Black Tom's Rappan Athuk (now dotted, hopefully)
Game Master Black Tom

Sorry about the delay. Crazy week and all. Please post here so I can see who is still playing in spite of my best efforts to ruin the game.

Proceeding down the corridor you reach a strange door. This door is different than all the others so far seen in the dungeon. It is finely crafted, made of ebony wood and bound with gold. The door has an obvious internal lock, also of fine quality. Strange runes are rudely carved in the door. Simply looking at them makes one uneasy.

After a while ýou realize that it is because someone has used the Infernal alphabet to spell out words in Celestial. If you can read both languages:

"Well, that looks quite ominous," Artival notes, even though he couldn't tell what the words said.

Black Tom:

Not liking the look of this door at all Ka'kara takes her time examining it (takes a 20).

Roylenna studies the words, but can't make out heads or tails.

Neither language - can she attempt a Linguistics check to puzzle it out?

Tika looks at the letters scratching her head "I'm open to suggestions?"

"The feeling and look of the script is like writings I've seen Asmodean priests use, but the spacing and....I don't know...flow of it feels familiar. Whatever it is it can't be good."

Gregori scratches his head.

Speaks Celestial, assuming a Paladin has probably seen infernal before but he can't read it.

The door is locked but not trapped as far as Ka'kara can determine. Also it's worth about 500 gp intact.

You can make a Linguistics 20 check to figure out what the text says.

Is Lyria still with us? Otherwise there should be a spot for scranford or someone else that might want to join.

Done looking the door over Ka'kara hefts her greatclub, [b]"I hate to destroy such fine workmanship but on the other hand that writing is giving me a headache..."[/b[

"Wait a moment, let me look at it closer. Something seems familiar."

Long shot, but here goes...

Linguistics check 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

After a minute or two of study, her shoulders sag. "No, sorry. I'm just not getting it."

I sent Lyria a PM with the new link.

Regretfully Ka'kara bashes the door in, letting you into a short corridor.

Beyond the ebony door is a richly-appointed anteroom. Runes and frescoes adorn the walls, depicting a heroic man in the prime of life fighting evil creatures. The last frame of the fresco, however, shows the same man kneeling before a black altar with a shadowy demonic figure above him. An intricately locked door, similar to the one just
entered, appears to lead to a tomb beyond.

The small antechamber contains ancient runic text along the walls.

Infernal:

Knowledge (history) 18:

Linguistics 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

The halfling stomps her foot like a child not getting her way. "I'm going to have to find a wizard that can teach me this language. Hrmph."

Seeing that this appears to be some sort of tomb, "Let's go someplace else. No reason to disturb the dead."

"This warrior, from the artwork it looks as though he may have changed sides in the end." thge Paladin says, his voice tightly controlled.

"Yep, if he changed sides, there is a pretty good chance we might find out why inside. I say we check it out."

May make a good tale if nothing else."

Honestly, this being Rappan Athuk after all, I'd don't like to spring a tough fight on you while you are decimated. Unless Lyria is returning, I think you should recruit a rogue or a cleric before you do anything hasty. By the way, I'm going out of town for a couple of days, so let's see if she pops up before you bash open the door, shall we?

Still lurking...

We seem to be down a rogue and a cleric, scranford. I'm not sure what the status is for either player, but BT seems to be implying that we finally have a place for you. Have you looked at putting a character together while you lurked?

I may be out of line, but if you want to discuss ideas, maybe we can take this up on the discussion thread. Hope that's cool with everyone else.

Ka'kara frees a hand from the greatclub and throws it up in the air, "Dead is dead. Why do we need to know why he changed sides, whatever that means?! If he was evil than he has already paid the price. I'm guessing sealed away in there he's not causing any trouble, why stir it up?"

I'm back and assuming that Lyria is gone. I'm not quite sure about how to work scranford's character in, but feel free to go on. You might want to wait to tackle Saracek until you are all aboard though.

I've been waiting for some response to my last post from the other players. I sent Lyria a private mail last week but no response so I am assuming the same.

"......For the adventure?"

Ka'kara holds her head as she shakes it, "Robbing the dead and disturbing spirits is not adventure it's just...wrong. I would have to use my greatsword on anyone who dug up my ancestors and disturbed their rest. Why do others not deserve the same respect?"

"WOAH WOAH WOAH who said anything about robbing of digging up?"

"Well, we can always save this room for later. Or, pass it by, if you prefer, lady."

Brushing past Gregori the barbarianess heads back out into and continues down the hallway, "Let's see what else is down here."

A slight grin crosses the Paladin's face as her turns, first with his head, sparing a momentary glance for the door before following Ka'kara's lead.

The corridor continues about 100 feet without any doors or traps, then takes a sharp turn to the right. Around the corner four doors come into view, three on the right side of the corridor and one on the left.

Ka'kara advances to the closest door and opens it after her standard search.

The contents in the room seem all to have been smashed, but have been swept into a neat pile in the middle of the room by an animated broom that hovers around it, sweeping a mote of dust into place now and then.

Behind the next door (the one to the left) you hear the sound of loud arguing in Giant.

Dot

"Bet we can find some excitement in this room!"

Artival casts Mage Armor on himself.

Roylenna casts a dubious eye on the broom. "You bigs might not think much of that, but I think a magical broom that large could be an issue for little ol' me. What about you, Tika?"

"I think we should take it with us Imagine how usefull it will be for tidying up?"

"Well, that's true. How do you tell it what to do? I don't want it to sweep me into the pile..."

Ka'kara takes hold of the broom and then gently sweeps the two halflings into the pile.

I recommend searching the pile. Detect magic maybe?

Roylenna sticks her tongue out at the barbarian princess before turning her attention to the pile.

Casting detect magic

"You do realize there's sombody probably arguing on the other side of that door, right?" Gregori asks, blade resting on the shoulder plate of his armor.

She doesn't look up. "Uh-huh. What are they arguing about?"

"I don't know. I don't speak monster, but I know hostility when I hear it. And that sounds like the preamble to an ass kicking."

Hee Hee

Nothing in the pile is magical, excepting of course the broom itself.

Ka'kara pushes the door open upon the arguing occupants and still in a playful mood says, "Excuse us we just moved in down the hall...and my companion here (pointing to Gregori) wants to know if you could keep the noise down."

Does the broom react adversely to Ka'kara's taking hold of it? If not, Roylenna will take it from her and see if she can give it commands.

I don't think I have every used this skill for this character. How sad...

Use Magical Device 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18

The broom goes quiet as Ka'kara picks it up. As Roylenna takes it and tells it to sweep, it sweeps. That's about the only command it reacts to.

As Ka'kara pushes the door open, the room falls quiet. Five ogres stare at you, then reach for their clubs.

Roll for initiative. Or let Roylenna do her thing. ;o)

Initiative 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Broom in hand, Roylenna peeks into the door.

Tika stands behind Roylenna watching her do her thing.

The largest ogre looks perplexed.

Giant:

On the floor of the room are 3 rows of 100 cp each. The first row is all heads, the second is all tails, and the third all heads again.

"Ah, just a little misunderstanding."

She hands the broom back to Tika and steps the rest of the way into the room.