GM Tarondor's Dragon's Demand (Inactive)

Game Master Tarondor

Valena watches as Thorny tries to crawl through the ruins. "Be careful."

Thorny slips past the rubble and finds a small chamber with a door.

Since the map reveals the truth, I'll go ahead and tell you that you've discovered the obvious side of another secret door leading back north.

MAP OF THE CATACOMBS BENEATH THE WITCH TOWER

"Come on through," he calls back. "It's a shortcut to where we started." Thorny emerges back into the hall way and dusts himself off. He approaches the next passage and peers around the corner while waiting for his companions.

Ok to continue to move to the North and then West, the area we haven't explored?

It's okay with me! That's -one- of the areas you haven't explored.

Eli calls through and checks the next door.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Valena crawls through the collapsed area. She dusts herself off and follows Eli and Thorny's lead. "Well that's one way to make sure we see everything. Are we just going to leave the men back in that cell?"

"Well, they didn't answer again after we fed them. Something felt wrong about that. But I figure we can go back at anytime. If you feel like they are in danger, though, we could go deal with that now. The rest of the immediate area seems secure."

"I don't feel right about just leaving them here, but I don't think it's a real hurry to check it out further. Let's continue. Maybe we'll find information about what is going on with them somewhere else."

After searching through a variety of long-empty dungeon cells, the team has explored all but two doors. Leaving the occupied dungeon cell alone, the four companions head to the one door they have not explored. It is identical to all the other doors in the catacombs - thick wood banded with iron. There is no lock.

MAP OF THE CATACOMBS BENEATH THE WITCH TOWER

Sketching some notes about the layout of the place, Eli shows Valena the map.

"Look, this is going to take us off to who-knows-where. Shall we go back and check on the prisoners before we move on? If things go poorly for us, we might be leaving them to their doom."

Valena studies the map Eli shows her. "That isn't a bad idea. I really don't want their death on my conscious. It's a mystery how they are still alive that I want to solve. Thorny, Zatial what do you think about going back before heading through this door?"

"I, too, am uncomfortable leaving that man there to his likely doom." He replies. "Though, I do fear a little witchcraft surrounds the situation. We should not let our guard down." Thorny starts back toward the mysterious an in the cell.

You return to the mysterious cell. Looking in the small barred window with your magical lights, you see no sign of the man or his companions. Of course, you can't see most of the room with the door closed.

Eli checks the door for anything dangerous, before trying the keys to open it.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

Val takes a moment to Detect Magic, before Eli opens the door.

Zatial stands with his light source ready to illuminate the room.

Seeing and hearing nothing, you open the door. The room beyond is empty! Only the bones of long-dead prisoners remain here after all the centuries since Baron Sarvo ran this dungeon.

"Eli and Thorny do you want to lead the way?"

"Sure... this is sort of creepy, though."

Eli looks over the bones, and looks for the food that was handed in, to see if it is laying about anywhere.

If she finds nothing, she examines the bones, and then looks for secret doors.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

The food is there, untouched, laying neatly on the ground inside the door next to a pile of bones. The dust lies thickly on the floor, revealing no footprints but your own.

"I have heard of hauntings when a person dies in a rather unpleasant way. Do you think that is what happened here?"

"I hope not." She moves carefully further into the room looking around.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
30 feet Darkvision

Thorny frowns and touches his forehead in a religious ward before he steps in the room. He begins to search around the room.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 19

On the north wall of the old jail cell, Valena finds a strange discoloration... a secret door!

Perhaps this was nothing more than some type of mysterious magic/
Zatial will cast Detect Magic, looking for auras or any magical residue.

Zatial examines the auras that surround him, but finds only the expected fields around his fellow explorers. In short, there is no magic at work in this room.

"Through the door then. Eli do you want to check for traps?"

Zatial keeps his magical lamp lit for everyone to see...

Thorny positions himself to step into the secret porthole, once cleared by Eli.

Seeing everyone is ready, Eli checks the door and proceeds forward.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

In the room at the end of this narrow corridor is a strange metallic contraption of gears and chains. A large lever extends out at a forty-five degree angle from the front of it. A chain runs from it into a channel in the ceiling and you are reminded of the unusual ridge that ran along the outer corridor's ceiling and towards the as-yet unopened western door (labeled 'Unexplored' on the map).

However, of more immediate concern is a small roiling cloud of energy hovering over the machine, periodically sending out spasms of electricity into the air or along the chains.

"What is that?"

Eli gets her bow ready, although she is unsure if it could do anything to such a thing.

Know Planes?: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Val studies the creature trying to figure out if it came from a different plane. Just in case it speaks she calls, "Hello?".

Maybe. Valena isn't sure.

The little roiling cloud makes no response.

The GM puts his feet up on the desk and gets out the newspaper...

"Maybe this lever opens the door?"

Eli moves slowly towards the lever, hoping the cloud isn't sentient and angry.

Her hopes are dashed when Eli moves towards the machinery and the cloud responds with a bolt of lightning and a crackle of thunder!

Initiative rolls
The Cloud: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Eliastra: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Valena: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Thorny: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
Zatial: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

Initiative Order
Thorny
Zatial
The Cloud
Eliastra
Valena

Thorny, Zatial, go!

Zatial will summon a bolt of force and target the cloud... I wonder what this is?
Magic Missile: 1d4 ⇒ 4
Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Returned safely from my travels!

Thorny plants his feet squarely between the group and the roiling cloud of storms, unsure of how to approach such an unconventional threat.

Did the lightning bolt seem to target Eli or did it just go off in a random direction?

At Eli:
He swings his Glaive at... the cloud.
Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

A random direction:
He takes a step toward the lever on the contraption, without reaching for it.

Returned safely from my travels!

Welcome back!

Did the lightning bolt seem to target Eli or did it just go off in a random direction?

It was a spark within the cloud. Since you won initiative, the thing has not had a chance to go yet.

_________________________________________________________

Zatial recognizes that this is a lightning elemental, and further knows that it is much more dangerous to those wearing metal armor or bearing a metal weapon than otherwise. with lightning-like reflexes himself, he blasts the visitor from the Inner Planes with a bolt of eldritch force, causing sparks and rumbling to emerge.

Thorny ignores the combat and reaches for the lever, pulling down hard. The machine’s gears begin to spin, and a long chain running from this room up into the wall near the ceiling begins to spool inward, winding around the drum near the machine.

The elemental attacks Thorny (who happens to be carrying a metal weapon) with a fat spark of electricity that strikes his weapon hand, causing it to spasm, but Thorny doggedly holds on to the weapon.

Disarm Manuever and Metal Mastery: 1d20 + 1 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 10 = 15

Initiative Order
Thorny
Zatial
The Cloud
Eliastra
Valena

Anyone, go!

Zatiel searches is brain for some weakness that a lightning elemental might have.

Careful all, this bugger wants to eat all of the metal you have. Its attracted to such things and is likely more powerful against metal. On the bright side, it will probably want to eat me last.

She nods in acknowledgement at Zatial. How did we go from looking for ghosts to floating lightening? I'm beginning to think there's more tho this place than we thought." She raises a hand and casts Bless on the party. I'll use my sling no metal in that weapon. In the projectile yes, weapon no.

Remember to either link to the spell or list its effects for me, please.

Zatial, your previous knowledge check got you one additional piece of information - the superior power over metal users.

Thorny, Eliastra, go!

Eli doesn't carry a lot of metal, but still isn't eager to feel a bolt of electricity aimed her way. She pulls out an arrow and let's it fly at the little lightning cloud.

1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 4 + 1 = 19
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

At Zatial's warning, Thorny glances at his studded leather and glaive, once again wishing he had taken the time to get his wooden shield from his home before embarking on this task. Snarling, he jabs and slices his weapon into the shifting, insubstantial form.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 1 = 13
Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Eliastra, you take a -4 penalty for firing into melee and a second -4 penalty for firing through cover, resulting in a total of 11. That's a miss.

Thorny, please spell out when you're including a buff, so it's not "Attack" but "Glaive and bless".

The little angry cloud is fast, dodging both Eli's dart and Thorny's mighty glaive. It once again tries to knock Thorny's glaive from his hand and the ranger once again manages to hold tight to his weapon.

Disarm Manuever and Metal Mastery: 1d20 + 1 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 1 + 10 = 16

Initiative Order
Thorny
Zatial
The Cloud (4 damage)
Eliastra
Valena

Anyone, go!

Valena decides to move into the battle on her next turn. She pulls out her mace, and moves forward in the line to get closer. "I'll try to help next time Thorny."

"Let's try and draw it out to the open!"

She backs up into a more open area, bow still trained on the battle.