The drop of water disappears into Ayyur’s lips, with no visible change to her condition. But Juba Isgaden drinks a sip thirsting when offered, and nibbles a few crumbs of your proffered rations and looks the better for it.
“Have no fear, lady, I have the key to the vault door, which I used to allow Mrs Isgaden and myself entrance, and not long ago, which I used to open the door again. It is here, safe in my… er…,” he stops, posture erect, eyes wide, as he pats a small pocket on his vest, comes up empty. His mouth works wordlessly, and he swallows. He checks his pockets. Nothing. Slowly, he falls to his knees on the floor beside his wife, ashen and sorrowful.
“How. How could I have been so stupid, all is lost, all is lost. The key… I have it not, it must have fallen from my hand when I opened the door. Stupid, stupid old man am I!”
Auger passes an entire ration to Juba to nibble at as he pleases and allows him to use his waterskin as much as he needs.
As Juba speaks Auger takes a moment to react intelligently. "The key? Its gone?", Auger asks numbly. Auger looks around and at the floor nearby, briefly hoping it fell out here in the vault. Auger then concentrates and focuses on the path between the door and where Juba kneels next to his wife. Was there any sign of it?
(OOC: Assuming not - fyi the D&DB dice roller is non-responsive for me right now, otherwise I would give you a perception number - feel free to roll for me at +0)
"I agree with Varielky and would say we do need a rest. In that time perhaps we can devise some way out of this room."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
No immediate answers come regarding the key or escape. You may all benefit from a short rest, during which time the tableaux remains the same. An hour passes or perhaps, longer. It is hard to say.
Varielky sits upright, her back parallel a close distance from the vault's door. She prays, silently, as she has not done for a while. Sometimes, it is the best one can do during a break, and nore often than not, one finishes praying feeling rested, rather than the opposite. The body rests, after all, while the soul ascends.
Hit Dice used: 1 from Barbarian and 2 from Fighter. 8+10+2+3=20, back to max.
Varielky stands up. Now, it was time to get out of here. "So no key, and a stone door capable of withstandin that creature's powerful blows. I won't be able to break through it. Could there be a second key here, between the rest of the stuff, saved for occasions like this?" Varielky paces across the tiny room, thinking about what each of them can do. Eventually, she thinks of an idea. "Auger, can you... umm... disappear and reappear on the other side of the door, as you so sometimes?"
Snow wanders about looking around the room that they managed to get themselves trapped in, trying not to get wound up by the fact Juba had dropped the key.
He had spent a fair share of his time crawling around in worse conditions than this on his archaeological expeditions.
In fact for now, this place held some interest for him, as he gently strolls around, looking both for items of interest and means of escape, such as vents or cracks in the walls, floor or ceiling or a any draft that can be felt.
He listens as Varielky runs through some ideas, but carries on with his relaxed search.
Hit Dice: 4+2+4=10
Investigation: 12+7=19
(OOC: Not sure if Snow’s archaeologist background can come into play here?)
Snow’s investigations, with Granophyre, employing scientific mental vigor to take in and catalog the characteristics of the room, lead to two conclusions.
The walls are covered in intricate tile work, forming a mosaic illustrating a tale of prosperity from the canon of the god Arapabiya, and on one wall is depicted an arch and stairway leading to the diety’s heavenly realm. Snow thinks it likely that there is a secret door here, and Granophyre agrees.
Also of interest: the statue figure I mentioned earlier, covered by a canvas dust cloth: it is impossible to remove the dust cloth, which you deduce must be held in place by magical means.
Fresh air enters the room through a narrow 6” grate, placed high in an opposite wall. But nothing is visible through the grate, which leads to a long, thin channel which angles and turns before eventually reaching the source of fresh air.
The time spent relaxing proves very meaningful for Auger as he feels all sense of shakiness go away (All Warlock hit dice expended: 6 + 8 + 7 + 8 +8 = 37. Zounds, a great roll). While his connection to the Sea of Stars returns he senses it will not be as lasting as it was earlier. He will need more time for that.
To Varielky, Auger responds, "When I movelike that I need to be able to see where I am going. On the few occasions where I was able to pass through a wall like this it was because Py was on the other side already and -- and able to direct me."
Auger pauses, a familiar sense of concentration on his face, as he attempts to send to Py. Can you hear me? We are trapped in a vault below the castle and could use help from someone outside.
"I think Py is too far to hear me right now."Auger starts occasionally sending to Py in this fashion, hoping to catch it near enough to communicate.
As the others examine the room Auger joins in as best as he can, though this is not his strength. When the statue covered by the dust cloth and its enchantment is discovered, Auger takes a moment to consider how it would be possible to do such a thing (Arcane: 7 +4 = 11) coming to no particular conclusion. At the discussion of a secret door Auger thinks on what he might know of Arapabiya (Religion: 10 +4 = 14) wondering if any interplay with Piya, his own deity, might tell him something.
Snow looks up at the grate, “Well at least we aren’t going to suffocate”.
He then wanders back to the statue. “I have the ability to dispel a magical effect using my violin, but only once per day. I am curious as to the statue, but could also attempt it on the door itself, or even the mural. Having said that there may be a mechanism we can find for a secret door within the mural, so maybe not that”, he says then turns back to the others.
"I am curious about this dust cloth and what it covers. But perhaps lets see if we can find the door's mechanism before we exhaust your abilities."
Auger looks at the mural for a moment before turning again to the old man, "Juba? We are going to see if there is an alternate way out of here. It will help us all and would certainly make your wife safer. Do you know anything of a passage through here? Any stories of additional chambers?"
(Ah, I thought Auger could look outside the grate, but DM confirmed otherwise.)
"If I were able to do such a thing, I'd make sure we can open the door first. Survival is at most importance. If you're still curious later, you can come back to examine the statue." To her, this should not even be a question, but still she offers the above as her opinion, rather than force Snow to act.
Though, it is not that the cloth does not interest Varielky too. She tries removing it occasionally, as if the magic would have worn off since her last attempt. She doesn't use a lot of force, despite a growing frustration at the cloth that wouldn't lift. "What is this vault anyway? Why would anyone keep here valuable things if they only come for half of the year. Especially if so few remain to guard the place."
Varielky stops, pondering something. Then, she adresses the man. "We questioned one of the Goblins before. They said they receive commands from some Human who sleeps all day somewhere in this castle. Tell me, did you see any Humans with the Goblins when they invaded? If so, do you remember anything about them?"
Auger finds he is unable to communicate with Py, and mental calculations of his probable location relative to the cliff lead him to think the distance is simply too great.
The mosaic, though religiously themed, and exquisitely artful at that, is at essence not a religious paean with even a hint of divine power, Granophyre can intuit, almost in answer to Auger’s train of thought. It is mere decoration.
After accepting a few more drops of water, Ayyur’s breathing starts to relax… but this is not necessarily a good sign, says Granophyre. Juba watches her intently and sometimes gasps, for her breathing stops for so long he thinks her lungs will never fill again. And then they do, light as a feather, and very silently, and he seems to have held his breath too, watching her.
Juba looks up in answer to Auger’s question, and says, “There is a passage, to the Master’s Chambers. But only the Lord Abziri knows the magic words to open it. The Lord Abziri,… and Ayyur, the Head of House,” he adds, quietly, gesturing solemnly to his wife.
“Oh yes,” Juba replies to Varielky heatedly. “Indeed, curse them, there are humans in this castle. At this moment, they are likely sleeping in the Master’s Chambers or sitting upon the Lord’s dais. The goblins answer to them: Seneschal Tazellayt and Lady Izzebudjin, of House Jlasi.” He spits angrily on the floor at the edge of the chamber. “May Ellosh take their souls! The Viscount’s valet, Sekkura Tadefi, made deals in secret – forging the Lord Abziri’s name and seal – between the goblins in the Bantu mountains, and with the Jlasi Family – his own clan – I am certain of it.
"Yes, the goblins arrived late in the winter under the thumb of that ‘great lord’ Seneschal Tazellayt,’” and here he spits again, “and his so-called lady, the evil horde controlled by the Jlasi’s powers, for the pair are unmatched in battle and sorcery. But having installed themselves in secret, the two spent their days smoking opium from the Jlasi fields, celebrating their new conquest, and doing nothing else. When they are not sleeping, they are renewing their love of that accursed weed. And in the absence of a controlling power, the goblins did as they would, destroying the dacha’s farms, spawning to such an extent that they might overwhelm all of the Vale.
"We had been spared, and wrote repeatedly to Kalahata for help, but our letters were discovered, and the goblins fastened their filthy eyes upon us. We fled to this chamber.” Looking down at his wife, barely containing himself, he finishes in a harsh whisper, “They have taken… everything.”
Snow listens to Juba’s account of the arrival of the goblins with interest. “We came across and defeated a lot of goblins, and we have destroyed a lot of spawn, but it sounds like the job is far from done. If we are to escape here now, there is the possibility we will just run into more of them, and I am not yet prepared for another fight like the one we just had”, he says.
He looks down to Ayyur. “Nor does it seem we have the luxury to wait much longer. If I can dispel the magic of the door, it means no safe place to keep away from the goblins. Of course it is likely to be temporary if it works at all. And there will still be a regular lock that we have no key for and will need picking. I have no picks, and it is not one of my talents truth be told anyway”.
He turns to Strewn and motions to Ayyur. “What is your diagnosis here? You said your healing didn’t work, does that mean mine will not as well? What is needed to help this lady? You are wise and knowledgeable and I am sure you can figure this out”, he says praising and inspiring the old dwarf.
In answer to Snow, Granophyre somberly replies, “She is suffering from what we call in Sindarrin ‘kerrush-tarr,’ or, in Jenghen, extreme exhaustion. Now that she has access to water, all we can do is wait, to find out if her body will recover, or,” in a whisper, “if we are too late.”
Snow nods to Strewn, understanding the precarious nature of the position Ayyur was in. He takes out his violin and begins to play, using the melody to focus his thoughts. He had a certain amount of his power remaining, a portion that he had felt unlock within him in the aftermath of the fight with the goblins upstairs. But he wasn't yet sure of what to do with it.
He closes his eyes as he plays on, the seed of a thought entering his mind, a way it was possible that he could help their situation. But it was not certain, it could come to nothing.
He lets the magic build within the violin and kneels down next to Ayyur, channeling a portion of that power from within the violin and into her with a light touch of the violin bow. He carries on playing and reaches out to Strewn with the bow, allowing a portion of the magic to channel into the old dwarf. The last portion of power he keeps for himself, channeling it into his own mind.
He then stops playing, and watches the impact of the spell on Ayyur and her health, feeling his own mind unlock it's potential and knowing Strewn must be feeling the same too.
"If there is an effect, it will be temporary, but it may be enough to help her. Do what you can", he whispers to Strewn with only a small degree of hope, before turning away and wandering over to the chests and objects on the shelves.
"Maybe there is something we have missed, something that might help", he says examining them for potential locks or traps.
Action: Cast Enhance Ability at Level 4 on Ayyur (Bear's Endurance (6 Temp Hit Points) - hoping to enhance her ability to fight off exhaustion and possibly wake up for a time), Strewn (Owl's Wisdom - hoping to enhance his Medicine skill) and himself (Fox's Cunning - to aid with investigation of the chests and objects)
Investigation (with Advantage): (13, 6) + 7 = 20 (he will not risk opening anything that might be trapped for fear of losing concentration, so at this time it is only looking for the traps and locks)
It was moments before Snow began to play that your attention was drawn to Ayyur, covered with a housemaid’s cloak, her frail form laid straight out on an embroidered runner, her head gently supported upon a rolled rug. From deep within her a slow, rattling breath had begun to emanate, and all present had no doubt that the old Head of House had arrived at the threshold to the afterlife, or at least, her exit from the mortal plane.
And then Snow’s violin began to sound, weaving themes of courage in times of sadness into a magical symphony, soaring quietly and filling — literally filling — the old woman’s heart with strength, there in that tomb-like vault under the Abziri Castle.
She begins to breathe in time to the music, the melody’s ebb and flow penetrating warmly, firmly, through the stagnant waters in which her soul floats, brightening and thinning them, until she swims lightly to the surface of her consciousness. But there, she stops.
For just as she seems on the verge of awakening, as her slender fingers twitch, seemingly with new life, she spasms once, then is completely still.
Until quite suddenly, her eyes, glowing white, open wide, and she speaks in a haunted voice.
“You almost saved her, minstrel, almost. But there was not enough left to save, not quite. But still, I am glad to see her benefactors, and glad at the end, to be there for Ayyur as she was for me.”
Auger, to his shocked surprise, recognizes the face which looks now at him, a ghostly, ethereal form encompassing that of the old woman. It is the Yemma, Nafsawiyyah, whom he had spent afternoons with in the Abziri Archives with Tamazaert and her infant, Sura. Or rather, it is the ghost of Nafsawiyyah.
“You. I’ve seen you before, southerner. Why do you and your young wife and child no longer come to call? Not that it matters anymore.”
The old woman slowly floats to her feet, empowered by the will of the ghost inhabiting her body. Juba stands there, unable to speak.
“She will live, Juba. Worry not. It is my days which are over. I give her what I had left, and the debt is repaid.
Yet, little good will my sacrifice do if you will only be faced with death anew once you leave the vault. Such sad times have come upon our ancient family grounds! Unless… But you will need help. And the time has come for the Abziri to roar, like the lions in the Bantu foothills!” Turning to the party, she says, “In exchange for your kind aid to my childhood friend, I give you this boon and this quest: help her and help us! Behold!”
The spirit utters a magic word and the dust cloth, previously immune to your attempts to remove it, now shoots up to the ceiling, revealing beneath it a marble likeness of the Yemma herself, in her younger days, strong and virile. The statue is dressed in real armor: a polished brass breastplate engraved with muscular swirls, hanging from it a skirt of brass splints over bright red-dyed cuirass, the entire armored suit giving off a subtle radiance. Over the figure’s shoulders hangs a cloak, mustard and cinnamon in hue, with the shape of an intricate tree embroidered upon it, the branches and roots extending in minute detail to its perfectly tailored edges. Upon the statue’s brow sits a bejeweled diadem, its centerpiece a mist-filled shard; and in her hands she holds a scroll, to which her concentration seems given.
“Take what you see before you and use it with the blessing of the House Abziri,” says the ghostly spirit.” The statue now disappears and the items remain floating in air.
“Minstrel — in whom I see elven blood — take the Treewild cloak. It will allow you to walk between the mortal lands and the Feywild at will.” The cloak floats to Snow, wrapping securely to fasten around his shoulders.
“Southerner — take the Starfell Diadem, and use its Misting Shard to multiply your power tenfold!” The diadem floats to Auger and falls gently around his brow.
“And you — Scion of Drey — you have the strength to wear Thunder, the armor you see before you; its breastplate and skirt seem suited to your form. ‘Twas the last sight of scores of enemies of House Abziri.” The armor disappears, then reappears, clothing Varielky; her old breastplate and skirt have disappeared and now reappear on the floor at her feet.
“Sindarrin! Take the scroll and keep it safe. Give it to the one you seek, tell her I have never forgotten. Never.” The scroll floats to Granophyre, who grasps it curiously. The statue now reappears, fully accoutered as before, but now the armor, diadem, cloak and scroll are all made of marble, like the figure itself of the young Nafsawiyyah.
“Ayyur, give them what they need and help them to help us. Their hearts are pure and they tread the path of heroes. Farewell sweet woman. Tell Massan his mother is grateful.”
And with that, the ghostly spirit disappears, and the old woman’s eyes — Ayyur’s own eyes — open and take in her surroundings, mutely astounded.
Snow, his perception more keen in this moment than ever before, notices one more thing. Around Ayyur’s neck is a thin chain, and the bard intuits with utter certainty that upon it hangs a key hidden under the old woman’s blouse.
Snow is transfixed by Ayyur from the moment his spell appears to be helping. He pours the remainder of his magic into the spell to bolster her, starting to feel the hope well inside him. His own heart skips a beat in disappointment as her’s seems to stop.
But then he sees her form possessed, as it animates anew. He squeezes his eyelids closed for a couple of seconds and then opens his eyes again. It was definitely real.
He listens as the ghostly visage gives her instructions and says her goodbyes. He is quite taken aback as the cloak floats to him and fastens around his neck, a cloak adorned by the image of the tree which had such a strong link to his elven heritage.
He watches with relief as Ayyur comes back to them. A relief heightened by the knowledge that around her neck he was certain was a key. A key that meant their freedom.
“Welcome back”, he says to Ayyur. “It seems now is not your time to leave the mortal realm. And neither is it ours if that key around your neck is our means of escape from this vault. But I get ahead of myself, I am Snow Das, and it is oh so good to make your acquaintance”, he adds with a smile.
Auger watches the strange ghostly event unfold without speaking. His urge to correct and state that Tama was not his wife passes quickly, it does not matter. The manner in which Yemma asserted herself, even re-finds herself at her end is-- well its touching he realizes. The Yemma Auger met was an elderly lady who could not take care of herself. Now he truly sees she was a warrior in the proudest sense of the word and perhaps in a fashion able to experience that power once again. At her end she provides gifts to-- to strangers really. She gifted them because those strangers chose to help a loved one and to fight for the honor of the Abziri. Auger thinks he has observed an example to remember.
After the Yemma's spirit disappears Auger takes a moment to visualize and remember the occasion before he pays attention to the ongoing events. At Ayyur he smiles and adds his own introduction before stepping back and pulling the diadem off his head to examine it. The Starfell Diadem the Yemma called it. Immediately in Auger's mind he corrects that name. This is the Yemma's Diadem. With a Misty Shard at its center. Auger stares at the Shard for a moment, while touching the Sea of Stars, trying to intuit what 'multiplying power tenfold' really meant for him. Perhaps he feels a glimmer of something, but clearly it would take some time to puzzle out.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Varielky watches as the events unfold. This epiphany leaves her speechless. Not of surprise, but of marvel and awe. As if speaking would defile this moment, that to her at least can only be a divine signal of some sort. Sure, it wasn't a god who spoke to them, but things like this don't just happen by the powers of mortals. Not even the variety of magics she witnessed in her life could explain this. Not to her, at least.
Even as the others talk, Varielky remains silent. To the point where if she's asked for her name, she might not notice and not reply, until someone else might answer for her... or not. She then looks down to her armour - the older one. Many experiences they've had together, ever since that night when she left her own armour in her room, thinking it would create too much noise sneaking away from those trying to assassinate her and Benita. She used to look down on people who get attached to items - especially as temporary as weapons or armour that might get ruined during a fight. Yet, when it was a gift she had received from the two deceased Dwarven brothers, after spending all of her earned funds at the time to make it match her size, she couldn't not feel anything for this battle-worn piece of armour. She feels kind of sad leaving it behind, but knows that taking it instead of what she was given is not only foolish, but also rude at best, and possibly a sacrilegious act at worst.
Varielky finally raises her head to look at the rest of the people in the room. She could spend time to better understand what's special about the armour later, but for now, she still wanted to get out of this vault, and perhaps finish what they started. "I believe it is time to leave this place." Varielky states simply, rising on her feet. "Though she is right, there is no point in all that if you die the moment we leave the vault. Could we ask you to wait here for but a bit more, until we return?"
“We still need some time to recuperate, at least I am afraid I do. My powers are all but exhausted and I’m afraid I would be close to useless were we to run into more goblins, trolls or Jlasi”, Snow admits when Varielky suggests it is time to leave.
”I need somewhere safe to stay and sleep ideally”, he adds, looking back to Ayyur.
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The drop of water disappears into Ayyur’s lips, with no visible change to her condition. But Juba Isgaden drinks a sip thirsting when offered, and nibbles a few crumbs of your proffered rations and looks the better for it.
“Have no fear, lady, I have the key to the vault door, which I used to allow Mrs Isgaden and myself entrance, and not long ago, which I used to open the door again. It is here, safe in my… er…,” he stops, posture erect, eyes wide, as he pats a small pocket on his vest, comes up empty. His mouth works wordlessly, and he swallows. He checks his pockets. Nothing. Slowly, he falls to his knees on the floor beside his wife, ashen and sorrowful.
“How. How could I have been so stupid, all is lost, all is lost. The key… I have it not, it must have fallen from my hand when I opened the door. Stupid, stupid old man am I!”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Auger passes an entire ration to Juba to nibble at as he pleases and allows him to use his waterskin as much as he needs.
As Juba speaks Auger takes a moment to react intelligently. "The key? Its gone?", Auger asks numbly. Auger looks around and at the floor nearby, briefly hoping it fell out here in the vault. Auger then concentrates and focuses on the path between the door and where Juba kneels next to his wife. Was there any sign of it?
(OOC: Assuming not - fyi the D&DB dice roller is non-responsive for me right now, otherwise I would give you a perception number - feel free to roll for me at +0)
"I agree with Varielky and would say we do need a rest. In that time perhaps we can devise some way out of this room."
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
No immediate answers come regarding the key or escape. You may all benefit from a short rest, during which time the tableaux remains the same. An hour passes or perhaps, longer. It is hard to say.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Varielky sits upright, her back parallel a close distance from the vault's door. She prays, silently, as she has not done for a while. Sometimes, it is the best one can do during a break, and nore often than not, one finishes praying feeling rested, rather than the opposite. The body rests, after all, while the soul ascends.
Hit Dice used: 1 from Barbarian and 2 from Fighter. 8+10+2+3=20, back to max.
Varielky stands up. Now, it was time to get out of here. "So no key, and a stone door capable of withstandin that creature's powerful blows. I won't be able to break through it. Could there be a second key here, between the rest of the stuff, saved for occasions like this?" Varielky paces across the tiny room, thinking about what each of them can do. Eventually, she thinks of an idea. "Auger, can you... umm... disappear and reappear on the other side of the door, as you so sometimes?"
Varielky
Snow wanders about looking around the room that they managed to get themselves trapped in, trying not to get wound up by the fact Juba had dropped the key.
He had spent a fair share of his time crawling around in worse conditions than this on his archaeological expeditions.
In fact for now, this place held some interest for him, as he gently strolls around, looking both for items of interest and means of escape, such as vents or cracks in the walls, floor or ceiling or a any draft that can be felt.
He listens as Varielky runs through some ideas, but carries on with his relaxed search.
Hit Dice: 4+2+4=10
Investigation: 12+7=19
(OOC: Not sure if Snow’s archaeologist background can come into play here?)
Snow’s investigations, with Granophyre, employing scientific mental vigor to take in and catalog the characteristics of the room, lead to two conclusions.
The walls are covered in intricate tile work, forming a mosaic illustrating a tale of prosperity from the canon of the god Arapabiya, and on one wall is depicted an arch and stairway leading to the diety’s heavenly realm. Snow thinks it likely that there is a secret door here, and Granophyre agrees.
Also of interest: the statue figure I mentioned earlier, covered by a canvas dust cloth: it is impossible to remove the dust cloth, which you deduce must be held in place by magical means.
Fresh air enters the room through a narrow 6” grate, placed high in an opposite wall. But nothing is visible through the grate, which leads to a long, thin channel which angles and turns before eventually reaching the source of fresh air.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
The time spent relaxing proves very meaningful for Auger as he feels all sense of shakiness go away (All Warlock hit dice expended: 6 + 8 + 7 + 8 +8 = 37. Zounds, a great roll). While his connection to the Sea of Stars returns he senses it will not be as lasting as it was earlier. He will need more time for that.
To Varielky, Auger responds, "When I move like that I need to be able to see where I am going. On the few occasions where I was able to pass through a wall like this it was because Py was on the other side already and -- and able to direct me."
Auger pauses, a familiar sense of concentration on his face, as he attempts to send to Py. Can you hear me? We are trapped in a vault below the castle and could use help from someone outside.
"I think Py is too far to hear me right now." Auger starts occasionally sending to Py in this fashion, hoping to catch it near enough to communicate.
As the others examine the room Auger joins in as best as he can, though this is not his strength. When the statue covered by the dust cloth and its enchantment is discovered, Auger takes a moment to consider how it would be possible to do such a thing (Arcane: 7 +4 = 11) coming to no particular conclusion. At the discussion of a secret door Auger thinks on what he might know of Arapabiya (Religion: 10 +4 = 14) wondering if any interplay with Piya, his own deity, might tell him something.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow looks up at the grate, “Well at least we aren’t going to suffocate”.
He then wanders back to the statue. “I have the ability to dispel a magical effect using my violin, but only once per day. I am curious as to the statue, but could also attempt it on the door itself, or even the mural. Having said that there may be a mechanism we can find for a secret door within the mural, so maybe not that”, he says then turns back to the others.
“Any preference?”.
"I am curious about this dust cloth and what it covers. But perhaps lets see if we can find the door's mechanism before we exhaust your abilities."
Auger looks at the mural for a moment before turning again to the old man, "Juba? We are going to see if there is an alternate way out of here. It will help us all and would certainly make your wife safer. Do you know anything of a passage through here? Any stories of additional chambers?"
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
(Ah, I thought Auger could look outside the grate, but DM confirmed otherwise.)
"If I were able to do such a thing, I'd make sure we can open the door first. Survival is at most importance. If you're still curious later, you can come back to examine the statue." To her, this should not even be a question, but still she offers the above as her opinion, rather than force Snow to act.
Though, it is not that the cloth does not interest Varielky too. She tries removing it occasionally, as if the magic would have worn off since her last attempt. She doesn't use a lot of force, despite a growing frustration at the cloth that wouldn't lift. "What is this vault anyway? Why would anyone keep here valuable things if they only come for half of the year. Especially if so few remain to guard the place."
Varielky stops, pondering something. Then, she adresses the man. "We questioned one of the Goblins before. They said they receive commands from some Human who sleeps all day somewhere in this castle. Tell me, did you see any Humans with the Goblins when they invaded? If so, do you remember anything about them?"
Varielky
Auger finds he is unable to communicate with Py, and mental calculations of his probable location relative to the cliff lead him to think the distance is simply too great.
The mosaic, though religiously themed, and exquisitely artful at that, is at essence not a religious paean with even a hint of divine power, Granophyre can intuit, almost in answer to Auger’s train of thought. It is mere decoration.
After accepting a few more drops of water, Ayyur’s breathing starts to relax… but this is not necessarily a good sign, says Granophyre. Juba watches her intently and sometimes gasps, for her breathing stops for so long he thinks her lungs will never fill again. And then they do, light as a feather, and very silently, and he seems to have held his breath too, watching her.
Juba looks up in answer to Auger’s question, and says, “There is a passage, to the Master’s Chambers. But only the Lord Abziri knows the magic words to open it. The Lord Abziri,… and Ayyur, the Head of House,” he adds, quietly, gesturing solemnly to his wife.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
“Oh yes,” Juba replies to Varielky heatedly. “Indeed, curse them, there are humans in this castle. At this moment, they are likely sleeping in the Master’s Chambers or sitting upon the Lord’s dais. The goblins answer to them: Seneschal Tazellayt and Lady Izzebudjin, of House Jlasi.” He spits angrily on the floor at the edge of the chamber. “May Ellosh take their souls! The Viscount’s valet, Sekkura Tadefi, made deals in secret – forging the Lord Abziri’s name and seal – between the goblins in the Bantu mountains, and with the Jlasi Family – his own clan – I am certain of it.
"Yes, the goblins arrived late in the winter under the thumb of that ‘great lord’ Seneschal Tazellayt,’” and here he spits again, “and his so-called lady, the evil horde controlled by the Jlasi’s powers, for the pair are unmatched in battle and sorcery. But having installed themselves in secret, the two spent their days smoking opium from the Jlasi fields, celebrating their new conquest, and doing nothing else. When they are not sleeping, they are renewing their love of that accursed weed. And in the absence of a controlling power, the goblins did as they would, destroying the dacha’s farms, spawning to such an extent that they might overwhelm all of the Vale.
"We had been spared, and wrote repeatedly to Kalahata for help, but our letters were discovered, and the goblins fastened their filthy eyes upon us. We fled to this chamber.” Looking down at his wife, barely containing himself, he finishes in a harsh whisper, “They have taken… everything.”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Snow listens to Juba’s account of the arrival of the goblins with interest. “We came across and defeated a lot of goblins, and we have destroyed a lot of spawn, but it sounds like the job is far from done. If we are to escape here now, there is the possibility we will just run into more of them, and I am not yet prepared for another fight like the one we just had”, he says.
He looks down to Ayyur. “Nor does it seem we have the luxury to wait much longer. If I can dispel the magic of the door, it means no safe place to keep away from the goblins. Of course it is likely to be temporary if it works at all. And there will still be a regular lock that we have no key for and will need picking. I have no picks, and it is not one of my talents truth be told anyway”.
He turns to Strewn and motions to Ayyur. “What is your diagnosis here? You said your healing didn’t work, does that mean mine will not as well? What is needed to help this lady? You are wise and knowledgeable and I am sure you can figure this out”, he says praising and inspiring the old dwarf.
Bonus Action: Bardic Inspiration for Strewn (1d8)
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/phb/bard#BardicInspiration
In answer to Snow, Granophyre somberly replies, “She is suffering from what we call in Sindarrin ‘kerrush-tarr,’ or, in Jenghen, extreme exhaustion. Now that she has access to water, all we can do is wait, to find out if her body will recover, or,” in a whisper, “if we are too late.”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Snow nods to Strewn, understanding the precarious nature of the position Ayyur was in. He takes out his violin and begins to play, using the melody to focus his thoughts. He had a certain amount of his power remaining, a portion that he had felt unlock within him in the aftermath of the fight with the goblins upstairs. But he wasn't yet sure of what to do with it.
He closes his eyes as he plays on, the seed of a thought entering his mind, a way it was possible that he could help their situation. But it was not certain, it could come to nothing.
He lets the magic build within the violin and kneels down next to Ayyur, channeling a portion of that power from within the violin and into her with a light touch of the violin bow. He carries on playing and reaches out to Strewn with the bow, allowing a portion of the magic to channel into the old dwarf. The last portion of power he keeps for himself, channeling it into his own mind.
He then stops playing, and watches the impact of the spell on Ayyur and her health, feeling his own mind unlock it's potential and knowing Strewn must be feeling the same too.
"If there is an effect, it will be temporary, but it may be enough to help her. Do what you can", he whispers to Strewn with only a small degree of hope, before turning away and wandering over to the chests and objects on the shelves.
"Maybe there is something we have missed, something that might help", he says examining them for potential locks or traps.
Action: Cast Enhance Ability at Level 4 on Ayyur (Bear's Endurance (6 Temp Hit Points) - hoping to enhance her ability to fight off exhaustion and possibly wake up for a time), Strewn (Owl's Wisdom - hoping to enhance his Medicine skill) and himself (Fox's Cunning - to aid with investigation of the chests and objects)
Investigation (with Advantage): (13,
6) + 7 = 20 (he will not risk opening anything that might be trapped for fear of losing concentration, so at this time it is only looking for the traps and locks)It was moments before Snow began to play that your attention was drawn to Ayyur, covered with a housemaid’s cloak, her frail form laid straight out on an embroidered runner, her head gently supported upon a rolled rug. From deep within her a slow, rattling breath had begun to emanate, and all present had no doubt that the old Head of House had arrived at the threshold to the afterlife, or at least, her exit from the mortal plane.
And then Snow’s violin began to sound, weaving themes of courage in times of sadness into a magical symphony, soaring quietly and filling — literally filling — the old woman’s heart with strength, there in that tomb-like vault under the Abziri Castle.
She begins to breathe in time to the music, the melody’s ebb and flow penetrating warmly, firmly, through the stagnant waters in which her soul floats, brightening and thinning them, until she swims lightly to the surface of her consciousness. But there, she stops.
For just as she seems on the verge of awakening, as her slender fingers twitch, seemingly with new life, she spasms once, then is completely still.
Until quite suddenly, her eyes, glowing white, open wide, and she speaks in a haunted voice.
“You almost saved her, minstrel, almost. But there was not enough left to save, not quite. But still, I am glad to see her benefactors, and glad at the end, to be there for Ayyur as she was for me.”
Auger, to his shocked surprise, recognizes the face which looks now at him, a ghostly, ethereal form encompassing that of the old woman. It is the Yemma, Nafsawiyyah, whom he had spent afternoons with in the Abziri Archives with Tamazaert and her infant, Sura. Or rather, it is the ghost of Nafsawiyyah.
“You. I’ve seen you before, southerner. Why do you and your young wife and child no longer come to call? Not that it matters anymore.”
The old woman slowly floats to her feet, empowered by the will of the ghost inhabiting her body. Juba stands there, unable to speak.
“She will live, Juba. Worry not. It is my days which are over. I give her what I had left, and the debt is repaid.
Yet, little good will my sacrifice do if you will only be faced with death anew once you leave the vault. Such sad times have come upon our ancient family grounds! Unless… But you will need help. And the time has come for the Abziri to roar, like the lions in the Bantu foothills!” Turning to the party, she says, “In exchange for your kind aid to my childhood friend, I give you this boon and this quest: help her and help us! Behold!”
The spirit utters a magic word and the dust cloth, previously immune to your attempts to remove it, now shoots up to the ceiling, revealing beneath it a marble likeness of the Yemma herself, in her younger days, strong and virile. The statue is dressed in real armor: a polished brass breastplate engraved with muscular swirls, hanging from it a skirt of brass splints over bright red-dyed cuirass, the entire armored suit giving off a subtle radiance. Over the figure’s shoulders hangs a cloak, mustard and cinnamon in hue, with the shape of an intricate tree embroidered upon it, the branches and roots extending in minute detail to its perfectly tailored edges. Upon the statue’s brow sits a bejeweled diadem, its centerpiece a mist-filled shard; and in her hands she holds a scroll, to which her concentration seems given.
“Take what you see before you and use it with the blessing of the House Abziri,” says the ghostly spirit.” The statue now disappears and the items remain floating in air.
“Minstrel — in whom I see elven blood — take the Treewild cloak. It will allow you to walk between the mortal lands and the Feywild at will.” The cloak floats to Snow, wrapping securely to fasten around his shoulders.
“Southerner — take the Starfell Diadem, and use its Misting Shard to multiply your power tenfold!” The diadem floats to Auger and falls gently around his brow.
“And you — Scion of Drey — you have the strength to wear Thunder, the armor you see before you; its breastplate and skirt seem suited to your form. ‘Twas the last sight of scores of enemies of House Abziri.” The armor disappears, then reappears, clothing Varielky; her old breastplate and skirt have disappeared and now reappear on the floor at her feet.
“Sindarrin! Take the scroll and keep it safe. Give it to the one you seek, tell her I have never forgotten. Never.” The scroll floats to Granophyre, who grasps it curiously. The statue now reappears, fully accoutered as before, but now the armor, diadem, cloak and scroll are all made of marble, like the figure itself of the young Nafsawiyyah.
“Ayyur, give them what they need and help them to help us. Their hearts are pure and they tread the path of heroes. Farewell sweet woman. Tell Massan his mother is grateful.”
And with that, the ghostly spirit disappears, and the old woman’s eyes — Ayyur’s own eyes — open and take in her surroundings, mutely astounded.
Snow, his perception more keen in this moment than ever before, notices one more thing. Around Ayyur’s neck is a thin chain, and the bard intuits with utter certainty that upon it hangs a key hidden under the old woman’s blouse.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Snow is transfixed by Ayyur from the moment his spell appears to be helping. He pours the remainder of his magic into the spell to bolster her, starting to feel the hope well inside him. His own heart skips a beat in disappointment as her’s seems to stop.
But then he sees her form possessed, as it animates anew. He squeezes his eyelids closed for a couple of seconds and then opens his eyes again. It was definitely real.
He listens as the ghostly visage gives her instructions and says her goodbyes. He is quite taken aback as the cloak floats to him and fastens around his neck, a cloak adorned by the image of the tree which had such a strong link to his elven heritage.
He watches with relief as Ayyur comes back to them. A relief heightened by the knowledge that around her neck he was certain was a key. A key that meant their freedom.
“Welcome back”, he says to Ayyur. “It seems now is not your time to leave the mortal realm. And neither is it ours if that key around your neck is our means of escape from this vault. But I get ahead of myself, I am Snow Das, and it is oh so good to make your acquaintance”, he adds with a smile.
Auger watches the strange ghostly event unfold without speaking. His urge to correct and state that Tama was not his wife passes quickly, it does not matter. The manner in which Yemma asserted herself, even re-finds herself at her end is-- well its touching he realizes. The Yemma Auger met was an elderly lady who could not take care of herself. Now he truly sees she was a warrior in the proudest sense of the word and perhaps in a fashion able to experience that power once again. At her end she provides gifts to-- to strangers really. She gifted them because those strangers chose to help a loved one and to fight for the honor of the Abziri. Auger thinks he has observed an example to remember.
After the Yemma's spirit disappears Auger takes a moment to visualize and remember the occasion before he pays attention to the ongoing events. At Ayyur he smiles and adds his own introduction before stepping back and pulling the diadem off his head to examine it. The Starfell Diadem the Yemma called it. Immediately in Auger's mind he corrects that name. This is the Yemma's Diadem. With a Misty Shard at its center. Auger stares at the Shard for a moment, while touching the Sea of Stars, trying to intuit what 'multiplying power tenfold' really meant for him. Perhaps he feels a glimmer of something, but clearly it would take some time to puzzle out.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Varielky watches as the events unfold. This epiphany leaves her speechless. Not of surprise, but of marvel and awe. As if speaking would defile this moment, that to her at least can only be a divine signal of some sort. Sure, it wasn't a god who spoke to them, but things like this don't just happen by the powers of mortals. Not even the variety of magics she witnessed in her life could explain this. Not to her, at least.
Even as the others talk, Varielky remains silent. To the point where if she's asked for her name, she might not notice and not reply, until someone else might answer for her... or not. She then looks down to her armour - the older one. Many experiences they've had together, ever since that night when she left her own armour in her room, thinking it would create too much noise sneaking away from those trying to assassinate her and Benita. She used to look down on people who get attached to items - especially as temporary as weapons or armour that might get ruined during a fight. Yet, when it was a gift she had received from the two deceased Dwarven brothers, after spending all of her earned funds at the time to make it match her size, she couldn't not feel anything for this battle-worn piece of armour. She feels kind of sad leaving it behind, but knows that taking it instead of what she was given is not only foolish, but also rude at best, and possibly a sacrilegious act at worst.
Varielky finally raises her head to look at the rest of the people in the room. She could spend time to better understand what's special about the armour later, but for now, she still wanted to get out of this vault, and perhaps finish what they started. "I believe it is time to leave this place." Varielky states simply, rising on her feet. "Though she is right, there is no point in all that if you die the moment we leave the vault. Could we ask you to wait here for but a bit more, until we return?"
Varielky
“We still need some time to recuperate, at least I am afraid I do. My powers are all but exhausted and I’m afraid I would be close to useless were we to run into more goblins, trolls or Jlasi”, Snow admits when Varielky suggests it is time to leave.
”I need somewhere safe to stay and sleep ideally”, he adds, looking back to Ayyur.