A stone slab totally blocks the end of this corridor as Allister approaches the end. Painted on the slab is the image of a gaunt male humanoid wearing a hooded cloak, its face a mask of stars. The figure’s withered left hand is raised with palm extended.
Nenne asks the group to allow her some time to augment her sight, and she sits on the ground with her prayer book. Her amulet glows a deep ruby before its light dissipates into her armor as she bows her head. Ten minutes later, her eyes flash with divine energy.
"Divination magic on the block," she alerts them as she rises. She closes her eyes again and winces a little. "I can hear them. The dead. It worsens the deeper we go."
„We know we have a faceless stone slab here, maybe it makes more sense when we see what’s inside the room with the mirror.“ Allister turns around and moves west while chuckling. „Make sense...“
As Allister advances towards the mirror, he tenses up about thirty feet from it, not quite to the room yet. He turns back towards the party, sprinting in their direction, only to be pulled towards the mirror. With a wail of surprise, Allister is completely sucked into the mirror. The hallway stands perfectly silent as if nothing had happened after the sound of his voice is cut short.
Nenne's face blanches as she watches Allister get sucked into the mirror. When the hallway darkens around them, she grabs a candle from her pack, casts Light on it and lobs it hard down the hall.
The candle rolls to the base of the mirror, lighting up the room. The narrow, cobweb-filled hallway around the three remaining heroes feels a little tighter in the darkness, even with darkvision.
As the light falls on the mirror and its reflection only shows the eladrin and the gnomes, Nenne closes her eyes and prays, "Fair Judge, please help me release him." She raises her finger toward the glass and casts Dispel Magic.
As the candle flickers down the at the end of the passageway there is a frantic discussion between Boosey and Nenne, neither keen on approaching the mirror. It doesn't take long to decide that Boosey should shoot the crossbow at the mirror. His shot is true and hits not far off dead centre. From where he stands, it's obvious there is now a large crack in it. His face goes ashen white and he stares down the passageway. "That cannot be good," he cries. "That may have doomed Allister for eternity. I have to go down there and see. It's the only chance we have of getting him back."
Nenne casts bless on the gnome before he carefully and methodically makes his way down the passage. Where it opens out, he looks round the corners into the widening room, and sees nothing untoward. Finally he turns his gaze towards the mirror, expecting to be pulled from his feet, but nothing happens. He stares at the broken glass in shock.
Boosey begins to see faint shapes in the mirror as he stares at it. While trying to figure them out, he suddenly feels as if he is being drawn into the mirror. It takes the gnome quite a bit of effort, but he manages to tear his gaze away from the mirror. With his back turned, Boosey no longer feels the magical tug.
Feeling the initial pull of the mirror fade, Boosey turns once more to look into it, and immediately feels the tugging sensation once more. For a second time, he manages to pull himself away from it and turn his back. Carefully, without looking at the glass he inspects the mirror to see if it can be removed from the wall, but it is almost like the thing is part of the wall itself. He spends a little time in amongst his kit, pulls out a blanket from his bedroll, and hangs it over the mirror.
"I don't know if that will work, but it may make a difference. Glimbul, Nenne, I need your help down here to figure out how we get Allister back. It is safe to come down if you keep your eyes on the floor and don't look at the mirror itself." He leans up against the wall next to the mirror and bends over as if to relieve a little pain, then rubs his eyes. "Do either of you have anything reflective. Anything at all?"
As Nenne approaches the gnome he unexpectedly and gently takes the clerics hands in his. Looking up at her he says softly, "Nenne, I need you to look at me. What has happened is in the past now and cannot be changed. I need your help to find a way to return Allister to us, that is all that matters. We can do this together, but I need you to focus on getting him back and not on what has happened. He is still alive and we can save him." He raises an eyebrow expectantly. "Please help me?"
Seeing that the clerics shield showed some reflection on the inside, he gently slips it from her arm, and is surprised at its weight. "Let me try to look in the mirror using this."
The hallway fills with the smell of the swamp. Kubazan's voice bellows, "Let me in! I AM THE STRONGEST!" Glimbul spins and twists as Kubazan's shadowy tentacles twist him about. Obo'laka's form makes an appearance, biting and clawing at the deity. Eventually, the pair are able to fend the froghemoth off. The small, bear-like form receeds back into Glimbul with a growl.
Boosey tries placing his staff against the mirror without looking at it, and then again, while blessed from Nenne, while looking into it. He manages to pull away from it and places his hand against the mirror. Everyone ponders what to do next as the grinding sounds from below gently vibrate the floor under foot.
"Allister!" comes Nenne's disembodied voice from beside Boosey.
"I see him, Boosey! It's just as I feared. He's engaged in battle with eight others. Allister!!"
The cleric's steady hand does not leave the bard. "I see a troll, a stirge, an armored gladiator, a four-armed gargoyle, and several Chultans. Allister has no allies, though he is rallying well against the gargoyle. He seems relatively healthy yet, and there is much cover. Moa says the Chultans' armor is from when Omu was young. Time must be meaningless in that dimension. Or at least, those inside do not age or tire as we do."
A stone slab totally blocks the end of this corridor as Allister approaches the end. Painted on the slab is the image of a gaunt male humanoid wearing a hooded cloak, its face a mask of stars. The figure’s withered left hand is raised with palm extended.
Nenne asks the group to allow her some time to augment her sight, and she sits on the ground with her prayer book. Her amulet glows a deep ruby before its light dissipates into her armor as she bows her head. Ten minutes later, her eyes flash with divine energy.
"Divination magic on the block," she alerts them as she rises. She closes her eyes again and winces a little. "I can hear them. The dead. It worsens the deeper we go."
„We know we have a faceless stone slab here, maybe it makes more sense when we see what’s inside the room with the mirror.“ Allister turns around and moves west while chuckling. „Make sense...“
As Allister advances towards the mirror, he tenses up about thirty feet from it, not quite to the room yet. He turns back towards the party, sprinting in their direction, only to be pulled towards the mirror. With a wail of surprise, Allister is completely sucked into the mirror. The hallway stands perfectly silent as if nothing had happened after the sound of his voice is cut short.
Nenne's face blanches as she watches Allister get sucked into the mirror. When the hallway darkens around them, she grabs a candle from her pack, casts Light on it and lobs it hard down the hall.
"We need to get him out! Don't step any closer!"
The candle rolls to the base of the mirror, lighting up the room. The narrow, cobweb-filled hallway around the three remaining heroes feels a little tighter in the darkness, even with darkvision.
As the light falls on the mirror and its reflection only shows the eladrin and the gnomes, Nenne closes her eyes and prays, "Fair Judge, please help me release him." She raises her finger toward the glass and casts Dispel Magic.
As the candle flickers down the at the end of the passageway there is a frantic discussion between Boosey and Nenne, neither keen on approaching the mirror. It doesn't take long to decide that Boosey should shoot the crossbow at the mirror. His shot is true and hits not far off dead centre. From where he stands, it's obvious there is now a large crack in it. His face goes ashen white and he stares down the passageway. "That cannot be good," he cries. "That may have doomed Allister for eternity. I have to go down there and see. It's the only chance we have of getting him back."
Nenne casts bless on the gnome before he carefully and methodically makes his way down the passage. Where it opens out, he looks round the corners into the widening room, and sees nothing untoward. Finally he turns his gaze towards the mirror, expecting to be pulled from his feet, but nothing happens. He stares at the broken glass in shock.
Boosey begins to see faint shapes in the mirror as he stares at it. While trying to figure them out, he suddenly feels as if he is being drawn into the mirror. It takes the gnome quite a bit of effort, but he manages to tear his gaze away from the mirror. With his back turned, Boosey no longer feels the magical tug.
"What have I done?" Nenne whispers in abject horror.
"D-don't damage it further!" she stammers, bloodless. "He could be...I may have kil..."
Feeling the initial pull of the mirror fade, Boosey turns once more to look into it, and immediately feels the tugging sensation once more. For a second time, he manages to pull himself away from it and turn his back. Carefully, without looking at the glass he inspects the mirror to see if it can be removed from the wall, but it is almost like the thing is part of the wall itself. He spends a little time in amongst his kit, pulls out a blanket from his bedroll, and hangs it over the mirror.
"I don't know if that will work, but it may make a difference. Glimbul, Nenne, I need your help down here to figure out how we get Allister back. It is safe to come down if you keep your eyes on the floor and don't look at the mirror itself." He leans up against the wall next to the mirror and bends over as if to relieve a little pain, then rubs his eyes. "Do either of you have anything reflective. Anything at all?"
Nenne shakes her head, eyes wide. "I did this. Oh god, I did this."
She walks forward in a daze to join Boosey.
As Nenne approaches the gnome he unexpectedly and gently takes the clerics hands in his. Looking up at her he says softly, "Nenne, I need you to look at me. What has happened is in the past now and cannot be changed. I need your help to find a way to return Allister to us, that is all that matters. We can do this together, but I need you to focus on getting him back and not on what has happened. He is still alive and we can save him." He raises an eyebrow expectantly. "Please help me?"
Seeing that the clerics shield showed some reflection on the inside, he gently slips it from her arm, and is surprised at its weight. "Let me try to look in the mirror using this."
Nenne nods stiffly at Boosey's words, forcing herself out of her imaginings.
"He..we cannot see him. Do you think...he can see us? Hear us?" She closes her eyes tightly, clutching her amulet. "Allister!"
The hallway fills with the smell of the swamp. Kubazan's voice bellows, "Let me in! I AM THE STRONGEST!" Glimbul spins and twists as Kubazan's shadowy tentacles twist him about. Obo'laka's form makes an appearance, biting and clawing at the deity. Eventually, the pair are able to fend the froghemoth off. The small, bear-like form receeds back into Glimbul with a growl.
Nenne stares at Glimbul in shock before shooting Boosey a panicked look.
"I trapped him in there," she breathes, horrified. "Without Kubazan."
Boosey tries placing his staff against the mirror without looking at it, and then again, while blessed from Nenne, while looking into it. He manages to pull away from it and places his hand against the mirror. Everyone ponders what to do next as the grinding sounds from below gently vibrate the floor under foot.
Nenne puts a hand on Boosey's shoulder as her eyes start to redden.
"I did this to him, Boosey," she says, hurt. "I...I cannot leave him. I can't let him die alone. I can't."
She bends down and kisses him on the forehead. And she vanishes from sight.
Boosey feels the weight of her gauntleted hand on his shoulder and hears her armor shift as she turns toward the mirror.
"Allister!" comes Nenne's disembodied voice from beside Boosey.
"I see him, Boosey! It's just as I feared. He's engaged in battle with eight others. Allister!!"
The cleric's steady hand does not leave the bard. "I see a troll, a stirge, an armored gladiator, a four-armed gargoyle, and several Chultans. Allister has no allies, though he is rallying well against the gargoyle. He seems relatively healthy yet, and there is much cover. Moa says the Chultans' armor is from when Omu was young. Time must be meaningless in that dimension. Or at least, those inside do not age or tire as we do."
Boosey feels the hand on his shoulder shift and hears Nenne's breath catch.
Her armor clinks as though she is looking around her, trying to scan the room for something.
"What was...?"