An Ancient Evil

Game Master Celestial Healer

The others hear Sylvia gasp in complete shock!

"What is it Sylvia?" Whispers Caladrel.

Faenor follows the others, arcane pistols at the ready

The coiffured noble will wait slightly for a minute for the others to arrive at the adjoining office and sneak a look inside. The long moments draw a bit of apprehension from him, before he tries to open the offices' main door.

"What is happening?" Faenor whispers. The runes graven along the barrels of his weapons glow silver and gold respectively, casting his high cheekbones into sharp relief. His large eyes are filled with shadows in the dim light

Post in discussion thread. Please check it out.

Sylvia pulls open the door to the adjoining office. Abandoned for the last few years, the tiny office has become a place to store crates, empty glassware, and unwanted furniture. Dusty chairs stand stacked in one corner, while a heavily scratched desk sags under the weight of several heavy crates.

The far wall of the small chamber bears another wooden door.

Whilst the others have gone through the adjoining office door, Jerry waits at the main door for a couple of reasons. If the people in the office are meant to be there then it'd be impolite to sneak around the side passage like a servant. However if they are not, and are in fact intruders, then when the others enter the Professors' room - then Jerry will be in position to flank and cut off their escape!

Thus to achieve both options, the noble rests his zwei-hander against the outer architrave of the door out of politeness or preparation.

Just keep in mind that it sounded like someone may have barred the door you are waiting by.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Faenor spots a stain on the wall that reminds him of a map of his home town. It totally fascinates him for a minute

sigh

"Hmph."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

Sylvia makes a shushing motion to Faenor, then walks softly to the far door, turning the knob gently to see if it is locked.

Stealth: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

The second door is indeed locked.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

Having surrendered the lead of the investigation thus far to Sylvia's obvious experience and familiarity with the school, Trina has spent the majority of their time here thus far hanging back slightly, following the others' lead.

The tiefling is visibly on edge following the strange outburst of noise at the first door, and her gaze keeps drifting back toward it following the departure of the voices. She spares the dusty storage room/office merely a passing glance before making her way quietly back toward Jeremiah and the possibly-barricaded doorway.

While Sylvia and the newcomer investigate the other door in the newly-opened chamber, Trina gives the first an experimental push, quietly testing to see if it is indeed held shut somehow.

Sylvia pulls a leather roll out of her pocket and unrolls it, revealing a quantity of shiny instruments. She gently (quietly) probes the door lock.

Disable Device to open lock: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

I completely forgot Sylvia could do this.

Faenor watches the strange woman picking the lock, hands resting lightly on his pistols

Sylvia listens carefully to the soft sound of her instruments as the activate the old tumblers within the lock. She hears a satisfying click as the door unlocks.

Grinning, the gangly elf stashes her tools in her belt pouch, gives Faenor a thumbs-up, and pushes open the now-unlocked door into the faculty office.

"Dreadfully sorry, lads and lassies," Smitty says with an obvious shortness of breath. "It took me blasted forever to get good directions to you."

Trina acknowledges the dwarf's arrival with a short nod, continuing her examining of the (possibly) blockaded door.

Sylvia opens the door to a dimly lit workshop. This back room was evidently annexed by Professor Hinzackle for storage of clockwork parts and partially-finished mechanical creations. Gears, rods, and pistons clutter every available surface. An idle welding torch and other tools of metalwork occupy a bench along one wall. An odd glass globe on a table contains sparking and dancing patterns of electricity, the only source of light in the otherwise dark room.

Another door stands along the far wall, continuing further into the office suite. If these offices are like others in the building that Sylvia is familiar with, the next room would be shared between the two offices, and would link back to Hinzackle's assigned chambers.

You stand in the doorway peering inside. Perception checks, please.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

"Well, this looks glorious. I wonder if the owner wouldn't mind if I scavenged a bit."

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23 (+2 more if there's unusual stonework)

Meanwhile, Trina's working of the other door proves fruitless. The latch activates, but something very heavy is blocking the door from opening inward.

Sylvia and Smitty scan the room and quickly notice that there are three finished creations among the parts - clockwork servants that may have been designed with any manner of response to intruders in the chamber. At the moment, they are at rest.

Caladrel follows Sylvia into the next room. His alert eyes scan the room for anything unusual. perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

Trina mutters a curse under her breath and nods to Jeremiah. "Seems we're penned in," she announces quietly. "Unless we find another exit, we'll have to break our way out."

So if I understand the layout, we are not yet in a position to see the door to the hallway that the others are guarding, nor why it's blocked?

To clarify, there are two doors on the same side of the outer hallway, granting access to neighboring office suites. Hinzackle's was on the left and had weird voices beyond it, but the door is blockaded. You entered the one on the right which was unlocked and unoccupied. That room had a door on the far wall into the clockwork room, so you are still continuing parallel to Hinzackle's suite (this second door was locked but readily picked by Sylvia). Sylvia knows that if you extend yet one door further, you will be in a larger laboratory room that is shared between the suites, so that you could access Hinzackle's office and storeroom from the back.

MAP

Thanks for the map!

"Well, this looks glorious. I wonder if the owner wouldn't mind if I scavenged a bit."

"Meh. Not much explody here. There's a common workshop through the next door," Sylvia scrutinizes the contents of the room. "Watch out for those manikins. The profs sometimes make them to guard their offices in case of student pranks. Don't ask how I know. But they might get militant. Shouldn't be any lasting harm, though, because insurance rates for alchemy departments are already sky-high. Let's go!"

Drawing her rapier, Sylvia steps into the room intending to proceed to the far door.

Caladrel tightens the grip on his quarterstaff. "Sylvia, you seem to know your way best in this building. I will follow you and help as I can." He follows her into the room keeping a wary eye on the clockwork figures as they proceed through.

"Oh, well, yes... you know how it is. Spend a few decades in a place and it starts to grow on you," Sylvia says quietly, heading for the door to the back room.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Trina relocates to outside the door the others entered, staying in the hall with Jeremiah and keeping an eye out for any trouble that might come along.

After a few moments of thought, she tugs her hood back up after the latest bout of her hair shoving it off; the last thing they need right now is some unsuspecting teacher or student to catch a glimpse of her and run screaming to the school authorities.

As Sylvia and Caladrel enter the chamber, the three clockwork creations come to life, alchemical eyes suddenly glowing red. They move toward the intruders, mechanical arms flailing menacingly.

Roll initiative.

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

"Why professors don't trust students, I'll never know."

Good question, but most don't leave lethal guardians in their workshops. This would strike one as particularly extreme.

Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
What knowledge check would be appropriate here? Arcana or Engineering I presume?

Yes. Information could be gathered with either one.

Initiative 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

Faenor looks over the approaching constructs with a keen appraisal, trying to spot their weaknesses

K(Arcana): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

I have no relevant knowledge skills that will help here.

Startled by the movement, Caladrel exclaims, "What foul contraptions are these?"

"That is bloody intriguing!"

Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Clockworks initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

MAP

Init:
Smitty
Caladrel
Faenor
Clockworks
Trina
Sylvia
Jerry

Faenor sounds out in a voice calculated to carry, yet no farther than his group

"These are constructs. Magic that affects life or mind will ill work. Electricity is the best path"

Thus saying he swiftly draws Telperion, and fires a sizzling bolt towards the clockwork foe

Lightning bolt

4d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 5, 4) = 18 DC 14 reflex for half

ranged touch attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

May I assume that when Caladrel followed Sylvia into the room, he made it to E9 when the clockwork creatures began to move?

Caladrel takes one of the three tanglefoot bags off his belt and throws it at clockwork #1. The bag breaks open and a smelly, gooey mess breaks over the clockwork creature. The concoction of tar, resin, and sticks quickly hardens attempting to the stop the creature in its tracks.

DC 15 Reflex save otherwise the creature is glued to the floor. The creature is entangled and has -2 to attack and -4 penalty to dexterity.

"Hopefully, I can salvage parts after we destroy these. I regret having to do this, but..."

Musket (touch attack): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Smitty's shot goes wide of its mark, striking a sturdy shelf with a noisy report that echos through the small office. Caladrel succeeds in partially ensnaring one of the clockwork creatures with the tanglefoot bag.

Reflex vs tanglefoot bag: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Duration: 2d4 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4 rounds

I'm going to declare that Faenor's lightning bolt was aimed at the same one Caladrel threw the tanglefoot bag at, since who wouldn't want to inflict a Reflex save on something that is already entangled?

Reflex vs lightning bolt: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Faenor's lightning bolt strikes one of the constructs, sending sparks of electricity through its inner workings.

The first construct approaches Caladrel, slowed as it is by the tanglefoot bag. It swings one of its heavy metal arms at him.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
1d4 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 damage

The second one launches a net from within its trunk in Sylvia's direction.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 vs touch
Sylvia is entangled. -2 to attack, -4 to Dex until you break free. You move at half speed and cannot charge or run.

The third approaches and swings one of its arms at Sylvia.

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
1d4 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 damage

Summary: #1 misses Caladrel, #2 entangles Sylvia in a net, #3 hits Sylvia for 7 damage.

MAP

Trina
Sylvia (entangled)
Jerry
(end of round 1)
Smitty
Caladrel
Faenor
Clockworks (#1 is entangled for 3 more rounds)

"So much for stealth...."

Trina draws her pistol as she makes her way into the room, stepping through the entrance and a few steps inside before lining up a shot at the machine looming over Sylvia.

Move 30 ft to G6, draw pistol as she moves, then fire at C1.
Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 (Touch)
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 5

Sylvia, showing better sense than one might credit her with, backs out of the room in order to disentangle herself.

Withdraw to E8, full-round action, no provoke.

As the crack of the pistol reverberates down the hallway, Jerry decides maybe it's best to open a new avenue of entrance if there's a kerfuffle occurring. Glad that he's put down the heavy sword he rushes towards the locked door and throws his weight against it, twisting at the last second so his shoulder evenly distributes the entire blow rather than on the more delicate socket.

Str roll against office door @K4/5: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Bouncing off, he gasps softly a light curse at the hag who'd sapped his vigour reserves.