Without saying another word, the kenku scurries back to the faces on the wall. Putting his staff into his left hand, he hefts a weary sigh. "Damn. It," comes the gruff voice of a bugbear.
With that, he thrusts his right talon into one of the faces' mouths, feeling around inside.
[Alas, the spider had died from touching the acidic surface of the ooze. It will now join its cousins in spider afterlife.]
Nikkitch feels the odorous mildew between his talon tips. It has the consistency of milk. The mouths of these faces aren't too deep, only going a few inches into the stone. The material becomes porous, like a sponge. Wherever this liquid is coming from, it seems to seep through the architecture right into this room. Unlikely that it comes from a place that one would wish to enter.
Pointing to the door leading to the giant ooze, "The only thing that hasn't been dissolved by an ooze is the skull of that dwarf held inside the giant ooze in that room. Could that be the prize? We could likely kill the ooze from outside the room if we hit it with ranged attacks and never cross the barrier. Or, if you have some nifty spell that could pull the skull out of the ooze. We could rig up blankets from the cots in Shunn's ready room and use that catch the skull if you have a way to get it out as I don't think any of use should touch it till we know why it isn't dissolving. Maybe do that talking trick again?"
Rico chips in, "If you want that cube dead, I think I could do that. My gun is infused so it never runs out of ammunition, so all it would take is time. Though if the rest of you want to shoot arrows at it, I can just make more during the next break."
"Something tells me there is something unique about the skull. I don't know what plus I really don't like the idea of leaving it there and not putting it to rest, maybe even at the alter on the other level. "
Ardnek says "If it can't get out, i can Eldritch Blast it from a distance, free and unlimited. Though I don't see the fun in that. But if you think the skull maybe useful, I'm game for it."
The kenku begins leafing through his tome, though the pages are still quite bare as is. After a moment, he shakes his head. "There. Is. Nothing to. Really. Help. Grab. The. Head. The. Best. We. Can. Do is. Aim for. Its. Flesh. And. Hope. None. Of. Us. Nicks. The. Skull."
He returns to the center of the room and looks at the layout as a whole. Surely there's more...?
[Let's give it an investigation roll for good measure.]
Nikkitch [Investigation: 22] It's clear that there are 4 entrances in total to the gelatinous cube room. All of the doors look the same, being metallic and having wave patterns on them. As far as you can determine, there is an unknown section of the room you weren't able to see into yet.
The gelatinous cube and the shrine here seem at most loosely connected. The shrine is probably only useful to cultists of Juiblex, for their secretive and dark rituals. Neither the faces nor the slime have any magical or special properties.
Nikkitch also can't be sure that the skull has any special properties, other than the transmutation magic that is keeping it from dissolving inside of the cube.
Based on the size and movement speed of the ooze, you're fairly sure that you'd be able to kill it before it even gets to you, if the team works together.
OOC: Preyfire, when we have fought oozes in the past, and the two just now, did Pisgah notice if they reacted more strongly to the fire spells used by Nikk over the arrows and javelins from the rest of the group? Would that be a check of some sort?
I think it's fair to say that Pisgah noticed that the oozes were sometimes able to split when attacked with swords [slashing], but otherwise they seemed to take normal damage. It's clear that not all oozes are the same though, as seen evidently with the gelatinous cubes, who can't change their unusual form. If this one reacts the same as the smaller cube you had fought earlier, the sword shouldn't be an issue, not to mention javelins.
" I think there has to be something special about that skull. The ooze in the room is clear and I didn't see anything other than dissolving bodies but if we station ourselves in groups of two at three of the doors, we should be able to hit the ooze simultaneously. We can use the skull as a reference point of where to aim. Once the skull hits the floor we can assume, I think, that the ooze is dead and we should be okay to enter the room and investigate. I can go in the room first to make sure the ooze is gone and then the rest of you can follow assuming I'm okay. What if Rico and Steel stay here, ArdneK and Nikk position at the door on the south side, and Canti and I can take the east door in the hallway. Give us a few minutes to get in position and then we can open the doors."
If everyone is okay with the plan, he'll start heading around to the door on the south side and then head up to the east door with Canti.
Canti is still unsure why the others are so obsessed with the seeming indestructible skull, but giving in to someone's curiosity is something she's been doing her whole life with Bwibble, so she isn't going to dig in her heels here, either. She nods to say she is ready.
" I think there has to be something special about that skull. The ooze in the room is clear and I didn't see anything other than dissolving bodies but if we station ourselves in groups of two at three of the doors, we should be able to hit the ooze simultaneously. We can use the skull as a reference point of where to aim. Once the skull hits the floor we can assume, I think, that the ooze is dead and we should be okay to enter the room and investigate. I can go in the room first to make sure the ooze is gone and then the rest of you can follow assuming I'm okay. What if Rico and Steel stay here, ArdneK and Nikk position at the door on the south side, and Canti and I can take the east door in the hallway. Give us a few minutes to get in position and then we can open the doors."
If everyone is okay with the plan, he'll start heading around to the door on the south side and then head up to the east door with Canti.
Rico agrees, mostly, "The plan sounds good, but I think Steel should be the first one in, not you. Steel can be replaced, you can't."
Pisgah nods to Rico and, with a catch in his voice, says " Thank you for that. " as he trails after ArdneK on the way to the east door with Canti. He slings his shield over his shoulder ready to replace Jaya's Blade with his bow. As they walk he asks Canti about Dwibble, "So, what work is it that Dwibble does? I know you came here looking for things to help him. Is there anything in particular you are hoping to find?"
"Are you going to go get your spider?" the kobold asks the kenku.
Without saying another word, the kenku scurries back to the faces on the wall. Putting his staff into his left hand, he hefts a weary sigh. "Damn. It," comes the gruff voice of a bugbear.
With that, he thrusts his right talon into one of the faces' mouths, feeling around inside.
"Ugh, what did you expect to happen since you are now digging in the gross dripping mouths?"
[Alas, the spider had died from touching the acidic surface of the ooze. It will now join its cousins in spider afterlife.]
Nikkitch feels the odorous mildew between his talon tips. It has the consistency of milk. The mouths of these faces aren't too deep, only going a few inches into the stone. The material becomes porous, like a sponge. Wherever this liquid is coming from, it seems to seep through the architecture right into this room. Unlikely that it comes from a place that one would wish to enter.
The kenku withdraws his claw, expecting worse. He wipes the milky black mold on his robe, displaying the avian equivalent to disgust.
"This. Is. A. Puzzle, I. Think. The. Ooze. Was. Likely. A penalty. So. What. Was. The answer?"
Pointing to the door leading to the giant ooze, "The only thing that hasn't been dissolved by an ooze is the skull of that dwarf held inside the giant ooze in that room. Could that be the prize? We could likely kill the ooze from outside the room if we hit it with ranged attacks and never cross the barrier. Or, if you have some nifty spell that could pull the skull out of the ooze. We could rig up blankets from the cots in Shunn's ready room and use that catch the skull if you have a way to get it out as I don't think any of use should touch it till we know why it isn't dissolving. Maybe do that talking trick again?"
Rico chips in, "If you want that cube dead, I think I could do that. My gun is infused so it never runs out of ammunition, so all it would take is time. Though if the rest of you want to shoot arrows at it, I can just make more during the next break."
"Something tells me there is something unique about the skull. I don't know what plus I really don't like the idea of leaving it there and not putting it to rest, maybe even at the alter on the other level. "
Ardnek says "If it can't get out, i can Eldritch Blast it from a distance, free and unlimited. Though I don't see the fun in that. But if you think the skull maybe useful, I'm game for it."
"It didn't come out of the room when we were using it as a garbage disposal. "
The kenku begins leafing through his tome, though the pages are still quite bare as is. After a moment, he shakes his head. "There. Is. Nothing to. Really. Help. Grab. The. Head. The. Best. We. Can. Do is. Aim for. Its. Flesh. And. Hope. None. Of. Us. Nicks. The. Skull."
He returns to the center of the room and looks at the layout as a whole. Surely there's more...?
[What could or should be rolled here, DM?]
[Let's give it an investigation roll for good measure.]
Nikkitch [Investigation: 22] It's clear that there are 4 entrances in total to the gelatinous cube room. All of the doors look the same, being metallic and having wave patterns on them. As far as you can determine, there is an unknown section of the room you weren't able to see into yet.
The gelatinous cube and the shrine here seem at most loosely connected. The shrine is probably only useful to cultists of Juiblex, for their secretive and dark rituals. Neither the faces nor the slime have any magical or special properties.
Nikkitch also can't be sure that the skull has any special properties, other than the transmutation magic that is keeping it from dissolving inside of the cube.
Based on the size and movement speed of the ooze, you're fairly sure that you'd be able to kill it before it even gets to you, if the team works together.
[Here's a complete overview of the room.]
OOC: Preyfire, when we have fought oozes in the past, and the two just now, did Pisgah notice if they reacted more strongly to the fire spells used by Nikk over the arrows and javelins from the rest of the group? Would that be a check of some sort?
I think it's fair to say that Pisgah noticed that the oozes were sometimes able to split when attacked with swords [slashing], but otherwise they seemed to take normal damage. It's clear that not all oozes are the same though, as seen evidently with the gelatinous cubes, who can't change their unusual form. If this one reacts the same as the smaller cube you had fought earlier, the sword shouldn't be an issue, not to mention javelins.
" I think there has to be something special about that skull. The ooze in the room is clear and I didn't see anything other than dissolving bodies but if we station ourselves in groups of two at three of the doors, we should be able to hit the ooze simultaneously. We can use the skull as a reference point of where to aim. Once the skull hits the floor we can assume, I think, that the ooze is dead and we should be okay to enter the room and investigate. I can go in the room first to make sure the ooze is gone and then the rest of you can follow assuming I'm okay. What if Rico and Steel stay here, ArdneK and Nikk position at the door on the south side, and Canti and I can take the east door in the hallway. Give us a few minutes to get in position and then we can open the doors."
If everyone is okay with the plan, he'll start heading around to the door on the south side and then head up to the east door with Canti.
Canti is still unsure why the others are so obsessed with the seeming indestructible skull, but giving in to someone's curiosity is something she's been doing her whole life with Bwibble, so she isn't going to dig in her heels here, either. She nods to say she is ready.
ArdneK nods and heads towards the southern door, he will Eldritch Blast when the time comes.
Rico agrees, mostly, "The plan sounds good, but I think Steel should be the first one in, not you. Steel can be replaced, you can't."
Pisgah nods to Rico and, with a catch in his voice, says " Thank you for that. " as he trails after ArdneK on the way to the east door with Canti. He slings his shield over his shoulder ready to replace Jaya's Blade with his bow. As they walk he asks Canti about Dwibble, "So, what work is it that Dwibble does? I know you came here looking for things to help him. Is there anything in particular you are hoping to find?"
Rico starts ticking as she waits for the others to get into position...