Cracks of the Multiverse IC

[samduke]

Dawn looking at rem, Well my friend anytime your ready then take me up there and I can have a proper look around while the others are getting up there.

[Xihirli]

"And once the area is scouted, if you can get Debbie and Ahinoam up there they can hoist the rest of us up on rope."

[SunderedWorldDM]

You all, by rope or Rem, are taken to the edges of the crumbling hole in the ceiling. The smell of undisturbed dust hits you harder than it had even when you had teleported in- this space hasn't been disturbed in perhaps thousands of years, and you can tell. The small creature, now bound to Debbie's shoulder, quickly looks back and forth down the space of support beams and uncarved stone before definitively pointing in the direction away from the teleport circle you entered in. Debbie begins to shuffle in that direction.

If you'd like to talk or do anything while being led through this strange section of the fortress, speak now!

[Xihirli]

Susanna summons up her phantom steed (ritually because she does not care about using others' time) and rides next to the general.
"General, I appreciate the help you've given. You're beginning to make me stop regretting just bringing as many bones as I can carry and leaving you all behind."

[Ramsus]

General Dream Miqo'te Beastmaster/Sleepy Cat & Rem & Sleepnear & Nap AC: 15 HP: 108/108 & AC: 18 HP: 162/162 & AC: 13 HP: 68/68 & AC: 12 HP: 2/2 PP: 20/15/11/13 PIv: 10/7/10/6 PIs: 20/12/11/11 Senses: DV 60ft. Adv Smell. Rem: Blindsight 60ft. Nap: DV 30 ft. Adv Smell. Concentrating on: -- Rem: -- Conditions: -- Rem: -- Sleepnear: -- Nap: -- Dream gives Susanna a big smile, "Awwww. I don't mind you and your smelly bones too!" and then she gives Susanna a big hug. Which would probably have been fine if Rem didn't join in and give Susanna an unpleasantly strong hug too.

[Xihirli]

Immediately, Debbie and Ahinoam moved to attack Rem and Dream.
"No! Stand down, stand down. Ugh..." Susanna sighed and eventually wriggled out.
"Never do that again."

[SunderedWorldDM]

The creature leads you down a large chunk of the overcroft, occasionally pausing where there's a fork or a larger space to reorient itself. Finally, it comes down to a section, pointing at the ground below it. "This should be about the location," it hisses, pointing a bit ahead of you to a nondescript section in the floor.

[Xihirli]

"Alright. Defenses?" Susanna requested.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The creature looks almost bashfully to the floor. "Maybe that exact spot would drop us in the hallway right in front of the library..." At a low mutter, it continues. "...and maybe there was a poison gas trap there..." even lower, "...and spikes..."

[Xihirli]

"What if a homunculus like you went in? Your kind are immune to poisons and can fly."

[samduke]

Dawn examines the area indicated by the creature
Perception (1d20+10)[17]

[SunderedWorldDM]

Dawn inspects the spot, noticing that it could be broken through with a good blow with a weapon or a powerful arcane blast, allowing entrance into the hall. Meanwhile, in about 15 feet, the overcroft's floor begins to curve upward, as if it were the top side of a dome- perhaps the library is on the underside of the dome? It looks a LOT tougher, though...

[Xihirli]

"Runecaster, would you mind opening a bit of a hole there? I'll send a researcher through who will fill us in as we go."

[samduke]

well I will give it a go Susanna, drawing her Warhammer taking an aimed practice swing at the location making sure to stand clear as to not fall through. attacking the floor area (1d20+9)[19] damage (1d8+4)[10]

[SunderedWorldDM]

As the warhammer comes crashing down onto the stone and wood, a mighty crack reverberates. A small hole, about the size of a fist, shines a beacon of torchlight up into the overcroft. A great start, but the hole needs to be bigger.

[samduke]

Dawn presses her face to the hole and takes a good look perception (1d20+10)[11]

after looking goes back to enlarge the hole taking another series of swings
attack vs floor hole area stopping each time to look through the hole and see if it is large enough to fit through
1: (1d20+9)[26]
2: (1d20+9)[13]
3: (1d20+9)[20]
4: (1d20+9)[24]
5: (1d20+9)[25]
6: (1d20+9)[29]
damage
1:(1d8+4)[9]
2:(1d8+4)[9]
3:(1d8+4)[6]
4:(1d8+4)[8]
5:(1d8+4)[12]
6:(1d8+4)[5]

[SunderedWorldDM]

Dawn presses her face to the hole and takes a good look perception [roll0]

after looking goes back to enlarge the hole taking another series of swings
attack vs floor hole area stopping each time to look through the hole and see if it is large enough to fit through
1: (1d20+9)[26]
2: (1d20+9)[13]
3: (1d20+9)[20]
4: (1d20+9)[24]
5: (1d20+9)[25]
6: (1d20+9)[29]
damage
1:(1d8+4)[9]
2:(1d8+4)[9]
3:(1d8+4)[6]
4:(1d8+4)[8]
5:(1d8+4)[12]
6:(1d8+4)[5]

Your hammer comes down repeatedly against the floor until a large chunk of the ceiling cracks below your feet. You jump back just in time to watch the mosaic-coated stone and wood to plummet the 20-odd feet to the hall below and slam into the ground. Instead of shattering against the floor, the floor crumples instead into a pit of spikes, where the broken stone clusters around the large and rusted implements. Otherwise, the hallway remains silent. The homunculus, upon hearing the sound, jumps a bit, and whispers, "Oh no... she must be awake now..."

[Xihirli]

"Someday I'm going to speak with your old master about setting up defenses that destroy the castle they're here to defend. This is just embarrassing." Susanna directed her undead to back away.
"I posit that we wait here for 'her' to either go back to sleep or come at us through a bottleneck."

[samduke]

Dawn waving the hammer at the homunculus, who and what is her? and are there any more pit traps like that one? pointing below

[SunderedWorldDM]

"The whole floor is practicallish spikes, unless you know how to walk on the floor. I never learned how to walk the safe way, because, well, um, ah, er," George gestures to his wings. "But her? She is... what do they say... a librarium? A personage who stays in a library to sentinelize the books inside. Moldy old things, never liked them. Librariums, that is. Mostly because they eated little things like us."

[Xihirli]

"Well, we need to kill or convert her before I send in my researcher." Susanna leaned down next to the hole.
"Librarian! Come meet your new mistress!"

[SunderedWorldDM]

"She cannot leave the librarum! It would be very bad for rest of fortress. You flabbering your chops doing nothing but angering her!"

[Xihirli]

"But now sending in my researcher is unsafe..." Susanna prompted.

[SunderedWorldDM]

"Yes, indeed it is! It's not safe for anysbody..." he slowly realizes the implications of your statement. "Oh no. No no no. Please, I beg of you, don't make me go in there! She'll do so much worse than eat me! Please, please no!"

At that point you all hear a sound, a sort of muted, wet hissing, like the sounds of a sliding serpent on floor, accompanied by a loud creaking sound of a hinge unopened for years. "Wherrrre arrrre you?" A feminine and yet serpentine voice, sounding like a poison-coated dagger, rings in your ears. "I can sssssssmell you... come out from your hiding placccccce ssssso I can get a good look at you..." The homunculus cowers. "She'll be very cross, very cross, VERY cross indeed!"

[Xihirli]

"No, I think we're agreed on this actually."
Susanna called at the hole again. "We're not hiding! Look up through the hole above the spikes how did you miss that!?

[SunderedWorldDM]

"Forgive me, my field of visssssion isss limited..." The voice calls up to you, beguiling and dangerous. "You sssssssee, I am bound to thisssss library. Come a little closssser so that I may ssssssee you..."

[Xihirli]

"I'm prepared to send down a delegate to represent myself and my associates. Is that alright?"

[samduke]

dawn quickly ties a rope securely around the homunculus in such a way that its arms and legs can not move. pointing down the hole whispering stand clear & I will lower the delegate

[Xihirli]

"Get away from my toy," Susanna said too angrily.
"I'm sorry. No, George isn't the representative."

[samduke]

dawn gagging the tied up homunculus, whispered who are you suggesting we drop down there then