Inside the Warehouse: The Water Wheel

General Summary

The party started in a cramped, square room, with a fallen column and a crackling fire, the semi transparent welcoming figure. Well, technically welcoming. The Warehouse Keeper spoke in cliped, robotic sentences, answering the letter of the party's questions without offering any additional details. When they asked the Keeper if they knew where the Anvil of the Underdark, they said it was in the 'Garden Wheel', and the warehouse was currently 'not configured' to allow access. The Keeper was not able to configure the Warehouse for them, but told the party to look for wheels to adjust the configuration.   Lyra noticed that her access to divine magic, while not cut off, was under a higher strain than normal. She offered a prayer to her goddess, Yavanna, but felt no divine presence. Something about the Warehouse cuts off contact with the Divine.   Each wall of the warehouse was composed of cubbies housing an item each, behind each cubby an infinite void of more warehouse, more cubbies. The party moved to the north of the central area, worried about the contents of the cubbies. The weirdly shaped room had etched into the floor a glowing, very obviously magical sigil. The party investigated it extensively, and although Lyra volunteered no one stepped inside. Guy did toss in his entirely un-remarkable rock, and it vanished. He would recognize it if he saw it again.   They tried traveling south, from the central room. As they walked, Murtagh picked up a Container of Heat and Frost, and Lyra picked up a single, nicely knit woolen sock from the passing cubbies, and Murtagh found a plush, stuffed Owlbear toy. After a dead end of a web filled, seemingly endless pit, they backtracked, veering mostly to the south west, until they finally found a stone door in the wall of endless cubbies.    Once inside, the distinct sound of grinding gears could be found. The hallway narrowed here, becoming more twisting and obtuse. Damp grates were set intermitently into the floor, with pools of water puddling around them. Heavy metal grates set into the walls showed the party a large wheel mounted to the floor. They were unable to move through the grate, but as they moved through they did find access to the wheel.   Murtagh and Guy heaved against the wheel, slowly turning it until it locked into place. The moment it was locked in place, the mechanical gear noises stopped, and the area began to flood with frigid water. The party paniced, and swam as fast as they could for the door they came in, only to find it locked.   Guy tried picking the lock- with mixed results. His first attempt broke the lock picks beyond repair, and items he touched began turning to gold. He tried again, as the others in the party caught up to him, and on this failure, Guy's Dad appeared next to him, cheeks puffed out and looking confused as hell. Guy reached out to steady his dad, who turned to a gold statue and sunk to the floor. Guy tried to pick the door one more time, and on the failure, grass began growing out amongst his hair.  At this, he finally put together that picking the lock was causing the effects, and he backed away from the door.   Bayleaf, seeing that picking the lock was not helping, started looking for another way out- as the rest of the party joined in, searching the walls for secret exits, they made their way around the maze, until Bayleaf finally found the secret exit and made sure everyone, including Guy's Dad, was able to get out of the water safely.   The party emerged, with a level of exhaustion and shivering from the frigid water, to take a short rest.

Character(s) interacted with

Guy's Dad is now a party member. In statue form.

Notes

Guy's Effects:

• Everything guy touches turns to fools gold
• Grass grows out of Guy's head, among his hair. It's green and springy.