Homoventures Chapter 4, Part 14

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Summary

The party finishes moving boulders that were blocking the passage and begins to investigate the next room when they are attacked by mephits that had been in the rubble. After vanquishing the mephits, they are able to find a way to solidify the floor safely. They decide to rest for the evening, and Xan talks some to Anxikaril at the beginning of the watch cycle.

Session

Session date: September 10, 2014

Diablotin date: Spring 2275

DiablotinNarrator> All right - so you and the rest of the group are standing at the entrance to this next room
DiablotinNarrator> I'll just give a brief description of what you see
DiablotinNarrator> The room appears empty except for, on the wall across from the door, there is a carving of a horse head sticking out of the wall.
DiablotinNarrator> I couldn't find a nice horse head so I'll just mark the square with a colour or something ;)
Xandhil> heh
DiablotinNarrator> I believe you hadn't checked the room for traps or done any looking around yet?
Xandhil> not yet, no
DiablotinNarrator> 'k
* Xandhil will let Sleyght though if he would like to, and will look around some himself as well
DiablotinNarrator> sure - Sleyght will do so, and I think Anxikaril also has a good Perception, so he can look too
Xandhil> !roll 1d20+13
* BalthCat rolls for Xandhil: [ 1d20+13 ] getting [ 11 ] which, after the modifier [ 13 ] totals [ 24 ].
DiablotinNarrator> Okay - you and Gramps both are able to get a sense that there is something odd about the floor in this room.
DiablotinNarrator> like perhaps it's not quite as solid as it appears
Xandhil> I don't suppose anyone has a staff?
DiablotinNarrator> (I'm just checking if anyone does)
DiablotinNarrator> Nobody has a quarterstaff or the like. Various people have pokey weapons, like rapiers/swords
Xandhil> hmmmm
* NPC1 is now known as Anxikaril
* Xandhil casts dm
DiablotinNarrator> There is magic in the room, on the floor.
DiablotinNarrator> Moderate illusion
* Xandhil relays
Xandhil> i could try and sispell it so we at elast know what we;re looking at?
Xandhil> or maybe what we're not currently looking at :p
DiablotinNarrator> Okay
DiablotinNarrator> Gyrus will also offer to dispell, if you don't manage
* Xandhil nods
Xandhil> !roll 1d20+8
* BalthCat rolls for Xandhil: [ 1d20+8 ] getting [ 3 ] which, after the modifier [ 8 ] totals [ 11 ].
Xandhil> haaaa
DiablotinNarrator> nay
* Xandhil grumps
Xandhil> have at >.>
DiablotinNarrator> !roll 1d20+8
* BalthCat rolls for DiablotinNarrator: [ 1d20+8 ] getting [ 17 ] which, after the modifier [ 8 ] totals [ 25 ].
* NPC2 is now known as Gyrus
* Gyrus casts her spell, and the floor, which previously appeared as solid stone, melts into a sandy surface
Xandhil> right.
Xandhil> so - is it just sand? Quicksand?
* Xandhil leans on Justen and puts one foot on the sand, sloely testing his weight
DiablotinNarrator> It feels semi-solid as you sort of lightly touch it, at least. it's hard to know how it would be with your full weight or those of multiple people on it
* Xandhil will put more of his weight oin it to see, keeping an arm on Justen
* Justen will hold onto you as well as he can
DiablotinNarrator> Your foot sort of sinks into it slightly, with the sand shifting under you - you would say it's probably quicksand and you would sink in if you put your whole weight on it
Xandhil> yeah
Xandhil> that's what I thought
* Justen will pull you back before you can sink much further
Xandhil> thanks
Xandhil> hmm
DiablotinNarrator> Everyone can make a Perception (or Listen, for those who are old-school and have Listen ;) check
Xandhil> !roll 1d20+10
* BalthCat rolls for Xandhil: [ 1d20+10 ] getting [ 4 ] which, after the modifier [ 10 ] totals [ 14 ].
DiablotinNarrator> !roll 1d20+5
* BalthCat rolls for DiablotinNarrator: [ 1d20+5 ] getting [ 20 ] which, after the modifier [ 5 ] totals [ 25 ].
DiablotinNarrator> (go Justen)
* Xandhil dreams how much higher his perceptiony skills coulds be if they were all roilled into one...
DiablotinNarrator> (hee)
DiablotinNarrator> !roll 1d20+15
* BalthCat rolls for DiablotinNarrator: [ 1d20+15 ] getting [ 4 ] which, after the modifier [ 15 ] totals [ 19 ].
* Justen turns as if he hears something from behind you, back in the corridor
Justen> Did you hear that?
Justen> (evidently no one else did ;)
Xandhil> ...no....
Justen> I heard some pebbles rolling around. Maybe just one of the rock piles slid over a bit...
Xandhil> >.>
Justen> (now we can switch to roll20 ;)
Xandhil> (annnd then we fought some constructs made out of the rocks we jjst spent 3 hours moving -_-)
Xandhil> ugh
DiablotinNarrator> (they were actually mephits, not constructs, but close enough :)
DiablotinNarrator> (little rockimps)
Xandhil> (oh huh, I assumed.... i may have been able to use real spells on them -_-)
* Gyrus is now known as Karala
Karala> Do you think there's some kind of trigger or switch to make the floor solid again?
* Karala asks, indicating to the horse head
Xandhil> I do.
* Xandhil peers more carefully at it from across the room
Xandhil> not sure how we activate it
Xandhil> i might be able to get over there and see
Karala> I have a thought... before you risk it
* Xandhil nods, listening
Karala> I could conjure an unseen servant and have it carry Teelo over to look at it more closely
Karala> and he could relate to me what he sees
DiablotinNarrator> if it's a simple switch or button, the unseen servant could even trigger it, if it doesn't require too much strength
DiablotinNarrator> (ww)
Karala> if it's a simple switch or button, the unseen servant could even trigger it, if it doesn't require too much strength
Xandhil> cool :)
* Karala will do that, then
* Karala 's hedgehog is carried across the quicksand :3
* Karala relates that Teelo says that there is a sort of amulet around the horse's neck (carved, not a real amulet but the stone looks like it could be a button to press)
Xandhil> ...
* Xandhil looks at the others
Xandhil> I say try it
DiablotinNarrator> The others also agree it's worth a shot - if anything goes wrong, at least it's only the unseen servant ;)
DiablotinNarrator> (it'll bring Teelo back first so he's safe :3
DiablotinNarrator> So the servant will drift back over and try pushing the button
DiablotinNarrator> At first it seems like nothing happens
* Xandhil be's on alert incase he needs to get out :3
DiablotinNarrator> but gradually you can tell the floor is starting to firm up and harden
DiablotinNarrator> which, if you had been in the quicksand, might have really sucked a lot @_@
DiablotinNarrator> The ground in the hallway that the mephits softened is unaffected by whatever is happening in the chamber
Xandhil> that's good @_@
Justen> That's pretty nasty... imagine if you'd fought your way all across that room, pressed the button thinking it was going to help, and then...
Xandhil> ugh
Xandhil> this whole place it kind of mean, though. I'm not surorised
* Xandhil will test the floor again before stepping on it
DiablotinNarrator> Okay, so having now solidified the ground, you can go in and see what's around that sort of little niche area more clearly
DiablotinNarrator> it's actually bigger than it appeared, or else it also opened up further when the button was pressed
DiablotinNarrator> in any case there's some goodies in there
Xandhil> of course :3
DiablotinNarrator> a pair of boots, a cloak, a small carving of a horse, and a sandstone box.
* DiablotinNarrator assumes you will cast DM? ;)
Xandhil> (yes, unles Gyrus wants to >.>)
Xandhil> (I'm p. sure I have 50 million more spells than her though :V)
DiablotinNarrator> (yeah you go ahead)
Xandhil> (dont' mind if I do ^-^)
DiablotinNarrator> boots: faint transmutation, cloak: faint conjuration and illusion, horse: strong transmutation, box: strong conjuration
Xandhil> (any guesses on those?)
Xandhil> (Can I make a roll or something?)
DiablotinNarrator> you could make a spellcraft check
Xandhil> (/me is gonna roll, you tell me if I have any good guesses ;)
Xandhil> (I'm confused becaue I don't seem to have any and that doesn't seem right @_@)
DiablotinNarrator> uh yeah... that seems odd
DiablotinNarrator> use your k:arcana instead maybe?
Xandhil> (like - it isn't even on mhy sheet at all o_O)
Xandhil> !roll 1d20+17
* BalthCat rolls for Xandhil: [ 1d20+17 ] getting [ 12 ] which, after the modifier [ 17 ] totals [ 29 ].
DiablotinNarrator> yeah I see that - I was just looking at your lv 7 in case you had accidentally deleted the row or something when updating him this level
DiablotinNarrator> anyway, that is quite a good roll. You suspect that this is the 'earth' room, so that gives you some hints as well. The horse is probably a Stone Horse (well obviously... but it's the kind that turns into a real horse at the owner's will).
Xandhil> (nope! huh)
DiablotinNarrator> (well in Pathfinder I don't think k:arcana exists anymore, it's all spellcraft ;)
Xandhil> (heh)
DiablotinNarrator> (so ... flip 'em if you want? I dunno)
DiablotinNarrator> (same difference really: knowing about magicy stuff)
Xandhil> (yeah >.>0
DiablotinNarrator> The boots could be something that give you some kind of extra stability.
DiablotinNarrator> The cloak is a grey, rocky colour/texture that looks like it could blend into areas of rock or stone
* Xandhil shares his assessment with the class
DiablotinNarrator> The box seems to match with the previous vessel/containers you've found - the lamp and the bowl
DiablotinNarrator> all had strong conjuration on them. maybe for calling up elementals, or even genies...?
Xandhil> oh man
Xandhil> if it was the *same
* djinn
Xandhil> they could maybe just...tell us :p
Xandhil> I mean they might not
Xandhil> but still @_@
* Karala is now known as Sleyght
Sleyght> It's an interesting prospect...
Sleyght> I think it would be prudent to take some rest before we go any further.
Sleyght> Recover our strength, in case further such defenses lie ahead.
Xandhil> I think it's a pretty likely case
* Sleyght nods
Xandhil> we shoudl definitely post a watch though
Sleyght> Yes, certainly
Sleyght> We could rest in one of the rooms, or in the corridor
Justen> The room with the fountain might be all right - it didn't seem too deadly, and it has a door to close.
Justen> plus, maybe that water is drinkable
* Xandhil nods
Xandhil> do we have any way to know?
DiablotinNarrator> (uh good question...)
Xandhil> :/
DiablotinNarrator> (checking on Purify food and drink)
DiablotinNarrator> Karala has Detect Poison - that might do it
Xandhil> (it should I think)
DiablotinNarrator> at least, she can detect it on a 5ft area - but if a 5ft area of the fountain is poisoned, it probably all is ;p
DiablotinNarrator> People seem okay with the idea of camping in the water room
DiablotinNarrator> the ladies could even have privacy if they want by going into the upstairs part ;p
Xandhil> heh
* Xandhil sorts expects they are not the kind of ladies who care ;)
DiablotinNarrator> heh
Xandhil> I honestly don't think the door is going to help us
Xandhil> the ghouls that we've see all seem to be the tunneling sort
Justen> true... but we don't know what other things there might be
Justen> we'll keep a watch, of course
* Xandhil nods
DiablotinNarrator> People are mostly pretty exhausted (except maybe Anxikaril ;) and are eager to sit down and eat/drink/sleep
* Xandhil is happy for a break as well
DiablotinNarrator> there, I put you in a little circle for food and sitting
DiablotinNarrator> Karala will also confirm that the water seems to be fine
DiablotinNarrator> just groundwater/rainwater that's flowing in
Xandhil> that's good
DiablotinNarrator> so, drinks all around, and refilling of canteens
* Xandhil will break out some rations as well and offer them to peeps, save not offering meaty bits to Anixkaril >.>
DiablotinNarrator> (if anyone needs to, they can go poop in the lava room - no waste ;)
Xandhil> (not)
Xandhil> (hee)
* Xandhil might have some lembas though :V
* Anxikaril would appreciate that, and also has some rations of his own that he can share
* Justen has... porridge, always porridge.
Xandhil> (yes, porridge abounds!)
Xandhil> Most mom-ish magical item ever
* Anxikaril probably has things like some dried fruit and berries, some tuber-type roots - stuff that looks completely foraged.
DiablotinNarrator> Sleyght and Gyrus have stuff from the camp supplies - probably canned/preserved stuff
DiablotinNarrator> And I would assume Karala has at least a few things she was able to grab before Justen hauled her away - maybe some herbs to spice things up a little
Xandhil> (porridge + spices and dried berries woudl be pretty good probably!)
DiablotinNarrator> yeah :)
Xandhil> (with some lembas and jerky for the non vegetarians ;)
DiablotinNarrator> nom
Xandhil> not too bad :)
Justen> Better than usual ;)
Xandhil> definitely
Justen> plain porridge is ... not the greatest.
Xandhil> we could just carry more stuff to put in it you know
Xandhil> spices don't take up that much space :p
Justen> 'strue
Xandhil> its really more the 'cold' part that gets me
Xandhil> but you can usually fix that ^-^
Justen> heh, yeah...
* Justen wonders if any of the others are going to ask him about the fire thing >.>
Xandhil> so - how do we want to divide for watches?
* Xandhil changes the topic before they have a chance :V
Anxikaril> I'm not too tired - I can stay up first, if everyone would like to rest.
DiablotinNarrator> Gyrus and Karala need an uninterrupted 8 hours to refresh their spells, of course, so maybe they can go at the end
DiablotinNarrator> Justen and Sleyght somewhere in the middle?
DiablotinNarrator> (if you go first you can have a chance to talk to A if you wanted ;)
DiablotinNarrator> (or near the first)
Xandhil> (true :)
Xandhil> (I was tryoing to remember if I need the uninterrupted 8 too >.>)
Xandhil> (but if I go first it works out still)
DiablotinNarrator> (well, if you go near the start, you can ensure you get that, yeah)
Xandhil> Actually, do you mind taking second?
Anxikaril> No, that's fine... I may just sit up and repair some arrows anyway. I don't need that much rest.
* Xandhil nods
Xandhil> alright then
DiablotinNarrator> The others will settle in for some rest, then, while Anxikaril will sit against a wall and fix up some arrows
* Anxikaril will let that awkward silence continue until people seem to be more or less asleep, so as not to disturb them
* Xandhil will try and find a good spot to sit and watch/listen where he can get comfortable but not *too
* comfortable
* Xandhil watches him work on his arrows for a bit, vaguely curious
Anxikaril> So... have you lived in Diablotin all your life?
* Xandhil looks up
Xandhil> Oh, uh, yeah.
Xandhil> More or less
Xandhil> We travelled a lot during the summers
Anxikaril> You and your family?
* Xandhil nods
* Anxikaril seems to not want to pry too much, but is evidently kind of curious about your family/background stuff
Xandhil> It's... kind of complicated
* Xandhil says vaguely
* Anxikaril nods
Anxikaril> Families often are.
Xandhil> how about you? How long have you been out wandering?
Anxikaril> About fifty years.
Xandhil> is that a long time?
Xandhil> I mean it is for me
Anxikaril> Well... it is, and it isn't, I suppose.
Anxikaril> Close to a quarter of my life.
Anxikaril> It doesn't feel very long ago, but also it's hard to even imagine what my life was like before.
Xandhil> Are you ever going to go back?
Anxikaril> I don't know.
Anxikaril> There are people I'd wish to see there, if I could go back, but ... as you said, it's complicated.
* Xandhil nods
Xandhil> did you...want to leave?
* Xandhil pries a teensy bit
Anxikaril> I did. But the circumstances under which I left were not what I wanted to happen.
Anxikaril> I had been planning to leave with someone else. But that was not what happened :/
Xandhil> oh :/
Anxikaril>
c> I suppose you know it's unusual for people to leave Cozovod.
* Xandhil nods
Anxikaril>
c> most of the people I knew growing up would have considered this a journey into a land of savages and barbarians. But how would they even know? It's not as if they have anything apart from 3rd hand stories and ancient books to judge by.
Anxikaril>
c> It's often been surprising and strange but I've learned a great deal, and I don't know how I would adjust to going home again after this.
* Xandhil nods at that, also switching to Cozovode
Xandhil>
c> I can see that. My father doesn't talk about it very much, but it still comes across, just how different things are
* Anxikaril nods
Anxikaril>
c> How long ago did he leave?
* Xandhil has to math that out
Xandhil>
c> I think around 30 years ago?
Xandhil>
c> Maybe a little less.
* Anxikaril nods
Anxikaril>
c> It's even less common that one of us would choose a human for their mate...
* Anxikaril inquires without asking an actual question ;)
Xandhil>
c> I... I don't really know. He really never talks about it. I don't know anything about his life there. I know he came to the city as a scholar, and he got a job teaching at the Castalia, and that's all.
Anxikaril>
c> It sounds as if he wanted to put that part of his life behind him. I can understand that.
* Xandhil considers.
Xandhil>
c> My father is very practical - he kept things that were useful to him? And he knows a lot. he has books that he brought with him that are very very old, and some other things
* Anxikaril nods
Xandhil>
c> It is... at least it was, maybe? Useful to have other people think of him as foreign, so he could do what he likes
Anxikaril>
c> There might have been some books I wish I'd been able to keep, but to carry them wouldn't have been practical. I have my bow, that was my grandfather's, and not much else from that time.
* Xandhil nods
Xandhil>
c> My father values knowledge very highly
Anxikaril>
c> He must be a very good scholar then.
Xandhil>
c> I don't know any better
* Anxikaril smiles a little at that
Anxikaril>
c> And he must be very proud of you, as well, for your work such as this.
* Xandhil smiles
Xandhil>
c> yes, I think so
Xandhil> ...
* Anxikaril keeps his silence, maybe sensing that you're trying to decide whether to say something or not
Xandhil> I was told that I would meet someone from my family as part of this journey, by an... oracle I guess?
Xandhil> Well - okay, it was Karala, when we first ran into her
Anxikaril> oh?
Xandhil> She said Justen and I both would
Xandhil> but that's all
Xandhil> but - there's a lot of my family that I don't know anything about
Xandhil> on both sides
* Anxikaril nods, listening
Xandhil> So, make of that what you will, I guess?
* Anxikaril pauses for a little while, mulling that over
Xandhil> I mean - my father would be around fifty
Xandhil> I think :p
* Xandhil continues in Cozovode
Anxikaril>
c> was he... do you know his clan? or even his parents' names?
* Anxikaril seems to have a strong interest in this question
* Xandhil shakes his head
Xandhil>
c> Nothing.
* Anxikaril nods, sinking back against the wall gloomily.
Xandhil>
c> Sorry :/