Frozen in Time - As a 0-level funnel

[GnomeBoy]

Voorak steps up.

Str check = 2 (lol).

"Gaahh, this is heavier than that boulder back in camp..."

[Judge Perky]

Actually, that effort, however weak, is enough help to pry open the door, which slides into the side of the pillar. As soon as it does, a row of panels running up the inside of the pillar magically alights!

The inside of the pillar is 10' in diameter, rises at least 40 or 50' above, and apart from the glowing panels is completely bare.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

With childlike wonder, Myrna rushes in to examine the magically glowing panels...

[Dr. Meat]

Having seen the exploration of the pillar unfolding, Dibbon begins to search the floor, any flat spaces on the blinky light boxes, and underneath the random machines to see if there might be a forgotten or dropped doo-hicky that might fit into the circular depression on the pillar. Alternatively, someone might have dropped something else shiny. Who knows?

Willoughby, seeing his companion take the low ground, looks up. "Would someone care to give me a boost?" he inquires. He leans the L-shaped metal grate-covering against the central cluster of consoles as a first step toward gaining altitude. It appears he's thinking of climbing up on top of one of the boxes to get a better look at the room (and also to look for pocketable bits).

[Judge Perky]

With childlike wonder, Myrna rushes in to examine the magically glowing panels...

As she does so, with an unsettling whoosh she immediately starts rising up toward the ceiling of the tube at a rate of about 5' per second!

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Myrna flails about wildly, clearly caught in the ice-demon's invisible grasp! Kurr grabs his spear and tries to reach her with his free hand.
Meanwhile...
Bjorn offers Willoughby a boost. Blackfeet, seeing no one coming with him to the left passage, stays put afraid to go it alone.

[GnomeBoy]

That sounds too fast to jump aboard, but Voorak is right there and did have an iron spike handy from just before, so what if he sets the spike between the rising 'floor' and the ceiling...? Like set the spike on the floor as it's going up past him out of reach, so it's sticking out past the perimeter of the column.

Then he stands back.

[Judge Perky]

Dibbon searches around on his hands and knees the best he can, not finding anything at all, let alone something the shape of the depression on the door.

Bjorn gives Willoughby a boost. Willoughby stands on top of one of the flashy-blinky-bulky objects, but can see no further than 10' ahead of him given the mist density. In fact, it may be slightly worse up here, he thinks. And hotter.

Voorak thinks to himself, "but wait a minute... the floor is still here. It didn't rise at all, just Myrna did! Sorcery!" Kurr isn't quick enough with his spear, and can only watch Myrna continue to rise, helplessly...

And Myrna's flails in terror as she rises steadily, 5' per second, right toward the ceiling she now sees rapidly approaching... she closes her eyes and waits for the impact...

...which never comes. She stops gently after 50'.

Opening her eyes, she finds herself, incredibly, hovering in mid-air, 10' from the top of the tube. In front of her is another sliding door, this one closed. Next to the door at about waist height is a square piece of metal, about the size of a hand, set in a frame and flush with the wall.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Myrna reaches a trembling hand toward the metal square, terrified the demons might drop her to her death at any moment yet desperate to be free of their grasp. Kurr looks on helplessly, uncertain how to reach her.

[Judge Perky]

She reaches out and... Does she touch the metal square? Push it?

What is everyone else doing? Standing outside or inside the pillar?

[GnomeBoy]

Voorak drapes his pelt over his arms, ready to jump into the column in an attempt to catch her, should she fall.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Myrna slaps at the metal plate as she tries to steady herself. Kurr moves into the cylinder under her in case she falls.

[Judge Perky]

Myrna slaps at the metal plate as she tries to steady herself. Kurr moves into the cylinder under her in case she falls.

As Myrna does so, the door in front of her opens soundlessly. The room beyond the mysterious magical tube is filled with verdant plants. She can easily step out of the tube now, and into this room.

Meanwhile, as Kurr moves into the cylinder, he too immediately begins to rise at 5' per second toward Myrna. In 10 seconds, he's floating next to her.

[GnomeBoy]

Sarkla calls down into the 'pit', "What is happening down there? Is it safe? Should we follow now?"

[I'll avoid just having my characters talk to each other, unless no one else answers.]

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Myrna and Kurr reach for the now open door, eager to set foot on solid ground. They scan the new environs for danger, signalling to Voorak if the coast appears clear.

[Judge Perky]

Myrna and Kurr reach for the now open door, eager to set foot on solid ground. They scan the new environs for danger, signalling to Voorak if the coast appears clear.

They see nothing that immediately poses a danger in the room beyond.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Kurr, peering down the shaft: "Pssst! Voorak! I think it's safe. Is Telva down there? She should see this..."

[GnomeBoy]

Sarkla and my other Zeroes will clamber down into the pit, to catch up with the others.

Voorak will stride into the column.... rising up with his spear raised above him like he's going to shish-kebob something.

[Judge Perky]

Sarkla and my other Zeroes will clamber down into the pit, to catch up with the others.

I'm not sure what pit you are talking about, GnomeBoy. There is only the mist room with the bulky blinky things, and the column, and the room at the top of the column with the plants.

[GnomeBoy]

Sarkla and my other Zeroes will clamber down into the pit, to catch up with the others.

I'm not sure what pit you are talking about, GnomeBoy. There is only the mist room with the bulky blinky things, and the column, and the room at the top of the column with the plants.

Okay, so re-reading page 4, I can see that I interpreted 'hole' as being in the floor of the tunnel we were in.

[Judge Perky]

OOC: No worries. So every character that steps into the shaft, rises to stand next to the others.

Is anyone NOT going up?

After about 3 minutes of no one going in, the door to the room at the top has slid shut.

Is anyone going to press the metal square again to open the door and go into the room?

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

ooc: Bjorn and Blackfeet will not go up, preferring to fully explore the room they're in. Unless everyone else goes up.

[GnomeBoy]

Telva will remain in the lower room to continue the exploration there. Herbalism isn't the same thing as superstition, but I can imagine a primitive tribe having a lot of superstitions, with much overlap in the realm of 'this aids the body' and 'this does not', etc. Maybe there are 'signs' she can 'read'...

[Judge Perky]

Telva will remain in the lower room to continue the exploration there. Herbalism isn't the same thing as superstition, but I can imagine a primitive tribe having a lot of superstitions, with much overlap in the realm of 'this aids the body' and 'this does not', etc. Maybe there are 'signs' she can 'read'...

If you mean the plants, they are in the room at the top of the shaft, not in the lower room. Just making sure there is no more confusion.

So if I understand you all, Kurr, Myrna, Voorak Sarkla and Tarr are going to exit the shaft into the 'garden room' and Bjorn, Blackfeet and Telva are staying down in the mist-filled room.

Is that right?

What about your characters, DR. MEAT?

[GnomeBoy]

...Herbalism isn't the same thing as superstition, but...

... Just making sure there is no more confusion.

Just trying to apply a little occupational aptitude. Maybe there are "patterns" in the lights she can detect, good or ill. "Leaves of three, let it be", etc.