There is a little bit of bounce to the bridge as you walk across. The mist swirls about, than clears. You look down and see the churning pond below you, running down towards the sometimes visible islands. You're going at a slower rate than if you were on land, but a bit faster than your friends before you.
As you walk toward the cave, a strange breeze seems to be coming from it. You're not sure if the origin is within or just a trick of the falls.
When you reach the mouth, you see the source. Two vertical contraptions are spinning inside. Attached to each in four levels appear to be knives, the blades spinning toward you. You can see a tunnel on the opposite side and something affixed to the left wall of said tunnel
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Chom barges to the front of everyone, keen to examine the contraption for himself. "Well... it seems to be some kind of... cake-cutting contraption! Of course! You could serve even the largest wedding cake to your guests in record time, were you to pass it through there", he says excitedly. "It does rather get in the way though, perhaps there's some way to switch it off until we are actually offered cake?" He peers past the blades, trying to see what the 'something' on the wall is.
Chom stares at the contraption in deep thought for a second, before grinning and hopping from foot to foot. "Of course, it's so obvious! Those clever gnomes! It's so simple, don't you see?" He clicks his fingers, causing a disembodied, floating hand to rise up out of his own. He reaches out towards the switch (but not so close that the blades would nick him), with the spectral hand copying his movement. It floats over to the switch, and flicks it up.
It takes a few seconds before you notice the change, but the contraptions do begin to slow down.
As they do, you can see the blades better now. There are six on each of the four levels, on both spinners. And they are somehow less rusted than you would think, being so close to the falls.
As they finally come to a full stop, you see that there is less than five feet between the spinners for you to pass through
Ketch watches the blades wind down to a stop and then heartily pats Chom on the back. "Well done! Well done indeed! As Gruumsh says, an extra hand can come in handy," Ketch says with a grin.
Ketch carefully walks up to the contraption and carefully pokes at the blades. Assuming they don't leap into life again he will lead the way past the infernal thing, carefully walking sideways between them slowly.
There is a passage on your right side as you go past the switch. It curves to the left and reveals a stairway carved into the rock leading up to a mostly closed doorway. As you draw closer, you hear raised voices speaking in Gnomish, two of them.
Chom can tell the argument is somewhat technical in nature, but boils down to both sides thinking they have the better idea.
"Little handy man, is there a way to keep this thing from coming alive again?" Ketch asks in a hushed voice, not wanting to alert the voices ahead of their presence yet. "I'd rather not have to wait for it to stop again if we had to return this way in a hurry..."
"Alive? Oh no, it's not alive! Although that would be a marvelous achievement by whoever made it, don't you think? You could take it with you, and cut cakes on the go wherever you went! As it happens, it will only turn back on when the switch is flicked downwards! Very clever things, switches!" Chom replies at a normal (for him) volume, oblivious to Ketch's attempt at secrecy. He cocks his head at the sound of the nearby debate, and turns to the group. "I do believe there are more gnomes up the stairs, can you hear them? Hello! Hello, are you there?" He cups his mouth and shouts up the stairs.
"We could spend days yelling to Gnomes, i think, Mr. Chomsky." John said, as he carefully navigates through the space in between the two bladed contraptions.
"Lets press on!" With every possible pitfall, or crazy machine invented for death, John could feel his desire to be done with these particular Gnomes growing.
"And lets hope that those are the voices of Fiberstyx & Applebob." He grunts as he strides towards the voices.
"Greeting friends!" Chom performs a small bow, and straightens up sharply. "We are here to inform you that a white dragon has been sighted near this location! We have been asked by the town of Phandalin to ask if you have anything to help ward away such a creature... although why anyone would want to do that is beyond me... dragons are a fascinating subject, wouldn't you agree?"
He pauses for a second, before his eyes shift from side to side, a conspiratorial look comes across his face, and he starts to whisper. "We haven't brought any presents for the surprise party, but hopefully the presence of more guests is enough of a gift! Will there be cake? We saw your cake cutting machine along the corridor, fascinating device!"
"The kings," Ketch says, loudly, trying to grab everyone's attention. "Where can we find them? They are who we need to talk to!"
Ketch then looks at one gnome, then the other, and lowers his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "And her invention is the better one," he says knowingly. "Whether true or not, it's far less headaches to just agree to that. Even Gruumsh knows you never win an argument with the womenfolk. Not in the long term, anyway..."
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There is a little bit of bounce to the bridge as you walk across. The mist swirls about, than clears. You look down and see the churning pond below you, running down towards the sometimes visible islands. You're going at a slower rate than if you were on land, but a bit faster than your friends before you.
With everyone safely across the bridge, John seeks out the way forward.
"Cross the bridge," Ketch mutters. "Done. Now second room... second room..." Ketch looks to the left, then the right... "Anyone see any rooms??"
As you walk toward the cave, a strange breeze seems to be coming from it. You're not sure if the origin is within or just a trick of the falls.
When you reach the mouth, you see the source. Two vertical contraptions are spinning inside. Attached to each in four levels appear to be knives, the blades spinning toward you. You can see a tunnel on the opposite side and something affixed to the left wall of said tunnel
Chom barges to the front of everyone, keen to examine the contraption for himself. "Well... it seems to be some kind of... cake-cutting contraption! Of course! You could serve even the largest wedding cake to your guests in record time, were you to pass it through there", he says excitedly. "It does rather get in the way though, perhaps there's some way to switch it off until we are actually offered cake?" He peers past the blades, trying to see what the 'something' on the wall is.
Investigation: 22
Xel-Thoth follows Chom to get a better view of the device.
OOC: Does he see if there is a gnome piloting this one - like the crossbow machine the party encountered earlier.
Perception: 22
"I'm starting to feel unwelcome..." Ketch mutters, peeking around the side of the cave for a gander at the contraption.
Chom looks over. It takes a second to not see the blades and to concentrate on the wall, but you see that it is a flicked down switch.
Xel-Thoth, you see no one else but your party in the room.
Chom stares at the contraption in deep thought for a second, before grinning and hopping from foot to foot. "Of course, it's so obvious! Those clever gnomes! It's so simple, don't you see?" He clicks his fingers, causing a disembodied, floating hand to rise up out of his own. He reaches out towards the switch (but not so close that the blades would nick him), with the spectral hand copying his movement. It floats over to the switch, and flicks it up.
You can just hear the click of the switch.
It takes a few seconds before you notice the change, but the contraptions do begin to slow down.
As they do, you can see the blades better now. There are six on each of the four levels, on both spinners. And they are somehow less rusted than you would think, being so close to the falls.
As they finally come to a full stop, you see that there is less than five feet between the spinners for you to pass through
Ketch watches the blades wind down to a stop and then heartily pats Chom on the back. "Well done! Well done indeed! As Gruumsh says, an extra hand can come in handy," Ketch says with a grin.
Ketch carefully walks up to the contraption and carefully pokes at the blades. Assuming they don't leap into life again he will lead the way past the infernal thing, carefully walking sideways between them slowly.
Xel-Thoth is impressed on how quickly Chom was able to find out how to shut down the device.
While Chom may seem to be always a happy go lucky gnome, it shouldn't be forgotten that he is a very accomplished wizard.
Xel-Thoth follows Ketch though the blades to the other side of the room.
There is a passage on your right side as you go past the switch. It curves to the left and reveals a stairway carved into the rock leading up to a mostly closed doorway. As you draw closer, you hear raised voices speaking in Gnomish, two of them.
Chom can tell the argument is somewhat technical in nature, but boils down to both sides thinking they have the better idea.
"Little handy man, is there a way to keep this thing from coming alive again?" Ketch asks in a hushed voice, not wanting to alert the voices ahead of their presence yet. "I'd rather not have to wait for it to stop again if we had to return this way in a hurry..."
"Alive? Oh no, it's not alive! Although that would be a marvelous achievement by whoever made it, don't you think? You could take it with you, and cut cakes on the go wherever you went! As it happens, it will only turn back on when the switch is flicked downwards! Very clever things, switches!" Chom replies at a normal (for him) volume, oblivious to Ketch's attempt at secrecy. He cocks his head at the sound of the nearby debate, and turns to the group. "I do believe there are more gnomes up the stairs, can you hear them? Hello! Hello, are you there?" He cups his mouth and shouts up the stairs.
"We could spend days yelling to Gnomes, i think, Mr. Chomsky." John said, as he carefully navigates through the space in between the two bladed contraptions.
"Lets press on!" With every possible pitfall, or crazy machine invented for death, John could feel his desire to be done with these particular Gnomes growing.
"And lets hope that those are the voices of Fiberstyx & Applebob." He grunts as he strides towards the voices.
The voices stop. There's a pause, then the door flies open.
Two gnomes are standing there, one male and one female. They look down at you, matching frowns on their faces.
"Who are you?"
"You're interrupting us."
"I was right anyway."
"You wish."
"Greeting friends!" Chom performs a small bow, and straightens up sharply. "We are here to inform you that a white dragon has been sighted near this location! We have been asked by the town of Phandalin to ask if you have anything to help ward away such a creature... although why anyone would want to do that is beyond me... dragons are a fascinating subject, wouldn't you agree?"
He pauses for a second, before his eyes shift from side to side, a conspiratorial look comes across his face, and he starts to whisper. "We haven't brought any presents for the surprise party, but hopefully the presence of more guests is enough of a gift! Will there be cake? We saw your cake cutting machine along the corridor, fascinating device!"
Their frowns deepen.
"A white dragon?"
"How odd?"
"Are you sure?"
"We need to tell the Kings."
"We can't tell them anything til my invention works."
"Your invention will do nothing! My invention will be the one to cure the King!"
They turn to each other to begin the argument again, when they stop and look at you.
"Party?"
"Cake?"
"Why?" They both say.
"The kings," Ketch says, loudly, trying to grab everyone's attention. "Where can we find them? They are who we need to talk to!"
Ketch then looks at one gnome, then the other, and lowers his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "And her invention is the better one," he says knowingly. "Whether true or not, it's far less headaches to just agree to that. Even Gruumsh knows you never win an argument with the womenfolk. Not in the long term, anyway..."