The Savage Tide, Part 2 (IC)

[lostsole31]

Eliezer channels 15 healing for everyone, enough to heal Skald and leave only light wounds on Amella and Tom. Rabbi Cohen has the strength to channel only once more today.

It seems that the southern fountain is draining very, very slowly. Do you let it go at its own pace or do anything?

[PSinger]

No. Hell, no. Take a bloody breather. We've had a rough past half-hour what with ape-demons and spirit snakes and crap. No ... exalt in the slow draining of the fountain and the chance to catch our breath.

[Swami Monsoon]

"I'm willing to wait... rather not poke at potent things I can't see."

[lostsole31]

The water slowly drains over a period of 20 minutes to reveal a 5-foot-deep pit. At the bottom of the pit, among a mess of silt and bones, is a right-handed iron ape paw (non-magical). Searching through the debris to get to the weak magic source you uncover one of the bones at the bottom that is actually made of copper and radiates magic. Rabbi Cohen, with detect magic recognizes the faint aura of transmutation. It takes Skald casting detect magic again for him to determine that this is actually a lesser silent metamagic rod (and he explains what that means).

What do you do with each item? What is the plan?

[PSinger]

Despite being a dupe for most of the fight, Rabbi Cohen thinks that Amella would be able to make the most use of the rod, given her style and magic (and style of magic). Eliezer will hold onto the iron ape paw for now.

Have we finished searching this room? Also, will being in this fane of evil impact my/ our ability to regain divine spells? 3/4 of us are divine caster of one stripe or another.

[PSinger]

Rabbi Cohen thinks about it, almost lost in meditation, but it is that distraction that makes him come out of it and say with verve, "We cannot reconnect with our god, patron, or primal force here. This place is too infused with the truest depths of evil to regain our divine power."

He breathes for a minute. "So, what I want to know from you is this ... should we push on now as spent as we are? or, see if we can't make our way back to the campsite and regain our strength. I can tell you this. I will not leave this bastion of aberrant worship and evil to remain here without a fight. I may have lost my armor here, but not my conviction. We cannot handle so hostile a blight so relatively short a distance to Farshore, the colony we were sent to help out.

"Amella, Skald, Tom ... what say you?"

[Swami Monsoon]

"I think we need to regroup. If there's another enemy like that last one in here... in our condition, it won't go well for us."

[lostsole31]

Amella and Skald share similar feelings. Amella is pretty much entirely tapped out of every resource she has, and Skald is more than half done.

[PSinger]

Eliezer has Skald take point this time Head out the way we came and into the room where we fought the apes. Let's see if we can't go through the black mirror-portal the same way we came.

[lostsole31]

The group makes its way back down to the lower level where they fought the ape-demons. Skald will touch the obsidian mirror. When he does so, the mirror turns into a pool of inky blackness. He then goes into the mirror, disappearing from sight. One by one, the rest of the party follows until you are all back in the original entrance chamber. From there, you make your way out, and then out into the terrible fog.

It takes you four hours of wandering to make it back to the old ruins where the rest of the camp is. When people see that the rabbi no longer has the fabulous heavy armor he was wearing ... and that Tavey Nesk is not among you (remember, this was a rescue mission), there is worry and fear in the camp.

[PSinger]

Rabbi Cohen will hold a conference, to include Avner Merivanchi and Shouting Tree. He will mention what the group fought and dealt with, and that while there were possible signs of Tavey in the ancient shrine-dungeon, we haven't found any sign of him yet.

"We need to go back," he concludes, "but first we need rest and to recover our strength. Shouting Tree, if possible I need you there now. Without armor I am much more vulnerable and likely a prime target. Lord Merivanchi, we need your keen sword here to protect the people."

[Swami Monsoon]

"If there are any more enemies like what we've seen so far, we're going to need all hands on deck. We barely made it through the first round."

[lostsole31]

"No, no," says Avner, "you heard your ... captain, right? As a noble my duty is to protect the common people. If I am gone, too, nobody is here to protect them in Fogmire."

[PSinger]

"I agree that we need you and Ix-Caban, Shouting Tree," cuts in Rabbi Cohen, "but, yes, Lord Merivanchi. You are the only remaining combatant. If anything dangerous comes out of Fogmire while the rest of us are exploring the shrine, then since the loss of your mount - it is likely you will perish, but you will be able to bravely and capably mount enough of a resistance, hopefully, that you will give the colonists precious minutes to escape. Definitely the braver option, Tom, for him to stay here. Given the danger of what we've seen, no single one of us would have a chance."

Spoiler

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So, here's what's what with this. The ape-demons were tracked back to the shrine. I think they might be the biggest bad roaming openly, and the rest is just the blighted land. I could be wrong. I don't think there really is anything else that would DARE to come into this area. So, this is a win-win argument here. Either:
a) Lord Merivanchi is serious about his role as a noble protecting the weak (or generally frightened of the shrine) and Eliezer playing to his ego will help in future dealings, and/ or
b) Avner is truly craven, and by laying on (was it too thick) the bit about the only combatant and certain death, he will want to join the party. The colonists are weak and not likely to support his desires for continued long life, so he might see safety in CAPABLE numbers. Though it seems he is super-nerfed without his horse, which wouldn't work in the caves anyway, he was doing some mongo damage with his combat style against the T-Rex on the beach iirc.

There is a possibility that he might try and demand Shouting Tree or another stay with the camp, but by now he should see that he is not likely to win against what I tell "my folks."

[lostsole31]

The next day, the group eats their rations as they must. There is no training regimen, only the standard prayers, devotionals, script-writing, etc. as necessary. Even in Fogmire, where the very air itself is unpleasant and tinged with chaos and evil, it is some difficulty for the three divine casters to reach their patron (but they can do it). Basically, morning rituals take twice as long for Tom, Lazer, and Skald.

Rabbi Cohen, any changes to your spell selection? Is the plan basically to go back through the mirror and continue to explore? You will still need to burn a use of detect evil to track your way - even Skald and Shouting Tree can't follow tracks back normally. (Which alone is a creepy.)

[PSinger]

His spells prepared for the day, Rabbi Cohen will cast detect evil and lead the group back to the ancient underground shrine.

[lostsole31]

Using detect evil, you find your way back to the shrine.

What do you do? Penetrate all the way to the point where you were before when you killed Ilzytik?

[PSinger]

Do we think we explored everything before going into the mirrors again?

If so, then what are our yet-to-be-explored options?

[lostsole31]

You're pretty sure you've seen all there is to see in the ante-caves ... the caves before the mirrors take you ... wherever.

You did a full search of the big, uneven cavern with the pool of blood, as well as the ledge where you fought the ape-demons. In that room, there is a door to the northeast and the east. There are also two doors to the south. The first is up a concealed set of stairs, whereas the other is just on an overlook into the blood-pool room. The stairs lead up to that overlook, and the door to the south up there led to Ilzytik's lair.

Now, either you can take a look at the doors to the northeast/ east in the "pool room," or check out the double doors that led to the west from the naga's lair in the area above.

[PSinger]

I thought we checked those floor-level doors, but it's been so long so remind me. Take a look at the door to the east (not northeast). Then look to the northeast. After that, we'll make our way back up.

[lostsole31]

Oh, yes, before we go too far ....

Once again, Shouting Tree finds himself unable to will himself to go into the complex. He feels embarrassed, but no amount of cajoling or threatening will overcome his feelings on this so he heads back. Amella continues with the group again.

At the upper dungeon at the Doors of Sacrifice, who is going to give the blood sacrifice as before (suffering 2d4 hit points)? You have to pass that before going into the mirror room that takes you to the lower/ upper shrine (you aren't sure which direction you gate/ teleport).

[PSinger]

Rabbi Cohen gives the blood sacrifice.

[lostsole31]

Dr. Cohen will end up losing 7 before the door opens, admitting the sacrifice. You go into the mirror room, through the portal-mirrors, and ... as above ...

You're pretty sure you've seen all there is to see in the ante-caves ... the caves before the mirrors take you ... wherever.

You did a full search of the big, uneven cavern with the pool of blood, as well as the ledge where you fought the ape-demons. In that room, there is a door to the northeast and the east. There are also two doors to the south. The first is up a concealed set of stairs, whereas the other is just on an overlook into the blood-pool room. The stairs lead up to that overlook, and the door to the south up there led to Ilzytik's lair.

Now, either you can take a look at the doors to the northeast/ east in the "pool room," or check out the double doors that led to the west from the naga's lair in the area above.

Now what do you do?

[PSinger]

Let's knock out the northeast and east sections first. Ilzytik was a big hitter, so he might have been guarding something whereas the other places seem more open.

Also, Rabbi Cohen will use the bead of healing from his necklace of prayer beads to heal (1d8+1)[5].

[Swami Monsoon]

Spoiler

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Senses aura is active.

[lostsole31]

Full checks on the door to the northeast show the door to be clear. There are various noises that Amella reports hearing ... animal whoops and noises that are terrible.

What's the plan? The door is only 5-foot-wide, though the area in front of the door can fit two abreast if you wanted.

[PSinger]

"Should we bypass and come back later just to clear it? I doubt Tavey is in such a place."

[Swami Monsoon]

"Finding the prisoner has to be first priority. If you think he's unlikely to be in there we should move on."

[PSinger]

Let's keep moving. Avoid this spot. Go to the next spot clockwise on cardinal directions.

[lostsole31]

The party heads back down to the large room with the blood pool. There does happen to be a little nook that's obscured by turns more than being "hidden" and it leads to a door. Amella has trouble with the door (after searching for traps. She finally has to just take 20, which takes a whopping 16 minutes for her to finally open the damned door. Inside, is a pit that is 10' in diameter with a grate 20' above to a dark room that has the very many simian sounds that Amella heard behind the door upstairs. The pit is a mess of bones, scraps of flesh, dried blood, tattered rags, and other things left unmentioned. Given the state of things down here, the group is able to surmise that the grate above allows the unknown number of simians to descend on whatever hapless, still-living creature is down here. A quick detect magic shows nothing and the door is shut (and automatically locks)! No need to tempt fate by rummaging around down there only for the grate to be opened.

The party backs out of that dead end, and the only way left to go from here is back up to where you fought Ilzytik and where his hulk remains. The only way from here is a set of large iron doors to the east. Amella doesn't hear anything on the other side, and notes that the doors aren't locked. However, they do not budge with casual pushing by her. She steps back. "The doors are too heavy for me. Better let you brawnier types in."

Skald and Amella stand back and get ready to cover with missile weapons while Tom and Doc go to open the doors. Tom's senses aura is active. Does anyone have any preparatory actions that would like to perform? Or does Doc go ahead with aiding Tom in opening the massive doors?

Spoiler

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Let me know, yes/ no ... not just "I'll say something if I do it," please.