( So that's where the portal led. Best of luck guys against BJGamer the Penguin Pirate P-) )

What just happened? The painting.... it's gone. Where did it go?

*BenKii hears the sound of several feet walking up from the Central Chamber*

Tanea, are you controlling those rats to come back here? Because I hear something coming from the Central Chamber.

(Just real quick, so everyone has a chance to take time to think about things.)

Trying not to sound panicked, but not sure if I actually succeed I say rather rushed and in a little too high voice:
"It's on my arm! Look!" I show my arm to BenKii. "How did that happen?! What does that mean?!"

"The rats? Yes, I can hear them too. I don't think I control them? But that voice said "Come to me and the rats will follow" so maybe she does?"

After looking at the confused/blank faces around me I begin from the start:
"Roy heard a female voice in his head, telling him he doesn't belong in that painting. I heard a female voice too. Of course I have no way of knowing if it is the same voice or not. When I first heard the voice, around the time everyone just walked into it, she told me to not enter the blue portal, but to bring the painting to the door further up the tunnel instead. For a little while, I thought I was going insane. But I asked her which painting, why, who she is ... and if she knew where the rats live ..."

"She answered "You know which painting to bring, if it is possible. I am a kindred spirit. Come to me and the rats will follow." It is all very vague, I know. And now the painting is ..."

I look at my remaining companions. Maybe they could make something of ... all of this?

(o.O Took me 50 minutes to write this up. So much for "quick". I need to sleep.)

*BenKii sees the painting now etched into Tanea's skin*

Fascinating... most fascinating. We appear to be dealing with a telepath who is somehow connected with the Meadow painting and the rats. I believe we now know who opened the door for the rats. But why? Was it to test us or kill us? And why has she taken a special liking to Tanea and put the painting on her arm? If Tanea believes her to be a kindred spirit then I'll trust her judgment. Her instincts have been right so far on this journey but just in case, I believe we should at least have some protection spells cast upon ourselves. Does anyone here have any protective buffs they can cast before we enter the last door? If this spirit is in fact "good" then I would suggest me and Tanea go in first to speak with the spirit; she may not take a liking to seeing "evil" Drow -- no offense. Yeenwi, Strigon, and Roy should stay just outside in case things go south.

*BenKii looks at Shins*

Shins... Shins! The man is completely catatonic. Roy, would you mind carrying him with us to the last door. We will figure out what is wrong with him later.

(Question for all magic users. On turn 10, did you guys ask Doc for new spells? Since Loradan isn't here, I thought one of the other mages might have Detect Secrets or Detect Traps to use on this final room. Would come in handy to find out this spirit's true intentions.)

(I don't think we learned new skills, I see it as our mana has regenerated: we can cast some magic tricks again, the same we already kmow)

(In the other tunnels on Turn 10, Doc said you could PM him if you wanted to change out spells but I don't think I saw that here in the western tunnel. May have been an oversight but you can PM Doc to find out for sure.)

( Sigh.. I wanted to fight the Hag and save Roosevelt, but nope.. goodbye western tunnel and good luck!

EDIT: I read that the paladin was rescued by others at least. )

(Yep! It was only a matter of time (and survival), we wouldn't have let him stay in the cage. Now let's hope his bubble will protect him from the blades around the cage, as he steps out. :)

Enjoy your watery adventure!)

(57 - ConsulCaesar - Siegfried - Human Paladin
45 - phaolo - Loradan - Elven Mage
68 - matterbandit - Peloquin - Dwarven Thief
67 - Testor0 - Rufus - Human Cleric
40 - Pouyou-pouyou - Gilius - Dwarven Druid
63 - Genocide2099 - Fish - Half Orc Berserker
Farewell and good luck to you all. Maybe we will meet again later.

(I didn't ask for a change of my spells. All of them are relevant to the roleplaying part in one way or another.
Tanea can't detect anything. The only useful spell in that regard from the pool she could pick from would have been Detect Magic. For some reason Dispel Magic seemed more important.
Also: Are we allowed to drag Shins along? Lemon_Curry seems to have left the game -voluntarily or involuntarily-. I was planning on "writing him out of Tanea's story" because he will probably not return and it's weird for Tanea to just forget about him for the rest of the game - however short/long it may be.)

(Tanea will most likely cast "Protection From Elements" on everyone)

(Is it weird, that I still hope we might meet a dragon? Maybe behind that door? Preferably a friendly one of course.
But ... usually there are some kind of boss fights somewhere ... and the Hag went to fight somewhere/someone else. So ...)

(Tanea will definitely ask the voice a few more questions.
Of course the answers will probably be very vague again. Or they might be outright lies. But still. Maybe it will help somehow?
I just realized: What if the voice came out of the painting (not from behind the door at the end of the tunnel, as I have thought until just know)? If it's on Tanea's arm now, could it even answer still? Well, ... I guess we'll have to wait and see.)

Tanea says sheepishly: "Well, my test didn't work out so well. The painting went into me .. not the other way around. I'm sorry. Ehm ... So, Roy, do you want to try your test with the "Bridge Painting"? Or should we try to get to the door at the end of the tunnel first? Maybe we will get answers there?"

(Or maybe we will just die. - Do we even have anyone left, capable of detecting dangerous things before they kill us?)

(Still hoping for an alternate way to meet the dragon too at some point.)

( I was thinking about testing the "Bridge Painting" on Shins to see if he can go through it. Trying to think of a way that Captain BenKii could suggest it since he wanted to know more before risking lives. )

(edit: probably will ask the spirit at the end of the tunnel about the painting first before involuntarily making Shins a guinea pig.)

(Well, if that is/were allowed and BenKii would end up killing Shins this way ... that would not go over well with Tanea.
Maybe the paintings really depend on who might belong there? But it is weird, that Tanea got a tattoo instead of climbing into it. I merely believe she might have been able too though, trees and grass seem like a natural habitat for Halflings. That's why I think, maybe that "Bridge Painting" would suit Dwarves and Half-Orcs. But ... if the figure gliding of into the distance was Elven Necromancer ... She is a Halfling too. Then again: She didn't go through the painting. She found her own way.)

(I wonder, if Roy would get tattooed too ... Or do you think the necklace has something to do with this? Apparently Tanea didn't detect anything. Or maybe I should have been more precise, what I'm checking for? I mean, maybe it's not checked for positive effects?)

( Not sure. It could've been the necklace in combination with the painting that caused the tattoo. Best course of action that also makes sense for the Captain would be to talk to this spirit and go from there. )

(Tanea thinks the same. - Let's see what the others think. Whether they post their thoughts or not, I will decide on my actions tomorrow.)

Roy frowns and mumbles... "That was my treasure..."

After listening to the halfling prattle on, and seeing how depleted our party is, the rats may give us an issue (if we can see them). "I have a few spells that can cut them down quickly...", I'll prepare an Acid Fog to be cast in between us IF the rats look like they're going to attack. Hopefully that would keep them from coming towards us if they have turned back into enemies.

"I don't want a magical tattoo that could be used to enslave me, so no I won't test out the other painting, however I believe we should carry it with us to the end of the tunnel and find out what/who is speaking to Tanea and I." (Hopefully it's not what I think it is - however Roy doens't have much experience in an Underdark type setting).

As long as the rats don't look like they're going to attack, Roy will go ahead and pick up Shins and carry the little halfling with him (after searching him for useful items first of course).

I believe if this spirit wanted us dead she would've instructed the rats to have killed us by now. She has requested an audience with Tanea so we should treat this non-violently and hear the spirit out.

*I say this to everyone*
Hold off any offensive spells towards the rats. We don't want to make an enemy out of the spirit when she has invited us to speak with her. We should proceed with caution and preferably with defensive buffs in case this meeting doesn't go well.

Captain's Log Stardate 73294.4
In a flash of light, the Meadow Painting disappeared then reappeared on Tanea's arm as a tattoo. Tanea then told us of a kindred spirit who spoke to her telepathically. This Spirit wished to meet us at the end of the tunnel and that the rats from the Central Chamber would follow. Thus far, everything in this dungeon has tried to kill us in one way or another. I have a hard time believing this spirit but Tanea seems to think we can trust her. I will therefore attempt to establish a diplomatic dialogue with the spirit to see what she wants. Perhaps she knows why we are here, who or what is responsible, and if there is a way out of here. I go forward down the tunnel hopefully with protective defenses from the other members of our party. The wise words of an old Earth President in my mind, "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

I carry the "Mountain Pass" painting with me and follow Tanea just to the side of her to the end of the tunnel where the final door is. I open the door and enter into the room at the same time with Tanea. Inside, I examine the room and its contents wary of any hostile forces or traps. After Tanea introduces herself, I greet the spirit "Greetings, I'm Captain BenKii. If you are telepathic then you know we come in peace and wish no one harm. What may we call you?"