All's Well that Ends in a Well

Game Master Choon

What? Put the treasure back? How was that ever part of the deal? Zadira grumbles.

Once everything is gone, Kayla checks her bag for the pastries she stashed away.

I agree that it would be best to leave the treasure and leave here to rest someplace safer. despite the lets play nice attitude, I don't trust that, thing.

I'm fine with the plan by the way... just frustrated about the rakshasha. I thought we defeated him, if only barely, and then he shows up again? What the crap? And so, no treasure, and we just fail this level? Is he going to let us take things from the rest of the level? If not, why bother finishing it? Let's just go back to town... and if we are doing that anyway, then his "gift" of healing is useless, and all we get from him is "I won't kill you yet," which isn't all that cool--but if this level is beyond our ability to overcome (which it seems like if we can't kill him), then perhaps our only choice--?

The treats are there.

By way of encouragement: he isn't the only thing on this level. He's just the hardest thing around. Not even the worms in the first room hold a candle to that guy. His CR was almost double your party level. You have two major areas left on this level, including the return of an old friend. ;)

Did my Sense Motive roll sense he was telling us the truth?

"I think we should take up his offer of rest just to get our spells back? (Assuming my roll seemed he was ok.) Not only is the rest of the level is likely to be dangerous, but remember, so is our travel back through the cavern. Or we could just go straight back to town to pick up our goods?"

You got no deceitful vibes from him.

Yeah, true, the treats are definitely worthwhile if they last. Promise, I really didn't mean to complain about the game overall. It is totally fun. ... Maybe I just want to be all-powerful. Superiority complex. ;)

Zadira gathers up the leftover treats so they can take them along. She counts them to see how they should be distributed.

Do I need a perception roll for counting them, or can I just have it? :)

You collectively have enough for each of you to heal to full once. Kayla already has hers.

Ah, got it. So, none for me, but everyone should take some if they didn't have to heal all the way.

Yeah, Grelthe, you're probably right. We should rest here.

"Let us rest here. I say ve leave the treasure. It's not vorth i. Ve have other places to look."

Yeah, yeah, okay. We never even got to open the little box though...

"It would have been nice to keep the treasure and find out what was in the little box, but out is not worth our lives. We can always come back later, when we are stronger."
And begins the process of removing her armor to sleep.

So after we rest do we want to head back to town, or continue to explore this level?

Simon lays himself to rest with Emily tightly wrapped around him in a protective manner - his grey-white fur nearly completely hidden behind her pitch black.
Soon, soft purring can be heard from their corner.
As a note - I'm gonna take the belt we found earlier. It will make mounted-double-cat-fighting so much easier :-)

After the night, Simon suggest: "Shall we clean this level first-mii?
I would feel bad to return now, after that bizarre meeting-grch.
We are heros, not cowards running from a fight, are we?!
We should clear out some more space of this vile dungeon before returning-meow!"
Clearly, his curiosity is welling up again, overshadowing the events from yesterday....

Zadira agrees to finish clearing the level, but you can tell she is in a bad mood.

"Ve should finish vat ve started on dis level. Den continue down." she takes a seat in the corner to rest.

The night proceeds without a hitch. Nothing disturbs you. Nothing even wanders into camp. Just as your tormenter had promised.

After resting, you are faced with a choice: South down the hall, or West though another stone door?

West does sound like we would press on even further into our 'hosts' territory, so I'd rather choose south.

sorry. It's not into his domain. It's across the hall.

ah, we have a map again.
I'd still say lets check out south first, working clockwise from our current spot.
Simon sets out first and turns left (south) after a short consideration period.
Seeing the door ahead, he holds up a hand and silently approaches it, pressing an ear against the rock, trying to hear something on the other side after checking it for any obvious (or magic) traps.

"Let us see vhats through de door." She casts armor of bones on herself as the group is ready to leave their resting area.

AC is now 23

Kayla shared some her new stock of chocolate with Zadira before resting. hoping to sheer her up some.

Kayla has a fitful rest, moving around quite a bit. but eventually gets some rest.

Once the group moves on, I can scout ahead if you need me to. I am pretty hard to find when I don't want to be found.

[checking the door and the area around to the door for traps. find traps?: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29

Zadira visibly brightens at the prospect of chocolate

Thanks, Kayla!

And (hopefully) over her pouting, keeps her eyes open as they move forward.

Perception: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (2) + 18 = 20

I second Simon's method of working clockwise.
"It is unfortunate none of us thought to ask the demon what area he determines to be under his control, that we should avoid." She keeps a wary eye out for anything appearing out of place or as an illusion.
perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 She is so concerned with looking for things that aren't there, that she doesn't look at what IS there.

The hall leads south for a while before angling right and dividing into three rooms. Following your routine, you proceed clockwise.
1d20 ⇒ 14
The first room seems to have a gold piece laying on the floor, but the trap tied to said gold piece is easily spotted. The piece is fastened to a string that triggers six arrows trained on the spot. The trap is quickly disabled and the gold piece retrieved.
The second room appears to be empty save for a single chest on the far side twenty feet away. This room is also trapped with a massive pit taking up most of the room.

This one is of higher DC, so I'll need someone to roll Disable on it.

"Meeeeow, that is a deep one.
Come on little-scorpion, let us jam that thing shut, yesyes?"
Disable with aid-another and guidance: 1d20 + 18 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 18 + 2 + 1 = 30

The trap is disabled quickly and the chest is found to be empty. Bait.

The third door opens easily, but slams closed as soon as the party is through and locks itself magically.

The passage to this next room reeks of rotting corpses. The large room beyond appears to have a smaller chamber set within it. The walls are lined with recesses containing smashed caskets. Bloody debris and rat corpses litter the room. In the flickering torchlight, the characters can see hunched human forms. This room is the lair of 12 ghouls. You promptly murder them.
Expend one use of an x/day ability or take 20% of your max hp in damage from the fighting.

A DC 18 Perception check reveals a total of 2,055 sp, 451 gp and 19 gems worth 20 gp each. In the most southwesterly alcove are 4 potions: ghoul touch, levitate, lesser restoration and remove paralysis; a +2 light generating longsword (generates light constantly), and a +1 light wooden shield of arrow deflection.

The inner chamber is empty, but hides a secret for in the floor that conseals a ladder leading down into darkness.

Panting, Simon leads for support against the big frame of Emily.
"Huh, that was ... releasing, meowi!
Much better than this mad trickery from yesterday.
Good and honest work-meeew!
Hey look, they got fancy stuff stashed away!
And ... would you look at that: a ladder to the next floor-meew."
He takes a copper coin and tosses it down, after asking Gozreth for some light.

Lighted-Copper-Coin just to confirm that it indeed leads down deep and not just to a small loot-filled basement :-)
Spent one use of Animal Focus as I am using it in literally every fight anyway.

The coin falls 15 feet and clatters against a stone floor.

Simon lays the head to the side in a familiar gesture of questioning.
"Mewiii?
If it would lead to the next level ...
Shouldn't it have fallen deeper-miii?
Should we check it out, yesyes?"

Do we want to check the rest of the level first?

kayla was a little worried about the door slaming shut. she stop to examine that door, looking for some way to get it open.

perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29

marked off 1 use of a ki point

Vuzi leans against the wall breathing heavily. "So many dead here."

I vud like the shield. Unless someone else vants it."

"Kayla does the door open? Are ve trapped?" she looks concerned at the locked door.

Soory, but which door did shut close?
"Sure, greeny-purrr.
I do not have enough hands to use it in addition-mehmehmeh.
Sure, let us search the rest of the level first.
Wait a moment ..."
And with that, he steps over to Emily and rubs her back with his hands.
After a few moments, he stops and looks down at his paw.
Sure enough, he has several hairs of her black fur in his hand.
He bows low, takes one of the torches and let some wax drip to the edge of the hidden lid and add Emilys hair.
"So, if something comes up while we are searching the rest of the level, we will know once we are back-meow!
We just have to look whether the wax and hair seal has been broken."

You went south through a door. It magically closed and locked behind you.

You carefully descend into the secret hole. As you climb you feel something lift off you. It feels like descending into a clean bath, and you suddenly realize how dirty you are.
This room contains frescoes depicting a young elf. At the end of the room is a stone table on top of which is the corpse of an elf warrior maiden in chainmail. For some reason, this tomb has resisted the powers of Orcus to convert those buried here to undead. Aside from the masterwork longsword and masterwork chainmail on the body, there is nothing of monetary interest in the room.
But there is also no sign that a monster has ever been here either, making this place a rare island of refuge in the near universal evil of Rappan Athuk.

Huh, I totally read over that line. I took the freedom and uncovered a bit of the map.
What closed was the dorr between 8A and 8C right?

Ya, 8B closed

---- Insert RP here if desired ----

The hall leading forward becomes progressively less worthless and more natural as you move on, indicating a place to the next level. Of you want to fully clear the current level you'll need to break the lock on the door. Somehow.

Did Kayla's roll turn up any obvious magic key hole, missing diamond, or similar genre archetypical, obvious way to do this?
Can a certain cat disable a magical lock? He can disable magical traps ... does this extend to magical locks as well?
+++ At the elven grave +++
"Meeew, this feels so nice.
We should rest here tonight - I wager a gold that we will not find a more friendly place anywhere nearby-meow.
I wonder who this Queen* was.
Probably a very, very noble Lady if even so long after her death she is able to fend of evil-meeeew."
Queen is one way to explicitly describe a female cat, as opposed to cats in general. At least, that's what google has to say :-)

No obvious key. You may attempt to disable.

@all: Am I rushing too much? Somehow feels like it atm....

+++ In front of the locked door +++
Simon stares at the door as if it had wronged him considerably - he even hissed at it.
"Chhhrrr, what is the matter with you?
Who told you to close shut, meeewch!"
With that, he produces his set of (now well-used) tools and starts to work on the door.
Cats don't like closed doors!: 1d20 + 18 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 18 + 2 + 1 = 22
With a hiss, he jumps back.
Did that keyhole just swallowed one of his lockpicks?!
I am willing to go take-20 after this mishap for a result of 40 if Kayla is willing to help me, 38 otherwise.

Extended one use of laying on hands. Also added loot to group list. Grelthe has no issue with Vuzi taking the shield.

In the elf sanctum:
"I wonder who she was, I'd think she must have been powerful to resist the necromantic energies of this place. I think it would be best if we didn't disturb her resting place." She knows her companions predilection for robbing corpses.
Knowl. History: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 (Knowl. Nobility is also +6, Knowl. Religion is +7, take whichever is most appropriate.)
A thought occurs to her. "Perhaps the holiness of this place is why the monster above cannot reach below? I'd think there would be another way down though. "

To be clear, you must exit this room and continue on in the main hall in order to get down a level. This room is only a safe place and tomb.

You don't recognize anything in the art that would tell you who she is.

"She's a nice undead. De armor is very pretty. I agree ve should let her rest."

"Simon let me help vu." she casts guidance on him, and then moves waaay back.

Simon fails to release the magical lock, but he isn't fried or stabbed at or shot at, so that's good.

Map updated

Zadira adds the tomb to her map with a notation that someone should reinforce the protections on it if possible. Nice to have something good around for once.

After trying every trick and every exploit he ever found helpful, Simon hisses at the door one last time, then stows his tools.
"Sorry my friends-purrurr.
I am unable to get us through this obstacle this time.
Maybe... we have to go yet deeper and find another way back up-meew."

If a disable 40 does not bring us through, I fear that we are out of options...

Oh, i didn't take taking 20 yet. Taking 20 wil succeed

Np. I didn't get there was a closed door, you missing me opening it the hard way ... can we agree that it never happened in the first place? *rofl*
Some retcon....
"... unless ...
Wait a second, I have an idea-meew!"
With that, he hurries back to the door, asks Gozreth to shed some light into areas where light never shines and tries the now glowing lockpick on the door again.
And it simply opens!
"What a tricky little lock-mehmehmeh!
So back to the rest of this level, right-miii?"

ok so real life snuck in and messed me up some... lets see, we are now past the locked door then?