The spiral staircase terminates in a very large hall, measuring 35' x 35', and whose dimension is extended by two 10' x 10' alcoves, one to the east and one to the south, from which exits branch off. Said exits are heavily obscured by what it seems to be fog. Both alcoves have mosaic floors.
Each wall you can see here has a bas-relief decoration (in the band that goes from the floor to the first 5' of height) of a series of copies of the same man in long hooded robe, seen from the front. Each figure extends its hands to the sides to hold those of the figures alongside.
You realize that you have reached a new, probably more mysterious, level of this dungeon. Who knows how long no one has set foot in these halls? It was no small ordeal, being able to get this far... and this instills unprecedented awareness and confidence in your abilities!
(OOC: Gratz! You all can level up! Welcome to level 2! Feel free to roll HP for the new level (yes, roll, don't take fixed amount - and don't despair if you roll low, I'll try not to throw anything too overpowered at you, I promise). If the new level makes you choose new skills, features or whatever go ahead and choose them - let's say, after your recent victories, you realize that you have perfected these skills or features, in which we can imagine that you have already been training for some time. Even if in the game to gain a level is an immediate act, we can imagine that from the characters' perspective the process appears gradual. If someone gains the ability to prepare a new spell, exceptionally, you may prepare it — although normally you can only do this at the end of a Long Rest. And whoever gains new spell slots has them available right away - even if they don't recover the spent ones; you'll need to take a Long Rest for that.
After you have advanced your character to level 2, feel free of course to resume declaring your characters' actions...).
Spira peers out into the hall from where the group stands at the base of the staircase. "Well, this certainly looks like more sophisticated construction than the tunnels above. Either they were wholly ruined by time, or whoever built this place wanted their outer defences to look cruder than the place actually was. We should probably follow the wall around and check each of these alcoves one by one, see if there are any clues in the mosaic or in these figures we'd be passing along the way ... perhaps there's some historical meaning related to the Harpells that Roxana might recognize? In any case, we'd have the wall on at least one flank instead of open space." She pauses and looks at Rash.
"I don't know about you, but the experience of actually using my magic in battle has seemed to unlock a new understanding in my mind...perhaps even a new spell. If that's true with you also, then as the magic wielders we should probably plan what would be most useful. The knowledge in me seems malleable enough at this point that I could choose between a spell that heals at a distance, or one that shields one of us with holy armor for a time, or ones that will allow me to sense the presence either of magic or of evil and good."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
At first glance the figures of the hooded man seem the same to Roxana. "I guess I can take a closer look and see if I spot anything with these sculptured people." She starts with the one closest and starts around. She tries to recall if she's seen anything like this associated with the Harpell's before. (Investigation: 14, General INT Check if needed for recollection: 3)
As Roxana approaches the bas-reliefs, before she has the time to examine them thoroughly, a pretty halfling boy (perhaps around 13 years old?) with dark hair, a chubby build, tanned skin, a smiling and deferential demeanor and dressed as a butler appears out of nowhere. The crest of Longsaddle / the Harpells (two wolves facing each other on opposite sides of a horse with particularly elongated legs) is embroidered on his robe.
The young halfling butler promptly introduces himself: "Hello esteemed visitors. I'm Elky and I'm here to serve you. Would you like something to drink or eat, by any chance? I could have you brought some tea, water, wine, eggs and bacon, a few bites of game, horse meat... Or would you prefer to decline the offer?"
The white-haired warrior gives the halfling a suspicious look, holding forth his torch to get a better look at this unexpected greeter. "What is this place and what master do you serve?" He asks with all the politeness he can muster.
Elky waits for a while: then, since the only reaction was that of Obadiah, he turns to him, seraphic: "I'll take it as a no. As for your questions, don't worry, whoever invited you will surely be able to answer them. Surely you gentlemen have been invited, haven't you? Do you remember the password you will have to tell the yellow flags keeper?"
(OOC: @Culuril: To recognize an illusion what is needed is to use an action to do an Investigation check - the fact that this uses up an action is not very important now, since we are not fighting)
"I will gladly explain it to you, my lady;" Elky bows briefly "indeed, I'll do better: I might take you to it... But first, please, forgive me, I need to know if you've been invited or not... It's a very important discriminant" he concludes, in a serious tone.
"Did the goblins know about this place?" Rash asks, sounding slightly confused. "Actually... now that I think about it, is it possible the Zhentarim bandits were invited here?"
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"We were sent by the Harpells to check on this place.", Spira says reassuringly. "There has been no word for many, many years; wars and plagues have swept across the land, and much has been forgotten. Maester Harpell and Lady Sharnshield were concerned enough to send us when they realized how long the family had been out of contact with you ... Maester Blinn and Lady Martha, that would be ..., but with all the papers and knowledge such learned wizards have to keep track of it seems the password for the yellow flag guardians was temporarily misplaced when they tried to find it for us. Would you be able to write it down for us in case the original was actually lost?"
============================================
Persuasion 18
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Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
"It's not up to me to decide who to invite or not," the young halfling butler (who, by the way, to the girl from Longsaddle, seems perfectly real, no illusion) seems amazed "but until today no one has ever invited goblins. And why on earth, in fact? And as for creatures called 'Zhentarim', I have never heard of them; but after all I am only a humble servant".
"Honestly," Elky seems more and more amazed "I've never even heard of Maester Blinn and Lady Martha, but it rejoices to know you've been invited! I'll take you straight to the keeper. Follow me and don't deviate for any reason, please. Remember that each yellow flag can protect up to eight people who hold hands, as long as at least one of them is holding the flag. And don't tell a wrong password... I'm not authorized to reveal the password to you, but if at the last moment you have a memory lapse, look at the keeper on his forehead and the word will come back to you for sure. It is just a single word, after all... Only six letters..."
"Oh," the young halfling butler adds "and If you are headed to the prison itself, at Level 3, remember to also get a purple flag, before going down. Once in the other alcove, remember the old saying: 'Leave loneliness, later; remember lore, really! And be constant'. Right?"
To be honest: none of you have ever heard of this 'old saying'... but before you can argue, Elky is already walking towards the east alcove, exhorting you: "Well, let's go".
"I very much doubt the Harpell's invited Zhentarim," Roxana says. "And there were no goblins here at the moment," she says to the halfling. She stays put though as Elky moves toward the east alcove. "And Elky, Spira already explained to you that the password was lost! We need to figure out that part first."
She turns to look at the others. "Do you suppose we could somehow get the password from the keeper?"
This time, Elky ignores Roxana's protests and, once he enters the east alcove, he is about to take one of the corridors full of fog... You risk losing sight of him if you don't follow him. What to do?
The white-haired warrior stands in scowling silence. He had no time to play silly games with holding hands and flags and guessing passwords when lives were at stake, his frustration mostly due to the realization he would not be the least helpful now. "We're here to save a life and are pressed for time, we are not invited, just take us to your master now!"He says with all the politeness he can muster, ready to follow the halfling.
As Obadiah speaks, Elky stops abruptly. He turns, a sad expression on his face, and advises: "Gentlemen, if you are not invited, in your own interest, you should immediately leave this place. The whole area is off-limits and protected with drastic measures - very unpleasant to experience for yourself. Having entered, surely you know the way out; you would be wise to use it". And he disappears.
Roxana puts one hand on her hip and looks over at Obidiah. "Guess that was one way to get rid of him." It's hard to tell if that's criticism or praise - she seems uncertain herself. "A password and drastic protection. Anyone got an idea to find the password? Six letters... how many possibilities could there be?" she says sarcastically.
"Or a way to combat these protections? They must be magic, right?"
Spira begins to follow the halfling butler, then stops absolutely still when he disappears. She sighs, but all she says is, "Well a guide would have been more helpful, but maybe we can figure this out by reason." Resting her back against the wall, she begins to tick off on her fingers the points she remembers from Elky's speech
"First: the exact path is important, since Elky warned us not to deviate from the route he'd be taking us.
Second: the password is six letters long, one word; but there is one other clue on that. He said that if we don't remember the password, something on the keeper's forehead would remind us ... which means its probably something logically related to the password, and therefore another clue to guessing it.
And third, we need two colors of flags;, yellow and purple. When he was talking about the purple one, his next remark started, 'Once you are in the other alcove ... ', which makes me think the alcoves are where the flag keepers are. And the purple flag one has something to do with that riddle he quoted ... what was it again? ... 'Leave loneliness, later; remember lore, really! And be constant'. I wasn't the greatest loremaster in the temple, but I'll see if I can remember anything similar while we look around. I'd like to get a little closer to these mosaics and see if there's any clues in them or anywhere nearby." She very cautiously begins to approach the closest alcove, stopping (for the moment) once she can see the pattern of the mosaic and peering towards it to pick up as many details as possible from that range.
=======================================
History 11
Investigation 9
After a moment she adds, "And I'm not sure we should assume there's only one password for all levels and flags ... the way Elky was talking, it sometimes sounded like there was and sometimes not . He said ...'don't give A wrong password...", which kind of implies but doesn't say flat out that there's more than one Otherwise he would have more likely said, 'don't give the wrong password."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
The spiral staircase terminates in a very large hall, measuring 35' x 35', and whose dimension is extended by two 10' x 10' alcoves, one to the east and one to the south, from which exits branch off. Said exits are heavily obscured by what it seems to be fog. Both alcoves have mosaic floors.
Each wall you can see here has a bas-relief decoration (in the band that goes from the floor to the first 5' of height) of a series of copies of the same man in long hooded robe, seen from the front. Each figure extends its hands to the sides to hold those of the figures alongside.
You realize that you have reached a new, probably more mysterious, level of this dungeon. Who knows how long no one has set foot in these halls? It was no small ordeal, being able to get this far... and this instills unprecedented awareness and confidence in your abilities!
(OOC: Gratz! You all can level up! Welcome to level 2! Feel free to roll HP for the new level (yes, roll, don't take fixed amount - and don't despair if you roll low, I'll try not to throw anything too overpowered at you, I promise). If the new level makes you choose new skills, features or whatever go ahead and choose them - let's say, after your recent victories, you realize that you have perfected these skills or features, in which we can imagine that you have already been training for some time. Even if in the game to gain a level is an immediate act, we can imagine that from the characters' perspective the process appears gradual. If someone gains the ability to prepare a new spell, exceptionally, you may prepare it — although normally you can only do this at the end of a Long Rest. And whoever gains new spell slots has them available right away - even if they don't recover the spent ones; you'll need to take a Long Rest for that.
After you have advanced your character to level 2, feel free of course to resume declaring your characters' actions...).
Spira peers out into the hall from where the group stands at the base of the staircase. "Well, this certainly looks like more sophisticated construction than the tunnels above. Either they were wholly ruined by time, or whoever built this place wanted their outer defences to look cruder than the place actually was. We should probably follow the wall around and check each of these alcoves one by one, see if there are any clues in the mosaic or in these figures we'd be passing along the way ... perhaps there's some historical meaning related to the Harpells that Roxana might recognize? In any case, we'd have the wall on at least one flank instead of open space." She pauses and looks at Rash.
"I don't know about you, but the experience of actually using my magic in battle has seemed to unlock a new understanding in my mind...perhaps even a new spell. If that's true with you also, then as the magic wielders we should probably plan what would be most useful. The knowledge in me seems malleable enough at this point that I could choose between a spell that heals at a distance, or one that shields one of us with holy armor for a time, or ones that will allow me to sense the presence either of magic or of evil and good."
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
At first glance the figures of the hooded man seem the same to Roxana. "I guess I can take a closer look and see if I spot anything with these sculptured people." She starts with the one closest and starts around. She tries to recall if she's seen anything like this associated with the Harpell's before. (Investigation: 14, General INT Check if needed for recollection: 3)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard ||
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer || Bronnryn Hethgar, Cleric
As Roxana approaches the bas-reliefs, before she has the time to examine them thoroughly, a pretty halfling boy (perhaps around 13 years old?) with dark hair, a chubby build, tanned skin, a smiling and deferential demeanor and dressed as a butler appears out of nowhere. The crest of Longsaddle / the Harpells (two wolves facing each other on opposite sides of a horse with particularly elongated legs) is embroidered on his robe.
The young halfling butler promptly introduces himself: "Hello esteemed visitors. I'm Elky and I'm here to serve you. Would you like something to drink or eat, by any chance? I could have you brought some tea, water, wine, eggs and bacon, a few bites of game, horse meat... Or would you prefer to decline the offer?"
The white-haired warrior gives the halfling a suspicious look, holding forth his torch to get a better look at this unexpected greeter. "What is this place and what master do you serve?" He asks with all the politeness he can muster.
Persuasion: 13
Insight: 11
Elky waits for a while: then, since the only reaction was that of Obadiah, he turns to him, seraphic: "I'll take it as a no. As for your questions, don't worry, whoever invited you will surely be able to answer them. Surely you gentlemen have been invited, haven't you? Do you remember the password you will have to tell the yellow flags keeper?"
Roxana watches the halfling with surprise when he appears. She tries to determine whether he's real or just some apparition. (WIS check: 6)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard ||
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer || Bronnryn Hethgar, Cleric
"I'm not familiar with the yellow flags keeper. What is that?" Roxana asks.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard ||
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer || Bronnryn Hethgar, Cleric
(OOC: @Culuril: To recognize an illusion what is needed is to use an action to do an Investigation check - the fact that this uses up an action is not very important now, since we are not fighting)
"I will gladly explain it to you, my lady;" Elky bows briefly "indeed, I'll do better: I might take you to it... But first, please, forgive me, I need to know if you've been invited or not... It's a very important discriminant" he concludes, in a serious tone.
(OOC - OK, if that had been Investigation the result is 5, so still fails probably!)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard ||
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer || Bronnryn Hethgar, Cleric
"Did the goblins know about this place?" Rash asks, sounding slightly confused. "Actually... now that I think about it, is it possible the Zhentarim bandits were invited here?"
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
"We were sent by the Harpells to check on this place.", Spira says reassuringly. "There has been no word for many, many years; wars and plagues have swept across the land, and much has been forgotten. Maester Harpell and Lady Sharnshield were concerned enough to send us when they realized how long the family had been out of contact with you ... Maester Blinn and Lady Martha, that would be ..., but with all the papers and knowledge such learned wizards have to keep track of it seems the password for the yellow flag guardians was temporarily misplaced when they tried to find it for us. Would you be able to write it down for us in case the original was actually lost?"
============================================
Persuasion 18
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
"It's not up to me to decide who to invite or not," the young halfling butler (who, by the way, to the girl from Longsaddle, seems perfectly real, no illusion) seems amazed "but until today no one has ever invited goblins. And why on earth, in fact? And as for creatures called 'Zhentarim', I have never heard of them; but after all I am only a humble servant".
"Honestly," Elky seems more and more amazed "I've never even heard of Maester Blinn and Lady Martha, but it rejoices to know you've been invited! I'll take you straight to the keeper. Follow me and don't deviate for any reason, please. Remember that each yellow flag can protect up to eight people who hold hands, as long as at least one of them is holding the flag. And don't tell a wrong password... I'm not authorized to reveal the password to you, but if at the last moment you have a memory lapse, look at the keeper on his forehead and the word will come back to you for sure. It is just a single word, after all... Only six letters..."
"Oh," the young halfling butler adds "and If you are headed to the prison itself, at Level 3, remember to also get a purple flag, before going down. Once in the other alcove, remember the old saying: 'Leave loneliness, later; remember lore, really! And be constant'. Right?"
To be honest: none of you have ever heard of this 'old saying'... but before you can argue, Elky is already walking towards the east alcove, exhorting you: "Well, let's go".
What are you doing? Do you follow him?
"I very much doubt the Harpell's invited Zhentarim," Roxana says. "And there were no goblins here at the moment," she says to the halfling. She stays put though as Elky moves toward the east alcove. "And Elky, Spira already explained to you that the password was lost! We need to figure out that part first."
She turns to look at the others. "Do you suppose we could somehow get the password from the keeper?"
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard ||
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer || Bronnryn Hethgar, Cleric
This time, Elky ignores Roxana's protests and, once he enters the east alcove, he is about to take one of the corridors full of fog... You risk losing sight of him if you don't follow him. What to do?
The white-haired warrior stands in scowling silence. He had no time to play silly games with holding hands and flags and guessing passwords when lives were at stake, his frustration mostly due to the realization he would not be the least helpful now. "We're here to save a life and are pressed for time, we are not invited, just take us to your master now!" He says with all the politeness he can muster, ready to follow the halfling.
As Obadiah speaks, Elky stops abruptly. He turns, a sad expression on his face, and advises: "Gentlemen, if you are not invited, in your own interest, you should immediately leave this place. The whole area is off-limits and protected with drastic measures - very unpleasant to experience for yourself. Having entered, surely you know the way out; you would be wise to use it". And he disappears.
Roxana puts one hand on her hip and looks over at Obidiah. "Guess that was one way to get rid of him." It's hard to tell if that's criticism or praise - she seems uncertain herself. "A password and drastic protection. Anyone got an idea to find the password? Six letters... how many possibilities could there be?" she says sarcastically.
"Or a way to combat these protections? They must be magic, right?"
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard ||
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer || Bronnryn Hethgar, Cleric
After a moment she adds, "And I'm not sure we should assume there's only one password for all levels and flags ... the way Elky was talking, it sometimes sounded like there was and sometimes not . He said ...'don't give A wrong password...", which kind of implies but doesn't say flat out that there's more than one Otherwise he would have more likely said, 'don't give the wrong password."
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
The closest alcove is the east one, the one Elky had entered (probably to lead you to one of the corridors exiting from there).
The mosaic look like this: