The Pyramid of Shadows (Inactive)

Game Master 137ben

Mundarion replies in Draconic, "My allegiances are with the Sovereign Host, her Royal Highness Queen Danelle of Cyre, and to the companions who stand by my side. If they were able to speak Draconic they would give you similar answers for themselves. Now I ask you, what do you know of people raiding into areas controlled by other groups to kill and kidnap like common criminals?"

Yessai echoes Mundarion, calling to the lizard folk in Draconic.

"Good lizard folk, do not misunderstand us. Always here it is allegiances, plots and counterplots. It seems as soon as folk arrived here they thought better of their own power than escape, or taking charge of their fate - rather trying to enslave or destroy others. We are free agents!"

The other blackscale pipes up

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Yessai screws her face up in a characteristically gith scowl.

"Likely you will not be dissuaded from your point of view. As someone who has been kept and secluded for many years, a life of cosseted imprisonment, however comfortable is no life. Back in Sigil, you had causality and fate unhindered by one great power. Here, Karavakos rules and there is no way to attain greatness or forge your own destiny except under his. Peh!"

Yessai thinks for a moment.

"We look not for undead but for dragonborn marauders. Know you of their whereabouts?"

Sense Motive check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Mundarion replies, "I am not so addled coved that I can't tell when you're lying. Why don't you try telling the truth for once? Or are you afraid?"

At the mention of lying Yessai's scowl deepens. She advances toward the offending party and yells in Draconic.

"How dare you school us on behaviour and right ways. Divulge what you know!!!"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33

Though he doesn't know the words, the gith's intent is clear, and Gemheart readies his weapon. He doesn't step forward yet, in case cooler heads prevail.

He scoffs back

So is he Intimidated? ;)

Yessai notes the scalykind's comment, and whispers to her companions:

"He seems to be telling the truth. At least as far as they are there, or at least he believes them to be. Whether or not they are there without being prepared for us is another matter entirely. I suggest that we be on guard. As always…"

The gith appears to be somewhat tired of the endless subterfuge and obfuscation in the Pyramid, gripping her blade and buckler ever tighter.

Autocorrect keeps making "gith" into "goth", which is not exactly far wrong…:)

I'm going to assume that my person is waiting behind the door frame, just in case the invisibility wears off before we're done talking... wouldn't want a suspicious looking cat to spontaneously appear :P

Mundarion says to the rest of the group in Elven, "Shall we go on in? I'll point out the pits to avoid, but I would like you melee types in front as I would bet money we're going to get jumped."

"In the water? If it is anything like that trash monster room, just being in here is dangerous."

can i tell where the water empties to below, in relation to where we are?

Yes, he is intimidated.

There are no visible drains. The traps Mundarion pointed out circulate water downwards, while pushing other water up, and circle it around the room. If there is a drain emptying water to a lower floor, it's in the southeast part of the room that you can't see from here.

Psst, players? If ya don't do something soon, I'll have to do something crazy.....

Gemheart ventures forward, avoiding the pits as directed by Mundarion!

don't really want to, but i guess i am best suited for it since i don't breathe...

Yessai backs Gemheart up, her wondrous new blade at the ready...

Mundarion follows along behind, directing the others as necessary. He does not have a weapon ready but is staying alert for anything.

De follows invisibly on the roof.

Fortunately it's not a hot tin roof. :-)

While De is not currently a cat on a hot tin roof, she does accidentally stuble over a glass menagerie, causing it to crash down and land on Mundarion's head!

Not really:)

By stepping out from the corner of the bottom step, you are just able to move around the trap at the bottom. As you move to the southeast portion of the room, other such traps become visible, including in front of all the staircases.

As you get to the southeast portion of the room (map updated,, I am assuming you all are approximately where it says "PCs", just to speed things up, the lizardfolk reposition themselves. One of the greenscales calls out
"Do not be shy, go up those stairs to the south to find what you are looking for."

Meanwhile, however, the head of Vyrellis whispers to the group.
"Hold a moment. Methinks I doth feel something potent in the chamber to thy northeast. Mayhaps it is one of the fragments of my spirit spread throughout the Pyramid. Or it may be a piece of Karavakos, though it seems to lack the aggression I would expecteth. Maybe it is something else entirely, but it is something significant sealed in yon vault."

Sense Motive check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

Mundarion whispers to the group in elven, "Which way to you guys want to go?"

sense motive: 1d20 ⇒ 3

"listen to the head"

Sense Motive DC 20: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Yessai notes the lizardfolk advice, but seems more interested in Vyrellis' senses.

"My preference, as ever, is to clear the level before going up or down. Let us see what lies to the northeast..."

Mundarion says, "Ok, northeast it is."

He then directs the group in that direction moving around unsafe spots as necessary.

De doesn't respond, to remain stealthed.

The door is easy to reach (assuming you walk around the corners of the trap to reach the stairs). The door is not locked. Beyond is a small, dry, warm room, about 20 feet on a side. A statue in the far corner of the room depicts a graceful eladrin knight with a spear. The plain stone is adorned with a bright moonstone set into the statue’s forehead.

"There!"
Vyrellis gasps,
"That moonstone contains a fragment of my life."

The door has no knob on the inside, although it also appears to have no latch. It swings shut automatically once you are inside.

Mundarion looks the door over trying to figure out how one would exit the room.

Perception check: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18 But probably not with a roll like that.

"Oh....great!" mutters the githyanki as the portal seals them in the small room.

"And let me guess, we remove the jewel and the statue animates and attacks us...Gah..."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

perception: 1d20 ⇒ 6

"I wouldnt be surprised"

"You see the spear holes, yes, good 'Darion?" Yessai points out the various holes for Gemheart's benefit.

She cocks her head, pointed yellow ears twitching.

"And the lizardfolk are swimming toward us, approaching. Likely with... spears?!?"

Mundarion says, "It looks like the door doesn't actually lock, so that's not a problem. Why don't we try to position ourselves such that we're not in the way of whatever comes out of the holes and get ready to receive the lizards?"

Mundarion readies his bow as he looks for a decent spot.

Perception check: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33

That's more like it. :-)

Grr, forum ate my post.

Mundarion's superior vision allows him to discern the paths that could be taken by the trap's projectiles. Unfortunately, they cover most of the room.
Mundarion can also hear precisely where each of the lizardfolk are moving:
two of them are on the landing step immediately outside the door. One is in the water nearby, and one is much further back.

With a bang, one of the greenscales kicks open the door and throws a javelin!

Mundarion initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Yessai initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Gemheart: 1d20 ⇒ 16
De: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Greenscale 1 initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Greenscale 2 initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Blackscale 1 initiative: 1d20 ⇒ 7
Blackscale 2 initiative: 1d20 ⇒ 18

Initiative:
De'arv'ki--22
Yessai--21
Blackscale 2--18
Gemheart--16
Greenscale 2--11
Mundarion--8
Greenscale 1--5

Map updated.. Please decide which square in the inner chamber you are on. The light tan are the paths along which projectiles from the trap Mundarion noticed can travel, with the arrows indicating direction. The purple is the statue. Orange is the doorway.

9Y

I'll take AB,7.

11Z

De'arv'ki?

Someone else may take De's turn, please.

according to their sheet, De'Arv'Ki will attempt to climb the nearest wall to a height of 20ft, beyond all melee retaliation. She will then use a full round action to tie herself to the wall with her rope and 2 pitons. After that, she proceeds to rain bolts down on the most dangerous target, with the order of priority being magi-ranged-skill monkey-Light armored-heavy armored.

with that, I imagine they would have placed themselves 20ft up in Y7 or above Gemheart.

climb: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (9) + 21 = 30

according to their sheet, De'Arv'Ki will attempt to climb the nearest wall to a height of 20ft, beyond all melee retaliation. She will then use a full round action to tie herself to the wall with her rope and 2 pitons. After that, she proceeds to rain bolts down on the most dangerous target, with the order of priority being magi-ranged-skill monkey-Light armored-heavy armored.

with that, I imagine they would have placed themselves 20ft up in Y7 or above Gemheart.

[dice=climb]1d20+21

Wow. Way to channel Dee. Feels like exactly the kinda hijinks Dee would have, and has done. Nice work Ten.

De helpfully left a "tactics" section on their profile, heh, so I can't take all the credit

Yea, I asked De to leave default tactics back when Soth first explained he couldn't normally post on weekends.

De climbs up the wall.

Yessai's turn.

I'm assuming the javelin was flung by greenscale 1, and missed? Who was the target?

Yessai scowls, and holds her ground as the missile flies past. With a dark roar she appears to glow with horrendous power. The direlock pulses, sending forth a wave of terror that her Gemheart feels but is unaffected by.

Swift Action: Inimica - Fearsome Power. Cost: 1 terror pool point.

Standard Action: Fear Shroud.

So only greenscale 1 is in my dire zone. DC 10 + 2 (1/2 lvl) + 3 (Cha mod) + 2 (inimica) = 18 Fortitude save or be shaken for 1d4 rounds.

If successful, you can roll the d4 rounds DMB. ;)

Terror Pool points remaining 4/5

Well, you channeled me well :P.
Family was sick, so i was stuck without extranet access

The javelin is being thrown by greenscale 1--whether it hits or not won't be determined until their turn comes up.

Yessai unleashes a shroud of fear,
fortitude: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
natural 20 reroll: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (13) + 27 = 40
but the greenscale is not scared at all.

The second blackscale reaches up from the water, and hurls her own, much larger, javelin at Yessai:
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
The large huge javelin flies overhead and lands right behind Yessai, completely ineffective!

Gemheart's turn.

so, to make sure i understand things right, we are caged in this room? if so, what are the bars made of?

You are not 'caged' at all. The white are walls, but the orange (Y12 and Z12) is a doorway. The door is wide open, you can walk right out. You'll just be walking into melee range of the lizardfolk.

@Gemheart - there are holes in the walls, like murderholes in a castle, that are big enough to hurl spears through. Thus the lines of passage indicated by the arrows.

Yep, Yessai is correct.