Lanarial watched in suspense and awe as the large stone monolith appeared on the Top of the World at the end of Fall Solstice. The shamans and witches felt the Hallowed Day or the Eve of the last day of the Autumn season had mystical powers. The large building with a single mist shrouded opening was a good indication the prophecies were true. Now, would she be up to the test?
You enter through the doorway, and find yourselves in a dimly lit room with a robe and underclothes on a hangar, and table with a dagger upon it. Across the room from you is an old man, well worn and calloused all over, he wears a simple loin cloth and close fitting shirt.
"Welcome. My first lesson to you is a simple dagger is the a great weapon and tool for all. This well made dagger is your gift for trying to enter the Hall. If you can defeat me, you may move forward. Put on your garments, grab your dagger, and come and get me when you are ready."
The old man has a set of well made manacles.
"I am going to put you in these manacles and shove you back outside if you are not up to the task."
Above you, you notice there is a set of chains running over the ceiling with a winch by the old man. Anyone manacled to the chains hanging from the ceiling should be easily winched back outside through the fog shrouded doorway.
The half-elven woman simply nods her head and puts on the clothes offered. While she could have fought in the nude (and had once or twice before...), she preferred not to have any distractions. And she didn't think she could distract this battle-hardened old man, either...
After dressing she retrieved the simple dagger, already well aware of its usefulness as a tool. Lanarial stepps intot he center of the room, takes her fighting stance, and nods again to the man. "I am ready to meet your test. How will you determine the winner - first blood, or unconsciousness?"
Lanarial will wait for an answer, but if none comes, she will simply shrug her shoulders and attack!
As Lanarial closes to the old man, he grabs her quickly, as if he was expecting her to come into range.
As the mans grip, now somewhat lessened by age tightens on her hands, Lanarial realizes there is still iron in the older man's grasp.
Lanarial's strike with the dagger is off target.
Lanarial misses the old man with her dagger thrust, and he wraps her up even more after increasing his leverage.
A pinned creature is tightly bound and can take few actions. A pinned creature cannot move and is denied its Dexterity bonus. A pinned character also takes an additional –4 penalty to his Armor Class. A pinned creature is limited in the actions that it can take. A pinned creature can always attempt to free itself, usually through a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check. A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions, but cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component. A pinned character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level) or lose the spell. Pinned is a more severe version of grappled, and their effects do not stack.
"I think you are in over your head here"
"Perhaps," she replies, "but that has never stopped me before!" Lanarial attempts to wriggle out of the old man's grip, using every trick she's learned to escape from more amorous embraces...
"Got you again."
Lanarial is grappled again. She is not as bad off as when pinned.
With her free hand, Lanarial takes a swing at the old man, not really wanting to hurt him but needing to win this contest...
The dagger slices his arm, and Lanarial says, "I do not wish to hurt you further, but this is your contest..."
Missing a vital spot, the old man continues to struggle after another cut.
The old man fails to improve his grip.
As you struggle with the old man, he seems to talk between grunts.
"Aye, wrassling around. Who would have thought I could use it to help people and turn it into a career. Once you wrap up a wizard, it makes casting spells a bit hard."
"True, and it makes fighters with large weapons less deadly. But daggers are usually much better in these close-in struggles." Lanarial returns. She continues to struggle against the man's grip, but knows the best defense is a strong offense. Although she misses with the dagger, she knows it affects an opponent's calculations...
She also knows that conversations can create opportunities in melee. "So how do you help people with your grappling? Just here - once in a very great while? Or do you have a regular job?"
The old man grabs Lanarial in a tight hold. Pinned
"We see some pathetic guests some times. I send the weaker ones home so they don't get hurt."
"Do what you will. I am here to learn. I just thought I'd learn more..."
"We will have to see if we can get you some better stuff."
After putting Lanark in his manacles, the old man reconsiders winching her outside.
Lanarial continues her struggles, even after the manacles are on her...
"How about we go again? Perhaps you can show me some of those grips you used..." she says, half to mask her escape attempts, and half because she truly came here to learn and grow her skills!
The old man unhooks you and passes you through the door.
After the encounter with the old man, he waves you through the door. The next room smells of burning wood, sweat, and smoke. The sound of hammering can be heard. A large dwarf with a ruddy face is there to greet you.
"You need weapons and armor if you are to be warriors of any account. Pick from the armor on the rack here, you can get one. It all depends on whether you are after light, medium, or heavy armor."
There is a mithral chain shirt, an enchanted breastplate (+1) and a suit of masterwork full plate.
"I am going to make you three weapons for your journey here. No exotic ones, but I can make pretty much anything. I already made three light hammers and three javelins, you never know when you need them.
Lanarial thanks the master when he lets her pass to the next room instead of tossing her out of the portal!
After examining the dwarf's wares, she spends several minutes comparing the mithral chain shirt and the +1 breastplate. The full plate was too much for her, so she immediately disregarded it. The chain shirt would allow her more flexibility and wouldn't hamper her as much. But the breastplate would maximize her protection, and it was enchanted as well. Finally, she decides for the protection and dons the +1 breastplate.
Lanarial then examines the weapons. Looking around, she finds a scabbard for the dagger from the first area and holsters that in her boot. Then, she asks the dwarf, "Would you make a trident, a flail, and a short sword for me? I am grateful for your assistance. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Once he is complete, she will arrange her equipment for maximum utility. The javelins will be on her back, the dagger in her boot, the light hammer and short sword will hang from her belt on the left side, the flail will hang from her belt on the right side, and she will carry the trident in her right hand.
"Thank you again! Any tips for the rest of my journey here?"
The dwarf gives you a smile as he makes the weapons for your quickly. The weapons are made with sheaths or slings so they can be easily stowed when not in use.
"Be ready for some action at all times."
You prepare to enter the next room.
After selecting a weapon to carry, and slinging two backup weapons as well as the javelins and light hammers, you move to a dimly lit sanctum. There the icons of the great heroes are depicted on the wall in large tapestries. On a large, wooden mead table are laid out necklaces corresponding to all the heroes.
Gerund, the stout dwarf warrior, was famous for the amount of damage he could take and not fall. Cyndi, the elven ranger, was renowned for ability to dodge and evade the blows of her attackers. Grond, the half orc barbarian, delivered the most lethal blows. Harold, the human gladiator was known for the exotic combat maneuvers he would perform; he preferred to drop, disarm, or hold his opponent helpless before he finished them off. Theris, the true, it was said his strikes never missed his opponents and with an economy of motion demanded every strike be true.
You now have five necklaces with a medallion corresponding to each of the heroes. Besides what you have in your hands, I need to what necklaces your are wearing.
An acolyte explains: "Wearing a necklace is an attempt to seek favor from one of the heroes. Their relationships are complex, and gaining the favor of one may cause problems with another. For example, Cyndi and Gerund are rivals. It would unlikely, but not impossible, to gain the favor of both of them."
Lanarial picks up the amulet of Cyndi the eleven ranger, because she is of a similar heritage and values the quick reflexes and not being where an opponent strikes. She also dons the amulet of Theris, for his economy of motion and strikes were perfectly matched to Cyndi's economy of motion. Gaining the favor of either hero would greatly aid her, but gaining the favor and help of both would be truly epic!
With your totems on, you are lead to the next door. "There will be a difficult fight, best of luck."
As the door is opened, you are confronted by four skeletal goblins holding long spears. You try to get a jump on them.
Although Lanarial was expecting trouble, there was nothing she could do when the four undead creatures attacked as soon as the door opened!
Lanarial dodges two goblins as she step next to one and hits him with her flail shattering him into many pieces. The two goblins charge her from the flank and hit, striking her with their small spears.
The three goblins try to bite, and one connects
Choking blood, Lanarial finds herself fighting three goblins who just want to bite her.
Calling for help, Lanrial fights on, knowing the end is surely near! After lashing out at the skeletons, she takes a 5' step towards the corner and gets out of the middle of the goblins!
Lanarial misses with the flail but hits with the hammer shattering a skeleton. Two bite, and one hits {1 hp to 0hp} staggering the warrior.
The two skeletons prepare to bite again. Things look desperate as Lanarail staggers to the corner of the room.
Lanarial nearly faints with a final, desperate swing at each of the skeletons...praying that she would not die here!
Staggered, Lanarial is unable to bring her second weapon to bear after swinging with the first. She collapses, unconscious from the exertion. After falling at the feet of the remaining goblin, a bright flash bathes the room shattering the remaining goblin in holy light. A man in gleaming plate armor with a holy symbol of Sarenrae smiles. "You almost got the last one!!"
Lanarial is ushered into a room that look like an alchemists lab by the old man she met at the door. The old man explains:
"Warriors need to accept that we live in a magical world. We can easily use magic by imbibing simple potions. The most useful typically is the minor cure potions, but we have others here. You can have Grimaldi here make you three potions. He knows the following recipes: Cure Light Wounds, Oil of Magic Weapon, Enlarge Person, and Protection from Evil. You can get multiples of one if you like."
As you get your potions issued to you in an adventurer's sash (see main thread: discussion), the old man comes to you to explain to you what comes next.
"You are going into the arena. Each of the heroes in the test will have their own bugbear to fight. He is basically just a big goblin. In the center is the blind ogre waiting to attack whoever comes to get him on the center platform. The bugbear assigned to fight you will stand down when you go unconscious. When the ogre is incapacitated, the trial is over, and whoever the judges deemed contributed the most to defeating the ogre is declared the winner."
The old man winks and adds: "There is a slight wrinkle. You can't hit your rivals when they are knocked out or after the ogre falls, but if you want, UNTIL the ogre falls you can go after your competition if they are standing."
The old man looks at your amulets. "I heard Harold was a pretty good hero. He wrestled the minotaur of Ugin into submission. I think he defeated Ulamog the Ceaseless Hunger too."
Lanarial thanks the paladin for saving her, and retrieves her trident and javelin. In the next room, she asks Grimaldi for two potions of cure light wounds and one potion of protection from evil. She will imbibe one of the curative potions as soon as it is ready.
Once the potions are complete, Lanarial puts the other curative potion in her sash and holds the protection from evil potion at the ready in her left hand. In her right hand she holds the trident. When the door opens, Lanarial will imbibe the potion and step through, drawing the short sword with her left hand.
Lanarial selects her potions, decides which ones to drink before his next challenge and steps through the door.
Lanarial feels much more experienced after her fight with the ogre.