Sariel crosses her arms, eyeing the drow curiously.

"A single blow, is it?" she says. Not that she doesn't trust him... but she eyes Bernkastel anyway, curious if the shaman detects any lies. She has spirits, and such, right?

>>7945
Super competent. "I understand. I'm going to help her now, so please convince her not to attack us."

Battle standard of healing, and first aid (second wind) for the drow. Rolling as a formality.

If the drow spends a surge in the standard's area, do we get healed?

>>7953
Heal. http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3374049/

With a bit of first aid, Bernkastel manages to restore the fallen drow to consciousness. It awakens with a jerk, though the other drow kneels down and tries to calm the newly-conscious one down a bit. "It's over, no need to fight now." Turning back to the adventurers, the first drow says, "Well, thank you for taking care of that taskmaster. We need to be getting back to the priestess as soon as possible."

Sariel nods, understanding the drow.

"There is a portal south of here. I... failed in examining whether it'll properly cast one back. It is where we parted from the high priestess. Perhaps there is time for that examination now."

The eladrin starts making for the portal, Roth trailing behind her. She is intent on examining it and see if it will offer a way back.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3374603/
lol another 1

>>7955
"It seems to be one way at the moment, unfortunately," Torinn comments. "Unless you or Sariel," he gestures to the eladrin, "knows how to make it work again, then I'd assume that Sankis and his goons are controlling it to prevent escapes."

"Right, that portal probably doesn't go backwards to avoid escaping. But maybe there's some way to re-activate it around here."
Take everburning torch in off-hand and explore a bit the area.
Perception check (lol 14) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3376966/

Sariel can't seem to figure out how to work the portal. The drow look to each other, and one motions in the direction of the portal, saying, "Then we'll simply have to make our way back the hard way. I would imagine these tunnels will eventually carry us back to the chasm, given the nature of a dwarven fortress."

Sureiya finds a mine cart to the north, that was apparently overlooked in the excitement of battle. In the mine cart is a few extra tools, some coal, and a heavy metal box of some sort. It looks like a toolbox, or perhaps a lock-box. To the east there is a passage partially blocked off by a large pile of igneous rocks.

"Oh, What do we have here?"Getting interesed in the metal box, Sureiya take his thief tools and attempt to pick the lock.
Thievery check: (23) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3376994/

With a bit of effort, Sureiya is able to pick open the simple lock on the metal box. The contents are: 1400 gold pieces, a masterwork obsidian puzzlebox of dwarven manufacture (worth 200 gp), a strange magical bastard sword, and a set of enchanted gloves.

A bit of inspection reveals the bastard sword to be a +2 paired bastard sword (level 8). By swinging the sword in a certain way, it splits into a pair of enchanted blades. The gloves are decorated with sinister looking runes, and from what you can tell, they are useful to those who have forged pacts with otherworldly beings: they are a set of gloves of eldritch admixture (level 8).

Very satifistied with his finding, Sureiya call the rest of the party
"Hey, I know what this beauty can do. I saw a similar one before, but this one looks even more sharp ...
Do you mind if I keep it? There is some extra stuff here!"

spend a healing surge

At Sureiya's excitement, Sariel returns to the rest of the group, seeing that they are mulling about like an indecisive and lazy bunch.

"I suggest you guys look alive," the eladrin notes, "lest I exchange your presence for that of the drow."

It's one thing to delve into some kind of dwarfish ruin for the sake of casting a ritual. It's another thing entirely if your bodyguards are lazing around on their arses, being quiet and dead-like.

"Looking alive would be quite the transition, considering that I was buried like a corpse mere moments ago."

Myn journeys over to the ranger, plucking the gloves from the box with a smile. He positions himself comfortably on the ground, attempting to remove the dirt from earlier while gesturing at his useless imp to assist him.



Short rest. Return imp to passive mode.

The wizard snorts. "You always act as a corpse," she retorts, "so find a better excuse."

Oh, battle standard -is- set up by Bern earlier. Sariel spends a surge to get up to 39 HP, +2 by the battle standard was it? 41, 43, 45 with Myn and Torinn spending a surge, too.

Roth heals to full on a short rest for free. Folka and Sureiya should spend a surge as well, this should bring everyone to (near) full HP.

>>7974
"In any case," the eladrin continues, raising her voice, "we're moving out soon again. I'd rather not spend longer down here than is necessary; I'm only here to cast a ritual, but I imagine your precious duke will be in quite a bind if we take too long."

Sariel eyes the rest of the party with a sweeping gaze, then with a nod says, "Thus. It's in your best interest to get moving with me, because losing my support will jeopardise your mission."

"That one is acting quite arrogantly for someone who couldn't figure out how a portal works."

"We have a slave-driver of our own, it seems. I suppose there's no sense in dallying here, so let us make haste, everyone."

Myn stands up, resolving to think only of the bath that awaits him upon their return.

Testing his new blade, Sureiya activate it's magic propierty and create a second blade. Then he saves farbond and harmony in the bag.
"So ... I don't think I will last another fight in this shape. Will you cast that ritual again, Sariel?"

With the battle over, Folka's mind couldn't help but wander. He should really be out in the world looking for signs of his brother and havoc wreaked by him, but he had to go and get arrested and blamed for his brother's actions yet again.

With Sariel's voice awakening to the reality again, he figures to try and make the best of the situation, nodding at her inquiry and gathering near the rest of the party for a short rest to tend to their wounds.

Take short rest near bern's banner near rest of party, Bern is wanting to do comrade's succor, surge spending etc will go from there.

ALSO, I never spent a surge this fight as bern pointed out to me, as did riri.

The shaman visibly grows irritated with the unnecessary hurry. She looks up from recovering her spiritual reserve, directly faces the party, and speaks more in one sitting than ever before.

"I do see sense in spending some time here to recover. Most of the melee fighters, especially Mr. Reiyasu, look rather exhausted, and I don't think we're prepared to face Sankis in this condition. I'd like to suggest using a ritual to rejuvenate the weary, while we prepare some more effective healing for the group."

She also looks to Torinn. "And are we still going the right way?"

Torinn checks the device in response to the shaman's query.

The drow slip away quietly while the party is gathering for healing under the battle standard, heading back down the tunnel from the portal. Apparently they intend to make the trek on foot. A glance at Sid's device tells Torinn that they are quite close--the leyline is near, to the east, as the indicator is glowing a bright orange.

>>7998
"Seems like we're very close."

"Rejuvenate, huh," Sariel says, then calmly begins her preparations to cast the Comrade's Succor spell, eager to just get it all done with.

The party rests up and heals over the course of about 15-20 minutes, and Sariel casts a ritual to help redistribute the party's remaining strength in preparation for what is to come.

Once finished, the adventurers turn to the path before them. By all indications, the leyline's "strongest point" is quite near, and the path to the east should lead you in the right direction. There's a large scattering of igneous rocks here, but they don't block off the whole path, so you should be able to easily circumvent them. The tunnel is narrow, only about 20 feet high, and quite warm. Even after resting, you are still sweating. It's getting very sticky and uncomfortable, so perhaps you should get to finishing the task at hand so you can depart.

Feeling much better, the ranger thanks both the Shaman and the Spellcaster. Now, there's something else to do, or can we finally continue this?
"Ahh, I feel much better. But this heat is getting really annyoning. If everything is in order, can we leave now?"

Torinn is quickly back up and about, intently following where the device points. "We're really close now."

"Thanks, I feel better now. I would feel better if we finished our job and got out of this place before we all get baked alive, though."

The party travels a distance down the passage, finding it to be wholly unremarkable except for a heavy stone door at the end. It looks very important, as it is engraved with a large stone dwarf face. The dwarf is screaming and appears to be on fire.

"That doesn't look right," Torinn remarks of the engraving. He moves closer to examine it, but doesn't touch it.

Torinn discovers that this is, in fact, a stone door with the face of a screaming, burning dwarf engraved upon it.

With no other obvious way forward, Torinn hisses, "Everybody get behind me, I'm gonna open the door."

"Hold a second, there's something really suspicious here!"
Rolled a 3 on perception lol

"You know," Sariel starts, "every time you say that, we've gotten in some kind of trouble, paladin. You don't appear to think before you leap."

DETECT MAGIC: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3382731/

Sureiya finds no traps, and Sariel detects no magic. It seems to just be a door that was designed in rather poor taste.

Sariel consults with Corellon.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3382741/

Sariel has a brief vision of a bunch of elves screaming and running around while on fire, but maybe it was just her imagination.

"I concur."

The shaman puts her ear to the door to listen for stuff.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3382751/

"Okay, new plan. Paladin enters first. We hide and sit back. If the paladin commences yelling at some point, we assume there is battle and run back whence we came and report to the duke our mission was a failure," Sariel says. "If the paladin does not die within a minute of entering, it is probably safe and we will not be a bunch of running, screaming elves within two minutes."

She eyes the rest of the party. "Well, at least if you guys weren't such hopelessly short-lived creatures anyway. You don't have much to lose, I have centuries to lose!"

Torinn thinks he read something about this. Is this a warning, or just an ugly motif?

Dungeoneering and History checks
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3382753/ (20 and 22 respectively)

>>8034
>>8027
"Except for the part on how we don't know how to get back through that portal.. And maybe that teleport disk as well? We could end up trekking through the tunnels, like those drow, but we'd probably end up hopelessly lost.. You have a point though, let's be cautious before running in there without a clue as to what is in there."

"... hahahahaha!
You are an interesting one, Sariel. But you probably want to see the leyline by yourself, don't you?"

Geez, can't they be quieter back there?

Still trying to listen.

Torinn thinks the art style is consistent with that of the ancient dwarven kingdoms. The subject matter, however, is not.

Bernkastel can't hear anything on the other side of the door. It seems too thick.

>>8039
"I'm sorry. I can't hear anything."

Abuse Spirit of Vigor to give everyone and their dog 4 tHP, and then ready a move action to walk when the door opens.

"Shush!"

Torinn waits a moment, then says, "This is definitely dwarven architecture, and the style itself is consistent with dwarven art styles of this area and period." He points to the edge of the bearded figure, as if this would indicate anything, "I can tell by the jagged edges and simplistic designs, having seen many pieces of art from this area and era."

"However, most of it did not depict dwarves who were ablaze. If it's not already obvious, it was made by a dwarf of great skill who was completely out of their mind." Torinn scratches his head in perplexion, "Or maybe they got 'low' on magic mushrooms when they carved it. I think the former's more likely. We'll never know from just standing here."

Quietly praying to Bahamut for any guidance he can give, Torinn pushes the door open and braces for whatever might be on the other side.

Religion : http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3382806/ (3)

>>8041
Completely uninterested in the Paladin's babbles at attempting to seem educated, Folka looks to the rest of the party instead.

Sariel mouths a soundless cry of 'Don't open it witho--', but she predictably doesn't get much farther.

Partially because Torinn is already opening the door.
Partially because she's facepalming.
And partially because Roth's facetentacling her, ever thoughtful of her master.

When Torinn opens the door, a deep, somewhat trembling and erratic voice from inside calls out, "Oh yes, come in! I've been expecting you!"

>>8045
Continued~