Shel Whispertongue PFS |
"Very nice, Maxie! That was Quite impressive. Here Gryne," she says as she passes the arrow back to the dwarf.
Hadassah Lokrien Savet |
"Well, you are quite welcome. " Hadassah looks around at the bridge, and most importantly, the missing section of the bridge. "I am not sure how well equipped I am to make such a leap. I hope we have another way across."
Hadassah begins looking around from something that can be laid across the chasm or a good place to tie off a rope on this side of the chasm. "If all else fails, Gryne I believe said he has a grappling hook, and I have rope. We could try to get the hook though one of the windows.."
how far apart are the windows?
Gryne Skystone |
Taking out my wooden holy symbol of Shelyn and kissing it Gryne speaks to Maximo; Well done Maximo, Shelyn is blessed to have a Paladin such as yourself in her favor.
Turning to James, You are quite the adventurer, well done my friend with a Dwarfian slap on the back for emphasis.
Shel, thank you for retrieving my arrows, I was of no use in that fight, it may because I am back underground and I have never felt comfortable down here.
We can use my grappling hook and rope. I also have iron spikes for climbing and setting footholds.
Maximo Interresante |
Looking slightly depressed, Maximo nudges the Porter's weapon with a booted toe. It would appear that this creature won't be telling anyone how he was dispatched by Taldor steel.
As Hadassah begins discussing the next step, or leap as it were, Maximo brightens. I have a rope and grappling hook as well. Examining the bridge, he ponders the roof. I wonder if we could perhaps attach the grapple above with hook or pitons and swing across... that would be quite dashing.
GM Chris Mortika |
The gap in the floor is about 7 feet wide. The huge bulls' heads carved into the walls could well serve as an anchor for a grapple hook. One of Gryne's arrows still lies on the other side of the gap, as does Maximo's dagger.
Gryne, the right hand (south) bull's-head carved into the wall has horns made of the same red stone as the rest of the enclosed tunnel. The one opposite it, though, has horns made of steel.
The faint rhythm of metal striking metal echoes from beyond the great doors.
Hadassah Lokrien Savet |
"Before I forget, let's search for anything the devil may have stashed. Odd for such a mighty creature to have naught but a simple spear. Or, we can search on the way back out if you are keen to find the source of that clashing. I personally would like to bide some time to let whatever demons are beyond the door have ample time to kill each other before we intervene."
I think it is best to pick a party preceptor, or two just in case the one is very unlucky, and the rest of us aid that person or those persons.
With detect magic cast, Hadassah will attempt a quick sweep of this side of the bridge before cross, and the other side once we reach it.
"I believe a heroic swing across would be the absolute best approach for your idiom, Sir Knight, but for those smaller and far less... enthusiastic than you, perhaps a safer approach?"
James Younger |
James says to Shel with a wink "Aren't halflings pretty perceptive, especially the kind with your skill set" Afterwards he switches the adamantine bullet from his pistol to a regular one.
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
"If you believe the rumors we are, James. I'll give it a try. One of your magic types will need to look for any magic out there, as that is beyond my expertise, I'm afraid," Shel does, as she takes her spot at the front of the line and starts examining the room very carefully, before making any rash actions.
"Id much prefer to find a safer way than to swing across any chasm as well."
GM Chris Mortika |
Hadassah, the range for detect magic is 60 feet, and this corridor does not extend for more than 20 feet past the chasm. Your powers detect no magical auras in the room.
Shel, you notice the same odd nature of the northern bull's head's horns that Gryne sees.
The rules for long jumps are here. How many of you can make a DC 10 Acrobatics check?
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
Shel points out the inconsistent Bull's horns to the others. "Maybe that is a clue?"
Even on a one, Shel can get to a dc 10 acrobatics check...
GM Chris Mortika |
She crosses over the chasm -- she probably takes 10, because she still has a -4 racial penalty to her Jump check because of her 20' base movement -- and examines the steel horns.
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
They don't appear to be trapped, but they are separate from the stone, sliding into place. Also back there, held in place by the steel, is a small leather bag.
Do you remove the horns?
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
Shel, not seeing a trap, removes the right horn first, and waits to see what happens, before removing the left. If nothing happens, she will then remove the bag.
GM Chris Mortika |
The two horns are of a piece. They slide up, and form the top edge of a large sheet of steel. It has a handgrip and arm strap on the back, suggesting that it's designed to be a shield.
The leather bag includes several small stones, red and blue, each smoothed to a mirror polish, and a centuries-old book, bound in black leather.
Hadassah Lokrien Savet |
Returning the shield, bag, and stones to Shel, Hadassah whispers "None of this is magical, I am going to skim this quickly as I can to at least figure out what it is," gesturing to the book as she opens the cover carefully.
Hadassah will try to quickly skim the book while the others make their way across the chasm.
GM Chris Mortika |
James, so long as you have a +1 Acrobatics, you can Take 10 and get across. Azatoth, with his -7 Armor Check Penalty, will indeed need a rope or some manner of assistance. Or just a lucky roll...
Hadassah, the book is handwritten, in the handwriting of a teenaged girl, in Qadiran script. The pages hold journal entries, all of which begin with a date, 322 years ago. Each entry is several paragraphs long. There are no illustrations, but there are doodles every five or six pages.
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
"Anyone need a shield," Shel asks the others, showing them the newly discovered item. Shel leaves the book with Hadassah, but pockets the stones and the small bag, wanting to look at them closer after they exit the temple.
Maximo Interresante |
Maximo attempts to secure a rope and grapple, ties himself with 15 feet slack, then climbs across.
Take 10 if possible. With armor check penalty that's an 8. If that isn't enough to make progress, try swinging and rolling whatever check that requires.
Gryne Skystone |
I will offer my rope and grappling hook to Azatoth and Maximo. I will also take 10 with my rope's assistance and assist Az and Max if necessary.
When over on the other side; Shel, may I look at those stones for a moment? Stonecunning
If I may review the journal as well, it might be of use in making sense of the other maps and information I have already recorded. HAddash, Shel, may I?
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
"Sure, Gryne. Those stones seem quite neat, don't you think?"
Hadassah Lokrien Savet |
Noticing the heavilly armored men still on the other side of the crevasse, Hadassah carefully stows the old book in her pack before attempting to take ten to jump back across, casting guidance on herself to make the jump easier.
Once across, I will provide Guidance spells as needed to get everyone across.
GM Chris Mortika |
Between rope, taking extra time, and people assisting one another, those members of the party wishing to cross the crevase do so. It's a tight fit, getting seven people in the space between the gash in the bridge's floor and the leering face.
The door opens out towards you. There is no visible lock.
Shel's perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Moulini's perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Neither of the rogues detect any traps on the door.
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
"Here goes nothing," Shel mutters as she opens the door, knowing there was no safe place for anyone to go if there was indeed a trap on the door.
GM Chris Mortika |
Shel opens the door, and you all squint and cover your faces, as another blast of hot air roars out of the area beyond the door.
Shel, you immediately let go of the door handle, surprised by its scorching temperature. Even so, you take 1d4 ⇒ 2 points of damage.
Beyond the doorway, you see a dark room with clouds of steam hissing, rising up, blocking much of the view. What you can see is a floor of rough rock, with foot-wide rivulets of bright-red lava flowing through them.
The regular clang of metal on metal is coming from somewhere in the depths of the room, off to the right.
Gryne Skystone |
I will cast Light into the room.
This may help a bit. I hate being down here in the dark.
Maximo Interresante |
Having switched back to shield and hammer, Maximo was ready to jump through the breech swinging. The blast of hot air, and Shel's sizzling hand, made him reconsider.
Resting his weapon in the crook of his shield arm, he withdraws his wand. My lady, some assistance?
GM Chris Mortika |
Gryne:
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21; the stones are decorative, not particularly rare or valuable. They've been smoothed down gradually, over a period of months, rather than in a couple of hours the way a gemsmith would do it in a rock-tumbler.
The book is written in Kelish. Aside from identifyingthe language, you don't recognize anything other than what I wrote for Hadassah.
Gryne takes one of the red-and-blue stones, casts light on it, and tosses it into the room. it bounces on the uneven floor for a bit, and then plunges into a lava stream, sinking beneath the molten waves and going out. But before it did, it revealed a forge about 10 feet into the room: anvil, foundry, tools hanging from hooks, etc.
Maximo: Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Everybody:
The rhythmic sounds stop, and someone calls out from that direction, "Close the door, you cross-eyed moron! You're letting all the heat out!"
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
"Aaarh! I hate this place," the little rogue moans holding her scalded hand. She thanks Max for his assistance, and his wand makes the blisters go away.
"I'm not sure how we are to get in there through that lava. Maybe we could yell back and try to get them to come to us," she ponders.
Maximo Interresante |
Taking the insult personally, Maximo thrusts the wand back into the sheath at his belt, readies his hammer, and shouts into the heated room.
I beg your pardon! I, Maximo Interresante - knight of Shelyn, son of Taldor, and lover of women - am NOT cross-eyed!
Maximo Interresante |
I'll be out of touch until Sunday night at the earliest. If a fight breaks out, Maximo will attempt to intimidate, then proceed with hammer attacks. If this proves to be another fiend with damage resistance, he'll switch to greatsword and use an oil of bless weapon on it.
Gryne Skystone |
Well, who's surprised there's a crazy in there?
Gryne tells the party;
Anyone needing assistance with the heat, I can create water at will to help cool us down.
Hadassah Lokrien Savet |
"Even though I am told it is an excellent exfoliant, I find lava is bad for my girlish complexion. It is rather uncomfortable in there and it seems some of us are no longer enjoying the heat. Perhaps you could join us out here?"
I don't relish the idea of fighting in rivulets of lava. Something tells me if we fall in one, bad things will happen.
GM Chris Mortika |
Out of the mists, you hear a grumbling, that resolves itself into colorful cursing in the language of dwarves. (It is said that no language curses like Dwarf. Popular rumor has it that one of the reasons that orcs took their written alphabet from the dwarves was admiration.)
A dwarf appears, bald, a little overweight, sweat soaking his brown beard, his thick leather apron, and his heavy brown pants. He carries rough metal tongs in his left hand. "Are you people deaf as well, or just thick in the head? Dont. Leave. The Furnace. Doors. Open." He reaches for the door, with the obvious intent to close it.
Moulini Tankard |
I'll go in braving the elements in there is better than hanging out on ledge stating can't you tell when a mans working and doesn't want to be disturbed... so you guys might want to come in and join me or stay out... it would probably better not to leave the door open not leave the door open and upset the man