Like Meresaa, Nikita also eventually recalls that Brinck had keys that he used to open the front door at least. But she smiles ruefully as the tall blue lady beats her to the punch and instead focuses on helping Boyd as best she can, holding different tools for him to select in her Mage Hand.
She gives Ermasnietsz a thoughtful look: "You know... I admire you for wanting to be sure before you do anything permanent. It speaks well of you and your... group? Though I doubt my compliment matters to you. Regardless, I am not so meticulous a person as you, it seems. My coterie were wiped out by actual demons and cambions. And I've seen and heard enough of Sedgewick. He may not be the ultimate villain here, but from all descriptions, he is no longer a person," (referring to Meresaa's not wanting to 'destroy people') "and his apparent deliberate infecting of people with Sagacitas needs to stop. We also cannot rely on Lexi Rosetta and her crew, should they survive, to finish Sedgewick as Rosetta merely told her pirates to bring Sedgewick, not to attack him. Unless new information comes to light, I plan to kill Sedgewick, or die trying. Though we also need to close the portal, rescue Esther here, and Asha..."
Nikita trails off thinking about the portrait of the young woman with the red hair and fire in her hands, and of the unintelligible whispers and cold winds in this house that seemed to pick up at a mention of the former owner's name. Slowly, deliberately, she announces to he air around her:
"Asha Hawkes. We come as friends to help. On behalf of professor Rothstein, but also for the many innocents who have been hurt or killed by what is happening in this house that belonged to you and your family. Please help us. Give us a sign of how to make things right."
"Personally, I think Sedgewick will be grateful if we ensure a quick death for him. According to the brief description of his suffering provided by Brincks', he must consider it a blessing unless..."Ermasnietsz replies to Nikita when a feeling of cold fear passes through her spine, or the random parts of vertebrae that function like the spine. The chilling sensation reaches the innermost part of her brain, blurring the memories of past and present.
Boyd - You set to work attempting to pick the lock. Whilst you are doing so you hear the voice answer you. "It's me - I'm Esther. Help! Gods! I'm trapped! My stomach..." She lets out a cry of pain. "There's something in me!". Perhaps caught up in the urgency of the task your hands falter; snapping one of the lockpicks as you error. Cursing your luck and judging that this lock is likely worn with age you quietly shove your shoulder against the door. Thankfully it springs open without much sound.
In front of you is a staircase leading downwards towards a basement. You can just about tell that the bottom is partially submerged and not lit. You hear a dripping sound coming from below.
Ermasnietsz - As you stand outside the lounge you hear a rustling on the other side of the door, followed by heavy footfall (or rather paw-fall). It would seem that the bear-plant creature is pacing around but has yet to notice the party.
"Asha Hawkes. We come as friends to help. On behalf of professor Rothstein, but also for the many innocents who have been hurt or killed by what is happening in this house that belonged to you and your family. Please help us. Give us a sign of how to make things right."
ALL - No sooner than the words leave Nikita's mouth than time almost seems to stop or at least slow. Your hearing muffles, becoming dull to your surroundings. A cold wind hits you, chilling you to the core - did it contain a whisper?
Your vision flashes. One moment you see the four walls of prospect, the next you stand in the middle of a ruined city, then back again. This happens a handful of times. Struggling to comprehend what is happening you make out strange buildings - desolate, deserted, a ghost town.
You do not have much time to contemplate what is happening as a crashing sound erupts from behind, snapping you back to your senses. The sound came from the lounge; perhaps the strange plant-bear has found a different target.
Boyd - The basement is lit up now; you note the familiar flickering of candlelight.
Nikita - You feel emboldened by the fact that your ploy of calling out to Asha seems to have worked. You gain inspiration.
"Assshhhaaa," the voice sounds distant. "Where am I? Who am I? Is that me? Asha? I think that's me? Who spoke to me? Rothstein? Karl Rothstein - a name I remember. Why do I remember? A professor ... a friend... Are you a friend?"
Melted invisibly into the shadows behind Boyd, Faila goes onto alert hearing Esther's cries for help. In the invisible blackness of her hiding spot, the whites of her eyes almost become visible. These poor children! We've got to do something!
The strange vision leaves her stunned. Is that the portal? Is that another world?
The terrible crashing from the lounge brings her back to the present, her heart pounding in terrified sympathetic response.
Faila stays still in the shadow behind Boyd until she sees the flickering candlelight appear in the basement. Then, as quietly as she can, she starts down the stairway into the basement.
"I must be crazy..." Boyd mutters to himself, grimacing. In a louder (but not too loud) voice he announces, "Keep your wits about you. I don't like this one bit... could be a trap."He feels stupid saying it; of course it's a trap!
Not trusting the thin flickering light coming from down there, Boyd unclips the hooded lantern from his hip and lights it, just in case those lights go out. He creeps down the stairs after Faila and becks the others to follow.
The universe is stranger by far than I can possibly imagine.
Nikita is gratified about her hunch with Asha Hawkes haunting the house, but wishes she understood the message. She imagines that Asha is trying to tell the party that the only way to close the portal and remove the danger involves (also?) closing it from the other side. From the other plane of existence! Which she had imagined to be the Feywild but seems to be a desolate, ruined city?
She is not about to go back into the lounge with the plant-bear, but Nikita and Thumbtack do try to identify whether the crashing sound originated from an exterior window being broken in. Or perhaps Asha Hawkes' portrait crashing down from the wall. Or something different.
She absent-mindedly responds to Ermasnietsz's point about Sedgewick being grateful for a quick death or crazy: "Don't care if he's grateful or out of his mind or anything else. If he's purposely infecting innocents (along with the not so innocent like Brinck), he must be eliminated."
But speaking of innocents, other thoughts recede to the background as they all hear Esther Freyn identify herself and beg for help from down the stairs. Nikita follows behind Boyd and Faila to the basement, longbow in one hand and other hand ready to either nock an arrow or cast Shape Water to start forming water into ice to drain the basement of liquid.
In a low voice: "Well done Boyd! Be ready. There may be things in the room or in the water. Strange creatures or plants or who knows what. Even the voice may be a fake. But we must take the chance if she is indeed there to be rescued."
Meresaa returns to the group, rifling through her findings.
"I think I might've found the key to the... Oh. Never mind, then," she says as she sees the open door and her companions beginning to head down the stairs. "We should probably hurry. I'm experiencing some odd multi-planar anomalies as if the stability of the gate is rapidly deteriorating."
The lanky blue lady waits for the rest of the group to go first, gives a final look around the hall, and carefully closes the door behind her lest they be more easily followed, should the brigands enter the house while they're below.
Nikita - Please make a History check as you contemplate whether you have heard of any ruined cities within the Feywild ((Forewarning: this will be a high DC)).
Thumbtack's sharp hearing picks up the continued sounds of battle raging in the courtyard. Occasionally a commanding voice, presumably Lexi's, barks out commands to her crew. The sound of screams and death wails is proceeded by a clear order to "FALL BACK!".
You are certain that the sound was the plant-bear crashing through the front window towards Lexi and her crew.
You descend the stairs to the basement. At the bottom, you find a small room that has been used as a dumping ground of sorts; crates and sacks litter the room, at the far end, nestled between two wine racks, is a heavy-looking door.
Thinking quickly, Nikita manages to freeze a good deal of the water against the walls of the room, reducing its overall level. The smell of dampness permeates the room, however, this is mixed with the fragrance of honey and spice. A deep low buzzing can be heard from the southwestern corner; giant bees swarm around a huge hive, they appear to be going about their business.
Esther's voice sounds a little louder now. "Are you still there?! The lights just came on... Help! Please!"
ALL - Investigation checks if you want to check out the room.
((Please excuse the lack of water... currently it is around a foot deep; reduced by Nikita's shape water spell.))
"I'm not sure where, what, or when I am. I heard a voice. It was as if someone was trying to communicate over a vast open void. I see a great city, but not many dwell within. A relic of a once-powerful civilisation. Powerful artefacts are held here. I stand in front of a once-grand manor... I see a name - PROSPECT. I remember Prospect... this is different... odd."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ermasniestz
Ermasnietsz remembers the weird mannerism of the bear-like bunch of foliage and the suddenness of its transformation. She thinks that the whole place is somehow enchanted and the effect of otherworldly magic is visible everywhere. The basement room might not be an exception.
Before entering in the small room, she will create an illusory image of a flare stick by flicking her wand then throw it inside the damp room. The small magical stick of flare bursts into colorful sparks of light illuminating the interior. (Prestidigitation)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Nikita tries to stay well away from the vines and bees, agreeing with Boyd wholeheartedly. Moving quietly, whispering:
"Thumbtack says the crashing noise was the plant-bear breaking out the lounge window and attacking the pirates outside. Meresaa, if by the multi-planar anomalies, you mean the visions of a deserted city, that occurred right after I asked what I think is the ghost of Asha Hawkes for guidance on how to make things right here, as crazy as that sounds."
History to remember hearing of ruined cities in the Feywild: 12 Investigation, looking around basement room: 9
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Oh, you saw that too? And here I was thinking I was special..." Meresaa grins as she continues down the steps behind the group. "What an odd cellar. Who keeps bees belowground?" she muses.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Faila slips down the stairs into the subterranean palace of ice and honey and buzzing. The sweet fragrance makes her feel very relaxed, and despite herself she smiles seeing the busy giant bees. Eventually her gaze drifts to the heavy door between the wine racks. Esther must be in there.
But she waits to see what the others find in the room. Surely Boyd, and Meresaa, as cool and world-wise as they are, will be able to figure out if it's safe, and Nikita and Erma will dismantle anything that's not.
But what am I to do? Faila rubs her small, scrawny arms, gnawed on a bit by a feeling of uselessness, or perhaps emptiness. She feels this sometimes, the strange lack of a sense of place, like she's not even sure if her feet are on the ground. They are, of course, but the strange-yet-familiarly-terrifying feeling of not being at home in her own body can sometimes make her doubt it. Now, Faila, hold it together! Remember who you are! And a minute later she remembers why she can't remember. It's too painful. I don't want to feel that scared again. Her fingernails tingle a bit and she stuffs her cloth-wrapped hands under her belt to keep them still.
The storage room seems to be crawling with all manner of strange wildlife; bees, rats, ants, caterpillars and butterflies climb, or fly, over the abandoned crates and other miscellaneous junk. It seems clear to you, more so than before, that this growth has been unnaturally quick; some of the items here seem no older than a couple of weeks, yet they too are covered head to foot in ivy, moss, and other plant life.
Treasure
A couple of items instantly catch your eye;
an array of coloured potions sit on one of the wine racks (to the left of the door/south of the room). However, the beehive sits very closely to these potions. Any attempts to retrieve them may provoke an attack.
several vintage bottles of Châteauneuf du Faucongris are currently nestled within the wine rack to the right of the door (north of the room). It is likely that a collector would pay good coin for these preserved bottles; you would estimate around 50gp/bottle.
Threats
You see no immediate threat from the plant life, however, you believe that one wrong move might upset the giant bees swarming around the hive. Equally a number of the ants climbing over the crates to the southeast seem not only to be phasing in and out of existence, but they also have tiny, wicked, fangs and are best kept clear of. Many of these smaller creatures are being drawn to your flare stick.
The water seems to be coming from deeper into the basement, beyond the door. This does not appear to have a lock on it.
Boyd & Meresaa:
General
The storage room seems to be crawling with all manner of strange wildlife; bees, rats, ants, caterpillars and butterflies climb, or fly, over the abandoned crates and other miscellaneous junk. The crates and sacks to the south appear to be covered head to foot in ivy, moss, and other plant life.
Treasure
An array of coloured potions sit on one of the wine racks (to the left of the door/south of the room).
Threats
You see no immediate threat from the plant life, however, you believe that one wrong move might upset the giant bees swarming around the hive.
The water seems to be coming from deeper into the basement, beyond the door. This does not appear to have a lock on it.
Nikita & Faila:
General
The storage room seems to be crawling with all manner of strange wildlife; bees, rats, ants, caterpillars and butterflies climb, or fly, over the abandoned crates and other miscellaneous junk. The crates and sacks to the south appear to be covered head to foot in ivy, moss, and other plant life.
Treasure
Nothing inside this room particularly grabs your interest - it seems to mainly be a dumping ground.
Threats
You see no immediate threats inside the room. There are a few giant bees but they seem to largely be going about their business.
History Check
Nikita:
Your mind takes a trip down memory lane. You vaguely recall references within a children's story, or perhaps a fairytale, that mentioned a ruined magical, fey city. Unfortunately, for some reason, you cannot recall its name or why it was left to ruin in the first place.
What you do remember, according to the stories, is that it was a once-fine city built by an ancient race of elves. These were no ordinary elves, however, their skin colours would reflect the seasons. Eladrin, that was it.
A rather unpleasant thought only momentarily enters your mind; the fairytales mention a group that stood in opposition to the Eladrin but you cannot for the life of you remember their name.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ermasnietsz
Ermasnietsz stares at the shadows falling on the wall of the small room, seemingly lost in her own thoughts or just enjoying the dancing shadow figures. She parts her lips to say 'thank you' when Boyd saves the day by removing the hood of his lantern. But, she fails to vocalize her gratitude for unknown reason. To her, everything seems like the reflections of real objects and these people who're busy playing 'detective' are unable to see the reality.
"These bees seem quite territorial".She points her finger at the beehive, then at the wine rack with colorful potions. "If we can distract them, like sprinkling water on their tiny wings to reduce mobility; it might be possible to claim a potion or two."
She moves towards the crates to discover the reason behind the unnatural movement of the ants while carefully avoiding the beehive.
Nikita shivers at her incomplete memories of the Feywild, Eladrin and their enemies whom she cannot put a name to in her muddled memories.
She shakes her head to clear it and whispers: "I think we have to rescue Esther first. This place is infested - I do not think we should touch anything if we can avoid it." She points at the heavy-door and starts slowly, quietly moving in that direction, trying not to disturb the plants, insects or other animals. She glances at the faces of her companions to check whether they appear to have seen any other threats.
Holding her rapier in one hand, she casts Mage Hand with the other, readying it if needed to hold off Sagacitas larvae or other small creatures.
A faint spark of a fire bolt arcs between her fingers as Meresaa palms a sconce and lights it in hopes of freeing Boyd's hands of the lantern. She gives the man a wink and a wry grin.
Hugging the north wall, she braces herself for whatever may be behind the door as Nikita opens it.
While Boyd works, Meresaa slinks back to the dining room and rummages through Brinck's remains to see if he had keys to the house's many locked doors.
Investigation: 17
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Like Meresaa, Nikita also eventually recalls that Brinck had keys that he used to open the front door at least. But she smiles ruefully as the tall blue lady beats her to the punch and instead focuses on helping Boyd as best she can, holding different tools for him to select in her Mage Hand.
She gives Ermasnietsz a thoughtful look:
"You know... I admire you for wanting to be sure before you do anything permanent. It speaks well of you and your... group? Though I doubt my compliment matters to you. Regardless, I am not so meticulous a person as you, it seems. My coterie were wiped out by actual demons and cambions. And I've seen and heard enough of Sedgewick. He may not be the ultimate villain here, but from all descriptions, he is no longer a person," (referring to Meresaa's not wanting to 'destroy people') "and his apparent deliberate infecting of people with Sagacitas needs to stop. We also cannot rely on Lexi Rosetta and her crew, should they survive, to finish Sedgewick as Rosetta merely told her pirates to bring Sedgewick, not to attack him. Unless new information comes to light, I plan to kill Sedgewick, or die trying. Though we also need to close the portal, rescue Esther here, and Asha..."
Nikita trails off thinking about the portrait of the young woman with the red hair and fire in her hands, and of the unintelligible whispers and cold winds in this house that seemed to pick up at a mention of the former owner's name. Slowly, deliberately, she announces to he air around her:
"Asha Hawkes. We come as friends to help. On behalf of professor Rothstein, but also for the many innocents who have been hurt or killed by what is happening in this house that belonged to you and your family. Please help us. Give us a sign of how to make things right."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Ermasnietsz
"Personally, I think Sedgewick will be grateful if we ensure a quick death for him. According to the brief description of his suffering provided by Brincks', he must consider it a blessing unless..." Ermasnietsz replies to Nikita when a feeling of cold fear passes through her spine, or the random parts of vertebrae that function like the spine. The chilling sensation reaches the innermost part of her brain, blurring the memories of past and present.
"... unless he's out of his mind."
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Boyd - You set to work attempting to pick the lock. Whilst you are doing so you hear the voice answer you. "It's me - I'm Esther. Help! Gods! I'm trapped! My stomach..." She lets out a cry of pain. "There's something in me!". Perhaps caught up in the urgency of the task your hands falter; snapping one of the lockpicks as you error. Cursing your luck and judging that this lock is likely worn with age you quietly shove your shoulder against the door. Thankfully it springs open without much sound.
In front of you is a staircase leading downwards towards a basement. You can just about tell that the bottom is partially submerged and not lit. You hear a dripping sound coming from below.
Ermasnietsz - As you stand outside the lounge you hear a rustling on the other side of the door, followed by heavy footfall (or rather paw-fall). It would seem that the bear-plant creature is pacing around but has yet to notice the party.
Meresaa's Investigation check:
You pat over what remains of Casper Brinck. You find a couple of items of note;
DM
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Afternoon - Day #2 -Strange Happenings
ALL - No sooner than the words leave Nikita's mouth than time almost seems to stop or at least slow. Your hearing muffles, becoming dull to your surroundings. A cold wind hits you, chilling you to the core - did it contain a whisper?
Your vision flashes. One moment you see the four walls of prospect, the next you stand in the middle of a ruined city, then back again. This happens a handful of times. Struggling to comprehend what is happening you make out strange buildings - desolate, deserted, a ghost town.
You do not have much time to contemplate what is happening as a crashing sound erupts from behind, snapping you back to your senses. The sound came from the lounge; perhaps the strange plant-bear has found a different target.
Boyd - The basement is lit up now; you note the familiar flickering of candlelight.
Nikita - You feel emboldened by the fact that your ploy of calling out to Asha seems to have worked. You gain inspiration.
"Assshhhaaa," the voice sounds distant. "Where am I? Who am I? Is that me? Asha? I think that's me? Who spoke to me? Rothstein? Karl Rothstein - a name I remember. Why do I remember? A professor ... a friend... Are you a friend?"
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Melted invisibly into the shadows behind Boyd, Faila goes onto alert hearing Esther's cries for help. In the invisible blackness of her hiding spot, the whites of her eyes almost become visible. These poor children! We've got to do something!
The strange vision leaves her stunned. Is that the portal? Is that another world?
The terrible crashing from the lounge brings her back to the present, her heart pounding in terrified sympathetic response.
Faila stays still in the shadow behind Boyd until she sees the flickering candlelight appear in the basement. Then, as quietly as she can, she starts down the stairway into the basement.
"I must be crazy..." Boyd mutters to himself, grimacing. In a louder (but not too loud) voice he announces, "Keep your wits about you. I don't like this one bit... could be a trap." He feels stupid saying it; of course it's a trap!
Not trusting the thin flickering light coming from down there, Boyd unclips the hooded lantern from his hip and lights it, just in case those lights go out. He creeps down the stairs after Faila and becks the others to follow.
The universe is stranger by far than I can possibly imagine.
Nikita is gratified about her hunch with Asha Hawkes haunting the house, but wishes she understood the message. She imagines that Asha is trying to tell the party that the only way to close the portal and remove the danger involves (also?) closing it from the other side. From the other plane of existence! Which she had imagined to be the Feywild but seems to be a desolate, ruined city?
She is not about to go back into the lounge with the plant-bear, but Nikita and Thumbtack do try to identify whether the crashing sound originated from an exterior window being broken in. Or perhaps Asha Hawkes' portrait crashing down from the wall. Or something different.
Nikita Perception: 25
Thumbtack Perception: 12
She absent-mindedly responds to Ermasnietsz's point about Sedgewick being grateful for a quick death or crazy: "Don't care if he's grateful or out of his mind or anything else. If he's purposely infecting innocents (along with the not so innocent like Brinck), he must be eliminated."
But speaking of innocents, other thoughts recede to the background as they all hear Esther Freyn identify herself and beg for help from down the stairs. Nikita follows behind Boyd and Faila to the basement, longbow in one hand and other hand ready to either nock an arrow or cast Shape Water to start forming water into ice to drain the basement of liquid.
In a low voice: "Well done Boyd! Be ready. There may be things in the room or in the water. Strange creatures or plants or who knows what. Even the voice may be a fake. But we must take the chance if she is indeed there to be rescued."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Meresaa returns to the group, rifling through her findings.
"I think I might've found the key to the... Oh. Never mind, then," she says as she sees the open door and her companions beginning to head down the stairs. "We should probably hurry. I'm experiencing some odd multi-planar anomalies as if the stability of the gate is rapidly deteriorating."
The lanky blue lady waits for the rest of the group to go first, gives a final look around the hall, and carefully closes the door behind her lest they be more easily followed, should the brigands enter the house while they're below.
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Nikita - Please make a History check as you contemplate whether you have heard of any ruined cities within the Feywild ((Forewarning: this will be a high DC)).
Nikita's (and Thumbtack's) Perception checks:
Thumbtack's sharp hearing picks up the continued sounds of battle raging in the courtyard. Occasionally a commanding voice, presumably Lexi's, barks out commands to her crew. The sound of screams and death wails is proceeded by a clear order to "FALL BACK!".
You are certain that the sound was the plant-bear crashing through the front window towards Lexi and her crew.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Afternoon - Day #2 - Prospect's Basement
You descend the stairs to the basement. At the bottom, you find a small room that has been used as a dumping ground of sorts; crates and sacks litter the room, at the far end, nestled between two wine racks, is a heavy-looking door.
Thinking quickly, Nikita manages to freeze a good deal of the water against the walls of the room, reducing its overall level. The smell of dampness permeates the room, however, this is mixed with the fragrance of honey and spice. A deep low buzzing can be heard from the southwestern corner; giant bees swarm around a huge hive, they appear to be going about their business.
Esther's voice sounds a little louder now. "Are you still there?! The lights just came on... Help! Please!"
ALL - Investigation checks if you want to check out the room.
"I'm not sure where, what, or when I am. I heard a voice. It was as if someone was trying to communicate over a vast open void. I see a great city, but not many dwell within. A relic of a once-powerful civilisation. Powerful artefacts are held here. I stand in front of a once-grand manor... I see a name - PROSPECT. I remember Prospect... this is different... odd."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Ermasniestz
Ermasnietsz remembers the weird mannerism of the bear-like bunch of foliage and the suddenness of its transformation. She thinks that the whole place is somehow enchanted and the effect of otherworldly magic is visible everywhere. The basement room might not be an exception.
Before entering in the small room, she will create an illusory image of a flare stick by flicking her wand then throw it inside the damp room. The small magical stick of flare bursts into colorful sparks of light illuminating the interior. (Prestidigitation)
Intelligence [Investigation] 22
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Investigation: 11
Boyd creeps down the stairs with his lantern unhooded, because he doesn't trust the lights in the room. He calls out "Esther? Where are you?"
He points at the vines creeping out from under the door on the west wall. "This is a trap or my name's Nancy... My gut says don't touch those."
Nikita tries to stay well away from the vines and bees, agreeing with Boyd wholeheartedly. Moving quietly, whispering:
"Thumbtack says the crashing noise was the plant-bear breaking out the lounge window and attacking the pirates outside. Meresaa, if by the multi-planar anomalies, you mean the visions of a deserted city, that occurred right after I asked what I think is the ghost of Asha Hawkes for guidance on how to make things right here, as crazy as that sounds."
History to remember hearing of ruined cities in the Feywild: 12
Investigation, looking around basement room: 9
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
"Oh, you saw that too? And here I was thinking I was special..." Meresaa grins as she continues down the steps behind the group. "What an odd cellar. Who keeps bees belowground?" she muses.
Investigation: 11
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Faila slips down the stairs into the subterranean palace of ice and honey and buzzing. The sweet fragrance makes her feel very relaxed, and despite herself she smiles seeing the busy giant bees. Eventually her gaze drifts to the heavy door between the wine racks. Esther must be in there.
But she waits to see what the others find in the room. Surely Boyd, and Meresaa, as cool and world-wise as they are, will be able to figure out if it's safe, and Nikita and Erma will dismantle anything that's not.
But what am I to do? Faila rubs her small, scrawny arms, gnawed on a bit by a feeling of uselessness, or perhaps emptiness. She feels this sometimes, the strange lack of a sense of place, like she's not even sure if her feet are on the ground. They are, of course, but the strange-yet-familiarly-terrifying feeling of not being at home in her own body can sometimes make her doubt it. Now, Faila, hold it together! Remember who you are! And a minute later she remembers why she can't remember. It's too painful. I don't want to feel that scared again. Her fingernails tingle a bit and she stuffs her cloth-wrapped hands under her belt to keep them still.
Investigation: 7
Investigation Checks
Ermasnietsz:
General
The storage room seems to be crawling with all manner of strange wildlife; bees, rats, ants, caterpillars and butterflies climb, or fly, over the abandoned crates and other miscellaneous junk. It seems clear to you, more so than before, that this growth has been unnaturally quick; some of the items here seem no older than a couple of weeks, yet they too are covered head to foot in ivy, moss, and other plant life.
Treasure
A couple of items instantly catch your eye;
Threats
You see no immediate threat from the plant life, however, you believe that one wrong move might upset the giant bees swarming around the hive. Equally a number of the ants climbing over the crates to the southeast seem not only to be phasing in and out of existence, but they also have tiny, wicked, fangs and are best kept clear of. Many of these smaller creatures are being drawn to your flare stick.
The water seems to be coming from deeper into the basement, beyond the door. This does not appear to have a lock on it.
Boyd & Meresaa:
General
The storage room seems to be crawling with all manner of strange wildlife; bees, rats, ants, caterpillars and butterflies climb, or fly, over the abandoned crates and other miscellaneous junk. The crates and sacks to the south appear to be covered head to foot in ivy, moss, and other plant life.
Treasure
An array of coloured potions sit on one of the wine racks (to the left of the door/south of the room).
Threats
You see no immediate threat from the plant life, however, you believe that one wrong move might upset the giant bees swarming around the hive.
The water seems to be coming from deeper into the basement, beyond the door. This does not appear to have a lock on it.
Nikita & Faila:
General
The storage room seems to be crawling with all manner of strange wildlife; bees, rats, ants, caterpillars and butterflies climb, or fly, over the abandoned crates and other miscellaneous junk. The crates and sacks to the south appear to be covered head to foot in ivy, moss, and other plant life.
Treasure
Nothing inside this room particularly grabs your interest - it seems to mainly be a dumping ground.
Threats
You see no immediate threats inside the room. There are a few giant bees but they seem to largely be going about their business.
History Check
Nikita:
Your mind takes a trip down memory lane. You vaguely recall references within a children's story, or perhaps a fairytale, that mentioned a ruined magical, fey city. Unfortunately, for some reason, you cannot recall its name or why it was left to ruin in the first place.
What you do remember, according to the stories, is that it was a once-fine city built by an ancient race of elves. These were no ordinary elves, however, their skin colours would reflect the seasons. Eladrin, that was it.
A rather unpleasant thought only momentarily enters your mind; the fairytales mention a group that stood in opposition to the Eladrin but you cannot for the life of you remember their name.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Ermasnietsz
Ermasnietsz stares at the shadows falling on the wall of the small room, seemingly lost in her own thoughts or just enjoying the dancing shadow figures. She parts her lips to say 'thank you' when Boyd saves the day by removing the hood of his lantern. But, she fails to vocalize her gratitude for unknown reason. To her, everything seems like the reflections of real objects and these people who're busy playing 'detective' are unable to see the reality.
"These bees seem quite territorial". She points her finger at the beehive, then at the wine rack with colorful potions. "If we can distract them, like sprinkling water on their tiny wings to reduce mobility; it might be possible to claim a potion or two."
She moves towards the crates to discover the reason behind the unnatural movement of the ants while carefully avoiding the beehive.
Intelligence [Investigation] 10
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Nikita shivers at her incomplete memories of the Feywild, Eladrin and their enemies whom she cannot put a name to in her muddled memories.
She shakes her head to clear it and whispers: "I think we have to rescue Esther first. This place is infested - I do not think we should touch anything if we can avoid it." She points at the heavy-door and starts slowly, quietly moving in that direction, trying not to disturb the plants, insects or other animals. She glances at the faces of her companions to check whether they appear to have seen any other threats.
Holding her rapier in one hand, she casts Mage Hand with the other, readying it if needed to hold off Sagacitas larvae or other small creatures.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
A faint spark of a fire bolt arcs between her fingers as Meresaa palms a sconce and lights it in hopes of freeing Boyd's hands of the lantern. She gives the man a wink and a wry grin.
Hugging the north wall, she braces herself for whatever may be behind the door as Nikita opens it.
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age