The Crimson Echo Season Three

[DarkOne-Rob]

Bellinda nods and only barely waits for everyone to argue the point. "Be quiet, then, and not too close to me..." she directs as she continues down the stairs deliberately and quietly.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Stealth +11, Perception +9, Bellinda keeps going down the stairs to try and find the next encounter before they notice the party approaching.

[Inspectre]

Sabrina returns Aliani's stare with a glare of her own.

"And I think you should remember that Her Majesty was already there for you while your friend was DYING!"

The queen's bodyguard hisses back, just a tad too loudly it seems.

In the other room, the derro abruptly go silent, causing Marcus to facepalm and mutter what certainly sounds like an obscenity under his breath.

"Well, here we go then."

He sighs as he readies his scimitars, but no swarm of little blue freaks is coming.

Instead, you hear one call out loudly something in their language, no doubt a challenge of some sort. Which, given no one present speaks their language (Aklo), you are all forced to just look at each other and wait in silence and await the assault.

And yet . . . no assault is forthcoming. No one comes out to investigate, no cries of alarm go out, nothing at all happens for over one long tense minute. But neither do the derro return to their previous work and cavorting, either - your silence is met with their own.

"I don't suppose we got lucky and they thought it was a figment of their little freak imaginations."

Sabrina whispers from her position up against the stone wall right next to the tunnel entrance, falchion held ready to chop down the first thing that emerges out into the corridor.

"Nobody is that lucky - they probably left to go get more friends."

Marcus observes, earning another grunt from Sabrina.

"Then we'd better hurry along, don't you think!?"

[Stelio Kontos]

Aliani's face flashed through a few different phases in a moment -- a brief flash of anger, followed by contrition at the realization that he'd probably provoked their impending severe injuries, followed by a good bit of fear -- which at least served to remove the developing redness from his face and return it to its pale nature. He silently mouthed an epithet, which he thought bemusedly might also serve as his epitaph.

"I don't suppose anyone has anything that might serve as a distraction?" he whispered, as quietly as he could.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Bellinda looks back with a scowl at the noise, listens intently for the dero, and then shrugs. On silent feet she turns to continue exploring, intent on not wasting time - if that was still possible.

[Inspectre]

Music Theme – The Vaults

Bellinda leading the way slightly faster now, your small party of would-be rescuers descends the flight of stone stairs leading down further into the depths of the Vaults, far below Korvosa where none dare to trend. While it may have felt as if you had been walking for hours, it was surely only a few minutes before the uniform set of stairs terminates in a pair of immense stone doors, easily twenty feet high. Carved into the surface of the double doors are a series of images – foremost among them and taking up the middle of the two doors is the carved image of a strikingly beautiful human woman whose shoulders are pockmarked with a dozen gemstones of varying hues.

Arrayed around the central statue are a half dozen smaller images in a half-moon pattern, each depicting a scene of battle, disaster, and tragedy that seem to shift and move with a life of their own as you adjust your vantage point. Prominent in each of them is a smaller depiction of the central woman - leading armies of men and monsters into battle in one, draped over a grave and sobbing into her hands in another. Also prominent in each of the images is a symbol of dreadful significance to Dalen – an impaled, bleeding eye – emblazoned on the shields and banners of the opposing army in one, etched discretely into one dark corner of the grave’s headstone in another. But perhaps the most disturbing image is the last one in the arc, a seemingly impossible image of the woman standing atop a cliff looking down at Korvosa, your Korvosa, as the city burns to ash.

As you all stand there, taking in these details and quietly debating how to approach this (and quietly marking down the time until Sabrina just boots them open personally), the doors swing open of their own accord. As with the smaller images, the central image of the woman seems to move with a life of its own as it splits apart into two women who appear to pirouette and bow, beckoning you forward with a sweep of their hands into the darkness ahead, as if to say “Welcome”.

Spoiler: Knowledge Local or History DC 20

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The woman depicted on the door, despite being somewhat stylized, is most certainly Sorshen of ancient Thassilon, the Runelord of Lust. Those gemstones studding her image’s shoulders are a dead giveaway, as the Runelords were one of the few groups with the wealth and knowledge to directly implant iuon stones into their flesh, which is what the gemstones are depicting.

The bleeding impaled eye, however, is something that you don’t recognize. Clearly it’s depicted here as some sort of enemy or opposition force to Sorshen, but the rule of the Runelords in their time was fairly absolute with no known-to-history force capable of opposing them. The Runelords did fight amongst themselves, but you’re not aware of any of the others using a bleeding, impaled eye as part of their symbology.

“We’re getting closer – she’s not below us anymore. Ahead and to the left.”

Sabrina reports quietly after a moment’s pause, even the queen’s bodyguard for once overawed into caution by what you are discovering (even if she seems to fail to grasp the historical context).

Things get even stranger beyond the double doors, as you step out into what initially appears to be an outdoor flower garden that would not look amiss alongside the gardens within Castle Korvosa. Despite still being day in the city above (you think), here the garden rests in twilight, with the vast majority of the garden/chamber being lit by the light of the stars hanging in the sky overheard and paper lanterns here and there providing pools of warm flickering firelight. Butterflies in as wide array of sizes and hues as the flowers flicker in and out of sight amongst many of the clusters of plant life.

Wide lanes of brick cut paths through the clusters of flowering plants, ultimately leading to several other double doors leading back inside/to other chambers(?) with a few paths diverting to small oases of brickwork in the floral sprawl that feature benches for contemplation, and in one spot down into a shallow pool that is surrounded by a faint haze of steam. Even the bricks are not without their artistic flair, however, as symbols and heraldry are painted and etched into the pathways’ surface, interwoven with decorative swirls and stylized stars and butterflies.

“What in the Hells . . .”

Sabrina whispers, scanning the denser clusters of flowers for waiting dangers – which completely fail to materialize here.

“This . . . this is not what I was expecting to find down here.”

Marcus gasps, looking around the underground flower garden in numb shock.

Spoiler: Knowledge Religion DC 15

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This is a Desnan shrine, the emphasis on stars and butterflies make that unmistakable. Maybe not to be used in the traditional sense for worship, but a shrine to honor the goddess of Dreams and Night all the same. And given the expansive garden and immaculate details, someone went to a lot of work to create this.

Spoiler: Knowledge History or Local DC 20

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The heraldry depicted on the brickwork is that of the ancient Thassilon realm of Eurythnia, predictably the land ruled by Sorshen. Some of the runes carved into the bricks and interwoven with that heraldry however, are the Thassilon runes for wealth and fertility. Perhaps it’s simply a boast of Eurythnia’s success or a prayer for such blessings upon the realm, but there are other runes intermixed with those two that you can’t identify, leaving the true intention of this artwork a mystery – but there is an intent behind all of these symbols being shown together.

Spoiler: Knowledge Engineering DC 15 or Sense Motive DC 20

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Despite the brick paths cutting seemingly lackadaisical paths through the flowering foliage and splitting off at random, there is a deliberateness to the design that seems intended to tell a story here, even if you lack the context to understand what is being said. One thing that you do note, however, is that all of the branching paths eventually arc back around to rejoin their point of origin, as if the whole place was designed to make those following the paths walk around in circles.

Spoiler: Knowledge Arcana DC 15, Spellcraft DC 15, or Perception DC 20

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The stars overhead and the butterflies flitting about are illusions – very skillfully and meticulously crafted illusions, but magical fakes all the same. The flowering plants, on the other hand, are very real.

Spoiler: Knowledge Nature DC 15

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Those butterflies have an odd movement pattern that doesn’t match up with how you would expect butterflies to behave in a space like this. The flowers, like the dirt they’re planted in, seem to be very real, however, but are still unnatural in that the different clusters come from all across the world, and you’re pretty sure some of them are even species that should be extinct. Furthermore, these flowers should have spread out throughout the room and outcompeted each other until only a handful of species dominated in a massive tangled overgrown sprawl. Instead, they’re all in their little manicured clusters looking as if the gardener has just passed through on their daily trimming. It’s eerily unnatural, even more than the simple fact that flowering plants don’t live underground.

[Stelio Kontos]

The playwright gasped, his face brightening considerably as he took in the sights, his eyes seeming to flit about in notice of various intricacies. He tried to remain at a low volume, but his growing excitement made it difficult; his voice rasped uncharacteristically as his efforts to contain his joy fought against themselves. As he continued on, he appeared to grow in confidence, the trepidation of the looming peril brushed aside.

"Someone has gone to quite a lot of trouble to place this here, and a most beautiful shrine it is. I know our time runs short, and we cannot dawdle, but nonetheless a prayer to the Goddess of the North Star would be most appropriate, in thanks for safe travels and her enduring guiding light in this place of darkness. Have hope, for she watches over this place, and over us as well. A better portent we would be most unlikely to find."

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Knowledge (Religion): (1d20+4)[7], Perception: (1d20+9)[27], Sense Motive: (1d20+7)[24], and Spellcraft: (1d20+4)[12]. All other skills have too high DCs for untrained checks.

"It's pretty, yes, and deliberate...though much of it is an illusion. The flowers are real, though..." Bellinda says dispassionately as she quickly moves through, undistracted by the magical finery and beauty. She moves quickly to the next set of double doors, alert as ever and still moving with the quiet for which halflings are known. At the door she inspects it closely, both for magic and mundane traps...

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Cast Detect Magic and focus on the door to see if it has any auras. Also search it for traps - +9 to Perception.

[Darvin]

"Don't let your guard down. We can return with a contingent of scholars later, right now my greatest concern is the derro using these illusions as cover for ambush," Dalen quietly casts Detect Magic, focusing on any auras other than those of illusion.

[Inspectre]

Spoiler: Bellinda Only

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From the garden: Looking at the brickwork marking out the arcing side paths through the garden, you note that at each branch-off, the symbols and runes written on the bricks subtly shift and change. Even the bricks themselves seem to ever so-slightly change, drawn from different batches with slightly different material mixtures. This makes all of the side paths similar, but different in some way, and yet always circling back around to the main path. As if to say, the details change, but it all leads back to the same point.

Music Theme – The Lab

Single-minded as ever, Sabrina moves alongside Bellinda to continue on towards one of the distant sets of double doors off to the left of the entrance. Much like the door statue waving you in here, the spirals and decorations painted onto the brickwork ahead of you seem to flicker and glow with a faint golden light, as if lighting the way to direct you onward. The set of double doors that Sabrina approaches this time are much smaller – normal human-sized – and considerably less ostentatious, although the décor of this interior garden is such that the doors do seem as if they’re popping out of the surrounding greenery from nowhere. These doors do not swing open of their own accord for you, and so Sabrina throws them wide open without hesitation, revealing a room beyond that is considerably different from the interior garden, but no less mysterious.

This room is only a little smaller than the chamber that houses the garden, but is clearly a workshop of some sort rather than a place of leisure. In nearly the dead center of the room is a massive stone globe held within an intricate latticework and stand of metal (i.e. an astrolabe). Rather than depict some sort of map, the surface of the globe is coated in dozens of runes etched into the stone. Arranged out from this central structure like spokes on a wheel are various workbenches covered in alchemical beakers, containers of arcane ritual components, and numerous half-used sticks of chalk. A short distance away in one corner of the room is an arcane ritual circle of considerable complexity. But there are three far more striking features of this room by far than any of the furniture.

First, there’s the fact that the walls, ceiling, and much of the floor is covered in intricate arcane formula written in precise chalk marks. While normal arcane formula are essentially their own confusing language that is virtually indecipherable to the uninitiated, even the practiced spellcasters amongst the group would find this intricate snarl of formula daunting to even determine what it’s supposed to do.

Second, much of the floor here is partially obscured by a thick cloud of dust coating much of the stonework. Given the previously immaculate condition of what little you’ve seen of this complex thus far, that seems very odd. The layer of dust is thick enough to partially obscure sections of the chalk writing that stretches down onto the floor, and thick enough to reveal a trail of cleared dust leading from the door you entered, across the room, to another set of doors set in the far wall. There does not appear to be any other means of exit from this room.

Third and finally, there is a small section of the far wall where the chalk writing has been charred and blasted away, leaving bare stone except for the symbol and runes that appear to have bled out of the stone rather than being painted or etched there – the symbol of a bleeding, impaled eye, and Thassilon runes below it. As you look at the runes, they dance and twist with a life of their own, swirling into plainly legible text in Common.

THE STORY CHANGES BUT THE END REMAINS. CITY SHALL BURN. CITY SHALL ROT. CITY SHALL ABNEGATE.

Spoiler: Detect Magic

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There are traces of magic on both sets of double doors, likely the remains of magical defenses that were placed upon those doors. Whatever defenses were once present, however, they are gone now, either decayed to nothing over the millennium or disarmed by the derro. The astrolabe stone globe radiates a strong aura of magic, the ritual circle still radiates a moderate aura of magic, the runes and symbol on the wall radiates a moderate aura of magic, and you detect a strong aura of magic from a pile of dust over in the corner. The various magical benches and beakers of magical ritual components radiate a very faint aura of magic, more a sign of their latent potential rather than them being magical themselves. The chalk markings do not radiate an aura of magic, as they are merely arcane formula proofs rather than an actual spell ready to be cast. You also detect a faint aura of magic in the air, and rapidly gaining in strength.

Gain a +10 bonus to all Perception checks in this room for the other features that rely on Perception.

Spoiler: The Circle – Knowledge Arcana or Spellcraft DC 20

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The ritual circle appears to be multi-purpose – it could be used to contain a summoned outsider, but some of the more intricate details seem more intended to project outward rather than summon within. As such, you believe it’s likely an anchoring circle to be used in helping to protect the mind of someone using powerful – and dangerous – divination spells such as Contact Other Plane.

Spoiler: The Formula – Knowledge Arcana or Spellcraft DC 25

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Oh gods. You are of course aware that arcane magic is sorted into nine tiers, based on complexity and power of effect, with nineth-level spells capable of rewriting reality itself with the simple phrase of “I wish”. Although it can take decades or centuries to reach that level of mastery over the arcane, if one even manages to reach those lofty heights in the first place, it is notable that there is no greater power beyond that. While one could argue what would be the point in creating a spell beyond rewriting reality just with one’s simple words – or similar displays of raw arcane power – scholars of the arcane note that it is odd that there is such a sudden and sharp cut-off point, that even those with the time, resources, and skill to grow beyond mastery of the nineth-level seem unable to pass beyond. There are a variety of different theories as to why the development of a so-called tenth-level of spell has never occurred, ranging from such a power would be a threat to the gods themselves and so they take a *very* serious interest in preventing anyone from achieving such mastery to the simple fact that as each level of spell mastery grows ever more complex, any theoretical tenth-level spell would require such complexity as to be physically impossible for anyone to conceive, let alone actually cast. You’re currently standing in the middle of the arcane formula for a tenth-level spell.

You cannot decipher enough of the dense lines of the formula to understand all the intricacies of this spell, let alone hope to cast it. It would take a long time of difficult study to even begin to understand what has been created here, but the bits and pieces you can make out at a glance is just enough to tell you that is appears to be a spell to teleport between parallel universes. Proving not just that parallel universes exist – something which you are basically already familiar with – but that Sorshen figured out how to move between them, although the exact methodology is beyond your understanding at present. Still, you seem to have found the source of your strange shifting between worlds that are so similar and yet markedly different.

Spoiler: The Dust Perception DC 20

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There’s something very wrong about all this dust. While it’s swirled up all across the floor, here and there exist larger mounds of the stuff, as if dumped in that spot and then left to simply drift where it may. Idly swirling the tip of a boot or weapon through one such pile of dust, you discover a small, somewhat misshapen, thumbnail-sized stone with a warm golden hue sitting amidst the dust (it radiates a strong aura of magic).

Spoiler: The Bloody Symbol – Linguistics DC 15 or Sense Motive DC 20

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Yet again the strange prophecy that you’ve been hearing the derro and their Shudder-infused monstrosities parrot over and over again. Apparently it is a far older threat than just Gaedren Lamm and his ambitions. But there’s a new sentence at the end – “City will Abnegate”. Abnegate – to relinquish, renounce, or otherwise give up, often in a ritualistic context. You feel as if that word was chosen very deliberately, but what is the city relinquishing, and to who or what?

Spoiler: Perception DC 20 or Religion DC 20

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A fourth, disturbing detail not audible to everyone in the room nonetheless catches your ear. The sound of a female voice whispering, echoing off the stone walls, anguish and desperation easily heard despite every word being in a language completely foreign to you and unspoken for thousands of years. The whispers are rapidly growing louder, more insistent, and with a sudden dreadful realization you know that this laboratory is haunted, and some manifestation of whatever horror happened in this room is about to happen again.

(i.e. There is a Haunt about to trigger. To account for how a Haunt generally goes off at Initiative Count 10 (i.e. roughly the middle of a round), only those who make this Perception/Religion check may act. Everyone else has no time to react before the Haunt goes off. The Haunt either needs to be disarmed – generally through the release of positive energy – ie. Channel Energy – into the room, or those who can need to dive out of the room and hopefully out of the Haunt’s range.)

[Stelio Kontos]

"All right, yes, there's quite a bit of interest here I'd agree" replied Aliani, his mind somewhat disconnecting from the moment as he walked into the room.

"... not as much as in here though, ye gods." He wasn't at all sure what most of that meant, but whatever it was it probably wasn't someone's recipe for a good vegetable stew, he knew that much.

"Abnegate. Hunh. That's new..." he remarked idly to nobody in particular, his mind still wandering. Perhaps it was that other part that heard the ... something ... getting closer, but not really closer... why ... oh no.

"GET OUT NOW!" he screamed suddenly, practically trying to swat Silas back with his morningstar, even as his other reached up to his collar. "Save us mother, and peace to the dead!"

Spoiler: OCC

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channel energy (2d6)[8]

[Darvin]

Dalen skips backwards, trying to put as much distance between himself and what is about to transpire as possible.

[PiccadillyPi]

The salacious socialite sneaked some steps behind Bellinda as they creeped into the unusual garden. He caught up as the danger hid deeper behind the illusion and gave the group pause to action. Not one to lose to opportunity, Silas plucked one of the flowers to replace the one that had frozen over from their frosted flaying of the frogs. His distraction was just enough to have to heave ho toward the others into the workshop of sand and ruin. Not quick enough to view the swirling sands nor smart enough to decipher the meaning behind each rune, but just keen enough to catch a whisper of danger ahead.

It took less than the prayer spoken by the bard for Silas act. His hand slipped between skin and tunic of the nearest ally unable to action a retreat, gripping them and tossing them back so that it would be he and not them to take whatever unhallowed charge that may come their way. At the very least a distance enough that they might have a chance.

Spoiler: OOC

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Silas will spend his action to bull rush an ally away from danger if allowed/needed.

If it's Aliani: "We're fel-shyte without ye, ye ruby bastard! Behind me! Now!"

EDIT: got a 12 to bull rush Aliani. :c

Silas
HP: 31/34
AC: 21 (FF: 18 / TC: 13 / CMD: 20)
Saves: 6/7/-1
Speed: 20
Current Studied Target: n/a
Buffs: n/a

[DarkOne-Rob]

In the moments before chaos breaks free Bellinda brushes up against a pile of dust in her slipperred feet and feels something. Leaning down she finds a small, somewhat misshapen, thumbnail-sized stone with a warm golden hue sitting amidst the dust. With her still-empowered sight she notes its strong aura of magic right before she hears something else...

Like Aliani, Bellinda recognizes the threat shortly before it has a chance to do anything. The halfling rushes back towards the entrance, urgently encouraging the others, "Get back! Should have stayed behind me! Come on!"

[Starbuck_II]

He slowly recognizes what all this means. Something was summoned or will summoned here.

Weird symbols that means something...

Magic dust?

Blood means nothing to Magenta, but who knows could be important.

Magenta rushes out of the room once he understands the yelling.

[Inspectre]

There is a moment of panic as everyone hears the rising chorus of whispers throughout the room, followed by a mad scramble for the door.

Calling upon his goddess, Aliani unleashes a wave of healing energy out into the room, hoping to disrupt the necromantic energies gathering as the haunt grows in strength.
He manages to only diminish, but not dissipate, the oncoming storm of psychic energy, and with a surge of desperate energy, the playwright lunges for the door as Silas comes stumbling towards him.
The sudden burst of motion gets Aliani through the door, but leaves Silas tripping and sprawling flat on his face in the room, at least until Sabrina runs past and bodily hefts him up, throwing the tiefling ahead of her towards the door.
Those waiting just outside grab hold of Silas's hands, dragging him out just as Sabrina charges through the doorway, and then the haunt goes off a moment later.

(OOC: Not going to punish Silas by getting eaten by the haunt when he's literally the only one in the room, and then only because he was trying to help Aliani get out).

Nothing. Absolutely nothing happens, although those still concentrating on magical energies see the Haunt flare to life, unleash some sort of psychic backlash, and then crumble away to nothing.

"The Hells? Did something happen? I heard the whispers, but I don't anymore, and nothing seems to have happened . . ."

Sabrina grunts, hauling Silas back up onto his feet.

With the haunt having unleashed its energy, it seems to be spent, at least for the moment, and the strange laboratory stands unchanged.

"She must be through that door . . . somewhere."

Sabrina reports after checking her cloak yet again, nodding to the door on the far side of the laboratory.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Bellinda looks cross for just a moment as she stares at her companions. "I feel like we've only just begun working together, cause that was really clumsy. Please let me scout and stay safely back - traps or ghosts or whatever, it's better if it takes just one little halfling than all of you too!" she lectures, before smiling a bit more encouragingly. "That said, please stay close enough to save me if there's a chance! But that was too close!" the little woman finishes with an uncomfortable chuckle as she turns to re-enter the room and check the far door.

As she walks Bellinda allows her attention to be drawn to the stone in her hand, curious as to its properties...

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Perception (1d20+9)[16], Detect Magic, and Spellcraft 22 9roll]1d20+4[/roll] at the stone. Perception at the door, taking 10 or 20 as allowed, (1d20+9)[26].

Edit: screwed up a roll, did it in OoC.

[PiccadillyPi]

"Thank ye for that, deary!"

Silas collected himself from the floor, brushing off the various sand particles from his vestments, noting some floated away, returning to the haunted room.

"I'd say we kept plenty back, but our luck near ran dry once we joined together in that room. I can see ye at a distance - signal with a hand once ye think it's clear."

Silas expanded his following of Belinda to 30 paces. Enough to see; perhaps enough to act.

[Darvin]

Dalen steps back into the room, gives a subtle nod to Aliani, then turns his attention to the circle. His eyes follow the lines, tracing out the patterns and folds that he could understand on an academic level, and whose implications he found deeply disturbing. But ultimately anything more than a surface level analysis would be sheer futility. He could study the lines for weeks and deduce no great insights, so far beyond him was this magic. He looks away before getting drawn in too deeply. He makes a purposeful moment of eye contact with Bellinda as she handles the stone, then turns away to address Sabrina, "then lead onward. We got lucky that the haunt subsided, but that's all the more reason to press on before those energies can reform,"

[Stelio Kontos]

"Well, that was fun" groused Aliani, likewise brushing off the dirt from the prone position to which he has semi-miraculously been propelled. "Not quite sure what happened there. Lucky for us, at any rate. We should, um, definitely let the Pharasmans know about this? Seems rather like something they'd be better equipped to deal with, and quite interested in."

"But we're okay! We're all okay, right?" as he looked around the room, catching Dalen's eye and returning the briefest of nods before letting out an deep exhalation. "We're all okay."

There was a certain uneasy tension about the place, between the mysterious engravings and the horrific haunting in the room -- one that could not be allowed to linger. A little levity might help the situation.

"As you please then, Miss Swiftfoot, but please don't stray too far" he asked, with a genuine care for her safety. "As the scarf said to the hat then?" he concluded, glancing around the room for the first look of puzzlement before breaking into a nervous grin to deliver his punchline. "I'll hang around here, you go on a head?"

[Starbuck_II]

"Sure, Belinda, you have my permission to search for troubles. That was close. So, was that trap for us or we just unlucky enough to fall for it?"

Magenta says as she straightens the hair that got out of place.

"Still wondering what was summoned."

[Stelio Kontos]

"I'm not sure 'summoned' is the right word. I'm sure Mr. Rittle can fill you in on the details at a more appropriate time, but that was, I am fairly sure, some sort of haunt. I'd say it, for lack of a better phrase, lives here."

[DarkOne-Rob]

Bellinda rolls her eyes and snorts quietly at the puns and bad humor before pocketing the unidentified Ioun Stone. "Once I know what that does..." she mutters quietly as she slinks back into the room to continue looking around. First she tries to sense out any hint of the haunt from before. Then, once she's sure it's safe she looks around at the dust to see if there are any more stones to be found. Finally she approaches the door on the far side of the lab and begins to inspect it closely for traps and a lock...

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Perception checks all around, with +9 to each. I'm not sure how many make sense, so feel free to roll them all, @Inspectre. Bellinda will take her time (at least taking 10) until the door, where she will take 20 if allowed.

[Inspectre]

With the haunt seemingly gone (at least until the spiritual energies can recharge), the party goes back into the laboratory and approaches the door on the far side of the chamber.
After checking for any other dangers - and finding nothing worthy of alarm - Bellinda eases the set of double doors open to reveal a long hallway decorated with murals on either side.
The murals depict a variety of cityscapes from the vantage point of an overlooking cliff, clusters of figures assembled atop it to begin a charge down into the city, while tendrils of inky blackness radiate out from a central point within the city to cover its streets, leaving only a flat canvas of darkness there.
Situated in the exact center of this darkness in each mural is that simplistic symbol of the impaled, bleeding eye.

At the far end of the hallway is another set of double doors, these ones covered in Thassilon runes that have been etched into the stone surface of the doors.
Flanking the doorway on either side, and as the last set of murals in the series, is a simple flat black field of emptiness.
Sitting again in the rough center of this sheet of darkness is the impaled bleeding eye smbol, and beneath it the shifting-to-Common words that seem to have bled out of the stone wall itself, just like in the laboratory.

THE STORY CHANGES BUT THE END REMAINS. CITY SHALL BURN. CITY SHALL ROT. CITY SHALL ABNEGATE.

Although Bellinda hears it first, it quickly becomes audible to the rest of the group, as the approaching cackling mob of derro are making no attempt to conceal their pursuit. And there's a *lot* of them this time, along with something that is moving with considerably heavier footfalls.

"Come on! Get in the hallway, I'll hold the door!"

Sabrina grunts, taking up a position to slam the doors closed behind you once everyone is inside the hallway. There does not appear to be any way to bar the door shut, aside from someone bracing themselves against the doors to hold them shut.


(At this point in time, these checks will need to be rolled as you are definitely under time pressure here - i.e. no Taking 10 on these checks)

Spoiler: Perception DC 15

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The earliest set of murals seem almost to be a reprise of one of the smaller images displayed on the first set of doors you crossed through to get in here - Sorshen on a cliff overlooking a burning city, although this time rather than Korvosa it's a much different city - presumably Eurythnia, the city she ruled.

The next set of murals depict a city scape that you don't recognize - it's clearly not Eurythnia nor Korvosa, although you do note the conspicuous presence of the Grand Mastaba, the great black pyramid atop which Castle Korvosa was built, within the depths of this city that straddles both sides of a river.

The last set of murals before the infinite blackness mural with its mysterious warning (threat?) is clearly Korvosa, although each mural has it's own slightly different version with various buildings positioned in different areas around the Grand Mastaba and Castle Korvosa.

All of the murals share some similar details - group of people on cliff overlooking the city, waves of darkness radiating out from the bleeding eye symbol to cover the city. The eye seems to always radiate out from the same point as well - in the rough vicinity of where Castle Korvosa stands in the Korvosa depicted in several of the murals. The city and the figures assembled on the cliff, however, are different in each mural - even the first few depicting Sorshen have her in different poses and carrying different weapons - a staff in one, a glaive in another, and so on.

Spoiler: Perception DC 20

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One figure that stands out to you among the figures assembled on the cliff in several of the murals is unmistakably Blackjack. While hardly surprising to be included in the groups of heroes assembling to defend the cities from whatever evil this bleeding eye represents, what *is* curious is the fact that Blackjack is not just in the murals depicting Korvosa. He's also in several of the murals just prior to the Korvosa section, standing guard over some other city that is decidedly not Korvosa nor Eurythnia. Which is quite odd given there was no recorded city here before Korvosa (with the clear exception of the incredibly ancient city of Eurythnia), and Blackjack is said to be a creation and guardian of Korvosa specifically . . . does that mean Blackjack, or at least the concept of Blackjack the masked vigilante, is even older than Korvosa itself!?

Spoiler: Knowledge Geography DC 15

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While each city is different, coastlines and all, the layouts are similar enough that they could conceivably be covering the same patch of ground. Certainly, there are ruins beneath Korvosa which indicate prior civilization, and certainly this complex you're in here seems to suggest that was Eurythnia, Sorshen's city from the days of the Runelords . . . but what is this city in between Eurythnia and Korvosa?

Spoiler: Knowledge History DC 25

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The middle set of murals seem to be depicting a city known as Tamrivena - or, perhaps, Old Tamrivena given there is currently a city with the same name of "Tamrivena" up in the nation of Ustalav now. It was said that there had been a city of Tamrivena in the distant past, around the time of the Whispering Tyrant, but it was destroyed during the upheaval surrounding the Shining Crusade's war against the Tyrant and the Tyrant's various attempts to conquer the entire world. And as a result of the city's total destruction, very little is known about it or its inhabitants. But that city was said to have been somewhere up in Ustalav, so why is it being included here?

Spoiler: Knowledge Engineering DC 15

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While unlikely to hold for very long, you could probably smash bits off of the murals and jam the rubble into the frame and hinges of the doors to help hold them shut. A couple of iron spikes driven into the stone to hold the two doors together might also help keep them shut. Despite being heavy stone doors, they are not very thick stone and are clearly meant for a more ornamental than security purpose - a determined assault will eventually break them down no matter how well you support them to remain shut.

[Stelio Kontos]

Aliani speed-walked through the door, trying to keep to the side for anyone who might wish to travel more recklessly. "We've got your back" he rattled off to Sabrina as he moved by.

He sniffled at the air; the rather unpleasant stagnance was doing his breathing no favors. "Strange. It's almost like they're all the same city, except they're not. That bend in the river there looks like about where the North Bridge stands."

If there was any other deep meaning to be had from this place, it was lost on him. He stared ahead at the far end of the hallway, looking for any signs of something even more untoward. "Be careful. Needless to say, there's something not right about this place. Any hints of magic, Mr. Rittle?" He could have done it himself, and would if need be, but -- let the man have his moment.

[PiccadillyPi]

Tightly behind Aliani was Silas, hurriedly moving along, observing the murals with an uneducated sense of what they might depict. The only details he could grasp were the glaring similarities image to image. He stopped at one to stare before moving on to the next. A peculiar detail that baffled the unknowledgeable undulator.

"We're all seeing this, aye? Blackjack. It must be."

Silas ran back, then forward again. Each mural he pointed to a figure of similar gait and dress.

"Aye? Yes?"

The last two murals he examined with fingers tracing the horizon.

"And it's all... Korvosa? No, we're not that old. How many cities boasted our home's land before now?"

Though he wished for an answer, Silas was not foolish enough to do nothing between words. He assisted anyone directing action to blockade the door or otherwise rush to the next area.

[Darvin]

"Strange. It's almost like they're all the same city, except they're not. That bend in the river there looks like about where the North Bridge stands."

"They are clearly different periods in its history," Dalen remarks, "again, we can return here with a team of scholars later and compare it against the historical record. But right now, we have a task to complete,"

"We're all seeing this, aye? Blackjack. It must be."

"And it's all... Korvosa? No, we're not that old. How many cities boasted our home's land before now?"

"Hardly surprising. There are scandalous gaps in the history books in which entire cities could easily be hiding. Really no different than cartographers working off incomplete information, and creating maps that are missing land masses and cities," Dalen shrugs.

Dalen hurries through the door, not eager to waste time fighting an army of Derro.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Bellinda doesn't recognize what little she sees, as she's intent on the approaching enemies as she moves towards the stone doors. "We need to find a spot to fight where we can control them - make them come at us in small numbers..." she says before she begins mouthing the words to several prayers. The little halfling seems intent on encouraging herself to fight heroically, with divine litanies doing much to focus her mind on the fight approaching.

[Starbuck_II]

Magenta tries to use all her weight to brace the door as she studies the murals.
She relays any information she discovers.

She doesn't fully understand the meaning
"Why is this here? What is this supposed to be?"

Spoiler

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(1d20+9)[21] vs DC 15 Perception

(1d20+9)[26] vs DC 20 Perception

(1d20+8)[15] +(1d6)[6] vs DC 15 Geography

(1d20+8)[27] +(1d6)[1] vs DC 25 History

(1d20+8)[25] +(1d6)[5] vs DC 15 Engineering


History is the one I suspect to fail.

[Inspectre]

“This hallway should do a decent job of funneling them, although we need a way to spread out ourselves – hopefully whatever is beyond those doors is not more hostiles.”


Marcus observes in response to Bellinda’s suggestion, already moving to join Dalen and Silas in moving into the next room. Sabrina scowls at Magenta as she moves to help bar the way you had came, and then focuses her glare on – as usual – Aliani.

“Stop gawking at the walls and get out of here! Go, find Her Majesty! I’ll hold them here for as long as I can!”

“By yourself? Don’t be ridiculous, we are stronger together and you are our only method for finding Her Majesty in the first place!”

Marcus calls back from the doors at the end of the hallway, deepening Sabrina’s scowl as a mad scrambling echoes from the door she and Magenta are holding closed – the derro have arrived at the door and are trying – feebly – to break in.

“She’s right through those doors, and we don’t have time to argue! Someone’s got to keep them off your backs!”

Through the closed doorway, Magenta can hear a gravely voice bark out a command in a language that she does not recognize. A moment later and there is the sound of heavy footfalls charging towards the door, followed by a chorus of panicked shrieks from the derro as they stop trying to push on the door and scatter. A moment later and something very heavy and very strong slams its shoulder into the door, nearly throwing Magenta and Sabrina away from the door before they both manage to dig their feet in and brace themselves to push the doors back closed – barely.

“You need to go.”

Sabrina grunts as she grits her teeth and sets her shoulder against the door, shifting her stance as she tries to brace her feet against the base of the nearest mural, while from the other side of the door the heavy footfalls begin to echo back away from the door – as the thing backs up for another charge.

“This is going to get very ugly here, very quickly. Her Majesty may be injured and need your medical skills – I’ll be fine.”

Meanwhile, Marcus and Silas spearhead the party’s route into the next chamber beyond the current hallway, Dalen one step behind them. As Marcus and Silas each push open one-half of the double doors, it becomes immediately clear that you are stepping out onto a balcony overlooking a massive underground chamber, easily five hundred feet long and several hundred feet wide. A stairway curls along the wall at both sides of the balcony, leading down to the floor of the chamber roughly fifty feet below. Taking up a sizable portion of the middle of this chamber is the gigantic metal snake that attacked the Cathedral of Asmodeus, now sitting dark and unmoving. Taking up the rest of the chamber’s floorspace all around the snake is a maze-like tangle of workbenches, shelves, and stacked up crates of unknown contents.

Somewhere, a few hundred feet back into the chamber and off to the left of the balcony, echoes a howl of anger in Haeluna’s voice.

“WHERE ARE YOU!!?”

From somewhere off to the right of the balcony and vaguely closer, Vreeg’s voice echoes out a rejoinder.

“VREEG IS OVER HERE, STILL LOOKING!”

Spoiler: Perception DC 25

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Finding Ileosa in this maze is going to be difficult, particularly if she’s attempting to hide from Haeluna and Vreeg who are searching for her. Although at least it’s not an impossible task anymore, given that it’s been more than long enough for the scroll of Invisibility that Dalen gave her to run out its duration. And you have the advantage of elevation, giving you a not-quite bird’s eye view of the nearest portions of the maze-like tangle below . . . there! You just catch a glimpse of flame hair ducking behind a line of crates off to the right, about sixty feet away from the balcony. Seems likely that Ileosa has been trying to work her way in this direction for some time, and she’s nearly reached the balcony, but there’s enough open space in between the start of the maze and the stairs winding up to your balcony that she will be exposed for a brief period of time. Calling out to her is also likely to draw attention to the balcony from Haeluna and Vreeg, although the only alternative is to move quietly down into the maze yourself and attempt to find Ileosa again from the ground-level.

[DarkOne-Rob]

"There she is! Quickly, into the maze! We have to find the Queen first!" whispers Bellinda urgently to her allies. She points in the general direction before dashing into the maze after their friend and Monarch, intent on finding her before the two villains.