Killilli’s Dragon Heist

"So I guess we're adding meditation to the things we're not allowed to do here," Kerri says after breathing hard through her nose. "Not like anyone has been listening anyways."

Cico looks over at Kerri and nods.

"Your wisdom is valued," Cico begins, avoiding direct eye contact with Kerri, "but this place does not allow for sober thought. It is a game and it appears the only way to move forward is to take great risks."

"Ya well," Kerri says. "I guess your great risks are going to have fatal consequences. Cause I'm spent. I cant help anymore."

"Emotionally?"

"Magically."

"We haven't come across anyone wandering about the halls," Cico says. "We could rest here. You could sleep."

Cico looks around at the others and shrugs. 

"Who knows how much longer we'll be stuck in here. I had a similar experience once. You rest when you can."

Lyss nods understandingly and will stand near Kerri, acting sympathetic, as if she wasn't the expenditure of a fair bit of effort keeping her alive.

Edvord looks entirely aghast, "Look Aldrik is not exactly the most upstanding of the Reinholdt siblings, but I would never kill him... though if I tried he certainty would not still be standing here."

Thinking more on Lyss' words, "Right before my memory slipped away I was meditating on the only object of note I found within the room, blue text which said something along the lines of use a soft touch."

"Usually, I expect such strange rooms to have some sort of purpose... it might be hard to ascertain or understand but a purpose nonetheless... However, this place is turning out to be one elaborate death trap after another."

Moments later, responding to Cico, the mage adds, "While it might not be exactly safe resting here, I fear it is also not safe moving forward in our... um condition... I vote we try to rest. Now if you don't mind Kerri... I will try meditating again." With that last statement Edvord gives the sorcerer an evil wink.

Kerri's face is twitching super hard, before she takes another breath. "Do whatever you want Edvord," she says, very calmly. "I don't care anymore. Since you don't seem to care."

Aldrik’s sword dances merrily at his mention of potential future stabbings. 

The room with the fireplace seems not only comfortable, but also pretty secure. It is reinforced with fine metalwork, and the door features many bolts and locks on the inside, almost like it was at some point used as some sort of panic room.

"Let's make sure this room is safe, then maybe take a break? My feet hurt."

Lyss will further look the room over without touching anything. 

Investigation: 14

Halfling Powers Activate: 11

While Lyss searches the room and they prepare to potentially bed down, Aldrik asks: "Eddie, do you have a spare parchment? And some ink?"

Assuming his brother relents, Aldrik will set the paper on the floor, and open up the inkwell.

"Sword, if you have a name... you can write it down here, so that I know what to call you - either by dipping your tip in the ink, or scoring the paper."

He looks to the blade. "And if you don't have a name, well, just hover and point your blade upwards, and we'll come up with one, yeah?"

"Do not... I give up" Kerri gives an exasperated sigh and goes to find the furthest corner of the room and sitting down there to avoid any and all potential consequences of people interacting with stuff in this death trap of a maze.

Edvord is noticeably quieter than usual since the ordeal. At Aldrik's beckon he passes over one sheet of paper, ink, and a pen. "I will need those back."

While waiting to see if the party will decide to rest here Edvord sits down in a corner and thinks on the days events. He can be overheard muttering to himself, "Okay friend... guess it is time to show your face."

With a quick snap of his finger a black, lithe, and scarred rat appears on the floor in front of Edvord. It looks back at it's master with bright beady red eyes. Edvord sheepishly turns to the group, "I was hoping not to have to use Verklarung until I had the necessary components to change his form. Poor guy isn't very capable as a rat... blends in quite well in the city though... did not think we would be stuck this long in here..." Edvord's voice trails off, but the more perceptive members of the party make out the man continuing to list off a series of excuses under his breath.

"Let's be honest here," Kerri laughs bitterly. "You dont want to show him off because rats dont really scream nobility do they."

"You mean he's not really a rat?", Lyss asks from the floor, where she's already trying to feed Verklarung a very smashed scrap of pastry from her pocket.

Lyss, your evaluation of the room is thorough, The walls seem to be reinforced with steel, and the door is sturdy being near impossible to open once all the locks and bolts are up. The words on the wall are a little ominous, reading WHAT MIGHT AND but words like this seem to be on most of the rooms you've seen recently. Most interestingly, the round table, with the box and the goodberries has runes around it's edge. You recall from your small amount of reading on magic that these seem to be transmutation runes.

The sword dips itself in ink, meekly writing out its name as if ashamed. THE SWORD FORMERLY KNOWN AS MAGEBANE, SCOURGE OF THE SHOON IMPERIUM, FORMER GRAND PRIZE OF THE BLUE ALLEY, CURRENT TRAP :(

Edvord responds to Kerri and Lyss, "No... not a real rat. Verklarung has many forms... some appropriate for high society others for skullduggery... this just happens to be the last one I had the resources to select. My mentor taught me how to bind minor fiends to such forms... Verklarung is docile Lyss, though if he ever escaped my control we would likely be haunted by a tiny devil for some time."

At mention of the runes, Edvord ritually casts comprehend languages. "Let me have a look at those... such runes are rooted in language. Sometimes they are just an arcane word of power. Other times with enough study... or the proper shortcut... the runes can reveal their true purpose."

"Ah yes let's continue to inspect clearly cursed things," Kerri breaths hard through her nose.