Quest #44 "The Ethereal Job"

[Quonundrum]

Ah! I'm not that versed in Pink Floyd songs, but from a cursory review, my guess would be ..

"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"

[gurusql]

Torbath

"Perhaps there is the literal Pink Floyd song title - Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun"

Sorry didn't see Q's post.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan keeps his distance... he also keeps an eye on the precious cabin also, collapsing it back down when the time comes to make ready for what happens next......

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


"That actually sounds quite plausible. There was a cantina band playing that song in one of the gambling rooms of the tavern. They called the music ... Space Rock. We're on a rock, in space ... technically the floyd, but it's pink! I can certainly augur that combination, and if divines beneficial, I'd say we try it."

[gurusql]

Torbath

Torbath turns the dial on Heart and flips the switch on Sun.

[OGRE MAGE]

Thanks for the assist on that one......

The Ethereal Job
Astronomy Domine
The Dark Rock

While the others stare blankly at the controls, Andron remembers a solemn ditty he heard back at the cantina regarding this very subject. Associating those lyrics with the pinkness of the floyd, he and Torbath suggest a solution.

Once the dial is set at Heart and the switch is set to Sun, the panel of controls and the area behind it suddenly vanish without a sound.

There is a dark room beyond the now open doorway where the one foot thick walls to your immediate right and left catch your eye, glowing gold in your limited light. Further inspection of these exposed walls on either side of the portal verifies your suspicions. The thick walls of this vault appear to be made of solid gold. Running your hands over the gold, ridges can be felt along its surface, as if piles of gold coins were stacked in place and melted together to form a solid wall of pure gold.

Sticking your lights through the open doorway confirms the suspicions that this room is some kind of highly protected treasure vault. Chests, coffers, urns, crates, boxes, and other vessels of all shapes and sizes are stacked throughout the place, most of them overflowing with gems, jewelry, and coin. Weapons, armor, and other miscellaneous items are scattered throughout the room as well, though everything seems to be organized and well kept.

A single diamond the size of a ripe apple floats silently in the midst of all this wealth and riches, hovering all alone 5 feet off the floor in the very center of the room.

Grimble and Grumble just stare at each other with their mouths hanging open, looking back to the hoard, then back to each other over and over again without saying a word. A single tear runs down the ruddy face of Grimble after finding what must be the gnomes proverbial white whale.

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Actions?

Alordan AC3 4/22
Torbath (M3) AC8 2/18 RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 0/1 (top of backpack/inside helmet) Comet AC:7 4/4
Aliendron AC10 10/17 (CL4) 1st 0/5 2nd 2/4 (MU3) RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 1/1
Feanol (MU3) AC:10 3/14 RM, CL, DM 0/4 1st 0/2 2nd
Amun (F3) AC:2 18/33
Maag AC4 1/20
Theo AC:5 10/13 (Sword)

[gurusql]

Torbath

Torbath will cast a Detect Magic and check out the location.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan stares at the sudden revelation. His reluctance, of course, get's the better of him - perhaps wisely. "Let's all just take a second before rushing in there - it has to be too good to be true..."

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag too stands slack jawed at the amazing sight. "You 'ave got to be kiddin' me..." he mumbles.

After a few moments he comes back to his senses. "Dis place 'as got to be riddled wiv traps. Especially dat diamond. I bet it explodes or sumfin if yer touch it".

Maag pulls out his set of tools but waits to see the results of Torbath's spell before moving any closer.

[jemmus]

Theo's eyes bug and his jaw drops. He starts scanning around, hoping against hope that there will be a fabled Vorpal Bastard Sword or Bow of something fantastic or other in there. Then Alordan's and Maag's bring his boots back to earth. Stand back everyone, he says. He takes a copper piece from his purse and tosses it into the treasure room.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


His large, black, alien eyes widen to the size of dinner plates at the sight before them. "I agree ..."

Absentmindedly, he responds to Alordan and Maag. "That diamond, especially ..."

He concentrates on his crook again, attempting to Augur the results of simply entering the vault and collecting the treasure.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ethereal Job
Astronomy Domine
The Dark Rock

The gnomes start to look a little displeased with all the negative talk about the amazing treasure vault they have been searching for most of their adult lives. Grimble shakes his head. "This is IT! THIS is what I have been telling you about! An entire vault filled with wizards Magic Chests!!!!"

Grumble points to the one foot thick walls of gold that surround the vault. "Why else would they have used GOLD to encompass all this wealth? It must be undetectable from even the most powerful magical scrying!"

Their assurance does little to ease the groups suspicions, but Amun nods along with widened eyes, clearly happy to step inside with the gnomes if they do so.

Andron calls on the power of Rao to give him insight to this room. His reaction to the question of whether it would be beneficial to remove items results in a resounding YES!

Theo adds a copper piece to the pile with no reactions form inside the room.

Torbath casts Detect Magic and the entire room glows with a brilliant white light in his eyes. Several items inside the room also glow along with the illumination of the inner vault itself. The floating gem glows, as does an area of the ceiling directly above that gem. All of the glowing auras together makes it difficult to determine exactly which items are actually magical from a distance.

Never being one for caution, Amun agrees with the gnomes that there is nothing in here to fear. When nobody else enters, she steps inside the entryway a couple feet, causing the area in the ceiling above the gem to come alive in the shape of a human mouth that blurts out a sudden warning.

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"Ye are trespassing in the vault of the Great Wizards Tribunal. ROBBING POWERFUL WIZARDS IS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH!!!" This is your only warning!"

With that, the mouth, along with its magical aura, disappears.

Nothing horrible seems to happen to Amun, so she heads in even deeper, now reaching towards the massive floating diamond.

Actions?

Alordan AC3 4/22
Torbath (M3) AC8 2/18 RM, CL, DM, 1st 1/2 2nd 0/1 (top of backpack/inside helmet) Comet AC:7 4/4 DM:6
Aliendron AC10 10/17 (CL4) 1st 0/5 2nd 1/4 (MU3) RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 1/1
Feanol (MU3) AC:10 3/14 RM, CL, DM 0/4 1st 0/2 2nd
Amun (F3) AC:2 18/33
Maag AC4 1/20
Theo AC:5 10/13 (Sword)

[Ahlmzhad]

Feanol

Watching the party edge its way into the vault of gold she will stay back even as Torbath charges forward.

[jemmus]

Theo stands at the doorway and cautiously probes the walls, ceiling, floor and nearest items with his glowing sword. He's having trouble accepting that they might actually by "wealthy beyond your wildest dreams" as the gnome brothers promised.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche


His face scrunches into an expression of consternation at the result of his augury. He strongly suspects the gold walls are disrupting his divinations, as Grimble suggests. The magic mouth's warning only reinforces this thought.

Great Wizards Tribunal, he mulls. Possibly related to the Three Gnomes Tavern? Syd recruited the gnomes and was apparently a wizard, himself. "Mr. Grimble, had Syd ever shared how he first learned of this place?"

He slowly moves inside to inspect the diamond more closely. "I think we are safe to enter. The mouth only warned about taking anything from the vault."

[gurusql]

Torbath

Torbath will enter the room and attempt to identify the items of magic value while his Detect Magic is still in play.

Not sure where

even as Torbath charges forward.

comes from.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan purses his lips and a single eyebrow goes up… waiting. Waiting for someone to get hurt bad by the wizards warning.

[Jernau35]

Maag

"Told yer", says Maag. "Anyone dat uses gold just to make a wall 'as definitely got stuff dey really want to protect."

"Maybe instead of goin' inside an' carryin' stuff out, we could tie ropes to fings an' drag dem out. Dat might keep us out of range of anyfink dangerous".

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ethereal Job
Astronomy Domine
The Dark Rock

Despite the warning from the weird ceiling mouth, Amun and a few others enter the vault for a closer look. Torbath peers at the items closest to him, seeing a sword, a suit of chainmail, and a shield glowing brightly atop overflowing chests of gold and gems. Theo pokes at items from a distance with his sword, his mouth open wide.

Grimble and Grumble walk inside as well, answering Andron as they do. "SYD! Syd had been goading us about this place for so long, I have completely forgotten how he obtained his information in the first place. Good ol' Syd. Turns out he was right all along, and we almost stopped believing him about all of this." Grumble shakes his head and picks up a fine looking light crossbow, looking down the sights and feeling it's heft in his little hands. "Dibs!", he calls out loudly to no one in particular.

A few suggestions are made from the safety of the open chamber, while Andron and Amun inspect the floating diamond in the center of the vault a little closer. Suddenly, Alordan gets his wish when Amun grabs the gem, attempting to hand it to Andron. The brutish northern fighting woman grasps the gem for no longer than a second before her face turns from an inquisitive look to an expression of sheer pain. In the blink of an eye, Amun is suddenly gone, as is the gem. Fragments of dust and small particles slowly drift to the floor, accumulating in a small pile where the fighting woman once stood. This all happens directly in front of Andron, causing Grumble to quickly toss the crossbow back into the pile, albeit likely a little late at this point.

He and Grimble look at each other in horror without touching anything else.

Actions?

Alordan AC3 4/22
Torbath (M3) AC8 2/18 RM, CL, DM, 1st 1/2 2nd 0/1 (top of backpack/inside helmet) Comet AC:7 4/4 DM:5
Aliendron AC10 10/17 (CL4) 1st 0/5 2nd 1/4 (MU3) RM, CL, DM, 1st 2/2 2nd 1/1
Feanol (MU3) AC:10 3/14 RM, CL, DM 0/4 1st 0/2 2nd
Maag AC4 1/20
Theo AC:5 10/13 (Sword)

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag blinks then shakes his head sadly. "Der is no such fing as a free gift 'orse. I told 'er it was dangerous", he calls to the others.

"Chuck der good stuff in a couple of chests an' we can drag dem out 'ere".