Chapter 13 - Azurpenia's Prison

[Jernau35]

"Good suggestion. There's no point in fooling with that archway, when we have so many other options to choose from". chimes in Rufus.

[CAI4]

Chet nods, ready to follow Angus into whatever is beyond the ornate door.

[AleBelly]

Angus wonders aloud about food supply. A quick check reveals the following inventory:
Arnulf - 8 days trail rations
Hyde - 9 days trails rations
Sagthistle - 3 days standard rations
Angus - 6 days' worth of boar jerky
Dandelion (big eater) - 7 days standard and 5 days trail rations
Chet - 3 days trail rations
Tempus, Galan, Yenny - none edible

Tempus walks 10' west along the south wall. He is next to the brass plaque with strange script, and is now standing under the arch. To his estimation, the arch could be removed, but would be quite heavy and, to say the least, unwieldy. What else would one expect from a 20' long, 15' high arch? The skulls are indeed regular goat skulls. Aside from the unsettling fact that they are animated, they're normal.

Tempus can now see down the corridor heading north. It continues about 20', ending at a door. He also sees another door in the east wall of this corridor.

Meanwhile, most of the rest of the party agrees that other paths should be examined before the white room. Angus approaches the ornate door, opens it, and looks inside.

He finds himself in the southwest corner of an immense room. The walls go up, up, up, arching to a ceiling 50’ above his head. The walls continue to the north and east for well over 100’. Chandeliers from the ceiling throw off bright light, though the ranger cannot see into dark northwest corner.

DM rolls dice

In the middle of the room, about 110’ away, is an incredibly beautiful woman. Remnants of a silk robe, now just a few rotting threads, hang from her naked body. Raven-haired and pale, her beauty easily surpasses even that of Leylana of the Sambords.

She is holding a set of golden pipes, playing a slow, sad song on them. Angus is so captivated by her beauty that he barely notices the floor is pale sparkling sand…and that everything is bright, beautiful…and falling apart. Eroded sculptures sit on rotted tables, paintings with rotted pale canvasses line the peeling walls. A few polished bricks of semiprecious stone sit on other dilapidated pieces of furniture.

The beautiful woman stops playing, looks at Angus and says sadly ”Please don’t think me rude, but do not come too close to me…it is for your own good…”

Updated map of room Tempus and Galan are in:

IMG_2141.png (1.34 MiB) Viewed 405 times

Date: 16 Culling, Year 42
Time: 19:58
Conditions: 54F, calm, room dark and damp
Known Spells in Effect: Yenny under some sort of hunger enchantment
Light bearers: Lamps in rooms - Angus' lantern has 3.5 hours worth of oil left in it but is unlit.
Intended Direction of Travel:
Injury Status: Chet lightly wounded

[tkrexx]

Well, while we be here, let's have a look in another door, hah? Hyde shrugs, Can't be nighttime yet.

[Storm11]

Tempus will listen at the southern Door in the west wall. If nothing is heard he will attempt to open it

[Nuke66]

Galan removes the rotten rations from his pack before inspecting the room and doors he is now faced with. Moving counter clockwise, he visually inspects before he moves to touch any handles.

[Zhym]

Stunned by what he sees, Angus blushes and quickly averts his eyes. He looks at the floor, the ceiling, the walls—though a massive effort of will, he avoids staring at the beautiful naked woman. He can't help comparing her beauty to Leylana's. It's a rare woman who could best a redhead in Angus's estimation—but then, it's not a fair comparison. Angus has never seen Leylana naked.

That thought nearly forces Angus to sit down and take a long time out. Leylana, naked? Oh my...

"Erm, um," he stammers articulately. He starts to remove his cloak to offer it to the naked woman but realizes there's no chance he could lob it a hundred feet away.

"Ma'am," he finally manages, with a nod at his feet. "I'm Angus. Can't rightly say I'm surprised it'd be dangerous to approach you. Ain't seen much in this prison what wasn't. What would happen to me if I got closer, you reckon?"

[onlyme]

A quick check reveals the following inventory:
Dandelion (big eater) - 7 days standard and 5 days trail rations

tsk tsk. Dont you know that any respectible lady should always have enough food on hand in case her mother-in-law, the pope, or Elvis happened to be in town on short notice?

In the middle of the room, about 110’ away, is an incredibly beautiful woman. Remnants of a silk robe, now just a few rotting threads, hang from her naked body. Raven-haired and pale, her beauty easily surpasses even that of Leylana of the Sambords.

Dandelion finds the woman a bit unbecoming, obviously too poor to own a better set of clothing, and to be honest, not much better looking than an average ticket seller at the theater Dandelion was a starring member of.
Good day. I feel a bit overdressed in such a fine place as this. I wasnt aware of the dress code. Please forgive me.

[tkrexx]

Who is that, hah? Hyde squints harshly, She don't belong here, no.

[CAI4]

Chet, sure that gaping at this woman would be a violation of his monkly vows, holds out a hand to block her sight with his palm. For good measure, he turns his head to the side, averting his gaze. "Well, that's a sight!" are the only words he can muster.

[AleBelly]

rolls dice

In the goat skull room...

Galan pulls the rotted rations from his pack and moves carefully around the walls of the white room, reaching the eastern door in the corridor heading north. He inspects it, and finds it too be much like the other wooden doors, though it too has some faint rusty red streaks along it...matching those on the floor.

Tempus makes his way to the door in the western wall. He sees this door too has faint red streaks. He listens at the door carefully,

rolls dice

and hears nothing on the other end.

Surprise? party 1 [1d6] = 6 Others 1-2 [1d6] = 5

Just then, the north door in the northern corridor opens, about 10' away from Galan. In the doorway stands a red-robed figure, the size of a human. It wears a mask, giving the figure the visage of a crow. Several other similarly attired figures are behind it. At least three of them. The lead figure turns its head towards its companions and speaks in accented common language "A short one, maybe he can help" Galan sees - at eye level - short swords hanging from belts cinching the red robes. The figures also carry small shields.

Only Galan can see these figures at this point.

I'm keeping time synched between the two groups, so Tempus doesn't have time to both listen and open the door yet.

In the giant room...

"Ma'am," he finally manages, with a nod at his feet. "I'm Angus. Can't rightly say I'm surprised it'd be dangerous to approach you. Ain't seen much in this prison what wasn't. What would happen to me if I got closer, you reckon?"

"Greetings, Angus. I am Chronia Torn." She lowers the golden pipes from her lips and sighs. "Look around this room, and you will see the influence I have upon my surroundings. Time accelerates in my presence, though I do not age. Would that I could..."

Dandelion finds the woman a bit unbecoming, obviously too poor to own a better set of clothing, and to be honest, not much better looking than an average ticket seller at the theater Dandelion was a starring member of.
Good day. I feel a bit overdressed in such a fine place as this. I wasnt aware of the dress code. Please forgive me.

Chronia smiles sadly at Dandelion. "My wardrobe choice - or lack thereof - is not by choice. Oh, if only I could find raiments that could withstand my...condition. I would reward such a thing very handsomely."

Who is that, hah? Hyde squints harshly, She don't belong here, no.

"I am afraid I do" replies Chronia. "My presence can be tolerated nowhere else."

"Tell me your stories" she implores. "What brings you here? From where do you come?"



Date: 16 Culling, Year 42
Time: 20:00
Conditions: 54F, calm, room dark and damp
Known Spells in Effect: Yenny under some sort of hunger enchantment
Light bearers: Lamps in rooms - Angus' lantern has 3.5 hours worth of oil left in it but is unlit.
Intended Direction of Travel:
Injury Status: Chet lightly wounded

[enn.in.me]

Yenny, to Chronia, as she looks around for indications of her condition, "We seem to have come like curious cats and have perhaps wandered into the dogyard. You have been cursed with ripped time and we with sundered brains, I think. Perhaps we can help while we live. Although I do enjoy seeing our dear Angus blush so. Oh, and Chet too. I could temporarily put us in the dark if that would help anything."

[Nuke66]

Galan will try to slip into the shadows, hoping the masks hinder their vision.

[1d100] = 9 hide in shadows

[tkrexx]

"Tell me your stories" she implores. "What brings you here? From where do you come?"

Hyde blinks, as if surprised she doesn't already know the answer. What brings me here? Hah? He looks back and forth at the party members. This be my tribe! I go with them, yeahh. Where we come from... Might not be what we thought it be. We come here to maybe find out. He pries his eyes away from the Woman and ganders about the room.

[Jernau35]

"Well, I'm still not exactly even sure where here is" says Rufus. "I was outside, running, there was a light, and now I'm here. That's where I'm from. What about you? How did you become affected by your...condition?".

[AleBelly]

Galan will try to slip into the shadows, hoping the masks hinder their vision.

[1d100] = 9 hide in shadows

They will have already seen Galan, so attempts to hide in the shadows will be very unlikely to succeed. I also make those rolls per game rules as the PC won't know if his/her efforts are successful

[Storm11]

Tempus, if he hears the conversation occurring near Galan, will move quietly to the side wall and take a sneaky peek at whom is talking without getting seen. If he can't he will open the door a crack and peer within.

[CAI4]

Chet asks abruptly "How long have you been down here?!"

He looks to the party members, still not looking at Chronia. He has a confused look on his face. "And what's this about you not aging but the room aging?"

[Zhym]

"So you'd be needing some of them 'timeless fashions?'" asks Angus. "If anyone knows where to find them, it'd be Dandelion here."

"Meanwhile, I reckon we can't go this way and we ain't got any way to help you, so we'd best be moseying on. I do hope we can come back and help you with your troubles, ma'am." He reluctantly turns back to see what the others have gotten up to.

[Jernau35]

"Well, that's unfortunate"," says Rufus. "She seems perfectly nice, wants to talk to us, doesn't want to attack us - and she can't actually tell us anything because she's probably never left that room".