Maximo Interresante |
Once we have explored this place, we can spend some time getting to know our new friend here. Maximo says, helping to secure the dangerous man to the throne. I am sure he cannot wait to meet me. Then, waiting for Shel's word, he offers to open the door and lead the way.
Onward!
GM Chris Mortika |
Maximo, Shel and Hadassah are waiting at the small door to the east, behind the throne. Moulini wants to first examine at least one of the doors to the west.
Moulini opens the concealed door, revealing the richly decorated room you saw through the 5-inch by 4-inch door. It is 20 feet east-west, 10 feet north-south. The floor covered by a maze-like geometric pattern of scarlet flames. There are viewports south into the room which used to hold the idol, and north. Presumably the north viewing slot looks into the room with the open door.
GM Chris Mortika |
Mourini, the pattern on the floor looks familiar to you, but it takes you a moment to place it ... then you realize that the major lines between the tiles are intended to show pathways. You recognize a major switchback- zigzag pattern as corresponding to one you climbed to get here, and you extrapolate that the entire floor shows the structure of the passes in these mountains.
The viewport to the south does not reveal anything interesting.
The viewport to the north looks into a room you haven't seen before. he walls of this room are lined with weapons: crossed halberds, spears, and longswords, all decorated with flame motifs.
Hadassah Lokrien Savet |
Hadassah will study the floor, and use her paper and chalk to sketch, roughly, the plans needed to enable her to sculpt the map again once she is home.
Gryne Skystone |
I also will take 20 to rough out a map to go with the tapestry map I did earlier, including the detect magic routes as well.
Good find Moulini, this information could prove useful.
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
Shel leaves the keys in the door as it is still unopened and joins the rest of the group in the map room.
Maximo Interresante |
Scratching his head with his hammer, Maximo follows the others into the room. It is difficult to lead a charge when the army turns about face. He examines the area as well, trying to understand the purpose of the place and designs.
Upon hearing about the weapons in the next room, he brightens up. I admit it! Camels, maps, and rainbows are not among my strongest talents. Weapons on the other hand, are part of every knight's training.
GM Chris Mortika |
Sure. Let's keep things straight.
Shel checks the small door to the east, behind the throne, for traps. She uses the bald man's keys to unlock the door. She stands ready to open it, when other people take some actions.
* Hadassah and Gryne spend a minute or so tying the unconscious cultist to the throne.
* Moulini moves to the west, uncovers the concealed door, checks it for traps, opens it, and explores the 10-by-20 room that Shel is calling "the map room". She reports that the unexplored room north of the Map Room, and west of the room with the throne, contains weapons.
* Hadassah moves over and sketches the Map Room floor. Shortly, Gryne joins her and works more carefully, taking about 10 minutes to carefully duplicate the information about weak spots in the veil between the material world and the elemental plane of fire.
*During the time Gryne is sketching the floor of the Map Room, a discussion breaks out. Hadassah recommends seeing what's behind the small door to the east, with support from James. Moulini wants to look into the Armory, with some enthusiasm from Maximo.
Hadassah, when you return to the small door, the key is in the locked position. Someone, or something, has re-locked the door. If you remove the key now, the door will be in the same state as when you found it. Do you want to leave it locked, leave the key where it is, or unlock it again and then take the key?
Incidentally, the door from the Throne Room to the Armory is open. Moulini can check the area around it for traps, but the door itself is ajar.
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
This group is like trying to herd cats Shel thinks as she watches everyone heading in a different direction from the map room.
Hadassah Lokrien Savet |
"Umm, Shel? Didn't you unlock this door? It seems to have locked itself again. I think I am going to mark it, and leave it for you. . ." Pulling her chalk back out of her belt pouch, Hadassah writes "Self Locking Door? -->" on the wall next to the small door with the keys still in its lock.
Hadassah leaves the key in the lock, and returns to her position between Maximo, Azatoth, and Gryne.
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
"I did, Hadassah. Are you sure that it has been locked again? Well, that's strange. Something or someone certainly knows we are running around out here. Whomever is watching the rear of the group should be aware of the possibility of something from there. Since we are here, let's explore the open door here. James, Moulini, you want to help me search it?"
GM Chris Mortika |
The open door does lead to a room north of the Map Room. It is 20 feet east-west, and 15 feet north-south. There is a door on the west wall of the Armory as well. Logic would indicate that it leads back to the main reception area, the room with all the pillars.
Two shields with portraits of Moloch towering over the Citadel of Flame are mounted in this room above the two doors.
Shel's Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
James' Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Moulini's Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
A plain obsidian bench sits on the floor, with a skeleton splayed across it. The skeleton’s armor is bedecked in stylized flames, and its scimitar’s hilt is shaped like an idol of Moloch. The room is lit by two torches. The viewport to the Map Room is cleverly hidden as part of an empty weapon rack along the south wall.
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
"What an ingenious layout...I have to say I'm impressed," Shel nods, looking out the viewport.
Gryne Skystone |
Gryne addresses the party: I removed the key to make a copy for the Grand Lodge. We will likely come back down here and ensure our regions protection from the Cult of Moloch. I apologize for frightening everyone, but I wanted you all to know the truth. In order for us to be successful we need to trust each other. That being said I am copying all keys and maps concerning this quest. I will share them upon our return with any of you if you'd like.
Gryne steps into the room and uses Detect Magic.
Gryne Skystone |
*EDIT*
Please add this to my previous statement:
I may have not been the one to re-lock the door. I removed it yes, but I am certain I did not lock the door again. We may have someone watching us even more closely than we first imagined.
I'll be happy when we get out of here
There does not appear to be anything magical within this room
Shel Whispertongue PFS |
"The only door here seems to head bck into the main room. When we are ready, I'd suggest we go back and check the door that seems capable of locking itself. Is bet we have to fight our way into there, so warriors should be prepared."
Gryne Skystone |
what items are in that room?
This the room with 2 shields and an obsidian bench with a skeleton holding a scimitar.
I will take the scimitar and a shield if they are removable to bring back with us.Is there anything else identifying or unique about the skeleton(would monster lore work here?)
Gryne Skystone |
If the scimitar appears to be of better quality then the one Azatoth have now then I would love to have that one as an upgrade
Any items we come across during our campaign will be available for us to purchase via our society sheets. We technically do not keep anything we take, we have to purchase it, It prevents power gamers and all around jerks from looting everything they find.
GM Chris Mortika |
Moulini's Appraise: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Assisted by
Hadassah's Appraise: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23; +2
Azatoth's Appraise: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22; +2
Well!
The three of you can tell that the weapons and shields in the room are newly manufactured, and not particularly high-quality. You imagine that the cult probably paid about 200 gold for the whole lot, including the fancy Moloch-themed scimitar.
Hadassah's Heal: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
The skeleton appears to be some sort of humanoid, but the rest is difficult to say.
--
Shel, you check the small door behind the throne. It is indeed back in the locked position.
Shel's Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
You do not detect any traps on the lock.
Hadassah Lokrien Savet |
Hadassah keeps between the larger, more imposing figures. Whispering to Shel, she points out, "for the record, I know a spell, I didn't memorize it today though, called Mage Hand that would allow someone else to do small things like turn a key in a lock, re-locking the door. There may be another spell caster about."
GM Chris Mortika |
Speaking of mage hand, Hadassah gave the mummified Hand of the Mage to Maximo. Maximo, are you wearing it?
--
Shel open the 4-foot-high door, and Maximo and Azatoth lead the way through the small passage, weapons drawn. The door opens onto a covered bridge, 10 feet wide and 40 feet across. This area is noticeably cooler than the building you've been in, with a faint breeze.
The entire structure appears to be carved from a single red stone, but the centuries-long burial in sand has levied its toll. Long cracks line the walls and ceiling, and 20 feet along the bridge a 7-foot gash splits the floor in two, through which the dark orange stone of the valley below is visible.
Just as Maximo and Azatoth cross into the room, they see a series of massive carved heads spaced every 10 feet on the walls: a pair of screaming fire elementals, a pair of humans clad in armor, and a pair of bull-headed men, each flanked by massive torches. The arch’s far end is carved into the shape of a massive leering face, with golden double doors in place of its mouth.
A figure stands just on the other side of the crack in the bridge, holding a three-tined spear. Its skin resembles yellow leather, and it is naked except for a loincloth. Its body looks like that of a 10-year-old boy, but its face -- oh gods, its face -- is like a bird's skull, with empty eye sockets and a small beak where its nose ought to be. The head is frilled with numerous bony spurs and curving horns, and a structure hangs down from the bottom of the head, looking like a massive jaw, constantly open and laughing. The figure has two pairs of bat-like wings.
Neither Azatoth nor Maximo have any reference for this creature.
It turns to you casually, and you hear a high-pitched voice in your heads. New recruits, then, for Moloch's temple?
Gryne Skystone |
Gryne welcomes the breeze as a gentle embrace. His comfort is halted as the high pitched voice pierces the air.
If we are at range I will draw my bow, if we are close enough to melee I'll draw my hammer.
Addressing the bird-boy:
Greetings, to whom are we speaking to?
Ooh OooH....Stonecunning to identify the carvings, statues and overall room.
GM Chris Mortika |
Hang on, Gryne. Rather than send all the party into the room and then have the front people notice the creature, I had Azatoth and Maximo, the first people through the door, encounter the creature before everybody else gets into the room.
We're not in Initiative Order (um, yet) or anything, but let's give the two guys in the room a chance to reply before Gryne moves into the hallway.
To clarify, the bat-winged creature is 30 feet away from the door, just on the other side of a 7-foot-wide gap in the floor. Maximo and Azatoth are right next to the doorway.
Gryne Skystone |
No problem. I just posted because I post when I can. I always figured you'd create the order for the story line. I just don't want to be the one to hold us up.
Maximo Interresante |
Looks can be deceiving, and just because something appears to be an evil demon-child does not necessarily mean it is. However, residing in an evil temple, and talking of Moloch like one's master, does remove a great deal of doubt. That, and normal creatures do not normally speak telepathically. Still, Shelyn's love and common courtesy dictates that one exhaust lines of diplomacy before employing arms.
Recruits, you ask? Maximo says, almost laughing at the concept. I think not. However, should you follow that vile, burning monkey-faced godling, I would gladly accept your surrender or conversion. Should we discuss it over a glass of wine like civilized beings? Or should we proceed to the smiting?
While talking, Maximo will detect evil on the creature.
GM Chris Mortika |
Agreed. Maximo, that was probably the most polite insult I've read in a long time.
Azatoth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Gryne: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Hadassah: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
James: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Maximo: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Moulini: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Shel: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Opponents: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Hadassah, Moulini, Shel, Gryne, James, you are able to act.
The Opponent[s]
Azatoth, and Maximo, who are apparently taken aback by the sight of the creature.
The bridge is 10-feet wide (north-south) and 40-feet long (east west)
We can model that with a grid 8 squares wide (columns A through H) and 2 squares high (rows 1 and 2).
Maximo is in A1, Azatoth is in A2. The yellow creature is in A7. The crack in the floor indicates that A6 and B6 are a long way down. Shel is right next to the door, and she's a halfling, so moving to B1 or B2 is 10' of movement. For everybody else, moving through allies and the low door to reach squares B1 or B2 is a move action.
Hadassah Lokrien Savet |
Hadassah moves past Maximo to square A3, and pointing an imperious finger at the yellow thing in A7 focuses her ill will, hexing the creature with -2 to its Armor Class, using Evil Eye (DC 15).
"Yep, that is what I thought you said..."