Yes, unfortunately the grimoire either proves to be too advanced for the brilliant woman, or perhaps in the heat of the moment Khessa can't figure out a whole lot, but she can absolutely make a real mess of the book!
As the explosion goes off and you call jump back into the void, I will say Khessa can keep that one book her butler had retrieved for her. But you all find yourselves back in the dark maze you were in before.
Everyone make an Intelligence check. DC 20 to escape the maze to the outer sanctum.
Being a gnome - and an artificer, Horkas immediately determines that the maze is an illusion and sees right through it. Only to find himself the only one to have escaped!
(Question - are the rest of the characters physically in the room with Horkas but mentally trapped, or are they physically in another place? He would poke and tug their physical bodies to try and get them to 'snap out of' the illusion maze if possible!)
The maze is not an illusion, you were all sucked to a demiplane that is just a never-ending maze. But between Horkas and Traydark you are all able to put your heads together and in a moment of gutsy thinking and wishing (Lulu wishing intensely), manage to think yourselves out of the maze, and return back to Gromph's outer sanctum, mostly safe and sound.
Katryl shakes her head. "You just had to grab some extra treasure, didn't you?" she says to Khessa when they've finally made it out. Her glowing tendrils of hair and blazing bright eyes did little to conceal her irritation up to this point, but she'd managed to keep her words in check. "And what did you do to Gromph's book? Have you destroyed it? Were you trying to copy it? Did you even check to see if your copy was even intelligible before ruining what might be our only chance to thwart all these demons? Well?"
She really has no idea about things magical or books and spells and such. Mostly she's mad about being forced out of the place they were in and nearly being engulfed in fire.
"Where to now? We've got what we needed right? Assuming it's intact?"
The noble drow would wait for confirmation that Gromph Baenre's grimoire was indeed safe and unharmed by the conflagration before responding to the furious fire genasi. "Unless we are to follow through on Vizeran's instructions and place the dark heart in the city I suggest we simply return to our wind forms and return to Araj." He says calmly. Although not above laying claim things of interest, particularly in a place like the inner sanctum of the archmage, his mind was set on finishing this now, wealth and power did simply not have any interest for him, particularly if it would jeopardize the mission.
"I concur - let's be done with this quest and this never-ending darkness. I crave the feel of the sun on my face! Let's cloud our way back to the mage and his tower."Horkas agrees with Traydark.
"It was more for knowledge than for treasure, Katryl" Khessa corrects."Not that we should avoid collecting funds, when possibile, given how much some arcane or divine spell component cost (to say nothing of special ink to write spells). But collecting books, I was primarly aiming at the knowledge recorded in them".
"That said," the blonde arcane warrior lowers her blue eyes "I'm sorry I have been too overconfident and triggered the fire trap. I'll try to be more careful next time".
"As far as the grimoire is concerned," the tall adventuress assures "the ritual part is intact - so if Vizeran really needs it for our common goal, he will find any information Gromph took care to write. The other arcane knowledge, alas, is lost to him... So if Vizeran, as I suspect, was just planning to hamper Gromph and gain his knowledge, he will find out he has been only half-successful; but, hey, what do you expect from a grimoire that was in the middle of an abyssal invasion inbolving rampaging Demon Lords?"
Finally, Khessa agrees with Traydark and Horkas: "Yes, lets just cloud-go; nothing more to do here. And we should probably collect our whole army as well. In the final conftontation that awaits us we might need every possible help".
"We still have to decide what to do with the dark heart."The noble drow points out before the team leaves Sorcere. "It is an important decision and hopefully it can be an unanimous one."
"It is true..." Khessa offers the option that had pleased her the most since it had first occurred to her. "It is no secret to you all that I think it is best to place it in Vizeran's tower or in the immediate vicinity of it. But I too would like us to be unanimous on this decision".
"I would rather there be no unnecessary loss of life. Neither Grin's nor Vizeran's," Lulu says, calm but resolute. "And there's nothing to say he'll be any help after performing such a powerful ritual--I myself am fatigued and have used nowhere near the magic it will require." Indeed, the firbolg looks weary after a day of heavy spellcasting. "Which would likely mean we'd be sentencing him to death. So, I vote wherever we'll have the best tactical advantage--and no' where grudging retribution would be served. That would make us no better than the archmage himself."
"Somewhere I can Hallow the grounds without raising suspicion. And with wide enough space for our tower so our ranged fighters have cover at a distance." Her gaze flicks to Katryl at that, betraying her concern for her safety. "The area where we found the warring reptile folk could be a good place for that, aye? Though I will no' close my ears to other ideas."
"I agree with that the area with the warring reptiles might work well," Katryl says. "While only a temporary ally of convenience, I don't know that we just set him up to be killed. It's enough we thwarted his plans to concentrate the demons in the drow city."
"Might I point out that Gromph, no less an archmage than Vizeran, performed a similar ritual and yet escaped the summoned Demon Lords alive?" Khessa raises an eyebrow, puzzled. "He was evidently not exhausted enough to simply let himself be killed. How curious. Plus, Vizeran has allies, in his tower, that I know of. I do not believe that choosing his tower for the ritual is tantamount to sentencing him to death - but rather to forcing him, his allies, and the tower's defenses to contribute more to the cause than he would have liked or expected".
"But if we really believe that the poor guy could get killed and that breaks our hearts irreparably... Or if we are convinced that the benefits of a Hallowed ground outweigh those of an archmage, his allies and his tower..." the blonde arcane warrior sighs "In that case, The Vast Oblivium seems more favorable as a terrain to me. There it would be possible to summon the party guests to a low point, keep ourselves hidden in a high point, wait until only one of them remains... Then, whoever fights from range attacks him from there, the others go down with me with Feather Fall. And there are side passages in case of trouble - passages maybe not wide enough for a Demon Lord to easily follow us".
"If we have the funds to get it, we can also buy large quantities of holy water and pour a barrel or two on the winner, just to congratulate him, before fighting" adds the tall adventurer. "But allow e to suggest for the last time that we consider Vizeran and his tower - if he were to lose his life and someone decided to consider me no better than him for this," she shrugs "I would just live with it and leave my 'judge' to her opinion - but personally I believe that Vizeran's tower is the place that offers us the most allies (and therefore the most advantages) against opponents of the caliber of the Demon Lords".
Lulu too looks puzzled that Khessa is conflating fleeing with fighting. But schools her features as the young human continues, head titled in respectful consideration. Gently, she posits, "And what assurances do ye have, lass, that they would fight and no' flee as well? Or that they would no' immediately consider us enemies after our betrayal? Would they call us 'allies' and fight alongside us after having summoned the Demon Lords to their doorstep against our word? When the fighting is done, I do no' imagine they'd thank us for our deceit nor for putting their lives at risk. More enemies, then, would we have to contend with." Though she begins by addressing Khessa, the fey-giantess gradually opens her posture to include the others, her reasoning offered to everyone for consideration.
(Oh no, Khessa! Sad rolls!)
Yes, unfortunately the grimoire either proves to be too advanced for the brilliant woman, or perhaps in the heat of the moment Khessa can't figure out a whole lot, but she can absolutely make a real mess of the book!
As the explosion goes off and you call jump back into the void, I will say Khessa can keep that one book her butler had retrieved for her. But you all find yourselves back in the dark maze you were in before.
Everyone make an Intelligence check. DC 20 to escape the maze to the outer sanctum.
Traydark Int check: 13
(+ Luck 4 )
Khessa's DC 20 Intelligence check: 12
(Katryl INT Check: 5)
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
((Lulu can’t make that check with her -1 to INT lololol))
Horkas: 21!
Being a gnome - and an artificer, Horkas immediately determines that the maze is an illusion and sees right through it. Only to find himself the only one to have escaped!
(Question - are the rest of the characters physically in the room with Horkas but mentally trapped, or are they physically in another place? He would poke and tug their physical bodies to try and get them to 'snap out of' the illusion maze if possible!)
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
The maze is not an illusion, you were all sucked to a demiplane that is just a never-ending maze. But between Horkas and Traydark you are all able to put your heads together and in a moment of gutsy thinking and wishing (Lulu wishing intensely), manage to think yourselves out of the maze, and return back to Gromph's outer sanctum, mostly safe and sound.
Katryl shakes her head. "You just had to grab some extra treasure, didn't you?" she says to Khessa when they've finally made it out. Her glowing tendrils of hair and blazing bright eyes did little to conceal her irritation up to this point, but she'd managed to keep her words in check. "And what did you do to Gromph's book? Have you destroyed it? Were you trying to copy it? Did you even check to see if your copy was even intelligible before ruining what might be our only chance to thwart all these demons? Well?"
She really has no idea about things magical or books and spells and such. Mostly she's mad about being forced out of the place they were in and nearly being engulfed in fire.
"Where to now? We've got what we needed right? Assuming it's intact?"
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
The noble drow would wait for confirmation that Gromph Baenre's grimoire was indeed safe and unharmed by the conflagration before responding to the furious fire genasi. "Unless we are to follow through on Vizeran's instructions and place the dark heart in the city I suggest we simply return to our wind forms and return to Araj." He says calmly. Although not above laying claim things of interest, particularly in a place like the inner sanctum of the archmage, his mind was set on finishing this now, wealth and power did simply not have any interest for him, particularly if it would jeopardize the mission.
"I concur - let's be done with this quest and this never-ending darkness. I crave the feel of the sun on my face! Let's cloud our way back to the mage and his tower." Horkas agrees with Traydark.
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
"It was more for knowledge than for treasure, Katryl" Khessa corrects."Not that we should avoid collecting funds, when possibile, given how much some arcane or divine spell component cost (to say nothing of special ink to write spells). But collecting books, I was primarly aiming at the knowledge recorded in them".
"That said," the blonde arcane warrior lowers her blue eyes "I'm sorry I have been too overconfident and triggered the fire trap. I'll try to be more careful next time".
"As far as the grimoire is concerned," the tall adventuress assures "the ritual part is intact - so if Vizeran really needs it for our common goal, he will find any information Gromph took care to write. The other arcane knowledge, alas, is lost to him... So if Vizeran, as I suspect, was just planning to hamper Gromph and gain his knowledge, he will find out he has been only half-successful; but, hey, what do you expect from a grimoire that was in the middle of an abyssal invasion inbolving rampaging Demon Lords?"
Finally, Khessa agrees with Traydark and Horkas: "Yes, lets just cloud-go; nothing more to do here. And we should probably collect our whole army as well. In the final conftontation that awaits us we might need every possible help".
Unless Lulu has something she wants to do before you leave, you can all return to cloud form and return to Araj without issue.
((I suppose this is neither a good time nor place to go shopping so Lulu is good to go lol!))
"We still have to decide what to do with the dark heart." The noble drow points out before the team leaves Sorcere. "It is an important decision and hopefully it can be an unanimous one."
"It is true..." Khessa offers the option that had pleased her the most since it had first occurred to her. "It is no secret to you all that I think it is best to place it in Vizeran's tower or in the immediate vicinity of it. But I too would like us to be unanimous on this decision".
"I would rather there be no unnecessary loss of life. Neither Grin's nor Vizeran's," Lulu says, calm but resolute. "And there's nothing to say he'll be any help after performing such a powerful ritual--I myself am fatigued and have used nowhere near the magic it will require." Indeed, the firbolg looks weary after a day of heavy spellcasting. "Which would likely mean we'd be sentencing him to death. So, I vote wherever we'll have the best tactical advantage--and no' where grudging retribution would be served. That would make us no better than the archmage himself."
"Somewhere I can Hallow the grounds without raising suspicion. And with wide enough space for our tower so our ranged fighters have cover at a distance." Her gaze flicks to Katryl at that, betraying her concern for her safety. "The area where we found the warring reptile folk could be a good place for that, aye? Though I will no' close my ears to other ideas."
"I agree with that the area with the warring reptiles might work well," Katryl says. "While only a temporary ally of convenience, I don't know that we just set him up to be killed. It's enough we thwarted his plans to concentrate the demons in the drow city."
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
"Might I point out that Gromph, no less an archmage than Vizeran, performed a similar ritual and yet escaped the summoned Demon Lords alive?" Khessa raises an eyebrow, puzzled. "He was evidently not exhausted enough to simply let himself be killed. How curious. Plus, Vizeran has allies, in his tower, that I know of. I do not believe that choosing his tower for the ritual is tantamount to sentencing him to death - but rather to forcing him, his allies, and the tower's defenses to contribute more to the cause than he would have liked or expected".
"But if we really believe that the poor guy could get killed and that breaks our hearts irreparably... Or if we are convinced that the benefits of a Hallowed ground outweigh those of an archmage, his allies and his tower..." the blonde arcane warrior sighs "In that case, The Vast Oblivium seems more favorable as a terrain to me. There it would be possible to summon the party guests to a low point, keep ourselves hidden in a high point, wait until only one of them remains... Then, whoever fights from range attacks him from there, the others go down with me with Feather Fall. And there are side passages in case of trouble - passages maybe not wide enough for a Demon Lord to easily follow us".
"If we have the funds to get it, we can also buy large quantities of holy water and pour a barrel or two on the winner, just to congratulate him, before fighting" adds the tall adventurer. "But allow e to suggest for the last time that we consider Vizeran and his tower - if he were to lose his life and someone decided to consider me no better than him for this," she shrugs "I would just live with it and leave my 'judge' to her opinion - but personally I believe that Vizeran's tower is the place that offers us the most allies (and therefore the most advantages) against opponents of the caliber of the Demon Lords".
Lulu too looks puzzled that Khessa is conflating fleeing with fighting. But schools her features as the young human continues, head titled in respectful consideration. Gently, she posits, "And what assurances do ye have, lass, that they would fight and no' flee as well? Or that they would no' immediately consider us enemies after our betrayal? Would they call us 'allies' and fight alongside us after having summoned the Demon Lords to their doorstep against our word? When the fighting is done, I do no' imagine they'd thank us for our deceit nor for putting their lives at risk. More enemies, then, would we have to contend with." Though she begins by addressing Khessa, the fey-giantess gradually opens her posture to include the others, her reasoning offered to everyone for consideration.