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Message: <blockquote data-quote="steev42" data-source="post: 1582010" data-attributes="member: 17162">Of Bears and ChokersIsaura pointed out some secret doors as Owen pondered the words of the illusionary gnome. He had taken the Bag of Tricks; perhaps it was that which was causing him to vanish? He would have to consider the possibility carefully, and perhaps set up an experiment; leaving the bag behind might allow him be restored. Isaura opened another door with Crunch's help, and he moved there with the others. He had been disappointed that even with all the bookshelves in this room, not a single page had been found. And now this room seemed to be a classroom...but even a quick glance could tell him that nothing of note would be found here. Fortunately, they weren't at a complete dead end again, for Isaura had discovered yet another key not too long ago, this one apparently tied to the 'U' doors.Impatience was biting at him though. Everyone else seemed to be taking thier own sweet time, almost as if they were oblivious to his own fading away from existance. Isaura was taking time at every single door to search for traps, while he was itching to move on, find the kids, and get out so he could cure himself of this affliction, whatever it was. Finally he could take it no more. "You guys take forever searching everything."Gently, Gryffth reminded him, "better than being dead, yes?"Owen had to agree. "Yes." He should explain himself. "Just feeling very impatient lately.""What? It's not like you're fading away or...oh wait. It is!" Isaura made a very tacky joke as she opened the 'U' door they currently stood in front of. Owen stepped forward, and was somewhat startled to see what appeared to be a throne room, with an old gnome sleeping peacefully on the throne itself."Isaura was leading the way into this multi-leveled room. Apparently the kings of Jzadirune liked being well above their subjects, as anyone coming in from the main entrance to the east would have to climb two flights of stairs to get to the king. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be polite to one who may have at one point been a king. Tuning her mind to the gnomish tongue, she called out. "Greetings, your majesty." The gnome barely even moved. A bit peeved at the audacity, she moved forward and poked at the gnome, then seeing a scepter laying on his lap. As the gnome had yet to acknowledge their presence, she thought it worth a try. Reaching out, she was only slightly startled when the scepter vanished as soon as she touched it. "Illusion! I hate tempting illusions!" As Owen cast a spell, she searched about the upper level briefly before moving down to the middle landing."If you wish an audience with the king, place your finest coin in my mouth." Isaura nearly jumped when a bas relief sculpture came to life and spoke that phrase. It was enough to bring the others down to join her. Seeking around, she found a sovereign. Definitely one of her most valuable coins. She placed it in the mouth...and the coin vanished. Owen announced the magical auras he was sensing, and the others concentrated on disbelieving the illusion he had sensed. She went back to the throne, and was rewarded by finding a secret compartment. Wonder of wonders! There was gold in here! Looking at the others, she quickly pocketed it, making sure they wouldn't notice her furtiveness. Then pulling out the pair of keys resting within the compartment, she turned back to show her 'find' to the others.And of course, Gryffth wouldn't leave it at that. She moved to another location while the cleric did another search of the compartment. She'd also heard the gnome king muttering something, but had barely paid attention to it. It probably wouldn't matter much anyway. It seemed Gryffth still wanted the audience, so he moved back to the bas relief, which spoke to him as it had to her earlier."We found some local coins earlier. The best of these I have is a silver." He put the silver coin the mouth, and the sculpture spit it back out at him."MISER! What a paltry tribute! I curse you with clumsiness!" Gryffth felt a wave of clumsiness wash over him, but he had his faith in Fharlanghn to see him through. Focusing on that, he was able to throw off the curse, and felt a wave of relief. He would not fail this mission. The children must be saved, and if at all possible, he could bring these others to the light in the process. That was enough of this room though, and they moved on with the strength of two more keys. They passed through a room that seemed to be an empty trophy room, and another room with a lever (Isaura said it activated the pit she'd fallen in before), before arriving at a door they could not pass.Retreating back into the throne room, they ventured through a tunnel that had been there. The tunnels seemed to have been the best places to go so far, so why not stick with it while you could, Gryffth though. The followed it until it branched. The south seemed to go directly into a room, but Crunch elected to continue following. Not one to leave a comrade, Gryffth followed him. As they entered the room it broke in to, he thought he saw a door closing on the other side of the room, but when he looked again, just a solid wall was there. This tickled his mind, so he has Isaura search around the area. Sure enough, she found a secret door."Gryffth...how did you see the door from across the room?" Isaura was curious. It was well concealed, and she had had a hard time finding it, even knowing where it might have been hidden.He thought about it for a moment. "I don't know. I just did." That wasn't going to satisfy them, but then he remembered. "Wait! Someone might have just closed it. Follow them, quickly!"This was all the impetus anyone needed, and they rushed through the concealed door into the adjacent room. For the skulk that was nearly transparent in the room waiting for them, this was perfect. They rushed right by him, leaving him a prime target. His rapier slid into Gryffth's back effortlessly, eliciting a cry from the cleric. Unfortunately for the skulk, this drew the groups attention to him. He tried to attack again, but the cleric proved too nimble for him, and he soon met the business end of a heavy flail.Crunch wiped the blood off the flail as Owen and Gryffth investigated the skulk for any signs of a way to heal the affliction in Owen. Not finding any, they turned their attention to the rest of the room, where equipment for a theatre troupe was housed. Gryffth found this quite odd, until he remembered (with a little prompting from Owen) that this had been where the gnomes had lived and worked, so a theatre troupe wouldn't have been that odd. The door at the other end being one that they didn't have a key for, the group elected to take the other exit out of the tunnel.This room proved to be a theatre, and apparently the gnomes had left a show for any visitors. It as obviously illusion, but as they approached the stage (there was a trap door there, obvious from where they'd been standing), a gnome wearing a baby bear costume walked out on stage. Quietly he spoke. "Night hath fallen in the Magic Woods, and while myriad woodland creatures dream, Willowbough and her faerie friends frolic beneath the sorcerous moon." Crunch liked plays, so he immediately took a seat to watch. The bear curled up, and a female gnome with briars for hair appeared. This could be a good play."Get you, you cretin! There's no time to dally!" Owen hissed at him."You gots no appreciation of arts." Still, there were things to do if he was to get his ale. So he got up, and trying not to interrupt the play, moved to the trap door. Unfortunately, he had to open it while the faerie was there. Crunch moved to the side while Isaura lowered herself in, and was surprised when a tentacle whipped out as she looked underneath the stage and wrapped itself around her neck. Before he, or anyone else, could react, she was pulled under the stage and out of sight. Gryffth cast a spell on himself and dropped in, crouching under the stage in such a manner as to let others in. Likewise with Owen, though he moved towards the creature instead of to the side. When Crunch dropped in, Isaura was fighting madly from the solid grip that the thing had had, as Owen was telling everyone that the creature was a Choker. Didn't matter to him either way. Isaura was being attacked, and he had the opportunity to crunch. One swing of his flail, and the choker went limp. Disappointed, he put the flail away and helped drag the loot that had been left behind out into the open. Nothing every stood up to him long enough to last more than one swing. Except that that metal crab thing they'd fought. That had been fun.They opened the chest, pleased to find another key to this place. There was also a nice blood red cloak, which Crunch immediately put on even though Owen and Gryffth told him not to. A cloak this fine that wouldn't show blood was a good thing to have! The book and the stick inside, or the guitar-thingy he didn't care about. Others could take those, but this cloak was his.Owen had already sensed the magic within the wand and the cloak. He only hoped that it wasn't all magic that was causing the affliction that now took hold of him, for if it was, Crunch certainly had it now.Anyone have any comments?</blockquote>

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