Way of the Wicked: Knot of Thorns [IC]

[Hypersmith]

Ilnesh, already a few steps into the room, turns about and picks up his thrown dagger as he looks about the surroundings, paying particular attention to the door to his south.

[Silver Night]

Seva

"We should also check for traps. I suppose we already know that some of the floor is likely safe."

Spoiler

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Seva will begin the usual trap/secret door search on the north wall.

[Kish]

The snakes seem to be made of solid mithral; it occurs to you that they're probably worth something.

The door to the south appears to be a simple wooden door.

[Cavir]

"Mithral, very nice!" He puts the snakes into his pack, ensuring the mouths are kept shut so he won't accidentally cut himself when reaching in for something else. He then moves towards the south door (AA5), ready to move on.

[Ixe]

Ixe strides into the room. Looking to either side, and then behind him, he sighs. He sits down awkwardly right in the middle of the room, trying (unsuccessfully) not to be in anyone's way. He hunches forward, propping his chin in the palm of his hand, and begins distractedly flicking at dust bunnies on the stone floor with his index finger.

[Hypersmith]

Ilnesh looks oddly at Ixe as he moves over to the door, making conversation as he goes through his routine trap inspection. "Quite expensive stuff. Whoever is behind this has some serious spending power."

Spoiler: OOC

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Taking 20 on door search for traps, then opening.

[Jopustopin]

Jeyne

Jeyne makes a crossbow motion with her hand at the dead snakes on the ground and makes a child like action like she's shooting them and smiles at Timeon.

As Ixe sits on the ground Jeyne laughs a little bit and shrugs, "Takes a special sort to volunteer for a mission like this. Brave and foolish." She takes a drink of water from her waterskin and hands some to Timeon, "I bet your the same as us."

[Kish]

"Why would they build this...insane maze?" Timeon asks. He seems a little more relaxed than before that fight, but still pretty tense.

Finding no traps, Ilnesh opens the door, revealing a short corridor that ends at another door. Written on that door are the words, "Suffer not the fool. Stupidity is the ultimate sin."

[Hypersmith]

Ilnesh resists the urge to instinctively glance at Timeon as soon as the words are visible to him. We have his info. How long must we hold on to him? As the thought runs through his mind, he tenses up involuntarily and stares rigidly ahead, moving closer to the next door and preparing to open it. "Anything I should know about this next room before we jump in?"

[Ixe]

Ixe interrupts his own Distraction, returning his mind to the Present Moment. He leans on his thick staff, and grunts slightly as he hauls himself to his feet.

Ixe: <to Jeyne> "What are your instructions, Lieutenant?"

[Kish]

"He didn't talk much about locations." Timeon frowns at the door.

[Cavir]

Vosnak thinks through what Timeon had said before while looking at the sign above. "Stupidity is the ultimate sin. Probably not a straight up fight here, so it's doubtful the shrieker the boy mentioned is next. Another puzzle of some sort, albeit more deadly?"

[Silver Night]

Seva

"Well, let's make sure and check the corridor and door thoroghly for traps. The lack in the corridors so far might have been intentional."

[Jopustopin]

"I agree." Jeyne says in reply to both Ixe and specifically Seva. By the way she's moving, she appears to still be suffering from the shadow's strikes. Occasionally she leans on Timeon for support.

[Ixe]

By the way she's moving, [Jeyne] appears to still be suffering from the shadow's strikes. Occasionally she leans on Timeon for support.

Ixe eyes Jeyne appraisingly. He seems hesitant to offer aid, lest this be perceived as a patronizing gesture. Presently, however, he holds out his shiny staff, offering it to her. He seems loathe to relinquish it, however, though willing.

[Hypersmith]

"Very well." Ilnesh proceeds to search the door for traps, and assuming none are found, proceeds to open it.

[Kish]

Ilnesh opens the door, revealing a square chamber with a podium in its center. The chamber is lit by a hanging oil lantern. On the podium is a pendant of silver--a dragon with sapphire eyes. A stairway leads up to the east.

Spoiler

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Map is updated.

[Ixe]

(( The room description says that the podium is in the center of this room, but the map says that it is in the northeast corner. Which is it? ))

Ixe is moving to AA10.

[Hypersmith]

Ilnesh cautiously eyes the pendant in the center of the room and steps closer, glancing at both the stairway and the pedestal. He mutters to himself and begins carefully inspecting the pendant and pedestal for traps. "Now if anything isn't a time to be rash. Be careful of the staircase till I inspect it."

Spoiler: OOC

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Moving to Z14, Ilnesh is taking twenty on a search of the podium, then the stairs.

[Cavir]

"Traps and secrets in here and didn't bother hiding it all with darkness." He looks to Ilnesh and points to the west wall. "Should be something along that wall too. I agree with taking our time. If need be I can conjure a creature to set off a trap, but better to conserve that until necessary." Vosnak waits just outside of the room.

[Kish]

The rest of you wait for four minutes while Ilnesh inspects the podium and the stairs.

Spoiler: Ilnesh

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You find no traps on the podium or on the stairs.

[Hypersmith]

"Nothing appears to be trapped. I'll inspect the wall, and if all is well we can move along. Even as he speaks, he moves directly across the room to the western wall and searches for any indicators of something hidden, opening whatever he comes across immediately. Anyone care for that Pendant, feel free to collect it. I make no guarantees however. All I can assure you of is that it will not trigger any mechanisms."

Spoiler: OOC

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moving directly to X13 and doing my take 20 (23) thing.

[Cavir]

"Hmm, valid point about the corridors."

During Ilnesh's search of the room Vosnak's focus from the doorway is on the podium and pendant. "Discovered traps or not, I still don't trust it. Our information told us there were more rooms down here. To have a pendant and stairs up is too easy. Perhaps a magical trap? I say we leave it as is if he finds anything else of note."

[Hypersmith]

"While I agree that the pendant and stairs is too easy, we also only know that there is a crucial pendant that matches this ones description. Our info did not specify where, only hidden someplace within."

There is a moment of silent thought.

"And this pendent is not hidden. I agree. We can leave it here at the moment and return to it if need be."

[Kish]

Ilnesh finds a secret door in the west wall.

"Why is this pendant crucial?" Timeon asks.

[Jopustopin]

Jeyne

"Devil worshipers stole a pendant of silver and sapphire. We've been directed to retrieve it. Unfortunately I can't tell you why. We're under orders to never speak of what the pendant does. It's cursed though. If you find a pendant, under no circumstances should you put it on."

Jeyne looks to the others while walking to the pendant,"I suspect they know we're here. Leaving this here is clearly a decoy. We need to be on our guard and stay alert."

She examines the pendant without touching it. Is it a pendant of silver and sapphire?

Spoiler: Persuasion

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You can roll my checks in private or however you want to do it. She is pretty much constantly using the skill. Take 10?

[Ixe]

(( Ixe is moving to square AC10. ))

Ixe looks around to his companions with a foreboding expression. As he moved to the northeast corner of the room, he mutters: "Stand back - all of you, please."

Ixe: "kakhard dzerrk’i" (( casting mage hand ))

The sapphire dragon pendant, long sought after, slides off the pedestal, floats gently across the room... and into Ixe's outstretched hand.

(( Hope this goes well... ))

(( IF nothing bad happens, I intend next to cast detect magic and examine it closely with Spellcraft. Taking 10 will give me a 20. ))

[Silver Night]

Seva moves to support the others.

Spoiler

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Move to Z9, ideally before Ixe starts messing with the pendant :P

[Kish]

The pendant lands in Ixe's hands. As he examines it, he detects no magic on or around it.

[Ixe]

Ixe examines the pendant carefully. Then, handing it to Jeyne, he remarks: "Nothing remarkable. There seems to be no harm in touching it... but the exact nature of this "curse" cannot be detected by such a simple cantrip." He feigns great relief, for the sake of their ruse, but Jeyne can see the guarded frustration in his gaze.

"Suffer not the Fool..." Ixe mulls over the words. "Perhaps they think that we will now rush blindly up the stairs to clai... that is, to assist Sir Balin and save the day? That we are simpletons? These "devil worshipers" will not deceive us that easily."

He smiles at Jeyne, then at Timeon. He patiently waits to see what Ilnesh discovers within the next hidden chamber.