As Balthar circles the room you arrived in, he doesn't notice much beyond what you can already see. However, as he flies behind you, the cold breeze that you are feeling seems to blow a little stronger on him than it does when he is in the rest of the room
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Shuddering at the chill breeze, and especially thankful for the warm clothing, Elandra wanders across to the glass tank, happy that the water is separated from them all and hoping it stays that way. She takes a look into it, trying to see how deep it is and whether there is anything inside it.
At Koric's utterance, she nods her head. "Some information about this place might give us an indication of where to go. It might be wise to keep a watch on the stairwell whilst we look around, I have a feeling we aren't going to encounter anything friendly whilst we are here.
You look into the tank of water on the far side of the room, and can immediately identify the the chamber itself is empty, though as you stare into it, you can see that there’s another room below it that it is connected to, completely filled with water. That room also seems empty, though you can spot that there are two holes in the walls of the room. You can see most of the room, but you can guess that there’s probably some of it that extends a bit below the room you are standing in
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Effigy cups the Ring of Warmth in his free hand, glancing around warily as though some magpie might swoop in at any moment to pluck it from his finger. As he inches forward, keeping pace with his companions, his arm drifts out idly, almost subconsciously, and he runs his palm along the teal walls, taking note of their texture and composition. Perhaps the stone itself contains a clue.
Koric looks behind him (south?) trying to identify the source of the wind. He asks Balthar to look a little closer. As he waits, fear and avarice war in his mind, and he slowly starts moving toward the room with all the books, glancing at the others as he does so. Eventually he speaks up, saying to Soloth, "Can you...ah..see if the room is safe? Sorry to ask, I just don't really know what to look for."
If Soloth continue to be inactive, he tries to identify anything in the doorway that looks out of place.
You trace your hands over the stone of the walls. This place is made out of something incredibly strange, some sort of amalgamation of limestone with coral and what is clearly some some sort of magical element leading to the color. You've never seen stone like this anywhere, though it reminds you of the kinds of things you'd see religious orders build their temples with. As you trace your hands over the stone though, you feel the breeze begin to get slightly stronger as you get lower and lower down the wall. You follow it, going onto the floor now, until you find a single brick in the ground that feels noticeably elevated from the others. Putting your hand on it, you feel the breeze be at its strongest thus far.
(OOC: Koric, could you clarify what exactly you are looking for/investigating here? Are you looking at the doorway itself or something specific in the room? Something in the room would likely require you to get close enough to sift around by hand)
"No captive sea monsters in here, so we can at least put that fear to rest... well, unless it's invisible. It looks like there is a room below us though, this tank goes all the way down. Let's check this floor and see what else is about before we venture up or down." She walks over to the room of books, waiting for Soloth as Koric suggests he enters first and liking that idea.
((OOC @ DM - Did Elandra see a roof to the tank? I'm just wondering whether it might be an open top - assuming you would have mentioned if that was the case, but just checking.))
(OOC: Koric, could you clarify what exactly you are looking for/investigating here? Are you looking at the doorway itself or something specific in the room? Something in the room would likely require you to get close enough to sift around by hand)
While it is true that Koric has spent his entire life immersed in books, not all of them have been scholarly. He has read many tales of adventure and intrigue (along with related historical accounts, of course, for balance). It is part of the reason he never chose to become an 'adventurer' himself: He knew that the reality would likely fail to live up to the tales he had read. Fiction made reality disappointing. Though he was also quick to admit that a knowledge of history and politics also made reality disappointing. Which is why he had chosen to specialize on more abstract matters.
In all the tales of adventure that he had read there was always some nefarious character who would check the walls and doors, find the tricks, traps and trip-wires and thereby make the path safe for those less agile or less durable: make it safe for people such as himself. In the absence of such a one, he took it upon himself to at least inspect the doorway and the floor, ceiling and walls past it, looking for any of those strange and unfortunate gadgets he knew must be there...of course he remained careful not to enter the room. Using the observational and investigatory talents that he had honed over his long years as a scholar he was certain that no detail, however small, was likely to escape his notice.
You carefully examine every inch of the doorway leading into this other room, searching for tripwires, pressure plates, or anything else that might indicate some sort of trap. You spot nothing, no crossbows or weird-looking floor panels that would indicate a pit. Clearly, whoever built this place must have had other means of defending it in mind than traps
"Aye, now here be a funny bit of brickwork. Even bluestone ain't that blue, nor particularly blue at all. One of a wagonful of ill-conceived Common words there. And..."
As he examines the wall, his mannerisms shift subtly. He at once seems less stiff in his movements, as though he belongs in his own body where once he did not, and in his cadence there is something alive, some trace of relatable earthliness stirring beneath the drab, ashy croak of his voice. He pauses, however, and with a faint shake of his head, the change is gone as quickly as it came.
"There is something here," he announces, his hand hovering over the raised brick. "A hidden passage, perhaps. Be wary. Where there is one, there will be others. An ambush may come as much from the walls as the shadows."
With a final glance behind him, Koric steps nervously into the room leaving Balthar outside. He then repeats his investigation inside, starting with the things that he can see without moving anything...book spines, scroll shelf titles, what lies on the table etc.
You go into the room and see exactly what Balthar did before. The shelves seem mostly empty, and as you scan the titles of the books that are there, you see mostly religious texts, all refering to the Stormlord Talos. The only book here that seems out of place is one that appears to be some sort of book about the biology of eels. The cabinet full of scrolls still looks incredibly messy, and would take sifting through by hand to sort out. You repeat your investigation, and again find no traps in this room, nor any tripwires or pressure plates. The only thing that stands out to you are the runes above the door on the other side of the room, which are clearly written in a language you do not personally know
Somewhat relieved by his investigations, and despite the immediate call of the scrolls and books, Koric focuses on the runes. A methodical approach seems warranted for everything in the room.
He rummages carefully in his pack, pulling out his spell book, then settles down in a chair starting the ritual to cast a spell to help him understand anything he might discover. When done he examines the runes and starts to examine the scrolls and books more carefully.
Partway through his casting (maybe a minute), he has second thoughts. The idea of touching the runes is daunting. Instead he starts to cast Detect Magic in order to assess if there are magical threats in the room.
As you cast detect magic, stopping your other spell before you can complete it, the runes glow with some kind of abjuration magic, and there is a faint glow of some divination magic coming from within the cabinet full of scrolls
Koric's eyebrows rise when he examines the runes, "Some kind of trap, no doubt," he says, pointing at the runes. Then he rises slowly from the chair, still cncentrating on his spell, and examines the scrolls, moving the magic-emanating ones to one pile on the table, and leaving the rest behind. He does the same with the books, if any emanate magic.
When he is done he moves about the room, though not near the rune-covered door, trying to sense magic within thirty feet.
You examine the whole room with your spell, but still the only things that stand out are the abjuration magic of the runes and the divination magic eminating faintly from the cabinet of scrolls
With the magical scrolls now on the table, Koric glances in the direction of his companions, shrugs, and reopens his spell book. Once more starts to cast the previous spell, hoping to read the various scrolls and books.
@Koric
As Balthar circles the room you arrived in, he doesn't notice much beyond what you can already see. However, as he flies behind you, the cold breeze that you are feeling seems to blow a little stronger on him than it does when he is in the rest of the room
Shuddering at the chill breeze, and especially thankful for the warm clothing, Elandra wanders across to the glass tank, happy that the water is separated from them all and hoping it stays that way. She takes a look into it, trying to see how deep it is and whether there is anything inside it.
Perception: 14 | Investigation: 22
At Koric's utterance, she nods her head. "Some information about this place might give us an indication of where to go. It might be wise to keep a watch on the stairwell whilst we look around, I have a feeling we aren't going to encounter anything friendly whilst we are here.
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
@Elandra
You look into the tank of water on the far side of the room, and can immediately identify the the chamber itself is empty, though as you stare into it, you can see that there’s another room below it that it is connected to, completely filled with water. That room also seems empty, though you can spot that there are two holes in the walls of the room. You can see most of the room, but you can guess that there’s probably some of it that extends a bit below the room you are standing in
Effigy cups the Ring of Warmth in his free hand, glancing around warily as though some magpie might swoop in at any moment to pluck it from his finger. As he inches forward, keeping pace with his companions, his arm drifts out idly, almost subconsciously, and he runs his palm along the teal walls, taking note of their texture and composition. Perhaps the stone itself contains a clue.
History (with Stonecunning bonus): 17
Koric looks behind him (south?) trying to identify the source of the wind. He asks Balthar to look a little closer. As he waits, fear and avarice war in his mind, and he slowly starts moving toward the room with all the books, glancing at the others as he does so. Eventually he speaks up, saying to Soloth, "Can you...ah..see if the room is safe? Sorry to ask, I just don't really know what to look for."
If Soloth continue to be inactive, he tries to identify anything in the doorway that looks out of place.
Investigation: 23
@Effigy
You trace your hands over the stone of the walls. This place is made out of something incredibly strange, some sort of amalgamation of limestone with coral and what is clearly some some sort of magical element leading to the color. You've never seen stone like this anywhere, though it reminds you of the kinds of things you'd see religious orders build their temples with. As you trace your hands over the stone though, you feel the breeze begin to get slightly stronger as you get lower and lower down the wall. You follow it, going onto the floor now, until you find a single brick in the ground that feels noticeably elevated from the others. Putting your hand on it, you feel the breeze be at its strongest thus far.
(OOC: Koric, could you clarify what exactly you are looking for/investigating here? Are you looking at the doorway itself or something specific in the room? Something in the room would likely require you to get close enough to sift around by hand)
"No captive sea monsters in here, so we can at least put that fear to rest... well, unless it's invisible. It looks like there is a room below us though, this tank goes all the way down. Let's check this floor and see what else is about before we venture up or down." She walks over to the room of books, waiting for Soloth as Koric suggests he enters first and liking that idea.
((OOC @ DM - Did Elandra see a roof to the tank? I'm just wondering whether it might be an open top - assuming you would have mentioned if that was the case, but just checking.))
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
(OOC: The tank does indeed have a roof, yes)
While it is true that Koric has spent his entire life immersed in books, not all of them have been scholarly. He has read many tales of adventure and intrigue (along with related historical accounts, of course, for balance). It is part of the reason he never chose to become an 'adventurer' himself: He knew that the reality would likely fail to live up to the tales he had read. Fiction made reality disappointing. Though he was also quick to admit that a knowledge of history and politics also made reality disappointing. Which is why he had chosen to specialize on more abstract matters.
In all the tales of adventure that he had read there was always some nefarious character who would check the walls and doors, find the tricks, traps and trip-wires and thereby make the path safe for those less agile or less durable: make it safe for people such as himself. In the absence of such a one, he took it upon himself to at least inspect the doorway and the floor, ceiling and walls past it, looking for any of those strange and unfortunate gadgets he knew must be there...of course he remained careful not to enter the room. Using the observational and investigatory talents that he had honed over his long years as a scholar he was certain that no detail, however small, was likely to escape his notice.
@Koric
You carefully examine every inch of the doorway leading into this other room, searching for tripwires, pressure plates, or anything else that might indicate some sort of trap. You spot nothing, no crossbows or weird-looking floor panels that would indicate a pit. Clearly, whoever built this place must have had other means of defending it in mind than traps
"Aye, now here be a funny bit of brickwork. Even bluestone ain't that blue, nor particularly blue at all. One of a wagonful of ill-conceived Common words there. And..."
As he examines the wall, his mannerisms shift subtly. He at once seems less stiff in his movements, as though he belongs in his own body where once he did not, and in his cadence there is something alive, some trace of relatable earthliness stirring beneath the drab, ashy croak of his voice. He pauses, however, and with a faint shake of his head, the change is gone as quickly as it came.
"There is something here," he announces, his hand hovering over the raised brick. "A hidden passage, perhaps. Be wary. Where there is one, there will be others. An ambush may come as much from the walls as the shadows."
With a final glance behind him, Koric steps nervously into the room leaving Balthar outside. He then repeats his investigation inside, starting with the things that he can see without moving anything...book spines, scroll shelf titles, what lies on the table etc.
@Koric
You go into the room and see exactly what Balthar did before. The shelves seem mostly empty, and as you scan the titles of the books that are there, you see mostly religious texts, all refering to the Stormlord Talos. The only book here that seems out of place is one that appears to be some sort of book about the biology of eels. The cabinet full of scrolls still looks incredibly messy, and would take sifting through by hand to sort out. You repeat your investigation, and again find no traps in this room, nor any tripwires or pressure plates. The only thing that stands out to you are the runes above the door on the other side of the room, which are clearly written in a language you do not personally know
Somewhat relieved by his investigations, and despite the immediate call of the scrolls and books, Koric focuses on the runes. A methodical approach seems warranted for everything in the room.
He rummages carefully in his pack, pulling out his spell book, then settles down in a chair starting the ritual to cast a spell to help him understand anything he might discover. When done he examines the runes and starts to examine the scrolls and books more carefully.
Partway through his casting (maybe a minute), he has second thoughts. The idea of touching the runes is daunting. Instead he starts to cast Detect Magic in order to assess if there are magical threats in the room.
@Koric
As you cast detect magic, stopping your other spell before you can complete it, the runes glow with some kind of abjuration magic, and there is a faint glow of some divination magic coming from within the cabinet full of scrolls
Koric's eyebrows rise when he examines the runes, "Some kind of trap, no doubt," he says, pointing at the runes. Then he rises slowly from the chair, still cncentrating on his spell, and examines the scrolls, moving the magic-emanating ones to one pile on the table, and leaving the rest behind. He does the same with the books, if any emanate magic.
When he is done he moves about the room, though not near the rune-covered door, trying to sense magic within thirty feet.
@Koric
You examine the whole room with your spell, but still the only things that stand out are the abjuration magic of the runes and the divination magic eminating faintly from the cabinet of scrolls
With the magical scrolls now on the table, Koric glances in the direction of his companions, shrugs, and reopens his spell book. Once more starts to cast the previous spell, hoping to read the various scrolls and books.
Liri follows Koric into the scroll room, looking around herself cautiously. As Koric points at the runes above the door, she peers up at them.
"A trap, you think? What do they say?"