GMthunderspirit's Dragon's Demand (Inactive)

Game Master thunderspirit

"Well," Kinn sighs, "we have yet to learn the dragon's true name. But with his lieutenants slain, I have little hope there. Then there is the matter of reaching the dragon's abode. Azmur, you said it is difficult to reach if one cannot fly?"

Kinn is suddenly reminded of something. "We also saw several kobolds -- and humans -- ritually slain in an outbuilding, but have not discovered why their lives were cut short. Would you know?"

"Those ritual slayings give me pause. Had the bodies been ripped apart I would have understood the raw ferocity of an animal with limited cunning and intelligence but the ritualistic nature of the scene makes me think since it was planned and careful then the possibility exists of a continually well defended lair with traps." Valgrim says to the others as they contemplating resting.

Mordenaar focuses on Kinn's words. The slayer knows there's something there. There's something that .... "Who is Szangi? Is that it?"

Kinn stares at the rogue. "Heaven above, man, you are right! Well, that is one less worry. Szangi, Szangi." He recites the name a few times over to get his tongue accustomed to the word.

Excellent catch, Mordenaar!

When I have fewer games, my play quality increases dramatically.

"Well," Kinn sighs, "we have yet to learn the dragon's true name. But with his lieutenants slain, I have little hope there. Then there is the matter of reaching the dragon's abode. Azmur, you said it is difficult to reach if one cannot fly?"

The druid nods. Yes, but Lord Aeteperax had his kobolds dig a tunnel between the cave and the monastery's dungeons so the dragon's minions could report to him secretly. Did you not find it in the dungeons?

"We also saw several kobolds -- and humans -- ritually slain in an outbuilding, but have not discovered why their lives were cut short. Would you know?"

Sounds like those sadistic grioths to me. They said once that eating a creature's liver gives you insight into them. Maybe they feel that way about the hearts too.

"Who is Szangi? Is that it?"

Azmur looks puzzled. I've never heard that name before. It isn't one of Lord Aeteperax's minions as far as I know. Where did you hear it?

"One of his minions prattled on about it."

"His oldest servant," Kinn adds. "In the dungeons, you say..."

Kinn scratches his temple. Did we ever go down the stairs I have marked with a yellow star? I honestly cannot remember.

Kinn scratches his temple. Did we ever go down the stairs I have marked with a yellow star? I honestly cannot remember.

Nope.

Kinn brightens. "Say, was there not a stairwell leading down in the dormitory? I believe we have some tunnels to find."

He leads the way without another moment's delay.

Mordenaar follows wordlessly.

A flight of stairs descends to a cellar room with alcove-lined walls. Each alcove hosts a statue of an athletic man or woman with a long braid, and each figure is in different pose of martial performance.

Mordenaar leaves the symbolism to the more learned, and instead focuses on the shadows and nooks Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Know Religion: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

"An Aspirant's Path, sacred to the Irorans," Kinn comments. "The first task is observation: there will be a door hidden somewhere about."

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21 lol

Achmed looks for a secret door. perception: 1d20 ⇒ 3

If there's nothing stopping us, and we're looking for something... Take 20 for 29.

Nah, there's no time crunch to speak of.

The party sets to investigating the room thoroughly, and ultimately locates a secret door to the far west side of the room. Endar declares it trap-free, and it opens noiselessly to reveal a short corridor that ends in a room with a fifteen-foot-high domed ceiling and no floor except a two-inch-wide ledge that skirts the edges of the room around a deep pit that drops away into darkness. Achmed reveals that he cannot see the floor below when he looks into the pit.

Endar continues following along, also not interested in the Iroran aspirant's path. "This is kinda... boring." he remarks, instantly dooming the party to death by something definitely not boring.

"I am so glad you find Belhaim's duress to be uninteresting..." Kinn comments acidly. He produces a rope and holds out one end to Mordenaar. "Hold this."

Taking the corner of his cloak of the bat, he floats across the chasm to the other side. "One at a time, now," he calls back to the others. "And hold on to the rope."

"Got it."

"Hang on," Kinn says. He takes off the cloak. "I have a better idea."

He threads his end of the rope through the cloak's clasp, tying a tight knot around the bundle, then tosses it back to Mordenaar. "NOW one at a time!"

Each party member can put on the cloak, fly across, tie the cloak to the rope, and toss it back to Mordenaar. Mordenaar flies across last. Takes ten minutes.

"Well played, good sir!" Endar says gleefully, as he flies across, the first magical flying he's ever experienced.

I'm good with that.

The party maneuvers over the pit and moves into the passageway beyond. It shortly comes to a split, running west and further south, where it appears to turn back east.

Map updated, and I added a light template.

Mordenaar will sneak through ahead looking around the corner (and hoping for some light.)

Stealth: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Kinn follows, bringing the light with him. He motions to the others to follow.

Achmed moves slowly behind the party.

Let's be rid of this wyrm and find his treasure horde

The corridor narrows before it opens onto a chamber with sixteen five-foot-wide alcoves, each containing the crumpled and rotted remains of a sparring dummy.

You find little else in this room, though a thorough (take 20) search permits Valgrim to spy a secret door to the northeast.

Know Religion: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Kinn gets a sense of the intended challenge, and decides to try it himself. He shuts his eyes and races around the room, striking each dummy with the pommel of his sword.

He awaits Mordenaar and Valgrim's verdict on the secret door, then, if safe, proceeds through.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29 If it's safe, Mordenaar gives the nod.

Three fifteen-foot-diameter platforms lie in the middle of this room, each rising three feet high. In the center of each platform, a globe-shaped container of murky liquid sits in the embrace of an octopus-shaped brass cradle. Each globe is about two feet across — the two nearest globes are intact, and a dark, indistinct mass floats in the center of each. The furthest globe has been shattered, and a large stain spreads about it on the floor.

Along the wall near door where you entered sits a tiny wooden cabinet with writing scribbled on its front: Return what is no longer needed here, lest it weigh you down.

Achmed looks around the room.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 20

Achmed's eye is caught by a slightly-ajar door on the cabinet near the door, and he opens it to find a trio of tiny silk cushions, upon each of which rests a small, black sphere which appears to be a lusterless pearl. The ifrit notices that each of the spheres radiate magic, but can't discern much more than that before a discordant noise begins to fill the room...except it is not in the room, it's more inside your head!

Round 1
baddies
Achmed
Endar
Valgrim
Mordenaar
Kinn

From the middle sphere, the dark shape in the middle turns to face the door the party entered!

DC 19 Will saves!
Achmed: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Endar: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19
Valgrim: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Mordenaar: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
Kinn: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Oh dear.

Endar is up!

"Not good." Endar says, panicking slightly.

"Here goes nothing!"

He runs forward, drawing his magical scimitar, and swings it at the shadowy being.
scimitar, magic: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

The best Endar can hope for is to distract the thing long enough for his more magical colleagues to wake up.

The shape is inside a glass globe filled with liquid. Endar would need to break the globe to get at the shadowy figure. Is that what he is trying to do?

Sure! What do I have to lose at this point but Endar's life? LOL

Let the record show I asked and didn't want to assume. :-)

Endar moves up and smashes the globe with his boarding pike! It shatters, spilling its dark liquid all over the floor, and releasing a brain-shaped mass of quivering ooze with slimy tentacles protruding from it!

It floats in the air, spinning slightly on some unknown axis, and Endar feels it probing its mind...

Round 2
baddies
Achmed (dazed 1 more round)
Endar
Valgrim (dazed 3 more rounds)
Mordenaar (dazed 1 more round)
Kinn (dazed 2 more rounds)

Endar! I'll give you the DC 17 spoiler for free: it's an ooze. Because Endar's a rogue, doncha know.

"Hooboy, an ooze. This won't be fun. " He steps back, pulls out a potion of barkskin he'd been holding onto, and chugs it.

Hopefully I can distract it long enough for the others to save me. The ring of acid resistance 20 might help, we'll see. :-S

Endar buffs up, hoping his friends snap out of it soon!

The eyeless blob turns its full attention onto Endar!
DC 19 Will save from Endar: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4

Round 3
baddies
Achmed
Endar
Valgrim (dazed 2 more rounds)
Mordenaar
Kinn (dazed 1 more rounds)

Achmed and Mordenaar both snap out of their dazed stupor, and see Endar move to the platform where the glass sphere once was and step up onto it adjacent to the flying brain ooze!

Achmed and Mordenaar are up!

The slayer snaps out of it and quickly runs down the side of the room double move.

Valgrim continues to stand there dazed as if lost in thought...but clutching his bow...

Mordenaar double moves!

Achmed!

Ahmed hurls bolts of force!

magic missile: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 3, 3) + 3 = 10

Achmed's bolts strike the flying ooze!

Round 4
baddies
Achmed
Endar
Valgrim (dazed 1 more rounds)
Mordenaar
Kinn

Achmed, Mordenaar, and Kinn are up! Endar, I'm going to rule that the attack gives another Will save vs. the dominate person effect at +2. Mordenaar is also in dim light where he is relative to the light source.

Does the flaming sword give off 5'+ of light?

Mordenaar steps into it, and stabs at the creature: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 11 + 2 = 28 for DMG: 1d6 + 5 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 5 + (6) = 15

Heck, I'll even give the flaming sword light like a torch.

Mordenaar stabs the brain thing, and grey ichor spews out!

Achmed, Kinn! Endar gets another Will save at +2.

Kinn snaps out of the domineering daze like the crack of a whip. He hurls himself forward toward the cries of his comrades.

Double move.

Achmed hurls another magic missile at the creature.

damage: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 1, 4) + 3 = 11

Fort: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 Endar can feel his brains being sapped, but he endures the hit better than expected.

Will: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17 Unfortunately he's still under the thing's spell.

Kinn moves into combat while Achmed launches another set of force bolts!

1d3 ⇒ 2
The eyeless blob turns its full attention onto Mordenaar!
DC 19 Will save from Mordenaar: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Round 5
baddies
Achmed
Endar
Valgrim
Mordenaar
Kinn

spoiler=GM stuff]brain ooze 36[/spoiler]

You guys are up! Endar and Mordenaar are dominated...but Valgrim is no longer dazed!

Ugh.... this is NOT good.