Pixie Rogue's Adventures in Darkmoon Vale
Game Master Pixie Rogue

Laucian stands back at the entrance. Picking up the bolts and stowing them for late he speaks up. "Be carefull of those that have past coming back to the present. Then. Always look like they could jump up and get you events after they are dead."

Initiative
22 Skeleton 1
18 Perrin
17 Skeleton 4
10 Worg
12 Skeleton 2
08 Nox

As Nox and Gilgar trade positions before the third cell, there is a sudden flurry of action in the still-closed cells as their occupants all leap to their feet and charge the nearest living foe.

The skeleton in cell #1 lunges at the bars of his cell trying to claw Perrin. Skeleton #2 attacks Gilgar while #4 charges the worg. (Skeleton #3 shows no sign of animation.) Yet. mwahahahaha!

Those that made their perception checks may act this round, but are still flat-footed until they act.

Skeleton #1 misjudges the distance from the cell door. He hits the door hard enough to break the lock, but his clawed swipe at Nox's companion comes up short.

Perrin's attack!

Perrin will attack the skeleton that lunged at him, dodging the failed swipe and doing his damndest to rip off the skeleton's lower leg bones.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 bite
1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 damage
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 trip (if bite hits)

Perrin lunges at the flailing skeletal arm that just missed him, grabs the forearm and yanks back hard, crashing the skeleton into the other side the cell door. The combination of the impact with the cell door and the wolf's assault are enough to overcome the skeleton's animating magic and it falls into a pile of bones on the floor.

Consider it well and truly tripped - nice roll!

Meanwhile, the fourth skeleton moves and tries to claw the worg, but misses. The fourth cell door is broken open in the assault and begins to swing outward.

The worg retaliates, getting his nose past the door and pushing it the rest of the way open before launching himself at the skeleton within. Hitting it in the chest, he drives it into the floor with a crunching of bones that leave no doubt as to the skeleton's condition.

The skeleton in the cell nearest Gilgar takes advantage of the dwarf's surprised state and claws him for 4 points of damage.

Nox is up! Gilgar, roll your initiative!

Seeing the other skeleton's jump to attack, Nox, having drawn his rapier will move forward and bring it down on the prone skeleton.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 rapier attack
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 rapier attack to confirm crit

3d6 ⇒ (1, 2, 5) = 8 crit damage if crit confirmed
1d6 ⇒ 4 if crit fails

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

LOL... :|

Critical damage for a rapier is just doubled, not tripled. As the rapier strikes the prone skeleton, it's clear that the blade is ill-suited to the foe as the thin blade just bounces off of the ribcage.

The skeleton remains unmoving.

End of surprise round, Round 1!

Initiative
22 Skeleton 1 - destroyed
18 Perrin
17 Skeleton 4 - destroyed
12 Skeleton 2
10 Worg
08 Nox
04 Gilgar

Perrin is up, but the door to cell #2 is still firmly closed.

Perrin will trot down the hall to find Nox with the forearm still in it's mouth.

when it sees the skeleton in one piece he will try to fix that if he has an action left.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 bite
1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 damage

Perrin will trot down the hall to find Nox with the forearm still in it's mouth.

when it sees the skeleton in one piece he will try to fix that if he has an action left.

To reach Nox, he will provoke an AoO from the one attacking Gilgar. Or he can attack it from where he's at.

ooc: Perrin will attack the one who just tried to tickle Gilgar.

As Perrin turns to return to Nox he sees one of the bony animals swipe at the new friend with the Axe and lunges forward.

OOC: I don't know if this one will be available for a trip, but if he is.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10 trip attempt

Seeing a new pile of bones to play with, Perrin drops his latest acquisition and grabs onto the one clawing at the dwarven barbarian. Using his patent pending technique, he batters the last active skeleton against its own cell door, rendering it into the inert pile of bones it was supposed to be in the first place.

End of combat.

Gilgar stands there looking somewhat flabberghasted for a moment, then utters a simple... "Huh..."

Nox easily harvests two (!) Ironbloom mushrooms from within the prone skeleton's ribcage. It continues to lie peacefully on its ancient bunk.

He also has no difficulty removing the ring from the skeleton's finger.

The worg says, "Ah, two! Better than I thought! I know another place for certain..."

He moves toward the room with the racks and then to the hall, stopping to look over his shoulder at the party to make sure they are following.

Follows, axe at the ready.

The worg leads those that follow into the hallway and right to the door that enters into the original courtyard. He goes directly to the double doors that the party originally entered through.

In the entry, he sits down. "I can smell at least one here, but both doors are stuck and my... I have never been able to get them open."

Testing the doors reveals that having hands is not enough this time -- they are both stuck with age.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Keeping that information to himself for the time being, Gilgar initially tries the doors and, finding them stuck, stands back and readies to whack the cr*p out of them unless someone else stops him.

Perception: 1d20+6

Keeping that information to himself for the time being, Gilgar initially tries the doors and, finding them stuck, stands back and readies to whack the cr*p out of them unless someone else stops him.

Happy to wait for the others' input. Let me know which door - north or south - you plan to start with.

Also, I tried to add a little color to the courtyard on the map to illustrate (I hope) what that area is like. The gray leading from door to door is the faint trail that the trackers spotted earlier. The greenish area around it is grass that seems basically undisturbed.

Following the group to the next location, Laucian starts back up talking to no one in particular, "See. I told them to be careful. I used to know this guy that said he could bring back the dead. He made skeletons dance; however, that guy was a fake. I could see the wires from across the stage.

That doesn't change the fact that I had heard of other people being able to do it. It is a very interesting trick."

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

On the way to the doors, Laucian suddenly stops and turns to the well. "Hey I didn't see that before." With that he says a few words, while pointing to the well, and then pulls his hand back to his chest.

DM

On the way to the doors, Laucian suddenly stops and turns to the well. "Hey I didn't see that before." With that he says a few words, while pointing to the well, and then pulls his hand back to his chest.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14 perception

Nox will again be close behind Gilgar, and will stop him from smashing the door.

Hold there friend, let me have a look. We still have expectations of additional residents. I am sure your first axe swing will announce our arrival regardless, I so let's see if it can be arranged to be cleaving a skull rather than a door.

Nox will investigate the doors to see if there is a way to open them without great noise and distruction.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14 perception

Perhaps you should see what Laucian is finding with that cloth he is genturing at while I see what i can do? After all, it may be attached to someone.

Grunting a quick "Aye", Gilgar moves into the courtyard, taking an angle that will reveal the area around whatever it is we've noticed before moving up to it.

Seeing Gilgar's attention move to the well area, Laucian speaks up, "It is something heavy, cought under something heavy, or heavy itself."

I presume that Laucian will remain where he is and observe the barbarian. If Laucian chooses to join him, he can also read the Gilgar spoiler.

Laucian moves to 15 feet from the well keeping the item in sight and ready to cast a spell.

DM

Are the hinges on our side of the door?

Also, is there anything in the room that looks as if it may be useful to work on the door? Grease, a prybar, anything?

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24 perception

Are the hinges on our side of the door?

Also, is there anything in the room that looks as if it may be useful to work on the door? Grease, a prybar, anything?

The hinges are not visible and the handle for each door is away from the hallway. That is, as each door opens, the person opening the door will be looking into the center of the room rather than having the door blocking the center of the room. It doesn't feel like I'm explaining well, but I will stop for now and let you tell me if you got it or not.

As far as I can tell, no one's really put any muscle into opening the door yet -- just a casual test and finding that it resisted the push. While this area doesn't have much but dust and plant material that has blown in, it should not be hard to locate a lever of some kind should it come to that. In the meantime, up to three people can push against the door - one making a strength check and two aiding that check.

The worg calmly watches your investigations in the entry.

Gilgar brings the backpack back into where the rest of the group is located, sets it on the ground, and tentatively opens it, peering inside.

Right now, the group is kind of all over the place. Sylvanis and Winter are watching the wounded wolves, Nox and Perrin are in the entry studying the stuck doors, Gilgar and Laucian are in the courtyard with the old backpack.

Where do you wish to be? I'll get you a list of what you see when you open it when I get back on my 'puter. Question - are you going through it thoroughly, carefully, with a tweezers, what's your plan of attack? (Trying to decide how to describe what you find and what finds you. ;-))

Laucian move behind Gilgar and peers over Gilgar's shoulder to see what is in the bag.

"What is in there?"

I didn't follow on the door.

Are you saying that the hinges are not on the outside of the door?

Shrugging, Gilgar merely upends the backpack, shaking its contents onto the ground.

The hinges are not visible and the handle for each door is away from the hallway. That is, as each door opens, the person opening the door will be looking into the center of the room rather than having the door blocking the center of the room. It doesn't feel like I'm explaining well, but I will stop for now and let you tell me if you got it or not.

I will try again. The hinges are not visible, so they are either on the inside or, much less likely, in the door frame so the door can work both directions.

Assuming the door swings away from you, based on the position of the door handles, when you push the door open it will open away from the center of the room. For the south door, it will open to your right; for the north, to your left.

In the map, I put a < to indicate what I mean by the door's direction of opening. Hope that helps.

The backpack yields the following: The remains of a week’s worth of trail rations (sad to say, they are probably still edible - who knows how long they are), a set of thieves tools, 50 feet of silk rope, a small coinpurse that falls with the clank of coins, and a small blue vial with some liquid within. Fortunately, the vial lands softly enough that it does not break on impact.

There is no sign of the adventurer's armor or weapon(s), by the way. His belt is cut where a sheathe might have once hung.

Nox and Perrin will walk over to the group.

I can find no better way through the door than breaking or prying. What have you found?

"There be a long-dead human over by the well, there" Gilgar points to the courtyard, "an' this is all he had left on 'im."

Lacuain bends down and picks up the blue vial. Looking at it closely he speaks, "We could split out the coin from the coin-purse, the rope could come in handy, as well as those tools. I am not one that has ever used anything like them, yet they might be helpful." He pauses for a second still looking at the vial, "This on the other hand, I do not know what it does. I would advise we hold on to it until we do know though."

I have a bit of experience with locks and such. If noone objects, I will carry the theives tools.

"Aye. I ain't fer carin' about pickin' locks. Bein' where that feller died, though... I wonder if'n there be somethin' down that well that he was headed to, or comin' from..."

Laucian looks to the well as soon as Gilgar speaks his thoughts. "Um... do you think it could still be there? Or maybe it was just the water. Maybe it is bad."

Laucian looks to the well as soon as Gilgar speaks his thoughts. "Um... do you think it could still be there? Or maybe it was just the water. Maybe it is bad."

Read the last Gilgar spoiler if you intend to check out the well.

"Aye. There be somethin' in that well. We'll check it out after we get through here." Gilgar says, moving toward the doors, attempting to push them open.

Strength check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

The door does not yield. Up to three people can try at once - one needs to make a strength check, the other two can aid. (DC 10 STR checks).

Gilgar steps back from the door, growls, then tries again.

Strength check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

With teeth gritted, Gilgar gnashes out the words "Help me push."

A little concerned about what could be in the well, Laucian keeps looking in the well's direction while moving over to Gilagar to help him push on the door.

Getting to the doors, Laucian turns his back to it, leans on it and starts pushing, the whole time looking to the well.

Strength (Aid)

The door creaks and sounds ready to finally give way. Nox?

By the way, are you opening the north door or the south door? They are both stuck.

By the way, are you opening the north door or the south door? They are both stuck.

North

1d20 ⇒ 13 strength check to assist