Stepping through the open door, the adventurers find themselves in a steel walled chamber. Looking about, it becomes immediately clear to the company members that they have entered a storage area, akin to a warehouse. Much of the floor space is taken up by what appear to be crates of varying sizes. All are fashioned from a smooth, dull green material which is unfamiliar to the explorers. Some of the crates bear writing upon them on small white sections that are positioned on their lids. A few are fitted with small rectangles of glass which feature glowing characters, similar to the dark glass panels that have been encountered elsewhere.

The adventurers notice that there are two exits from the chamber, one on the southern wall, the other to the north. Both metal doors are secured with locks which require the squares of colored glass to open.

In the northwestern corner of the room, set aside from the collection of crates, are gathered a group of tall cylinders, roughly nine feet in height, each one primarily fashioned from what appears to be glass. At the top and bottom of each cylinder are wide bands of steel, each upper band fitted with a square of dark glass which occasionally flashes with red and green light. The interior of the cylinders are lit with an amber light and filled with clear fluid. Floating within the fluid of each cylinder is a creature. From where they stand, the adventurers cannot make out the details of the beasts within each container, nor can they tell whether they are alive, but none are moving.

Aside from a faint humming from the glowing panels in the ceiling, the chamber is quiet. The adventurers are alone.

"According to the voice, this is Level Four. It is the location of  Athletic and Activity as well as the Cargo Holds.

Now, the other voice said to head east through the Auditorium, then north through the Gymnasium to get to Cargo Hold 5.

And there is still the issue that we are supposed to have the proper security credentials. I suppose we will deal with that when we get there..."

Azad's voice trails off when he notices the enormous glass tubes. He immediately moves to examine them, looking for any writing to decipher.

He will also speak to the glass square, "Can you please tell me what manner of creature is contained in this tube?"

---

FYI: Azad has 2 Comprehend Languages and 2 Tongues to cast, and he will do so as they run out.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:31, Fri 30 Apr 2021.

Wandreck searches the area around the tubes and the tubes themselves for traps.

Ella turns her attention to the green crates, visually inspecting for any obvious mechanical device that would allow one to gain access to their contents. If these efforts prove unfruitful, she returns to providing overwatch for her party and casts occasional glances back toward the lift.

Trisvyre followed Azad toward the strange tubes in the corner, fascinated and repelled by what they might find within them.  The creatures within the cave so far had been strange and unnatural, and in many cases deadly.  And those had been free to roam.  What would they find was so unusual or dangerous that they must be held in these containers?

Searching diligently, Wandreck does not locate any manner of trap on or around the cylinders. The thief does notice that each of the cylinders has a single long black tube that extends from the metal ring at its base and connects to a panel on the nearby wall.

With Trisvyre accompanying him, Azad poses his question to the dark glass on the closest of the cylinders, but it gives no response, leaving the wizard with the impression that, unlike its fellows, it is somehow unable to respond to a voice. The glass continues to display patterns of green and red light which are apparently not any form of written communication.

However, both the wizard and the elven scout find that they do not require help in recognizing the creature inside the glass construct. It is humanoid, tall and quite wide. Much of its body is black, save for its chest and a portion of its head, which are yellowish gray. Its head has an insect like appearance and bears four eyes along with a pair of curving ivory mandibles. The beast is unmistakably an umber hulk, a formidable underground predator.

The cylinder to the immediate right holds a tall, column like creature with a single eye and a wide, fanged mouth. Six tentacles extend from its dark brown trunk. The monster is easily identifiable as a roper. In the left hand cylinder floats a snake like beast with a vaguely human head, stringy hair floating within the fluid the strange reptile is immersed in. Its scales are black, accentuated by evenly spaced crimson bands. Both adventurers know it to be a spirit naga.

With some brief experimentation, Ella finds that by sliding a latching mechanism on a crate’s lid, it can be opened. The first such container that the ranger priestess examines contains several square packets, each one wrapped in reflective metal which is as thin as paper and easily removed. Within the packet, Ella discovers a dozen palm sized squares with the consistency of hard bread and the scent of roasted fowl. She is almost certain that what she has found are some odd manner of food ration.

Ella carefully sniffs the strange wafers and announces to her nearby companions. "These crates contain what I believe to be food of some sort. Dried. Similar to elven bread, but," she sniffs again, "not bread. A game bird, perhaps. Odd."

She places the wafer back into its strange package and stuffs it in her pack for the time being. "Interesting. I did not see any farms in the underground garden."

"Are these the beasts that are ta be released?" the dwarf asks.  "Wonder how they was captured, an' why?"

"I hope not, Lumwik. These are all dangerous and fell beasts.

And the instructions to get to Cargo Hold 5 were to proceed east through the Auditorium, then north through the Gymnasium, to the northernmost point of Level Four.

So we need to head east through a large hall...and then north through an exercise area."

Azad looks around to see if there are any signs on the walls that identify this area.

“Perhaps these creatures were captured as specimens, either for study or for display.  Perhaps intended for some kind of menagerie.”
This message was last edited by the player at 09:41, Wed 05 May 2021.

Taking the time to examine each of the exits, Azad notes that above each of the locking mechanisms that secure the doors, there is a small metal plate etched with the unique writing used within the steel caverns.

"This is the way," Azad points to the southern door.

"The sign says this is the way to the Auditorium and Theatre. And we want to proceed east through the Auditorium."

“Did we remember to buy tickets?”