OOC: I'm assuming Flint is back in the control room controlling the statue and that the door to the west of the control room has been locked again by Malissin.


You burst through the door to the east of the hall (into room #25).  Esylia is not in this room, but what you find is almost more disturbing.

There is a heavy oaken table in the center of the room with four chairs around it.  The table is broken on one side, an apparent victim of one of Esylia's homemade grenades.  A pile of rubble is near the southwest corner -- the remains of someone she had turned to stone.

On the table, you see various kitchen knives spread evenly about on a red towel.  Then you realize the towel is not red.  It is a white towel that has blood all over it.  The knives also are covered with blood.  A beaker of a clear liquid is next to the knives.  The blood is also stained with blood, most of it old but some it appearing to be rather fresh.


LEVEL 2

This message was last edited by the GM at 16:30, Tue 30 Oct 2012.

Malissin drops his head and averts his eyes to prevent from throwing up. The torture room is almost more disturbing for its lack of anyone inside.

"Ugh..."

Harak examines the table and objects on it to determine if there is any body part at all, and to see what the liquid might be.  He will smell it, if need be.

Kahan manages to hold back a gag just barely, shaking his head as Harak goes into the room. "What do you think it is?" the priest inquires, carefully looking back down the stairs to make sure they are still clear.

There are no signs of actual body parts here.  The liquid has no smell.

"If I had to guess it's something horrible like the tears of all her victims or some cursed potion. I wouldn't drink it if I were any of you. Perhaps chuck it at her when we see her. I suspect she might be downstairs, that's where I saw the tripwire."


Malissin will go back out to the hallway and mark the tripwire so the others can step over it. He will also make double sure to help Borimer so he doesn't stumble into it.

OOC: Uh, my bad....I thought I had said I was following the group....but after searching the posts I guess not.

Borimer grows more uneasy than before when hearing the others' responses to the carnage.  The familiar odor of blood reaches his nostrils and they flare in response, but he only sheathes his ebony blade and waits for someone to explain what was happening. After a moment he complains to no one in particular.

"Sure would be nice to know if we're under attack or something...anything...anyone?"

He sighs and listens for any sign of the snake lady.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. It looks like she used this as a torture chamber of some sort, hence the smell." Kahan responds to the warrior apologetically. "I think we're not used to you being blind."

Assuming the room checked out, Mal would go inspect the stars more closely.

Flint comes running down the hall, and just then you hear movement coming up from the open balcony area at room 22.  It sounds like the golem is doing something.

"Umm...Flint? If you're here who's working the golem?"

A little out of breat after catching up with the group, Flint says "Thank goodness I found you.  I set the Golemn to GUARD since Elysin was walking past it in the hopes it would get her attention.  If we hurry we might be able to attack her with less risk."

Nodding, Kahan readied his mace and his shield, making sure Borimer was aimed in the right direction before they headed out.

You move out of the room to the balcony overlook (room #22).  Remember that the squarish balcony at 22 overlooks the Time Ark room (#16) on the first floor.

The giant statue is there, swinging a fist at something hidden under the western side of the balcony.  You can only assume this is Esylia (though Borimer can't see anything at present).

You hear an exasperated grunt of a woman.  Then one of the doors slam (either the west or north door in room 16), and the statue goes back to standing straight up in its guard position.

Borimer readies himself to draw Chianta and begin fighting as he bobs from foot to foot in anticipation.

"Ooh, I hear it-her-whatever, where is she...?"

"She's gone but I bet she's heading north towards the stairs or the looping room."

Mal helps point Borimer in the right direction to proceed towards 20b. Mal will attempt to use Borimer as an optical shield in front of him, instead looking at the ground and keeping his eyes averted.

Harak follows behind Malissin, also avoiding his eyes.

The party has moved into room 32d.  To the west (room 34), you hear the sounds of creatures stuck in the room beyond the closed door.  The northern door is also closed.

Around you are the bodies of those slain in your battle with the undead, which Borimer has to carefully step around and over.

The northern door to room 32d opens and then shuts just as quickly.  With everyone's eyes averted (or blind), you see nothing but can only assume it was Esylia trying to use her gaze effect beyond the protection of the door and using surprise.

are we under attack then? can borimer launch an attack at the 'sound'?

She opened the door to peek in and then slammed it closed, so she is in the next room, not the room you are in, but she knows you are here.

"She's in the next room! Attack!"

Mal pushes Borimer in the direction of the door. Assuming Borimer wants to go in that direction and doesn't resist Mal will get the door open for Borimer to rush in and attack.

Borimer launches an attack as soon as the door opens and Mal urges him forward, swinging his ebony blade in two quick cuts.


*borimer actually has 70 hp due to leveling to 8th, not the 60 listed in his bio
This message was last edited by the player at 22:03, Fri 09 Nov 2012.

Borimer goes through the door swinging his sword while the others stand back and avert their eyes.  You do not hear his sword connect with anything on the far side.  Then you hear a distant angry hissing sound escape what must be Esylia's lips.

If you are going into the room, looking into the room, or doing something besides waiting for Borimer, let me know.

Kahan will follow, carefully watching Borimer's feet as he enters into the room.

Harak stands to the side of the door, ready to pounce if the gorgon enters or to rush out if Borimer needs help.

PM
This message was last edited by the player at 12:32, Sat 10 Nov 2012.

"Should we work our way around, to keep her from running in the other direction?"

"The only way to do that would be to go downstairs and run through the level and come up behind her.  The problem is that in the room she is in (20b I think?) she can easily move up or down using the 'elevator' so she isn't really trapped.  We could go to the lower level or upper level of that 'elevator' and try to take shots at her from there though."

Borimer jumps out into the center of the endless looping hole in the floor.  You hear a wicked scream as one of his blows hits its mark.  (Hit Esylia: -31 hp.)  The sound of the scream appears to be descending slowly.

Borimer, however, is not descending slowly.  He begins falling in the endless loop as he picks up speed towards terminal velocity.

Borimer blindly smiles when he feels his sword bite into the foul creature's flesh, and then the smile slowly fades as he feels the weightlessness and lack of control take over his large frame.  The warrior finds himself idly wondering upon the words he had heard the others speak earlier.

"Hmm, 'terminal velocity'...well how bad could that be anyway..."

Current situation:

The party is huddled in 32d with eyes closed but wary.

Esylia's scream upon being hit by Borimer allowed you to know that she was descending to the first floor from 20b.

Borimer is falling through the infinite loop in room 20 and is blind.

I'm not sure what your actions are from there.

LEVEL 2


This message was last edited by the GM at 17:58, Tue 13 Nov 2012.

The portable hole is stated to be 10x10. Will it fit over the hole in room 20b without falling in? If Kahan is more than quite certain it will not fall in, he will unfold it over the hole. Also, if he has the time, he will cast Create Water into the portable hole to make Borimer's landing a bit softer.

1) First, you need to look into the room to see what's there before we go any further.

2) I don't think he'd have time to do that, given that Borimer is falling past you every second or two.  However, he could probably extend it over part of the hole and see if Borimer could steer himself in...although he is blind...or you could figure out how to work the elevator.

3) Not sure if Flint has a feather fall or something that might also work.

4) Or you could try to lasso him with a rope and let him swing down to a lower floor (taking possibly some damage).

Those are just some thoughts that came to mind.

Given the posts, I'm going to assume you all open your eyes and look into the room after Borimer:

You enter the room (20b) to check on Borimer and find that the gorgon has apparently already made a quick exit in her wounded state.  Borimer is falling through the infinite loop, sword in hand and blind.

Falling nearby him, you see three other things falling in the infinite loop.  They are familiar looking orbs.  Esylia apparently threw three of the exploding orbs into the infinite loop.  One of them is near Borimer's head.  The other two are not really close to Borimer at the moment.  They fall slightly faster than Borimer (due to the drag of Borimer's air resistance).

One thing you notice about the infinite loop that you didn't notice before:  the things that get "teleported" back to the top of the third level are also reoriented (gravitationally speaking) so that they fall directly down.  (In other words, it eliminates the arc of the curve that would otherwise be a parabolic curve.)

To avoid you guys having to rethink strategy, I have posted a post assuming you look into the room, which I assume you would do anyway.  The Gorgon is gone at any rate now, somewhere below you on Level 1.

does borimer ever go past the medusa in his perpetual falling state? can he take more swings at her as he passes by?
This message was last edited by the player at 03:53, Wed 14 Nov 2012.

Kahan pulls out the Rod of Absorption and attempts to cast Feather Fall on Borimer. Hopefully, after putting an Air Walk spell in it, Darwen had a backup falling spell just in case it got dispelled.

Harak follows in after the others.  If Kahan and Malissin fail, he will also try to jump across and grab Borimer.  In the meantime, he closes his eyes and concentrates to try and pull together all the power his monk training has taught him in the manner of focus and discipline.

Flint follows along behind the group in contemplation. "If only we could get a step ahead of her" he mutters.

"If someone can slow his descent I've got some rope we can use to catch him. I don't think we can just throw it across but if we have someone at either end to keep the rope taut we ought to be able to catch Borimer and allow him to leave."

On cue he pulls out his 40' of silk rope.

Kahan uses the Rod to cast feather fall, and Borimer's descent slows.  The orbs falling around him, however, do not slow down.

Malissin throws some rope over to Borimer.  As it strikes his arm, Borimer grabs the rope and slowly descends to the level below Malissin.  He feels an orb go by his head...saving throw successful...but does not get hit.

Borimer is now blind and on the first level.  The rope is held by Malissin (and whoever else was grabbing on to make sure Malissin wasn't pulled over the side by Borimer's weight) and by Borimer on the level just below.

Borimer is still blind.

Three of the exploding orbs still fly at very fast speeds in the looping hole.

PM
This message was last edited by the player at 20:26, Thu 15 Nov 2012.

Borimer begins swinging, but his sword only meets thin air.  Esylia has apparently moved somewhere else.  In fact, you hear a bang from the south as the statue (that Flint left on "guard" mode) swings and hits a wall.  You hear another grunt from Esylia somewhere back near the Time Ark room.

"Wow, I can't believe that worked." Kahan muttered aloud, putting away the rod as Malissin nearly gets pulled over by Borimer's weight, adding what strength and support he can. "Try to swing to the edge!" he calls down, motioning for Harak and Flint to go downstairs.

Harak hesitates.  "If we go downstairs, we're likely to run into that medusa thing.  We should probably stick near Borimer.  Has anyone figured out how to work the thing to go down slowly like she did?" Harak goes over to the area where the inscription was to inspect more.

OOC: Not sure if you are all waiting on me or if people are gone for an early holiday.

You hear an explosion to the south (the Time Ark room where the statue was left guarding).  It is the familiar sound of one of Esylia's bombs.  She screams in anger in a foreign tongue.

Right now:
You are all in the Room 20 infinite looping room.

Borimer is on the first floor, blind.  Esylia is two rooms south of his position currently.

The rest of you are on the second floor directly above Borimer.

Harak goes to the inscription area.  The same inscription is here as in the other rooms:



The pedestal on the east side of the room has three bowls, just like on the other floors.  In these bowls, you see:

Left Bowl: A Black stone with one white dots.
Center Bowl: Empty.
Right Bowl: A Red stone with three white dots.

Mal looks over Harak's shoulder.

"It looks like you select the stone with the dots equal to the floor you want to go to. Gorgon grabbed the 2-dot stone and ended up on the second floor. Borimer didn't have a stone so he just fell without a destination. I don't understand how the stones get back in their proper place...perhaps if you take a stone for the same level it returns you to where it was taken from? In any event we need to get downstairs to help Borimer. Shield your eyes and follow me!"

Mal will lower head towards the staircase to head down towards Room #16. Once on the stair case Mal will keep his eyes right at his feet to avoid the gorgon's gaze.

Kahan will take out a length of rope from his backpack, tying it the closest sturdy point he can find and measuring roughly 15' of it before tossing it down the hole. He grabs the stone on the left with one dot and jumps into the hole, grabbing onto the rope if he doesn't descend nice and slowly.

Kahan begins to fall quickly, but then his fall suddenly stops and it is as if he is standing on an invisible floor on the first floor.  Borimer stands a few steps to the south near the door.

"Well that worked better than I expected." Kahan mutters, checking his hand to see if the stone is still in it or if it somehow magically returned to the bowl. Grabbing Borimer by the shoulders, he begins ushering him south, easily covering his eyes by the fighter's broad back. "Let's end this once and for all, eh friend?" the priest chuckles as he opens the door.

The stone is still in Kahan's hand.  It starts getting hot the moment he steps off the invisible floor.

As soon as the stone warms up and he is quite certainly off of the invisible floor, Kahan drops the stone and watches it to see where it goes before leading Borimer after the gorgon.

Kahan drops the stone but finds that, before it even hits the floor, it teleports immediately back to the hand that was holding it.  The stone is even hotter now.

Borimer's special skills make him aware of his friend before he speaks, so when urged forward the warrior doesn't jump and start swinging at imaginary snake ladies.

"Aye, let's put her down once and for all."

Borimer moves forward ready to fight as soon as his companions are gathered.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:21, Tue 20 Nov 2012.

Looking around, now somewhat worriedly, Kahan hopes to find a bowl similar to the ones on the floor above that he could perhaps put the stone into.

Each floor has three bowls and the same diagram.  On the first floor where Kahan currently stands, the left bowl has a red stone with three white dots, the center bowl is empty, and the right bowl has a white stone with two black dots.

The priest attempts to drop the stone into the center empty bowl. Hopefully he can get rid of it before it starts to burn him.

The stone is burning hot.  Kahan knows it will soon cause permanent burn damage to his hand if he doesn't do something about it.  He tosses the stone in the middle bowl.  The stone disappears, teleported somewhere.  Looking down at his numb hands, Kahan is thankful to see that it was not teleported back to his hand.

You hear another crunch of metal in the southern room, and an enraged squeal escapes Esylia's lips.  Apparently, she has been engaging the guardian statue but is now moving on.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:56, Tue 27 Nov 2012.

Borimer can smell his quarry.

"Let's chase her down!"

He leans forward eagerly waiting to be ushered into battle.

When traveling, remember to state what route (by room number) you travel through.

Here is the map of level one again.

Borimer and Kahan are in room 20a.  Esylia is (or just was a moment ago) in room 16.  The rest of the group are directly above Borimer in room 20b.

<blue><b>LEVEL ONE

The arrow by #18 references the area where the wall had collapsed in the future time before you traveled back.

Harak does what Kahan did by grabbing the stone with one dot, going down a level, and tossing it in the middle bowl.  "What a vulnerable way to travel," he says as he descends.

"It's quite handy now that we know how to do it." Kahan mentions as he leads Borimer through room 19 into 16.

Harak, Kahan and Borimer move down to room 16.  The Time Ark is unscathed, but the room looks otherwise just as you'd expect:  two of the gorgon's handheld bombs have scorched the place, putting scratches and carving pieces of rock out of the walls.

The door to the west is closed, but the door to the south is open.  There are also the stairs to the east.

The statue is also here, its body scorched and damaged by the two explosions.  Upon seeing Harak, Kahan and Borimer (as it is still in "Guard" mode and does not differentiate enemies, and as Flint is not in the control booth), it turns to attack.

Harak dodges the statue and swings at it with his scimitar.  "Flight or flee?" he says as he chops at it. "If the medusa gets upstairs, our friends will be in danger, but maybe she's just gone south or west.  Anyone hear any doors close?"

"We should keep on her-"

Borimer slashes twice at the golem's stomach.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:52, Wed 28 Nov 2012.

"Leave the golem. We have more important things to focus on." Kahan states, ushering Borimer south, hoping they weren't walking into an ambush.

Borimer and Harak attack the already damaged statue.  Harak makes two swift hits with his scimitar, and Borimer hits once.  The statue's leg snaps as it puts its enormous weight on the damaged leg, but it manages to strike out twice, hitting Harak once with its mighty metal hand.  (13 hp dmg.)

The statue is now a danger only to those in the north side of the room and you can escape it without risking further attack through the south or east exits, but the north and west exits will put you within its reach.

Borimer moves as fast as Kahan can guide him on the continuing chase to track and beat down the medusa.

Harak follows the other two south, averting his eyes but having his scimitar ready.

Harak, Kahan, and Borimer go south into the library, which is a dead end room from which there is no escape.

The library is scorched and burned as you recall.  This was, as you were told, the work of Androlus to prevent Esylia from getting the codes to send her to Allevia.  So there are bookcases where are only skeletons, made mostly of fashioned iron.  The books which would have provided sufficient cover from view are now gone, and you (well, not Borimer so much) see a form in the southeast corner.

Esylia sees you from her hiding place in the corner and squeals in anger.  She is removing another orb, which she holds in her hand as she approaches you.

(You have been aware enough to avert your eyes so far, so these are caught in the peripheral vision of Harak and Kahan.  Borimer, though, just hears her squeal and the approach of her as she rounds the bookcases.)

Flint and Malissin remain upstairs, apparently twiddling their thumbs.

Borimer lunges forward without a word and takes two hard swipes at the medusa.

Kahan begins casting a spell and pats Borimer on the back after he finishes.

OOC: Oi! I was the first one to suggest running her down in the first place...been a little busy recently!

Malissin suddenly appears in the back of the group but seeing the sudden hold up in adventurers and the squeal of a gorgon he wisely lowers his eyes before actually entering the room. He draws out his weapon and prepares to blindly attack...

For reference, you are all in room 17, and she is approaching from the far southeast corner around the row of bookcases.

OOC: I will assume Flint also follows behind but does not enter the room at this point to be sure he is ready to assist in case there are any statuary-related problems. :)