"Well we're ALL going to have to be invisible. That's a given. You guys work out the rest." Chris Bright, it's fair to say, tends to stick to his specialities and not venture too far outside his designated role. It's all about demarcation.
With Sahrim and Lotto as the buff-meisters, the party huddles and moves forward on the curtain, under the cover of Invisibility 10' radius.
The tension rises, as the carefully assembled group inches closer to the curtain, not knowing what to expect. Pan, designated recon specialist, pins the TZGY scarab to his breast, and gently hovers forward. He reaches for the curtain, his breath caught for a moment as his hand is about to make contact with the unnaturally perfect drape.
As if in slow motion, but in lighting quick succession, the curtain forms a small section of itself into fist, and extends a skinny arm in a punching motion. It's reach falls just short of Pan's face. But then another. Pan dodges easily. And another two; Pan jinks sideways to dodge. And two more! The last one making contact with a limb overextended from the previous evasive manouvre.
No damage. That's a worry. Pan grabs for the scarab and boldly presents it to the curtain. The sock-fists quiet. But as he holds it out, he feels his off arm weakening rapidly. In a minute, he has lost all strength in that arm, and it hangs uselessly from his side.
A flurry of notes and shoulder taps later, and Sahrim heals the rot that has set into Pan's arm. Although still invisible, the cover is blown, and another Ice Storm hammers the altar room. Sahrim's Control Temperature protects the party completely, this time.
Now, to press the assault! Arnie leads the way, looking for his next victim. Pan, now back to full strength quickly positions himself at the best possible tactical advantage against the half-elf Deggum, leader of the the Temple Guards, who is taken by surprise and slain by an perfectly positioned dagger thrust. Barkinar, Temple Troop Leader, holds his own against a focussed attack, using sleet to cover his escape. But the parties resources are strong and plentiful, even at range. Magic Missile's spell the end of the last of the Temple hierarchy!
But is this the end? No doubt, you have control of the Temple. The secret entrance could be guarded, and the dweomers on the main doors would surely hold another thousand years hence. However, you know that Iuz could reappear at any time. Although his forces on this plane have been decimated, what of the elemental forces? And what is to prevent him from developing another malevolent army of evil to retake the Temple from you?
The Elemental Planar Portals
You have found the rooms on dungeon level four that appear to correspond with the four elements. They are paired, such that there is an identical room on the east and west sides of the altar room (419). You also believe that standing in the magic circle in each of these rooms will transport you to the corresponding elemental plane. It is hoped that one of the paired circles will transport you not to the plane proper, but something that is known as a "node". The node, in theory, is link between the prime and the particular elemental plane, and is not only thought to be far more survivable, but also may hide something important that is essential to the final destruction of the elemental evil of the Temple.
(The following is a dramatisation of actual events.)
"Let's get ourselves into a node, start picking up the gems we need to plug into Yellowskull there, and wrap this mission up. I don't want to spend another night in this hell-hole if I don't have to." Arnie declares, not wanting to falsely celebrate a battle, when the war isn't won.
"I'm with you, but which one?" Pan, ever-eager at the prospect of taking stuff, is also motivated by the base elven need for fresh air and the smell of flora.
"My intel tells me the west is the destination for elementals summoned from the altar room. So they come up from the east, and get stored in the west, is my best guess."
"Done. But which elemental node are we going for?" Pan quickly responds.
Sahrim chimes in, "We tend to be pretty well protected from fire if we want to try that one."
"Yeah sure let's do it." Chris Bright, distracted as ever, but fully supportive nonetheless.
Pan rallies the party, "Everyone - huddle - lets go! West fire gate, ahoy! Now we all jump in together at exactly the same time and that should make sure we all get through in one go in case there's anything bad on the flip side. Ready? One...TWO...TH..."
The final equipment checks are done as Pan starts the countdown. The party, still pumped from the recent emphatic victory, is ready to take on anything. Throw them into a firestorm and they'll have that thing reduced to a wispy smolder before you can say, "Simmer me tinders!"
But Pan's count catches in his throat, "...ahem...A-HEM...oh sorry guys don't know what happened there...ok ONE..."
"Just a sec," Chris quickly pulls a tome from under his arm and flips quickly to a page. His lips purse and push to one side of his face in consternation. "Hmmmm..." he ponders, "listen...uh...where are we going again? Sorry just checking something."
"The fire node. It's fine. It's only a bit of fire. Let's roll like a pig spit," Arnie says impatiently.
"Yeah the other one's the elemental plane of fire so that's why we're doing this one. Chris...get in." Lotto hurries Chris along with her hand as she rejoins the formation.
"The plane of fire would be bad. I'm glad we're going in the node, that's for sure," Vandross agrees.
"One...T-two..." Pan's stammers slightly, and it sends a chill down every spine.
"Hold the countdown Pan," Chris reluctantly interrupts, "I think we all know we're going to have to re-assess this. Ok...so how is it that we know this is the node - location of the secrets of the Temple, and no doubt great riches - and NOT a direct link to the deepest part of the elemental plane of fire - a realm of pure fire from which we are unlikely to ever escape, even in the unlikely event that we should survive more than an instant?"
"Oh...uh...well I...uh...talked Kelno into telling me," Arnie, with a mix of sheepishness and pride, proclaims, "...and before you say anything, NO I did NOT rough him up in ANY way. Hehe...didn't need to! That little weed knew what was coming if he crossed me...hehe...yeah..."
Lotto winces. The Guru says smacks his forehead and says quiet prayer. Pan bites a finger nail. Chris' eyebrows raise up high. Sahrim ponders whether he could successfully protect himself and the party from raw elemental fire, and for how long. Vandross is just relieved that he has a moment scratch an itch that had formed down the front of his pants when they first got together, but he was too polite to ask everyone to wait whilst he sorted himself out.
"So, what? You don't like my interrogation technique?"
The Quandary
Though ready, willing, and able to push on, there remains some doubt as to which magic circle is going to get you to to where you want to go.
Firstly, Kelno's intelligence may be right, but is it right for Fire? Or just Air? Are all node entrances on the one side?
Also, Kelno may have just been wrong. Was he being offhanded and just giving any answer, not really knowing?
For that matter, does he really know?
And if he DOES know, would he tell you? Would he deliberately mislead you? And how could you know for sure whether what he is saying is the truth, and if not, is he mistaken, or lying, or both, and why?
Lotto has divined some further information, but it is up to you to now determine what information you feel is reliable enough, and what other information might be required.
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