Chapter 4: Level 3 dungeon

Tinkara return with both skulls and Tante Lude collects the items from the shrine. Nothing unexpected happens so far.

"I don't know much about what y'all have encountered or dealt with and am still a bit confused but if need you help with something just let know." Tobias is still a bit foggy. He kind of remembers Tante but these others he has no memory of what so ever. How long has he been here?

I do not want to call on anything from this place for aid. And I doubt it would actually help usl

I'll take up a position near the room door. I don't know much about offerings and will defer to those with more knowledge. I brace myself for action and keep an eye out for any trouble.

"Only one way to find out what happens is t do it." She looks a bit doubtful she says that.

"So we wait, though we know we are going to be hurt by not doing something, better than doing it wrong seems to be the consensus."

While Tinkara was traveling to collect the skulls and the other searched the room Nyx performed a ritual casting of Detect Magic.

Nyx reveals auras of abjuration and evocation magic around sarcophagus.

Ready Criella has preparing'ly drawn out both her favored scimitars and quietly pacing about. She considers placing combative magic on her silver one but finally decides to give time and wait on that maneuver.

As we wait Tobias will ask Tante"These are not the people we were here with originally is it? How long have I been here?"

"It's strange. I remember dying, drowned by skeletons. I remember you dying as well. I think we were cloned or maybe simulacra brought back for information, and yet, I don't remember getting free until the hall just before I met these people.

I'm not sure time really has any meaning. We might be in purgatory or one of the hells, just reliving these pointless halls over and over. Or, we might have gotten a second chance but if or when we leave, the world as we knew it might have changed again.

We will have to see."

"Time may be strange here. I talk to you all about stuff. Places and such. I get blank looks. So, who is to say how long you have been here or any of us till we actually leave. I'm fairly sure the room that I rent before coming here is expired and I'm not going to get my coin back."

She adds on, "Ah. No dying here."

"And by looks, my adventuring crew is gone. And I have the feeling it was long ago.", "There will be too many candles on my next birthday cake."

She adds on, "Happy to be here."

Tobias will nod and say"Thank you for some clarity on the situation." is all he says then goes back to his own thoughts until needed. Then thinking about what Criella said"Wait, do you all have trouble remembering the past? Have you all been here before with others?"

"Not I. I am the last member of a party that came here no more than a few days ago."

With a smile, "I remember everything. It wasn't me that changed. It was the entire world around me that altered completely. One moment, I was with my party looking at something etched on the temple's wall. I touched it and later I pulled away from the dam wall and world changed fully."

"That was just a bit ago. I don't how much time has pasted 'exactly', but it is enough time that everything that I have known about is absolutely gone. So long ago that no one remember it." She gives you a date that is current to her. And it is centuries ago. "I am the oldest person that you will probably ever know.

She gazes to the others as she finally completely admits what is what as she has figured it all out. New Tobias Moon can figure now that Tiefling Criella isn't extra sexy baggage and is a full-blown tomb exploring adventurer. The current party has already seen that she is something that belongs here.

"Still looking sexy and great even after a few centuries." She gives a sexy succubus pose which she knows so well how to do. It appears that Criella has already come to terms with her time change and losing everything that isn't on her current body including friends. She adds on, "And if I find that it is this Acererak that did it to me then I have twice the reason to destroy him."

And she says to a horn that she is carrying along, "That right I will find that Acererak." Your guess who she is talking to, but it is obviously not someone standing here. The magical Almiraj's horn is in her narrow backpack but appears she thinks it can hear her. Last time they connect it decided to take possession of Criella and found that is harder than it looks. (Lucky dice rolls.)

She glances over to fairy Tink knowing darn well how it feels to lose your entire party. In Criella's place, its bit more loss.

I do not know about time but what I saw indicates to my that this is not the ruins I entered with my clan mates. Though the one that created them seems to be the same. So something I can do to weekend or desire 6 the insane mage before returning home, I will do so.

"I think we have to do something. Everything I've encountered here reacts to something we do. It doesn't seem to be the kind of place where things happen to us if we don't act."

Sighing Nyx now in agreement but insure himself what to do just yet so gestures for any willing to take the lead and he will help

"In that sense you are right, Tinks, but we have found that if we can think through a set of clues like you guys did with that last trap, it saves a lot of pain and danger or trying to just power ahead. So, let's keep the conversation going about clues and hints and hope it will keep us alive."

Ancient Criella offers her current thoughts, "I like to also hunt this place for every single magic item as that is besides coin as this is the principle reason why I arrived here in the very first place." She has zero problems with open up grave site situations in her hunt for greed. She is in the habit to turn over every stone.

She adds on "Do you believe this Acererak is responsible for this temple?" She simply poses the odd question but has little doubt that they really know for absolute sureness. Thoughts of the magical horn just trounce across her one-track mind.

She is ready for combat and again has her scimitars out.