Grimaces as he looks around, a slight headache pounding in his head. "We're not in the Prime anymore...Where are we...and why? Is this still part if the challenge?"
"This is going to be a challenge, all right, Jorge. I doubt it is part of the school challenges, though. This seems like a deeper trap,if I were guessing."
"Huh", Iorec states surprisedly, "this little vial has my name on it!" He picks the one he talks about up and holds it for everyone to see. "Does anyone know what concoction might once have been in this?"
"It seems as if someone savaged this man and took all of his belongings. The dwarf's items weren't taken and I haven't set of any traps. I think this man might have been murdered."
You focus on the body and see that he is still waring his robes. They're hard to see because they're blood soaked. You reach into the pockets and you find 2 scrolls.
"Huh, what have we here..." Iorec says as he produces two scrolls from the dead man's blood smeared robe. He tries to read them but will hand it over to anyone else should he not be able to understand the writing.
One of the scrolls seems to be a spell and the other is written in a foreign language. You can make a linguistics check if you want to try and identify the language.
"Sure, have a look" Iorec says as Rodolpho expresses interest in the scrolls and hands them over to the wizard. "I can't seem to make any sense of it anyway. Are they magic?"
You're able to identify both the scrolls. One is a scroll of break enchantment and the second one appears to be a contract written in infernal. You read it and figure out that the poor dead man entered into a contract with a devil named Nagxiv. The contract stipulates that in return for bolstering his magical abilities(mostly in the school of enchantment), a soul chosen by Maganrad at the time of the contract's signing was forfeit to Nagxiv for 101 years. Nagxiv cunningly worded the contract so that Maganrad was giving up his own soul to him.
Jorge:
You are not able to read one of the scrolls but you are able to identify the other as a scroll of break enchantment
Iorec looks a little confused. "So Maganrad lies before us, if I'm not mistaken. And Nagxiv seems to have duped the poor soul with his cunningly worded contract." He pauses for a second before he continues: "But what has all this to do with the Breaching? And then there are these vials..." Iorec fumbles around with the little glass container with his name on it, lost in thought.
"Ah well, I don't think we'll find answers to these questions here. Shall we continue?" He puts the vial away and moves towards the faint outlines of a door in the northern wall, ready to continue should the rest follow.
I've finally posted up a map in the campaign thread...sorry for the wait. I've had it on my flash drive for the last week...just kept forgetting to post it lol
If no one objects you continue through the door to the south of the room and enter into a hallway. Right across the hall from you is another door, or you can continue down the hallway if you want.
There are faint shouts coming down the hallway. I'll need perception checks from those in the party that speak infernal if you want to try and figure out whats being said.
"Hush!" Iorec brings a finger to his lips and whispers: "Can anyone understand what's being said? Maybe someone's in danger!" He tries very hard to understand what might cause these sounds.
Take 20 on Perception (if allowed, otherwise Take 10): 42
Iorec you're not able to recognize the language but from the sounds of it it sounds like two people are arguing though that could be just the way the language sounds.
Once Iorec realizes that there is an argument going on, he gracefully moves into a cat-like stance and whispers: "Everybody wait here, I'll go and see what this is all about. I'll give you a sign if it's safe to follow or if I need your help." He then quite quickly sneaks towards the noise.
Take 10 on Stealth, Fast Stealth talent (move with full speed): 36
I'm assuming you go straight to the sound of the arguing and don't check out any of the other rooms on the way there and don't forget your alignment based penalties here...can't remember if they affect stealth...
You make your way down the hallway and pass 5 other sets of doors as you move quietly through the hall. You reach a final door at the end of the hall and you can hear some rather heated arguing coming from the other side of the door but as you linger just a second you hear one of the voices fall silent. I will need a perception check out of you as well as another stealth check and I suggest you don't take 10...
Of course Iorec would sneak a quick peek in passing through any open doorways he passes but the door where the noise originates is his primary target. Forgot about the Wis-based skills penalty with my last Perception check but will incorporate it now: Perception:1d20 + 18 ⇒ (6) + 18 = 24 Stealth:1d20 + 26 ⇒ (8) + 26 = 34 Meh, should have taken 10 ;-)
Iorec thankfully you're able to hear the footsteps coming from the other room and hide in the shadows just in time as you see a creature poke its head out into the hall. Its covered head to tip of tail in very sharp looking barbs. The voice in the room calls out and the creature calls back and then goes back into the room and the arguing continues.
Make me one last stealth check for the return trip and I'll describe what you find on the way back.
WOW you got really lucky that went in your favor...you are sitting in the middle of a hornets nest...
Without making a sound Iorec lets his held breath go and tries to make it back to the group unheard by the fiend in behind the door where he'll let them know about what he has seen, hoping someone might recognize the barbed creature.
Stealth:1d20 + 26 ⇒ (17) + 26 = 43
On the way back you're pretty sure that you're stealthy enough that you can afford to have a little look around. Some of the doors are locked but one of them is open a crack. You peer in and see that this room is dark and the rank smell of sweat, mildew, and blood hangs heavy in the air. You see several implements that are used in torture strewn out on a few of the desks in the room. Thick metal chains hang from the slate-covered wall and in a set of these chains you see a female human. She is wearing only scraps of clothing and its doing little to hide the fact that she's been horribly tortured and beaten. Blood runs from her nose, mouth, and groin but it looks to drying. She half stands slumped in the chains holding her up and mumbles to herself. Do you go in or do you get the others?
From the shadows next to one of the doors in the hallway Iorec emerges for a second, waving his comrades over while at the same time motioning them to try to remain silent before he sinks in the shadows once again.
