Gnome's OOTA Story Thread [CLOSED]

Upon seeing the unusual construction, the blonde arcane warrior stops in a place out of sight and signals the others to do the same. She then reverts to material form to be able to communicate (assuming someone stopped with her as she asked).

"That black adamantine tower looks interesting..." Khessa points to the unusual construction - under normal conditions, her blue eyes would probably sparkle with excitement and curiosity... but being in a cloud-like shape limits her expressiveness and chromaticity a little "I don't know who or what built it, but curiosity has often helped us... After all, it was by inspecting the Tomb of Globbagool, that we managed to free Dawn... Shall we go and visit? It might be risky. But it shouldn't cost us too much time. And might be worth the trouble. What do you think?"

"Just how much time do we really have before we need to get this ritual completed?" Katryl asks. She isn't really sure of the answer, but wonders how much urgency there might be. "My guess is whoever built such an impressive tower is going to be difficult to deal with if opposed to us.  I suppose if they might be persuaded to help us though we might gain a strong ally."  She thinks a moment more. "What do you think Lunaria?  Horkas?"  She clearly presumes Traydark will have already decided in favor of the woman that proposed stopping in the first place. 

Horkas also is inclined to stop, so he is only a second or two behind Khessa for reverting to a solid form. "Normally, I'd be right ready to explore such a place...but perhaps we stop on the way back from the Labyrinth? Katryl is likely correct - the tower is likely the home to something powerful, and we should wait to disturb it if it ain't inclined to entertain us!"

"But if we found help," Khessa objects "either in the form of allies or simply in the form of useful objects, we could use that help directly in the Labyrinth (especially now that we come in less company than usual)... While if we found ourselves taking too great a risk in the tower, we could always take cloud form again and run away, couldn't we?"

"'Tis quite a feat that the tower still stands this close to the Labyrinth. And, indeed, during an Abyssal incursion." Lulu's eyes narrow as they search the adamantine tower for any sign of friend or foe--within or without. "I could seek my Mistress' guidance regarding the matter? Ask if we would find more help or hindrance inside."


((Perception: 19))

Katryl turns to Lulu, a look of wonder on her face. "Really? You can do that?"  She shakes her head, laughing softly to herself. "Of course I should have known. You clearly have such a close relationship with your Goddess, Lunaria. But I think your idea would help."  She takes a moment to again look at the tower. "Imagine if the owner could be persuaded to our cause. Perhaps this could be a part of that outpost you've been talking about."  She looks around to see what she thinks about how defensible this location might be. Could the area be expanded? (Surivial, I think: 12)

Khessa welcomes both of her friends' ideas: "A suggestion from someone as knowledgeable as a deity can certainly be helpful, Lulu. And you're right Katryl... if we really decide we need an outpost, this tower could become one, once secured. At least it is a structure already built - and apparently solid".

The noble drow had returned to his dark brooding ways as the expedition had left the Vast Oblivium, yet another near death experience scarring his frail soul, but there was also the eventual return to his home to be considered. There were so many slaves in the City of Spiders and arguably also some other more or less innocents. At the same time, razing what was widely considered the bastion of ultimate evil in the Underdark, perhaps in the all of the realms, must be considered. If only there was a way to evacuate the city before the great summoning...

But he was of course getting ahead of himself, there were still no less than five components to gather before the dark heart could even be created and he had a strong feeling they would not go through that search unscathed.

He is relieved as most of the expedition is sent off to Blingdenstone. Even though their journey would be a dangerous one it would likely be far safer for them than following where the he and his companions were going, deep into the Labyrinth. It is later with some level of satisfaction for him that the team leave the egg and the eye with Vizeran. He still didn't trust the drow archmage but he would expect their objectives to be aligned...for the time being.

As the swiftly moving team passes the adamantine tower on their way to the Labyrinth, the noble drow stops with the others and resumes his solid form, listening to the others discuss. While there was no reason to even hope that they would find any of the components inside there was some merit to the plan to at least examine it before proceeding, they had saved so much time already by traveling with the courtesy of the firbolg's mistress. While the other considers their options, Traydark calls Grax'xt into service from his pocket plane to invisibly fly closer to the black adamantine tower in search for potential entry points and to see if whoever was the master of the impressive tower was there to greet them.

Grax'xt perception if needed: 11

"Well, let's not waste any more time standing here jawing about it. If we're goin', then let's be goin' and check out yonder tower. At least in mist form we can enter and quickly survey the place - and get out if it's already inhabited by somethin' we don't wanna tangle with...so save yer comms check with yer superior, Lulu!" Horkas says with a grin, ready to do exactly what he suggested. 

"A reconnaissance tour in cloud form?" Khessa ponders "Yes, why not? We are very fast in that form... Maybe it actually makes sense. Running away, if we see something we can't deal with, should be easy".

"We are not invulnerable while in cloud form, and an adamantine tower might be hard to enter even for a cloud, but that said I agree, just hold off a moment and my familiar will perhaps be able to tell us if there is a master of the black tower ready there to greet us peacefully." The noble drow suggests but is otherwise ready to follow along.

Grax'xt reports:

The first floor of the tower is an open room. A ladder affixed to the back wall leads up through a trapdoor to the floor above. A pile of bones and clothes lies in the corner.

The second floor has a ladder affixed to a wall that seems to lead to the roof but the hatch is closed currently. There are two winged creatures inside that appear to be floating about listlessly.

The top of the tower is open save for the statues around the corners.

As he gets his telepathic report, the noble drow shares with the others what he knew. "It seems uninhabited apart from the winged creatures on the tower's second floor. I suggest we enter in solid forms and search the tower for anything that might be helpful to our mission before we move on." He says, ready to follow the others inside.

(Traydark would demand much more details on the winged creatures, hoping to identify them, also using Grax'xt sight to see for himself.)

“Yes, it doesn't sound like anything we can't deal with” Khessa agrees, eager to unveil the mysteries of that strange construction. "Perhaps, given the dearth of overt threats, we will have to pay attention to any hidden threats - like spells ready to go off... but I really think the tower is worth a visit".

Before approaching the entrance, the blonde arcane warrior performs a ritual to summon her faithful butler, then she is ready... She intends to have the butler open any doors or manipulate any objects, from a distance, when possible, rather than doing it herself - just in case there are traps or threats waiting for the party.

(Grax'xt isn't sure because he can't tell a whole lot through blindsight, and when you switch to normal sight the figures disappear into the shadowy darkness of the unlit tower)

"Can yer familiar determine the size of the winged creatures? Are they bat-sized, or dragon-sized? Kinda makes a difference and determine how we go in!" Horkas says to Traydark and the others.

"It would seem my familiar is unable to say anything further about the winged creatures...." The noble drow explains. "...but considering the size of the tower I doubt they were dragon-sized."

"So," Khessa summarizes, once she has finished her ritual "we enter in cloud form through the same slit he entered through, we return to material form, and we begin exploring. Right? Shall we go?"

The noble drow merely nods, ready to proceed.

(I swear I had written some of this out but now it's not there...ugh...the tower isn't that big. It's 20 feet on a side and 30 feet high. The arrow slits are on the ground floor. @Culiril there isn't much space around the tower itself, and in the back it drops off steeply into a deep 300 foot hole, spanning about 100 feet in diameter. @Oberron, the creatures were medium sized)