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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carlo-One" data-source="post: 8070416" data-attributes="member: 7015827">Starting from the eastern end of the hoard chamber, they moved slowly west, with Dermot in the lead. A dim orange glow was visible ahead and the ranger confirmed that it was a river of lava bounding part of the western end of the cavern, the heat increasing exponentially the closer one got to it. Darrow got close enough to see it with his own eyes, then joined the others making their way along the side of the chamber, towards its southern end; the north end was sheer rock. As they clambered over and through the gold piles, Shanni grabbed fistfuls of coins with each step.A rock-hewn corridor led south, but the chamber at the end of it was blocked by the image of a large mouth. It shouted a query in an unfamiliar language as the party approached, which at first dumfounded Dermot and Darrow, but Aerikoth then recognized it as Draconic. The wizard informed them that the magical mouth wished to know what were their orders from the Master. Shanni, her pockets bulging, initially stayed silent as Darrow shrugged and recommended telling it to stand down. Dermot thought this would be a good idea, as the mouth repeated its query and then said an additional phrase, which Aerikoth interpreted as “Trespassers will be punished.” Shanni then brightly suggested they tell it that they were there to move the gold, as the Master had a new home, and that he had given them one of his scales as proof.Darrow peered past the mouth and along with Shanni noted the presence of a large, iron man-like figure standing in the chamber beyond it, which Darrow recognized as a golem. Dermot readied his weapons, given that combat was a possibility; the ranger observed that if this chamber was guarded, that meant the gold was not the most valuable thing down there. Meanwhile, Aerikoth had been having an exchange in Draconic with the magic mouth, neglecting to translate it for his companions.After Shanni demanded to know what was being said, the wizard glanced at her briefly and told her that he was attempting to ascertain the purpose of the voice and the metallic construct, which had been set there to guard and challenge. Shanni then asked if he had told it they were there to move the gold. Without answering her, the wizard resumed speaking with the magic mouth. Darrow chimed in and asked the wizard to give a heads-up if he thought they would be fighting the iron golem. Aerikoth had another exchange in Draconic, then told the others to be patient, as he was attempting to ascertain whether they would have to use violence at this time. This provoked Shanni into doing a jig of frustration, as she looked back and forth from the gold piles to whatever might be in the new chamber, past its guardians. (As occurred with his extended study of the ruins in the area above the cavern, the wizard appears fascinated by what he has found and to be wrapped up in his own thoughts and experiments, rather than being concerned about the others with him. Understandable for someone of his intellectual curiosity, but also potentially dangerous. --C)The wizard further explained that the magic mouth was still following the orders of its master to protect this area from all who were not the master. Dermot, who was getting creeped out by the mouth, suggested that Aerikoth get rid of it, if possible, by hitting it with some magic. As the wizard resumed speaking in Draconic, the ranger rummaged in his pack, pulled out a tripwire and some spikes, and began setting them up on the ground and making ready for combat. Shanni pulled back a little to position herself more strategically.After a while, Aerikoth ceased talking with the magic mouth and turned to the others, explaining that it was a programmed mechanism that only reacted to a limited range of responses. The wizard said he thought he had convinced it they were not enemies, but could only hypothesize about what the correct response would be to have the guardians either deactivate themselves or ignore the party. Shanni suggested again that he tell it to deactivate or, per Dermot’s suggestion, that Aerikoth shut it down with his own magic. The wizard turned back to the mouth and spoke to it, then informed the others that it had not understood his statement that it no longer needed to guard the area. As Aerikoth started up yet another exchange with the magical apparition in Draconic, the petite rogue became increasingly frustrated at her inability to understand what they were saying, looking back and forth between the two, as the party failed to make further progress.</blockquote>

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