THE HEROES OF DYVERS CHAPTER 7: CLARE'S ERRAND

[ScottDeWar_jr]

Xao nods in understanding, "Master Respin, Are you familiar with truename magic?"

 

[Waynan]

Tam, let's the rest figure out what the keys are about while he quietly, albeit a bit impatiently, watches on.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

GM: Replying on behalf of Respen, with an "e," whose player is gone fishin'.

Respen says, "Yes, I know of the practice. True Name Magicks are used to bind and control supernatural entities, such as Djinn, Baatezu, and Tanar'ri, usually for the purpose of using the bound creature's abilities for one's own personal gain. True Name Magicks can also be used on regular people such as yourself, but only for the purposes of scrying and gating. Only supernatural entities can have their will enslaved by such magicks. And the practice of such is considered to be the Dark Arts, equal in depravity to the practice of Necromancy. If that is how you were brought here, then Ankheret must be a mad, diabolical creature. This little side-errand is getting worse and worse with each passing moment. To all of you, friends of old acquaintance, and newly-met, I say that I am sorry for dragging you here on my behalf. I am forever in your debt."

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Vale's axe, Val, speaks up: "Yer mistress, Clare, could be said to be diabolical as well, pansy Elf. She is a Drow, is she not? And a vampire to boot? I look forward to the day when my blade bites into her flesh!"

Vale shrugs. He can't say it out loud, but he agrees with his axe for once. In his mind, Respen made a huge mistake by entering into this agreement with Dame Clare. He hoped that they would all soon see the better side of it. But burn it all, sometimes this axe was just a little too blunt and free with its proverbial tongue!

 

[ScottDeWar_jr]

interestinger and interes.tinger, mumbles XAo

 

[MacConnell]

Lathir waits for the others, by the door.

 

[ScottDeWar_jr]

Xao is close behind

 

[redraider629]

Kleborn and Thallok join Lathir and Xao, prepared to go through the door.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

GM: SUMMARY: The party decides to forget about experimenting with the keys, and stuffs them back into Respen's portable hole. No one wants to look at the statue, either. That's fine. It's probably a trap. When Lathir approaches the door, it opens, magically. Lathir steps through, and the rest of the party follows suit. At a sprint of 120' per round, it takes 7 rounds to reach the center room again; the party doesn't bother to check for traps, and true to the previous hallways, there are none.

Spoiler: Map of Center Room

Spoiler: Reminder: Picture of Room Layout

Spoiler: Recap of "Testing Room" Description

This chamber is 80 feet square with a 40-foot-high ceiling. The door you have just opened is positioned in the west corner of the chamber. Situated in the middle of each of the four walls is a 10-foot-wide stone door covered with inscriptions. The remaining walls are covered with detailed murals.

In front of each door is a stone pedestal, 10 feet wide, 20 feet long and five feet high. Crouching on each pedestal are full-sized granite statues of sphinxes. Each pedestal holds a different sphinx, and all face their respective doors in silent vigilance,

To the right facing southwest is a falcon-headed hieracosphinx, and to the left facing northwest is a goat-headed criosphinx. On the other side of the chamber, a male androsphinx faces northeast, while a female gynosphinx faces southeast.

In the center of the chamber is a squat pyramid, perhaps five feet high. Composed of smooth tan stone, each of the four surfaces is engraved with a small triangle with an eye set into the center.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

The party finally reaches the testing room once more; the only test they have not yet passed is that of the Hieracosphinx; Respen approaches, and reads the riddle engraved on the baseplate aloud:

Riddle of the Hieracosphinx:
“I stand beneath the walls;
Below me there is nothing.
The root at the beginning,
The ruin at the end.
What am I?”

Respen holds his hand up in a closed fist, to let the newcomers (Lathir and Xao) know that they should not speak. Respen pulls out a quill and parchment, and writes them the following note:

SPEECH IS CONSIDERED AN ANSWER. WRITE YOUR IDEAS ON THIS PARCHMENT. I SHALL SPEAK, WHEN WE HAVE ALL AGREED TO AN ANSWER.

GM: This is your chance to discuss this in LINE chat. Xao, you REALLY should consider getting LINE chat for your phone. It's so useful.