops upon the pad and props Torchie up nearby. Because Torchie can help keep watch all night. He's a one-torch army!
<OOC> Culix says, "Alright. Give ma fort save, DC10 to avoid falling asleep during your watch, Aimarra" GAME: Aimarra rolls fortitud: (4)+6: 10 <OOC> Culix says, "Below 90 is good." GAME: Culix rolls 1d100: (99): 99 GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (9)+12: 21
Aimarra has a remarkably difficult time staying awake, given she's not especially tired. Something about the still quiet of the crypt and the cool flagstones and warm fire just makes her eyelids heavy. But she manages to keep them open for her watch. As it's drawing near it's end, she hears the sound of something rummaging around near the cavern entrance. And soon enough it comes plodding down the steps. A large, black and white striped beastie is sniffing around- perhaps drawn to the scent of the food in their packs- it begins rummaging around first in that rotting one near the entrance, picking at it with large paws and shoving its muzzle into the pack to explore it for goodies.
GAME: Aimarra rolls knowledge/nature: (8)+10: 18 GAME: Aimarra rolls handle animal: (4)+7: 11
Maybe it's Smuldur's sonorific snoring that has a soothing effect. Or attracts badgers! Maybe both!
Aimarra hadn't had time to do any hunting, and once her gear is cleaned, she finds it increasingly hard to stay awake, but pulling out her scrimshaw work and a knife to whittle with seems to help. At the first sign of soft snuffling, though, the scrimshaw immediately gets tucked into the bag, closed, and latched, her mind working quickly.
She puts her fingers between her teeth and whistles sharply, a clear alert. Better safe than sorry. If this should go badly, the sleepers will be in danger. Moving slowly, she stands up to her full five-foot height, draws her sword, pulls a brand from the fire, and with it in one hand and walks a little ways around it so that her shadow falls over the badger. A trick of the light, perhaps, to make the half-sil larger than she seems? Either way, she casts the brand in the badger's direction, but short of it hoping to make it turn tail and run.
Glasha rouses, grumbling, glaring at Aimarra, not the danger, at least at first. Luna gronks out a similar lament to sleep.
GAME: Smuldur rolls perception: (3)+9: 12
Paenitia is roused by the whistle, as is Ramirez. Her eyes snap open, she is immediately moving, familliar perhaps with awakening to danger. She rolls over his foreleg, petting his neck, "No my love, Rest. I will see this."
Adjusting her hat, she picks up her shield and warhammer, calling out in a quiet voice, "Who the foe is, where?"
At Aimarra's approach, the Badger looks up from the pack it was snuffling at. The black-and-white hair along its spine bristles as it tries to make itself look bigger as well. It raises onto it's hind haunches, lifting its paws into the air and grunts a challenge, though its dark eyes remain fixated on the flame, and its nose twitches at the scent of smoke.
After its display, it drops back down to all fours, shovel like claws scrape at the earth and it grunts again, fur bristling from its muscular shoulders to the end of its short, fat tail.
Whistles? Badgers? Whistling badgers? Smuldur continues snoring. Whistling badgers dancing about with D4s and D6s masquerading as D20s is a pretty interesting dream.
<OOC> Culix says, "Alright, Aimarra, give me an Intimidate roll. +10 since you have fire and friends." GAME: Aimarra rolls intimidate+10: (1)+8+10: 19 (EPIC FAIL)
"Wildlife," Aimarra answers shortly. "Looking for food." The fire crackles behind her, and the badger's display _almost_ makes her fall back a step.
A sudden itch in her left forearm reminds her, though. _Be the predator. You are the predator._ So instead, she raises the sword high, maximizing her shadows on the wall, and takes a menacing step towards the creature, teeth bared in a snarl that would look like a slightly crazed smile to another human. "Go. There is nothing for you, here." Another step forward, and the fire brand at her feet crackles threateningly as she picks it back up and brandishes it at the badger.
The badger scrapes its claws against the flagstones once again, and then huffs it's frustration and plods up the steps- it pauses once or twice to look back and grunt over its shoulder, but a few more shooeing motions with the brand is enough to send it packing. And with that, quiet falls back over their makeshift campsite once more.
"Ah, it is handled." Paenita says, with a yawn. She deposits her shield and warhammer beside Ramirez, and takes up her bow. "I take the watch now." She strides over by the fire, and stands behind it. Ramirez watches, the flames reflected on his large eyes.
"That was close." Aimarra says once the badger has been driven off, and she returns to toss her brand back into the fire, carefully, leaving the end out should Paenitia need it. "All right. Rouse me if there is trouble." She's already laid out her bedroll and gear, and she lays down now, boots still on her feet and sword in her hand.
The Dark Lucht doesn't sleep in her armour and didn't put it on for her watch.
Smuldur finally stops snoring! Rolls over. Scratches himself. Then goes back to snoring.
Glasha Grouchily resumes sleeping.
<OOC> Culix says, "Fortitude DC12 to avoid falling asleep" GAME: Paenitia rolls fortitude: (13)+6: 19 GAME: Paenitia rolls perception: (12)+4: 16 <OOC> Culix says, "Lower than 90 is good." GAME: Culix rolls 1d100: (67): 67
The next four hours pass mostly without incident- Paenitia has no trouble at all staying awake, though she will note that her headache has blessedly passed. That vial of medicine she found in her kit must have done the trick of flushing the mercury out of her system. The fire grows dimmer, needing an extra few pieces of wood now and then- thankfully Aimarra prepared an ample store. Their prior visitor does not make a return appearance, and nor does anyone else. So when several hours have passed, and hints of dawn light are beginning to seep down the far staircase- Paenitia's watch ends without incident, and it is time to trade places with Glasha for the final watch that Aimarra and Paenitia can complete their own rests.
Her watch uneventful, Paenitia ponders the best way to wake the half-orc. She contemplates her array of options, settling finally on a Bec-de-Corbin. Reversing the grip, so she is holding near the blade, she carefully pokes Glasha on the shoulder.
Poke-Poke
"Hssst! Awake friend Glasha. It is your watch."
Glasha growls and raises. The tiny face in front of her, masked or not, is small, and so cute and non-threatening. It doesn't take the half-human long to come to more of her senses than that. "I'm up," she says, quietly. She stands and stretches before picking up sleeping Luna and moving to sit somewhere near enough the fire that she can keep an eye on both it and the door as she leafs through her spellbook, going over and over the unreadable eldritch sewn in silver thread onto the dark, blue pages.
GAME: Glasha rolls Fortitude: (17)+3: 20 GAME: Glasha rolls Perception: (1)+1: 2 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Culix rolls 1d100: (16): 16 GAME: Rest damaged Paenitia's companion for -3 points. 14 HP remaining. GAME: Rest damaged Paenitia for -3 points. 29 HP remaining.
The little Lucht nods once Glasha is awake, and settles down under the wing of her bird-horse to catch the remainder of her rest.
Glasha pets Luna, who is pretty calm. She goes over and over her spellbook, taking a few moments to pull out a leather-wrapped book of parchment and scribble some notes to check some math.
In the far room, where once there were angry golems that now lay dormant, a majestic, magical-looking elk comes. It sniffs at the air, and Luna watches it, looking more bored and tired than anything. The almost luminescent creature sniffs around before finding the skeletal remains in that room, and sniffs at those. It looks into the room with the fire. A tiny fox suddenly rushes in and snaps at its heels, chasing the elk out the entrance.
Glasha looks up from her book and toward the entrance of the room she's in. Seeing nothing, she goes back to doing math and reading her spells and occasionally petting her familiar.
And soon enough, the third and final watch comes to a close. The fire is smouldering the last of its embers, and the sun has risen outside- casting a shaft of light down the staircase and into the entryway. They have managed through the night- energy restored, and wounds on their way towards healing. Ramirez and Paenitia are feeling much better than they had been. Aimarra's thigh is still sore, but no signs of infection from the wound. Smuldur's throat is still very painful, and he struggles to speak- his voice coming out as a raspy croak, but he is doing much better. And about as well as he is likely to be without a longer rest or the attention of a cleric.
Glasha lets people wake up when they want, for the most part. Once people do start waking up, she says, "Uneventful watch." She puts away her books and things. "Quite boring, in fact."
At length, Aimarra rouses, prompted by some inner call that may or may not have to do with the spill of sunlight across the floor, sits up, and streeeeeeeetches luxuriantly - at least, the upper body. Attempts to stretch her legs in that way result in her injured thigh being snapped back almost instantly, and she lets out a his between her teeth, but it could be far worse. Travel rations, water, a refill of water skins, and packing up of her bedroll later, and it doesn't take her that long to have her own gear back on her and her prepared to put out the fire and be on their way.
"If anyone wants to refill their water skins, now is the time."
There! A medical justification for the snoring! Smuldur awakes, scratches, retrieves Torchie, and is ready to go. He can make a pit stop at the shiny pool on the way, since no one else will be swimming in or drinking it. "Ready," he croaks, keeping the words even more simple than usual.
Paenitia awakens again, and stretches. She sees to the morning abultions, then starts the long procedure of putting her armour on. It seems Ramirez is somewhat trained to assist with this. While no squire, he can hold the heavier pieces while she attaches them to herself, and push his head against her side when she needs some assistance balancing.
Finally, the Red Knight seems comported, and tests things by a couple quick bounces. "Yes, I need the water, as does Ramirez." Skins refilled, her and her hippogryph's throats watered, she ensures her gear is attached properly to her steed's saddle. She selects her bow, warhammer and shield to carry, along with some arrows. Pointing the warhammer at the doors, she warns, "The open and closing may set the traps again."
Something interesting happens as the beams of sunlight touch upon the guardian statues in the main haul. They suddenly begin moving again, with a grinding sound as they half walk half slide their way back to their alcoves. Once each is back in its place, they resume their original poses- massive stone swords held by the hilt with the point down to the eartch, returning to their eternal vigil. As though in response to Paenitia's warning.
And then the door begins to grind closed.
Smuldur gasp-wheezes as the doors go to close. "Shiny. Inside." He skitter-limps his way for the door. if they're going to close, they should close with them on the same side as the shiny stuff. Because shiny stuff.
Aimarra's head snaps up as the doors begin to close, and everything else remains forgotten. She jumps up and dashes for the door at a dead run, swearing colorfully, but as she lays her hand on the key to pull it, the doors grind to a halt, then slowly and loudly begin to open themselves again. When she returns to the group, it is much more slowly, and with something of a limp favoring her wounded thigh. "Whew. We'd best be about our business, else we're likely to get locked in. I can't pull the key while the door is open, but I've got a feeling we're in trouble if it closes with us inside."
Since it remained open through the night, seems likely it is on some sort of timer. With luck, it will be 24 hours before needing to worry about it again. Probably a good thing the party ended up sleeping in the antechamber rather than the lab."
"A ha! That is a good guess of this place. It is a trap if we stay too long." Paenitia says, cheerfully, watching as Aimarra limps back. She adjusts her hold on her shield, and points south once more.
"We should go to the cross. Each of the arms may have the needle traps also. Friend Smuldur should check for those. I walk with him. Aimarra and Glasha, you follow, ready with the spells and bow?"
'Ruaaaah?', "You follow behind us all Ramirez, watch the backs. Nothing will sneak past your tail."
"Check traps!" Smuldur nods excitedly (even if his voice doesn't sound it) and moves to do just that. First is re-pulling the lever to open the door, of course. Or maybe just to pull the lever for the sake of pulling the lever. Because that's what it's there for! Then on to the intersection to dicover more sharp, pointy things on the way to bright, shiny things!
GAME: Paenitia rolls perception: (12)+4: 16 GAME: Smuldur rolls perception: (9)+9: 18 GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (18)+12: 30
There seems to be no traps except the ones they already found.
The Red Knight advances with the fiery goblin, "I see the trap to the west. I do not see others. Smuldur, we move up to the side passage on the south."
"They all have them," Aimarra speaks up swiftly, from where she had fallen into place beside Glasha and behind the others, her bow nocked and ready but not drawn. "The one has reset, and the others have a similar trap, study you the floors."
Once pointed out, the pressure plates are easy enough to find- being about a quarter inch higher from the ground than the surrounding flags. And though the tiny steel tubes are darkened and concealed within the gaps between the blocks that make the walls, they too can be picked out with careful examination- once pointed out, at least.
Paenitia halts, laughing, "You have the good eyes. Smuldur this is for you to break."
Smuldur points out the area that they shouldn't walk on without beating on it, first. The one they found before. "Bad spot." He then looks around for more and shrugs. When Paenitia mentions no others and where to go, he nods and starts to move thattaways. Then pauses again at Aimarra's.
He looks from spot to the others and back. And back again. "Make safe?!" It's mostly exclamation, slightly interrogative.
That answered Smuldur's question; he has official authority to break! Um, south one.
GAME: Smuldur rolls disable device: (13)+2: 15
BONK BONK BONK
By the power of Torchie, Smuldur has the p-Ok, it's more that a splinter of Torchie's base and some of the crumbling flagstone jams the plate. But, still, triumph! Smuldur bonks it a few more times to be sure.
Then stomps on it twice to be -really- sure. "Safe!"
As the group advance towards the side passage, and then peek through it- they will see that it seems to be part of a somewhat circuitous hall which affords passage to an open room beyond. They are just able to glimpse, at its far end, another passage. It also seems as though the crack they spied previously, which seems to run north to south, has made an impact on this room as well. Parts of the wall are crumbled, and the northern part of this room seems to open up in two places- one leading to the other hall from the cross, and the other to a natural fissure.
The south turning side passage takes a ninety degree turn after 25 feet, and seems to turn towards the large room as well.
"There is crack, to the room to the east, that make two entrances." Paenitia says, advancing a little into the small eastern passage, enough to look at it's southern counterpart from the T junction. "It go, then it turn east also. They look to link up."
She steps back, "I think we ensure this big passage clear, to where it turns to the silvery room. Then we think where we go next. Yes?"
"Reasonable. Come, let us go." Aimarra is picking and choosing her way carefully, letting those more knowledgeable in traps and snares lead.
Peeking around the corner, Paenitia will see Smuldur's touch light glittering back at the end of the corridor- it does indeed lead back down into the pool at the end of it. No more minor passages seem to branch off from this particular one.
Once the (non?)mystery of where the swouthwest passage goes, Smuldur skitters to the east to see what new mysteries await eastwardsly!
As Smuldur skitters off eastward, something else comes skittering out of the woodwork. Or rather, the masonry, to meet him. A large creature, with a plum-colored iridescent shell, squat with powerful forelimbs ended with shovel shaped claws. It's dome shaped shell protecting its back side flares open, revealing stubby transparent wings which flicker a warning. It's pincers snap back and forth as it regards the Goblin with its shiny black eyes.
"Ramirez! Stay!" Paenitia calls. 'Ruaaaah!' The peacock-andalusian objects. "You stay, this is not the real fight!"
The Red Knight runs to catch up with Smuldur, soft footfalls, but heavy jangling of armour from the rest of her. She bangs her warhammer against her shield. Looking bigger does not occur to her, but being fearsome and loud does. "Hie! Back off! There is more of us than you my friend."
GAME: Paenitia rolls intimidate: (20)+7: 27
Smuldur stopping and Paenitia being loud can only mean one thing, even if Aimarra in the back can't see the beast properly around Ramirez. Tail-feathers in the face are not helpful in the slightest. "I take it we've trouble," the ranger calls ahead to the others.
One small-brained bug is no match for a small-brained gobber! Smuldur doesn't have wings, but he can splay his arms out and wave them. And clack his teeth together. Whether the beetle thinks it's intimidating, a challenge, a courtship dance, or an invitation to eat the gobber is anyone's guess. Especially Smuldur's.
As though in answer to Paenitia's challenge, another plum colored and dog sized beetle come skittling out of the shadows to the southeast. And more skittling of chitenous claws against granite can be heard reverberating through the natural fissure. It seems as though these creatures have made their home in the space opened up by the moving earth and the passage of time. The nearest one opens its mandibles wide, and lowers its stance, ready to barrel towards the invaders in its territory.
