GM Rednal's Rise of the Runelords: AE (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

The scarf did not react again.

Through the western door, this cozy-looking drawing room is marred by the unnatural dampness and the thick sheets of mold that cling to the curtains closed over the southern window. A door in the north of this room leads back to the entrance hall.

Letting the scarf flutter down, Shalluk shuddered. He suspected that this had been the scene of a death, and he didn't like it. The strange...magic...or whatever it had been seemed to be certainly suggested a death, and Shalluk suspected the death had been the lady of the house. He wasn't sure if it would matter, but he filed away the hunch for later.

Moving through to the next room, Shalluk paused at the door to examine the mold. He had heard tales of molds that could be dangerous, even lethal, and this place certainly seemed to have the right atmosphere to grow such.

Perception + Sense Magic + Detect Undead + Sense Life: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

Zelani moved towards the south as she gave the room a look over.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

Rixa follows cautiously, not letting her sword drop as she continues looking for danger.
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Looking at the mold on the curtains, it appeared to be exactly what it looked like - rather nasty if you breathed it in for awhile, but not one of the world's truly dangerous moldy lifeforms. Other than what you'd seen as you walked in, there didn't appear to be much to this chamber.

Well, normald mold, left unchecked, could grow at a horrifying rate. Shalluk had lived in some unpleasant places with unpleasant levels of mold. It had caused breathing problems in some of his less hardy fellows, however, and so Shalluk returned to the stained glass room through the main hall and headed through the Northern door.

Rixa shudders, ”Ugh. This place is in horrible condition why hasn’t it already been burnt down, I want to know? It’ll be a nice to bring cleansing fire when we leave, though, regardless.”

Zelani carefully opened the curtains and looked out as she thought on the layout of the house and what she had been able to see outside, "With the stories of a fire here before, I am kinda surprised how much in left in...relative order. Such limited signs of wildlife, I suspect quite a lot of cleansing of this area is needed..." Zelani commented quietly in agreement with Rixa as she rubbed her hands to free any bits which might have gotten on them before she followed the others towards the entrance hall.

*Updates map* You're heading into B5.

For just a moment, Zelani saw the face of a forlorn woman reflected in the glass of the window - then it was gone.

Moving north from the room with the stained glass, this dusty room features a long couch caked with white sheets of wispy fungus. Eddies of dust skitter along the warped floorboards as if caught up by a slight breeze, yet no wind is noticeable in the air.

Rixa is instantly on guard with the spectral activity, her sword at the ready as she moves into the room, confident she could take whatever the house threw at her.
"You saw that, right? Good, so I didn't just imagine that."

Shalluk looked at Rixa from under his hood in confusion. He hadn't seen anything. More concerning, however, was the fungus of the room...once again he tried to see if there was something deadly growing here.

Perception + Sense Magic, Detect Undead, Sense Life, etc: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

Zelani tried to shake the image of the woman from her mind as she checked her hands and followed the others. As she spotted the oddly moving dust and heard Rixa's comment, Zelani quietly replied, "Some of the stories of this house may have something to them...or someone has set it up to appear so..." with a shrug as either seemed possible at this point particularly with what this Lord had done so far with their delusions...

Cautiously continuing into the next, Zelani looked around...

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

Looking carefully, you note that the dust is being disturbed in a way that suggests a person is pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace... though you don't detect any other powers at work here aside from the perpetual evil of the place. There's definitely no life there.

Zelani curiously watched the moving...pacing dust for a few more moments. As it did not seem a threat to the others or herself, she turned towards the door to the east, listening for a moment before she tried to open it.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

Rixa stays on guard at the presumed specter, but follows the others into the next room, glancing over her shoulder as she leaves to ensure nothing has changed with the dust, before turning her attention to the new room.
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

"I sense nothing, living or dead. Perhaps the master of this house comes here often." Unsure what Rixa and Zelani had seen before, and unable to see anything, Shalluk was mostly confused. It seemed odd for someone to pace in the dust, but Shalluk had seen stranger things, and apparently, the man was a Ghoul. Mold and dust wasn't as likely to bother such a thing. Instead, he headed to the doors in the Westen wall and opened them, looking into the next room.

Shalluk's right, it's the western door Zelani went to, I read it backwards.

This door opens up into a long hallway, reasonably well-furnished. There are two doors to your right (on the northern side) - one near and one at the very end. Another door to your left (on the southern side) is also located on the far end, and appears to lead back to the entry hall.

Opening the closer door, you see this is a simple washroom. An ancient metal washtub stands to the north, a ring of mildew crusting its inner surface. A strange, furtive scratching comes from inside the tub.

Rats? Shalluk considered at the odd noise. Well, even rats that could survive in this place were likely dangerous. Still, he held position with his crossbows drawn, and tried to get a Sense of what it was.

Thanks to Shalluk's abilities, he'll know if its living, undead or magical.Also how dense it is. If it's a lead rat, he'll know.

Rixa, knowing her skills with the undead were highly limited compared to Shalluk, let him try to identify this new potential threat.

On hearing the scratching, Zelani raised her eyebrow as she peered around to find the source...

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

The rat - for that's indeed what it was - seemed to be living... and it was frantically scrabbling against the side of the deep tub, trying to climb out and over the sides. It began moving even faster as it noticed you, squeaking louder and faster - though it was probably going to take it a little while longer to actually reach you, given how often it slid back down the side of the tub.

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

"Odd behaviour. This...place must be affecting them." Zelani said as she took a few steps back away from the tub. She had no desire to attack a scrambling rat.

"Shall we check the next door?" the druid asked as she moved out of the washroom towards the door on the far end of the room...

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

"How long has it been here, I wonder? And how did it get into the tub to begin with?" Rixa muses, before following Zelani to the next room.
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Looking around, Shalluk tried to see if there was something - an old towel, maybe, or something wooden - that he could toss into the bath before leaving to help the rat climb out. It wasn't the beasts fault this place was horrible, and he had wish to see it starve in a bathtub.

Once that was done (or not, if he couldn't find anything) he followed the ladies to the next room.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Eventually, Shalluk managed to find an ancient towel and toss it into the tub - and the moment it landed, the rat scrambled up it and launched out of the tub, shrieking as it shot right towards Shalluk's face.

Bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 for Damage: 1d3 - 4 ⇒ (3) - 4 = -1 Min 1 Damage.
Fort DC 11: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

It managed to bite his cheek, but nothing worse than that - a scratch by any measure, but it looked completely berserk with hunger. Any one hit - which would be quite easy - would kill the beast.

It's so weak you can auto-succeed if you want to. XD

No good deed went unpunished. Grunting at the attacking rat, Shalluk knocked it away and dodged back out of the door. After a moment, and cursing himself for being stupid, he opened his pack and opened the door just enough to slip it through before following the others.

Shalluk activated his new shield as he went, having the light disc start floating behind his head. Next time it might make a difference.

Pausing to allow the others to catch up, Zelani went to open the other northern door.

Isn't it a minimum of 1 nonlethal damage if an attack is brought to 0 or fewer points?

Rixa follows the others, somewhat wondering as to what brought on such aggressive behavior to the rat.

Usually, yes. o wo ...This place, as if it weren't obvious enough already, is a bit more malicious than most places.

Heading through the other northern door, this oak-paneled chamber must have once been breathtaking, but is a sad sight now - the floorboards are warped with moisture and the paneling scratched and spotted with mold. A grand piano, its surface splotchy and keys warped, leans tiredly in the southeast corner.

Zelani walked carefully around the room as she looked around...

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

Well, at least we're lucky when it comes to perception checks.

Rixa follows, allowing the others, with their more well-trained senses, to lead the way.

Rubbing the bite with the back of his hand, Shalluk took a moment to take stock and grip his weapons before continuing into the room. He kept one eye on the piano, especially. If the scarf has been a problem, other things that been important to...whatever that had been might also be an issue, and many loved their piano.

Perception + Detect Undead, Sense Life and Sense Magic: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Looking around, you didn't see much that hadn't already been spotted. There seemed to be a bit of an aura of necromancy in the air around the piano, but nothing currently active. Going by what you'd seen thus far, many of the nastier bits of the house required some sort of trigger. Avoiding those would help keep you safe... but, alas, there was no way of knowing what the triggers were. You could examine the piano, of course - or start checking the stairs up or down.

"There is necromantic energy on the piano," Shalluk reported, eying it warily. "I suspect trying to play a song will trigger it. I...suspect we should leave it alone unless we find nothing in the other areas." Heading upstairs, and then down, would make the most sense to Shalluk.

"First a scarf and now a piano..." Zelani considered out loud as she thought on Shalluk's observations as she moved back towards the door. "Shall we head upstairs now?" she asked the others as she cautiously stepped back out of the room...

"Why don't we go down? I do not trust the floors of this place, and would sooner avoid crashing through a rotten floorboard if I can avoid it." Rixa asks, but more than willing to follow the others up or down in this cursed place.

"I would prefer to go up," Shalluk replied, frowning at the Piano. "I feel...there is a story here. I am not sure, but I feel like knowing more of the story might be useful, and that means exploring the living spaces."

Which stairs up would you like to try? There's one flight in the middle of the big central hall, and then a second one near the entrance (yellow circle marked 3 on the map).

Zelani looked between the other two with mild amusement for a moment. "No reason not to... go down first, that is, we'll likely have to do both floors..."

Thinking a moment, she pulled a coin from one of her pouches. "Heads we go up, tails we go down..." she said as she showed both sides of the coin before flipping it into the air...

Coin Toss Heads 1, Tails 2: 1d2 ⇒ 2

Showing the coin to the others, "Looks like we're heading to the basement..." she said with a smile before she pocketed the coin and moved towards the closest stairs she could recall that went downstairs...

Shalluk nodded, following Zelani to the staircase.

Rixa likewise follows, eyes keen for more signs of the undead.

After some discussion, you headed down the stairs on the north side of the big entry hall.

A large oaken table, its surface covered with moldy stains and rat droppings, sits in the center of this large kitchen. Shelves line the walls, and an oversized fireplace dominates the northeast portion of t he room. The shelves in the southwest wall are in a much greater state of disarray, and two one-foot-wide cracks in the wall near the floor lead south into the earth beyond the basement walls.

New map, too.

Shalluk raised an eyebrow at the rat droppings. He hoped the little beast upstairs didn't have some friends below. He began to search the room, paying special attention to the area in disarray, in case it wasn't whatever had created those cracks that had done so.

Perception + Detect Undead, Sense Life, Sense Density and Sense Magic: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

As Shalluk looked over the shelves, Zelani went to look at the fireplace on the other side of the room as she started to investigate the room...

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Rixa follows, peering through the cracks in the wall to see if there's anything on the other side.
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

Shalluk might have been a bit precognizant - a few moments after you started looking around, you heard thousands of squeaks as rats poured out of the chimney, forming into two distinct groups that began to race towards you.

Init (Rat Swarms): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Init (Rixa): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Init (Shalluk): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Init (Zelani): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Aaaand you all beat their initiative. XD They're 10 feet away.

Rixa stretches out a hand, visualizing a storm of golden dust attacking and enveloping the rats, as she tries to stop the closer of the two swarms.
Glitterdust, Will DC 17 on the closer swarm of rats, or both swarms if possible.

Shalluk recoiled in fear at the advancing rat army. One rat bite was painful enough...and his weapons would be of limited use against these. He waved one weapon to the side, summoning Mother instead. Maybe her weapon, which didn't follow the rules of reality and physics like his did, would be able to harm them more. She raised the spectral weapon and fired.

Touch Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
Damage (Force): 3d4 + 4 ⇒ (2, 4, 4) + 4 = 14

I assume these are Tiny, not Diminutive or Fine, and can therefore be shot?

Zelani eyes opened wide at the sound for a moment at the sound and sight of so many rats...so many poor things that this place seemed to have twisted...she did want to but she saw no other path that did not put herself or the others at too much risk...

She raised a hand, her tattoo glowing as a sombre song touched her lips.

Attack: Destructive Blast: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15 Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 4, 1) = 8