"No holy belt here then." Tesseryn announces from the pile of shit he's wading through, untroubled by Virdonitii's discomfort.  He wipes his sword on a less-soiled pelt and sheathes it, then grasps the two crowns, one in each hand.  He makes his way back to the door and offers the crowns to Brindle and Leisha.  "Just these."  Once crown is made of electrum metal and the other from white marble.

If he has time his round he'll open the next door.

Wrukaog takes another swallow from Tesseryn's flask and sighs contentedly as the healing liquid flows down his throat. It is so good he quickly swigs another mouthful but this time it is obviously not as good as the previous swallow. He thrusts the flask back into Valshalla's hands.

"Thanks. Reckon I must be building up a resistance to it, or some such carking nonsense," he mutters.

He now looks only lightly wounded and is still slowly healing from the effects of Brindle's wand.

Actually feeling much better now he heads back to help Tesseryn clean out the next room.

Brindle chats amiably with Haltashaar until Tesseryn hands him the electrum crown and the white marble crown to Leisha.

"Well, that's certainly a strange material to make a crown out of," he comments to Leisha.

"What do you think of this electrum one? Does it suit me?" he asks as he lifts the electrum crown into position upon his head.

Aurion's mystic senses reveal nothing hidden in the room.  Overcome with bravery, or perhaps curiosity, the Elf cautiously makes his way over to the black drapes, twitching on aside to reveal a small chapel of the unholy kind.  A black, eight foot tall basalt statue of the evil god Set with twinkling eyes stands in an alcove to the south between two unlit braziers.  There is a far less ominous door to the east.

On the level below, Brindle and Leisha take possession of the thankfully unsoiled crowns.  The Halfling tries his on. 

Feeling much recovered, Wrukaog gives the flask back to Valshalla and joins Tesseryn as the ex-Paladin continues to look behind every door he finds, hoping to discover the Belt of Mitra (assumedly a step up from the one he currently wears, courtesy of Sam, with its buckle engraved with grinning goblins).

The wooden door swings open as if it had been practicing ... and everyone is forced to take a step back as the corridor begins to fill with thick, black, choking smoke which issues from the darkness beyond !

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

In addition to staggering backwards, Tesseryn takes out a small flask and draws his greatsword.  He prepares to pour oil onto his sword blade.  "What is this?  A portal to the dark tower?" he guesses wildly... the portals to the light tower were filled with a gentle white mist...
This message was last edited by the player at 01:12, Sat 16 Jan 2021.

Still concentrating on detecting magic and seeing invisibles, Aurion follows his curiosity and ventures across the room to the welcoming normality of the door to the east. He stays close to the tapestry and is ready to bail with the slightest provocation from the furniture. He holds up the Mayor's ring as he passes the statue. "Just passing through O Mighty Set." Clique and Claque appear at his collar and taste the air with their flickering tongues.

Wrukaog glares at Tesseryn and growls his disapproval, but doesn't waste any more time before acting. He takes a deep breath before plunging into the smoke, running his hand along the door to find the handle so he can quickly pull it closed again.

When the door is closed and the smoke clears, or at least when the smoke rises to the ceiling and leaves cleaner air below, Brindle will cast Detect Magic to scan the room beyond the door to determine whether there is anything magical in that room. Hopefully he might be able to learn a bit more about what type of magic is involved before anyone else decides to open the door again.

Aurion crosses the chamber with all due care and attention, watching the statue carefully with all his mystic senses.

Reacting instinctively, Tesseryn prepares his blade with a coating of magic oil that he might face down whatever incorporeal menace must surely issue forth, concealed by the thick smoke ... however Wrukaog is of a far more practical frame of mind and steps forward into the dark cloud to slam the door shut.

A few choking coughs later, and as Vashalla and Moram join you evidencing much concern (at least on the part of the priestess - Moram just seems disappointed that his god has not yet judged you most harshly) the smoke thins enough to see and breath freely once more.

Brindle steps forwards, casting a spell of detection and concentrating on the area beyond the door and hoping forestall any further sorties while he takes the lie of the land ...

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:20, Sat 30 Jan 2021.

After concentrating for a while on the door and what lies beyond it, Brindle quietly describes what he has determined.

"I can detect a moderately strong magical aura beyond the door. Just one, though. It is an abjuration aura. Abjurations are protective spells. They can create physical or magical barriers, negate magical or physical abilities, harm trespassers or even send a creature back to another plane of existence. The strongest spells any of us could cast would only be of moderate strength, just like that one."

He looks around at the others standing nearby.

"I don't think we need to go in there just yet, do we? Another time, perhaps, when we are better prepared? Although, I do have Dispel Magic prepared. Do you want me to try to dispel that magic? It might not work."

Waiting for the smoke to clear, Tesseryn asks Leisha and Cogwitz "What treasures were found in the wraiths' boxes?  Any hint of Mitra's holy belt?  I wonder if we shall have to visit Samalgidaceon again ... that one had a fascination for belts."

And after Brindle explains the magical aura he detected "Yes Brindle, please go ahead and remove this magical ward.  We should leave no stone unturned, and no door unopened in our search for the belt."

At Tesseryn's request Brindle does indeed cast the spell that will hopefully dispel or suppress the magic beyond the door, but he doesn't look very hopeful of a successful outcome.

OOC: Brindle rolled 8 using 1d20+5.  Caster level check for Dispel Magic.

With a smug grin, Aurion saunters towards the door and opens it just a crack for a peek and a listen.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:30, Sat 06 Feb 2021.

Brindle proves to be an excellent judge as to the efficiacy of his spell casting ... Wrukaog only has to open the door a crack to prove that the smoke still issues forth, though the big Orc quickly slams it shut again, enjoying, as he does, being able to breathe.

Cogwitz shakes his head at Tesseryn's question, listing what treasures he and Leisha found in the Wraith's lair for the ex-Paladin's benefit.  All quite valuable but not at all magical in the Halfling's estimation.  Nor does he hold out much hope that Samalgidaceon would have it, for the living statue had said that it too sought Mitra's  belt.

Up above, Aurion opens the door just enough to peek out.

Right then, one final look around then bAurion will return to the fold.

"Do you suppose this smoky room could just be the chimney for that fire giant's bonfire?" he wonders.

"I don't suppose any of you would have a spell prepared that could summon a creature that isn't bothered by smoke, which could explore that room for us?" he asks, not expecting that anyone actually would.

The priestess of Ishtar shakes her head at Brindle's question.

"The goddess might grant me that boon, but not until the morrow when I perform the rituals.  I can protect you from a fire's flames," she offers, "but not from such choking smoke as this."

Tesseryn shakes his head in frustration as he sheathes his ghost-oiled sword.  "There is no point entering where we cannot see.  And we should avoid going any further north into Haffrung's workshop until we've found the belt.  I'd like to speak with Samalgidaceon again, and perhaps find Berkam-Shem's lair.  But first let's see where Aurion got to." He heads back toward the room with the staircase rising to a blank wall.

With a plan of action decided upon, Tesseryn agrees to abandon the investigation of the smoke-filled room (perhaps lacking the patience to wait around for a day to test Brindle's clever theory) in favour of a search for the holy Girding of Mitra ... once you find out where Aurion has got to that is !

As luck would have it, by the time you reach the end chamber, your wayward Elf is sauntering back down the stairs, looking rather pleased with himself. 

Quick pause to allow you to share your tales and choose which route you wish to take to make your way back to Samalgidaceon ...

Tesseryn is surprised to find Aurion safe and well, relieved as well, and only mildly irritated at the elf's smug grin.  He briefly relates the search downstairs and concludes "We have run out of doors down here, and have decided to return to Samalgidaceon to search for the belt.  Have you discovered anything useful up there?"

“Yeah, like another way outa here that won’t freeze our  carking nuts off and don’t involve climbing back up a rope again?” Wrukaog snarls.

 Brindle rolls his eyes at Wrukaog’s crudeness but doesn’t try to persuade him to be more polite. No point wasting time trying to achieve the impossible.

He turns to the priestess instead.

”We need to leave and make preparations before we think about going any deeper into Haffrung Helleyes’ lair if we are to have any chance of success. Are you ready to come with us?” he asks.

Vashalla shares Brindle's distaste for Wrukaog's coarse manner and is grateful to the Halfling for his concern.

"Of course," the priestess tells him.  "We are prepared to follow your lead in the hope that we might find our lost companion."

At Tesseryn's prompting, Aurion tells of what he found on his impromptu scouting mission, speaking of the illusory wall, the small temple to Set and the door leading to a corridor beyond at the extent of his explorations, offering up another option for you to return to the level above ... should you so choose.

"Sounds like another back way in or out of this place, rather than the main entry. Probably worth exploring it anyway," Brindle suggests. "The main entry probably goes a bit too close to Helleyes' lair and a lot more guards. These trolls were tough enough already."

Wrukaog grins nastily at the mention of more guards but at least he doesn't suggest looking for another fight straight away.

"You all ready? Then let's go!"

He turns and heads for the stairs.