Temple of False Gods

[Niachi]

Niachi elbows the space where 'Miuko might be to confirm the cloaked mage's location. He peers down the entrance.

"I'll need to hunch down. Looks cramped for your shield in there, A. Um, Thess-ik, where will you fit in our formation? Coden and I take front, or I can take rear guard. We'll need light for shadows."

He unpockets his Continual Light orb and tucks it into the cuff of his left hand so it can be aimed with his hand. He unpockets his marble of Continual Dark and tucks it in his right sleeve. Gripping his sword, he whispers

[Elven: 'night']

The darkness spills out from his hand in an 8 foot cone that swallows up his hands and sword. He demonstrates how this can conceal a few human sized individuals. He deactivates it, then powers up the Light orb. A comforting glow plays down the length of the sturdy blade. He repeats the gestures to demonstrate illuminating or blinding a target in the same 8 foot cone directed by his blade. Shadows dancing everywhere.

[AthasianLaborer]

'Muiko will study the art on the walls, careful to pay attention to the details of the inhuman creatures.  He will compare and contrast the images in front of him with his recall of the art from the Tomb (assuming any pieces surviving the portfolio fire can't be viewed currently since he's invisible).

'Muiko will stay out of the way while Attilius deals with the doors and once marching orders are brought up. <Ping Quila "Keep next to Niachi in the line and I will be the gap between you two">

[Attilius]

The giant tosses each door in opposite directions as far as his strength allows him to.

As he stows his tools while nodding to the dead soldier "At least now, his fate will NOT be ours..."

He also stows his gouge and tower shield on the rear of his backpack. He then pulls out his invisible axe from his calf sheath and readies to go inside
"I like to keep THIS handy, for CLOSE ENCOUNTERS."

[DM Bob]

Well, for the moment keeping the goliath to the rear and on hands and knees seems to work.

As far as "powering down" the continual light? How is it being covered? It never shuts off. Also be very careful to not have that light touch the magical dark - the two will cancel each other out. Permanently.

The only other obvious issue is that there is no obvious door or portal here. The pictures are neat and all, but there seems to be more to it than party order at this point (I do appreciate it though).

[AthasianLaborer]

Disbelieve the dead end.

Save vs Spells rolled a 1 needing a 10 or higher [Failed.]

<Ping Skrye "The wall is definitely NOT an illusion, can you shape a door in it?">

[Attilius]

Mar 25, 2024 3:56:34 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

The only other obvious issue is that there is no obvious door or portal here.

Sheathing his axe, removing his galea and pulling out his hammer again, the giant silently stoops low, puts his right ear on a part of the wall art and gently taps his hammer against a flat piece of the wall while plugging his outside ear with his left hand.

He'll do this every 3' to see if he can hear different sounds as he taps his hammer against new places on the wall...

[DM Bob]

This can be done if everyone exits and reenters the room.

The goliath is sure that he hears a bit of a hollow behind the wall of the far end of the corridor (as one would expect).

Looking about on his big ass tummy, he finds what looks like a 1 1/2 inch chip in the wall about 3 1/2 feet above the ground. You think you can pull it down like a lever.

All of this takes another 6 rounds.

[Niachi]

Edit:
Concerning Niachi’s light and darkness orbs, he just shows that he has them and puts them away.

(Nothing up my sleeve GIF)

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Skrye gets closer to Attilius - "Can I help?" - looking at his huge effort and the door not far away from him

[Attilius]

"Found what looks to be a lever, but it could be trapped..." he says as he points to it then moves back out to let the smallun's have a gander.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- "I can try, just move back, who knows what can this be if triggered, or would you like to give it a try Thessik?" - looking at the dwarf - "I know some bits and pieces but I'm not an expert"

[DM Bob]

One thing Thessik notes, is that as strange as this crew was, they had no issue taking advantage of the skills of those who were around. Heck, he'd only met them some hours ago and already they were asking for honest help. A pleasant change from some company he'd kept before.

But there seemed to be a lot that these folks knew that he was not privy to.

One: Who or what was that crazy skull-headed apparition and why did these Kurnites seem to be taking orders or running errands from it?

Two: This Quila may have been responsible for all this strange muck and gigantic worm action? She wears matching armor to that he'd been entrusted, so that was comforting... but is it comforting enough?

Three: This Attilius chap really wanted to impress him it seems. Half giants were an odd mimic-ing group to begin with though.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Mar 24, 2024 15:18:20 GMT -12 AthasianLaborer said:

<Ping Quila "Keep next to Niachi in the line and I will be the gap between you two">

<Ping back "Understood">

Quila will match step and keeps next to Niachi in order for 'Muiko to fill the gap between them.

She looks at the drawings and at the stonework, admiring it as she did in Myron's Tomb. "This here is just as ancient as in the Tomb. Do you remember I dated the chained welded door leading down to the troll city of Tnor'morken at 2,848 years old? Which was strange since that was some 700 years after the Cleansing Wars began. And those skeletons in the fountain we found were also 3,500ish years old. Remember also the warning in the extinct Goblyn tongue above that chained welded door, telling us 'Wrath Trolls of Tnor'morken beneath. Angry even in Death.' Remember also that Aman the Maker himself manufactured the tomb he put his brother Myron in."

She looks at the new man, Thessik the dwarf, seemingly looking at him for the first time and noticing his Kurnan armor. "What do you know of the wars my dear dwur? And are you part of the Black Lancers as well? Your armor tells me you are an esteemed companion. You must have questions if you have not heard from our efforts before."

[DM Bob]

Thessik takes a look at the lever and then asks Skrye to consult.

Between the two of them, they believe that pulling the lever will open the wall, but will likely trigger a second catch. The tari notices that there's a small patch of holes that remind her of the poison gas trap that was in the tomb. Taking out some wezer wax, she softens it up between her clawed fingers and then wedges it in the holes.

Pulling the lever then opens the portal, causing a three foot by six foot section of the wall to open inward and to the right. An extremely tight squeeze for the goliath. He will need to not have armor on to advance further.

The room (or more like wider corridor) itself opens up to the left revealing a ten foot by thirty-ish foot space with an eight foot clearance.

The sides are lined with sandstone statues of trollish looking figures. Each of the dozen has slightly different features and poses. One has two heads. Another smiles. One frowns. And so on and on. They vary in sizes, from 6' to just barely clearing the stone ceiling.

A thick layer of dust covers the room and there seems to have been a layer of purple and greenish paints that have started to fleck from the wall behind them.

To the far end of this corridor, there is a door of bronze, with detail that you can't make out without entering the room itself or getting closer. There is a matching door to the right of this.

Map to follow in the chat.

[Attilius]

Attilius begins removing his armor and neatly putting it in his pack