For Gold & Glory IC

[Lateral]

"I can check it out." Arapim walks over to the bag of loot, and studies it carefully.

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(1d20+13)[14]
Scratch that, take 20. Result is 33.

"Don't see anything. Should be safe."

[Lix Lorn]

"If you forget, we lied about that part." she points out, ignoring their warnings. "I was all for leaving the apocalyptic danger the hell alone. *I* am here for the gold."

[Postmodernist]

"Perhaps you lied, bird, but I most assuredly did not. I care little for your motives, but I will not let your greed endanger us all. Consider yourself warned," Ek'ann averred, his scowl unyielding as adamantine.

[Lix Lorn]

"Oh, well, next time you plan on saving the world, perhaps you should TELL your companions they're risking reality." she snaps.

[Jeff the Green]

"Would you two please stop bickering like jackdaws?" 'Teia says in a tone like honey over a dagger. "You're both right. Vivian, you can't spend your gold if Khorvaire is ruled by Xoriat or Dal Quor. Ek'ann, since we're undertaking this dangerous, dangerous mission for the good of all sentient beings, we deserve a bit of a reward, don't you think? Personally, I think Breland is appropriate recompense for such a deed, but dear old Boranel might object and we'll have to settle for the treasure we find in here.

"Actually, I met Boranel once. Such a sweet old man, and still so strong too..." 'Teia breaks off as she realizes this is neither the time nor place for that particular story. "Anyway, give me a moment, and I'll see if there's any magic auras hanging around."

'Teia leaps down to the ground. She throws her shoulders back a little and rolls her head before speaking a quick incantation. At the end of it her eyes—white, iris, and pupil—turn a brilliant electric blue and static electricity seems to leap between the leaves in her crown. She spends several moments scanning the room, scuttling up and down walls and across ceilings as necessary.

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Casting detect magic, and sweeping the entire room.

[Lateral]

The items that Vivian brings down include a simple-looking green folded cloak; a quiver, with three arrows- one white, one green, and one black- in it; a thick leather belt; and a sack full of gold and jewels. 'Teia can sense that the cloak resonates weakly in Abjuration, the belt in Transmutation, and the white arrow in Enchantment. The green and black arrows resonate more strongly, with Conjuration and Necromancy respectively; in addition, there are four pings under the treasure in the bag- three emitting a faint aura of Transmuation, and one giving off a weak Evocation. Nothing else in the room registers a blip.

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Go ahead, have fun.

[Lix Lorn]

Scowl. "No-one told me the world was at risk in the first place. I don't like being lied to." mutters the harpy.

[Jeff the Green]

"Trust the centuries old dryad, honey," 'Teia says breezily. "The world is always at risk. If it isn't war it's illithid cabals, and if it isn't the brain scoffers it's some Quori schemer.

"We have a more immediate problem, though. There's something at the bottom of the bag that's radiating evocation magic. It could be something harmless, but it could also be something like a trap, and I don't feel like being blown up. Unless someone has a better idea, let's tie it to the ceiling where the net was and I'll shoot at it until everything falls out."

[Lix Lorn]

She scowls yet again. "I suppose that makes sense."

[Lateral]

'Teia's arrows slice through the bag, ripping it to shreds. What falls out is as follows:

• A whole bunch of gold and jewels.
• A carved wooden ring. 'Teia can sense that this is the object which emitted Evocation magic.
• Three brown potions. They fall to the ground and shatter.

[Jeff the Green]

'Teia pulls a face and utters a mild oath. "I guess we press on now, right? I'd rather keep these," she says, pointing to the grasping tree limbs on her back, "for the invisible nasties.

"Speaking of, I've got a spell for that. Should let us see them, but I've only got two prepared. Ek'ann and Arapim, you're probably the best candidates for that, since Viv and I will be too far away for the spell to work."

[Lix Lorn]

Vivian is glaring at them.
Glaring at them so, so hard.

[Postmodernist]

"Shall we crack on, then?" Ek'ann's scowl now seems a permanent fixture on his face. "As for unseen enemies, I might be able to prepare something for them, though I might need some preparation. I can usually modify my talents to suit our needs. I need only contact the proper entities an enlist their aid. Anyone else have any unusual capacities they'd care to share? Aside from a propensity to attack inanimate objects," he says in 'Teia's direction. He kicks idly at the shattered glass while the party lingers about the area.

[Jeff the Green]

'Teia sticks out her tongue at Ek'ann. "Mostly what you saw here," she says. "Well, I can control plants too, but not very well. And I'm good with wands."

[Lateral]

"Mostly what you saw. Healing belts, martial arts. I can identify weapons, but that is not helpful here."

"Although, looking at that ring..." Arapim raises her hand. "It's nearly identical to the one I wear on my finger."

[Lix Lorn]

"Mostly, I'm good at killing things." says Vivian bluntly. "But I have a couple of useful tricks..."

[Jeff the Green]

"Right then," 'Teia says. "I have one other thing that might help us out." She reaches into her haversack and pulls out a large glass amphora filled with sand. She pulls out the large cork that seals the vessel and dumps much of the sand on the ground.

"Art and I collected this from the Mournland. It can turn into just about anything, but I'm not as good at shaping it as I might be. If you'd help me, I think we can make it into bags full of mashed up torchbugs." A hint of a smile plays across her face. "Rather nice for ruining an invisible creature's day, I think."

[Lix Lorn]

"Pretty smart." nods Vivian dryly.

[Postmodernist]

"Do we have time to experiment with the stuff to determine who might be best at preparing it? How does one even shape this sand? Is it magical?" Ek'ann asks, mildly confused. "Otherwise, I think it sounds like an acceptable plan."

[Jeff the Green]

"There's some sort of magic in there, but not the normal kind. Maybe it's left over from a Kythri manifest zone or something. Shaping it is just a matter of focusing on what you want it to become and it will react to your thoughts. I just have too short of an attention span for it." 'Teia suddenly jumps up. "Speaking of, I forgot to bring the mules in. I'll be back in a moment."

With that, 'Teia lopes out of the temple and returns a short time later leading two mules laden with equipment. She ties their leads to one of the massive door hinges and returns to her companions. "Right, then, have you had any success?"

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My guess? Arapim has.

[Lateral]

"Yes. I was able to make it transform. I believe this is the material in question?" Arapim hoists the jar full of bladders filled with a luminescent sludge.

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Taking 20, any of you could have done it. It's DC 16.

[Jeff the Green]

"Wonderful! One last thing, then." 'Teia draws an ivory rod from her pack, and then utters a short phrase and touches Arapim's forehead. The zenythri appears disoriented for a few seconds as the spell takes effect but then becomes able to perceive everything about her even with closed eyes. 'Teia then repeats the incantation on Ek'aan with similar results.

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Blindsight on both of them, extended with a metamagic rod. Lasts 14 minutes.

[Lateral]

"Interesting." Arapim shuts her eyes. "I can see everything."

"...Yes. Yes, I agree that we should proceed."

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Feel free to proceed, guys. I can have the map up by tomorrow, but you can go ahead and descend.

[Lix Lorn]

"Sure, let's get this over with." nods Vivian.

[Postmodernist]

Ek'ann furrows his brow as 'Teia magically alters his vision. "Disorienting, though not altogether unpleasant. I'll lead the way. There better not be any traps down here, or I promise my ghost will haunt you until the end of your days. I can make good on that, too, as I have plenty of unpleasant otherworldly contacts." With that, he begins his descent down the staircase, sand-sculpted torchbug paste in hand.

[Lateral]

You all enter a large, dark room. From what you can see, there is a corridor up ahead, but it seems to have caved in completely. There are also two much smaller tunnels- far too small for any giant- on either side of the room; you can see a faint green glow from the one on your left. The rest of the room is mostly unremarkable; there are long scrapes on the walls, the ceiling appears craggy and worn, and there are tatters of ancient tapestries on the floor around the walls.

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No map yet, long day. It'll be up tomorrow, probably.

[Lateral]

"I'll look for traps." Arapim starts slowly trawling around the room.
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"Booby traps. Whatever is in here thinks that we are fools." Arapim points to a thin wire strung across the corridor, and two heavy weights strung up on the top of the room. "Shall I?"

[Jeff the Green]

"Why?" 'Teia asks from the ceiling. She speaks in a sort of stage whisper designed to travel to Arapim's ears, but no further. "We don't plan on passing over it, and it may prove useful if we are attacked."

As if the thought only just occurred to her, she looks about the room. "Speaking of, what happened to our invisible nasties? Do you see anything?"

[Lateral]

"Don't see anything." Arapim closes her eyes. "Don't sense anything, either."

[Jeff the Green]

"Then I vote for moving on and leaving the trap where it is for now," 'Teia says. "If one were to cut the tripwire, what would happen to the weights?"