This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(I think I keep forgetting to say that Kairus indeed still wears the symbol of Umberlee around his neck)
Kairus was the first one through the doors with his renewed curiosity. Alas, so far the curiosity remained very unsatisfied. "Hm... Still nothing interesting. Or spooky."He walked to the edge of the gallery to look down the big hall beneath. "Does not look like there is anything interesting down there either. The exit certainly leads to mama lizard and I do not see any other door there. But (!) there is something promising along the walls here."Deciding to be methodical about his search, he walked to the closest doors (the first to his right), studied for the presence of traps (Perception: 20) and should he not notice any, then bravely pushed them open. (Or pull, should the doors prove to be uncooperative with pushing)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Yumiath follows Kairus into the next chamber. Eyeing the winch in the corner, he tries to deduce whether it controls the chandelier, the iron portcullis or something else entirely.
Only after exhausting all apparent available avenues(and a few not readily apparent, but consider halfway into the search) would Hun pause long enough to take a breather and collect himself. It's as he's considering taking his chance with some of the seemingly intact furniture that with a startle, he finally takes in the words spoken outside the room, and rushes out into the main chamber.
"Whew~ For a second I thought.... *ahem*..." He looks to Yulmiath. "If I had to guess, I'd wager it has something to do with the portcullis there. And after all that trouble we went through to avoid Mama lizard, best to not bother with it... For now, at least." As the Kobold is saying all of that, Mr. Thicc had resumed some unspoken command to keep near Kairus again, as the Triton isn't alone in checking out the southern door.
Although most of the group is not quite ready to move on from the abandoned personal quarters, Kairus continues his stroll into the gallery-adorned feast hall. Even then, his look-about is only cursory, as the triton seems little interested in the dining hall below, the portcullis and antechamber leading out of the temple, the paintings adorning the walls, the chandelier hanging up top, or the pile of rubble blocking the way to another room.
Yulmiath exits the room next, his attention gripped by the nearby winch. He tries to deduce its purpose but ends up deciding that turning it might be the fastest way to find that out. His curiosity almost gets the best of him until Hun follows the dragonborn out of the first room and downplays the importance of the winch. Yulmiath asked for an objection and got one from the kobold. As such, the winch remains unturned.
Rhogal and Krodhen continue to keep an eye on the initial room and outside, respectively.
By now, Mr.Thicc has caught up with Kairus once more, providing the bard not only with enough time to confirm the lack of traps on the next door over but also with that little bit of extra moral support he needed to explore the room beyond it. Kairus looks in to find a stone pedestal standing atop a circular dais in the middle of this 30x40ft room. Atop the pedestal, facing the double door to the east, is a ten-inch-tall wooden statuette of a woman holding a trident, with a shark’s tail instead of legs. Despite the simple material, its craftsmanship and size suggest that the statuette could be worth a good amount. Four iron torch brackets are bolted to the damp walls, which are covered with peeling plaster and set with colorful coral branches and starfish. A narrow window across from the double door looks out toward the accessible portion of the balcony the party traversed earlier and the sea beyond. There seems to be no other exit out of this room, though the window is just as wide as the one the Snackers used to infiltrate the temple.
Oh, Kairus was very much interested in the other rooms and the rubble blocking the way to one, but simply tried to be methodical about the search and began with the closest entrance - the next room. So far the room proved to be ... strange. As in "not what I would expect in a pirate den" strange. "Hey, over here! Another statue of Umberlee, I think. Well made too. They really worshipped that goddess here." Once he shouted the important information, the triton moved to the window.
"I think I can see that part of the balcony you wanted to jump on, Yulmiath."Kairus modulated his voice to be loud enough to be heard but not deafening or building-breaking volume and frequency. "If you are still curious, we can safely climb out from the window here and see what's down there."He even tried to do it - just to make sure the remaining part of the balcony is safe. Satisfied, he stopped yelling descriptions, climbed back into the room and returned to the doors. "Should we check the other rooms around the gallery?"
Unless the group would decide to climb out of the window to the balcony, Kairus's next stop will be the rubble. To check if he can get over it to the next room. (Perception: 24)
Yulmaith shrugs and leaves the winch well alone. He never gets to have any fun...
Brightening when Kairus suggests breaking another window to explore the rest of the building, he enters the room and ducks out onto the balcony, a little dejected that there wasn't another window to break.
"Yeah, we can see if those doors down there open. I guess."
Hun perked up at the call and promptly marched over to see what all the hub bub going on in the next room. "Huh... I don't see any blood, so this must've been more a room for ceremonies and such. Though they were a bit cheap on the material for the statue. Which is probably why this place ain't still up and running proper like." He said with a bit of a chuckle from just outside the room.
"'fore we go navigating along the cliffside of death, I think I'm gonna go over and check out those last doors first near the entrance."He turns to scamper off to the doors in the northeast corner, but not without calling back over his shoulder, "Careful if you're exploring ahead." In either his hurry to see beyond the door or indifference to construct, Hun failed to have Mr. Thicc break away from Kairus side in his rush around the perimeter of the room to reach his destination. Although if the door handles were too high, then he'd mutter some curses at the architects clear prejudice for the small before calling the construct over to open the door up for him.
Kairus calls the group's attention to another statue of Umberlee, but decides to otherwise ignore it in favor of approaching the lone window in this shrine-like room. He confirms that hopping over it would lead the group to the previously unreachable portion of the balcony, and then tests the integrity of said balcony by momentarily stepping onto it.
Intrigued by all the information shared and disappointed he didn't get to try the winch, Yulmiath follows Kairus into this new room. The barbarian is ready to smash another window, but Hun follows the dragonborn and poops on his party yet again by suggesting that the group postpones their continued exploration of the balcony in favor of thoroughly clearing the other rooms near the temple's entrance. Kairus seems to agree and approaches the pile of debris blocking access to the room at the southeast corned of the gallery. The triton infers that the debris pile in the area is the result of a partial collapse of the roof. He gathers it can be cleared by applying a lot of elbow grease for at least a few hours, though the task could be accomplished more rapidly the more elbows are employed.
Meanwhile, Hun inspects the room beyond the gallery's northeast corner. He encounters a sunken bath choked with plant life, which is the dominating feature in this room reclaimed by nature. The plastered walls here are set with colorful coral branches and shells, just like the room with the wooden statuette. More plants erupt through gaps between the flagstones, creating a veritable jungle in here. A bat flutters about, alerted by the kobold's presence, and several harmless lizards, snails, and spiders also live here. A broken section of this room's north wall grants access to the outside. Hun can hear Kwilgok talking to Deadly Treasure through this gap.
By now, both Krodhen and Rhogal have entered the feat hall. The paladin looks over the entire room from a spot in the northwest portion of the raised gallery. The druid moves down to the dinning area below and looks through the portcullis, trying to map the temple in his head. For now, Yulmiath decides to look out of the window he didn't get to break.
Kairus looked at the pile of rubble quite skeptically, tried to look (unsuccessfully) above the pile into the room and walked to the doors that Hun already opened. "You know, I believe there is nothing interesting in that "rubble room". Whatever it is there, we will have to spend a day digging through the rocks to reach it. I say, let it stay buried." He looked around the room at the far more pleasing decor on the walls. "For all their strangeness, the pirates here knew how to decorate the house, I give them that. Oh, another exit to the mama-lizard!"
He walked to the hole and looked outside. "Just put a door here, and you get yet another splendid room. Not rich in treasures, though. Guess, we follow the balcony then? There is a door at the end of it. Strange architecture, it's like they were keeping two parts of the house completely separate from each other. Unless, of course, the door to the inner parts is in the rubble room..." He remembered the height of the rock pile and shook his head. "Even if this is the case, the balcony way is easier. Let's return there."
Unless Hun had any ideas about what to do in this empty room, Kairus was ready to move on to the "chapel" - the balcony room with the Umberlee statue in it, picking up Rhogal on the way there.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Hun licked his chops at seeing the array of small and delectable morsels scattered about the room, only to startled out of reverie at Kairus words. "Whatwhat? Oh! Uhhh... J-just a sec.." He adjusts some dials on his goggles to expand his perception. But if nothing still comes up as lost but interesting to it, he'd sigh and return to the gallery proper.
"Alright. To this bloody balcony, but let's not ALL be standing out there once we're there. In fact, I'll and uh... Mr. Thicc even will volunteer to linger in that adjoining room and have a closer look at things. Meanwhile, a couple of you can check out that next door. Though make sure yourself together with rope or something just in case parts give out suddenly and someone needs to be pulled up or something." He suggests on the way to the statue room. "Once you're inside the other half and the way is clear, I'll follow soon after with whoever's left."
After again giving the room a more thorough once over, Hun moves on and has Mr. Thicc raise him up so he could better take a look into the sconces to try, searching for any particulates that might suggest an uncommon fuel source used in the past.
Nature: 17. (15 not 17) No guidance is being cast as he's keeping detect magic going for as long as possible.
Petty Yulmiath is best Yulmiath. The dragonborn breaks the window and waits for the others to return. He knows they will.
After determining that the pile of rubble is not worth his time, Kairus meets up with Hun in the room reclaimed by nature. He walks around a bit, approaching the broken section of the north wall, and spots Kwilgok and Deadly Treasure outside, who have now started a campfire. While walking about and talking to Hun, Kairus catches a glint of metal (passive perception) coming from among the undergrowth within the the 3-foot-deep sunken bath. Reaching for it with his hand, the triton eventually pulls out another holy symbol of Umberlee made of silver, quite similar to the one he already carries around his neck. It is shaped like a crashing wave split in the middle.
VISUAL REFERENCE:
Failing to identify any intended passageway into the deeper portions of the temple, Kairus suggests the party heads back to the balcony and Hun agrees. On the way, the make sure to tell Rhogal to follow them. The druid had been quietly examining the details of the central room, most recently staring at the framed pictures of sailing ships hanging on the gallery walls. He searched for any clues on them but, upon hearing his name, decides he better get moving.
Hun's magical inspection of the nature-reclaimed bath and the central feast hall returned no dividends. When returning to the shrine/chapel, he then notices the glowing indications of magical tinkering in the wooden Umberlee statuette in the center of the room. More specifically, he senses the traces of abjuration magic on the carved trident being held by Umberlee's likeness. A subsequent closer look into the four iron torch brackets that are bolted to the damp walls reveals no magical sources, no actual torches attached to the brackets, and no evidence regarding what kind of fuel had been used here in decades past.
While this takes place, the plan is shared with the rest of the party. Krodhen volunteers to be the first one out onto the broken balcony, after a rope has been tied to him. Once that is done, he gingerly makes his way outside and to the double doors at the southern end of the balcony. The doors are carved with foaming waves that part in the middle. Interestingly, the paladin of Tyr never feels his footing is in danger of failing him, though that is probably due to him deliberately avoiding the very edge of the broken section of the balcony. The half-orc informs the rest of the group that the balcony is steadier than they had thought and the pushes the adorned doors open to see what is beyond them without entering the room just yet.
Peeling murals adorn the plastered walls of this throne room, depicting tentacled sea monsters dragging storm-tossed ships to their doom. Set into the plaster are white coral branches and mosaics in the form of sharks made of decorative stones and shells. Four pillars carved to look like thick strands of kelp support the cracked, thirty-foot-high domed ceiling. Two pairs of wooden statues of turtle-like humanoids stand on opposite sides of the room. Between the southern pair extends a dark hallway. A dais against the east wall supports a granite throne carved to resemble an octopus. Behind the throne is a double door, next to which stands a tall clay urn. Set into the wall opposite the throne is a nine-foot-tall, arched window that looks out over the sea. Sunlight slips through cracks in the ceiling and a window in the west wall, dimly illuminating the area. The sound of crashing waves is constant and it penetrates the room ahead.
"No, really, the decorator here deserved all praise an artist can get."Kairus first observed the room from the threshold but now was moving along the walls admiring the mosaics. "Some would say sharks are a bit excessive but should admit, they feel quite natural in this context."The triton paused in front of one particularly aggressive shark and studied it with a thoughtful look of a seasoned art critic, absentmindedly twiddling the second amulet in his hand. "Oh, by the way, anyone wants a souvenir?" He raised the silvery symbol up to show it to everyone. "We have two now."
Should someone express an interest, Kairus would hand the symbol over. If not, he would pack it in his backpack and then move to the throne. "A very well thought detail," nodded he to the throne's shape. "Very thematic." He took a step up and sat on the throne. "Not the most comfortable but one can get used to it and the view is great! So is the ambience." His inner critic was positively thrilled, returning the triton his bubbling curiosity and thirst for exploration.
Yulmiath brushes past Kairus' offer of an amulet. It isn't a souvenir. It's a marker. It marks you out as some kind of rube. The kind who would fawn and worship someone who won't repay your time and won't repay your offerings. There will be no boons bestowed upon you. No miracles performed. No, she'll bring a storm out of calm waters, sink your ship, drown your friends and laugh all the while. Actually, no, she won't even laugh. The worst part of it is, that she won't even have noticed.
Stepping into the room, Yulmiath takes it all in for a moment. "This constant wave noise is a bit much, isn't it? I say this as someone who's lived on a ship and when he gets onto dry land takes a few days to acclimatise to the lack of it... We get it, Umberlee likes the sea."
Shaking his head, he heads off to have a look down the darkened tunnel to the south. Maybe being closer will given him a better view?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
In his uncertainty about grabbing the trident or leaving it be, Hun ultimately opted to take the gamble and follow through on the latter decision in his hurrying along to catch up with the others. Only one last look of longing is spared from the further destroyed before all attention had to return to the others. "Can't say I'm much of a fan of her as well. But consider this place was dedicated to her... hmm... Eh! Pass it to Mr. Thicc for safekeeping. And who knows. Maybe there's even some bullcrap secret chest they can be used to unlock or something."Hun request as he too stepped into the room and absent-mindedly made his way towards the center of it while giving it a general scanning of it.
If neither statues, throne, or anything else pings as magical by or after which, he'd continue on to the eastern door(behind the throne) after whistling Mr. Thicc to follow him. Though his first instincts to blatantly push it open to see what lay beyond it, he catches himself and inspects it first for traps or curiosities. And if none are to be found, he steps back 10ft and lets Mr. Thicc open it.
(OOC: Hold on to your thoughts/intentions and rolls in the posts above. We'll have to take things in parts.)
Kairus continues to express his admiration and critique of the temple's aesthetics. While doing so, he remembers to offer his second amulet of Umberlee to someone else in the party. Yulmiath scoffs at it, warning the bard that the trinket could be dangerous, though his bias seems to be based on some ongoing dislike for the Queen of the Depths. Hun seems to ignore the dragonborn's warning, suggesting that he or, more accurately, Mr. Thicc, could hold on to the amulet. Soon after, Kairus passes the spare amulet over and the construct carries the symbol of Umberlee around his neck.
The group begins to spread around the room and look into its features in more detail. Yulmiath heads toward the hallway in the south, Hun toward the doors to the east, Rhogal gets close to the decorated walls and tortle statues to examine them, and Kairus approaches the throne. However, before any of them can complete their desired errands/examinations, two things happen:
First, Hun notices that the throne in the room is enchanted and radiates a strong aura of transmutation magic.
Second, the tortle statues seem to grow shadowy tentacles now that the group has entered the room proper. These were previously unseen, deeply hidden within the statues. As they suddenly reveal themselves while the party's attention is divided, most of the Snackers find themselves surprised. Humanoid shadows with tentacles for arms emerge, rush, and attack:
-> Shadow Tentacle vs. Rhogal (not surprised): Attack: 7 Damage: 12 (on a hit: 2)
-> Shadow Tentacle vs. Krodhen (surprised, unseen attacker): Attack: 10 Damage: 10 (on a hit: 3)
-> Shadow Tentacle vs. Kairus (not surprised): Attack: 6 Damage: 9 (on a hit: 4)
-> Shadow Tentacle vs. Yulmiath (surprised, unseen attacker): Attack: 12 Damage: 8 (on a hit: 3)
Kairus senses something foul approach from behind and ducks just in time to avoid the shadowy tentacle. Rhogal also notices something coming for him but misjudges his intended dodge by an inch or two. The tentacle's tip brushes against the druid and saps away some of his life force. (Rhogal takes 5 necrotic damage and his STR score is reduced by1.)
Unaware until it is too late, both Krodhenand Yulmiath are is smacked by dark tentacles and their siphoning ability (Krodhen takes 11 necrotic damage and his STR score is reduced by3; Yulmiath takes 12 necrotic damage and his STR score is reduced by 2.)
Yulmiath avoids a direct hit, courtesy of Kairus's rapid spellslinging (see this post.)
After their attack, the shadowy figures take advantage of the nearby statues and pillars, as well as the chamber's general dimness, to hide away from everyone's sight. Their success is relative to each adventurer's passive perception:
Shadow#1 attacked Rhogal and is now hidden from everyone's sight.
Shadow#2 attacked Krodhen and is now hidden from almost everyone. Rhogal and Kairus can see it poking out of a pillar 10ft away from Krodhen {KL-67}.
Shadow#3 attacked Kairus and remained out in the open. Everyone can see this one. It is 10ft away from Kairus {KR-73}.
Shadow#4 attacked Yulmiath and is now hidden from everyone's sight.
MAP:
The map shows any shadow that can be seen by at least one character. Please refer to the bullet points above to confirm whether your character can see any of the shadows shown in the picture below.
(OOC: We are still in the surprise round. As they were not surprised, Rhogal and Kairus may take their turns now. Others may not. Everyone should roll initiative, though. For those who can act, recall that you can always choose to take the search action to actively look for hidden enemies.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(@Lerus: Ah, but you see Hun can be surprised, but not Mr. Thicc! Sadly, he''ll still be limited.)
The ever vigilant Steel Defender might've not have been quick enough to stop the attack. But after turning and spying at least one potential threat hovering far too close to Kairus, the construct marched on over and took up a guarded pose while awaiting further instructions...
(I think I keep forgetting to say that Kairus indeed still wears the symbol of Umberlee around his neck)
Kairus was the first one through the doors with his renewed curiosity. Alas, so far the curiosity remained very unsatisfied. "Hm... Still nothing interesting. Or spooky." He walked to the edge of the gallery to look down the big hall beneath. "Does not look like there is anything interesting down there either. The exit certainly leads to mama lizard and I do not see any other door there. But (!) there is something promising along the walls here." Deciding to be methodical about his search, he walked to the closest doors (the first to his right), studied for the presence of traps (Perception: 20) and should he not notice any, then bravely pushed them open. (Or pull, should the doors prove to be uncooperative with pushing)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Yumiath follows Kairus into the next chamber. Eyeing the winch in the corner, he tries to deduce whether it controls the chandelier, the iron portcullis or something else entirely.
Investigation - 12
Pointing at the winch, Yulmaith asks the other Packers whether or not he can throw caution to the wind.
"Anyone got any objections to me utilising a fiddle about and find out approach to finding out what this does?"
Only after exhausting all apparent available avenues(and a few not readily apparent, but consider halfway into the search) would Hun pause long enough to take a breather and collect himself. It's as he's considering taking his chance with some of the seemingly intact furniture that with a startle, he finally takes in the words spoken outside the room, and rushes out into the main chamber.
"Whew~ For a second I thought.... *ahem*..." He looks to Yulmiath. "If I had to guess, I'd wager it has something to do with the portcullis there. And after all that trouble we went through to avoid Mama lizard, best to not bother with it... For now, at least." As the Kobold is saying all of that, Mr. Thicc had resumed some unspoken command to keep near Kairus again, as the Triton isn't alone in checking out the southern door.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Although most of the group is not quite ready to move on from the abandoned personal quarters, Kairus continues his stroll into the gallery-adorned feast hall. Even then, his look-about is only cursory, as the triton seems little interested in the dining hall below, the portcullis and antechamber leading out of the temple, the paintings adorning the walls, the chandelier hanging up top, or the pile of rubble blocking the way to another room.
Yulmiath exits the room next, his attention gripped by the nearby winch. He tries to deduce its purpose but ends up deciding that turning it might be the fastest way to find that out. His curiosity almost gets the best of him until Hun follows the dragonborn out of the first room and downplays the importance of the winch. Yulmiath asked for an objection and got one from the kobold. As such, the winch remains unturned.
Rhogal and Krodhen continue to keep an eye on the initial room and outside, respectively.
By now, Mr. Thicc has caught up with Kairus once more, providing the bard not only with enough time to confirm the lack of traps on the next door over but also with that little bit of extra moral support he needed to explore the room beyond it. Kairus looks in to find a stone pedestal standing atop a circular dais in the middle of this 30x40ft room. Atop the pedestal, facing the double door to the east, is a ten-inch-tall wooden statuette of a woman holding a trident, with a shark’s tail instead of legs. Despite the simple material, its craftsmanship and size suggest that the statuette could be worth a good amount. Four iron torch brackets are bolted to the damp walls, which are covered with peeling plaster and set with colorful coral branches and starfish. A narrow window across from the double door looks out toward the accessible portion of the balcony the party traversed earlier and the sea beyond. There seems to be no other exit out of this room, though the window is just as wide as the one the Snackers used to infiltrate the temple.
MAP:
Oh, Kairus was very much interested in the other rooms and the rubble blocking the way to one, but simply tried to be methodical about the search and began with the closest entrance - the next room. So far the room proved to be ... strange. As in "not what I would expect in a pirate den" strange. "Hey, over here! Another statue of Umberlee, I think. Well made too. They really worshipped that goddess here." Once he shouted the important information, the triton moved to the window.
"I think I can see that part of the balcony you wanted to jump on, Yulmiath." Kairus modulated his voice to be loud enough to be heard but not deafening or building-breaking volume and frequency. "If you are still curious, we can safely climb out from the window here and see what's down there." He even tried to do it - just to make sure the remaining part of the balcony is safe. Satisfied, he stopped yelling descriptions, climbed back into the room and returned to the doors. "Should we check the other rooms around the gallery?"
Unless the group would decide to climb out of the window to the balcony, Kairus's next stop will be the rubble. To check if he can get over it to the next room. (Perception: 24)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Yulmaith shrugs and leaves the winch well alone. He never gets to have any fun...
Brightening when Kairus suggests breaking another window to explore the rest of the building, he enters the room and ducks out onto the balcony, a little dejected that there wasn't another window to break.
"Yeah, we can see if those doors down there open. I guess."
Hun perked up at the call and promptly marched over to see what all the hub bub going on in the next room. "Huh... I don't see any blood, so this must've been more a room for ceremonies and such. Though they were a bit cheap on the material for the statue. Which is probably why this place ain't still up and running proper like." He said with a bit of a chuckle from just outside the room.
"'fore we go navigating along the cliffside of death, I think I'm gonna go over and check out those last doors first near the entrance." He turns to scamper off to the doors in the northeast corner, but not without calling back over his shoulder, "Careful if you're exploring ahead." In either his hurry to see beyond the door or indifference to construct, Hun failed to have Mr. Thicc break away from Kairus side in his rush around the perimeter of the room to reach his destination. Although if the door handles were too high, then he'd mutter some curses at the architects clear prejudice for the small before calling the construct over to open the door up for him.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Kairus calls the group's attention to another statue of Umberlee, but decides to otherwise ignore it in favor of approaching the lone window in this shrine-like room. He confirms that hopping over it would lead the group to the previously unreachable portion of the balcony, and then tests the integrity of said balcony by momentarily stepping onto it.
Intrigued by all the information shared and disappointed he didn't get to try the winch, Yulmiath follows Kairus into this new room. The barbarian is ready to smash another window, but Hun follows the dragonborn and poops on his party yet again by suggesting that the group postpones their continued exploration of the balcony in favor of thoroughly clearing the other rooms near the temple's entrance. Kairus seems to agree and approaches the pile of debris blocking access to the room at the southeast corned of the gallery. The triton infers that the debris pile in the area is the result of a partial collapse of the roof. He gathers it can be cleared by applying a lot of elbow grease for at least a few hours, though the task could be accomplished more rapidly the more elbows are employed.
Meanwhile, Hun inspects the room beyond the gallery's northeast corner. He encounters a sunken bath choked with plant life, which is the dominating feature in this room reclaimed by nature. The plastered walls here are set with colorful coral branches and shells, just like the room with the wooden statuette. More plants erupt through gaps between the flagstones, creating a veritable jungle in here. A bat flutters about, alerted by the kobold's presence, and several harmless lizards, snails, and spiders also live here. A broken section of this room's north wall grants access to the outside. Hun can hear Kwilgok talking to Deadly Treasure through this gap.
By now, both Krodhen and Rhogal have entered the feat hall. The paladin looks over the entire room from a spot in the northwest portion of the raised gallery. The druid moves down to the dinning area below and looks through the portcullis, trying to map the temple in his head. For now, Yulmiath decides to look out of the window he didn't get to break.
MAP:
Kairus looked at the pile of rubble quite skeptically, tried to look (unsuccessfully) above the pile into the room and walked to the doors that Hun already opened. "You know, I believe there is nothing interesting in that "rubble room". Whatever it is there, we will have to spend a day digging through the rocks to reach it. I say, let it stay buried." He looked around the room at the far more pleasing decor on the walls. "For all their strangeness, the pirates here knew how to decorate the house, I give them that. Oh, another exit to the mama-lizard!"
He walked to the hole and looked outside. "Just put a door here, and you get yet another splendid room. Not rich in treasures, though. Guess, we follow the balcony then? There is a door at the end of it. Strange architecture, it's like they were keeping two parts of the house completely separate from each other. Unless, of course, the door to the inner parts is in the rubble room..." He remembered the height of the rock pile and shook his head. "Even if this is the case, the balcony way is easier. Let's return there."
Unless Hun had any ideas about what to do in this empty room, Kairus was ready to move on to the "chapel" - the balcony room with the Umberlee statue in it, picking up Rhogal on the way there.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Yulmiath sullenly breaks the window anyway. Whose could say whether or not it was already broken when they came in?...
Still, made him feel better.
Rhogal looks around the immediate area of the room.
Perception: 8
Extended Signature
Hun licked his chops at seeing the array of small and delectable morsels scattered about the room, only to startled out of reverie at Kairus words. "Whatwhat? Oh! Uhhh... J-just a sec.." He adjusts some dials on his goggles to expand his perception. But if nothing still comes up as lost but interesting to it, he'd sigh and return to the gallery proper.
"Alright. To this bloody balcony, but let's not ALL be standing out there once we're there. In fact, I'll and uh... Mr. Thicc even will volunteer to linger in that adjoining room and have a closer look at things. Meanwhile, a couple of you can check out that next door. Though make sure yourself together with rope or something just in case parts give out suddenly and someone needs to be pulled up or something." He suggests on the way to the statue room. "Once you're inside the other half and the way is clear, I'll follow soon after with whoever's left."
After again giving the room a more thorough once over, Hun moves on and has Mr. Thicc raise him up so he could better take a look into the sconces to try, searching for any particulates that might suggest an uncommon fuel source used in the past.
Nature: 17. (15 not 17) No guidance is being cast as he's keeping detect magic going for as long as possible.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Petty Yulmiath is best Yulmiath. The dragonborn breaks the window and waits for the others to return. He knows they will.
After determining that the pile of rubble is not worth his time, Kairus meets up with Hun in the room reclaimed by nature. He walks around a bit, approaching the broken section of the north wall, and spots Kwilgok and Deadly Treasure outside, who have now started a campfire. While walking about and talking to Hun, Kairus catches a glint of metal (passive perception) coming from among the undergrowth within the the 3-foot-deep sunken bath. Reaching for it with his hand, the triton eventually pulls out another holy symbol of Umberlee made of silver, quite similar to the one he already carries around his neck. It is shaped like a crashing wave split in the middle.
VISUAL REFERENCE:
Failing to identify any intended passageway into the deeper portions of the temple, Kairus suggests the party heads back to the balcony and Hun agrees. On the way, the make sure to tell Rhogal to follow them. The druid had been quietly examining the details of the central room, most recently staring at the framed pictures of sailing ships hanging on the gallery walls. He searched for any clues on them but, upon hearing his name, decides he better get moving.
Hun's magical inspection of the nature-reclaimed bath and the central feast hall returned no dividends. When returning to the shrine/chapel, he then notices the glowing indications of magical tinkering in the wooden Umberlee statuette in the center of the room. More specifically, he senses the traces of abjuration magic on the carved trident being held by Umberlee's likeness. A subsequent closer look into the four iron torch brackets that are bolted to the damp walls reveals no magical sources, no actual torches attached to the brackets, and no evidence regarding what kind of fuel had been used here in decades past.
While this takes place, the plan is shared with the rest of the party. Krodhen volunteers to be the first one out onto the broken balcony, after a rope has been tied to him. Once that is done, he gingerly makes his way outside and to the double doors at the southern end of the balcony. The doors are carved with foaming waves that part in the middle. Interestingly, the paladin of Tyr never feels his footing is in danger of failing him, though that is probably due to him deliberately avoiding the very edge of the broken section of the balcony. The half-orc informs the rest of the group that the balcony is steadier than they had thought and the pushes the adorned doors open to see what is beyond them without entering the room just yet.
Peeling murals adorn the plastered walls of this throne room, depicting tentacled sea monsters dragging storm-tossed ships to their doom. Set into the plaster are white coral branches and mosaics in the form of sharks made of decorative stones and shells. Four pillars carved to look like thick strands of kelp support the cracked, thirty-foot-high domed ceiling. Two pairs of wooden statues of turtle-like humanoids stand on opposite sides of the room. Between the southern pair extends a dark hallway. A dais against the east wall supports a granite throne carved to resemble an octopus. Behind the throne is a double door, next to which stands a tall clay urn. Set into the wall opposite the throne is a nine-foot-tall, arched window that looks out over the sea. Sunlight slips through cracks in the ceiling and a window in the west wall, dimly illuminating the area. The sound of crashing waves is constant and it penetrates the room ahead.
MAP:
"No, really, the decorator here deserved all praise an artist can get." Kairus first observed the room from the threshold but now was moving along the walls admiring the mosaics. "Some would say sharks are a bit excessive but should admit, they feel quite natural in this context." The triton paused in front of one particularly aggressive shark and studied it with a thoughtful look of a seasoned art critic, absentmindedly twiddling the second amulet in his hand. "Oh, by the way, anyone wants a souvenir?" He raised the silvery symbol up to show it to everyone. "We have two now."
Should someone express an interest, Kairus would hand the symbol over. If not, he would pack it in his backpack and then move to the throne. "A very well thought detail," nodded he to the throne's shape. "Very thematic." He took a step up and sat on the throne. "Not the most comfortable but one can get used to it and the view is great! So is the ambience." His inner critic was positively thrilled, returning the triton his bubbling curiosity and thirst for exploration.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Yulmiath brushes past Kairus' offer of an amulet. It isn't a souvenir. It's a marker. It marks you out as some kind of rube. The kind who would fawn and worship someone who won't repay your time and won't repay your offerings. There will be no boons bestowed upon you. No miracles performed. No, she'll bring a storm out of calm waters, sink your ship, drown your friends and laugh all the while. Actually, no, she won't even laugh. The worst part of it is, that she won't even have noticed.
Stepping into the room, Yulmiath takes it all in for a moment. "This constant wave noise is a bit much, isn't it? I say this as someone who's lived on a ship and when he gets onto dry land takes a few days to acclimatise to the lack of it... We get it, Umberlee likes the sea."
Shaking his head, he heads off to have a look down the darkened tunnel to the south. Maybe being closer will given him a better view?
Rhogal looks around this chapel , in case anything seems amiss.
Perception: 13
Extended Signature
In his uncertainty about grabbing the trident or leaving it be, Hun ultimately opted to take the gamble and follow through on the latter decision in his hurrying along to catch up with the others. Only one last look of longing is spared from the further destroyed before all attention had to return to the others. "Can't say I'm much of a fan of her as well. But consider this place was dedicated to her... hmm... Eh! Pass it to Mr. Thicc for safekeeping. And who knows. Maybe there's even some bullcrap secret chest they can be used to unlock or something." Hun request as he too stepped into the room and absent-mindedly made his way towards the center of it while giving it a general scanning of it.
If neither statues, throne, or anything else pings as magical by or after which, he'd continue on to the eastern door(behind the throne) after whistling Mr. Thicc to follow him. Though his first instincts to blatantly push it open to see what lay beyond it, he catches himself and inspects it first for traps or curiosities. And if none are to be found, he steps back 10ft and lets Mr. Thicc open it.
-Investigation: 15. (24)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
DM's Screen:
16 8 18 14
(OOC: Hold on to your thoughts/intentions and rolls in the posts above. We'll have to take things in parts.)
Kairus continues to express his admiration and critique of the temple's aesthetics. While doing so, he remembers to offer his second amulet of Umberlee to someone else in the party. Yulmiath scoffs at it, warning the bard that the trinket could be dangerous, though his bias seems to be based on some ongoing dislike for the Queen of the Depths. Hun seems to ignore the dragonborn's warning, suggesting that he or, more accurately, Mr. Thicc, could hold on to the amulet. Soon after, Kairus passes the spare amulet over and the construct carries the symbol of Umberlee around his neck.
The group begins to spread around the room and look into its features in more detail. Yulmiath heads toward the hallway in the south, Hun toward the doors to the east, Rhogal gets close to the decorated walls and tortle statues to examine them, and Kairus approaches the throne. However, before any of them can complete their desired errands/examinations, two things happen:
First, Hun notices that the throne in the room is enchanted and radiates a strong aura of transmutation magic.
Second, the tortle statues seem to grow shadowy tentacles now that the group has entered the room proper. These were previously unseen, deeply hidden within the statues. As they suddenly reveal themselves while the party's attention is divided, most of the Snackers find themselves surprised. Humanoid shadows with tentacles for arms emerge, rush, and attack:
-> Shadow Tentacle vs. Rhogal (not surprised): Attack: 7 Damage: 12 (on a hit: 2)
-> Shadow Tentacle vs. Krodhen (surprised, unseen attacker): Attack: 10 Damage: 10 (on a hit: 3)
-> Shadow Tentacle vs. Kairus (not surprised): Attack: 6 Damage: 9 (on a hit: 4)
-> Shadow Tentacle vs. Yulmiath (surprised, unseen attacker): Attack: 12 Damage: 8 (on a hit: 3)
(Hun and Mr. Thicc are also surprised.)
Kairus senses something foul approach from behind and ducks just in time to avoid the shadowy tentacle. Rhogal also notices something coming for him but misjudges his intended dodge by an inch or two. The tentacle's tip brushes against the druid and saps away some of his life force. (Rhogal takes 5 necrotic damage and his STR score is reduced by 1.)
Unaware until it is too late, both Krodhen
and Yulmiath areis smacked by dark tentacles and their siphoning ability (Krodhen takes 11 necrotic damage and his STR score is reduced by 3;Yulmiath takes 12 necrotic damage and his STR score is reduced by 2.)Yulmiath avoids a direct hit, courtesy of Kairus's rapid spellslinging (see this post.)
After their attack, the shadowy figures take advantage of the nearby statues and pillars, as well as the chamber's general dimness, to hide away from everyone's sight. Their success is relative to each adventurer's passive perception:
MAP:
The map shows any shadow that can be seen by at least one character. Please refer to the bullet points above to confirm whether your character can see any of the shadows shown in the picture below.
(OOC: We are still in the surprise round. As they were not surprised, Rhogal and Kairus may take their turns now. Others may not. Everyone should roll initiative, though. For those who can act, recall that you can always choose to take the search action to actively look for hidden enemies.)
(@Lerus: Ah, but you see Hun can be surprised, but not Mr. Thicc! Sadly, he''ll still be limited.)
The ever vigilant Steel Defender might've not have been quick enough to stop the attack. But after turning and spying at least one potential threat hovering far too close to Kairus, the construct marched on over and took up a guarded pose while awaiting further instructions...
Movement(Mr. Thicc): To Q-73.
Action(Mr. Thicc): Defensive Programming.
Future Reaction(Mr. Thicc): Deflect attack vs 1st attack against an ally from a creature within 5ft of it.
Hun's Initiative: 11.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.