Shattered Paths (Inactive)

Game Master JonGarrett

Facility Map
Karliah


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GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

There was...pain. Sharp, brutal agony that left every breath a lifetime of suffering. There are flashes in your mind - flames, shouts of alarm, the growls of creatures and the screams of people. It's a fuzzy, fragmented memory, difficult to hold on to, but...you remember the passage, the crowded chamber, people huddled until there was nothing but standing room. And...something. Something breaking free.

Then, there was darkness. You have no idea how long it lasted, but the sensation of time passing stretches behind you, giving you the feeling it has been quite a while.

And now...there is cold. A bone chilling cold that leaves you numb to the bone. Slowly, feeling returns. You open your eyes as the ice leaves your face. Water drains slowly away, letting you pull in a breath of ancient, stale air that tastes sweeter than honey.

With a groan a door opens before you, revealing you are in a chamber of brass and crystal. Dim light, little more than a candle, stings your eyes with pain as you slide through the door and into the room. A look around reveals more chambers, like yours, empty and dark. Strange crystal glow in one wall, the light that you can see, all glowing green.

You rise, naked and alone, in this strange place.


“Bloody f+#!ing hell.” Karliah cursed when the door opened and it revealed nothing but more dank, dark FREEZING ASS rooms! “What kind of moron puts a woman down in chambers like this with no clothes and no fire? I’m gonna bloody freeze to death!” Still... the complaining and cursing helped... her body ached and burned. It was as if she had been plunged into a vat of boiling oil then suddenly yanked out and dunked into a freezing tough of water! The cursing was simply a method for Karliah to take her mind off the pain and continue moving forwards. Knowing she needed to find a way out, needed to find some clothes... and more importantly, some answers.

“I bet it's some type of rich perverted idiot who wants a new toy to play with.” Karliah said, nearly spitting out in disgust as she kept on moving forwards, constantly moving her eyes from side to side, scanning her surroundings as she looked for any signs of life, anything she could wrap around herself for warmth. “Someone who likes his woman weak and scared, to stupid to listen to advice that maybe giving them a little bit of warmth in their cells might actually keep them alive for more than a few days before he comes to f~~! em! Unless he’s the type that doesn’t care if their alive or dead.” That got a shudder out of Karliah, wondering why he mind had brought up such a filthy image. “Maybe its best I don’t know...”

Perception: 1d20 + 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (3) + (2) + 9 = 14


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

The room is dark, cold and dusty - the feeling of grit beneath bare feet another discomfort. To one side a door comes into view. It's been sealed from the inside, a thick metal bar now coated in rust. Which begs the question - who sealed it?


“This place just keeps more and more annoying.” Karliah scowled when the spotted the door. Barred on the inside, but no other signs of life apart from here! ... Still, Karliah had found a door, which showed a possible way out. Or at least she should find something... “Like a ravenous monster that will disembowel me and eat my intestines.” Karliah muttered to herself, even as she stomped over to the steel bar and tested it, seeing how easy it would be to move it... both trying to put in enough force to get the bar out of the way and allow her to open this door.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

The door opens with some effort. The corrosion is only a thin layer and sheds easily enough, allowing the bar to be pulled out.

The narrow room beyond seems to be a storage chamber. Lamps hang on the walls at regular intervals, although none are lit, and several chests with with names written on browned paper sit against one wall. One of them has your name on it.


“Well that’s a blessing at least.” Karliah muttered when the bar and door opened easily despite the rust and dank location... stepping inside, she didn’t shut the door, not sure if she would be able to open it on her side... Karliah looked around, spotted the chests... and the one with her name... “The hell is this place?!” She wondered... if that chest had what she hoped... Karliah swiftly stepped over to her chest, seeing if it would open and what waited inside.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

The chest resists for a moment before opening with a click. Inside are your clothes, equipment and supplies. As you open the chest a door futher along opens with a click and the groan of unkept hinges. Nothing is on the other side, suggesting it was linked to the chest.


“That isn’t strange at all...” Karliah said when the door swung open when she opened the chest... the warrioress wanted to explore and open the other chests, but had the sneaking suspicion that it was a bad idea. However, there was no well in hell she wasn’t going to get geared up and began pulling her stuff out of the chest to do so. Of course, Karliah didn’t stay idol as she got dressed and geared up, having a look at the other chests, reading the names and trying to memorize them all.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

None of the names are ones you recognize off the top of your head, although you recognize a couple of the family names as those of noble clans and families.


Karliah did what she could, focusing on the names related to the noble families/clans she had heard, trying to commit them to memory as she finished gearing up... glad to have her trusty blades by her side, glad to have her armour and gear... as well as bloody clothing so she was no longer freezing to death! Having a good idea of what was meant to happen now... Karliah heading for the door that opened with her chest... whilst she did not like this place, the fact it was willing to give her all of her gear so swiftly meant that they were at least giving her a fighting chance... at least, Karliah believed it was the case. Either way, she paused in the doorway, looking round to see if she could spot anything.

Perception: 1d20 + 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (17) + (2) + 9 = 28


Male. Mostly. Human. Mostly. Archaeologist

You recognize the names of the Vandere and Hathenhorn families on two of the chests.

The room beyond has the vague look of a hospice. The once white walls are now a faded, dingy yellow. Six beds per side, now little more than half-rotted wooden frames with a mess that was, once, a good feather mattress now...not.

One drawer contains faded, crumpled notes about using Cold Sleep and Cloning Spells to heal people hurt during the Crossing. Why they would need such measures instead of simple Restoration spells isn't made clear, and if it was in these notes it's in one of the sections too faded and damaged to read.

Time has not been kind to this room - and it's been a lot of time.

Two doors exit, one in to the left and right between the beds.

I'm having some computer hiccups, but intend to have a map for you tomorrow.


“What the hell is this place?” Karliah wondered, confusion mixing with frustration as the human was simply finding more and more questions and not reaching anywhere towards actually getting some bloody answers for once. This place just kept getting stranger and stranger, especially when she had moved over and investigated the notes... from what she could gather... this place had been used to help people move from the old world to the new... yet it was abandoned ages ago. So why was she here...? Was she not waken up? Shaking her head in frustration, Karliah stepped over to the right door and opened it, peeking through. She was playing careful until she found some answers...

Perception: 1d20 + 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (13) + (1) + 9 = 23


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

One map. A little basic, but you get the general idea.

The corridor is dimply lit, but only barely. A down to the south is a few feet away, and further along the corridor turns south again.


Still grumbling under her breath, Karliah slipped forwards, with his swords at hand she was a lot more confident, walking to the nearby door and simply pushing it open, looking round as she did so.

Perception: 1d20 + 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (10) + (6) + 9 = 25


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

This large room contains a large magic circle. Carved into the floor and lined with pure silver, it's complicated pattern glimmers in the dim light, oddly dust free.


“Great, magic circle... not the best at this...” Karliah muttered to herself as she stepped forwards into the room, studying the circle... she had no talent or knowledge about spellcrafting itself, but she did have decent knowledge of the arcane in general, and was trying to draw on it now to see if she could get any hints as to what this thing does.

Knowledge: Arcane: 1d20 + 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (20) + (3) + 4 = 27


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

It's one part of a teleportation circle. This particular has three circles in total. When all three are active they will open a portal to another location. Given the lack of windows or any other entrances it may be the only way our of here.


“So now I need to search this place for another two of these? Great.” Karliah said, shaking her head with a sigh... she got the feeling that there might be some threat, but first things first, investigating the circle again in order to find out how exactly she could activate the circle.

Knowledge: Arcane: 1d20 + 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (14) + (4) + 4 = 22

(Honestly surprised the nat 20 didn't tell her that from the get go)


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

Yeah, I should have included that.

A simple chant, inscribed around the edge of the circle, is all that is needed to activate it.


After reading the chant, Karliah calmly stepped back and chanted it, activiate the magicial ring before stepping towards the door... if the circe showed signs of activating, she would step out the door and head down the corridor to the corner.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

With a flicker and a sensation of tearing silk the circle flickers into life.

The corridor leading south is dim, only partially lit and you can't see the far end. You can see three additional doors along the edges.


"Yeah. More doors." Karliah muttered to herself sarcastically before moving down the corridor to the first one, opening it and looking through.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

The room inside holds several small bays, similar to the ones you woke up in, but open fronted and dry. Inside one the shattered remains of a small Stone Golem sits, apparently awaiting attention. Given the layer of dust on it, there doesn't seem much chance that anyone will be along to do so anytime soon.


Whilst Karliah toyed with the idea of trying to do something with the golem, she eventually shook her head and stepped back, shutting the door behind her. She had knowledge of the arcane, but no ability or knowledge of how to perform arcane feets, how to craft spells as it were... hence why she simply went to the next door down to see if anything was off interest.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

This long room has several desks and chairs within it. At the far end is what appears to be some kind of focused scrying mirror, showing the chamber where you found your equipment. The bronze panel before it sits dark, crystal runes unlit, bar one.

DC 12 Knowledge (Arcana):
The rune offers to call up a recorded image of the most recent events that the mirror has recorded.


(Can I take 10 on that check...?)


Male. Mostly. Human. Mostly. Archaeologist

I would assume so? It doesn't entirely make sense, but nothing by RAW says you can't...so if you wanna use up the time doing so...


(Well, its not like I'm running against the clock or anything. Even if the circles does deactive, I can just activate it again)

Karliah frowned and stepped into this room. Ignonging the desks and chairs she walked up towards the scying mirror, studying it intently. It took the female a few hard minutes of thinking, but eventually she reached out and touched the rune at the top, confident it would show her a message.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

The screen begins to flicker and play. The picture is grainy, and there's no sound, but the results are still revealing.

First we see a pair of healers help a man wrapped in a robe out of the chambers, helping him claim his gear and move to the next room.

A second later, the light flickers and a new set of images appear, similar to the first but a young woman instead.

The third set, however, reveals some kind of emergency. Healers rush in and pull out a person, obscuring them from the image as they cast a variety of healing spells and use more mundane means to try and revive the person. Someone waves at the image and the screen turns off before the results can be revealed.

The fourth image is a man staggering into the room, naked, and looking around. The room is obviously worn and older than the previous images. He tries several chests, eventually finding one that opens and dressing before moving on.

The final set of images are your own. You're surprised by how tired and thin you look, but otherwise you seem ok.


“So... its seems to me that this place was designed to aid people during the transfer to the new world... but something went wrong and it was shut down.” Karliah mused after seeing the images before her... the bushi didn’t stay in front of the scrying mirror however, heading back out of the room and to the other door as she spoke. “But it seems that this place has been... reactivated somehow, and we’re coming out without any healers anymore...” How many chests were there...? As she opened the next door, Karliah tried to remember how many chests there had been...


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

There were 21 chests. It appears that this system only shows the most recent set of images captured.


(And what's the next room? The third door in the corridor?)


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

The room appears to have been a shower house. Brass nozzles, now corroded green, line a central wall. The white tiles are now dirty and dingy, and a leak somewhere has left the floor coated in water.

Somewhere behind the wall a banging noise thumps in a repetitive, mechanical hammering.


“Now that’s strange...” Karliah remarked as she stepped further into the room, trying to pinpoint where exactly the noise was coming from... looking at the nozzles, she had to guess that the noise was a machine designed to heat or transport water... but why would it still be running? Could she get to it...?

Perception: 1d20 + 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (11) + (2) + 9 = 22


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

Behind the wall is some kind of Golem, similar to the one that you saw waiting for repairs, attempting to repair a pipe flowing with water. It is attempting to force a patch into place, without much success.


"Hello?" Karliah said, wondering if the golem would be able to notice her as she walked up. The bushi titled her head slightly, considering the construct as she approached, trying to figure a bit more about it.

Knowledge - Arcane: 1d20 + 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (7) + (1) + 4 = 12


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

The creature stopped in midswing, and turned to face Karliah. "State staff or patient code."


Uh oh... lowering a hand cautiously to her katana, Karliah faced the golem, wondering how intelligent it was... and hoping it wasn’t hostile as she said. “I don’t know. I’m Karliah, The Shadow Bushi.” Please don’t be hostile, Karliah didn’t want to fight the golem when it only seemed to be doing its job...


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

The Golem paused for a moment, searching its records...and then lunged forwards.

Initiative (Karliah): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Initiative (Support Golem): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

It's slow, mechanical movements give times for a first strike, however.


“Nope!” Karliah said as she danced away as the golem lunged forwards. The bushi had no interest in fighting the golem currently, hence why she dashed for the exit to slam the door shut. Hopefully that would by her enough time to call on her training and blend into the darkness... especially as she would make her way down towards the darker ends of the corridor. Karliah was very at home in the dark.

(In case its needed: Stealth: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23)


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

Unable to keep up or catch you, the Golem stops following once it reaches the door to the shower block. After a moment of searching the corridor it returns to it's previous duties.


“Note to self. Figure out my code before trying to talk to a golem again...” Karliah said, grateful for the fact that the golemn didn’t chase her... now that was delt with, Karliah decided it was best to explore properly. Pulling out her Everburning Torch, Karliah lit it, allowing the light to shed in the corrider as she headed further into this strange complex.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

The corridor continued for a short distance before turning once more. To the east it stretched on again. You can see, dimply lit in the shadows, two more doors.


“... Maybe I should of fought the golem, would of at least given me more entertaining than these doors.” Karliah muttered to herself. For a brief moment she wondered if she was going insane, what with constantly talking to herself... but decided that actually, talking to herself like this was the only thing keeping her sane.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

I assume you're heading into the first door?

The First Door:
The first door contains the mate to the room you saw earlier. A second teleportation circle sits here, waiting to be activated.


“There we go, circle two.” Karliah said with a happy smile, glancing at the rim. The bushi chanted out the words to activate the second circle before stepping out. Only one more circle left to find the bushi knew quite happily, wondering if she would find it if she circled back.. a triangle seemed to make sense for the circles... mentally shrugged, she checked the second door of the corridor.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

This room contains...bodies. Piled haphazardly on top of one another, the corpses here show clear signs of violence, but it was long ago. Not little more than skeletons, it's crushed skulls and broken ribs that give there hints as to what happened here.

The room is small, and appears to have been a supply closet of some kind before being used as a resting place for the dead.


“Well shit, that explains where everyone is...” Karliah said as she gazed on the bodies... with how old the skeletons where, they really was no way for her to get any more information from them apart from the obvious. A lot of people had been killed and stuffed inside of her... but Karliah wouldn’t be able to tell if they had struggled or had simply been murdered... either way she soon stepped away and closed the door. There was nothing more for her to do there. Instead she rounded the corner, expecting she would be circling back to the front now.


GM of all he Surveys - Still sick, but in a different way

Sorry, the forums didn't show your post.

Your assumption proves correct. Another door appears further along the corridor. One chance, however, is a corridor branching to the east. Apparently the facility isn't entirely symmetrical.


“On the one hand, I’m wrong that this place ain’t symmetrical, and that I I got more to explore.” Karliah mentioned to herself as she saw the corridor branching off towards the east as she headed up to the door. “On the other hand, more exploring to do!” Yes, Karliah both liked and hated that there was more exploring, as she wouldn’t leave until she had fully explored the location. Starting with the door.

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