"If we do need to travel through the portal, I can at least ensure that we can breathe while doing so," Liri says, staring at the glimmering portal. "The lady grants me power to manage that."
"That would put us at a small advantage, though I'm curious that wood, feathers and flesh can pass through but the water on the other side does not. We know that the mere has risen from it's former state when Talos 'broke' the world" Elandra looks slightly towards Koric at this, hoping his knowledge of history would confirm her thoughts, "So perhaps this was used to move things between the Mere and Axeholm. My concern is why? I can't imagine the dwarves of this place would want much to do with a quagmire, yet here we find a broken portal and a way to magically restore it to functionality." She pauses considering the possibilities.
"If this was used by the dwarves then the ability to repair it makes sense. If it was the cultists that forged the magical fixing level somehow, then they would likely have had some motivation beyond 'let's fix it and see' as well as some very capable individuals. That begs the question of why it was broken?"
You’ve explored all the directions in this direction from the main room, but there’s other doors you’ve seen elsewhere.
@Soloth
It does certainly seem to you based on what you know that this portal leads to the Mere. Based on Koric’s explanation of what balthar saw, you can probably make the surface, although it’s unclear if anything will be around you on the surface, and you can’t swim indefinitely without getting exhausted unless you have waterbreathing
((Liri has Water Breathing. She actually has it prepared, so can cast it either with a slot or ritually, though ritually probably makes sense seeing as we aren't currently in a rush))
As people discuss going to the Mere, Koric clears his throat, looking a little confused, "We should finish helping the dwarves here. Wasn't that what we agreed?"
Walking back in from one of the other rooms, Norbus overhears your comment. He says “You’ve all already helped us quite enough. I’d likely be dead 3 times over by now without all of your assistance. Plus, Dazlyn and I haven’t found much else that could be a threat in this castle. Should you wish to stay we’d love to have your assistance, but feel free to continue your quest if you need to. No matter what, once we have restored this place, Axeholm will forever be at your service”
Jade looks at Liri, impressed. "You can make it so we can breath on the other side of the portal? Wow." And to the dwarves they met along the way, "If you're sure. You are mighty warriors and I am proud to know you and call you friends. May Tempus help you with whatever fights lie in your path." And she nods to the two dwarves, pounding her spear on the ground in punctuation.
She then turns to Koric, "Looks like it, you ready?"
((Ritual cast is just 10 mins (& 6 seconds) isn't it?))
Elandra takes the hands of Norbus and Dazlyn in turn, bowing her head then flightily hugging each of them. "It has been a perilous start to our travels, but the knowledge that there are still good people like yourselves fighting to bring back the fallen standards is a welcome boost to our cause. Perhaps we will meet again and I shall sing the tales of our journey in the restored glory of your halls."
She turns to her companions, "If Liri could oblige with her spell, that is one problem sorted. Where we come out is the next one, we could be lucky and be able to swim straight for the surface. If we are in some sort of cave structure, it might be more difficult to get out." She pauses a moment as she looks around at each of them and their gear laden states, and eyes them all with extra scrutiny, "The more pressing concern however is whether anyone has a waxed cloth for my lute. It really isn't intended for underwater performances."
As the others make their preparations, Liri begins her own for the spell. She sits on the ground to begin the ritual, closing her eyes and drawing her concentration inwards. After a few minutes of this meditation, she rises to her feet. Taking her water bottle, she scatters a few drops over each of the others, including Balthar, as she chants the incantation that will allow them all to breathe underwater.
You’ve been exploring the castle for a few hours, but it’s only mid day and everyone seems to in good condition, even if dangers lie ahead. And yes, that is the correct assumption
@All
Liri takes some time to weave her spell, and as she does, the rest of you feel your lungs twist a bit and something change inside of you. It’s a bit painful, but it certainly does the trick for breathing underwater, and you all gain the ability to breathe underwater!
Whilst Liri prepares her spell, Elandra very precisely and carefully withdraws a couple of tools and a small leather pouch from her backpack. She plucks each string, savouring the note it produces before removing the strings from her instrument one by one. She takes a small pot out and dips her fingers into a waxy looking paste, gently spreading a thin layer over each before coiling them up into the small pouch which she then folds back up and tucks away. She wraps the lute body and the pan flute separately, tucking them into her pack and seemign to move things around to best protect her treasures.
After Liri splashes her with water, Elandra inhales deeply, feeling the air move around her lungs - her long hours of practise controlling her breathing through song having given her a better than average understanding of her airways, or at least that what she's always thought. Curious, she trills out a few notes and, nodding, seems satisfied that her voice is still performing to a suitable standard. "Well, I guess we should put this to the test." She quickly turns to Liri and raises a hand to her mouth, "Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I doubt your magic, just, well, I guess someone needs to go first."
Elandra moves to the portal and pushes her hand through, the sensation sends a shiver down her back as she sees her hand disappear at the same moment that she feels the change in resistance to her movement as it moves from air to water. She swishes her arm around a moment as she takes a deep breath in, before pushing off with her legs and diving through the portal.
@DM - Once on the other side Elandra intends to first check that she can see the portal from the other side and then attempt to manoeuvre herself around to put a hand back through the portal. If her hand goes through ok, she'll try to breathe in the water and make an 'OK' sign with her hand for everyone else. Then she'll try to produce an air bubble by breathing out, and look in the direction that it travels to find 'up', then head that way.
Watching Elandra carefully pack her instruments, Koric removes his cloak and wraps his book in it before placing it carefully in his pack and closing the pack as tightly as he can. As usual he is among the last to go through the portal. He waits for the spell to complete on Balthar before sending him to the relative safety of his private dimension. "No sense in us both getting soaked, eh? Pity you can't take my things with you."
Jade looks worryingly down at her chain mail and back at the water beyond the portal. She gulps, hoping she is good enough of a swimmer to be able to overcome the weight of her armor, knowing if she carried it, it would just be as heavy as wearing it. So, after seeing Liri's hand protrude through the portal, she takes a breath and heads in.
You walk through the portal, and are instantly surrounded by water. Below you you can see the remnants of the swaMp that was once Mere of Dead Men, and above you, the sun shines through the surface, which doesn’t seem to be too far up, maybe only about 20 feet. You take a breath, breathing in the water without any issues, and put your hand back through the portal, hoping to signal your companions
@All
Elandra’s hand emerges back through the portal, and on her signal, you all step through the portal. Norbus and Dazlyn give you all one final goodbye. Once you are all through the portal, there’s not much you all can see from underwater, other than the swamp beneath you
Koric can't help but laugh, albeit in a strange bubbling manner. He looks around and shakes his head, his long dark hair drifting around in the water. "Well, this is different. I must says that I've never done this before."
He tries to tie his hair back then looks for any underwater landmarks that might help guide him back to the portal. As his gaze moves over the portal he studies it closely, trying to note any differences between the stones on this side compared to the ones in the fortress.
When he is done, he scans the area looking for signs of land that may rise out of the water. If the surface is less than 30' away, he will re-summon Balthar in the air, link senses with him and ask him to circle 70' up so that Koric gets a good view of what lies nearby.
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"If we do need to travel through the portal, I can at least ensure that we can breathe while doing so," Liri says, staring at the glimmering portal. "The lady grants me power to manage that."
"That would put us at a small advantage, though I'm curious that wood, feathers and flesh can pass through but the water on the other side does not. We know that the mere has risen from it's former state when Talos 'broke' the world" Elandra looks slightly towards Koric at this, hoping his knowledge of history would confirm her thoughts, "So perhaps this was used to move things between the Mere and Axeholm. My concern is why? I can't imagine the dwarves of this place would want much to do with a quagmire, yet here we find a broken portal and a way to magically restore it to functionality." She pauses considering the possibilities.
"If this was used by the dwarves then the ability to repair it makes sense. If it was the cultists that forged the magical fixing level somehow, then they would likely have had some motivation beyond 'let's fix it and see' as well as some very capable individuals. That begs the question of why it was broken?"
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
@Koric
You’ve explored all the directions in this direction from the main room, but there’s other doors you’ve seen elsewhere.
@Soloth
It does certainly seem to you based on what you know that this portal leads to the Mere. Based on Koric’s explanation of what balthar saw, you can probably make the surface, although it’s unclear if anything will be around you on the surface, and you can’t swim indefinitely without getting exhausted unless you have waterbreathing
((Liri has Water Breathing. She actually has it prepared, so can cast it either with a slot or ritually, though ritually probably makes sense seeing as we aren't currently in a rush))
As people discuss going to the Mere, Koric clears his throat, looking a little confused, "We should finish helping the dwarves here. Wasn't that what we agreed?"
@Koric
Walking back in from one of the other rooms, Norbus overhears your comment. He says “You’ve all already helped us quite enough. I’d likely be dead 3 times over by now without all of your assistance. Plus, Dazlyn and I haven’t found much else that could be a threat in this castle. Should you wish to stay we’d love to have your assistance, but feel free to continue your quest if you need to. No matter what, once we have restored this place, Axeholm will forever be at your service”
Koric stares at the dwarf a moment, then shrugs. "OK. Well then."
"To the mere?" he asks his companions.
@DM: What time of day is it? Might be worth taking a long rest...I can't recall if we just started the day.
Jade looks at Liri, impressed. "You can make it so we can breath on the other side of the portal? Wow." And to the dwarves they met along the way, "If you're sure. You are mighty warriors and I am proud to know you and call you friends. May Tempus help you with whatever fights lie in your path." And she nods to the two dwarves, pounding her spear on the ground in punctuation.
She then turns to Koric, "Looks like it, you ready?"
Koric smiles bleakly, "Ready? No. Can I easily be more ready? I doubt it."
He thinks for a moment, "Although being able to breath under water will help I think."
@DM: Am I correct in assuming that we will arrive under water?
(( If we all need water breathing...wait
an houra few minutes for ritual casting? ))((Ritual cast is just 10 mins (& 6 seconds) isn't it?))
Elandra takes the hands of Norbus and Dazlyn in turn, bowing her head then flightily hugging each of them. "It has been a perilous start to our travels, but the knowledge that there are still good people like yourselves fighting to bring back the fallen standards is a welcome boost to our cause. Perhaps we will meet again and I shall sing the tales of our journey in the restored glory of your halls."
She turns to her companions, "If Liri could oblige with her spell, that is one problem sorted. Where we come out is the next one, we could be lucky and be able to swim straight for the surface. If we are in some sort of cave structure, it might be more difficult to get out." She pauses a moment as she looks around at each of them and their gear laden states, and eyes them all with extra scrutiny, "The more pressing concern however is whether anyone has a waxed cloth for my lute. It really isn't intended for underwater performances."
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
(( You are correct. Fixed! ))
As the others make their preparations, Liri begins her own for the spell. She sits on the ground to begin the ritual, closing her eyes and drawing her concentration inwards. After a few minutes of this meditation, she rises to her feet. Taking her water bottle, she scatters a few drops over each of the others, including Balthar, as she chants the incantation that will allow them all to breathe underwater.
@Koric
You’ve been exploring the castle for a few hours, but it’s only mid day and everyone seems to in good condition, even if dangers lie ahead. And yes, that is the correct assumption
@All
Liri takes some time to weave her spell, and as she does, the rest of you feel your lungs twist a bit and something change inside of you. It’s a bit painful, but it certainly does the trick for breathing underwater, and you all gain the ability to breathe underwater!
Whilst Liri prepares her spell, Elandra very precisely and carefully withdraws a couple of tools and a small leather pouch from her backpack. She plucks each string, savouring the note it produces before removing the strings from her instrument one by one. She takes a small pot out and dips her fingers into a waxy looking paste, gently spreading a thin layer over each before coiling them up into the small pouch which she then folds back up and tucks away. She wraps the lute body and the pan flute separately, tucking them into her pack and seemign to move things around to best protect her treasures.
After Liri splashes her with water, Elandra inhales deeply, feeling the air move around her lungs - her long hours of practise controlling her breathing through song having given her a better than average understanding of her airways, or at least that what she's always thought. Curious, she trills out a few notes and, nodding, seems satisfied that her voice is still performing to a suitable standard. "Well, I guess we should put this to the test." She quickly turns to Liri and raises a hand to her mouth, "Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I doubt your magic, just, well, I guess someone needs to go first."
Elandra moves to the portal and pushes her hand through, the sensation sends a shiver down her back as she sees her hand disappear at the same moment that she feels the change in resistance to her movement as it moves from air to water. She swishes her arm around a moment as she takes a deep breath in, before pushing off with her legs and diving through the portal.
@DM - Once on the other side Elandra intends to first check that she can see the portal from the other side and then attempt to manoeuvre herself around to put a hand back through the portal. If her hand goes through ok, she'll try to breathe in the water and make an 'OK' sign with her hand for everyone else. Then she'll try to produce an air bubble by breathing out, and look in the direction that it travels to find 'up', then head that way.
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
Watching Elandra carefully pack her instruments, Koric removes his cloak and wraps his book in it before placing it carefully in his pack and closing the pack as tightly as he can. As usual he is among the last to go through the portal. He waits for the spell to complete on Balthar before sending him to the relative safety of his private dimension. "No sense in us both getting soaked, eh? Pity you can't take my things with you."
Jade looks worryingly down at her chain mail and back at the water beyond the portal. She gulps, hoping she is good enough of a swimmer to be able to overcome the weight of her armor, knowing if she carried it, it would just be as heavy as wearing it. So, after seeing Liri's hand protrude through the portal, she takes a breath and heads in.
@Elandra
You walk through the portal, and are instantly surrounded by water. Below you you can see the remnants of the swaMp that was once Mere of Dead Men, and above you, the sun shines through the surface, which doesn’t seem to be too far up, maybe only about 20 feet. You take a breath, breathing in the water without any issues, and put your hand back through the portal, hoping to signal your companions
@All
Elandra’s hand emerges back through the portal, and on her signal, you all step through the portal. Norbus and Dazlyn give you all one final goodbye. Once you are all through the portal, there’s not much you all can see from underwater, other than the swamp beneath you
Koric can't help but laugh, albeit in a strange bubbling manner. He looks around and shakes his head, his long dark hair drifting around in the water. "Well, this is different. I must says that I've never done this before."
He tries to tie his hair back then looks for any underwater landmarks that might help guide him back to the portal. As his gaze moves over the portal he studies it closely, trying to note any differences between the stones on this side compared to the ones in the fortress.
When he is done, he scans the area looking for signs of land that may rise out of the water. If the surface is less than 30' away, he will re-summon Balthar in the air, link senses with him and ask him to circle 70' up so that Koric gets a good view of what lies nearby.