As Khessa repeats the ritual, she sees runes appearing at the base of the stairs, revealing the presence of an Abjuration spell.
(Please forgive me, as I wasn't keeping track of the Detect Magic spell. Although indeed more than 10 minutes have passed. I'm still getting used to adjudicating dungeon crawling and keeping track of time.)
Khessa enthusiastically pats Teldrin on the shoulder: "You were probably right to mention the Glyph of Warding, my friend! I see Abjuration runes appearing at the base of the stairs... there's a good chance that's exactly what was cast to protect this place" (she diligently notes in her spellbook what she's learned about those new spells, still so far beyond her reach).
The blonde arcane warrior addresses everyone: "One way to deactivate the spell is obviously with a Dispel Magic... But if we don't have that available, or don't want to use it right away, perhaps we can get by another way."
"We can try hitting the runes from afar with Cantrips capable of damaging them" the tall adventuress speculates. "My magical fire should be able to burn away details of some runes, by damaging the surface on which they are inscribed. I think they lose their effectiveness if their integrity is compromised. And when we think we've deactivated them, I can go first, alone... so if we're wrong at least we don't all get hit by the effect."
Not daring to come closer than the corner where the hallway turns, Xanrym says, "I'm no spell-breaker. If we cannot dispel this magic, then we should try whatever you and Theldrin think is best. Just tell us how far away we need to be while you attempt to disarm this magical ward." But he also agrees that there must be some way around it: "All of the signs seem to indicate that Fadheela came this way, right? Maybe there's a way to pass the Glyph of Warding without triggering it, like just stepping over the stair that holds the Glyph perhaps? Then again, perhaps Fadheela has special powers that enable her to get past this glyph safely. I've been wondering whether we're chasing a powerful sorceress. It seems like Fadheela turned that goblin near the rift to stone, triggered the Earth Node to bring her to the Great Grotto, crossed the Sullen Sea alone, and made it past the Dusklorn guards into the Necromancer's Spike unseen."
Before Khessa tries to disarm the Glyph, Xanrym will move south, into the N-S hallway itself and out-of-sight of the stairs. While his inspiring words expressed his confidence in Khessa, Xanrym thinks that it's best not to take any risks with the magical wards created by the necromancer who somehow triggered explosion that the Pedestallers refer to as the Plagueburst.
(OOC: If Syllen doesn't want to try Dispel Magic, he's fine with Khessa'splan to disarm the Glyph of Warding or, if she wants, to test stepping over the stair with the glyph. I moved Xanrym to his new position in the N-S hallway, hopefully keeping him out of any AoE if she accidentally triggers the spell.)
"Hmmm... yes a Glyph of Warding ," Theldrin nods with a slight grin. "Clever on Fadheela's part, at least that's my guess this is her work." He scowls as he studies the runes intently. "Exploding runes most likely, though it is possible to add another spell into the ward altogether, and that could be problematic."
He sighs, then continues as he rubs his beard, "Well, we could use the Dispel Magic scroll Syllen prepared... though I suspect we may have greater need of that before this is all over... And I could also try to trigger it with Mage Hand from the corner there..."
Listening to the conversation, Syllen will interject at the idea of using a scroll.
“I have come well prepared for this type of situation. I would be happy to dispel this magic so that we could avoid the ramifications of activating the Glyph.”
Khessa smiles at the elf: "Great, Syllen! I believe your solution is the safest".
And if no one objects, the blonde arcane warrior simply waits for the cleric to proceed... then, if with her Detect Magic still active she determines that the magical aura has been removed, she leads the party up the stair.
Well as the spell is level three Dispel Magic just works. You see magic runes light up at the base of the stairs, and then disappear, Khessa senses that the magic in that area is gone.
The spiral staircase leading up lays before you, however, Khessa also noticed when she walked to the stairs that there is the back of another secret door just to the north. If you wanted to keep exploring this level you could go through it, or one of the other doors in this building. Or you could simply keep going up.
If the Company discusses where to go next, Xanrym frets about leaving something deadly behind them, especially if they meet stiff resistance upstairs and need to retreat to the "safety" of the 1st floor. But he votes for taking the stairs: "Generally, if someone puts a lock on a chest, the odds are good that it must hold something valuable or, at least, interesting. I'd apply the same principle here: if someone guarded the stairs a Glyph of Warding, there must be something valuable or important upstairs!"
"Indeed," Theldrin agrees, "it would seem our path is up the stairs, since someone took the time to place such an elaborate trap. But perhaps we should at least take a look behind this other secret door first."
"I don't know Theldrin..." Khessa is hesitant. "I wouldn't want us to run into guardians we've already avoided thanks to the previous secret door. I suggest we just go up".
Obviously, however, the blonde arcane warrior leads the way in the direction most of the party prefers...
As Khessa repeats the ritual, she sees runes appearing at the base of the stairs, revealing the presence of an Abjuration spell.
(Please forgive me, as I wasn't keeping track of the Detect Magic spell. Although indeed more than 10 minutes have passed. I'm still getting used to adjudicating dungeon crawling and keeping track of time.)
Khessa enthusiastically pats Teldrin on the shoulder: "You were probably right to mention the Glyph of Warding, my friend! I see Abjuration runes appearing at the base of the stairs... there's a good chance that's exactly what was cast to protect this place" (she diligently notes in her spellbook what she's learned about those new spells, still so far beyond her reach).
The blonde arcane warrior addresses everyone: "One way to deactivate the spell is obviously with a Dispel Magic... But if we don't have that available, or don't want to use it right away, perhaps we can get by another way."
"We can try hitting the runes from afar with Cantrips capable of damaging them" the tall adventuress speculates. "My magical fire should be able to burn away details of some runes, by damaging the surface on which they are inscribed. I think they lose their effectiveness if their integrity is compromised. And when we think we've deactivated them, I can go first, alone... so if we're wrong at least we don't all get hit by the effect."
Not daring to come closer than the corner where the hallway turns, Xanrym says, "I'm no spell-breaker. If we cannot dispel this magic, then we should try whatever you and Theldrin think is best. Just tell us how far away we need to be while you attempt to disarm this magical ward." But he also agrees that there must be some way around it: "All of the signs seem to indicate that Fadheela came this way, right? Maybe there's a way to pass the Glyph of Warding without triggering it, like just stepping over the stair that holds the Glyph perhaps? Then again, perhaps Fadheela has special powers that enable her to get past this glyph safely. I've been wondering whether we're chasing a powerful sorceress. It seems like Fadheela turned that goblin near the rift to stone, triggered the Earth Node to bring her to the Great Grotto, crossed the Sullen Sea alone, and made it past the Dusklorn guards into the Necromancer's Spike unseen."
Before Khessa tries to disarm the Glyph, Xanrym will move south, into the N-S hallway itself and out-of-sight of the stairs. While his inspiring words expressed his confidence in Khessa, Xanrym thinks that it's best not to take any risks with the magical wards created by the necromancer who somehow triggered explosion that the Pedestallers refer to as the Plagueburst.
(OOC: If Syllen doesn't want to try Dispel Magic, he's fine with Khessa's plan to disarm the Glyph of Warding or, if she wants, to test stepping over the stair with the glyph. I moved Xanrym to his new position in the N-S hallway, hopefully keeping him out of any AoE if she accidentally triggers the spell.)
"Hmmm... yes a Glyph of Warding ," Theldrin nods with a slight grin. "Clever on Fadheela's part, at least that's my guess this is her work." He scowls as he studies the runes intently. "Exploding runes most likely, though it is possible to add another spell into the ward altogether, and that could be problematic."
He sighs, then continues as he rubs his beard, "Well, we could use the Dispel Magic scroll Syllen prepared... though I suspect we may have greater need of that before this is all over... And I could also try to trigger it with Mage Hand from the corner there..."
Listening to the conversation, Syllen will interject at the idea of using a scroll.
“I have come well prepared for this type of situation. I would be happy to dispel this magic so that we could avoid the ramifications of activating the Glyph.”
Khessa smiles at the elf: "Great, Syllen! I believe your solution is the safest".
And if no one objects, the blonde arcane warrior simply waits for the cleric to proceed... then, if with her Detect Magic still active she determines that the magical aura has been removed, she leads the party up the stair.
If the party is in agreement Syllen will cast Dispel Magic.
Theldrin nods in agreement, "Seems like the stealthiest way to solve the issue, as well as safest..."
Well as the spell is level three Dispel Magic just works. You see magic runes light up at the base of the stairs, and then disappear, Khessa senses that the magic in that area is gone.
The spiral staircase leading up lays before you, however, Khessa also noticed when she walked to the stairs that there is the back of another secret door just to the north. If you wanted to keep exploring this level you could go through it, or one of the other doors in this building. Or you could simply keep going up.
"Excellent foresight, Syllen!", Xanrym says.
If the Company discusses where to go next, Xanrym frets about leaving something deadly behind them, especially if they meet stiff resistance upstairs and need to retreat to the "safety" of the 1st floor. But he votes for taking the stairs: "Generally, if someone puts a lock on a chest, the odds are good that it must hold something valuable or, at least, interesting. I'd apply the same principle here: if someone guarded the stairs a Glyph of Warding, there must be something valuable or important upstairs!"
"Indeed," Theldrin agrees, "it would seem our path is up the stairs, since someone took the time to place such an elaborate trap. But perhaps we should at least take a look behind this other secret door first."
"I don't know Theldrin..." Khessa is hesitant. "I wouldn't want us to run into guardians we've already avoided thanks to the previous secret door. I suggest we just go up".
Obviously, however, the blonde arcane warrior leads the way in the direction most of the party prefers...
Avery follows, on guard and ready.