Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

(As posted, Nightblade backs off and heals himself this turn).

Boona was confused.....

Jorzu 

"Huh? Oh, it worked" exclaims Jorzu. Caught a little by surprise he looks at Nightblade with a childish grin; "Shall we move on from here before that thing comes back?" He motions back out of the kitchen.

" Not hit yet....how come splat?", Boona said morosely as she followed the others out...

( Damn......that would have been 29 Dam...oh well, next time. :)  )

You have less than a minute before this nightmarish entity returns. 

Nightblade can see that the drow had been in this kitchen – indeed they left some dirty dishes behind, together with a backpack. He recalls hearing how they found a hidden lever which opened a secret door into a pantry which led to a kitchen. But he had been too preoccupied with the Library to take the time to explore the pantry or kitchen in the hours they rested here. He had eaten food cooked in this kitchen, though.

Where to ? What next? You remain in the Common Room with the broken table. Several metal chests are stacked against a wall. The largest opening leading from this room (to the east) is choked with rubble and the skeletal remains of dwarves and mind flayers. The writhing mental horror will return very soon...

Nightblade:

"I suppose it would be too much to hope the monstrosity is permanently gone?" ask Nightblade hopefully as he grabs Thalia's pack.  "We should either leave this room or prepare to attack it all at once upon its return," he counsels.

Jorzu 

"I don't think that's how it works, not sure though. If it comes back and gives you that headache again I don't think we can plan anything in advance. I say we make our way far from here and hope" Jorzu replies to Nightblade's comment. "If you know of another way out I'm happy to follow, if not then we backtrack."

(Which way does the party choose to go?)

( To the statue room and beyond is Boonas destination.)

Nightblade:

Seeing Boona’s choice, Nightblade follows along to the room with the columns.  Along the way, he checks Thalia’s pack for anything useful.

Boona retreats to the hallway with the defaced statue and into the room bearing four stone basins beneath metal spigots. (The northwest spigot appears broken and choked with fungus, and it drips murky water into the basin. The other basins are dry.) The bodies of the two mutant cultists remain here where they fell, and a third lies under the vandalized statue.

Nightblade grabs the pack and follows Boona, continuing past her into the procession hall. Columns within this pillared room bear images of pious dwarves holding mining picks. The room is quiet; the door to the south is ajar where he had watched one cultist retreat.

He rummages through Thiala's pack. In it he finds 100 feet of silk rope, three daggers, a blank book, a calligrapher’s kit, and a silver medallion displaying a lizard’s head with a quill behind it. He recognizes this last item as a keepsake of Thiala's which she has had as long as he has known her.

Where to? What next?

((Apologies for the brief absence.))

Bryony follows Boona and Nightblade. Luckily, Jorzu had been able to send the horrible nightmare creature away, but it could return at any time so the halfling keeps up a quick pace away from where they encountered it. The halfling briefly examines the pillars with the images of the pious dwarves before approaching the southern door cautiously. She will try to listen and peer through the door if it's open to see if there are any more cultists or any more horrible creatures nearby.

Perception - 7

Boona called Karst to her side and sent him into the columned hall to push into the double doors on the side wall.....as she came forward next to Nightblade.

(Remind me of light sources one more time – does Boona carry a torch, currently? Nightblade has darkvision and carries a moon-touched sword which casts a little light. But Bryony and Karst cannot see far here.)

Bryony can see that this procession hall is lined with sacred statues of dwarves. These figures were once brilliantly painted, but only the paint around the eye sockets and clasped hands of the dwarves remains, leaving an impression of sickness and suspicion. Peering through the open door to the south she sees nothing but darkness and quiet. She can sense it opens up into a larger room. 

Karst nudges open the double doors to the west. Karst can see nothing further, either – it seems to be another dark, quiet hallway.

 

Nightblade:

Putting away Thialia's keepsake to return to her if he survives this mission, Nightblade quickly consolidates the useful equipment into his own pack.  Then he moves up to look down the hallway Karst is viewing.

Jorzu 

With a sigh of relief that no-one insisted on staying Jorzu scoots along with the others as they move back towards the pillared room. He stays close to Boona, as if her size was enough to protect his small frame.

When they reach the large hall he dares to step away from his hulking bodyguard and joins Byrony at the big double doors. "Can you see anything?" he whispers.

Boona, torch aloft, headed down and put a hand on Karsts shoulder.

She didn't open the doors any further, waiting on Bryony.

I also want to apologize for my absence. I lost my job over a month ago and had been spending all my time searching. I found one and now I'm swamped in learning my new role. I'm going to take a break from PBP for now. 

DM Caber8, you have been a FANTASTIC DM and I've really loved this and the previous adventure. 

Again, sorry about this. I wish you all happy adventuring. 

Hang in there, @GR_Mustang !  We'll miss you! Feel free to join back in, when the time comes when life settles down a bit. Happy adventures to you, too!

Looking past Karst to the west, Nightblade can see a short, wide hallway. Its west end bears an elaborate carving of a mountain filled with gemstones, as well as a large dial covered in carvings. Above the dial is a phrase you can't quite read from here.

Bryony can see next to nothing to the south, but Jorzu, looking over her shoulder, can see somewhat more, at least to the south and east. It's another large hall, with several pillars carved with images of mountains. Some of the pillars are broken and blackened, as though from an intense fire. Jorzu: Make a perception check to try to see any more. Nightblade remembers seeing a cultist duck into this room.