Starker:”It would take an hour, but I can remind myself of the ways to cast Gust, which may work to push the mist away, though I am not certain as I have not tried it in this manner.”
<of note, game play will be out of sync, am in Europe for extended period of time>
After attempting the Altar desecration and then being rightly admonished by our Bard, Kragen spends time regaining a 3rd level spell slot using the Pearl of Power.
in response to Trolkarls request “I can surround The Company with Tyr’s purifying embrace if need be to ascend the stairwell. However, that would exhaust my most powerful capabilities that Tyr has embued this vessel with. I prefer to hold and use his most powerful divine powers vanquishing this Illiandil from the living realm.”
Reaches up and places a hand on Chadwick’s shoulder “Master Chadwick, I have a stout dwarves constitution, while you humans get sick from a sneeze. Allow me to test this foul fog, if it’s not ill, i will signal to lead the remaining ascension.”
turns and heads up the north stairs while Chad and The Company wait at the base. Stops at the 5th step or just before he moves out of sight.
<of note, game play will be out of sync, am in Europe for extended period of time>
After attempting the Altar desecration and then being rightly admonished by our Bard, Kragen spends time regaining a 3rd level spell slot using the Pearl of Power.
in response to Trolkarls request “I can surround The Company with Tyr’s purifying embrace if need be to ascend the stairwell. However, that would exhaust my most powerful capabilities that Tyr has embued this vessel with. I prefer to hold and use his most powerful divine powers vanquishing this Illiandil from the living realm.”
Reaches up and places a hand on Chadwick’s shoulder “Master Chadwick, I have a stout dwarves constitution, while you humans get sick from a sneeze. Allow me to test this foul fog, if it’s not ill, i will signal to lead the remaining ascension.”
turns and heads up the north stairs while Chad and The Company wait at the base. Stops at the 5th step or just before he moves out of sight.
if Kragen deems it safe for the frail humans, he motions for Chad to lead the group up the stairs.
Kragen climbs the steps. The fog curls around his ankles as he ascends to just within sight at the first turn of the spiral stairs. All seems well and he motions for the rest of you to join him.
The stairwell climbs for several turns and then opens to a side room of a central, circular chamber. The floor is translucent red stone. Skeletal and emaciated figures can be seen writhing into and out of view. Some look directly at you as you study the floor before moving along in their endless churn. The room has walls engraved with the appearance of a twisted forest with spined branches, thorny bushes and creatures hiding among this baleful vegetation. The ceiling rises into a dome 30’ high. A black sun is painted at the apex of the dome in a sickly green sky and mauve, stringy clouds hanging above. Distant flying creatures are depicted in the sky.
In the center of the room is a dais, raised two steps above the floor. The dais floor is of bone, laced with veins of gold and platinum. A central podium of iron rises from this floor with a hemisphere of onyx sitting on top. A hemispherical impression is seen in the top of this piece of onyx.
<kneels on floor, gets out notebook and quill, writes on a fresh page in big letters in Common “GOOD DAY. I HOPE YOU ARE WELL. IF YOU UNDERSTAND RAISE BOTH HANDS AND LOWER THEM AND THEN RAISE ONE HAND.” Turns notebook such that floor skeletons can see, carefully noting their behaviors, looking for patterns or a response.”>
Starker:”Shall we ask our fishy foreseer for guidance? I have a very poor record of asking it useful questions, so if any of you have a suggestion I am happy to serve as a conduit for your conversation with the Oracle. “
goes over to column and says:” this shape might focus the sound waves from the tuning fork and open a passage to Illiandil’s present resting place. Shall we ready ourselves and try?”
<Examines depression to see if it is actually hemispherical or if it is instead parabolic, and sees if there is a notch for the tuning fork>
As you walk across the floor, the skeletal figures below the floor seem to congregate at your feet. The hemispherical depression in the column topping onyx and the end of the shaft of the tuning fork appear to be compatible in size and shape.
Starker:<shows The Company the coincidence of the end of the tuning fork and the depression on the onyx> ”The way to proceed seems clear. The wisdom of proceeding is not mine to judge. Friends? Colleagues? Thoughts?”
Kragen looks at the fork and then the podium with onyx receptor. “Mage Starker, before you activate this device. Could you provide your hypothesis on what may occur so we might prepare… a brief, concise hypothesis please.”
looks at Starker with those odd googles on, masking Kragen facial expressions
Starker:”Based on my memory of what I read in the tome Loccating (sic) the Tomb, I am almost certain it will cause a gateway to open allowing us to access the hellish outer plane (or perhaps a demi-plane of the Abyss) where Iliandil has his main lair and my staff. I merely speculate that it will warn him of our coming.”
Trolkarl nods along until hearing the bit about "...my staff..."
Starker, I appreciate you sharing your insights regarding the potential outcomes of the fork.
The sole aspect of your recollection that concerns me pertains to this staff and the specific warning we, or rather you, received about the staff. Let's be sure we are on the same page about this Staff of the Void and the warnings received while we stand in this plane, rather than having this conversation in some other dangerous land.
I recall that the Staff of the Void is to be brought to Xygag in Waterdeep and that you were instructed not to attune to the staff, but any other treasures found are ours. If I am misremembering any relevant facts, please correct me - because again, I would rather we understand this now - before striking the fork.
“Any plane other than ours, especially those which house the dead and evil beings, has me frightened. However my desire to remove this Illiandil from Faerun has strengthened my resolve. The spells I have prepared have a shorter duration, so I would rather cast when we get to wherever we need to meet this foe.”
”unless you feel Tyrs power may be muted once there?”
”Colleagues: I ask that you consider what allies you can summon quickly when we encounter the lich. I believe we will need all of them. I am thinking of the fey, my construct, and the as-yet-unknown entity trapped in the iron flask. Unfortunatley, the mastiff will not be available again for several days. Also, please do not bunch up and please do attempt to silence him as best you can.
”I am ready to proceed. I will place the tuning fork and strike it when we are all ready.”
Do we have any spells like Gust of Wind that can clear the fog?
If not, are there any precautions we can take to reduce the risk of poison gas, other than sending up a monkey, of course?
Starker:”It would take an hour, but I can remind myself of the ways to cast Gust, which may work to push the mist away, though I am not certain as I have not tried it in this manner.”
Starker:”Upon further consideration, that will not work.”
"I'll check this one out." Chadwick starts up the North staircase.
<of note, game play will be out of sync, am in Europe for extended period of time>
After attempting the Altar desecration and then being rightly admonished by our Bard, Kragen spends time regaining a 3rd level spell slot using the Pearl of Power.
in response to Trolkarls request “I can surround The Company with Tyr’s purifying embrace if need be to ascend the stairwell. However, that would exhaust my most powerful capabilities that Tyr has embued this vessel with. I prefer to hold and use his most powerful divine powers vanquishing this Illiandil from the living realm.”
Reaches up and places a hand on Chadwick’s shoulder “Master Chadwick, I have a stout dwarves constitution, while you humans get sick from a sneeze. Allow me to test this foul fog, if it’s not ill, i will signal to lead the remaining ascension.”
turns and heads up the north stairs while Chad and The Company wait at the base. Stops at the 5th step or just before he moves out of sight.
<of note, game play will be out of sync, am in Europe for extended period of time>
After attempting the Altar desecration and then being rightly admonished by our Bard, Kragen spends time regaining a 3rd level spell slot using the Pearl of Power.
in response to Trolkarls request “I can surround The Company with Tyr’s purifying embrace if need be to ascend the stairwell. However, that would exhaust my most powerful capabilities that Tyr has embued this vessel with. I prefer to hold and use his most powerful divine powers vanquishing this Illiandil from the living realm.”
Reaches up and places a hand on Chadwick’s shoulder “Master Chadwick, I have a stout dwarves constitution, while you humans get sick from a sneeze. Allow me to test this foul fog, if it’s not ill, i will signal to lead the remaining ascension.”
turns and heads up the north stairs while Chad and The Company wait at the base. Stops at the 5th step or just before he moves out of sight.
if Kragen deems it safe for the frail humans, he motions for Chad to lead the group up the stairs.
Tomb, Level 4
Kragen climbs the steps. The fog curls around his ankles as he ascends to just within sight at the first turn of the spiral stairs. All seems well and he motions for the rest of you to join him.
The stairwell climbs for several turns and then opens to a side room of a central, circular chamber. The floor is translucent red stone. Skeletal and emaciated figures can be seen writhing into and out of view. Some look directly at you as you study the floor before moving along in their endless churn. The room has walls engraved with the appearance of a twisted forest with spined branches, thorny bushes and creatures hiding among this baleful vegetation. The ceiling rises into a dome 30’ high. A black sun is painted at the apex of the dome in a sickly green sky and mauve, stringy clouds hanging above. Distant flying creatures are depicted in the sky.
In the center of the room is a dais, raised two steps above the floor. The dais floor is of bone, laced with veins of gold and platinum. A central podium of iron rises from this floor with a hemisphere of onyx sitting on top. A hemispherical impression is seen in the top of this piece of onyx.
Starker:”I wonder how good they are at charades?”
<kneels on floor, gets out notebook and quill, writes on a fresh page in big letters in Common “GOOD DAY. I HOPE YOU ARE WELL. IF YOU UNDERSTAND RAISE BOTH HANDS AND LOWER THEM AND THEN RAISE ONE HAND.” Turns notebook such that floor skeletons can see, carefully noting their behaviors, looking for patterns or a response.”>
investigation = 25
There is no change in their behavior.
Starker tries elvish, draconic, and draconic writing, same message.
There is no change in their behavior.
Starker:”Shall we ask our fishy foreseer for guidance? I have a very poor record of asking it useful questions, so if any of you have a suggestion I am happy to serve as a conduit for your conversation with the Oracle. “
goes over to column and says:” this shape might focus the sound waves from the tuning fork and open a passage to Illiandil’s present resting place. Shall we ready ourselves and try?”
<Examines depression to see if it is actually hemispherical or if it is instead parabolic, and sees if there is a notch for the tuning fork>
investigation = 20
As you walk across the floor, the skeletal figures below the floor seem to congregate at your feet. The hemispherical depression in the column topping onyx and the end of the shaft of the tuning fork appear to be compatible in size and shape.
Starker:<shows The Company the coincidence of the end of the tuning fork and the depression on the onyx> ”The way to proceed seems clear. The wisdom of proceeding is not mine to judge. Friends? Colleagues? Thoughts?”
Kragen looks at the fork and then the podium with onyx receptor. “Mage Starker, before you activate this device. Could you provide your hypothesis on what may occur so we might prepare… a brief, concise hypothesis please.”
looks at Starker with those odd googles on, masking Kragen facial expressions
Starker:”Based on my memory of what I read in the tome Loccating (sic) the Tomb, I am almost certain it will cause a gateway to open allowing us to access the hellish outer plane (or perhaps a demi-plane of the Abyss) where Iliandil has his main lair and my staff. I merely speculate that it will warn him of our coming.”
Trolkarl nods along until hearing the bit about "...my staff..."
Starker, I appreciate you sharing your insights regarding the potential outcomes of the fork.
The sole aspect of your recollection that concerns me pertains to this staff and the specific warning we, or rather you, received about the staff. Let's be sure we are on the same page about this Staff of the Void and the warnings received while we stand in this plane, rather than having this conversation in some other dangerous land.
I recall that the Staff of the Void is to be brought to Xygag in Waterdeep and that you were instructed not to attune to the staff, but any other treasures found are ours. If I am misremembering any relevant facts, please correct me - because again, I would rather we understand this now - before striking the fork.
Kragen nods hearing Trolkarl has the right of the account. Looks steely at Starker (not Blue Steely though)
“Any plane other than ours, especially those which house the dead and evil beings, has me frightened. However my desire to remove this Illiandil from Faerun has strengthened my resolve. The spells I have prepared have a shorter duration, so I would rather cast when we get to wherever we need to meet this foe.”
”unless you feel Tyrs power may be muted once there?”
”if not, let’s prepare and be done with it.”
Starker:”Trokarl, your memory is accurate.
”Colleagues: I ask that you consider what allies you can summon quickly when we encounter the lich. I believe we will need all of them. I am thinking of the fey, my construct, and the as-yet-unknown entity trapped in the iron flask. Unfortunatley, the mastiff will not be available again for several days. Also, please do not bunch up and please do attempt to silence him as best you can.
”I am ready to proceed. I will place the tuning fork and strike it when we are all ready.”