"Ruby is the Key"

After learning to subdue and control "Kainin" the stone golem, the Misfit Six and the Fellowship of the Key less Lt. Falz, pushed forward. Safad studied the map the group had constructed from the miniature model of the city and determined that somewhere up ahead should be a few of those nooks he so fancied.

Before they set off, Nancy thought it'd be trippy to try some Lycanthropy. She asked Dala'gse to bite her. He did. It wasn't hard enough. Nancy encouraged him to really make sure she got a good dose of his affliction. He bit down harder, dealing some damage, and everyone watched as the wound festered quickly, just as it had with Zireael and Dala'gse -- a sure sign she too had contracted wererat Lycanthropy. 

Rook was bewildered. First, Safad's intentional addiction to the narcotic sfös; now Nancy's request for that lycanthropy "high"... the world had moved on in a strange way he mused.  He told them he had spent a good part of his life as an addict--a fallen, alcoholic, Paladin--before he managed to get back on the wagon and go on one last quest. Now he was cursed forever in this strange blade/raven form and he could not believe anyone would choose an altered state as their fate. Kids these days. They pressed on.

The narrow street opened up after a few twists to reveal a large plaza or square, lit from light sources buried in the ground, projecting beautiful colors ‘sky’-ward. Blues and greens and violets and yellows, oranges, reds and indigos, tightly spaced every foot or so. It’s Gorgeous. 

Dala'gse and Nancy crept forward and had a look for themselves, peering over a couple of the holes within which were buried some gem-like stone--the source of the light. When they crossed the plane of the light, they heard a quick intake of air, and then an easy breeze gusted up at them. They peered at a few more and Nancy had her eyebrows singed off looking at one of them when instead of a breeze, a jet of flame shot out. Dala'gse tested a couple more and acid shot out, consuming both his shoes. 

Slothrop noticed the easy breeze lights were both red, and decided to test those. Sure enough, the red ones produced a harmless breeze. They check the rest:

• orange = a set of flame
• yellow = a golden, searing light
• green = an acid spray
• blue = a freezing ray
• indigo = a charge of lightning
• purple = a powerful shockwave

The lights were spaced so close together the going looked nigh impossible, but Slothrop noticed a pattern of adjacent reds and Dala'gse set out on the path of ruby light. The others followed, single file. Slothrop pretended to push Safad, who was so surprised he crossed a green ray of light and barely dodged the acid that followed. 

The paths through the light led the group to entrances to cave-like complexes that must have been residences when Myth Sveldin was populated by more than monsters. They also led to points of tangency with areas close to where Safad had marked the nooks. When they reached those places, the group searched high and low for holes illusory stone, and at the first place found one very quickly. Safad sent Rook into the crawlspace to investigate. He was none to pleased, but complied. He reported back that he had discovered a room similar to Laxle's Library and that inside there was a chest. Safad was weary. Could this chest be a mimic, one of those creatures he had read about as an urchin on the streets of Calimport? He asked Rook to tap it with his beak. Rook was not pleased, but complied. It did not lash out at him. 

The group followed and discovered a few gems and coins and a nice pair of boots, that fit Slothrop just right, and silenced any sound of his movement. 

The ruby path led to another illusory wall and the nook inside also contained a chest. Safad figured since the other chest was fine, this one must be OK. Rook was off the hook. The chest contianed a few gems and coins as well as a solid glass globe with some gnomish etchings on it. It looked magical. 

The group followed the path to the third nook on the map, and inside discovered two chests. Safad, sfös-ed up as he was, hadn't a care in the world. Dala'gse opened the first chest, which contained a beautiful cloak, a gold necklace with five large rubies, and a few coins and potions. Safad opened the second chest, which of course was in fact a Mimic. 

The Mimic latched on to Safad, and closed its massive maw around him. Safad took massive damage and bled out, unconscious before anyone could react. 

Dala'gse and Nancy leaped to action, attacking the fake chest thing with teeth. During the fray, Slothrop slipped in quietly with his new silent boots, and filched the ruby necklace from the chest. Or did he? Was he even there? It's hard to say with the battle raging. 

Nancy and Dala'gse managed to pound the creature to death. Slothrop headed back to the amphitheater where Ironica and Zireael were holding down the campsite. Everyone rested.