Marik remains silent, confused and not quite knowing what to respond. What a strange answer... Fitting for so strange a person, he think. Then again, he's the one who spent years alone in the woods. Maybe it's just a urban thing or a social norm going on in cities like Haldrim or Cardus? A sort of game people play with each other to confuse and leave them guessing...It wouldn't be the first or the last he heard of. He remembers liking games of wit to a certain degree with other elves, but in his view. urban dwellers had elevated it to a new form of art. Conversation there was like a constant joust...and made him feel even more of a stranger.

After a few seconds of thinking , Marik decide it must be some kind of dry joke. Better to just grin and move on. Focusing his attention of the task at hand, he task Rani to continue to follow the trail. He turns the head to see if the others are following them.


[Language unknown: "Weren enc ee poekre? Ie onrionad wi titer erher lo ioaine fi ughresles eve."] He turns to Filimena " [Language unknown: Ni rian roio en n omenteill ca ilal witiveoer ul outho oveectica pric rela chfo nteantave aniou notimeesee osugh om issiplni m uromal?"]

The elf is still speaking to her in elven. Filimena raises an eyebrow. But of course, fair enough. If she were to bump into another halfling... But no. The thought reminds her too much of Finneas, and how she ought to be looking for him now, instead of crawling around in this abandoned city.

“[Language unknown: Pr ivus i ad evof sees nt andnotreaine a io, liacnosa-ckit,]” she replies. “[Language unknown: Ur’i tena mich k estatiove nti si saere’no linstitin ain.]”

Filimena turns around and heads back towards the hall she last saw the dragonborn and the dwarf in. Hey. What’s happening? We’re ready to move on, she calls to them telepathically once she sees them.

[Language unknown: "Era oun u chpre stiromwhe ch eros toaiecsi"] he respond. [Language unknown: "Era hihies" ] he add, in a much slower, deeper tone, a bit like a soft rumbling and end his sentence with something sounding like a wood plank creaking. He then turn his attention away, a slight grin of satisfaction on his face.


OOC: Can Marik figure out which way the scent trail is going?

The blood continues through the secret hall to a currently open door at the far end, which was mentioned by Jor'en and Omaron previously.

OOC: Filimina and Marik are right by the secret door at one of the incoming landings.

PC Map updated


Subarea map for Filimina and Marik

As the halfling's voice flowed into his head, Omaron looked around sharply. Not seeing Filimena, he shakes his head, and concentrates very hard on replying. Found some old supplies. Will follow soon. He begins shoving the chest's contents into his backpack, intent on rejoining their comrades swiftly.

Marik and Rani follow the blood trail, intent on scouting a bit ahead. Guiding Rani into the secret passage, they soon see the large pit trap ahead, and the trail continuing past forth. Marik signal Rani to advance and reach the next room. The blood trail should be easy enough for the others to follow behind him.


OOC: If possible, Rani will cross the pit trap by walking on the side. Otherwise, Marik will instruct her to simply jump over. 10 feet shouldn't be too much of a problem for her given her size. 

Marik and Rani have no trouble entering the room beyond the hall. There they find a trio of dead hobgoblins - one of which is rather freshly dead. Taking a moment to look about, Marik notes the floor of this octagonal room is actually a large wooden platform supported by taut iron chains looped over eight enormous pulleys bolted to the fifteen-foot-high ceiling.  One end of each chain is fastened to a corner of the platform, while the other end drops through a hole in the platform, connected to something far below.  Set into the northeast wall is an iron panel with an iron lever jutting from it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:05, Wed 28 Feb 2018.

Well don’t take too long, Filimena says to the dwarf, and heads begins heading back towards the elf Marik.

Quick post before I start work. Might post again tonight.

As he enter the room, Marik take a quick look at the ceiling and the wall to ensure no enemies lies in wait for them and make Rani advance on the platform. He shudder a bit as he hears the creaking of the old wood under the weight of the panther, but it passes as they advance on the platform. Rani goes to sniff the corpses. One appear fresh. Could their quarry ran out of blood before reaching it's destination?


OOC: Does it look like the same hobgoblin we were chasing?


He hears  footstep coming behind him and turn. Filimena is back. He point to her the lever and the dark depths below.

[Language unknown: He ativorenc pashe riar etelme. Eltr ticratrea'onssti eremenvoreareen thiss wele ngpr eenichrea nce wa veninture. Er ho lat sta ncelessom, ta essintsanter fielwi e redardard...] he instruct Rani to sniff the air again, to catch maybe a climpse of the children scent. He point to the lever [Language unknown: "Waore o an atidaytho u ro? Th meven hassit at ekdiieen adtr atng erevorund e m rickonme ur haterende se? U aselat erha'presei ng m ofmi antsettho earingrat'tedpro"]

OOC: Rani rolled 17 for Perception smell.

Raszire hangs back with Omaron as he packs up the items in the chest. Then when ready proceeds to make his way back to the others.

When they reach the platform he eyes it critically, "Hope this thing is still sturdy enough." He then drags the hobgoblin bodies back into the tunnel where he checks them for any useful clues or items of use.

"[Language unknown: Ectevetic se ounoet ersapr ivce u thho trheom, ekle se info lehou]," Filimena replies. Then, seeing the dragonborn cleric approach, she switches to common. "I wonder how they died."

OOC: 23:39, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 7 using 1d20+3, rerolling ones with rolls of 4.  Medicine check.

Poor, but maybe it's something really obvious, like there are arrows literally sticking from their skulls.

Looking over the bodies Raszire finds each wearing a suit of chainmail plus a shield, a longsword, and a longbow with a quiver of arrows. The fresher one additionally has a belt pouch with 5sp and 30gp inside.

"We killed them."

Jor'en says in a matter of fact manner to Filimena.

"There is a door over there, where one came out of. I looked it over quickly before we went to find you lot."

"These were the first we encountered," Omaron says, indicating two of the hobgoblin corpses. "The armor smells a little funny, but is serviceable enough. Perhaps this elevator will prove the same." He begins looking over the lever.


OOC:
Investigation- 13/14  In case I get get advantage to figure out the lever mechanism.

Marik turn to Omaron, looking confused "The...elevator? What is that? We need to find a way to get in the depths below. I think that's were our quarry is." 
This message was last edited by the player at 19:22, Wed 28 Feb 2018.

Omaron is confident that the lever will lower the platform the group is standing on but is not sure how quiet that lowering will be.

Placing the pouch on his belt Raszire joins the others on the platform "Unless someone has need of the equipment they carry I ques it is time to see if this machinery still functions."

Omaron grinned at the elf, then gestured to the wooden platform. "This be a wonder of engineering," he says. "Ought to get us down to the bottom of this shaft, though it won't be too quiet. When we're ready to investigate, well, we just pull this lever here and the platform will descend to a lower level."

Looking at the lever, then the platform, Marik doesn't look quite as enthusiast as Omaron about the "elevator" or dwarven "engineering". Still, Omaron appear to know quite a bit about the Korim and their devices. And Marik can't lie that he'd be curious to see this device in action...


"Then...I'd say the time is now. I don't know if we're already too late, but we'll need to make hast if we're to save anyone."

Filimena steps gingerly onto the platform. Satisfied it’s not going to collapse under her weight, she tiptoes up to the hole at its centre and peers into the darkness below, wondering what manner of evil and malice lies waiting.

Filimena doesn’t have dark vision so I don’t expects she sees anything, unless there’s any source of light below. Going to roll perception anyway to see if she detects anything anyway? Could be a sound even if she can’t see.

08:26, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 12 using 1d20+3, rerolling ones with rolls of 9.  Perception .

No light source can be seen below - the depth of the shaft seems infinate without light to tell you different.

[Private to Filimena the Gentle:
In your head echoes

The locks ^are _key to finding them
_{Look beyond} the curtain, ^{below the gate,}
Beware the doors with teeth.
_Descend into the _{malachite 'hold,}
Where precious life is bought with gold.
_{Half a} ^{dwarf binds them,} but no for long ]

OOC: anyone going to push the button/pull the lever/ring the bed?
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:31, Wed 07 Mar 2018.

OOC: I was assuming Omaron or Raszire would do it in the last few days, since I doubt Marik would touch this. Maybe we can assume one of them did and go on?   

As everyone steps onto the platform, Omaron pulls the lever.

The lever moves with a much smoother action than Omaron expected for something that should have been abandoned seventy years ago. Slowly the platform descends taking you towards whatever lies below Jzadirune.

OOC: Alright that wraps up this part (yay!) - everyone please level up to 4th before we move on.

OOC: Oh oh oh! But first...

As the platform begins to descend, Filimena staggers back slightly from the hole at its centre, albeit not so much from the movement itself, and hisses in irritation. Trust the voices to return now. It was on purpose, clearly, after she’d just complained they’d been absent. But what can they have meant? She’s heard the poem before. Why repeat it? Filimena ponders this as the platform sinks slowly int the darkness.