Black Tom |
The carvings on the doors depict gruesome scenes of vampiric demons feasting on maidens.
Knowledge (religion) 25:
Knowledge (history) 25:
The air within is strangely musty, cool and damp. As you ascend the stairs you find yourselves in a large chamber. Over a dozen stone pillars support this cavernous chamber’s sixty-foot-high vaulted ceiling. To the north, four empty alcoves sit in the walls, their edges carved to resemble yawning, fanged mouths. To the south, a pair of bronze doors that seem to drip with blood sit under a stone bridge that passes through the upper portion of the room from east to west forty feet above. The walls are decorated with unsettling carvings of bats, human sacrifice, and the walking dead. The dismembered, skeletal bodies of three humans lie scattered on the floor of this chamber.
Sam "Torch" McQuarry |
Knowledge (history) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
"Azlanti," Torch murmurs, looking rather more contemplative than shocked at the carvings' contents. He traces the design with the tip of his scimitar. "Not sure if it's a warning or a welcome sign, however. The Azlanti pantheon, what little I know of it, wasn't a friendly sort - this could be some kind of cult site, though not, I should think, one for Ydersius; nothing here looks snake-like at all. As I recall, some references suggest the serpentfolk and the Azlanti were in conflict during the pre-Earthfall period - there are layers within layers behind this history, for certain."
Once the group enters the main chamber, Torch takes a long moment to examine the skeletons, looking for signs of when or how they might have died. Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11, Heal (untrained) 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2.
Aerys D Mavato |
"Before we go further, do we have some torches or other light sources with us. I know I won't be the only one, but without light I won't be able to see anything in this place." says Aerys concerned that in the darkness, they will be prey to whatever predators might exist. She goes in with Torch standing by him, protecting him as he looks at the skeletons.
Perception 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
Black Tom |
I'm assuming that you'll be using the same lighting arrangements as in the last dungeon: Light cast on Torch's rapier and Gelik's amulet, unless you have a better idea.
As you enter the room proper, something is moving in the darkness. Roll for initiative.
Ralf Pennywhistle |
Ralf uses his focused trance (twice) while examining the carvings.
"Ugh! Those nasty fellows are minions of Zura, the demon lord of cannibals and vampires. I guess some ancient Azlantis must have worshipped him, and maybe those savages did too."
Init: 1d20 - 6 ⇒ (14) - 6 = 8
Maestro Gelikugel Aberwhinge |
Gelik wrinkles his nose in disgust, not a fan of art containing people being eaten, nor of bats, etc. He casts light on his necklace pearl, as requested, and prepares himself for the inevitable assault by man-eating guardians of some kind.
initiative 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Black Tom |
It will take me a little while to get a map up, but I think we'll manage.
There are two skeletons up on the stone bridge. Your magical light only provides dim illumination, but Torch, Gelik and Hrakar can see them clearly, and they seem to have snake heads. They are holding javelins to throw at you but all of you except Hrakar beat their initiative, so you can act if you like.
They are 40 feet up and 40 feet ahead of you. Crossing the room to the doors is 60 feet.
Maestro Gelikugel Aberwhinge |
Gelik begins to scurry out of the line of fire, eyes wide with trepidation. He mumbles his usual mantra of how useless he is against undead, and casts a quick spell on himself.
Cast Mage Armor. Gelik will move towards any area in the room that looks like it might provide cover from javelins.
Black Tom |
Aerys: you can see the skeletons but they have concealment because of the darkness. Gelik: the only place in the room that affords cover are the alcoves to the left and right (or possibly standing under the bridge like Torch). There are four of them in all.
The skeletons hurl their javelins at Aerys and Ralf, but they both miss.
You are up.
Sam "Torch" McQuarry |
Well, that makes it easier.
Torch grins a bit maniacally as the skeletons almost literally drop into his lap. He steps forward to one, slashing with his scimitar and bashing with the cestus in two swift strokes.
Full attack, with scimitar in main hand and cestus - dealing bashing damage - in the off hand. Scimitar attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19, damage 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 slashing. Cestus attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15, damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 bashing.
Maestro Gelikugel Aberwhinge |
Gelik has learned his lesson and has no interest in joining the melee. He stays back a safe distance and casts a Ray of Frost at the nearest skeleton, curious to see if it will do any harm to the undead creature.
ranged touch 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 - 4 = 13
damage 1d3 ⇒ 3
Black Tom |
With combined efforts you just about manage to bash one of the skeletons to pieces, although Torch's scimitar slides off the bones and they are unaffected by Gelik's magic. The remaining skeleton tears at Aerys with tooth and claw and unnatural strength, savaging her for 15 points of damage.
Then you are up, and you all have the advantage of flanking.
Sam "Torch" McQuarry |
"Aerys!" Torch shouts, horrified by the thing's vicious assault on her. He strikes out again, looking for weak spots where the scimitar can find some purchase.
Flanking attack with the scimitar: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10, damage 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 plus 1d6 ⇒ 2 sneak attack, all slashing. Flanking attack with the cestus: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14, damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 plus 1d6 ⇒ 5 sneak attack, all bashing.
Aerys D Mavato |
"Now feel this bonehead!" shouts Aerys as she feels the blood spilling from her shoulder. As the floor is made bloody a new sensation washes over Aerys, a warm whiteness flushed through her body, and the wound knit back together. Her sword flashes through the air again, on its way towards the boney warrior.
But the sword strike lacks the conviction of the first, the injury still in the process of healing.
Longsword power attack with flanking 1d20 + 6 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 - 1 + 2 = 12
Longsword power damage 1d8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 2 = 6
Aerys D Mavato |
How much healing do we have left, if we don't have much we should find a safe place to be able to hole up in, so we are better prepared for the evil serpent woman. Of course Aerys won't actually mention it, cos she's not get at that sort of thing.
"Well if that's all that this place can offer in trying to keep us out, we'll soon get our revenge." says a confident Aerys, though her body still looks quite injured after the encounter with the skeletons, but Aerys seems unconcerned.
Sam "Torch" McQuarry |
I suggest Hrakar drops at least one and (if the dice aren't kind) possibly two channels on us, leaving his spells alone for now, and we keep moving forward.
"I don't see a good way to get up there," Torch replies to Ralf's question, just exactly as if Ralf could hear him. "So probably through the doors. But we should check through the rest of this room thoroughly, in case there is something we've missed in all the... excitement."
Black Tom |
The wall carvings depict all manner of vile atrocities visited upon humans and serpentfolk alike by tall men and women wearing ragged capes and bearing fanged mouths. Images of bats, bat-like humanoids, and themes of cannibalism and the consumption of still-living victims are common as well.
The northwestern alcove (first to the right from the entrance) contains a lever.
Perception 15:
The skeletal remains are far too old for you to be able to tell what befell them.
Sam "Torch" McQuarry |
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Torch examines the carvings with an expression of mixed fascination and distaste. "I know very little about this demon lord, and I admit I don't really see the app- oh, hello. What's this?" He kneels down in front of the northeastern alcove, examining the floor. "Hmm... trapdoor." He produces his thieves' tools, reaching for the disguised mechanism, but uncharacteristically pauses before continuing. "Should we take a peek?" he asks the group.
Maestro Gelikugel Aberwhinge |
With Torch kneeling down, Gelik is able to look over his shoulder and follow the proceedings. Probably vampires down there, he observes. These carvings are lousy with 'em. Not very imaginative.
Realizing that he many have been ambiguous, Gelik nods toward the trap-door and elucidates with a grin. Open it!
Black Tom |
There is no mechanism; the trapdoor is just stuck, but I guess you are packing a crowbar. As you pry the lid off it, a gust of foul-smelling, stale (but breathable) air rushes up from a hole that drops 20 feet down. The Climb DC is 25, should you like to descend.
Perception 15:
Hrakar Orcbane |
Perception check:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
"Seems like there are more of our bony friends down there... I think we should do something to deal with them before descending" says Hrakar calmly.
When fighting undeads I loathe to use waves to cure people, as those are very effective to deal with undead "mobs", that said if you really need them I'll use them. But if they are not that distant maybe I could use the positive energy from here to get rid of them...