The reduce spells will last 35 minutes.  I cannot end it unless a dispel magic is cast on them (which I don't have).

Just after that, you notice that something is approaching from the shadowy caverns to the north.

Junar says, "That island where they take prisoners for play and for eating.  Maybe more prisoners inside building.  That where I escape from.  Giants take it from gnomes, knock down walls and use as their own."

Etag looks at the two elves.  "You speak the Ezren Tongue?  Impressive.  I will not harm you.  I am from the Order of the Bwael Bae'qeshel.  We depart from our brethren in many ways.  We seek good through the Ust Belbol -- the first gifts of magic."

You open the giant trunk, which takes a little work because it is so large and heavy.  Inside, you find:

Giant-sized clothes;
Giant-sized utensils, bowls and cups;
Giant-sized boots;
A closed "pouch" of leather which is the size of a very large sack to you; it seems about half full of something;
Yet another closed pouch, but this one made of burlap, which also seems about half full.  It is stained dark all over the bottom.

Tahldar casts web, which extends across the two slime undead.  One thing Tahldar didn't count on was the extreme heat of the wall of fire dissolving the web.  It will hold the two slime creatures for maybe one round.

Having one medium and one small creature inside will surely give at least 5 minutes of air.

About 3 minutes until the giants are likely to get to the portal.

OOC: Every couple of minutes of game time, I am rolling a random wandering monster roll to see if they arrive, either through the portal or on the river, depending on the roll.

Here's what I have:

Shae is going first across to test the bridge.

I will assume Lukas goes next.

Etag and elderly gnome in portable hole going with Tahldar.  (Don't know what position Tahldar will be in, but I assume second.  Tahldar will cast dimension door to the far side of the bridge when he is about 1/3 of the way across.)

Is Hatchman even still a PC? I know Heath likes to take over people if they don't post enough and then kill them off to make us feel bad.

Etag is dying.  You see that now.  He says, "The Black Curse will take me.  There is no possible way for me to have the healing done now."  His eyes droop a moment.  His lips are dark with congealed blood, as are his fingertips.  His eyes seem shadowy and bloodshot.  "I must speak of things before I die.  You must survive."

He coughs and then looks at the bloody sputum in his hand.  "I have only hours, and the delirium and insanity will rob my brain even before then."

He takes a deep breath.  Speaking only comes with effort.  "I must tell you of the Telling of the Three, and of this mountain, and these lands, and all the changes wrought among them."  He pauses, squinting in pain, and then says, "Changes wrought by you, I think."  He nods toward Borimer and Kahan.  "You wield the Deathbane and the Godslayer.  I knew you would come."

He tries to hold his head up proudly for a moment and says, "My name is Faerl Yorthaeyorn, as I told you.  But I am called 'Etag' because long ago I reversed the gate."

He points toward the chasm.  "I asked you about Tienna, yes?  Your companion Hatchman said you come from the Krusark Kingdom, and King Thresh III sits on the throne.  He said the king was still alive.  But you," he says, pointing to Kahan and Borimer, "indicated the king was dead.  King Krusark, yes?  Your groups, wherever they came together here, did not come from the same Tiennas.  Remember that I told you: 'This is very troubling.  Neither or your stories matches the correct historical account of Tienna at the time of the Kuvlah Tah, which will not take place for another thousand years.  And the fact that your stories do not match each other means the Telling of the Three was true.'  Remember that?"

He points to the sky outside the cave.  "What do you see?"

Squinting, you see a moon rising above the peaked mountains.  "That," Etag says, "is Tienna.  You said it was destroyed, but it isn't.  Not yet.  That event will not occur for another thousand years.  You have traveled from there to here, but also from then to now.  Events now can change the future of Tienna, as you and Hatchman have shown.  But this also means that when I closed the Gates of Time, I was too late.  The changes already came.  They were perhaps inevitable.  I see it in your appearances here.  I see it in the revival of this Black Curse.  I see it in the earthquakes and opening of chasms in the mountain you just traversed.  These are not coincidences.  I came here for a purpose.  To find you.  And warn you."

He begins coughing.  "I need water," he says.  "I need water."  Cough.  "Then I can say more."  He looks at you, but he is becoming weaker, his eyes squinting.

There is a pc behind Tahldar.  I am the former player for Grung before Heath took him over.  My name is Jason and I live in Mass.  I am married, have two kids and work as a software engineer.  I have played 2cd ed dnd for many, many years.  In my opinion it is the best set of dnd rules.

The coins all go down the chute, and the Llamasu statue says:

"You may take the gem from its body while it yet moves, or defeat it in combat and remove the gem from its inert skull.  Fifteen large rooms exist in this complex--this labyrinth, if you will.  The entry room is one.  This room is another.  Each serves a purpose, and some may aid you in defeating Manjab.  Here is how they may help:

"In a room conceals a pit. Manjab may fall in and have difficulty extracting itself.  In yet another, a pit is filled with water, and in yet another, with acid.  These all hinder the movements of Manjab but are not concealed, and coaxing Manjab in will take skill.

"Pull the lever and the forces of the gods will make the metal fly to the ceiling, incapacitating Manjab, and lowering the lever will damage its body as it crashes to the earth.

"In yet another room, the spears will fly and may pin Manjab down, and in another, a block of stone will crush its head.  Another room pulls any who touch its floor down with the force of ten gravities, maybe more.  In another room, the walls will crush any who cross too far."

It pauses and says, "These are the tools you use to defeat Manjab and bring me the gem, and I will tell you the way out.  The other gem in the other eye socket is for those who pass the test to keep, and is one of the gems needed to pass the Test of the Faithful.  More information will cost you more."

A) Entry Room (octagon, domed roof) 30x30 - 4 exits
|
"North"
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B) 10x 30 opening - 4 exits (facing lengthwise)
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"Straight"
|
C) 10x10 opening - 2 exits on either end
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"Straight"
|
D) 30x30 room - 4 exits/doors (flat ceiling, bones, words "IT" (right) "LIFE WATER" (left) "LEVERS?" (back) by doors)
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"Left"
|
E) 10x30 opening - 4 exits (facing short side) (leather sack, skeleton hand)
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"Right" (long end)
|
F) 10x30 opening - 4 exits (facing lengthwise) (silver ring on skeleton hand, cool breeze from left)
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"Left" (short side)
|
G) 10x10 opening - 4 exits (breeze from right)
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"Right"
|
H) 10x10 opening - door straight ahead
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"Through door"
|
I) Room with Llamasu Statue

Any objections to working our way backwards?  I'm thinking of trying each of the other three ways from G and if that doesn't pan out then try the exits in F.

Kahan will walk up to the door and tap his knuckles against the door a few times, standing back to see what happens. "Tahldar, do you know the knock spell? The note might be referencing it instead," the priest asks.

I should have spent some slots on them. Too late for that.

the chance to share spells with Tahldar would be nice too.

Ahh, and I was just about to kill off Borimer.  Just joking.

(can my ooc name be dragonmaster...? no, really-)

I assume we haven't regained slots, and we haven't earned new slots yet, am I right?

Vuz is a Drow...enough said.  ;)  Actually, his isn't too bad.

My understanding is that Tahldar's charisma is so low because of his arrogance and his belief that some of the other races/cultures are beneath him.  Bossing him around would have the opposite effect, I think.

But I think Borimer's is low because he is more of a dull witted warrior.

When you think about it (like for Tahldar), it's almost as if low charisma acts as a shield against those with high charisma in some cases.  Maybe they can be charmed easier.

Shae will cast cure serious wounds on Tahldar before turning back to the platforms.  "Well, should we put the purple gem in the slot yet?"

Does Shae have the purple gem?

It's not a bad idea to put your current and total hit points in your bio (just above your picture).  This gives everyone else an idea of where you are, health-wise, and lets you keep track of it easily too.  (Look at Kahan and Borimer for good examples.)

"Sounds good to me.  I would suggest though that if you have any protective spells you want to cast on yourself do it now."

Tahldar then begins to cast before stepping on his allotted stone.

OOC: Tahldar will cast Stoneskin on himself and Borimer.  He would cast more, but he only gets two per day.  He will then step on his stone.

So does Kahan feel like his mace is ineffectual against the ore golem, or just that it was a bad hit? I would imagine that it wouldn't work and have no problem believing that.