Chapter 4: Level 3 dungeon

"I can cast light on something so your familiar can see, if you like. It's just a cantrip."

Once light is cast on a small pebble Nyx puts a small pouch on a strap over the monkeys shoulder for storing it when he need to douse the light. Nyx then sends Zim back up the crawlspace to investigate, focusing to share his familiars senses.

Half-Demon (more like succubus) Criella ponders that simpler her needs to learn to cast light that way. She can do other things but never thought to learn light since she could see in the dark. Typical Criella doesn't ponder about companions that way. A typical habit since Tiefling her never needed illumination. Odd as explorer her normally tends to simply attach herself well to those she adventures with and concerns.

Doesn't matter with illumination, she can't get her shadow back. It will never return to her. She really never missed it till it was gone. Of course, would be nice to see herself in a mirror too. Something else dearly miss. Makes cleaning up sometimes difficult as well. A good reason she never wears any makeup & such. "Who needs it. I'm beautiful without it."

She believes familiars are cool to have. Not that she tried to summon one. A bat seems something that would appeal to her. The monkey is a "Cute Sweety". It does seem rather beastly though and not with much intelligence.

She watches on silently as her forked tail sweeps about aimlessly. She has thoughts that she could use to stretch her wings out some. Seems "Centuries" since she has. With her wings spread out, she does keep a much more demon look. Perhaps the next room or so will be larger.

I look over at Criella.

"Nice wings. They look sturdier than mine."

I give my thin butterfly wings a shake, and my purple hair floats in the breeze.

"Are they functional, or just part of your rockin' look?"

Smiling and onlooking Criella slightly unfolds her large bat wings partially but the passage is way too narrow to consider much more than that. She replies with a slight smirk, "Sometime sweety. You will see me aloft with them. It is quite a sight I'm told." (Full succubus look)

She adds on smiling, "I catch an eye or two." As surely, your certain Tyfling her intends that. It is obvious she has concern how she appears and does take some notable effort that way. Frequently uses her favored prestidigitation for such. She wishes to maintain herself like a fine treasure.

Years ago, her less than reputable group favored to frequent her for a noticeable distraction as the total rest of her rogue like skills sucked. Which is also why they tossed her out too eventually. Way too much of a risk to have her around. She was informed to never attempt to pick pocket ever again which has a very unfavorable rate of success.

Her bat wings have to be large and strong as they will carry slender Criella's (Goodberry) weight, her breast plate armor and other goodies that she has hidden away in her trusty narrow leather backpack. Still, she can achieve only to fly at 30' and hover about when she has space.

With a word and wave of the hand, Fairy Tinkara now has a lavender scent about her too for an hour to accompany with her violet' ness color. Which now, Criella has max'ed out her Prestidigitation spell. She is maintaining three people with flowery scents.

Note: Criella actually does have a bottle of expensive perfume with her that she treasures some but almost never uses. Nothing like having the real thing. Her spell is only an attempt to imitate the real thing.

I sniff the air appreciatively. What a nice scent!

"Thank you, friend! That's a lovely scent!"

Refolding bat winged Criella easily replies back quickly, "Most any scent you desire sweety. I so much prefer lavender. I passed on cheery for Tante there." She doesn't say it, but Criella believes every females should wear a flowery scent. She does a twist of a simple waving motion toward forward Tante with her jewel handled silver scimitar as she proclaims last of what she informed about Tante.

Monkey fly with a source of light back into tunnel with dead end but is not able to properly explain you what you see, so you have to peak through his ayes. You realize this:
Ahead of you, the face of a snarling minotaur is etched into a sheet of iron that bisects the crawlway. Its eyes have been cut out, letting you see through the sheet, beyond which the tunnel continues onward.Then he crawls the other one and discover tiny room lodged between two crawlway. Continue through next crawlway and you need to again look though it's ayes to understand that this room is illuminated:


A balcony over a vast pit. Between the balconies hover several wooden platforms, each one a disk ten feet across. A single torch burns above each balcony. On the east balcony stands a rough-hewn, fifteen-foot-tall statue of a hulking fiend with furled wings and clenched fists.

Nyx explains all that he learns to the other. (He will always explain as things happen when scouting with his familiar) Nyx then crawls up the west/left crawlway with his familiar. He examine the metal sheet and surrounding area closely. (if noting of interest is found he proceeds as indicated below)
Nyx peers through one of the minotaurs eyes, holding the light pebble up to the other, so he can see further. He then dismissed him familiar to its pocket dimension and brings it back into existence on the other side of the sheet, passes the pebble through the eye hole, and sends the familiar to explore the passage on the far side.

Listening Criella mentions, This place is not the same as I entered here. The style is the same but not the design. Much is different.

Much to her surprise (and what would have been shock from her earlier self), Tante Lude had not really picked up on the new perfume. She had noticed, but had been concentrating on the dungeon. The half-demon was trying to be nice and Tante Lude was being rude not to mention it:

"That's lovely of you to create perfume for us, Criella. I tended to combine spicy and floral for my personal perfumes, usually using a base of cedar and mint then overlaying with different flora such as coconut, orange, or vanilla. If I had real time and a laboratory, possibly hints of cinnamon, coriander, sandalwood, and a fresher but the base was cedar, mint, and a tropical floral scent."

Between focusing on the world through his familiars senses Nyx pretends not to hear the women talking. There may be time to chat later on subjects he felt more comfortable expression opinions on.

Smiling Criella says, "A fine challenge Tante. So, cherry is not super pleasing. Well, let's season with cedar & mint. Should create a refreshing scent." With word and twist of her hand, Tante has a more pleasing scent and the cherry is gone. She allows only a slight scent present with the change.

She mentions, "That is even a touch alluring scent for you."

She wonders what is taking Nyx so long complete the task.

Tante Lude gives Criella what was once a smile that lords fought over.

Pondering Criella wonders and inquires, "Are all of you part of some king's quest or something else?" and Holy Tiefling Slayer Criella adds on "Or is just the riches and fame." Which is more the reason for her.

Seems like it has been forever since she purchased some new silver goodie. Well, "Centuries" to be exact. She figures to easily get enough goods out of this place for such. But the thought to just get out starting to worry her.

"I came to protect a friend, the son of one of my former lovers. I failed. Each of the others have their own reasons I'm sure."

Criella says, "Presiding here isn't one for just anyone. They have called me 'Holy Tiefling Slayer' because of the many undead that I have finished off."
"Truely. I think others could have come up with a better title."

She went on to describe actual royalty that used that title and such. Any can note that anyone she mentions doesn't exist but the lands she speaks of does. Her names are all wrong even though she expresses them as current. Any ruins she mentions also don't exist. All is out of place unless your better at history than her.

She adds on, "Never place a heavy burden on thyself. I have buried many a trusted companion that have met their dire end. Such happens and usually at the worst of timing." She alludes that she has killed many undead and explored other places like this one. She is a professional (Adventurer).

"Adventure is a means to an end for me. Someday I will visit my wrath on those who killed my father and brother. Whatever I can obtain that will hasten that day is welcome to me."

My face darkens as I speak, and hints of flame play along my fingers. With an effort born of long practice, I clamp down on my fury and force my wild magic back under control.

The walls of this narrow tunnel slope inward as they approach the ten-foot-high ceiling. Patches of mold cling to the walls and floor in the eastern half of the hall. Cut into the floor at the west end of the corridor is a three-foot-wide, four-foot-long rectangular hole with bright light spilling out of it.

Flying through the hole you get into next room below it:

This room is shaped like a drum or cylinder lying on its side, with its south end tapering toward a small stone door. Carvings of demons decorate the stonework, with flickering flames in all their eyes.

"On the first two levels, the clues were only useful in hindsight, or for solving the trap after getting caught in it. I'm not saying to throw caution to the winds, but at some point we need to just move forward. The water reference seems relatively straightforward. It's as good a place as any to start, if you ask me.