Heavy is the Head - Campaign thread

A large green Lizardfolk slithers around the statue to your side, bow notched and in hand, though it is pointed downwards. You recognize him as the lizardborn you freed from Coldwater Keep, forever and a few days ago (here). He still speaks in the strange cadence of one who does not regularly engage in conversation.

"Surprised it is you. Thank you for freedom. What are you wanting here? Perhaps interests align again?"

While rest are scouting downstairs, Saoirse will try to determine the path to reach what looks to be another safe tile. So having no more eggs, she will throw a copper coin to the tile in front of her. If that one isn't safe, then she will try throw another copper coin to the one next to it.

- ... unless the others find something to solve this in the lower floor, I think I'll go grab a few pebbles outside, or I'll end up without eggs AND without coins... - she mutters to herself.

Sha-gravis gives a nod to the Lizardfolk, “Seems we are... similarly exploring this site yes.”  Sha takes a last look around but of course Saffi would only be found if she wanted to be.  Then like a falling rock it occurs to him, “Wait Hemlock the windows they are open air windows? Come with me please I believe I’ll head up and check on Saoirse.”

Lam blinks in surprise, but does not seem unhappy to see the Lizardfolk again. He takes a few moments to try to relax before he tries to speak so his voice comes out calmer, then says, “…Perhaps? Yes? What do you want here?”

He tries to think of a way to explain their motive to him, and settles on, “We are trying to go up.” He looks at his friends, who seem to be forming a plan of some kind, then back at the Lizardfolk to see what any of them will do.

Hemlock inclines his head to Sha, assenting to his request to ascent.

Before he does, he turns to the Lizardfolk, "It is good to see you well. Lam is right, we are looking to explore this tower and find the one who resides here. What is your purpose? Shall we walk and talk?".

"I hunted for HMC secrets, why they burned my home far away. Learned they follow orders from Strixwell. Found the wizard woman and her companions. They say man here has Strixwell secrets. I promised to come. You killed two of them. I liked one of the dead. These things happen, as the dragons allow." The lizardfolk pauses and considers whether to go on for a moment, before continuing. "Your other friend is back in Prison. She looked like a missing dwarf woman, and tricked the others. The missing dwarf came back. Bad plan. I will help you climb the tower, you will help me learn Strixwell's secrets. Or, our interests do not align." He looks at Sha; "climb outside, skip traps? Good plan. Harpies are problem."

The lizardfolk does not express emotion in his face as he talks, but the more observant listener might notice a slight tightening of the muscles in his bowstring hand as he mentions the possibility of your interests not aligning.

Both copper coins land on the tiles with no effect. At the same time, the sound like a small continuous gust if air gets closer, and a strange form begins to descend the stairs toward the Evocation room. It seems to be a cube-shaped construct, made out of tiles very similar to the ones on the ground in front of you. Emanating from the tile pointed down is a continuous flow of air, which it uses to levitate. It begins to float towards Saoirse, taking a direct path kver the tiles. The image of a wizard remains frozen, seeming to take no notice of it.

- Uuuuh.... guys!? I think I have messed with the grid too much? - Saoirse says loudly for her companions to hear as she steps back towards the stairs - Some weird cube has appeared from the upper floor. *That* was what caused the line mark in the dust we saw earlier..!

Lam listens to the Lizardfolk, looking down when he mentions how they killed two of his group, blinking and looking back up at the mention of a dragon, and raising his eyebrows in surprise when he reveals where Saffron is. Lam turns to Hemlock to ask if they should try to go with the Lizardfolk, and potentially reveal secrets, or not.

He doesn’t get a chance to say anything before Saoirse calls from the upper level and, in a flash, Lam runs back up the stairs brandishing his greataxe. If Saoirse will allow him past, he runs to stand in front of her so she’s closer to the stairs- but he is careful not to step on any tiles. He stares the cube down and tries to figure out what it’s doing.

"It seems our goals do align, we are here to learn Strixwell's secrets as well. And I am sure we can take care of these harpies", Hemlock replies, just as Saoirse calls down and Lam hurries upstairs.

He rushes after Lam, trying to think back at what he knows about harpies, if anything.

Nature: 5+1=6

The cube continues across the room, following exactly the path the marks in the dust suggest it has followed before. It does not vary its speed at all. When it gets across the strange tiles and one of its faces is pointed straight at Lam, he swings his axe, and the cube is knocked down for a moment, one of its tile sides cracked almost completely in two. It seems like it may be totally junked for a few seconds, but then the whirring fan sound begins again and it hovers into the air, rotates until a different tile faces Lam, one marked with the symbol for divination magic (d12 Arcana to recognize that). There is a sudden flash of light (though not painful or disorienting), and then the cube begins hovering back towards where it came from, sparks occasionally flying out of the broken tile. Lam could, theoretically, get an opportunity attack as it floats away.

(Hemlock has heard of harpies vaguely, knowing that they look humanoid and sometimes sing, or something like that. Context clues are also enough to know that they fly and are potentially dangerous.)

The lizardfolks eyes follow Lam and Hemlock ad they rush upstairs, before returning to study Sha, and wait for a unanimous invitation to follow.

Lam does not try to attack the cube as it floats away. He stares at it with wide eyes, and his greataxe is held almost limply at his side.

 He looks at Saoirse, then at the cube, then back at Saoirse. He points at the symbol for divination magic, if he can see where it is on the now retreating cube. “…What does it do?” He looks toward his more knowledgeable friends. Then he looks back at the cube to study it.

Sha motions for the Lizardfolk to follow then hurried up the stairs to see what the fuss is all about. If the Lizardfolk follows, “Are you able to climb walls trees and such too?  You did so when we left the prison if memory serves me correctly.”

"Yes, I climb." The lizardfolk leaps to the staircase and follows Sha up, landing and walking completely soundlessly. You can not even hear his breath.

Lam notices symbols on almost all of the faces of the cube. You haven't seen the one pointed down. The faces pointing to the sides are Evocation tiles, except for the divination face you just saw. Tha top face didn't have a symbol, and was instead a metal patch reminiscent of the patch on the stairs and the walls.

Saoirse looks back to Lam and shrugs:

- Divination magic, you say? Perhaps it has tried to determine what kind of creatures have entered the tower, and if they're evil. I've heard that this magic can even detect one's thoughts. Is it turning back because we have stopped messing with the grid? Or because that spell has allowed the cube to see that we mean no harm?

When the rest come back she notices the newcomer: 

- Hey, you escaped with us, didn't you? So it was not Saffron after all. Huh ... - Saoirse looks wonderingly to her friends, not leaving the obvious question unasked. What is this guy doing here and what does he want?

"Well, considering Lam just took a chunk out of it, I cannot think it is because we mean no harm", Hemlock says with a nod of affirmation to Lam, showing he thought he did the right thing.

"Are we giving up crossing by this route then?", he asks Saoirse, not sure how far she had got in her investigation. "There is the suggestion we climb outside. Our old lizardfolk acquaintance here is also looking for answers and can climb. They want to know why Strixwell ordered the destruction of their home. It seems we are allies again, for a time at least. I can shift my shape into something useful too".

"Oh, and they have news of Saffron. Not good I am afraid. Saffi got herself caught by the same folk as imprisoned us before", he says sadly.

- Well, I meant that Lam only acted because he wanted to protect - Saoirse says, giving her bugbear friend a grateful look - And that we are not here to hurt the Artificer nor make a bad use of whatever is in his tower. Quite the contrary. But yeah, I can see that is difficult to interpret that after being attacked - She sighs and then explains what she has tested and the results of it - This way of figuring out the safe path is too slow, and it can cause the cube - and perhaps other defense mechanisms - to be activated, so it's probably time to explore other options, yes. Climbing up and reaching the next floor could give us some clues on how to advance.

When Hemlock informs her of the lizardfolk's intentions, Saoirse exclaims:

- The destruction of your home!? Gods, has that woman ever done anything good? Is oppresion and violence the only language she speaks? I am sorry, friend. Let's hope we can figure this out and help each other.

When hearing the news on Saffron, Saoirse lets out a long and deeply breath:

- ... I did warn her. About where that life of resentment, lies and mistrust could lead. That she would be better off sticking with us... - she says, shaking her head sadly.

"You are correct Saoirse, if they have magical means of determining our intentions they will see that they are positive", Hemlock agrees, humbly taking the correction.

Lam nods at Saoirse’s theories about the cube. “The other sides are ev… evo…” he gives up on trying to say the word. “Elemental. They can hurt.” He wonders why, if the cube had been coming over to hurt them the first time like he had thought, it would not have tried again with one of its other sides.

He hides his startle at how silently the lizardfolk joined the group, and acknowledges him and Sha’s arrival. When they talk about climbing outside, he repeats the point mentioned downstairs: “There are harpies outside.” He is not sure how easy it would be to fight and climb at the same time, but he would give it a shot. He would probably have to use weapons other than his greataxe. 

Lam huffs in agreement at Saoirse’s exclamation regarding the Strixwell woman. He is glad they are going to ally with the lizardfolk, both because he respects his straight-to-the-point style of speaking and acting, and because he doesn’t want to end up on the wrong side of that bow. He looks down at the news of Saffron, still unsure what to think about it.

He looks at each of his friends, including the newcomer. “…Are we climbing? No more grid?”

When you all return from the ground floor, the image of the wizard speaks again, giving the exact same recorded speech as when you first climbed the stair. (Not repeated because annoying).

The lizardfolk looks between you, watches the cube floating back up the stairs,, and cocks his head to the side for a moment. He still avoids direct eye contact, and seems to disregard the hologram completely.

"The construct looks like the one who fixed the stairs made it, not like the wizards made it. Scavenged ARTS material, repurposed. If it was a defense from the tower, you would be injured. This is my guess. I am ready to climb, and try alternative, but we may have to go through their traps. Ancient wizards were smart, but also stupid. They did not think to meet an opponent with patience. There was one of their towers near my home, too."

He gazes into the distance for a few moments, and it seems like he might continue to elaborate on the story, but he does not. He pokes the tip of his tail through the open window as though testing the water, and then steps through, to stand on the ledge outside, then looks in Sha's direction, waiting for the tabaxi to act. All this time, his hands still hold the longbow and a notched arrow, ready to draw at a moment's notice.

Hemlock looks at the lizardfolk with an impressed look on his face, "Very perceptive. That is very possible".

Seeing the lizardfolk and Sha get ready to ascend the tower on the outside, he gives a little grin and says, "Do you mind if join you?".

With that he once again transforms himself. His torso seems to shrink but at the same time become bulbous and hairy and his arms and legs become more spindly and hairy and break apart so that he has not four appendages but eight. Finally the form that stands waiting for the others to move is that of a Giant Wolf Spider.

Special: Concentration Detect Magic - not sure how long is left, been forgetting to right it here?
Special: Wildshape - 1 hour