Dungeon of Strangeness

[Metastachydium]

Kalliste simply shrugs when Labs brings up the Flame Experiment room. I'm mildly fireproof, so I don't really care either way, but I guess the same doesn't stand for your, you know… she bites the sentence in half when Pytha emerges from her tiny box to dart straight next to Elexis with wide eyes and a wider smile on her face. Who's a pretty snake? You are! she cooes. before llooking up at the hexblade. Is she yours? Isn't she pretty? Can I hold her for just a moment? she spouts in rapid succession, looking like she might start bouncing up and down at any moment.

[danielxcutter]

"...Well, yes - "

*hiss*

"Uh, sorry, no," said Elexis. "She bites."

[Ridai]

"Oh, ah, well, if you feel tired, I could carry you for a while," Labs offers to Rosiwyn, briefly taking off his small cap and scratching his head. Ghosts tend to be sleepy, right?

"Are you folks adventurers? Do you do adventury things, like dungeon delving and such? I sometimes help those parties out with getting around. You know, carrying them up walls or across chasms or very quickly away from irate dungeon people." They are all, apparently, in a dungeon of some persuasion, so naturally, Labs should offer dungeon aid.

[Metastachydium]

Fine, snake! Be that way! Kalliste crosses her arms with feigned indignation, before whispering a final She's so pretty! to Elexis and turning to face Labs with a shrug. Life's too short to sit on my fat behind all day, you know? It also doesn't, you know, pay all that well. she shrugs again. So yeah, I go around climbing stuff and hitting stuff and looking for those funny, you know, little traps people set up to keep their stuff from getting, you know, stolen… Wouldn't call myself a professional, though.

[Ridai]

"Oh yeah yeah, I do that too!" Labs answers, evidently having found a sort of colleague in a way. "Well, not to worry. Should we come across treasure, or... I believe parties liked to call it loot, you folks go and grab it, I got everything I need. Though sometimes parties give me things anyway and, you know, it is hard and terribly rude to decline gifts. That nice hafling and elf archer party that hung off me in little suspended seats of sorts while they had me climb out of reach of irate dungeon people really, really wanted me to have these boots afterwards. They had a grand ol' time when I went even faster than before." The creases around his eyes and the beard motions indicate a fond smile.

[Metastachydium]

Kalliste chuckles. That must have been quite the sight to behold. Labs with two adventurers hanging from him in little seats, pursued by irate dungeon people? Now that's something. Meaning, you know, no 'ffense, of course. she adds quickly.
As for the loot, worry not, big guy. Ifit's up to me, you'll walk away from 'ere laden with fun stuff.

[Alhallor]

Spoiler: Kalliste

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"Well I don't think they are totally crazy." He ponders a bit. "But I guess they are a bit out there. I'm going to be fine, don't worry."

He gives you a thumbs up when nobody is looking and smiles reassuringly.

You look around a bit.

It seems you are adjacent towards another room "Horse Experiment 1" and another one "EX Potion Room". The corridor towards the north has a sign on it, with an arrow, under the arrow are the mysterious words "break room".

There don't seem to be any guards or something around at the moment.

Spoiler: MAP

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Containment break.

[Metastachydium]

Even as she talks, Kalliste begins ambling around, carefully examining the doors and the walls of the corridor. Hm. I don't s'ppose this one means we get, you know, free potions? she muses, almost tapping the door of the Potion Room before thinking better of that and lowering her hand.

Spoiler: Checks!

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Search the Fire Experiment door (1d20+14)[23];
the Horse Experiment door (1d20+14)[22];
the Potion Room door (1d20+14)[15];
and the walls, the floor and that sort of thing: (1d20+14)[32](1d20+14)[30].
Speaking of the wall, what would you say the DC of climbing it would be? And how high up the ceiling is?

[Alhallor]

Spoiler: Doors

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Fire Experiment Room door: Seems a bit more warm than the others, probably not so much that there will be a fiery Explosion behind it, but it will probably be pretty warm behind that. Seems unlocked.
Horse Experiment door: You smell Fresh grass and hear a dampened whiny behind it. It sounds somehow strange, hard to pin down what exactly is wrong with it. Seems unlocked.
EX Potion Room Door: Nothing abnormal about it, besides that it's closed, in contrast to the other rooms.

Spoiler: Floor, Walls, Ceiling

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The walls and the floor are perfectly normal stone walls and floor. Not that perfectly fit together, so should be climbable with a 15.
From bottom to ceiling are 15 feet (5 meters) really spacious.

[Ridai]

"Oh, you are too kind, it's really not necessary," Labs answers Kalliste.

As they look around, Labs scratches his head with a meaty finger. "Ho- horse experime- what." After "Testing Container" and "Flame Experiment", now this? Labs just... stares at the neat lettering of "Horse Experiment 1" for a while, before Kalliste's words pull him out of his moment of befuddlement.

"That'd be nice, right?" He looks to the "EX Potion Room", then back to the experiment rooms. "...Should we check the experiment rooms to see if these rooms are dangerous or just... whatever it is these people are doing here? If those experiment rooms are dangerous, the potions might be as well?" Labs is far out of his debt, he can only guess, far from being an adventurer, let alone a professional, card-carrying one. If that is a thing, that is.

[Metastachydium]

[COLOR="#FF8C00"]
As they look around, Labs scratches his head with a meaty finger. "Ho- horse experime- what."

Kalliste shrugs again. Looks like. Kalliste takes a few steps back. Oddly 'nough, by the sound of it, there's, you know, an actual horse in there. Also, grass. Somehow.

"That'd be nice, right?" He looks to the "EX Potion Room", then back to the experiment rooms. "...Should we check the experiment rooms to see if these rooms are dangerous or just... whatever it is these people are doing here? If those experiment rooms are dangerous, the potions might be as well?"

Dunno, really. the spirit bites her lower lip and tilts her head a bit. But it's the only one that's, you know, locked, so… I'd say that's promising? she scratches the corner of her right eye idly. Not that I'm really good at, you know, opening locks. Jamming 'em, yes. Opening 'em, no. So why don't we just check out that horse thing? before anyone could protest, she strolls over to the horse door and swings it open.

[Alhallor]

When Kalliste is opening the door she is greeted by a surreal sight.

She seems to have opened the door towards a kinda big meadow with fresh grass on the ground and several round bubbles streaming warm light down from the ceiling. And there is a horse prancing around the meadow, though it kinda seems like it has a squid for a head.

Spoiler: Horse

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Horse

The horse whinies again when someone opens the door and prances towards the Newcomer. In Addition you all hear a voice inside your head, like telepathy coming (probably) from the horse.

"How delightful, more visitors! Isn't it a wonderful day for prancing around a bit, can I interest you in some of these succulent dandelions? They are fresh and sweet. Or do you want me to solve riddles again? It has become a nice pasttime to be quite honest.

[Ridai]

"H-hello...?" Labs answers more or less automatically, while side-eyeing, before adding "I'm not hungry right now, thank you." A beat. "So, uhh... do the people here often have you solve riddles? Did they kidnap you as well?"

Labs is just lost, y'all.

[danielxcutter]

"Things can not get much weirder than this," muttered the hexblade under his breath.

[Metastachydium]

Tentacles. Why did it have to be tentacles? For once, Kalliste doesn't fell like she wants to handle this conversation, so with a friendly little wave, she steps back from the door – so that the others can see the horsy better, of course. No other reason.
Once out of the tentacle's presumed reach, she shakes her hair out of her face, turning her head for half a moment and from one corner of her mouth she whispers a quick Please be right. to Elexis.

Spoiler: A check.

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Bluff, because she's obviously not afraid or wary of tentacle horses. She just loves those! (1d20+18)[34]

[Alhallor]

Hello there, yes they come here, every few days or so. Are always surprised when I get something right. The strange horse prances around a bit more, not an arms length (or stretched tentacle length) away from you when it responds again it stops.

Kidnapped? The Squidhorse stands there for a moment, thinking about the word or something different. Horses have already pretty good poker faces, but adding a squid to it makes it even harder to read. That could be the case, I wager. I somehow only came into conscience while being here and not remembering anything before I was entrusted to this lively meadows.

The weird horse takes the time to (somehow) nibble on a dandelion for a short time.

You know as soon as I came to conscience I was always feeling something. A kind of familiarity if you will. I didn't told the people who were asking me riddles because I didn't thought they needed to know. But I think that something similiar to me is somewhere near. If it isn't too much trouble I would like to ask you if you could bring me this familiar something?

[Captain Jak]

Spoiler: STAT BLOCK

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Rosiwyn Billowcloak
HP: 12 | CURRENT: 12 | AC: 19 | TOUCH: 19 | FLAT: 17
INITIATIVE: +2 | SPOT: +9 | LISTEN: +13 | FORTITUDE: n/a | REFLEX: +4 | WILL: +3
ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.
CONDITIONS: None.

Rosiwyn had been drifting around the squid-headed horse, eyes wide in fascinated amazement even as the strangely idyllic scenery could be seen through her translucent form.

"You are so amazing," she giggles, moving forward for a closer look at the tentacles. "Something familiar? Ooooh, is it a horse’s head? We’ll keep an eye out for it," she exclaims enthusiastically, clapping her hands together in dead silence...quite literally.

[Metastachydium]

Hello there, yes they come here, every few days or so. Are always surprised when I get something right. The strange horse prances around a bit more, not an arms length (or stretched tentacle length) away from you when it responds again it stops.

Yeah, they get surprised, you know, a lot 'bout stuff, by the look of it. Kalliste nods along sympathetically, repressing the urge to turn tails and run.
The creatures comment about remembering nothing before its current prancing grounds has her thinking that it might actually be made rather than born which would meanÂ… Well, which would mean she misled ZZ more than she knew. The actual crazy folks here might very well be the robes.

You know as soon as I came to conscience I was always feeling something. A kind of familiarity if you will. I didn't told the people who were asking me riddles because I didn't thought they needed to know. But I think that something similiar to me is somewhere near. If it isn't too much trouble I would like to ask you if you could bring me this familiar something?

There's more of these? Kalliste's not exactly happy to learn this. Sure thing. If we, you know, stumble 'pon another horse? Squid? Horsesquid? Aberrant monstrosity from an ill-conceived nightmare? mighty beast such as yourself, you'll be the first horse? Squid? Horsesquid? Aberrant monstrosity from an ill-conceived nightmare?one to know. but hopefully it's wrong.
Turning around, Kalliste takes a couple of steps away from the damn thing as if she'd already be setting out to find whatever it's looking for (and mostly to get out of the estimated range of a possible tentacle attack), only to loook back once she has a few brave adventurers between herself and the horse. By the way. What kind of, you know, riddles do the robes bombard you with? Just out of curiosity.

Spoiler: Checks.

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Kalliste's sympathetic, helpful and no, she's not trying to run away, not at all. Bluff: (1d20+18)[29]
And she'd like to be the horsesquids new best friend! Diplomacy: (1d20+19)[22]

[Ridai]

Labs stands there, blinking, blinking again.

A decisive thumbs-up appears!

"You got it." And he apparently means it.

[Alhallor]

The weird horse seems to focus it's squid eyes ar Rosiwyn. The mental words sound pleasantly confused.

Thank you. Though why should it be a horses head? Is something wrong with my head?

Towards Kalliste.

Oh you know the usual. Like "if they are are three astral lines crossing which would be the best focus to embed in the crossing to diminish astral wild surges?" Or "A dying emperor told his sons that he would give the one whose horse would arrive at they're favorite spot at second place his kingdom and all his riches what do they do?" Stuff like that, quite interesting really.

The horse is so thankful that it goes towards Labs and nibbles at his outstretched thumbs-up. It's a bit slimy and feels weird. But there seems to be all is still well.

Thanks a lot! I'll look forward to it!

Spoiler: OOC

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You could make a Knowledge (arcana) check to answer the first "riddle" if you want to.

[Metastachydium]

Spoiler: K (a)

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Knowledge (arcana): (1d20+7)[17]

[danielxcutter]

Elexis eyes the... horse with some suspicion, but says nothing.

Hmm... well hopefully it won't try to eat my pancreas or something.

*hiss*

Oh shush Pytha.

Spoiler: Knowledge check(arcana)

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(1d20+6)[21]
Pytha Aid Another check (1d20+3)[7]

[danielxcutter]

"Oh wait, I get it now," Elexis said suddenly. "There's this thing called wild magic that makes spells do random crap. Cold iron rods put in the right configurations take the edge off, though. I don't have the faintest idea what that means though, besides the robed jackasses having seen wild magic."

[Metastachydium]

Show-off. Kalliste mumbles, crossing her arms.
That aside, she's left wondering just how much smarter this damn thing is than it looks. We'll be back before you know she tells the… Thing with the squid for a head waving a relieved goodbye to it. …but first, she walks over to the door of the potion room. Mr. Koughs, tear down this door!

[danielxcutter]

"Do I want to know who that is?" muttered Elexis under his breath.

*hisssss*

"That was rhetorical and you know it Pytha."

[Ridai]

Labs feels uncomfortable with his tentanibbled slimy thumb.

He waves as his retreats out of the room, making sure to go at an angle to not get stuck in the doorframe. While he tries to clean his thumb with a nice hankerchief (though he feels it might take a while until it actually feels clean again), suddenly:

Mr. Koughs, tear down this door!

Labs looks over to Kalliste. He walks to the door.

He tries the door handle.

Once he realizes the door is locked, Labs knocks on the door, adding a "Hello?"

[Alhallor]

The door towards the "EX potion room" doesn't react on the knock. There is also no reaction after the "hello".

It seems there is either no one in there or whoever is in there didn't hear the knocking and the greeting or doesn't want to react.

[Metastachydium]

Kalliste blinks twice when Labs attempts to get in the civilized way. She's also a slight bit relieved it didn't work. Another tentacle horse would be a bit much with so little time having passed since the last one. That was… Certainly a way to 'pproach the problem. she says at last, a bit hesitantly. But, and I'm just, you know, spitballing here, could you perhaps get a little more, you know, proactive?

[Ridai]

"Does... does that not seem a little extreme? It's not an emergency and-" Labs kind of peters out, feeling incredibly awkward, glancing at the party of adventurers, kind of hoping for a lockpicker to step forward, but, well...

Labs takes his lumberaxe, puts the blade between doorframe and door, where the bolt is, and gives the back of the axe a few open-handed pushes.

Spoiler: Actions

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Do I roll strength? Damage? Adamantine cuts through everything not as hard as itself, so if it is damage, it's mostly just a matter of time.

Stronk check (1d20+5)[12]

[Alhallor]

The door, way too intimidated by a sharp adamantine axe opensÂ… Or more likely falls inwards, with they're hinges cut off.

You see a wide open room, with a neat Little table at the left side with 10 potions on it. They is a small wodden stand with the words "for countering the experimental potion effects if involuntarily swallowed."

And the rest of the room… Is a giant armoire, chucked full of potion bottles, it must be around 100 in different bottles. Some with a long glass neck. Some wodden ones. At least one hollowed out pumpkin. It seems kinda obsessive. There are "blocked" by a simple hemp robe that cuts the room in half. On the robe is a small wodden Plaque with the words "Experimental potions made in Magic Test Room 503, do not ingest!"

Under the 10 potions is also another stand with a single bottle on it labeled "trash."

Spoiler: Potions.

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This is the potion room. I had a funny idea with potions that we are going to go with. Magic potions always have a distinct taste. Every "cure wounds" potion for example always taste like vanilla with hot strawberries, it doesn't matter what ingredients you use but that is the taste you'll always get. The higher quality the potion the better the taste. Yes that means they are some high society cooks who use magic potions for the greatest dishes immaginable. On the table are 4 potions of "Cure serious wounds" healing for 3d8+5 HP (very nice taste). And one potion each for the +4 stat increasing spells.

Strenght (Tomato Juice with hot spices)
Dexterity (game)
Constitution (Wild honey)
Intelligence (Sushi)
Wisdom (freshly baked bread)
Charisma (Boiled insects for some reason)

The OTHER potions smell and taste (if you try a tiny sip) totally wild, giving you the run of a lot of imaginable und UNimaginable smells tastes. If you want to drink one of that roll a d100. None of that will kill you, but they may have debilitating (or great!) effects.

The "trash" potion is a potion of Inflict serious wounds dealing 3d8+5 HP negative energy damage (or heal an undead the same amount, which also has the effect that this one has the same TASTE for an undead as the other cure potions have for mortals.