The door is in terrible condition, but it won't fall apart simply by opening it... it will just be very easy to destroy it, if necessary.

And indeed, it might prove necessary, because Roxana realizes that turning the handle isn't enough to open it. The door must have been locked some time ago, when it was perhaps in a position to effectively prevent intruders.

Roxana hesitates, realizing brute force is not her strength. She pulls out her Thieves' Tools and sees if she can unlock the door. (Dex Check - Thieves' Tools: 23)

Roxana's manual dexterity more than makes up for her lack of brute strength, and the rusty lock, likely for the first time in centuries, clicks as if the key had been turned inside it.

Now the door can be opened, and the overall view confirms what the Shadow Archer had already observed while peering in: the furniture has long since rotted beyond recognition. Chains for binding prisoners remain, fixed to the north wall at various heights. A pile of gold coins gleams inside, apparently scattered carelessly on the floor.

The room measures 10'x15' and has no other exits.

Quote from OisinmacCameron >>

Conversation with Nesurentul:

Quspira smiles with pleasure at the amethyst dragon's complimentary words.  "Yes, we've been blessed with the opportunity to help several of the creatures of good in their missions on this plane, and even more blessed to have some of them aid us.  There was a hollyphant by the name of Zentromya without whom we never would have been able to bring back Lady Sharnshield's fiancee from an unjust grave.  But the warmest personal pride I can take in life ... ," she pauses and glances wickedly at Darvin a moment, " ... well, ONE of the warmest ... is that pf being entrusted by the gods as the proud foster mother of a wonderful baby couatl we've named Aedion.  I'm actually beginning to wonder why this particular area is such a nexus for attention from the Outer Planes right now.  And of course when a priestess begins thinking that, much less one who's been adopted by a goddess so concerned with protecting the whole multiverse as my Lady Angharradh has grown to be, we can't help wondering if there's a call to action here."  She glances at her husband and her friends wryly,  "We've certainly been thrown into enough of that since the day we all found our various paths converging in Longsaddle."

 ===***===

 

 

Rogue Shapeshifter's lair:

Giving Roxana a thumbs-up to indicate her total agreement with both statements the Shadow Archer has made, Spira moves up beside her to look through the other unoccupied spyhole.  "Absolutely.," she adds in a soft voice.  "You have definitely proven yourself to be a hero since we met you, Mival ... and a useful companion.  In this case what you've told us is most useful.  AND Roxana's right also ... even with an advantage like that its best to check out everything else first, the things you're not so sure about, before you commit to your course of action.  Spares a few nasty surprises that way."   The shadowy blue in her skin seems to grow more pronounced as she quietly listens at the door; but that may simply be an optical illusion produced by the shadows and by the tiefling priestess' words of stealth and caution.

 ===***===

 

...

 

 Perception 19

Spira's sharp eyes dart about the room now that Roxana has so deftly opened the door, looking for hidden threats or opportunities such as traps, concealed ambushers, hidden catches or other evidence of the artificer's trade that might indicate a secret compartment or portal, or essentially anything else of interest.  As she does, she grumbles to herself, "I wish I'd thought to ask the Lady's ghost a little more about the layout of this level.  Though the chains rather limit the possibilities for intended uses of this room in the past."

Dialogue with Nesurentul:

"Foster mother of a... baby couatl!?" The dragon's eyes widen in wonder, clearly impressed. "I've never met one..."

[[ OOC: Here I assume Aedion is still with the party, also blessed by Eldath to be able to breathe underwater, though we haven't had him do much of anything so far. ]]

Aedion then comes out and reveals himself: "I've never met a dragon either! Nice to meet you, Nesurentul!"

The two supernatural reptiles greet each other enthusiastically and seem to quickly become friends, with Aedion recounting the party's exploits and Nesurentul explaining how he accidentally sensed the influences of the Far Realm in these ruins and, despite his young age, decided to make his lair here to try to investigate and solve the problem. From this exchange, it emerges that Nesurentul, though determined and independent, must be a very young dragon, just as Aedion is a very young couatl.

Regarding the 'nexus of attention from the Outer Planes,' the young dragon speculates: "The influence of the Far Realm that I sensed must have been a sort of echo of events from that dangerous dimension that occurred long ago; an echo amplified by the monsters native to the Far Realm that remained here. Now that you have helped me eliminate them, I am convinced that there are not many influences from other dimensions left here."

Room with Chains and Coins:

Spira's experience as an investigator immediately allows her to notice some details that more eager and hasty explorers might have missed... Such as some very thin black lines that... if she looks closely, they look like legs... Yes! The coins have tiny insect legs! And then, looking very carefully, she can see that the coins are actually a kind of beatles whose shells closely mimic the appearance of gold coins. The pile of coins is actually a swarm of strange beatles—which, fortunately, are simply remaining immobile for now... because, considering how many there are, if they were to become hostile, despite their small size, their sheer numbers could make them dangerous.

"What are you staring at so intently, dear?" Darvin remained at his beloved's side. "Did you discover that pile of gold is protected by a trap?"

Otherwise, the bare room doesn't seem to contain anything of note. It appears to be just an abandoned room that this bizarre swarm has adopted as its lair.

"I think perhaps we just close up this door and move on," Roxana says after Spira reveals that what she thought coins was in fact a swarm of beatles. She tries to see if she can lock the door as she shuts it quietly. 

Oh, well, shutting the door quietly isn't a problem for Roxana at all, but the key is still missing... so if she really intends to lock the door again, she'll have to get back to work with thieves' tools.

"Do you think it's worth it?" Gaer comments, however, when he realizes what she's about to try. "The insects can't use the handle, so as far as they're concerned, it's as if the door is locked—but, most important, if they decide to get out, there are already holes large enough for them to do so anyway..."

Meanwhile, however, the more practical Darvin is already thinking about the last remaining door, the one on the opposite side: "And now? Do we want to visit the treacherous creature that lives there too? Do you think it's worth it? Or is it better to avoid it altogether? We've explored the rest of the complex, recovered various riches, and discovered secrets we never imagined. We might as well call it a day and consider our exploration complete."

"On the other hand, we are so many, and so well-rested..." Anita seems more curious. "Why not visit her? Even if she turns hostile, we should be able to defeat her!"

"Or perhaps," Aidwyn reasons aloud "exactly because of how dangerous she is, we should confront her... If we leave her here, free to ambush those who don't know her, she might... kill innocent people."

"I suppose we can just leave the door unlocked," Roxana says. "I was just thinking if anyone else comes this way they might not realize.  Though they could just break the door anyway. I guess locking it doesn't help much. Let's leave it." 

She then looks around at the other door. "There is a deceitful shapeshifter behind that door?" she recalls. "Perhaps we'd best have Aedion ready to help us know her true thoughts."  She then glances to Mival. "Though I suppose you could help as well." 

Unless anyone objects, Roxana will try to open the door. 

Mival nods: "I'll be right behind you, and if there's anything important to tell you, I'll try to whisper it to you."

"No, Mival," Aedion intervenes, "just stay in telepathic contact with me... That way you can tell me instantly what that creature is thinking—and I'll tell everyone else. We'll all know what it's thinking without it even realizing it!"

After this preparation, Roxana opens the door. A room without any other openings reveals itself to her. Against the east wall is a bed. Next to it, along the south wall, is a chest. In the southwest corner is a small round table and chair. Part of the ceiling has collapsed, so this area is now in communication with the upper level, and the northernmost part of the room is littered with rubble (fallen from the ceiling and floor of the level above).

Although the furniture appears rotten—and in some cases shows deep cracks from the breaks it has suffered since the collapse—all of it somehow seems to avoid falling apart.

In the room stands a slender sea elf girl with long wavy green hair and blue eyes, lost in deep thought. However, she, casually turning, notices the newcomers and, quickly recovering, smiles: "Oh, a visitor, I see; and one capable of breathing underwater, to boot. You must be truly determined to seek the counsel of the humble Seyntillua Vaervenor. And you're not alone..." She notices that behind Roxana is a large group of others. "A large company. Oh, you're here too, Blossom; they're your friends, then, I suppose. Blossom's friends are my friends too—and I'd invite you all in, but I don't know if my small room would be big enough to contain you. But will you at least come in, you who are the first?"

Aedion's telepathic comments, the result of his ability to see the creatures' true nature and Mival's ability to read their thoughts, are immediate: "It's actually some kind of monstrous old orcish female... She looks like an old woman, but with long claws and greenish skin. She invited you in alone so she can isolate you from the others if there's a fight."