Aveira: Nation of Mages

Game Master Tark the Ork

AS the formation allows, Brittiri will fill in after Ryzern has finished his initial sweep...

@Ryzern
"You sure are a talkative fella."

Caun, standing in the doorway after the other two have moved in, murmurs some words softly to himself and a small magical aura flickers about him briefly as he completes his casting of detect magic bathing the area 60 foot in towards the room, aiming it so the detection cone is centralized in the room.

If he picks up anything that's not PCs.
spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

"Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward...."

Trailing a line of thin blue smoke Ryzern moves forward cautiously.

Checking for traps as Ryzern moves across the floor, +8 skill. Taking 20 on this if I can.

Questions.
1.The walls, floor and ceiling are the same aged-but-not-rotted concrete we have seen everywhere else?
2. No marks, decoration, or anything else in the room or on the walls, floor, inside of the door, or ceiling?
3. No new smells or breezes?
4. Same lights?
(assuming we/Ryzern reaches the altar)
5. Is the altar table like or a solid pillar?
6. Any markings on the pillar/altar?
7. Does it look like the pillar/altar can sink into the floor?
8. Any markings on the sarcophagus that can be seen from the ground?
Relevant skills for your secret rolling convenience: Per +7/8traps. K.History, Engineering +3. K.Nobles, Local, Religion +7. Roll twice and take the best with all knowledge checks, all knowledge skills usable untrained.)

1. Yes.

2. Nothing.

3. No.

4. Yes

5. Solid, I guess pillar with stairs are a better description I'm not 100% sure what you would call it. It's an altar but the size is massive making it more like a pyramid.

6 No, but the pillar and sarcophagus are made of granite.

7. Maybe. It looks made as part of the floor, not on top of it.

8. No.

Ryzern determines that the sarcophagus has a lid not unlike other sarcophagus's and that the lid, should they decide to lift it would weigh somewhere around 1000lbs.

The room is not trapped and the sarcophagus doesn't have any mechanisms that could be considered a trap nor a means with which to open it.

@Ryzern

"You sure are a talkative fella."

Yes I am. Thanks for noticing, I find a bit of patter keeps the mind running smoothly. Especially when trying to decide if that is a water stain or a trigger plate. <taps floor with cane> Water stain."

"Looks safe people. Or at least as safe as I can see."

Ryzern studies the coffin.

"Pretty obvious, but if a key is here it is likely in the box. Looks like a job for the well muscled amongst us."

Leaving the coffin to the mighty Ryzern walks back and studies the door into this room.

Is there a way to lock it from the inside? Is there anything that looks like an automatic or remote open/close feature? Could for example the door seal us in if the stone lid is opened?

So who is opening the lid? Or are we leaving this for later and hitting the next room?

Ryzern continues to smoke as he inspects the door.

Might as well open it, might be a key inside.

"I suppose we each have our own optimal ways of functioning. If pratter helps you think then by all means." Caun gives a brief smile before moving into the room.

Caun eyes the coffin, sheathing his glaive, and then looks at Lienhol "Shall we?"

Silently Lienhol moves to assist Caun.

Brittiri, of little help with such tasks due to his size, continues to keep a watchful eye as others prepare to move the lid...

Teh group works to lift the massive lid and manage to get it off. Before the lid is tossed aside Ryzern spots a glint of metal underneath the lid. With a bit more effort you managed to flip it and reveal a metal oblong object taped to the lid.

Within the sarcophagus itself is empty save a single carving in the bottom that says "Assumptions".

Aiseilura sighs as she reads the inscription. "That better be part of some sort of puzzle, rather than some sort of joke... And I'm pretty sure the ability to move a heavy rock isn't going to fix the city, either."

Caun's nose twitches, a bead of sweating dripping off from the effort of moving the lid, in annoyance at the single carving before responding to Aiseilura.

"Indeed, hopefully this is a key... of some sort. I suppose we should move on to the next room then?"

I wonder if thinking we're done here is one of these assumptions... Perhaps this oblong object is a tool to get the actual key.

"Let me take one more good look around to make sure we haven't missed anything. We should be able to come back if we need to, but... 'assumptions' and all."

Aiseilura takes another good look over the room and sarcophagus for any potential way to use the object to open a hidden compartment.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Finding no meat for his paranoia to feed on at the door Ryzern returns the concrete box.

"Oh great, they are being clever....I have clever."

Ryzern checks the interior on the sarcophagus and lid for secrets and or traps. Skill +8/9 vs traps, or call it an aid other to Aiseilura's efforts.

Assuming here :7)

Finding none he draws a dagger and cuts the tape holding the oblong thing to the lid.

Any more description on the oblong metal thing? Markings, what kind of metal, polished or scuffed, is it flat like a cut out or more 3D like an egg, how heavy, how big etc.?

As Caun goes to leave the room he stops, nothing the others searching, finally catching on to why no one else was leaving.
Blast it Caun! Your so impatient your missing potentially obvious clues.

Grumbling to himself he walks back over and begins to help look for any clues or oddities around or in the giant box.

Perception: 10 + 9 + 2 = 21 Taking 10

Crawling into the sarcophagus and searching around a bit Caun starts to finger around the carving. Prodding the bit in the middle of the "A" the whole word depresses and slides inward revealing a small compartment where a trapezoidal object sits. It's much shinier and more polished than the one taped to the lid and it feels much warmer to the touch.

This silvery object is much lighter than the other one and it's easy enough to identify as a chunk of mithril. There are no markings on either but the silvery one is a little bit thinner than the duller metal one.

The gnome grunts at the discovery, Should we take them both? Only one?

Well, at least it seems like it wasn't some joke...

"Probably both, just to be safe."

"Seems you all were right about not being hasty." Caun says as he studies the object in his hand before setting it beside the other object. He quickly mutters a few words and casts a detect magic spell on it, just to be safe. Will just take 10 on spellcraft if it is.

"I agree, we should probably bring both."

"So, I believe we've found what we're looking for, onwards then?

"Yes indeed, let us make no delay!' grumbles Lienhol from beneath his fullplate.

Assuming the Det. Magic finds nothing.

"Will you carry those things Caun? I think at least one will come in handy later."

[quote=Dreadguard Lienhol}
"Yes indeed, let us make no delay!' grumbles Lienhol from beneath his fullplate.

"Excellent idea. As it looks like we have a puzzle to deal with taking a look at the exit door might be rewarding. If we can see what we are up against It might make things easier.

Assuming no opposition to action or destination. I suggest we keep rough diamond formation and head to the exit door via the passage along the 'bottom' of the map.

"That makes sense. Let's check the exit and see if we can glean anything from it."

Leaving the room and traveling along the south end you eventually turn left after passing another corridor and another set of doors before you come to the goal of this short journey.

A massive set of silvery metal doors stands before you multiple tendrils of mercurial metal bind and tie the two doors together in intricate metal knots.

Beyond this the door is otherwise uninteresting save for 6 clear indentations in a number of odd shapes at around eye level to you of roughly the same size of the pieces you already grabbed.

Tark, am I correct in stating that based on Ryzerns skill with animating magic and training in bypassing locks this door/lock is not vulnerable to a simple disable check or any magic or muscle we might bring to bear?

"I picked the wrong day to stop messing about with alkahest."
Ruzern studies the lock, the doors, the walls and the floor.

K. Engineering +3 usable untrained roll twice and take the best: 1d20 ⇒ 111d20 ⇒ 2 Sigh.
A frustrated cloud of blue smoke impacts the door.

"Well the good news is they made the nouveau riche error. The door is far stronger than the walls.
The bad news is that unless someone has a couple of sledgehammers in their pocket, or you don't mind sitting in here for a week, we are doing this the hard way."

"Caun, do you want to try fitting the 'Assumption' piece into the works? Something might happen."

Ryzern would figure that out pretty quick. These are the sorts of doors the guild uses to both impress visitors and intimidate potential burglars. The keys are all that's required to get them open. The idea behind them is that once put back in place the pieces meld into the door and the whole mess liquefies and flows open bypassing the tangled knots of metal altogether. Once the doors are closed again the whole piece comes back together and ejects the key/s out. Useful for vaults, rubbish for everyday use and very expensive as well.

Ryzern passes the above info along.

"Humph, Somebody really overspent on this door."

And on we go! Room in the Chaotic Good aka northeast corner?

Brittiri offers a "harumph" at the door and its various mechanisms, Five more it is then yeah?

I'm cool with NE corner.

Well I'll just hold onto the keys for now until we get them all. But yeah, formation and destination sound good to me.

"At least we have an idea what we are looking for. Do you figure the others will be similar in nature Ryzern?"
Caun will keep an eye out for trouble as they move.
Taking 10 on Perception for a 19

Lienhol trudges along silently with the group. He wasn't much for conversation, to be sure.

He sneezes softly beneath his helmet. The dust down here were playing hell with his allergies; hopefully no one was listening too closely.

Will post tommorow. Beena busy week between my birthday, getting a new computer soon, and legal troubles involving my daughter.

"At least we have an idea what we are looking for. Do you figure the others will be similar in nature Ryzern?"
Caun will keep an eye out for trouble as they move.
Taking 10 on Perception for a 19

Making the following up but I think this is where Tark is going with this.....

"I can't be sure. If they really shelled out the zecchinos then the 'keys' could be anything. Clockwise motion, the color blue, sunlight or the concept of forgiveness. But I am thinking that they actually want us to get out of this so physical keys are likely. Plus the forgiveness and sunlight locks require serious guild pull. Physical key doors just require buckets of cash."

New computer, need to get maptool over. Sorry, getting on it as soon as I can in the morning.

Lost the maptool map, sigh, no worries I remember the map well enough I can reconstruct it. In the meantime.

Opening the door you find a pitch black room.

I have the old map open at the moment if that would help at all.

"Dark, really. You pay for that door and skimp on the lights."

Ryzern reaches into a small pouch on his belt and removes a pair of full sized torches. Lighting them from his cigar he gently tosses one into the center of the room.

To hit, improvised weapon: 1d20 + 5 - 4 ⇒ (6) + 5 - 4 = 7

I am having really bad connectivity issues, can't login or logon and the site is often giving me the goblin page that things are down, but I am seeing my posts disappear from other threads despite tools in place to keep that from happening so I am looking into that issue but if I am seem quiet that is why, apologies!

Brittiri grabs a small dull stone from his pouch and sets it in the air near his head, it begins to rotate in a lazy arc around him emitting soft torchlike light. deploying my ioun torch

Had the same issue yesterday. Seems better today. Fingers crossed anyway.

"Nice rock. Handy."

Caun nods at Ryzern "Well, I'm glad you don't think we need 'forgiveness', I'm not sure I could manage that at the moment. Can any of you lot see in that blasted room. I can't see more than a few feet past the torches."

Caun looks around at everyone, to see if anyone appears able to see. Then he begins to murmor a few words as a small faint outline of light surrounds him before he completes his incantation and then, touching the end of his glaive, it lights up Light Spell.

Pointing it into the room, he steps forward going in keeping an eye out for anything unpleasant.
Still taking 10 on Perception, which is actually a 21, forgot about Heightened Awareness.

This weekend I'm gong to screenshot the map off the old laptop and throw it up in google slides.

Could not get my map back.

So Here's a long loading bar while I do my best to reconstruct it sometime tommorrow or wendesday. In the meantime...

Entering the room your lights and visions reveal a white tiled room. Scattered through out are a number of wooden crates stacked and scattered to form something of an obstacle course. It takes you a moment to take it in and as the horror of understanding comes upon the more martial among you there is the soft click of mechanics coming from the darkness...

Perception checks please.

Good thing i'm not a martial cause I have no idea what is happening. Guile 1/4 used.

Perception, using a guile point: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 2 = 17
{Roll accidently made on other thread. Transferring result}

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

I'm still taking point and I have low-light vision as well.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
I've got dark vision 60 ft.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

Post coming soonish today

No surprise round. rolled bad on the stealth checks.

So that you guys are aware I do initiative by rolling up you and the bad guys, averaging among them and the best average group goes first.

This way we avoid problems like posting out of sequence and what not. Initiative order within the group happens in the order of posting. So if you need to wait for someones turn, then simply wait, no worries.

Huntsmen Average: 15

Group:
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 Aiselura
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19 Caun
1d20 + 0 ⇒ (16) + 0 = 16 Lienhol
1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 Brittiri
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 Ryzern

Group Average: 10.8

The construct menace goes first.

As the group ready themselves for the coming assault the door suddenly slams behind them as crossbow bolts begin flying at them. Armored constructs move swiftly into course firing powerful mechanical crossbows from the safety of the crates.

Despite your sluggish reaction the bolts fail to find purchase in flesh with the exception of Brittiri who curses loudly as an incredibly lucky shot finds its way into the crook of his elbow causing a river of blood to flow down his arm into his gauntlet. 4 damage

GROUP IS UP!

Terrain: The golden boxes are a full 8 foot tall and provide full cover. The brown oxes are only 4-1/2 feet tall and give half cover.

Round One

With notable courage Ryzern dives for the questionable cover of a large crate.
Move action, move to -Q,-5

Cowering behind the crate he takes stock of the situation.
Knowledge Engineering to figure out what these things are: 2d20 ⇒ (19, 15) = 34 for 19+3 or TOTAL of 22.
Rather important question. Do these whatevers have weapons and/or armor that is vulnerable to animation?

Leaning out from cover Ryzern throws a small ball of blur at the thing approaching his hideaway.

Standard action. Destruction bolt at thing in -K,-6. Touch attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

The ball slams into a crate negating the shippers "no damage" bonus.

Round 1
"Oi, Brittiri, you okay? I'll help deal with the one on the left With respect to our overhead view, not actual characters."

Caun will move up 30 feet to -M,-4 before concentrating and summoning forth a Small Earth Elemental -K,-4 which moves to -K,-5.

The Small Elemental Slams at the Huntsmen.
Slam w/ Power Attack: 1d20 + 8 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 8 - 1 + 1 = 22
Damage: 1d6 + 7 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 3 + 1 = 14

Round 1

"I'll start shutting down the other side, then!"

Aiseiura's eyes gain a feral gleam as she shifts stances to rapidly close the distance.
Swift action, switch to Running Hunter's Stance, increasing land speed by 10 ft and gaining scent. Also removes the -2 AC penalty from her previous stance.

She runs up to the nearest construct and gives two quick slashes.
Move action, move to (-L,5).
Standard action, initiate Swift Claws maneuver.

main hand attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 natural 19, critical threat
critical confirmation: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
main hand damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
additional crit damage if confirmed: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

off hand attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
off hand damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Round 1

Lienhol simply moves forward, trailing Aiseilura but hanging far back to help block line of fire towards the rear line. He channels force along the length of his weapon, in anticipation of anyone that draws to close.

Swift Action to enter Stance of the Defending Shell. AC increases to 20. Move Action to (-N, 3), drawing greatsword as part of the movement. Standard Action to cast Lead Blades