Aubrey's Wrath of the Righteous (Inactive)

Game Master Aubrey the Malformed

First he doesn't want to climb down, next he's just breezily opening doors. He's changeable, that Sol.

Sol pushes open the door. Beyond, three copper bowls filled with glowing coals hang from the ceiling of this long, natural cavern. The braziers fill the chamber with warmth and soft orange light. In the centre of the chamber stands a block of stone that serves as a table, lined with wooden chairs. An enormous bloodstain, maybe a week old, darkens the stone’s surface. There are two more doors at the left and right ends of the room.

Sometimes it's a meta thang about keeping the game moving. Besides the sooner we're done down here, the sooner we can go up.

Sol stands in the doorway with his mouth agape. "I didn't expect this."

Then his eye falls on the stained stone. His mouth closes.

Maybe he did expect that.

"I guess it was just aquestion of time, considering who we're dealing with." Rhok walks into the room and looks around. "That's a lot of blood", he mutters to nobody in particular.

Are both doors closed?

Jod peers in for a moment, unsure of what they are talking about. The altar stirs a faint but disturbing memory, so he turns his back on it and concentrates on watching for threats to the party.

Sometimes it's a meta thang about keeping the game moving. Besides the sooner we're done down here, the sooner we can go up.

I keep thinking that, then wondering if this AP is designed for us to ever see daylight again ;)

Both doors are shut.

Clearly the demons have taken the surface world and we are meant to colonize the under dark.

"Hannik and I will watch this door." Rhok points to the door on the right wall. "The rest of you, check the other door. If there's nothing there, we'll move on this way."

Expecting Mulluq and Kira to take point on the left door, Jod maintains his position in the back of the group. He stands with his back to the doors, trusting the others to watch his back while he watches theirs.

Without realizing, Kira follows Jod's plan to the letter. "Mulluq, do you want to open the door, or be first through?."

Drawn to the stone table Sol moves to the middle of the room. He mutters, "Was it murder or sacrifice?"

Should let Mulluq get his detect evil scan done before opening anything?

"Is there a difference?"

Mulluq pulls the door open. A stone pedestal holds a copper brazier aloft in the centre of this room. Against the western wall, an enormous pile of animal furs and thick quilts serves as a bed. Sheathed weapons and stone carvings adorn the walls. The eastern half of the room holds a wooden desk, beneath which stands a long, thin iron lock box.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Anything that looks dangerous? If not Kira will enter the room and have a look over the desk....

Nothing obvious.

The desk is clear. The lock box is locked, but the key taken from the cultist leader opens it fairly handily. Inside are a small leather pouch containing what look like semi-precious stones, a scroll case containing two scrolls, and a rather fine sword case in darkwood.

Inside the case, which isn't locked, is breathtakingly beautiful sword that shines like gold. But it is clearly no useless gewgaw - the blade is razor-sharp.

If someone drops a Read Magic, the scrolls are identified as being of Bears Endurance (CL 3) and Remove Disease (CL 5). Someone can try Appraise on the gemstones and the sword case.

Kira will check out the scrolls.

"I guess we've found the sword. Mulluq I think you should take this for the moment.

Sorry for my silence, this broken computer thing is a pain.

Mulluq is consistently disturbed by the 'table' with what looked like sacrificial marks and stains. He nervously scans the room for evil auras. He is distracted, and silent, as they move through the space while he pushes his senses outward. He is somewhat startled by Kira's statement, "What? Oh, Lady Valerious, I couldn't. If that is, as the others had said, the weapon of a goodly and godly crusader that made history at the Worldwound, I would only besmirch its greatness with my mere touch. I would wish to die if my wicked blood had any hand in working towards the corruption that the vile heathens had planned for this most magnificent of weapons."

"Just take the sword, damnit."

"If the blood of the demons it has killed hasn't affected it, your hand on the hilt won't. Just take it until we find a better place for it."

Nice post, Mulluq.

Someone needs to take the sword.

"Perhaps the good in the sword will rub off on you." Kira reflects drolly. "Either way, you are best with a sword, and our best chance of getting out of here alive, and returning the sword to it's rightful place, is to put the shit-hot powerful sword int he hands of our best swordsman. Pick it us and pretend it's your normal one." She finishes with an air of command that she hopes will kick Mulluq into stopping arguing.

Mulluq turns sharply and scowls at the bark from Rhok, fangs bared unwittingly. He is calmed, however, by Jod's reasoning. He nods slightly in acceptance of the line of thinking, and a respect for considering the matter as importantly as he himself does. He takes a knee, putting his own sword in its sheath, and reaches for the noteworthy blade. "Great Inheritor, I pray to you that I do not offend by accepting responsibility for this treasured weapon. I only ask that I may transport it in your holy name, and if you deem me unworthy, you wrench it from my twisted hand." With the prayer spoken, he grasps the weapon.

Thank you, Jod

Ah-ha! ninja'd!

As Mulluq grasps the hilt, the sword flares with golden light. It bathes the room in its warm glow.

Mulluq:

Jod nods approvingly. "That looks like a case from a museum, doesn't it? Maybe we should take it, too. Someday they will hopefully rest there together once more."

Mulluq:

OK, what now?

Mulluq marvels at the blade, not yet rising from his kneeling position from when he grasped it. "Thank you, Iomedae, Light of the Sword, I am grateful for your blessing and will do all that I can to bring honor to your most holy name." He rises, and his demeanor is more squared, and less indicative of a defeated mien. His grip on the sword is firm and determined. "This must be returned to its rightful resting place. It belongs in a museum... nay a shrine, in honor of the late crusader and Iomedae the Inheritor."

"See? I told you, didn't I?"

"Anyway, swords do not belong in museums or shrines. They are useless there. The one and only place swords belong are in the hands of skilled men taking the fight to their enemies. As beautiful as the blade is, it is still a tool of war and should be treated as such."

Jod reaches in and stirs the gemstones. "Pretty. Are they real?" He looks up, "I mean, are they worth anything? I saw a man pay for a good stallion once with a stone like that."

I take it that's Jod's version of an Appraise check...? I'm not sure anyone (except maybe Sol?) has it trained anyway.

Mulluq sighs at Rhok's 'I told you so', "Just because it worked out in the end, does not always mean the the ends justify the means. I took the advice of my colleagues to heart, and their suggestions were founded. They showed wisdom and foresight in their intentions, not impatience." He however needs to agree with the man's follow-on assessment, "Yes, a sword of such glory and righteousness should be used against the enemies of this place, and once we drive back whatever forces defile the goodliness of this region, I will ensure I deliver it into the hands of those much more deserving of its grace than I."

"Bring the gems, either they are worthless and we don't need to worry, or they are put of the funding of this foul operation. Lets get moving."

Kira:

I take it that's Jod's version of an Appraise check...? I'm not sure anyone (except maybe Sol?) has it trained anyway.

Heh. I needed to say I was still here and I could use it to remind folks (in character) that we hadn't examined the gems yet.

Barring anyone appraising them and saying they are not worth their weight, Jod will stow the small bag of gems on his person for now. He thinks the sword case looks nice, also, so he will carry it, also, until it's too unwieldy to be worth it.

Sol watches the others with a mixture of curiosity and vague jealousy as they reveal the famous sword and debate its use. When the sword flares in Mulluq's, Sol is comforted by the sign. After all their chances of survival have increased marginally with the find, but his jealousy flares too. He turns away.

I'll put appraise on the list of skills Sol needs to invest in.

"Let's go find the last enemy. After that, we return to the mayor and gather our merry band of of freaks and cripples."

Well, you haven't fully explored yet - there's a door and a hole in the ground.

Voting for door first.

"Let's do the same with this door as the last one, ready?"

"We'll just get it over with." Sol steps over to the door, and once the party is ready, opens that one.

Buoyed by the light of the champion's sword, Mulluq is eager to head over to the next one and face whatever may be within. He stands with the new sword still drawn, shield raised, nodding his readiness to the opener.

Hannik stands well back, hands held out in front of her ready to begin summoning if necessary.

Old blood stains the floor of this small cavern. Barrels filled with scraps of fur and fat sit against one wall, emitting an foul stench. The two long stone slab tables are covered with skinning tools and piles of freshly butchered meat. Two wooden racks hold drying animal skins.

Perception checks.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

"Well, we know how they made their clothes...."

Sol looks inside... Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

... and slumps his head. I was hoping this would meet up with the cave.

I'm totally confused on that score, are we going back towards there or away? Have a missed a map?

No, you went down the hole in the room where the big fight took place. You found another room and moved from there into a third, which is the room with table with the bloodstains. There are two doors off this room - one is the chamber where you found the sword, the other is this room. There seem to be no more exits.

Sol:

Yep, get that. If the rope down part and the hole in the floor make a line, are we moving from the hole towards to the rope, or away from it, or on a different axis altogether?

I have no idea what you mean. Basically, in this complex, you can go in two directions (more or less) from the main room where you entered the complex - through the east door where the mass of mongrelmen came in and you had the big fight, or through the north door. So far, you have explored (fully) the east section of the caves - through the door, down the hole, and in the rooms which are down that hole. You have found no more exits from that section.

The other part of the lair, through the north door, you still have to complete. There is another room through that door, and there are two exits from that room - through a door to the north, or down the SECOND hole to the east.

"He's gotta be in here somewhere. Stay alert!"

Perception 12+0=12.