Nicat Brightluck |
Nicat considers the vast amount of information pouring out of Eostre for a moment, then shrugs and says, "Okay, we're smashing whatever's in there? Conner, you mind opening the door?"
Evelyn Grimley |
Evelyn slowly start freaking out while Eostre tells about the statues. Slowly, Eostre's words become incomprehensible. Whatever the others say afterward doesn't make any more sense. Evelyn then sees Conner's hand move toward the door, and readies herself for whatever is about to happen.
GM_Runecat |
The door slowly swings open.
The short hallway beyond rises in a slope to the east. Five feet from the western door, the floor is polished and shiny, unlike the dusty floor elsewhere. A pair of stone statues depicting stern men wielding glaives stand in alcoves north and south of this section of the hallway. At the eastern end stand two stone doors, their faces carved with strange runes. Just past the doors is a third alcove in which a partially collapsed statue sits. The top half of the statue is missing, leaving behind a ragged stump of a torso.
The two statues and the patch of floor nearest to the party are radiating the transmutive magics Eostre & Nicat detected.
Eostre Roldheim |
"More statues of Karzoug. You know, for a Runelord of Greed, he certainly had a lot of pride given how he's plastering his likeness all over the place."
Eostre tries to smile as her grip on her glaive tightens.
"Anyone want me to enlarge them? Even the odds?"
Eostre Roldheim |
"Let me remind you that I did NOT say the statues were GUARANTEED to move!" Eostre says, turning red again.
"I only said they MIGHT move! MIGHT being the key word in that statement!"
Eostre Roldheim |
"I don't get it. These things are radiating magic like a Crystalhue tree!"
Seeing it was relatively safe, Eostre barged forward to examine the statues more closely.
Detect magic + Spellcraft...AWAY!
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
GM_Runecat |
Eostre Roldheim |
"Alright so I was right after all. The statues DO come to life, but only if you walk on that spot there. It also triggers a pair of portcullises overhead to slam down and trap you, presumably so you can't run from a pair of angry statues whaling on you. Admittedly a bit more complicated than your average animated attack-statue. When a Runelord, especially a Runelord of Greed, wanted to protect something, they didn't f@#% around."
Eostre straightens up and smooths her robe a bit, a smile from being vindicated forming on her face.
"We have to figure out a way to get around this, or maybe disable it somehow..."
Nicat Brightluck |
"Hmm..." Nicat mutters, pondering the path forward, "Maybe you have to say something in Thassilonian, so they let you pass?" He scans the room, looking for some indication of what a password might be.
GMCat - what are the things that form a line on the floor? Are they runes, switches, instructions on how to get past the trap? Wondering if there might be a clue about how to deal with it.
Evelyn Grimley |
"អ្វីដែលត្រូវបានបុរសអ្នកនិយាយអំពី?" Evelyn asks nervously, looking at Eostre.
Nicat Brightluck |
GM - Sorry, my question wasn't clear. I got the portcullis symbol, I was referring to the larger things on the map, which I've now outlined in yellow circles. What are they? Maybe you explained what they were already, but I couldn't find that info.
Gang - any genius ideas? Or do we send in the probe Conner?
Eostre Roldheim |
"អ្វីដែលត្រូវបានបុរសអ្នកនិយាយអំពី?" Evelyn asks nervously, looking at Eostre.
** spoiler omitted **
"ប្រសិនបើអ្នកបាន ដើរនៅលើ កន្លែង ដែល មានទ្វារក្រុង ទាំងនោះ ឡើងមាន អន្ទាក់ អ្នកហើយ បន្ទាប់មក បដិមា មកដល់ ជីវិតនិង សម្លាប់ សត្វលា របស់អ្នក។" Eostre replies matter-of-factly, to keep Evelyn in the loop.
Evelyn Grimley |
Eostre's reply doesn't do Evelyn's nervous mood any good. She gives the dwarf a worried nod, then starts fidgeting with one of her sleeves.
Eostre Roldheim |
Eostre leans against one of the walls and thinks. Could counterspelling work to unravel the magic in this trap? Do I have enough power to do it? Is there any merit to what Ekan and Conner were suggesting?
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
GM_Runecat |
A successful DC 15 Knowledge (Engineering) check will allow you to identify weak points in the statues that you can use to bring them down.
Eostre Roldheim |
Taking 10 on Knowledge (engineering) gives me an 18, which meets that DC.
Eostre inhales sharply and taps her glaive on the floor to get the others' attention. She casts her eyes to the floor, as if she's ashamed for what she's about to do.
"As much as it pains me to say it, we COULD circumvent the trap by pulling down the statues and climbing over the rubble, allowing us to go around the trapped part of the floor. The magic doesn't get triggered by someone stepping on it, the portcullises don't fall, and the statues don't come to life. Besides, it'd be harder for the statues to pummel us into a paste if they're in pieces."
She sighs.
"I really, REALLY don't want to capriciously destroy Thassilonian architecture this well-preserved...but...the reason it's so well-preserved is because it's killed anyone who comes through here. And...and Sandpoint's more important than a couple of old statues when there's probably hundreds in other places. I can show you where the weak spots in the statues are, and we can use that to bring them down."
She then looks at Evelyn and repeats what she's just said in Aklo for her as well.
GM_Runecat |
After looping some rope around the statue's left leg, it's a simple matter to chisel away at the leg to the point where a good, hard tug can pull it down. It makes a loud *CRASH* as it falls to rubble. The process is repeated with the second statue, this time weakening its right leg and bringing it crashing down.
And the mighty statue trap has been... well, vandalized. And bypassed.
Nicat Brightluck |
"Exactly what I was thinking, Ekan," Nicat agrees. "How about we see what they were guarding?"
He skips forward and takes a look at the doors on either side of the hallway, then steps out of the way and gestures to the north days, saying, "Conner?"
Perception, north door: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25
Perception, south door: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
Evelyn Grimley |
Knowing the threat of huge statues wailing down on her and her allies has passed, Evelyn's heart rate slowly returns to normal. After that, it doesn't take much longer for her ability to understand Common to return.
"Thank you," Evelyn says as she gives Eostre a weak smile
Eostre Roldheim |
Eostre takes a deep breath and flows after Conner. She was scared stiff because her magic was mostly spent, but she didn't want to look weak, whether in front of her friends or this Nualia...
GM_Nualia Tobyn |
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The door opens easily.
Wide stone ledges of red marble line the curving walls of this room, which is well lit by four burning skulls that sit in each corner. Three chairs rest in the room, and both stone ledges are covered with old books, scrolls, teeth, bones, scrimshaw artwork, jars of deformed creatures soaking in brine, taxidermied animals and limbs, and other strange objects. To the north, a large round fountain filled with frothy blue water fills the room with the gentle sound of bubbling.
Standing in the room with her back to the door is a white-haired woman dressed in a black, midriff-baring breastplate with red accents. Her right hand carries a serrated bastard sword, and her left hand looks twisted and demonic, coloured red and pulsing with veins. She turns and glares at the party as they enter--the angelic beauty of her soft blue eyes only serves to make her anger all the more impressive. Her belly is horrifically scarred.
"It took you long enough to finally come here." She grumbles, tapping her sword against the floor. The yeth hound next to her growls and raises its hackles. "I suppose you're here to drag me back in chains, then?"
Nicat Brightluck |
Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
"Something like that," Nicat pipes up. "You ready to come with us, then?"
Diplomacy, because that's totally going to work here: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26 Too bad a nat 20 doesn't auto-succeed at skills. Maybe it'll get me something?
Nicat Brightluck |
"Oh, I'm full of stupid questions, don't you worry about...never mind," Nicat replies, interrupting himself when he realizes what he's just said.
So much for the powerful effects of a nat 20...
Eostre Roldheim |
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"And yet you still were attached to your father enough that you felt the need to steal his bones," Eostre replies dismissively.
"You've lost, you know that, don't you? We've systematically mopped up your minions and pawns. Ripnugget and Bruthazmus are dead. Tsuto and that Lyrie girl are our prisoners. Your mercenaries have abandoned you. In the end, all you've accomplished is the temporary harassment of a small town on the coast. You're not some mighty demonic champion come to lay scourge to Varisia! You're a petty little cultist begging Mommy Monster and Uncle Malfeshnekor to protect her from some big mean bully villagers! You're pathetic, Nualia!"
Intimidate: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24