GM Crunch and the Heresy of Man (Inactive)

Game Master Saving Cap'n Crunch

The sphinx shows no emotion towards the team's guesses, instead taking the opportunity to lick her fur in a dignified manner. In their musings, however, Cirri and Marra recall a phrase Verdizaam said would be of importance: 'Half past the new moon and twice the tides break, the sphinx feeds at the noon, and reclines in its wake.’ This turns what was a nigh-impossible riddle into something more of a listen-and-repeat question: The answer is a sphinx.

I don't really like this part. It's not exactly a riddle as much as remembering one of many things Verdizaam said, but maybe that's just me.

Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Anfial does kneel down.

Riddles are always hit-or-miss. Er, time to do this in character!

"That stupid Mirza did say something about this before locking us in this tomb..."

‘Half past the new moon and twice the tides break, the sphinx feeds at the noon, and reclines in its wake.’”

what magnificent creature moves about in the morning on four legs, at midday uses two, and at evening stands on none. The more legs has she, the hungrier she be.' Answer correctly, I will help you and tell you what I know.”

"Oh yeah!" Cirri snaps her fingers. "A sphinx walks on all fours, but when it's time to eat, she would stand on two legs to hold the food." Cirri pats her belly. "And then would lie down on no legs afterward, satisfied."

"So...a sphinx?"

V begins recovering from his mauling through sheer force of will...

Godless Healing: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

...then spends 3 more minutes restoring himself more fully using the dark magic he learned back in Razmiran.

I cast infernal healing on myself 3 times.

By the time he catches up with the others, the sphinx's riddle has already been solved.

Will save vs mind-affecting, Sacrificial Boon: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

V looks down at the prayer rug in contempt, standing proudly as an angry tear of blood runs down his mask.

The sphinx's wide face splits into a grin. "Excellent. Close to what you have said, in the morning, she pads around on all fours, seeking prey. At noon, she pounces on her victim, leaping on two legs. At evening, she reclines and rests, content with a full belly. Verdizaam Charad, may he remain forever buried now that you are finished with him, once served the Jistka Imperium, just before its decline 7000 years ago. The Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues, oligarch of Tekritanin, commanded his powerful necromantic advisors, the Usij, to stop the threat of the Imperium's many summoned genies. Verdizaam was one of many who were turned away from his old masters. He was infected with the Night Plague, a malady engineered by the Usij to kill only the Jistkan nobility. Upon Jistka's fall, the surviving upper class spread throughout the Inner Sea. The fact he did not try to infect any of you in your battle means none of you have such ancestry, a blessing in disguise."

"Verdizaam was recently woken from his slumber by your allies. He sought revenge, taking back the artifacts they stole from his tomb, as well as their lives. But upon leaving the tomb to do so, he found Manaket, which, like most of Rahadoum, is riddled with ancestors of the last Jistkan nobles. He saw fit to let his Night Plague run rampant among them, as you may have heard, but with his death it should gradually fade. Rahadoum is beholden to you, even if it knows not and you have brought religion to its shores."

"Why am I here? Verdizaam found me in the desert south of Manaket and beat me in a battle of riddles. As such, he was granted power over me for 99 years. That was but six months ago. Now that he is dead, such bonds are void, but since you have beaten him in combat and me at riddles, I am now beholden to you, I suppose." The sphinx opens a catch upon her dais, revealing a hollow part containing a large amount of desert amethyst and a book. "These are yours to take back to your Society. The book should explain more, as well as help solve the puzzle-map you have found and unblock the entrance, which I heard seal soon after you arrived. If there is anything else you require, do not hesitate to ask."

"Oh, and I release you from the compulsion. I apologize, it can be a necessary precaution." Those who felt compelled to kneel on the rug do so no longer.

"Compulsion?" Cirri stands up, seemingly unaware. "Huh. Well that's nice of you. We may as well return the favor. Once we're out of this tomb, you are totally free. No point staying here for the next 98 and a half years." She chuckles.

"Verdizaam... the true cause of the terrible plague. Agosa, you did it. We followed your trail and stopped the source." She smiles. "In undeath, you kill thousands. But in death, you save many. Now, that's a riddle, if a bit macabre."

"I thank you for that, human. You are just and fair, much more so than the Immolated Mirza. You also seem to appreciate a good riddle." Hetepheres smiles as she pulls the silver chain clear off of the bolt it is affixed to, then unclasps it from her paw. With Verdizaam's tome, escape is simple, as it instructs to place the puzzle-map in a specific configuration in an indentation in the sealing stone. Upon doing so, the massive slab shifts, allowing entrance and exit once again. The sphinx departs back into the southern desert after once again expressing her thanks. Once the team has salvaged whatever artifacts and bodies desired, it is time to return to Manaket.

Venture-Captain Obo congratulates the Pathfinders on discovering the map and all but eradicating the Night Plague, which will soon die out on its own. "The casualties could have been much worse than they were," he marvels, examining the team's finds. "I will send this map to the Grand Lodge for further examination and decoding, and I will request the Decemvirate requisition another team of agents to further plumb the Immolated Mirza's tomb. We are no closer to weeding out the Shadow Lodge, but they will likely know of your discovery. Perhaps that will help drive them into the open." Obo hands each agent a large sack full of platinum crowns. "Take this reward for your successful venture. Use it to gear up further or however else you see fit, but remain in the area. We will call upon you when the map has been decoded. Good work, Pathfinders!"

Good job, you have successfully survived another third of the series! I will start working out Chronicles shortly, feel free to roleplay and roll Day Job checks whenever.

"I'm glad this plague will subside. Mirza's revenge was misdirected against people who don't even know him." Cirri exhales.

"Except for what happened to Agosa, that was pretty fun. I have a lot to learn from their arcane libraries here. Oh, maybe I can learn a new stance from the staff fighters around here!" Cirri suddenly pauses. "But first, sleep." Cirri finds a nice fluffy pillow (maybe with a good outside view) and goes right to bed.

In the morning, Cirri takes a bath, eats some breakfast and heads off to the smith to upgrade her armor. Once the order is in, she visits one of the large libraries to learn some more spells. She has almost figured out the finer points of transmutation, and scribbles more ideas into her "monstrous humanoids- why are they called monstrous, that's rude!" section.

Evening falls quickly and Cirri stumbles out of the library, clearly not done researching but also clearly hungry. A pelican lands on her shoulder, which she finds very odd. "We're not close to the coast. What are you doing here in an arid climate? Wait, how DID you get here?"

The pelican squawks at her. "Oh...oh! No way! Really? But...wow! Man, Riddywhipple, that curse is nasty! Maybe I can break it somehow if I bond or something..."

"You guys won't believe this! This pelican, well, he's a faerie dragon named Riddywhipple. I think he got cursed into this form or something. I think if he bonds as my familiar, I can help him out." The pelican's mouth opens and seems to squawk in agreement.

Inbetween her afternoon nap and her overnight nap, Cirri uses her martial arts training to practice her dance steps.
Perform(Dance): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Not too bad.

"My respects. Well done with the riddle, Miss Cirri," says Karos.

"Yes well done on the riddle, I had nearly forgotten the words Verdizaam had muttered earlier." Marra give Cirri a bow.

The halfling nods in agreement, "As for the sphinx, I agree it should be set free."

GM Crunch. Thanks for running a great game!

Day Job Story telling: Preform (oration): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31

It ain't over yet, Marra!

The halfling nods in agreement, "As for the sphinx, I agree it should be set free."

"The value of freedom is more than a matter of opinion," V says sternly. "I have experienced the difference firsthand, and cannot consider it anything less than moral fact - and my bondage was actually rather posh!"

Faction objective accomplished!

Perform (Acting): 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (9) + 18 = 27

In the coming days, V treats the Rahadoumites to an impromptu one-man show recounting the inner struggle that led to his liberation from Razmir. It suffers from poor production values and mediocre attendance, what with him delivering it from the small, barren stage of a local coffee parlor, but V's talent, and the subject matter's fitness to local sympathies, make it a hit with the night's audience.

He also makes a point of purchasing a fresh vial of ink.

Did we Defeat a divine spellcaster whose patron is an evil deity and whose CR is at least equal to your character level. ?

No, you have not. The Fake Agosa was the only divine caster, and he was only level 4.

I'm gonna proceed with the opening post, feel free to hold off on replying as needed if you need your Chronicle in order.

Venture-Captain Obo holds a lit brass lamp over the table in his private study and peers closely at the odd clay and metal configuration that lies on the table-top: the Jistkan puzzle-map. Obo traces a finger across the ornate script that covers the map’s surface.

“Astounding,“ he says, a touch of wonder in his voice. “This artifact is thousands of years old. An impressive find to say the least. Our loremasters and linguistic experts had a difficult time uncovering its meaning, but their effort and perseverance paid off. The puzzle-map tells of a forbidden stronghold long hidden in the desert sands: the Citadel of the Weary Sky. A place accursed—or blessed, they are not quite certain—by Ahriman, the Lord of the Divs himself.

“The citadel is called ‘an oasis of spite to pierce the barren heart’ where ‘stormfronts apprehend profoundest depths of fury.’ The map tells of a door that grants passage to this wondrous city: the Bleak Portal. It gives the location of this portal and the key whereby entry is granted.”

Before continuing, Obo glances around and pulls the curtain closed, blotting out the sounds of the city streets below.

“That’s not all, though, friends. There is darker news indeed. This seven-thousand-year-old buried citadel of the Jistka Imperium is exactly the secret that the Pathfinders stationed in Wadi al-Hesr gave their lives to discover. I don’t have to tell you about the dangers involved,” he says with a meaningful look.

“Texts on the Citadel of the Weary Sky speak of a powerful ring Jistkan mages used to bend elementals to their wills. I fear such a device falling into the wrong hands could mean the Society’s undoing. I’ve had word from Absalom this morning that a courier bearing a message from me was found knifed in an alley there. It seems that the Shadow Lodge is after this very citadel and the supposed secrets of omnipotent elemental power that it holds. We know they knew it’s what we were after because they tried to sabotage our mission to save the Wadi al-Hesr project, and we know they know we’ve found the citadel’s location with their interception of my message. So watch your backs at all times. We still don’t know who all is involved with the Shadow Lodge, but I believe we can trust you; the traitor in our midst did try to get you killed at Qassabah Heb Amar, after all.

“So good luck, Pathfinders. May the gods find their way to look down upon you in this gods-forsaken land and grant you good fortune.”

Anyone can make a Knowledge (history) check, even untrained, regarding the Citadel of the Weary Sky.

"Squaw?"
Squaw!
"Sqwaw?"
SQUAW!
"Oh, I should just speak the common tongue?"
squaw.
"Oh, okay I get it. It's not pelican, and it's not common. It's something else."

Cirri is talking to her pet pelican again. Venture-Captain clears his throat to get her attention before turning to the puzzle piece and briefing the party.

"Oh jeez, that's terrible! I guess the Shadow Lodge will come to us and stop attacking couriers."

Knowledge(History): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

"Umm...I don't remember much about the Citadel of the Weary Sky. Does anyone recall something salient?"

"Should we encounter the Shadow Lodge, what are our rules of engagement?"

Knowledge (history): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

"This does not sound like a vacation spot," observes Karos. "Didn't anyone back then ever create a 'Lost Temple of Pleasant Delights' or something?"

Knowledge (History), Sacrificial Boon: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

K(history) regarding the Citadel of the Weary Sky: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

The halfling comments, "Dealing with pathfinders who are also are members of the shadow lodge is tricky."

Marra apparently knows somewhat about the Weary Sky Citadel having come across it in an old book or one of the stories she trade with other bards.

Venture-Captain Obo glances oddly in Cirri's direction, then quickly goes back to his briefing. "If you encounter any Shadow Lodge agents, you are authorized to use whatever tactics you deem necessary, including lethal force. However, it would be useful to take them alive if possible. They may have important information to divulge." Marra, meanwhile, thinks back to any esoteric knowledge she has heard about the Citadel, and comes up with a fair bit of information.

Obo continues. "You will not need the actual puzzle-map, so I will send it back to the Grand Lodge for storage in the vaults. However, we will provide you with copies of all relevant information, as well as transport. The ruins are perhaps a week away by camel. The map has also revealed that three specific spells are needed to open the Bleak Portal: gust of wind to sweep the sands away, arcane sight to reveal the hidden entrance, and knock to gain access. If you do not have such magic, I am sure scrolls can be found in the marketplace. Are there any more questions? If not, you should go about preparing and set off as soon as possible. We have no idea where the Shadow Lodge agents are."

"I knew I should have learned Gust of Wind!" Cirri nods to Riddywhipple, who seemingly coos. "Yeah, yeah, Glitterdust is still better, overall. I mean, that thing in the tomb was especially nasty because we couldn't see it."

"Can anyone here cast Knock? I can do it if I try enough times." Cirri looks at V. "Oh duh, you can cast them all!" She heads off to buy the needed scrolls.

Does she learn Gust of Wind?
Spellcraft vs DC 17: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15 Nope, she'll have to wait another week to make sense of it. And time is something the party doesn't have.

Does she learn Arcane Sight?
Spellcraft vs DC 18: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23
That one was easy to learn, but she can't cast it without using the scroll. Maybe if she reaches the next level of experience, she can recall it from memory...

I'll buy all three scrolls. 150 + 150 + 375 = 675 gold total. As a Magus I can cast Gust of Wind and Arcane Sight. V can cast Knock.

KnowHistory: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Looking around for a ring of protection Anfial is there on the meeting point.
Shaking his head Anfial smiles."I am utterly unable to cast spells. But my blade is sharp and my honor spotless!"

Marra recalls what she knows, giving a long and detail lecture

Ever since the days of Verdizaam Charad, the Immolated Mirza, the Jistka Imperium’s Citadel of the Weary Sky has lain desolate and abandoned. Originally called the Jaizun Citadel, it was once one of many grand Jistkan fortresses where elementalists and conjurers summoned a multitude of genies and elementals to bolster their armies. The great magic expended in drawing these creatures from the elemental planes interacted strangely with an unknown natural phenomenon, breaking reality around the citadel. The sky above the Jaizun Citadel constantly roiled with unfettered elemental energy and conjuration magic stopped working consistently. Unsure of the phenomenon’s cause or purpose, the Jistkan elementalists abandoned the newly renamed Citadel of the Weary Sky to another much like it, leaving only a small contingent behind to study the planar rift in the sky.

The citadel was pummeled and beaten beneath the onslaught, and the very land around it withered in protest against Ahriman’s fury. The remaining wizards and conjurers turned all of their magical might to defend against this unworldly destruction, but after a week of black fogs and strange flashes of magical lightning, the sky cleared and the citadel was gone. Only a crater of battered and broken earth remained where the fortress once stood.

Upon hearing what spells are needed, Marra comments "Not normally the types of spells I can cast, though with luck I might get such scrolls to work, but like Cirri said V should be able to cast them."

"Well, that makes my choice simple and obvious. My goddess has not shown me any of those spells, but she has given me one for resisting harmful elements."

Preparing two castings of resist energy.

I like this part. If you can't cast the spells, you have to buy scrolls. If you don't have the money for scrolls or magic items, Obo foots the bill but makes you pay him back later. If no one has the ability to use such scrolls, he hands you a major ring of spell storing worth 200,000 GP. That's the part where you run away with it and live in luxury for the rest of your life.

Cirri goes to buy the appropriate scrolls, while everyone else makes any necessary final purchases and prepares to mount up. It is, as predicted, about a week by camel across the desert, harsh and taxing but otherwise uneventful. Nothing seems different about any of the sandy landscape until finally, the destination is in sight. The crater lies like a pockmark on the blinding white of the desert floor. The sand in the depression is charred brittle-black, and strange, glassy smudges spread throughout the basin. A hot breeze slithers across the sand, doing nothing to relieve the intense heat. Through the windswept dust, the shape of a gaping underground passage stands in jarring contrast to the monotonous desert landscape.

The black circle is the Bleak Portal. The squares are 15 feet across, so bear with me there. Anyway, please show and tell me how you intend to get there, in what order. It's easy enough to slide into the crater without damage or penalty, although your camels will not go any further into this place.

Oh boy! 15 ft tiles!

Cirri spends most of the week squawking to her familiar. "Man, I wish I could become a camel. How does it feel to carry all that water?" When she's not squawking, she's researching magic or getting into sparring matches.

As they approach the crater, Cirri looks toward the center of the crater. "I bet we need to blow the dust away there." Cirri flicks her hair and hovers above the ground. "Riddywhipple, fly with me!"

Cirri plans to use her Flight Hex to fly towards the center of the crater, flying in a straight line at flight speed 60.

Shandra circles the depression, inspecting it. "Everybody be careful and look before you step. Sand formations like this can be unstable."

Watching Cirri fly to the center, Marra contemplates use her potion but decides it best just to walk down. Being cautious, the halfling walks down in a spiral path {See map} keeping an eye out for dangers.

perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23

V stands stock-still for a moment. The pleasant smell of leather and timber lingers in the air around him for a moment, and lapis energy emanates from his mask to suffuse his entire form for a moment before fading (mage armor, emulating darkwood for +1 caster level, so it will last 8 hours).

He stares down at the pit, and the surface of his mask flashes the color of quicksilver as he bolsters himself with magical courage.

aid, emulating quicksilver for +1 minute of duration: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Then he simply heads down, careful to stay close to one of his companions.

Anfial jumps of his mount and walks down toward the center of the crater.

Karos follows close behind, his hand never far from his holster.

Proceeding into the crater, nothing out of the ordinary is noticed by the team, not from the ground nor the air. However, when Marra's spiraling path takes her too close to the Bleak Portal, the ground around her suddenly implodes in a storm of dust and sand! The same thing happens on the other side of the portal, and both eruptions are replaced by writhing masses of teeth and tentacles.

[ooc]Marra, could you make me a DC 15 Reflex save, or become entangled.

Marra
Shandra
Vanzetti
Cirri
Karos
Baddies
Anfial

Entangle Reflex vs DC15: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16
k(dungeoneering): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Marra jumps clear of the entrapping sand exclaiming "Dust Diggers! Careful they are a burrowing predator that try to trap pray in shifting traps."

Drawing her sword, Marra shift 5ft as she empowers her scimitar with arcane energy and recklessly attacks the large creature, missing it thoroughly.

(Temporary: AC 22)

Cirri enjoys her flight across the sand, waiting for the party to catch up.
When they do, she frowns as Dust Diggers erupt from the earth. "Hey Riddy, can you cast-"

Squaw!

"Oh right. No hands."

Cirri thinks deeply about the history of Dust Diggers.

Knowledge(Dungeoneering): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
"Oh yeah, the terrain around them can collapse easily. Um, do they have any special resistances?"

Hover, DC 15 Fly: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Cirri tries to hover in place, but she can't maintain her balance. Instead she flies ahead and draws the wand of shield from her wrist sheath. She activates it to protect herself against these things.

Why is everybody so eager to get themselves killed? There's enough things out there trying to kill Pathfinders without us helping them! "Don't get too close to these things! Pick them off from a distance." Shandra unstraps her shield and stows it away.

V blasts each bug with a blazing golden beam!

scorching ray, augmented by saltpeter (+1 damage) and alchemist's fire (+1 attack and they continue burning)"

scorching ray vs red, melee penalty: 1d20 ⇒ 9
fire damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 5, 4, 3) + 2 = 19

scorching ray vs purple: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
fire damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (1, 4, 3, 4) + 2 = 14

The shifting sands do his aim no favors whatsoever, though!

The team wracks their brains for information on the creatures. Marra recalls that in a fight, they use massive teeth and, while it varies by individual, most have five massive tentacles, as well as the ability to swallow their prey whole. Cirri knows they have no natural resistances. Shandra, you also have a question if you want it. Vanzetti quickly launches a bolt of fire at each, barely managing to strike the one menacing the halfling.

Marra
Shandra
Vanzetti
Cirri
Karos
Dust Diggers (red -19, burning)
Anfial

@GM: Cirri's question covers me too, I've never given out separate info to multiple PCs.

Remembering the five massive tentacles and swallow whole, Marra wonders if melee with them was such a good idea.

Gonna bot Karos this round.

Fire damage to red digger: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Karos casts divine favor on himself and rushes towards the battle. The dust digger unleashes a salvo of furious, if poorly-aimed, blows at Marra...

...all of which fail to connect. The other one trundles through the desert sand and lashes out similarly at V.

The thing's fearsome teeth and two tentacles manage to get a hold of the man, locking him in a monstrous grip!

Marra
Shandra
Vanzetti -15, grappled
Cirri (flying)
Karos (divine favor)
Dust Diggers (red -20, burning)
Anfial

Cirri fiddles in midair, trying to stay in place. She decides to burn some magic energy to temporarily steady herself.

Spending 1 Arcane Point for Derring-Do (Fly)
Derring-Do: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Exploding Dice: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Hover DC 15: 1d20 + 6 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 6 + 3 = 23

She is about to flop away when a gust of wind keeps steady. "Phew!" She drifts back 5 feet, drops her wand of shield and steadies her longbow. Some more of her magic activates and the arrowheads crackle with electricity! She fires at the digger holding V from 15 feet away.

Spending another Arcane Pool Point to make my longbow a +1 Shocking bow.

Composite Longbow(+3 Str) +1: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 1 = 8
Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5
Electric Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

And off it goes into the sand.

(Temporary: AC 27 w/-2 RS, +3 def, +2 CF)

Seeing how many arms the dusk digger have, Marra begins a battle dance still keeping the arcane empowered weapon she makes another risky strike, but this time defensively. Her strike is much better this time.

Anfial moves in and slashes at the beast with his iaijutsu slash.
Attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 291d8 + 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (1) + (5, 4, 4) + 16 = 30
conf: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 331d8 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

Waiting to see the results of others' attacks.

Me too.

Drat! My last post disappeared!

Karos takes aim. You cannot reason with animals. You can kill them or drive them off, but no more.

Swift Action: Bane.
Spend a grit point for Up Close and Deadly.

+2 Pistol, Divine Favor, Judgment of Destruction, Point-Blank Shot, Bane and Up Close and Deadly: 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 11 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 29 <-vs. Touch AC
Damage: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 2d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + (2, 2) + (6) = 21

Anfial moves swiftly forward and cuts the digger holding V clean in half! Marra slices at the one in front of her, and Karos finishes the job with a point-blank shot to the stomach. V tumbles to the ground without further injury. After collecting themselves and healing any wounds that have accrued, the team moves to the Bleak Portal.

The monolithic door is rather alien to all present, but they know enough to tell it is already open! Someone is already here, evidenced by this and a ten-foot length of knotted rope trailing down from the portal. Climbing down is simple enough, the drop leading to a staircase, which in turn opens into a ten-foot wide, 200-foot long hallway. The short steps of this narrow sandstone tunnel lead steeply downward. The mosaics covering the walls and ceiling depict the history of Jistka: the construction of grand cities beneath cloudless skies, armies of golems and genies marching to war, the slaughter of enemies, and the crowning of regal kings. At the foot of the stairs, the passage opens into a circular room, its walls and ceiling enameled a midnight blue. A narrow hole lies in the center of the white-tiled floor, ringed by shining brass. A fountain lies across from the stairway. Water spills from it, runs across the floor, and disappears down the hole. More mysteriously, another rope (marked on the map as an X) stretches from the floor to ten feet in the air, with nothing to hold it in place.

Even means arrow is broken: 1d2 ⇒ 1

Cirri lands and looks for her wand of shield. And she finds her old arrow! She reloads her wand and flies to the entrance. "Um...did you guys cast the magic? Or was this always open?"

Cirri follows the party underground.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

"Huh, rope trick. There's an extra dimensional space up there." Cirri prepares her wand of shield. "Maybe we'll see who get here if we climb up and take a look?"

"Be my guest. You're obviously better at that sort of thing than I am."