The warforged charges the creature and he pulls out his short sword, hitting its mark!

Cumandria swings her sword and the weapon sinks into the ooze.

The ooze lashes out at the cleric. Its tentacle wraps around the cleric as it starts to pull the life out of her!
-Cumandria take 15 damage and you are grappled

Brankx fires off several missiles all hitting their mark but the ooze keeps its grip.

Slash! Slash! The barbarian hits, sending ooze 'parts' all around and it drops the cleric. It slowly sinks down and seems to disvolve, dead. Fenris catchs the cleric and then falls to the ground as well exhausted and badly hurt.

Ballast goes to aid Cumarinda and Fenris, bending down to put his backpack under the barbarian's back to keep him somewhat off the cold ground.  "Fenris, how are you faring?
 What can I do, Cumarinda?  Do you need water or fire for your healing or Fenris'?" he asks in concern.

The dwarf snorted at the ooze. "Stupid piece o' slime messed with th' wrong group."  He stomped over to the others, seeing for the first time how badly hurt Fenris was hurt, and he had a concerned look on his face...the two had been at odds in the past, but he considered him an ally worth fighting beside.

"Ye taught him a thing or two there Fenris....good job"

The barbarian grunts as the backpack is put down behind him. He leans forwards and moves the pack back to the warforged and his focus is on the cleric as he holds her. Fenris is litterally covered in blood, gore, ooze remants, snow and ice. Tilting his head as the wizard approaches, he seems well surprised. The elf nods his head towards him actually not arguing with him. The barbarian stares at the warforged. Its pretty obvious he's not in a good place and his attention goes back to the cleric again. All he can do is hold her.

With a pained smile, the tired looking but still youthful and bright lady cleric looked up at the concerned people around her. “I think some drinking water for both Fenris and I would be a good start. Then we need to cleanse ourselves of this cold oozy mess.” a short series of coughs briefly interrupted before she continued. “Oh, by the Sun Father's beard we need a short time, so I can call upon the blessings of Pelor to heal our wounds before we go on.”

Slowly sitting up but not moving from Fenris' arms, she tersely scanned the room before bringing her attention back to the party. “Anyone else besides our favorite barbarian and myself injured? Ballast? Brankx?” she asked.

Getting to his feet and helping up the cleric, the barbarian grunts and flips the lever. Same thing happens as before-it glows and a path leading down to the closed door emerges. Brankx is able to flip the lever invisible and the group rests before the door, the three levers seem to become a keep. The door remains closed but the center glows. They take turns resting but all is quiet and calm. A few hour passes, cures are passed out and the group is back at full life. They stand before the closed doorway.

OOC
Shot ahead :) Everyone is all healed up, spells recovered, ect.

Ballast had spent some of the night carving a little dragon-shape, more out of his idea of what a dragon might look like rather than much actual experience, and tucked it away as the others came awake to have their breakfast and prepare for the day.  Once all were ready, he nods at the doorway.  "More lever-pulling, or shall we try something more direct?" he asks Brankx and the others.

After listening to Ballast's comment, Cumarinda looked quizzically at the dwarf mage. "So what do you think we should do Brankx? I'm open to any ideas, observations, or suggestions?"

She quickly turned to Fenris, "You too, my handsome warrior. Any thoughts, feelings about where we go from here?"

While awaiting their responses, she carefully looked around the room for anything else noteworthy.

OOC
Cumarinda Imbrex rolled 25 using 1d20+6.  Spot check.

Brankx, his spells relearnt over the time resting, streched as he stood, looking at Fenris. "I think the soner we get this done, th' better"

The warrior watches the door for a moment. He pulls out his crowbar and taps it. Nothing. Fenris tries to get it under the symbol but there is nothing to hold onto. He lowers the bar, spitting onto the ground and it freezes soon afterwards.

Eyes narrowed, Fenris goes to grab the mages hand tightly and thrusts it up onto the glyph. For a moment, nothing but then the door seems to come to life as it slowly opens inwards. He lets the hand go, grabbing his pack and then stares at the cleric.

It enters into a dark hallway that looks like it goes further down. There is a bit of ice and snow near the doorway.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:45, Fri 09 July 2021.

With the return of her usual warm smile, Cumarinda nods to the barbarian warrior and carefully peers into the hallway, her torch held in her shield hand, high enough to let the light penetrate the darkness.

She pats the mighty chest of the elf saying, "I still don't know where some people get the idea that barbarians aren't smart. Sometimes I'm sure that you're smarter than me, Fenris."

Letting her gaze continue over to the warforged and dwarven wizard she adds, "Pelor knows that none of us would have gotten this far without you two, Ballast and Brankx. Now, lets us finally go forward and move ahead."

After taking a good long look into the hallway she suggests, "Ballast, Fenris, the two of you should continue to go before me and Brankx. Please be careful, the snow and ice looks slippery and there may be another of those snow oozy things waiting for us."

Briefly fondling the Holy Symbol around her neck, she follows her companions into the descending passage.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:32, Sat 10 July 2021.

The dwarf watches as Ferris explores the door, the symbol and then when he grabs his hand, protests. “Heya….what do ye think ye…” He tries to fight against the elf’s strength, but looses out, his hand planted on the door. The door opened, and he snatched his hand away. “Ye coulda asked me, ye crazy fool. Don’t go around messin’ with magic!”

It was clear the dwarf was angry that Ferris used him, but it had a tinge of fear as well as excitement that it worked. He snatched up his pack and staff, and giving Ferris a snort, followed the others.

"You live. Not crazy." Oddly, the barbarian actually grins. He probably knows the mage wouldn't have done it, least not easily. And Fenris was a lot stronger, and indeed he knows little of magic but it did the trick. He snorts right back at Brankx but hard to tell if he means out of playfulness or to intimidate him. Perhaps both. Grabbing his blade, he motions for the warforged to follow and starts to head into the corridor.

At the end of the corridor it opens up to a small cavern. Its about 50' total with a closed door. Its pretty solid, going from the snowy area to a more defined area but its still slick at times with snow covering the walls. In the center is a dais, with two torch areas but they aren't lit looking like a small stage. In the center of the 'stage' is a lit up blue rune about 10'. It pulses at times.

"While the gamble with the door did work, perhaps don't toss Brankx atop the rune here until we've taken a closer look," Ballast said to Fenris with a smile in his voice.  He steps forward to take a look at the rune... and possibly also to draw the attention of any unseen or hidden foes.

The dwarf, still upset, was more focused on the tune than Ferris. “He tries ter toss me up there and I’ll turn ‘im into a stoat and feed it to a wolf.” The tone was light, and idle threat, but his attention was on the tune and dias

Another idle threat from the dwarf, the barbarians hands clench his blde. He glances at the cleric, but holds back. Fenris's body tenses up, his eyes narrow upon Brankx. Breath. He takes a deep breath and waits. He would try it-and fail. Dead within seconds. Slowly, Fenris walks around but not up to the dias.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:48, Tue 13 July 2021.

The human female cleric with sun-kissed skin and fire-red hair stepped quickly up to the elf barbarian, throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "Thank you for remembering that he is important to both of us, despite what he says. I know that you didn't have the words to ask for what you wanted done, but you shouldn't put your hands on anyone without their permission unless to save their lives."

With her arms still around Fenris' waist, she turns to the others. "Both of you please try to remember that we have an agreement to not threaten each other, seriously or not.", she chided them in a serious but affectionate manner, like a sister speaking to her brothers.

Turning her attention to the rune, she attempts to decipher it.

OOC
Cumarinda Imbrex rolled 13 using 1d20+4.  Spellcraft.
Cumarinda Imbrex rolled 24 using 1d20+6.  Knowledge (arcana).

The dwarf looks at the cleric, a sharp edge to his tone and eyes. "Remind ye boyfriend that before he forces someone ter touch something that he knows nothin' about. I have been civil, and even concerned fer his saftey when he was wounded, but he wants ter pull crap like that again, and oath or not, i will say somethin' girl."

He stepped forward, ignoring anything she would say, or anything else as his focus went on the rune, casting a spell to see it's magical nature, while trying to discern it.

<OOC: Casts Detect Magic

Brankx Onyxshield rolled 19 using 1d20+5.  knoledge - planes check.
Brankx Onyxshield rolled 16 using 1d20+6.  knoledge - arcane check.>

As much as the barbarian wanted to basically rip into the dwarf, he doesn't. Fenris is silent. He doesn't even look at the dwarf, as if he doesn't bother with him. His words speak of ill intent all the time and he seems to like to hear himself talk even if he may be wrong. In his eyes-he's always right. Never argue with a dwarf. Fenris glances at the cleric who seemed to be helping but its harming at the same time. Something needs to change. Civil? Brankx? Really? The barbarian won't mix words. He pulls away from the cleric and walks away, seeming to check out the room.

Between the mage and cleric, its evident its some sort of magical device locked within its stony cup. But the wizard realizes within himself-its some sort of portal. But it looks innert besides the glowing at times.

Brankx takes little notice of fenris and his musing and walking away, his attention on the rune. "That thing be magical alright - some conjuration magic, butt seems inert at th' moment"

He looks at the cleric and shrugs
This message was last edited by the player at 01:55, Fri 16 July 2021.

Cumarinda looks at the dias for long moments before seeming to come to a decision. With confidence, she spoke to the others. "Alright. There are two places for torches there. The only way we are going to learn more is to get closer and possibly even light the torches on either side. I'm offering to go up there, light the torches and see what happens from there. I'd like for you, Brankx to stay back and watch for any changes or spells going off. Furthermore, I'd like for Ballast and Fenris to join me while I light the torches. We will all be keeping our distance from the glowing blue rune." She pauses while waiting for a reply, “If anyone has a better idea, I'm willing to hear it first.”

The barbarian goes to grab the torch from the cleric, attempting to take if needbe. He then goes to light the torches, trying to manuver around the rune. Fenris doesn't agree to allow his love to possible be killed or whatever the rune will do. As they are lit, its odd as the fire is blue not red. WHen the second one is lit, as the run glows brightly, sending out a burst of energy as the barbarian goes to jump off amongst the blinding flash.

Fenris is gone.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:04, Sun 18 July 2021.

"Fenris!  By your gods, what happened?  Is is he dead? Gone? Invisible?" Ballast exclaims, moving to where Fenris once was to see if there is any sign of him left...

The warforged dissapears as well in another burst and flash of light blinding the wizard and cleric for a moment.

With the disappearance of the warforged, the cleric's expression goes from stunned silence to shock and then to distress. "By the Sun Father's holy beard! Fenris...? Ballast...? FENRIS!? BALLAST!? They're gone Brankx!" She turns to the dwarf wizard, tears pooling in her brown eyes as she shouts almost hysterically, "BRANKX, WHAT DO WE DO!!"