There is a moment of blinding light as Lulu casts her spell, drawing on her connection to the fey, and when the light subsides, you are no longer standing in the maze, but instead in another room. This circular chamber is lit by magic candles and floored in black stone, engraved and inlaid with magical diagrams in silver and gold. A female drow stands in the center of one magic circle, hands resting on her hips. Behind her, shelves and cabinets hold ceramic pots, glass vials, and other arcane paraphernalia, while a tome bound in black leather lies open on a lectern, its pages covered in spidery glyphs. The only exit appears to be an archway filled with a black void.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The noble drow gives the firbolg a nod. "I don't know how you did that but it seems you just took us through the labyrinth." Traydark then gives the drow a suspicious and scrutinizing look. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"He says in a demanding tone while motioning for his companions to lay claim to the tome in black leather.
Intimidate to get some quick answers: 21 Insight to determine truthfulness of any response: 12 Arcana to determine if the circle is trapping her somehow: 14
"Leaps of faith," she repeats to Traydark with a soft smile of relief. "Ye'll no' catch me looking a gift unicorn in the mouth." As the unwaveringly faithful are wont to do, Lulu does not question how her Goddess' magic saves them from the Labyrinth, but immediately begins her search for any sign of Horkas as others attend to the matter of the tome and the drow.
((Will use Firbolg Magic to cast Detect Magic and search for any auras of interest in the room related to transmutation, abjuration, or conjuration magics))
"Way to go, Lulu!" Khessa pats the holy firbolg on her shoulder, while her blue eyes look at the priestess with admiration "Your faith has beaten even the power of an archmage!"
The blonde arcane warrior smiles imagining Traydark's pleasure in interrogating a she-drow: how many times has that scene taken place with roles reversed, in the painful past of the drow warlock?
The tall adventuress therefore leaves him the fun and examines the room looking at it through the magic gem that is still granting her Truesight... Who knows if there are invisible things... or illusions... or polymorphed/ethereal things and/or creatures...
"I am Y'lara, I was here trying to convince that idiot Gromph not to cast that absurd spell he was working on, but he trapped me here instead. You wouldn't leave a priestess stuck inside this circle forever, now would you?" She stares right back at Traydark.
(She seems convincing to Traydark and not particularly intimidated)
When Lulu casts detect magic almost the entire room lights up with magic of all kinds. Books and scrolls, vials and such all aglow with various schools of the arcane. In particular though she might notice is a rather large looking diamond sitting on a pedestal by itself, glowing heavily with abjuration magic.
Khessa doesn't see anything unusual save for the drow priestess, which to her appears as a pillar of yellow slime with a singular large eyeball.
"That seems unfortunate you were locked in here," Katryl tells Y'lara. She looks about though as she only sees the one way out, apparently back to the black void. "How do we get out of here? Where exactly are we?"
"That seems unfortunate you were locked in here," Katryl tells Y'lara. She looks about though as she only sees the one way out, apparently back to the black void. "How do we get out of here? Where exactly are we?"
(Perception as she looks about: 22)
"This is Gromph's inner sanctum of course," Y'lara says dryly. "And I can help you get back out if you help me get out of this circle."
Lulu, familiar as she is with diamonds--not for their value or show of status, but for their restorative properties--curls her tail at sight of the abjuration aura around this one. "Khessa, lass, could ye have a look at this with that Identifying spell ye and Horkas do?" Carefully, she picks it up. "It's got a heavy glow of abjuration, so I should think our gnome hasn't been turned into it at the very least. But..."
Khessa gasps in disgust as the true form of the 'priestess' is revealed to her. "Oh, so this is the inner true form of the typical Lolth's faithful... I always suspected it..." she says sarcastically.
Then the blonde arcane warrior warns her friends: "This one is just a pillar of yellow slime with a singular large eyeball! Ms Eyed Mucus here is probably not to be trusted. Not too much, at least. Being contained in a magic circle, she is most likely a demoness of some kind - probably of Juiblex design, given her so fascinating slimy look".
As the holy firbolg asks her to identify the diamond, the tall adventuress leaves Ms Eyed Mucus be for a while, proceeding with a ritual to determine magical properties of the gem and spells affecting it.
"You would think so human, but what you describe actually sounds like a handmaiden of Lolth."The noble drow says with a sly grin. "So you came her at the behest of your queen to make Gromph perform the ritual but then he trapped you. We might still help each other out, but first tell us where the archmage is?" He then turns and asks what he suspects is in fact a Yochlol.
Horkas can now catch glimpses of the party, as if through a bug's eye, fractured perhaps, being stuck somewhere in the room.
"I have no idea what the fool went to after his miserable failure. Being stuck in this circle doesn't make it easy to track someone now does it?" Y'lara replies coldly.
Khessa raises an eyebrow questioningly: "Lolth? I thought she was more fond of spiders than of... things with that look. She must have created them accidentally, when she caught a cold and ran out of handkerchiefs. If Lolth has a big enough nose, she might have created a lot of them!"
"It would make sense, though, Traydark..." the blue eyed woman takes out her beloved armored spellbook and begins to take note of the characteristics of this 'handmaiden of Lolth' she has never met before "Lolth sends Ms Eyed Mucus to trick Gromph to perform the ritual... maybe she even has Ms Eyed Mucus sabotage it... and lo and behold! The Demon Lords are invading the Underdark!"
"The fact remains," the blonde arcane warrior meanwhile resumes the ritual for identifying the diamond that has captured Lulu's interest "that you are useless, Ms. Eyed Mucus... so we have no reason to ever consider freeing you. Unless... Be careful, though, Ms. Eyed Mucus, because this is probably one of your last chances to avoid a boring eternity locked in a magic circle... We are looking for a friend of ours who, you know, disappeared as soon as he approached the secret door that led here. You might know something about the defenses Gromph had in place... and therefore you might know where our friend is supposed to have ended up. And maybe even how to free him (Gromph surely has planned a way to free intruders and interrogate them - or torture them). Do you know anything about that? If you tell me, I can free you, before I leave... That way, when your captor returns, you will have had plenty of time to prepare to welcome him. Deal?"
"But don't lie to me" the tall adventuress raises a finger. "If you don't know anything about this subject, just admit it, rather than selling me a lie. Unless you really do enjoy yourself in that sooo fun magic circle, that is. Because if you don't know anything about what I've just asked, I might have a backup question".
[[ OOC: @DM: Sooner or later, Khessa will finish ritual-casting Identify. Is the gem magical? Or is it affected by spells? ]]
"I think you can see one of his defenses right here!" The disguised demoness spits. "But it isn't like he divulged all his secrets to me, I was here for that one purpose. It sounds to me though that we have a common enemy. Let me free so I can find the nuisance and ensure he pays for he's done!"
The diamond itself is not inherently magical, but imbued with abjuration magic as part of an imprisonment spell.
As soon as Khessa communicates this to Lulu she prays to her Goddess for Guidance. It's with a quiet, concerted calm that she asks for the diamond back and, with utter aplomb, casts a raging divinity against the magic imprisoning her dear friend.
There is a moment of blinding light as Lulu casts her spell, drawing on her connection to the fey, and when the light subsides, you are no longer standing in the maze, but instead in another room. This circular chamber is lit by magic candles and floored in black stone, engraved and inlaid with magical diagrams in silver and gold. A female drow stands in the center of one magic circle, hands resting on her hips. Behind her, shelves and cabinets hold ceramic pots, glass vials, and other arcane paraphernalia, while a tome bound in black leather lies open on a lectern, its pages covered in spidery glyphs. The only exit appears to be an archway filled with a black void.
The noble drow gives the firbolg a nod. "I don't know how you did that but it seems you just took us through the labyrinth."
Traydark then gives the drow a suspicious and scrutinizing look. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" He says in a demanding tone while motioning for his companions to lay claim to the tome in black leather.
Intimidate to get some quick answers: 21
Insight to determine truthfulness of any response: 12
Arcana to determine if the circle is trapping her somehow: 14
"Leaps of faith," she repeats to Traydark with a soft smile of relief. "Ye'll no' catch me looking a gift unicorn in the mouth." As the unwaveringly faithful are wont to do, Lulu does not question how her Goddess' magic saves them from the Labyrinth, but immediately begins her search for any sign of Horkas as others attend to the matter of the tome and the drow.
((Will use Firbolg Magic to cast Detect Magic and search for any auras of interest in the room related to transmutation, abjuration, or conjuration magics))
"Way to go, Lulu!" Khessa pats the holy firbolg on her shoulder, while her blue eyes look at the priestess with admiration "Your faith has beaten even the power of an archmage!"
The blonde arcane warrior smiles imagining Traydark's pleasure in interrogating a she-drow: how many times has that scene taken place with roles reversed, in the painful past of the drow warlock?
The tall adventuress therefore leaves him the fun and examines the room looking at it through the magic gem that is still granting her Truesight... Who knows if there are invisible things... or illusions... or polymorphed/ethereal things and/or creatures...
"I am Y'lara, I was here trying to convince that idiot Gromph not to cast that absurd spell he was working on, but he trapped me here instead. You wouldn't leave a priestess stuck inside this circle forever, now would you?" She stares right back at Traydark.
(She seems convincing to Traydark and not particularly intimidated)
When Lulu casts detect magic almost the entire room lights up with magic of all kinds. Books and scrolls, vials and such all aglow with various schools of the arcane. In particular though she might notice is a rather large looking diamond sitting on a pedestal by itself, glowing heavily with abjuration magic.
Khessa doesn't see anything unusual save for the drow priestess, which to her appears as a pillar of yellow slime with a singular large eyeball.
"That seems unfortunate you were locked in here," Katryl tells Y'lara. She looks about though as she only sees the one way out, apparently back to the black void. "How do we get out of here? Where exactly are we?"
(Perception as she looks about: 22)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
"This is Gromph's inner sanctum of course," Y'lara says dryly. "And I can help you get back out if you help me get out of this circle."
Katryl would also notice that Gromph's book is open to a chapter about summoning the Demogorgon.
Lulu, familiar as she is with diamonds--not for their value or show of status, but for their restorative properties--curls her tail at sight of the abjuration aura around this one. "Khessa, lass, could ye have a look at this with that Identifying spell ye and Horkas do?" Carefully, she picks it up. "It's got a heavy glow of abjuration, so I should think our gnome hasn't been turned into it at the very least. But..."
...where is he if no'?
Her brow furrows with worry.
Khessa gasps in disgust as the true form of the 'priestess' is revealed to her. "Oh, so this is the inner true form of the typical Lolth's faithful... I always suspected it..." she says sarcastically.
Then the blonde arcane warrior warns her friends: "This one is just a pillar of yellow slime with a singular large eyeball! Ms Eyed Mucus here is probably not to be trusted. Not too much, at least. Being contained in a magic circle, she is most likely a demoness of some kind - probably of Juiblex design, given her so fascinating slimy look".
As the holy firbolg asks her to identify the diamond, the tall adventuress leaves Ms Eyed Mucus be for a while, proceeding with a ritual to determine magical properties of the gem and spells affecting it.
(Horkas, meanwhile, is blissfully ignorant of anything happening to the group or to himself =)
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
"You would think so human, but what you describe actually sounds like a handmaiden of Lolth." The noble drow says with a sly grin. "So you came her at the behest of your queen to make Gromph perform the ritual but then he trapped you. We might still help each other out, but first tell us where the archmage is?" He then turns and asks what he suspects is in fact a Yochlol.
Horkas can now catch glimpses of the party, as if through a bug's eye, fractured perhaps, being stuck somewhere in the room.
"I have no idea what the fool went to after his miserable failure. Being stuck in this circle doesn't make it easy to track someone now does it?" Y'lara replies coldly.
Khessa raises an eyebrow questioningly: "Lolth? I thought she was more fond of spiders than of... things with that look. She must have created them accidentally, when she caught a cold and ran out of handkerchiefs. If Lolth has a big enough nose, she might have created a lot of them!"
"It would make sense, though, Traydark..." the blue eyed woman takes out her beloved armored spellbook and begins to take note of the characteristics of this 'handmaiden of Lolth' she has never met before "Lolth sends Ms Eyed Mucus to trick Gromph to perform the ritual... maybe she even has Ms Eyed Mucus sabotage it... and lo and behold! The Demon Lords are invading the Underdark!"
"The fact remains," the blonde arcane warrior meanwhile resumes the ritual for identifying the diamond that has captured Lulu's interest "that you are useless, Ms. Eyed Mucus... so we have no reason to ever consider freeing you. Unless... Be careful, though, Ms. Eyed Mucus, because this is probably one of your last chances to avoid a boring eternity locked in a magic circle... We are looking for a friend of ours who, you know, disappeared as soon as he approached the secret door that led here. You might know something about the defenses Gromph had in place... and therefore you might know where our friend is supposed to have ended up. And maybe even how to free him (Gromph surely has planned a way to free intruders and interrogate them - or torture them). Do you know anything about that? If you tell me, I can free you, before I leave... That way, when your captor returns, you will have had plenty of time to prepare to welcome him. Deal?"
"But don't lie to me" the tall adventuress raises a finger. "If you don't know anything about this subject, just admit it, rather than selling me a lie. Unless you really do enjoy yourself in that sooo fun magic circle, that is. Because if you don't know anything about what I've just asked, I might have a backup question".
[[ OOC: @DM: Sooner or later, Khessa will finish ritual-casting Identify. Is the gem magical? Or is it affected by spells? ]]
"I think you can see one of his defenses right here!" The disguised demoness spits. "But it isn't like he divulged all his secrets to me, I was here for that one purpose. It sounds to me though that we have a common enemy. Let me free so I can find the nuisance and ensure he pays for he's done!"
The diamond itself is not inherently magical, but imbued with abjuration magic as part of an imprisonment spell.
As soon as Khessa communicates this to Lulu she prays to her Goddess for Guidance. It's with a quiet, concerted calm that she asks for the diamond back and, with utter aplomb, casts a raging divinity against the magic imprisoning her dear friend.
((Lulu will cast Dispel Magic on the diamond))
(Make a Wisdom check please, Lulu)
Khessa, still holding the diamond, watches with bated breath as the new epic clash of magical power unfolds...
Will the holy firbolg once again prevail over the magic of the boastful archmage?
((Gonna have her use an Enhance Ability on herself too for WIS if that's okay, I DON'T TRUST MY ROLLS lol!))
WIS check: 18+4+1=23
The magic vanishes from the diamond in a small flash, and Horkas stands next to you all once more.