Theodric de LaMontagne |
"Can you guys part the waters? or glide into the stone and pluck it from the bedrock?"
Theodric moves to the next door at the end of the hallway.
Vladek Odradek |
Good thing I didn't send Qadathra down there!
detect magic/Spellcraft, Elven Magic to identify strange vial: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (6) + 32 = 38
GM Erich |
Vladek has never encountered or heard of this strange liquid before.
Rok - Celestial Dire Tiger |
"Magor, going to rock walk?" Rok questions then looks down to the stone at the bottom of the acid pool.
"Sage, does your dark know about this room, that vial?"
GM Erich |
Sinuhotep steps into the room at Rok's request. "This was where the test subjects were... disposed of, when she was finished with them." He strains a bit as the memories rush back. His face darkens. "The glowing bauble at the bottom of the vat? It is but a bead from a child's necklace, imbued with light. I'm sure it brought her much joy in life... but alas, could not save her."
He pauses solemnly before continuing. "The vial, yes." His face twists as if to wrench free a memory not easily released. "That is crystalline aether. Pure magic essence, really. She hid it there."
Magor Lavablood |
Magor looks around at his allies and smiles, then walks into the pool.
@GM: If the pool doesn't get through my resist acid 20, then I will carefully push the pearl out of the pool with the flat of my battleaxe. If it does get through my resistance, then I will move as fast as possible to grab the item, and hope it isn't cursed.
Will also read the scroll of heal and stow it with my other scrolls.
GM Erich |
acid damage: 10d6 ⇒ (3, 3, 5, 3, 5, 3, 6, 5, 4, 3) = 40 minor ouch
Magor whips into the caustic pool and emerges with the bead.
Theodric de LaMontagne |
While the dwarves play in the water, Theodric walks up to Sinuhotep and says, "Before our departure in the initial meeting, Tahonikepsu evaded my question when I asked how does one go about destroying the jewels, should it come down to that. I suspect a learned sage such as yourself would, in the long run, favor retaining his identity over the benefits of a magical trinket, as useful as it may be. Do you have such advice for me, should this eventuality come to pass?"
Theodric de LaMontagne |
"Oh my! what have you done to your beard!!? where's your hair!? what?! this was acid you went swimming in?!!"
Vladek Odradek |
Unable to determine the pearl's powers, Magor offers it to his other magically talented companions.
Automatic success on Knowledge (Arcana).
Vladek looks at the bead, then at Magor with a vaguely pained expression.
"It's just a common torchfire enchantment."
Rok - Celestial Dire Tiger |
Looking around and not seeing anything else, Rok starts moving towards the next room.
Rok again uses: Spirit Sense (Sp)... detects the presence of undead; fey; outsiders; and astral, ethereal, or incorporeal creatures.
GM Erich |
@Magor The old school 1st edition switcheroo...the lich warned you!
Sinuhotep looks casually startled at Theo's question. "You must understand our reticence. The gems hold and catalog centuries of knowledge, including experiences and memories that have not been tapped yet. No, our identities pale in comparison to the wealth in these simple stones. As for destroying it... well they are but gemstones after all. Although I would suspect, even your adamantine weapons would have some difficulty smashing them."
When the group moves to the next room, it is very similar to the previous "library". Thousands of bones fill the shelves in the center of this chamber as if they were books. Tiny pictographs cover the surface of each bone.
A hallway leads to the south and ends in another door. Rok does not pick up any spirits with his unnatural sense.
When you pick up items, I'll assume whoever found or identified has possession unless you tell me otherwise.
Theodric de LaMontagne |
"Two minute search and we move on folks! remember that we can come back to these rooms for extended studies once we've secured the entire perimeter!"
Perception to assist searching efforts: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 1
Magor Lavablood |
Magor checks for magical auras upon entering the room, then tries to help eliminate the less important items, so that his allies can focus on the potentially significant.
Once everyone is finished with the current room, he activates his crystal sight to peer through the door at the end of the hallway.
Perception (deaf, scent) (aid): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Vladek Odradek |
Perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (5) + 20 = 25
NB for Theodric and any other PC to whom this might apply: Anybody with a negative modifier in a given skill is usually better off not trying to aid another in that skill, since the odds in their case are weighted closer to the risk of hindering.
Qadathra |
Perception, Magor's aid: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (20) + 21 = 41
Theodric de LaMontagne |
How does trying to aid can end up hindering?
GM Erich |
There are no magical auras in the "library", although it is evident with a quick search that each of the bone fragments is from a different victim of Tahari's research.
Sinuhotep remains close-lipped here, although it is probable he knows something more.
Like the other "library", let me know if and when you wish to search this place in more detail.
Magor peers through the door using his special sight. He sees that the next room is larger than the others and has a bridge that crosses a dark chasm. Fearsome fiendish statues armed with serrated blades guard one side of the bridge, standing before a double door. An obsidian moon embosses the doors’ center.
GM Erich |
Bridge should be as drawn (10' wide). It is deep enough you can't see the bottom from your vantage point.
Evad Alacar |
Evad moves forward into the room, keeping an eye out for animated statues or any type of traps.
Perception: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (16) + 21 = 37
GM Erich |
As you enter and approach the bridge and pits, you can see piles of shattered humanoid bones, twenty feet deep in places, filling up the pits to their halfway line. More importantly, you can discern that should you progress too fast across the bridge, it will pivot and deposit you there as well.
DC 15 to disable
From your closer vantage point, it looks like each of the statues holds a wand, as well as the serrated blade.
Evad Alacar |
Evad will back up a little and relays what he sees to the others.
How do we get past this? He asks for suggestions.
D Door?
Theodric de LaMontagne |
Theodric spider climbs on the walls of the room and gets on the other side where the statues are.
Rok - Celestial Dire Tiger |
Rok looks to the others, happy to follow their lead. "I can jump?"
GM Erich |
Evad thinks you can just move slowly across it half speed and not set off the trigger.
Theodric de LaMontagne |
Theodric takes a rope out of his spelunking kit. He ties it firmly around the nearest statue. He tosses the other end to the party and takes the slack off in case the thing ends up flipping. He advances to the tip of the flipboard to put a foot on it in case it starts rotating.
Evad Alacar |
Let me try it first. He nods at Threodric already across, On my way shout if you see anything.
Evad then very slow begins to cross. At half speed
GM Erich |
Evad makes it across successfully, as do the rest of you. Examining the statues (with care) they seem to be fiendish looking hyenas. There are two wands that look like they can be removed.
Magor Lavablood |
Without touching either wand, Magor points to them and says, "This one can levitate people from far away, and the other is great for calming down barbarians--or anyone else, really."
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 17 = 34
wand of reach levitate (6)
wand of calm emotions (15)
Theodric de LaMontagne |
"We may need them on the way back. Smells like a trap though... could those statue animate? any magical auras on these or mechanisms/joints that may indicate they have been crafted for war?"
Rok - Celestial Dire Tiger |
Rok wait for the group to retrieve the wands, eager to move forward.
GM Erich |
The wands are the only magical items in the room. Let me know if you take them
------------------------------
Magor peers into the next room (through the double doors) and sees a large, still chamber. Stairs lead down into a voluminous central area, with antechambers flanking on the east and west. Stone sarcophagi line the walls, held closed by straps and bindings. Arcane glyphs spark over the walls and tombs periodically. The doors seem fine, and you push them open with some difficulty.
Sinuhotep's eyes tighten, as he holds his tongue once again. "The incubation chambers..."
I have labeled the interesting areas A, B, C. Let me know where you want to go first, and if anyone would rather hold back at the door.
Rok - Celestial Dire Tiger |
Looking at the wands, Rok comments. "Sounds useful, I'll grab them if you want?" Rok wil risk any traps to grap the wands and hand them off to someone that can cast them.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Still listening for spirits, Rok will advance to the east (C) to sniff out anything hiding in corners and make it safe for the scholars.
Searching for traps, using spirit sense, using scent.
perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
Theodric de LaMontagne |
I think Magor took the wands, as he did Spellcraft checks to ID them... not quite sure though.
"Alright Mr. Sinuhotep: spill it. We can't have you withhold information the whole time we're here."
Waiting for intel from Sinu-man (someone should Sense Motive this lichy bad boy btw...) then I recommend someone without negative perception to check out the sarcophagus area (B); once secure we can use the area as a base to explore areas A and C.
GM Erich |
There doesn't appear to be any activity based on Spirit Sense or scent.
Sinuhotep answers quickly, as this may inform your decision on where to go.
Sinuhotep strides down the stairs, his eyes turning slowly from place to place as he allows the memories to flood back.
"The hidden entrance to the Black Moon's Sanctum is that way." He says pointing to the sarcophagus in the eastern alcove. C
"The rest of the sarcophagi hold her important victims. But the most virulent plagues killed her grandest enemies. The great wyrm - Kazemde..." Sinuhotep shifts his focus to the huge sarcophagus in the center of the main chamber. B
"...and the paladin of Osiris, she calls him the fool, Ermias Dalla. There." The lich points his finger to the western alcove. A
Evad Alacar |
Okay, let's take a look at the great wyrm then. Evad moves to Kazemde's sarcophagi and studies it.
Perception: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (13) + 21 = 34
Theodric de LaMontagne |
"Careful Evad... the size of the sarcophagi... and the importance of the bones within... you sure you want to disturb this? are we not trying to get to the Inner Sanctum?"
Rok - Celestial Dire Tiger |
"Victims and enemies? Will they help us?"
GM Erich |
When Evad peers over the sides of the the raised sarcophagus near the room’s center he can see that it holds the cramped remains (bones and shimmering blue scales) of a large dragon that fills up the entire underground portion of the burial pit. Who knows what lies below it.
Only the paladin's sarcophagus detects as magical. two auras
Theodric de LaMontagne |
Who knows what lies below it.
Profit? :)
Evad Alacar |
This is a site to behold. We can take a closer look once we've cleared the area.
Evad waits for the others to examine the Paladin's tomb in the center of the room.
Vladek Odradek |
"Extraordinary," Says Vladek as he looks carefully around.
Automatic success on both Knowledge (Arcana) checks!
"A Paladin of Osiris, you say? There's something else in his sarcophagus...two things, one much more powerful than the other...."
detect magic/Spellcraft to identify magic item #1: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (15) + 32 = 47
detect magic/Spellcraft to identify magic item #2: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (1) + 32 = 33
Rogar dwarf |
Rogar continues to detect magic
knowledge arcana: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (15) + 18 = 33
"Right Vladek...one has strong magic on it." Rogar twirls his mustache. "Hmmm..."
Rok - Celestial Dire Tiger |
"Sage, You can speak with the dead too. What will the dragon speak with us?"