IC XIII

[thirdkingdom]

I assume we were able to see Severi talking to us from the other side of the portal. Were we able to hear him?

Sorry. Yes. It was as if you were looking at Severi through an open door.

[Koren n'Rhys]

Quint Kacie
Once Severi safely returns with no problems, Quint steps through to the other side as well, with no rope or other precautions taken. All but bursting with curiosity, the mage couldn't wait to see for himself, and experience the sensation of passing through the portal. He looks up the cliffside at the castle, to see if it's construction gives him any further idea of geographic location, and will poke his head back into the room and asks Thurgan to look as well.

Curiosity satisfied for the time being, he'll return to the room afterwards, in time to see Rhys wander off.
"Does he do that often?" he asks no on in particular.

FYI, weekends are generally a slower posting time for me as I'm not in front of a computer all day, or running the roads, so I may not post both days. Off to a wedding today, so likely won't recheck the board until tomorrow.

[Atlictoatl]

Tev Meren

"You're a bolder man than I, Severi," Tev intones as the elf returns, but he's curious about Severi's discovery. He notices Rhys' departure, but it doesn't occur to him that he'd wander off on his own, so he remains in the room in the event something untoward happens as others cross over.

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan, dwarf

Thurgan quickly moves through the portal and looks up at the castle, before moving back. "Magic always makes me edgy".

"As long as nothings coming at us from out of there I think we should keep exploring in here".

[Wyzard]

"Well, let's get after him." Severi motions for the party to follow Rhys.

[thirdkingdom]

Whilst the bulk of the party was parading in and out of the magical portal, Rhys busied himself inspecting the circular staircase and what he can see of the third story. Although he listens intently at the bottom of the steps he is unable to hear any noises. No traps are discovered, either. Reaching the top of the stairs, the mystic notes a curious fact; the darkness at the top is not illuminated by his lantern!

Let us assume that the party regroups at this point, and Rhys shares what he has discovered.

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

After explaining what he found, Rhys adds, "We'll likely need a magical light source that can counter whatever is causing it to remain dark. If we have none, I suggest we now try the lower level."

[Wyzard]

Severi

"That sounds sensible enough to me. I don't relish walking into something I can't see."

[Atlictoatl]

Tev Meren, Fighter

Tev shrugs. "Any way to block the door or trap the stairs, so nobody else can get in there before we return?"

[thirdkingdom]

Tev Meren, Fighter

Tev shrugs. "Any way to block the door or trap the stairs, so nobody else can get in there before we return?"

Hmm. I'm sure you guys could rig something up, but it would be tough to make something in a short span f time that is actually effective.

[Wyzard]

Does anyone have some caltrops or marbles we could throw in there? It's basic, but presumably they wouldn't see them.

[Atlictoatl]

The only thing I have remotely close to that is iron spikes and crossbow bolts.

[Alethan]

Don't know if we need to spend any more time trying to secure an unexplored area from a chance encounter with another group of NPC explorers who might not have a magical source of light, either. Let's just head down into the lower level, maybe?

[Koren n'Rhys]

Quint Kacie, Scholar-Mage
"Wait - before we move on, let me try one thing. I don't know the spell for a proper light, but I have a small cantrip I can try first. It might now be powerful enough to have any effect on this magical darkness, but it's worth testing, I think."

Quint ascends to the edge of the darkness and pauses, calling forth a small globe of illumination comparable to a candle's radiance. He reaches out his hand into the inky blackness to see if it gives way before his light.

Casting Werelight

[thirdkingdom]

Quint stretches forth his hand, only to find the magical light is extinguished by the darkness. Withdrawing his hand, light spills forth once more.

[thirdkingdom]

The adventurers return to the first floor and the stairs leading down. Rhys produces his torch and thrusts in into the opening, revealing that the stairs descend perhaps twenty vertical feet -- there are exactly fourteen oversized treads -- before opening into what appears to be an open room to the right and in front of the stairs. The exterior wall continues along the left-hand wall.

The walls are striped with mold, and the air wafting up the stairs smells of decay.

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

Rhys eyes the mold to see if eye can tell what color it is...

[thirdkingdom]

Rhys the Traveler

Rhys eyes the mold to see if eye can tell what color it is...

To Rhys's eye it looks to be brownish black. It looks like normal mold.

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

Rhys quietly moves down the stairs, examining the steps and the wall next to each step for traps before setting a foot on it.

[thirdkingdom]

The stairs are not trapped, and Rhys descends to find himself in a cavernous room. The floors and walls are slick with mold and moisture, the air close with heat and humidity. The room is much larger than could be illuminated with a single torch. It takes some time to explore the room. A bubbling pool of water occupies the center of the room, perhaps twenty feet in diameter. Squatting in the pool, like some fat, obscene deity is a rusted metal contraption, squat and barrel shaped, with a multitude of pipes protruding from it, spreading out in all directions. The pipes form a crazed lattice, typically tight to the ceiling but occasionally veering towards the ground.

Here and there badly rusted implements can be found on the ground; these are likely obscure tools that at some point were used to maintain the network of pipes.

In the far corner of the room a section of wall has collapsed, revealing a dark tunnel leading off into the distance.