GM alientude's Shackled City
Game Master Kyle Smith 700

Luc spins his pistol around, mock shooting the shadows around him. Upon hearing words of "trees", he moves up to investigate.

For reference:

Detect Magic

You detect magical auras. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject.

1st Round: Presence or absence of magical auras.

2nd Round: Number of different magical auras and the power of the most potent aura.

3rd Round: The strength and location of each aura. If the items or creatures bearing the auras are in line of sight, you can make Knowledge (arcana) skill checks to determine the school of magic involved in each. (Make one check per aura: DC 15 + spell level, or 15 + 1/2 caster level for a nonspell effect.) If the aura eminates from a magic item, you can attempt to identify its properties (see Spellcraft).

Magical areas, multiple types of magic, or strong local magical emanations may distort or conceal weaker auras.

Aura Strength: An aura's power depends on a spell's functioning spell level or an item's caster level; see the accompanying table. If an aura falls into more than one category, detect magic indicates the stronger of the two.

Faint aura: Spell level 1-3
Moderate aura: Spell level 4-6
Strong aura: Spell level 7-9
Overwhelming aura: Spell level 10+ (deity level)

"Magic all through here," Darthal says. "Maybe an illusion; maybe it's keeping the trees alive."

For some reason I thought Spellcraft was used with detect magic, oh well.

Dorian steps up to the large room as well, curious as to how trees managed to grow in an underground chamber that happens to be filled with natural light. He casts detect magic and concentrates to try to determine what the effects are.

Knowledge (arcana) vs DC 19 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Knowledge (arcana) vs DC 20 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

"Hm... well, there is an illusion aura in the room. Along with another aura from the Universal school... likely a permanency effect for the illusion spell." Are those trees real?

"Something the gnomes left, no doubt," Darthal growls. "Unless it conceals a foe, or another exit, it need not concern us much."

"It looks beautiful and real to me." He takes a deep whiff of the natural smell and prepares to follow the rest of the group.

"Well underground trees screams trap to me. I better have a look." Dreygard begins to scurry into the room, checking for traps as he goes.

Trapfinding 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 or 26 if the trap is stonework.

disable device 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

"Good job. This place is incredible. "

As the rest of the party filters up into the room, Valamont whispers, "I guess he didn't say freeze after all."

With a shrug, the half-elf ascends the stairs after the rest of the group. His eyes sweep across the strange room, one eyebrow arched dramatically in confusion. "Oh. Trees. I will, upon my mother's life, never understand gnomes."

Seeing Dreygard working diligently on something, he turns his attention to the northwest corner of the room. "If the maps we have are accurate, the chamber immediately south of an octagonal room lies just beyond this wall." He begins sweeping his hands over the wall's surface, looking for imperfections or seams in the stonework. Search - take 20

Adolphus grudgingly moves into the room, greatsword held at the ready.

"Pretty, but no children here. Lets move on if we can."

Welcome back Adolphus.

Dreygard inspects the trap and with a few nimble movements neatly disables it and unlocks the door. You're confident if the trap had been triggered, it would have delivered a nasty electric shock to the first person through the door.

Valamont inspects the northwest corner of the room but is unable to find anything besides a wall.

"Uh, guys. According to our map, this room we are in should stretch south a bit farther. Before I open this door, I think we should at least take a look."

Dreygard runs his hands along the southern wall, starting at the the junction with the west wall by the door.

Map.

There is an opening in the south wall, you know.

As Dreygard busies himself at the southern end of the room, Valamont addresses the rest of the party as they mill about beneath the strange, underground-but-otherwise-totally-normal-and-typical trees.

"If the map that Ghelve gave us is accurate, and given gnomes' seemingly overwhelming proclivity for building needlessly complex things, then I strongly suspect there is a chamber just on the other side of this wall. Look at the map and how the chamber we're currently in shares this wall with the chamber beyond. If I were a gnome, I'd certainly hide a door here, but it seems that I am neither gnomey nor clever enough to find where they would hide it. Would anyone else care to help me look or shall we direct ourselves elsewhere?"

He pauses a moment, then whispers,
Have I mentioned my growing dislike of gnomes?
-I have?
-Good.

"Wait for us before you open the door."

Diurn wants to be close to Dreygard. The skulks and constructs are vicious here.

Luc stands ready, anxious to shoot something!

Seeing the wary composure of his companions, Adolphus draws his greatsword.

Darthal checks the indicated corner for a secret door. "They're gnomes. Maybe there's a door, maybe there isn't, maybe they put them all someplace only a gnome would expect. Let me see if I can find anything."

Perception check 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Dreygar will wait for the group to all be present, then open the door in the west wall.

Darthal joins Valamont in searching the northwestern wall, but either there’s nothing to be found there, or the plants crawling up the wall are expertly hiding it, for they find nothing.

The door rolls quietly into the wall when Dreygard opens it, revealing a corridor that stretches west at least 60 feet. Two passages intersect the hall, one to the north and one to the south.

Map

Dreygard slowly sneaks forward along the south wall looking for signs of traps or enemies. He pauses, looks down the south hall.

Perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Stealth 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

If he sees nothing, before he passes the opening he shifts north and scoots along tha wall until he reaches the corridor heading north.

Without the divine power, Diurn stays close (50') to heal quickly.

When Dreygard peers down the southern hall, he sees it open into a room covered with turquoise ceramic tiles. In the middle of the room rests a large octagonal bathing pool with a two-foot-tall raised lip. Pristine water pours into the pool from a smiling stone face carved into an overhanging wall. The northern exit from the hall leads to another door shaped like a gear. This one has another rune (Picture) on it.

To the west, the hall descends into a room where light flickers softly. Dreygard can just make out a couple of pillars in the room.

Map

Perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Darthal waits patiently, occasionally stroking the dog.

...stroking the dog.

Is that what the kids are calling it now? ;P

Aaaaand there's a mental image that can't be unseen. Awesome. =\

Well, Darthal does have these horrific nightmares. Maybe he should take Craft Disturbing Mental Image as his next feat?

And you do have to keep the dog happy.

Just be sure to warn us if the dog starts foaming at the mouth.

"I cannot get over how odd and disconcerting it is to be standing under a tree down here. This room is terribly unsettling."

Waiting for actions.

Diurn leads the group into the room and heads to the bathing pool.

What a peaceful place.

As Diurn starts to turn toward the room with the pool, Valamont softly calls out, "Diurn! Wait! I thought we were making our way to the nearest octagonal room. I think it'd be to our right, up the passage just ahead of us here."

"Yeah , it should be right up this corridor.". Dreygard whispers, continuing his stealthy trek towrds the octagonal room.

Dreygard continues to the northern passage. The door is locked.

Perception 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 to listen at the door.
Trapfinding 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 to search the door for traps.
Disable Device 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12 to open door.
Disable Device 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27 to disarm any traps if found.

Darthal waits, impatiently tapping his toe, for the door to be opened.

Valamont can be heard holding a muted conversation with his sword regarding the finer coffees he's enjoyed recently and the more negative aspects of gnomish ingenuity.

As Dreygard approaches the door, he notices that the surface looks just a bit…off. It doesn’t have quite the same proportions as the other, similar doors. With a closer look, he determines this one has a devious trap that triggers at the slightest wayward touch. With a deep breath, he inspects the door. A careful search turns up a pinprick of a hole into which he inserts a pick. A soft clink later, and the trap is disarmed.

The lock, however, proves trickier, and after tinkering with it for a few moments, Dreygard glares at it in disgust.

"Hmph. Ain't nuttin I can do with this lock. Must be some kind of gnome-built decoy lock or sumthin. Maybe we can force it open. One of you big guys want to give me a hand?"

Str check 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Strength Check (aid Dreygard): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
"... hmmmm." Valamont taps his finger against his chin as he thoughtfully regards the door that just will not budge despite his, Diurn's, and Dreygards efforts. Then, his eyes widen in realization, "This... this obviously is not a door at all, but a deviously painted section of wall!" He shakes his fist angrily at the door-wall, "Gnomes!"

""What about that bathing pool?" Darthal asks.

Dorian frowns at the brief attempts to force open the door. "We might have more luck if we take some time to make a concerted effort instead of just jumping at the door seemingly at random. I'll do what I can to assist."

Aid another to anyone who takes 20 1d20 ⇒ 16

"Good plan," Darthal says, and lends his shoulder to the work.

Aid likewise 1d20 ⇒ 17

Valamont grins sardonically as his companions heave themselves against the wickedly disguised section of wall.

Pushing the others carefully aside so he can put the whole force of his body and armor into it, Adolphus pushes forcefully and methodically.

Strength (20)
20 + 4 = 24 + aid.

Dreygard continues his help with the effort.

aid another str 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20