Quest #21 "Island Hopping"

[ravenn4544]

Alordan, "It should come back up if there isn't too much weight on it i think. Unless it's broken..."

[OGRE MAGE]

Going Down?
Starday, 20th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Warm, Humid

Andron zips inside the crowded room to join the others just before the entrance and the shaft closes completely again. The grinding of the underground mechanisms strains for another few moments before eventually stopping all together. Then, silence.

Maag and Alordan assure the others that the platform will rise back up on its own, but after a few minutes pass, there is no sign of that happening. The tight empty room remains silent, as does the unseen lifting device.

No handle, switch, or any other means of re-opening the entrance from inside the room can be seen anywhere along the rock wall.

Actions?

map:

since you aren’t going anywhere for a while, stand by for new map

Lerrick 1/11 0/4 1st (Light stone 40'r) Light:24 (on the eyes of Brutus)
Gramble 3/16
Alordan 12/18 (Light stone 40'r)
Tlachtga 2/8 1/4 1st FF:1
Maag 9/12
Andronichishche 3/6 0/3 1st / CL, DM, RM 0/1 1st (Light stone 40'r)

Deceased
Sir Crestbrook 0/11 LoH (Petrified and Broken in Melania’s bedroom)
Cu AC:3 0/13
Carucenus -5.5/10
message on tiny decorative box
Mina's note
Notes and other Bookkeeping:

Melania
You have been warned several times now about your unwillingness to remain in your designated location. Since you cannot control your desire to destroy my hard earned collection by turning them into useless statuary, you leave me little other choice but to relocate you somewhere safer.

Melaina
I have decided on a far more suitable spot for you to reside. There is a cave complex on the other side of the island that will suit your needs perfectly. It is an old experiment of mine, that never panned out the way that I had hoped. But there is a fresh water source inside and a magical summoning device of my own creation that should provide you with an endless supply of food. You will be relocated there as soon as I get it ready. I am still working on filling your request for companionship. As I told you before, they are extremely rare and nearly impossible to locate.

Melania
I understand you are not happy with your new accommodations, but it is simply the best I can do for now. I think you will be much more at ease living here once I am able to fill your request for a mate. The reoccurring minotaur should provide you plenty of food and enough sport to keep you preoccupied while I search. Please remember that your captor was also once your savior, and that you wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for me. I know this isn’t an easy adjustment for you, but it must be preferable to the horrible death you would have endured without my aid.

Melania
At long last, after several years of searching and burning through countless resources, I have finally found what you seek the most. An unmatched Maedar, one of the rarest of all creatures known to man. And he is all for you. I sincerely hope this will suffice to keep you happy for the rest of your years here. You must stop meddling in my experiments. You of all people should know they can be very dangerous, especially when they are unfinished. Once I have checked him over for myself, I will release him to you. Once that is done, I must insist that you stay put in your area and stop breaking your containment. By the way, his name is Marquees, and he is magnificent.

Melania
Once again you need to learn the hard way that you are no match for my powers. It saddens me greatly that after everything I’ve done to make you happy, you continue to defy me, routinely breaking your pact without remorse. I thought you to be one of the more intelligent of your kind, but you have proven to me that I was mistaken. Since I have invested so much, I will give you one last chance to comply. However, you will now be marked. Breaking the rules of your containment again will result in your termination.

Bookkeeping:
01-05= The “Key”
06-10= Intact Copper Bowl of Wax Fruit (25gp)
11-15= Solid Copper Decorative Serving Tray (40gp)
16-20= Broken Cartouche
21-25= List of 7 Unknown Items
26-30= Note About the Contacts
31-35= Moldy Sack of 254 Copper Coins
36-40= Melania's Note About Escaping
41-45= Small Locked Chest
46-50= Grey Stone Sphere
51-55= Fancy String of 21 Pearls (yet to be evaluated)
56=60=
61=65= Large Copper Cube?
66-70= Ornate Latched Scroll Case
71-75= Copper Armband w/ Circular Diagram (20gp)
76-80= Fairy Tale Storybook
81-85= Hand Written Notes
86-90= Notes on Minotaur Summoning Dais
91-95= Small Wooden Puzzle Box
96-100= Magical Golden Ring

This is a list of the items you will be "protecting" for me in here. Please remember the terms of our earlier agreement before you get any ridiculous ideas to use any of these against me.

Chime of Serpent’s Desire

Protecting Egg

Withering Venom

Shedding Strike

Band of Fools

Green Manalishi

Dansden

Marquees

I know you like this place, but I am not about to spend the rest of my days preforming for this pompous bastard. We are getting out of here, and I think I finally figured out how. The ring of glass obelisks have something to do with the mobility of this place, so through them, there must be a way out. I know the colored stone spheres are the keys, all I need to do is figure out how they function. There must be a way to use the spheres to activate the obelisks, since the ones I have investigated don’t seem to do anything yet. Once I can figure out their secrets, I am hoping we will be able to go anywhere we want. I know you want to concentrate on making more eggs and raising new babies, but you cant expect me to be happy about bringing more of our kind into existence while we are all being held here against our will. We must find a way out! We can discuss this further once I've returned.

scrollcase note:

I have used the magic scrolls to find three of them so far. They are a sight to behold, so tall and crystal clear. One is in the jungle near the black cliffs, a second deep in the swamp, and the third by the lake to the northwest. I promise you that I will figure out what they do and how they function. Once I do, we will be free again.

[kruk]

Lerrick

The cleric looks at the others in the room. "Any suggestions on what to do now?"

[Rex]

Tlachtga

Can we still see the glow from the Faerie Fire?

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

Andronichishche frowns and surveys the room. "If I understand correctly, the elevator was running on a thirty second interval and the mechanism was strained from the applied weight?" He shrugs and continues after a moment. "It is clear we can do nothing from here, though. It's also possible the copper ring was ejected or otherwise somehow removed from the wall."

He removes the light stone from his bamboo pole and stows it into a belt pouch to block its light. "We will need total darkness to trigger the teleportation curse and escape."

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag curses vehemently at the thought of being cut off from the treasure room when it was so close. "Der kobolds 'ad better be dead when I find dem. If dey 'ave knackered dis bleedin' elevator wiv der screwin' around..." He shakes his head in disgust.

[kruk]

Lerrick

The cleric is reluctant to hide her glow stone. Is that what everyone wants to do? Is there any other way?

[Rex]

Tlachtga

"I don't like the idea of the teleport. We don't know that it won't split us up and in our condition we can't afford that."

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

"The teleportation effect does not appear to separate individuals from the same area of illumination. Sir Crestbrook and I were teleported together and in our original relative orientation. I unfortunately confirmed this while attempting to escape from a pair of kobolds. However, we don't appear to be in any immediate danger, so there is no urgency in resorting to that option."

Andron steps onto the stone cover and kneels near the center. He then begins to run his hands across the smooth stone, attempting to feel for any shallow indentations not necessarily visible to casual observation.

[OGRE MAGE]

Tlachtga

Can we still see the glow from the Faerie Fire?

No.

A stone slab under the floor has slid across the opening, essentially sealing the shaft off completely.

This has happened each time the lift has been used so far.

[Rex]

Tlachtga

"I still don't like the idea, it seems like that should be our last resort."

[wolfpack]

Lets wait a few mintes see if they come back up.

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag starts to search around the room for a hidden trigger or keyhole.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan agrees with waiting a little bit more to see what happens.

[Rex]

Tlachtga

Well they wait Tlachtga will help Maag search.

[OGRE MAGE]

Going Down?
Starday, 20th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Warm, Humid

The copper colored walls of the chamber are searched extensively......again. But again, nothing is found that appears to activate any of the functions of the room.

Andron studies the stone slab covering the shaft. It is recessed into the floor a few inches, but completely covers the opening. The slab is constructed from one large piece of granite that has slid into place from somewhere the under the floor. There are no seems or indentations along its smooth surface.

Maag curses the kobolds screwing around with the lift, even though it was he and his friends who overloaded the thing with heavy statues in the first place that the smaller creatures would never had been able to move. And being only 2 of them, they would have never been able to push down all of the disks to make it function in the first place. He also makes threats against their lives if they have caused the lift irreparable damage, though again, it was he and his friends who have been riding it up and down while massively overloaded with weight. Being so close to the presumed treasure without being able to collect any of it isn't helping keep emotions in check either.

The idea of escaping the room by plunging it into total darkness is brought up, but most of the party agrees to use that method only in a last resort situation. After about ten minutes pass, the heavy grinding of the lifts unseen mechanisms begins to sound deep under the floor again. Then after a second or two, it stops. Then it starts up again for another moment. Then it stops. There is no change in the room you are currently in.

Actions?

You can obviously do other things in that ten minute wait time, if you like.

map:

6B2603F7-A6FC-473E-8346-9A05CC09B0D7.jpeg (108.36 KiB) Viewed 292 times

Lerrick 1/11 0/4 1st (Light stone 40'r) Light:14 (on the eyes of Brutus)
Gramble 3/16
Alordan 12/18 (Light stone 40'r)
Tlachtga 2/8 1/4 1st
Maag 9/12
Andronichishche 3/6 0/3 1st / CL, DM, RM 0/1 1st (Light stone 40'r)

Deceased
Sir Crestbrook 0/11 LoH (Petrified and Broken in Melania’s bedroom)
Cu AC:3 0/13
Carucenus -5.5/10
message on tiny decorative box
Mina's note
Notes and other Bookkeeping:

Melania
You have been warned several times now about your unwillingness to remain in your designated location. Since you cannot control your desire to destroy my hard earned collection by turning them into useless statuary, you leave me little other choice but to relocate you somewhere safer.

Melaina
I have decided on a far more suitable spot for you to reside. There is a cave complex on the other side of the island that will suit your needs perfectly. It is an old experiment of mine, that never panned out the way that I had hoped. But there is a fresh water source inside and a magical summoning device of my own creation that should provide you with an endless supply of food. You will be relocated there as soon as I get it ready. I am still working on filling your request for companionship. As I told you before, they are extremely rare and nearly impossible to locate.

Melania
I understand you are not happy with your new accommodations, but it is simply the best I can do for now. I think you will be much more at ease living here once I am able to fill your request for a mate. The reoccurring minotaur should provide you plenty of food and enough sport to keep you preoccupied while I search. Please remember that your captor was also once your savior, and that you wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for me. I know this isn’t an easy adjustment for you, but it must be preferable to the horrible death you would have endured without my aid.

Melania
At long last, after several years of searching and burning through countless resources, I have finally found what you seek the most. An unmatched Maedar, one of the rarest of all creatures known to man. And he is all for you. I sincerely hope this will suffice to keep you happy for the rest of your years here. You must stop meddling in my experiments. You of all people should know they can be very dangerous, especially when they are unfinished. Once I have checked him over for myself, I will release him to you. Once that is done, I must insist that you stay put in your area and stop breaking your containment. By the way, his name is Marquees, and he is magnificent.

Melania
Once again you need to learn the hard way that you are no match for my powers. It saddens me greatly that after everything I’ve done to make you happy, you continue to defy me, routinely breaking your pact without remorse. I thought you to be one of the more intelligent of your kind, but you have proven to me that I was mistaken. Since I have invested so much, I will give you one last chance to comply. However, you will now be marked. Breaking the rules of your containment again will result in your termination.

Bookkeeping:
01-05= The “Key”
06-10= Intact Copper Bowl of Wax Fruit (25gp)
11-15= Solid Copper Decorative Serving Tray (40gp)
16-20= Broken Cartouche
21-25= List of 7 Unknown Items
26-30= Note About the Contacts
31-35= Moldy Sack of 254 Copper Coins
36-40= Melania's Note About Escaping
41-45= Small Locked Chest
46-50= Grey Stone Sphere
51-55= Fancy String of 21 Pearls (yet to be evaluated)
56=60=
61=65= Large Copper Cube?
66-70= Ornate Latched Scroll Case
71-75= Copper Armband w/ Circular Diagram (20gp)
76-80= Fairy Tale Storybook
81-85= Hand Written Notes
86-90= Notes on Minotaur Summoning Dais
91-95= Small Wooden Puzzle Box
96-100= Magical Golden Ring

This is a list of the items you will be "protecting" for me in here. Please remember the terms of our earlier agreement before you get any ridiculous ideas to use any of these against me.

Chime of Serpent’s Desire

Protecting Egg

Withering Venom

Shedding Strike

Band of Fools

Green Manalishi

Dansden

Marquees

I know you like this place, but I am not about to spend the rest of my days preforming for this pompous bastard. We are getting out of here, and I think I finally figured out how. The ring of glass obelisks have something to do with the mobility of this place, so through them, there must be a way out. I know the colored stone spheres are the keys, all I need to do is figure out how they function. There must be a way to use the spheres to activate the obelisks, since the ones I have investigated don’t seem to do anything yet. Once I can figure out their secrets, I am hoping we will be able to go anywhere we want. I know you want to concentrate on making more eggs and raising new babies, but you cant expect me to be happy about bringing more of our kind into existence while we are all being held here against our will. We must find a way out! We can discuss this further once I've returned.

scrollcase note:

I have used the magic scrolls to find three of them so far. They are a sight to behold, so tall and crystal clear. One is in the jungle near the black cliffs, a second deep in the swamp, and the third by the lake to the northwest. I promise you that I will figure out what they do and how they function. Once I do, we will be free again.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

This occurs before the mechanism starts again after ten minutes elapse.

Andronichishche resumes standing after examining the stone cover. A bemused expression is clearly evident in his demeanor. "As I understand it, all discs must be depressed to activate the elevator? From what I could see then, statues covered all but one? That remaining disc the kobolds were standing upon."

He steps off the stone cover and back over to the small area at the entrance. "One ... or both ... kobolds may have fallen dead on the disc, preventing the elevator from resetting." He retrieves his light stone from the pouch on his belt and reaffixes it to his bamboo pole. The latter he leans against the wall.

Andron then produces the bundle of notes and the small wooden puzzle box from his pack. "The last note may provide some insight into this room." He reads aloud the sixth note in the bundle then returns the parchment to his pack. While they continue to wait he examines the puzzle box.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

This occurs when they hear the mechanism start and stop.

Andronichishche was standing with his eyes closed deep in thought when the elevator mechanism began to sporadically grind and groan again. His eyes flick open and he peers intently at the stone cover in the floor. "It would seem that something is on the elevator. If I am also not mistaken ... something rather large and heavy. We may want to consider not being here if the elevator begins to rise ..."

[wolfpack]

Gramble sits and waits, sharpening is axe with a very pissed look on his face

[Jernau35]

Maag

"Wiv a bit of luck it is a kobold draggin' a big sack of gold behind 'im". Maag says with a grim look on his face. He moves to stand near the edge of the hole with his crossbow, intending to shoot as soon as the cover withdraws.