Allister pushes the lever upwards. After the wind stops he stuffs dirt into his pockets and his mouth. While chewing he runs towards the platforms and yells „Pull it again when I’m over there.“ He starts jumping to the other side
Allister reaches the second platform and nearly tumbles off the edge as the thing wobbles as if it were in water. He stuffs more mold into his mouth and hops the rest of the way across. Reaching the other side, he realizes that no one has the presence of mind to actually follow his instructions. The fighter goes to chew another mouthful of mold before coming to his senses. He vomits, overcome with sickness at what he's just done. An eyeball comes out, making Allister wretch even more. When the sickness has passed, he realizes that his party appears to be acting normal on the far side of the pit.
As the cleric comes to her senses, she feels the effects of her spell fade, and a terrible rawness in her throat from screaming herself hoarse. She takes a frantic look around herself, unsure if she can trust her eyes, before sitting with her back against the bannister and burying her head in her hands.
It takes a while for their heads to clear, and even then it takes a while before Boosey realises Alllister is on the far side of the room. After some discussion, it's decided that Boosey will turn the lever on from a safe distance using mage hand. He leaves the room with the others and prepares to flip the switch.
From across the room, A the party can't see what is happening to Allister or if he is affected by the insanity. Waiting around fifteen seconds, just about long enough for Allister to do his thing, Boosey turns the switch off.
While the party talks, Allister puts a pouch over each of the demon's hands. When the switch it pulled down, The winds begin to blow fiercly and Allister starts giggling like a little child at play. Tear roll down his cheeks as he laughs loudly, but he has the sense of mind to pick the orbs up into the pouches. The mage hand raises the lever again, and soon enough, Allister stops laughing though the warrior's sides hurt from the effort. The orbs he retirieved appear to be shaped and designed like eyeballs. They are one inch in diameter and are a pearly white crystal and a scarlet crystal.
Allister returns with the marbles in the pouch. While he is jumping back, he hears someone say „He should have checked for walls or other levers“ and nearly loseshis balance. But he makes it to the balcony, frowns at the group and says „You could have told me back there.“ He jumps back across the platforms and looks closely at the wall. Just when he wants to turn back he notices a crawlspace between the demonˋs legs. „Guys, I found another crawlspace. Wait a minute, I’ll just have a quick look.“
Nenne hears the fighter and gives up with her ritual. "Don't you dare explore anything without us," she calls out. "Yesterday should have been lesson aplenty that such behavior is suicidal." She rejoins the gnomes and looks out across the expanse.
Allister crawls through the tunnel and finds a simple room devoid of any features but another crawlspace. When he wants to take that way he hears Nenne shouting for him. „Gimme a second, I’ll be back soon.“ He crawls through the other tunnel, emerging in the passage with the animal headed frescos. With nothing new to find he returns to his friends and appears in the crawlspace leading to the western balcony. „Nenne, I found a way that would have been less painful. The crawlspace by the demonˋs legs connects to the area with the water puddle and the rotting weapons. There is nothing else, so I’ll wait here for everyone.“
After Allister throws a rope, the party secures it to the bannister and he swings over with ease. The moment he's safe, Nenne slaps him.
"Stop doing that to me!" she cries, eyes reddening. "What happened to working together? You don't know what I've seen in this place! You don't know what's waiting below or what it sounds like when it mocks you for fighting it, or what it feels like when it claws at your soul! I do! Stop making me relive it with your recklessness!"
Her breath catches and she realizes what she's done. "I...I'm sorry," she says quietly, unable to look at him. "I'm sorry. Forgive me. Just...let's stick together, please." And she retreats to the room with the clay golem, the party welcome to follow.
The gnome follows Nenne into the golem room. "Please. You need to talk to us all, don't bottle all this up yourself. We are here as well, and can share your burden, even if it's difficult for us to understand. Please don't suffer alone, there are enough demons in this place without our minds augmenting them!" He gives Nenne what he thinks is an encouraging smile.
"Moa said to me yesterday that adamantine or magic weapons are needed to harm a clay golem." He looks down into the pit. "The runes on the plinth are for conjuration magic, also. Did Glimbul not say that the statues could be moved somehow?"
Nenne nods gratefully to the bard and offers him a sad smile. "Thank you, but you should not have to see and hear what I have seen and heard. No one should. It is...scarring. This is why we must defeat this Soulmonger and restore our friends' lives." Her smile turns slightly less sad. "I'm not sure I can quite communicate what we are facing, and I'm not sure you can quite appreciate the danger and the horror because of my ineloquence. I would, however, appreciate a little more consideration when I call for caution."
Getting herself more under control, she resumes her prayer ritual and invokes divine power to augment her sight. She sweeps her gaze around the room and says to the party, "Evocation magic lies like a sheet across the pit. The storyteller was correct; there is conjuration upon the plinth. Abjuration also, in the statues."
Allister looks into the pit. „This guy seems to not care about us intruding yet. But hiw do we „right the gods“? Should we turn the statues to the right? Do we need to honor them somehow? I have no idea of any rituals for these gods.“
Listening to Allister’s questions, “They only turn to the right, that may have been what the clue is about. The question is which way do we face them?”
"...and what happens if we attempt to touch these statues?" Nenne adds, eyeing the nearest one with distrust. "Abjuration spells can be just as harmful as evocation."
She takes a deep breath and fiddles with her amulet. "Perhaps we try something simple? Ninety-degree turn to the right? Or perhaps they need to face the plinth, simultaneously...Before we attempt anything, I would like to take my own measures with respect to abjuration and protect the two of us who will be interacting with these monoliths directly. I assume the warrior and I will be the ones to turn them? We are the strongest and most sturdy, after all."
As the party talks over various ideas, Boosey gets everyone's attention and says that he is going to try something. He summons a mage hand right in front of the clay statue. When it doesn't react, he removes the key from the thing's neck and has the mage hand put it into the lock on the chest. The hand then turns the key. Nothing immediately happens.
"Looks like we will have to get down there somehow, then. Do you not think it odd that it hasn't set off the golem? I thought that would have been certain to!" He squints down into the pit. "I can't tell if the lock on that thing has opened or not. Shall I bring the key up here?" With that he moves the key out of the lock and lifts it towards the party.
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Boosey tries to shout to Allister, but the words mostly get stuck in is mouth. "Turn..............off..............lever......."
Allister pushes the lever upwards. After the wind stops he stuffs dirt into his pockets and his mouth. While chewing he runs towards the platforms and yells „Pull it again when I’m over there.“ He starts jumping to the other side
Allister reaches the second platform and nearly tumbles off the edge as the thing wobbles as if it were in water. He stuffs more mold into his mouth and hops the rest of the way across. Reaching the other side, he realizes that no one has the presence of mind to actually follow his instructions. The fighter goes to chew another mouthful of mold before coming to his senses. He vomits, overcome with sickness at what he's just done. An eyeball comes out, making Allister wretch even more. When the sickness has passed, he realizes that his party appears to be acting normal on the far side of the pit.
As the cleric comes to her senses, she feels the effects of her spell fade, and a terrible rawness in her throat from screaming herself hoarse. She takes a frantic look around herself, unsure if she can trust her eyes, before sitting with her back against the bannister and burying her head in her hands.
It takes a while for their heads to clear, and even then it takes a while before Boosey realises Alllister is on the far side of the room. After some discussion, it's decided that Boosey will turn the lever on from a safe distance using mage hand. He leaves the room with the others and prepares to flip the switch.
From across the room, A the party can't see what is happening to Allister or if he is affected by the insanity. Waiting around fifteen seconds, just about long enough for Allister to do his thing, Boosey turns the switch off.
While the party talks, Allister puts a pouch over each of the demon's hands. When the switch it pulled down, The winds begin to blow fiercly and Allister starts giggling like a little child at play. Tear roll down his cheeks as he laughs loudly, but he has the sense of mind to pick the orbs up into the pouches. The mage hand raises the lever again, and soon enough, Allister stops laughing though the warrior's sides hurt from the effort. The orbs he retirieved appear to be shaped and designed like eyeballs. They are one inch in diameter and are a pearly white crystal and a scarlet crystal.
Nenne sits down with her prayer book and begins ritual casting Detect Magic once more.
Allister returns with the marbles in the pouch. While he is jumping back, he hears someone say „He should have checked for walls or other levers“ and nearly loseshis balance. But he makes it to the balcony, frowns at the group and says „You could have told me back there.“ He jumps back across the platforms and looks closely at the wall. Just when he wants to turn back he notices a crawlspace between the demonˋs legs. „Guys, I found another crawlspace. Wait a minute, I’ll just have a quick look.“
Nenne hears the fighter and gives up with her ritual. "Don't you dare explore anything without us," she calls out. "Yesterday should have been lesson aplenty that such behavior is suicidal." She rejoins the gnomes and looks out across the expanse.
Allister crawls through the tunnel and finds a simple room devoid of any features but another crawlspace. When he wants to take that way he hears Nenne shouting for him. „Gimme a second, I’ll be back soon.“ He crawls through the other tunnel, emerging in the passage with the animal headed frescos. With nothing new to find he returns to his friends and appears in the crawlspace leading to the western balcony. „Nenne, I found a way that would have been less painful. The crawlspace by the demonˋs legs connects to the area with the water puddle and the rotting weapons. There is nothing else, so I’ll wait here for everyone.“
Boosey looks at the floating platforms sceptically. "We go the long way round, right?"
After Allister throws a rope, the party secures it to the bannister and he swings over with ease. The moment he's safe, Nenne slaps him.
"Stop doing that to me!" she cries, eyes reddening. "What happened to working together? You don't know what I've seen in this place! You don't know what's waiting below or what it sounds like when it mocks you for fighting it, or what it feels like when it claws at your soul! I do! Stop making me relive it with your recklessness!"
Her breath catches and she realizes what she's done. "I...I'm sorry," she says quietly, unable to look at him. "I'm sorry. Forgive me. Just...let's stick together, please." And she retreats to the room with the clay golem, the party welcome to follow.
The gnome follows Nenne into the golem room. "Please. You need to talk to us all, don't bottle all this up yourself. We are here as well, and can share your burden, even if it's difficult for us to understand. Please don't suffer alone, there are enough demons in this place without our minds augmenting them!" He gives Nenne what he thinks is an encouraging smile.
"Moa said to me yesterday that adamantine or magic weapons are needed to harm a clay golem." He looks down into the pit. "The runes on the plinth are for conjuration magic, also. Did Glimbul not say that the statues could be moved somehow?"
Nenne nods gratefully to the bard and offers him a sad smile. "Thank you, but you should not have to see and hear what I have seen and heard. No one should. It is...scarring. This is why we must defeat this Soulmonger and restore our friends' lives." Her smile turns slightly less sad. "I'm not sure I can quite communicate what we are facing, and I'm not sure you can quite appreciate the danger and the horror because of my ineloquence. I would, however, appreciate a little more consideration when I call for caution."
Getting herself more under control, she resumes her prayer ritual and invokes divine power to augment her sight. She sweeps her gaze around the room and says to the party, "Evocation magic lies like a sheet across the pit. The storyteller was correct; there is conjuration upon the plinth. Abjuration also, in the statues."
Allister looks into the pit. „This guy seems to not care about us intruding yet. But hiw do we „right the gods“? Should we turn the statues to the right? Do we need to honor them somehow? I have no idea of any rituals for these gods.“
Listening to Allister’s questions, “They only turn to the right, that may have been what the clue is about. The question is which way do we face them?”
"...and what happens if we attempt to touch these statues?" Nenne adds, eyeing the nearest one with distrust. "Abjuration spells can be just as harmful as evocation."
She takes a deep breath and fiddles with her amulet. "Perhaps we try something simple? Ninety-degree turn to the right? Or perhaps they need to face the plinth, simultaneously...Before we attempt anything, I would like to take my own measures with respect to abjuration and protect the two of us who will be interacting with these monoliths directly. I assume the warrior and I will be the ones to turn them? We are the strongest and most sturdy, after all."
As the party talks over various ideas, Boosey gets everyone's attention and says that he is going to try something. He summons a mage hand right in front of the clay statue. When it doesn't react, he removes the key from the thing's neck and has the mage hand put it into the lock on the chest. The hand then turns the key. Nothing immediately happens.
"Looks like we will have to get down there somehow, then. Do you not think it odd that it hasn't set off the golem? I thought that would have been certain to!" He squints down into the pit. "I can't tell if the lock on that thing has opened or not. Shall I bring the key up here?" With that he moves the key out of the lock and lifts it towards the party.