Terrevess will try to blast him with a firebolt

14 to hit

18 damage if hit 

(busy week for me still, I need to update my sheet with that damage)

"I think we should search for the gemsmith and find a safe place to stay hidden." 

Gravity finally stops chasing the lizardfolk guard (if they're still alive) and dashes towards the intersection where she'd found caverns filled with rubbish. Instead of taking a left turn, she will move towards the opposite direction.

“Agreed.  And quickly.. before we’re discovered here.” Tetrevess says.  “But we should search this area to be sure they were not guarding anything significant”

The oak door leading to this area is locked, but can be opened with a successful DC 14 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools, or forced open with a successful DC 14 Strength check. (*) The chamber beyond holds the temple’s most valued prisoner, Seodra the gemsmith.

This room contains a cot, a footlocker, a basin, and a worktable covered in various tools. The table is presently occupied by a female genasi, her skin encrusted with patches of faceted crystals. The project she’s working on is a silver skull with jeweled teeth.

Not bothering to look at you, the genasi says, “Your interruptions are not helping. For the last time, tell Thessalar I need more time to finish!”

(*) somebody give me a check to open the door, I'm assuming it's getting opened, every failed attempt takes another 6 seconds.

(No skill with thieves tools and not strong, but will help someone else)

Gravity uses a lock-pick from the Thieves' Tools to unlock the door and if it's unlocked, she will rush into the room:

"Are you the gemsmith? Don't worry about Thessalar, Tetrevess will kill him on sight and I'll make sure that he can do that unhindered."

Dexterity (Thieves' Tools): (18, 14) (Tool Proficiency feature, rolled with advantage from Tetrevess' help)

"What? Who are you?" She spins around as she stands ro see who would speak openly if such things here in the Temple complex.  "Did Moghadam send you?"

As she speaks you notice the worktable contains the workings for the jeweled skull of a demilich: a solid silver skull (worth 2,000 gp) into which three diamonds (1,000 gp each) have been cut and set as teeth. 

“I am the wizard Tetrevess.   Your workmanship is extraordinary.  It is truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance, we’ve been searching so long.  You don’t have to finish that.   All will be revealed in time, which we don’t have much of at the moment…”.  

Sam looks around the door still holding ruinblade “look are you coming or.. say that skull what is its very shine”  sam moves in and tries to put it in his bag of holding 

"I'm Cryptic Gravity, a bounty hunter. Boss Moghadam was sending groups of mercenaries to rescue you, but they failed"- Gravity introduces herself and confirms the words of the gemsmith while purposefully omitting the information that Moghadam has died.

"We've been searching for a number of magical gems, some of these can be found inside the temple. Do you know anything about these gems?"

"Well, I had heard there was some ruckus a few days ago.  I didn't think Moghaddam would be so bold as to send another group of thieves so soon.  Although they were here just on our heels, so not really rhst surprising."

"This?" Seodra gestures to the skull in answering Sam's inquiry, "Ir was to be a vessel for Thesselar's ascension to lichdom.  A masterwork of arcane artistry, I humbly admit.  It contains some of the very gems you e been searching.  To compete it, though, I will need the great rubies the lake has spit forth.  The ones now set I to the eyes of the statue if Moloch.  They are the very thing we were sent to steal.  The very resolution. I was needed, and without them, Moghaddam will be displeased.  He will welcome my presence, for he, or rather his master,  wants the same thing all the powerful mages want: more power, more magic, more time.  I will not be treated well if I return without those stones."

<I know you guys already stole them, but she doesn't know that. She's a prisoner, hence the guards.>

Gravity recalls the scripture on the half-finished mug: World's Best Lich, and immediately assumes the connection between the words and Thessalar's lich-dom. She sneers at the thought of working under an undead mentor since the mental visualization of the idea doesn't seem appealing to her... the devoted battle-smith forging several parts of the 'infernal machine' with care but a demi-lich's jeweled skull appears and glares at the structure.... whoosh... the machine evaporates!

"Fret not! We'll assist you in your task but before that, we need to smuggle the gems and the skull out of the temple. So, these are the gems that belong to Lum, right?"

She speaks to Seodra while pulling out the set of Jeweler's Tools collected from the tomb. She will use the tools to examine the gems and if she gets the opportunity to remove the gems from the skull, she will do so.

Dexterity (Jeweler's Tools): 22

Intelligence: Investigation (Jeweler's Tools): (14, 21)

"Ah-hemm!" Seodra coughs, noticing Gravity's grubby fingers reaching for the skull. "Perhaps I was unclear.  Not to brag, but that object is a literal masterpiece.  Moghaddam will be most pleased upon receiving the cometes skull.  I dont think he really cares about the wizard the tomb is built for, but would appreciate the freedom to carry out his work with some breathing room.  This will surely buy him that.  He's an odd man, Moghaddam, but he has a real appreciation for the beauty of stone craft.  I respect that." There's a pregnant pause as she eyes Gravity, tools still in hand.

"Let's get out of here.  Which way did you come from?  We came down the river and rhey nabbed us as we tried to loot the temple south of the high ceiling area near the entrance.  Did you come the same way, where should we go? Do you think we csn free the other stone cutters? They're just around the corner to the south. CCaptive as I am,  by no faukt if theor own - just skill in a highly sought trade."

Gravity grunts due to frustration when the gemsmith verbally prevents her from examining the gems. She draws her eyebrows together while pursing her lips in a pout when the gemsmith keeps blabbering.

"Boss Moghaddam won't have the chance to appreciate your contribution, my lady! The situation is different and some things are kept secret."

"I don't want to free the other stone-cutters from their prison. Don't ask me why, I just don't feel like doing anything else. Let's dig a hole right through the ceiling and get out!"

"Fine, we can leave the other stonesmiths, but I won't leave without the gems.  To come all this way and have them so close - its' just too much." Seodra says, pacing rhe room. I've longed for the day since I begin my apprecenticeship under Mistress Xagy, when I too could craft sowmthing of such enduring perfect beauty as Queen Ehlissa’s Marvelous Nightingale.  Today will be that day.  I will have those gems and my work will be complete.  We owe it to posterity." She says, eyes shut, nose upturned in a posture of noble disdain for the plebian.  Her nose twitches.  She sniffs, wrinkles her brow, snifs again, turns to you and thrusts an accusatory finger toward you. "You!  You have them.  I can smell them on you.  And not just those, a whole trove of gems.  Quite old, rare, unique.  Very well.  Lets get out of here."  Grabbing the jeweled skull and her superior jeweler's tools before heading for the door and noticing Gravity not moving, she turns back, "What? You weren't serious about tunneling, right?  These are the delicate tools of a fine artist, nit a miners pickaxe.  Besides, if I could tunnel myself out of here, do you really think I'd still be stuck in this dump?  Now come on, let's go.  Lead the way, rescuers!"

<yeah. She can smell treasure with pinpoint accuracy.   Also, she uses noble stats.  So her talents are earth walk and treasure sense, but somehow, not stonehape or passwall or anything of the kind.  I would say she has pass without trace (merge with stone) just by being genasi, though)

Tetrevess says “well, it’s easy enough for me to tunnel if you like.  But I think we should free the other artists.  I’m for doing anything that makes Thasslar unhappy.  Do we know the ceiling is the best way to go, however?”  He looks at the ceiling, as he does the black sphere starts floating in that direction. 

<You can make a 2 ft wide hole.  I'm picturing like an inkjet printer with the sphere "printing" a hole in the ceiling>

(yes I figured it would take a few passes, but could eventually Make a wider tunnel)

You hear footsteps approaching, the rapid tapping of claws on stone suggest the lizardman may have found the courage to regroup and reengage.  But also,  slower footfalls trail behind those scratchy footsteps.  Softer than the clawed feet of the lizardmen, their owner might be assumed to be a larger creature.

The sphere of annihilation continues to carve a hole in the ceiling.

Gravity casts Web using the Wand of Web to conjure a mass of webbing in front of the prison cell's door to slow down the advancement of the opponents. Then she closes the door behind her and yells:

"Sam, I need your help to create a barricade. Let's push that worktable towards the entrance and place it against the door."

To Seodra: "And you, Madame Gemsmith! I asked you about one thing and you started to weave an epic instead of replying. Where are the glowing gems? I mean... ahm... something like this."

She does something that would've violated the noble codes of conduct under normal circumstances and lifts up the blue pair of gems that's still covered by her saliva.