[KAUAI]The Rod of Seven Parts: Of Hexes and Gems

[CanadienneBacon]

Hissing in slight pain as he moves over to inspect the rune on the blue southern door, Voadam compares it to the other runes, trying harder to decipher its meaning now that he has some experience with the eastern rune. Holding up his light coin for a better view, Voadam stands for long moments before the southern doors.

[sblock=Voadam]Knowledge (arcana) check result 17. The large rune itself seems to be a language, foreign as it may be to Voadam and the others. While not innately magical, the rune is obviously connected to whatever spellcraft surely lies within the gem inside the rune. Spellcraft check result 8. Appraise check result 14. The blue "gem" is no gem at all but rather is merely faux mineral, glass, really.[/sblock]

From overhead in the ceiling comes a jolting grinding noise, followed by a series of clicks then a rumble of machinery. Judging by the noise, a large set of cogs or some variety of gearworks lies hidden above the chamber's ceiling. Just after Maelicent pulls Gamad over the back of the dead crocodile to relative safety in the hallway, the intact half of the western door begins to slowly swing its way closed. The ruined half of this former set of double doors lies in rubble and does not move. A strange whoosing sound, like a wave beating against the shore, comes from somewhere behind the eastern doors. Water begins seeping from the narrow crack under the eastern doors.

 

[Voadam]

"Waters coming in, we must move, the gem here is but a variety of glass and not worth ransacking as a gem, the rune though is somehow both tied into the magic of the gem and I believe is itself actually a word or letter, though in what language I could not say. We need to figure out how these doors open without triggering another magical explosion."

Voadam thinks briefly about their physical location and what he knows of the city's geography from his study of the maps and his own observations, wondering if the water coming in here makes sense or must have been diverted somehow.

Knowledge Geography +7

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Other than Bathmere on the citadel grounds, which Voadam knows of vis-a-vis Maelicent's description a bit earlier, the city uses the River Tegyrn as its water source. The river is a goodly distance to the south of the citadel and its grounds; therefore, the water has been diverted from another source. Either that, or there is an aquafer beneath the city or an underground stream--which may also account for the pool in the mushroom cave.

 

[Ambrus]

Maelicent goes back to prying out the dragon's teeth. "Albino here seems ta be tha worst off a yas. Don't go worryin about drownin from tha water; it'd take a bit for it ta flow through these two rooms here, an then it'd have ta fill tha big drek cave out there before it'd just flow down tha two tunnels ta tha south. There'd have ta be a hell of a lot a it ta fill all these caves down here an drown us. Take yer time ta figure it all right dis time." the goblin urges Voadam. In spite of his dismissive words, the Gudwulf warrior nonetheless climbs up onto the behemoth's snout to stay up out of the advancing water before resuming his grisly task.

OOC: Mael mentioned the fact that he'd spotted a sizeable body of water in the citadel grounds when the party first entered the old forest.

 

[Voadam]

Voadam searches the door for an opening mechanism while he ponders the situation.

Search +7

 

[SlagMortar]

Brakkus eyes the rising water nervously, but trusts the goblins assessment for now. He aids in the search for a way to open the door, though he's not sure how enthusiastic he will be to open it given what was behind the last door.

 

[Mista Collins]

"First fire; then water. Will the air be sucked out of the room after that?" Chev asks with no hint of sarcasm on his voice.

 

[Voadam]

"The beast forced open the double doors leading to the slugmen with brute strength causing destruction in its fury. It came from behind here and could not have opened the doors itself. So possibly the beast was led here by whoever took the rod and left to cover its trail. The double doors are triggered by some cogworks to close after a period of being opened, so I expect them to close after us once we open them and pass through. I would guess there is a cogwork mechanism for opening them as well then. Hmm, The beast came through our doors, not back the way it came, perhaps the gem magics had something to do with that choice and perhaps with his mauled condition, though that may be the work of whoever led it here. I have a crowbar and hammer, if it does not open easily and we cannot find an opening mechanism we may need to attempt the beast's tactic of physical force."

Voadam continues to search as he verbally explores possibilities and conclusions, though keeping aware of any changes in the gem should it react to his presence.

 

[Ambrus]

The Gudwulf warrior tries to follow the green wizard's verbose conjecture, but is quickly overwhelmed by the giant-kin's erudite vocabulary. Remaining focused on his task, Maelicent feigns interest by responding "Ayeah?" occasionally. Pausing to pocket another tooth, the goblin takes a moment to peek up over the dragon's bulk to inquire: "So... Ya want I should gut this thin or nah?"

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Brakkus joins Voadam at the southern doors. Finding no hint of how the stone doors might open, Brakkus is unable to be of much assistance to Voadam's search. After the Green Wizard details his lengthy theory on the hexagonal chamber, however, Brakkus sizes up the behemoth and the stone doors lying in a rubble to the west. Judging by the size of the crocodile and the brute ferocity of its bite, the beast must have possessed fearsome strength and certainly was far stronger in life than any human, dwarf, or goblin. Save for the rune and the blue gem, the southern set of doors could be a twin to the western doors; the stone is smooth, well-mortared and, if the western doors are anything to go on, thick.

Just as Gamad suggested with regard to the western doors, Voadam finds that the southern doors bear no visible opening mechanism. The stone stab hangs from hidden hinges and while it does sport a crack running vertically lengthwise down the middle, the stonework throughout both sides is smoothly joined. Clearly, these portals will be opened most readily by magic. Failing magical means, the crocodile's partial egress would indicate that the application of extreme strength may also meet with limited success.

The Gudwulf perches atop the dead behemoth and prizes a third tooth from the beast's mouth. Despite the poor condition of the crocodile's eye and its bruised jawline, the thing's teeth are of stout quality and in good shape--a worthy prize. Looking up from his perch, the goblin spies no sign of any of the three slugs back in the mushroom cave.

The water coursing from underneath the eastern doors continues and shows no sign of abating, but the gearworks overhead slow after a moment then soon cease their grinding and clicking altogether. After ten seconds or so, there is enough water in the hexagonal chamber that Brakkus, Chev, and Voadam find the liquid laps at their boot heels. The dead crocodile jammed in the broken western doors serves as a temporary plug; the hallway beyond the room remains dry, for now.