Seldom Spring

At Erric's flattery, the new (male-sounding) beholder appears to soften a bit, though it continues to scowl. It makes a quiet huffing sound (almost as if trying to keep up appearances). "Well ..." the beholder begins, sounding gruff, but only slightly so. It hovers around so that it is past the statue and only about 10 feet off the ground in order for Maldorn to see it, even though the old man is still in the hallway. As it moves, Erric spots two more small beholders trailing behind. These two look identical to Bubble and Squeak. Before the second (trailing) one can once again hide behind the green beholder, it catches Erric's eye and opens its mouth to belch loudly. As it finishes its duck behind the larger beholder, two small tinkles of laughter ring out. Erric thinks he sees a look of exasperation flash across the beholder's face before the scowl sets in again. "The Trap is not only a vault, but also a memorial to the great Turntide brothers. While their achievements number like the stars, the statues and reliefs throughout The Trap herald the most notable of Raman and Grath's conquests." It pauses, then says, "As for fun —"

There is another loud belch from behind the beholder followed by two more tinkles of laughter. The green beholder spins around and makes a loud noise like a sustained tone almost as if it is singing, but the pitch doesn't go up or down. Erric likens it until a single low note on a large horn. However, within the tone are faint gurgles and hitches. More than hurting the ears, the noise begins to irritate the minds of the party members. By the time the creature spins back around, the four are glad the noise has stopped.

There is a lull where Erric wonders if the creature is going to finish answering his question, but finally, Ebokk narrows his eyes at the glaring creature. "How many of you lot are down here?" he asks the creature.

"Enough," the beholder answers, sounding more gruff and irritated again.

I completely forgot to mention that there is another hallway on the other side of the room — open and seemingly available. When Erric noticed it, he saw this one was straight and gave access to another room with nothing in the center that he could see.

Erric looks down the hall. "Thank you. You have a lot on your plate. And what's down there?"

Maldorn finally enters the room. After listening to the new beholder trio and being momentarily surprised by the apparent concentration of these creatures in The Trap, he asks: “And may I ask, for clarification, do you have a puzzle or riddle for us to solve or are we welcome to simply walk in the direction of the next passage?”

Jambiya is impressed with her bold companions just going ahead and asking their "captors" for assistance. She approves with a small smile.

Ebokk walks close to the group to stand in the way of the creature while mumbling And i thought mothers complaining hurt my ears...

He will then peek into the next corridor and check the floating creatures if they are just looking at the group or if they seem to be focussed on something else as well. But some of the dust in the hallways seems to fly up as he moves and he spends more time rubbing his eyes.

Perception 3

Erric looks down the hall. "Thank you. You have a lot on your plate. And what's down there?"

"And may I ask, for clarification," Maldorn asks before the beholder can answer Erric, "do you have a puzzle or riddle for us to solve or are we welcome to simply walk in the direction of the next passage?"

The beholder bobs, patiently listening. "You are free to continue on to the next puzzle," it replies to both the halfling and the human, still sounding frustrated and grumpy. "It awaits you in the next chamber." It floats back toward the corner it was in when Erric entered. The two smaller creatures trail behind, but neither makes a sound this time. "But before you go, be sure to gaze upon this statue and meditate upon the power and ingenuity the Turntide bothers exhibited to best these mighty foes."

Ebokk, you peer down the hallway. It looks much the same as the others. This one doesn't have a turn in the middle. And you don't see another statue.

"The bothers truly are powerful and ingenious. But this... this seems a boring thing for someone so mighty to be doing. I bet the only way you find entertainment is when we adventurers mess up and get stuck in here," Erric says with a chuckle. "How many people would you say have never left here? And back to fun -- what about Rosie? She seems really nice! Are you friends? Are you a family... orb? Keeping after these small ones can't be easy, no matter your relation." 

He looks at the little ones. "Which room is your favorite? This one, with the boring statues, or is there a burp room?" He's definitely trying to charm them. He plays an incredibly rude series of sounds on his birdpipes, pretending to try to make a beautiful melody, getting faux-frustrated at himself. Then he shoots them a grin.

"If you give us some decent hints of any secrets in this room, and what we can expect in the next, I promise you a show in a bit!"

Noticing Jambiya's look, Maldorn shruggs: "I'm just following Erric's lead."

Taking heed of the beholder's words, Maldorn studies the statues closely.

-> Investigation + tobacco power: 21

"It is the agreement made," the beholder replies. "I am here to watch and to teach. However, I am not bound to answer all questions. As for friends, we do not have friends. All others are inferior and suspicious. I am saddled with these two," it says, one of its eyestalks making a backward motion to indicate the smaller orbs behind it, "but that will end once the agreement ends." There is a small belch, and the larger beholder pauses as if deciding whether to take action.

Erric looks at the little ones. "Which room is your favorite? This one, with the boring statues, or is there a burp room?" He's definitely trying to charm them. He plays an incredibly rude series of sounds on his birdpipes, pretending to try to make a beautiful melody, getting faux-frustrated at himself. Then he shoots them a grin. "If you give us some decent hints of any secrets in this room, and what we can expect in the next, I promise you a show in a bit!"

Little giggles and belches come from the small pair in response to the bard's encouragement. At the end, when Erric's eyes drift to the face of the larger beholder, he sees a look of fury. The eyestalks have stopped their general waving and are all trained on the halfling.

Maldorn, while Erric is entertaining the small beholders, you step forward to take a closer look at the statues. The first, the hunchbacked crone, leans heavily on a gnarled staff. She is hunched over, her neck and shoulders jutting forward as the staff extends past the top of her head. The statue is fairly lifelike. It's clear the artisan was skilled. The old woman's face and hands are gnarled by either age or some other force. She has a look on her face that indicates cunning. Her clothing is much less detailed. It is clear the focus is supposed to be on her face and hands. The second, the wolf-man, is also hunched, though not as much. Its posture indicates it is ready to pounce. It's mouth is partially open to reveal its long, sharp teeth above its narrowed eyes. The artist did a good job of indicating fur all over its body. Other than appreciating the artistry, you don't learn anything new from the statues.

Erric fixes his smile, bows slightly, and begins to walk into the next room. He knows when he’s lost his audience.

As he does this, noticing Maldorn studying intensely, he takes one last look at the statutes. Do they seem hewn? Can you see chisel marks? Or do they seem like they were real things turned to stone?

Jambiya plays with the kid beholders a little, in that way you play peekaboo with babies, but when the big one gets angry at Erric, she stops. As the party gets ready to leave, she curtsies to the beholder. "My name is Jambiya, and it is my pleasure to meet you. I hope we can help you end this agreement, whatever it is. This seems like a sort of dreary existence. These little ones should see the world outside! Please let us know if there's anything we can do?"

The she smiles widely, "Besides solving the Trap, which we fully intend to do!"

Perception for Erric: 20

It's hard to tell, Erric. You have very little experience with beings turned to stone to know the difference.

Jambiya, the beholder does not respond to you. It continues to follow Erric with its glare as the bard moves around the statues and toward the other hallway.

As the party leaves, the beholder watches you go with its glare. Halfway down the corridor, you hear one more distant belch.

You walk down the lighted hallway to the next 30x30x30 room. This one has no second exit. Neither does it contain a statue. It is, however, flanked by more elaborate carvings. The relief to the left clearly represents a hulking cyclops, as confirmed by the plaque that reads, "As Raman's fame grew, he bested the mighty Cyclops of Deepshade Pass." To the right, the carving of a bull seems somewhat out of place, menacing though it appears. However, its plaque reads, "Not to be outdone, Grath hunted the Gorgon of Old Marrow Hills, claiming its head as a trophy."

After examining the statues closely and noticing that the group is perhaps not so welcome in this room anymore, Maldorn dads it up: "Let's move. We are on a timer."

Jambiya shrugs mentally and moves with the group to the next room. She looks at the two reliefs, and then looks to Maldorn. "Anything you saw about the statues in the last room mean anything here?"

She will examine the relief of Raman besting the Cyclops, looking for anything like the holes or the antler from the previous reliefs. This time she silently invokes her mother. Investigation plus Guidance: 9

"Oh!" the goblin girl startles herself. "I completely forgot! My mother can help guide us! I just have to concentrate and ask her, and then I can touch the person she should help!"

As they walk toward the next room, Maldorn answers Jambiya's question: "The artist was skilled. There is a lot of detail on the two fiends, though the witch's robes left something to be desired... This tobacco is something else. I never felt this engrossed by art, even if just momentarily."

Ebokk turns as he almost walked off when hearing about this agreement. Could you tell us what this agreement is?

He was never good at bartering, after all thats what Mother was good at. He thinks what she would do. You are trapped here just like us are you not? Perhaps we can help you get out if you do the same for us. 

But perhaps you would prefer to roam these halls for many more years instead. 

Last in the order to leave the room, Ebokk stops and turns back toward the green beholder. "Could you tell us what this agreement is? You are trapped here just like us are you not? Perhaps we can help you get out if you do the same for us. But perhaps you would prefer to roam these halls for many more years instead."

The beholder appears to relax a little now that Erric has left its sight. Its eyestalks begin to roam about again, though it continues to scowl. "The agreement is binding," it says. "We are trustworthy and unrelenting. Thorn is the best at this. I will not be dissuaded from fulfilling my obligation. Tick-tock," the beholder says, and Ebokk thinks the scowl briefly changes into a look of mirth before hardening once again. "Once you are trapped here, we will move on to the next trap, and you will be left alone to roam these halls."

Erric turns to the bull and looks at it strangely. "Are you sure this says he slew a gorgon and chopped off its head? That's a bull, not a gorgon." He looks where the bull is looking, wondering if he'd see a floating gorgon head there. He also looks at what makes the statue seem oddly placed. Do any parts of the statues seem moveable, like the buttons and things in the previous ones?

Would Maldorn know anything about bulls/gorgons? 

-> Nature Check?: 13