GM Tyranius |
Please refer to the Discussion thread and keep in mind that quite a bit of these areas are going to have tight corridors for a party of six.
Barral de Gauzignan |
dot
GM Tyranius |
How you all ended up in the Wise Piper Inn is a bit of a story, but the common thread is that a man named Silas Gribb offers them a job as caravan guards. The trek was relatively easy. It looked like easy gold, but upon the caravan's arrival in Belhaim, Gribb is arrested on a warrant for smuggling, and Belhaim's sheriff and his most skilled deputies head out within the hour to escort him and his confiscated caravan south to Cassomir. Each of you easily convinces the authorities of your ignorance about Silas' criminal activities, but are left stranded in Belhaim, as Silas is obviously unable to pay them for the caravan job.
The young proprietor of the Wise Piper Inn, Talia Orem, takes pity on the lot of you and offers free room and board for a few days. Some of you help around the inn, some offer your services to the locals for a few coins, and some lounge around freeloading off her generosity.
You are in the Wise Piper's common room as evening falls. Silas was arrested yesterday. The lot of you are seated at a long table, enjoying a free meal of fresh bread with cheese and honey, washed down by watery mead.
Good spot for Character Introductions!
Jasmine Almandine |
dotting, sorry about the wait, forums wasn't letting my posts go through for some reason with this character, but it seems right now.
Riggs Parrett |
One of the elder caravan guards, Riggs was quite embarrassed by his situation. The mid 30's human should have known better than throw in his lot with a dirty smuggler! He had travelled far before, so he hoped this would not affect his reputation with any future guarding duties.
With no caravans currently in town, Riggs took Talia up on her offer of earning a meager living in the tavern, washing dishes and cleaning tables. His shift was over and he wanted to tuck into dinner and a cool drink before heading upstairs to his room.
"So, is this the first time the rest of you have almost been arrested? It's a definite first for me," he shakes his head, as he chews on a hard piece of bread.
Lovec |
Lovec will spend his time hunting in the nearby countryside, and doing a bit of sight-seeing.
"I always figured that guy was into some shady business. I'm just glad the authorities here are reasonable people.
I heard this town was founded by a dragonslayer. Doesn't seem like much of a town. I wonder why they ended up here?"
Jaren Morgenstern |
Jaren sits at a table in the inn, his longspear resting against the back of his chair. He sits lazily, drawing arcane symbols on the wood of the table with a finger while his head is propped up on his other hand.
The man spent most of the caravan trip trying his best to show the other guards that just because he looked like a city-bred pretty nobleman's son, that it didn't mean he actually was one.
Well, the nobleman's son part was true. The Morgenstern family line goes back hundreds of years, and remains quite established in Taldor, both for their hand in the trade business, and for turning out brilliant military leaders. Jaren, however, was something else. No one could quite put their finger on it when he was a child, but he wasn't like the other Morgensterns. Even as a small child, he knew how to talk to people, how to understand them to get them to do what he wanted. He was also stronger than all of the other kids his age. It wasn't until he grew into adolescence that it became apparent there was something else in his blood, something inhuman.
Of course, since the Gauzignan family had a history of turning out children a lot like Jaren, rumors started to run rampant; of Jaren's parents buying him from the rival family, to cheating wives and husbands. The rumors only got worse when one of the Gauzignans grew up to be just as different as Jaren, leaving most of the other noble families to smile at each other behind their hands and whisper when the parents of the two boys were around. Nothing was ever proven, but the two children did become quite close as kids, and it carried over into their time as guardsmen, and eventually as caravan guards.
He eventually looks up, and at the other guards stranded with him.
Well... now what? We can't stay here forever, and we most certainly won't be able to afford anything anytime soon, they took the bastard before he could pay us...
He stands, stretches, and approaches the barkeep.
I believe my friends and I are going to need some kind of work, something that we can make a profit on and maybe even save enough to get back home. Do you know of anything? I can't keep spending my nights in here telling stories, you know... eventually I'll run out!
He flashes his perfect teeth in a disarming smile.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
GM Tyranius |
The barkeep rolls her eyes at Jaren. As the group is bonding, the walls of the inn rattle as though shaken by thunder.
The sound was more akin to that of a massive landslide.
A young man slams through the doors of the tavern. The Witch Tower has fallen!
This news sends everyone in the tavern heading out to gawk at the dust plume rising from the place where the tower once stood.
Jasmine Almandine |
"What's the witch tower?" Jasmine asks curiously as she hears the shouts and turns to look, not at all aware of the history of this place.
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
Barral de Gauzignan |
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
"Quickly ... we must help as many as we can ..."
Barral heads out with Jaren toward where he heard the sound ...
Jaren Morgenstern |
[dice=Perception]1d20+4
"Quickly ... we must help as many as we can ..."
Barral heads out with Jaren toward where he heard the sound ...
I hope I didn't take too many liberties with your character's part in our backstory.
GM Tyranius |
At the site of the collapsed tower. the two of the locals stand puttering around. Yu recognize them as two from the Sheriff's crew. Letha Mulle and Varyl Hodd.
Letha stands looking at the tower scratching her head while Varyl has his hands on his hips chewing on a stalk of grass. The argue for several minutes about what to do about the situation. a voice from the crowd calls out. Maybe Wizard Hunclay knows what happened?
You knock on the Wizards door says Letha
Like hells. I ain't knocking on that crazy bastards cursed building!
After a few moments more of arguing Varyl ends up heading to the Wizards door to knock. Lying at the doorstep is a dead kobold. He pushes the kobold over with his foot and knocks heavily on the wooden door. No one answers. He reaches for the handle and Letha grabs his wrist. Whatever magic killed that kobold may still be active. He nods his head in agreement.
Soon the town's baroness arrives to the scene with her son. After listening to the reports she looks briefly at the overmatched deputies. Scanning the crowd her eyes fall on none other than the newcomers to the town! You there what are your names?
[b]Today's your lucky day. Mulle and Hodd here can't seem to handle this without the sheriff to hold their hands, and I want to know what happened here. You seem to be a capable bunch. If you go in there and look through the rubble-find out what happened and why there are kobolds in my town- I'll pay you lot 500 gold pieces. While your looking around in the ruins, keep an eye out for any signs of our local eccentric, Hunclay. It seems somewhat suspicious to me that he's not answering his door. Let me know what you find.
Jasmine Almandine |
"So I guess we are the expendable trap detectors for the town?", Jasmine asks with a frown on her face, not at all pleased with this development. "Couldn't someone just cast Speak with Dead and solve the entire mystery?"
Don't worry, I'll still follow everyone into the tower, I'm just rping.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
GM Tyranius |
We have no one here near that powerful. They all reside in the larger cities.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Only fragments of the first and second floor still stand. Black stone and broken wooden debris lie scattered down the hill's southeastern slope, and a rocky ramp of sorts leads up to the tower's second floor.
Riggs Parrett |
Riggs wasn't crazy about the idea, but he needed gold to pay for his way out of this town. "Is there any of us who know the first thing about checking for traps? That certainly isn't my strong suit." He does detect for magic on the rubble however, wondering if that would reveal anything.
Lovec |
"Traps? I'm not sure there are going to be any left unsprung after the collapse here. But we've got nothing better to do. I'm game for your offer. Looks like we can start on the second floor."
Lovec will head up the debris ramp to the second floor. He uses his lucerne hammer to lean on, and to prod for any spots that look treacherous or unstable.
GM Tyranius |
Need climb checks to reach second floor
Jaren Morgenstern |
Jaren eyes the lady asking for his help a bit warily, but nods.
Sounds fair. We'll explore, and let you know what we find. Hells, I'm just glad there's finally something to do...
He follows Lovec, his longspear over both his shoulders. When he gets to the door, he looks up to the second floor.
Well, if we want to try that, I have some rope and a grappling hook in my pack.
He looks up at the rubble of the second floor, and starts tying off the hook.
Let's get started, shall we? Who wants to go first?
Barral de Gauzignan |
I hope I didn't take too many liberties with your character's part in our backstory.
Not at all ... thank you for the direction.
."Traps? Hmmm. Perhaps we Should continue more carefully. I would not have anticipated such treachery; however, there is much here that does not make sense for someone without nefarious intent."
Let's get started, shall we? Who wants to go first?
"I can lead the way ... though I will need to knot the rope first."
If I am reading the rules correctly, a knotted rope against a wall gives a DC 5 for climb. If so, I can take 10 and just barely make it :-)
GM Tyranius |
Jaren assembles his rope and hurls the hook up to the second floor. He easily finds enough rubble for the hook to find it's place. The group slowly makes their way to the second floor as small bits of rubble shifts in it's place.
Open to the sky above, the exposed upper floor contains only some smashed furniture and a sprinkling of rubble. A trap door is set in the floor against the northwest wall but a stout timber has fallen across it.
Str check to move the timber
Barral de Gauzignan |
Strength: 1d20 + 2 - 5 ⇒ (1) + 2 - 5 = -2
"Aaarggg ... I can't seem to move this timber out of the way."
Barral will search to see if he can find a suitable lever to try again ...
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Seriously ... I really hope that I am getting my bad rolls out of the way with all of this :-(
Jasmine Almandine |
Jasmine frowns at the timber blocking their path, and links up with Lovek, giving it a large shove.
Strength Check (Aid Another): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
Barral de Gauzignan |
Barral moves back to the timber to help move it ...
Strength (Aid Another): 1d20 + 2 - 5 ⇒ (6) + 2 - 5 = 3
... and apparently gets in the way instead of helping.
GM Tyranius |
With a little assistance Jaren is able to pull the timber away from the trapdoor enough to open it. The floor creaks and heaves slightly under the pressure.
Heading down the trapdoor leads to the main floor. The tower's large ground floor has mostly collapsed under the rubble, but along the western portion of the room is a section that remains clear of debris. An iron trap door set in the floor is directly below a companion door in the ceiling above. Shattered wooden furniture lies scattered around the corpses of two small, green scaled creatures.
The only source of light in the room is what sifts through the open trap door above.
Opening the iron trap door reveals a ladder leading into complete darkness.
Riggs Parrett |
As this is a wizard's tower, I think, Riggs plans on keeping Detect Magic active as much as possible. No telling what kind of trinkets a powerful Mage might have lying around.
Barral de Gauzignan |
Barral will search the room for additional clues as to what was going on here ...
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
... and will use his detect evil to ensure no fell powers remain close by. When he has finished, Barral gestures toward the trap door in the ceiling ...
"I am incline to search the high ground first."
Lovec |
@Barral: I think that's where we came in.
Lovec will light a torch in order to see clearly. He will go over and examine the bodies for any clue to what they were doing.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
GM Tyranius |
Yes you came from above as you entered from the second floor.You removed the beam off of the trap door to descend to the main floor where you found another trap door leading further down.
Lovec examines the bodies and finds that they were crushed by the tower collapsing.
Lighting a torch the group descends into the darkness below.
The walls of this chamber have been buckled precariously in several places, and masonry and dirt are scattered across the floor- the collapse above plainly caused this structural damage. The dry-rotted frames of five simple beds lie against the north and south walls. To the southwest, the room broadens into a large chamber. A rusted grinning iron statue stands in an alcove in the north wall between the two wings of the room itself, and in the wall to the south is an old iron door.
Map is posted at the top
Barral de Gauzignan |
Ah ... I wasn't sure; thought it might be another companion door. Thanks
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
"Look at these daggers ... I imagine that they would work as some sort of key. We could bring them with us."
GM Tyranius |
Lovec attempts to use his weapon to fish around in the iron maiden. given a few moments he pushes the bones around in the torture device and the key falls to the floor.
Barral digs through the rubble and finds the pair of daggers. While he is digging he also stirs a pair of hungry centipedes. They snap out from once of the large cracks in the rubble at Barral.
Barral: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Jaren: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Jasmine: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Lovec: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Riggs: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Giant Centipede: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
bite vs Barral AC 18: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Bite vs Barral AC 18: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12
Both centipedes bash against the man's armor.
Round 1
Barral
Jasmine
Riggs
Jaren
Lovec
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Giant Centipede
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Barral de Gauzignan |
Round 1 Long Sword
Barral draws his great sword and swings at the first centipede ...
Long Sword: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 for Slashing: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
... but maneuvering around the rubble puts him off-balance and his only fans it.
Jaren Morgenstern |
Jaren sees the centipedes lash out, only just in time to bring his long spear to bear over the shoulder of Barral.
[b]Quickly! Let's be done with this![/dice]
Attack, Arcane Strike: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10