"Yeah, there's a door here, but I can't find any sign of a way to open it. Break it down, or hope there's not enemies behind it and come back after we've dealt with the rest?"
”It’s not a danger. And didn’t we just agree that we don’t have time? We can come back and check it out. After we clear this place out and resanctify it.”
"There's a difference between cleaning and leaving unknown spaces behind you, but, I asked because it is a gamble either way. I'm good with the choice to come back."
”Aye, and if we could get in I’d say check. But...ne’er mind. We’re on the same page, aye? Onwards.”
"That's odd. Why put a panel there but... make it inaccessible? Unless... it's to keep out enemies in a scenario like this one," says Jocasta.
She approaches the area indicated by Terry, though she can't see the 'glow' that he notices.
"Hmm." She furrows her brow for a moment, then closes her eyes and says, "Let us inherit thine arms, Iomedae."
As Jocasta says the final syllable the light grows to a blinding light then dims, as soon as everyone's eyes clear the door has opened. Inside the room you can see what looks like an Armory, weapon racks and armor racks are inside. This must have been a secret place for crusaders to retreat to and gear back up to defend the city.
The weapon rack contains
three cold iron longswords, two cold iron shortswords, two
heavy crossbows, a composite longbow (+2 Str), a masterwork
cold iron heavy mace, two cold iron longspears, 50 cold iron
crossbow bolts, 100 cold iron arrows, a +1 longsword, 5 +1 holy
arrows, and an arrow of evil outsider slaying.
The armor dummies hold two sets of masterwork
chainmail and a +1 breastplate emblazoned with Iomedae’s
holy symbol.
The two heavy steel shields are both marked with the
holy symbol of Iomedae. One is a masterwork shield, and
the other is a +1 blinding shield.
[ooc]Bump]ooc]
”The armory. Fortune smiles on us. Take what ye need lads n’ ladies.”
Firinn immediately heads for the bow and arrows, running his hand down the weapon with obvious appreciation. "This is a fine weapon, a much heavier draw than mine. I'll be able to hit much harder with it!" He comments. "These arrows... I assume some of these are magical. Can anyone say how?" He asks, gesturing to the arrows separate from the rest.
Jocasta quickly casts detect magic to sort out the enchanted weapons.
"The breastplate is magical, and if we have time to change armor, I could benefit from wearing that," she says. "The arrows and that one longsword as well."
"These five arrows are holy - they will strike true against the most wicked enemies, and penetrate the resistance of many demons," she explains to Firinn.
”Fate smiles on us. We’ll guard ye while ye don your new armor. Oi! Lorena. Can ye use this here shield? Plenty of solid swords here for ye an’ Terry. And Firinn, grab those arrows.”
Jocasta nods her thanks and, fortunately, removing and replacing a breastplate is a relatively straightforward affair. She meticulously undoes the clasps for her current blood-spattered one and replaces it with the one bearing the holy symbol of Iomedae. She gives a brief crooked smile.
"Nobody can mistake me for anything but what I am now," she says. "Though I suppose a better liar than I could convince the cultists that they were some kind of spy. Thank goodness that the crusaders kept these arms and armor here for emergencies - this is just such an emergency."
She ties up the straps of her old breastplate and puts it into her back, then shrugs the heavy pack back on with a grunt.
"Ugh. Heavy. This is gonna slow me down a bit. Not enough to keep me from fighting, though."
Lorena shakes her head as she looks over the assorted gear. "Nothing I can use. Although, I guess I could take the spears as backups."
"I'll refill my quiver, but the short swords aren't as good for me as the rapier. Here, let me help you with that armor . . .." He doesn't say anything, and is carefully a gentleman about where his hands go, while he assists.
Firinn takes the arrows, splitting the 'standard' cold irons equally with Terry.
"A treasure trove indeed." He agrees. "We still need to cleanse this place properly, but the Inheritor clearly smiles on our efforts."
Once the group has had time to recoop and reequpip everyone heads back out, there is the door straight a head that lead to the area where the Alchemist came from. The bodies still remain on the floor where they feel and were finished off.
P9. Priest’s Chambers
A long table and six chairs have been pushed against the
western wall. On the opposite wall, a tapestry depicting a
map of Mendev hangs from a silver rod—the tapestry has been
slashed several times and splashed with filth. A bedroll sits
on the floor, and on the nearby table is an array of alchemical
devices and a long wooden sword case wrapped with cords, as
if ready for travel.
”A quick once over lads for anything useful and let’s move on.”
Looking them over the cultists have mundane gear, the Teifling as well. The Alchemist has A few potions, a ring, magical armor
potions of cure light wounds (2)
potion of cure
moderate wounds
potion of barkskin
potion of invisibility
potion of spider climb
+1 leather armor
dagger
ring of protection +1
”A good haul. Three potions of healing. Big one for Jocasta, one for Terry, one for Firinn. Keep ye all in for the fight. Terry, grab that ring, and take the Invisibility potion too. Get ye out of a tricky scoutin’ mishap. Someone grab the barkskin, or I will. Best drink it now. And let’s get a move on. More foes may be coming. An’ let me go through next door first. This shield can blind the enemies, but if ye all aren’t behind me it can do the same to ye.”
"I'll refill my quiver, but the short swords aren't as good for me as the rapier. Here, let me help you with that armor . . .." He doesn't say anything, and is carefully a gentleman about where his hands go, while he assists.
"Thanks, Terry. Very kind of you," says Jocasta, gratefully accepting his help.
Once she's refitted, she turns and taps the breastplate a few times, then says, "Not the worst fit. My gambeson should prevent any armor bite, so this should do."
She purses her lips and scans the alchemist's chambers. Her gaze falls for a moment on the sword-case. "I wonder what used to reside there," she says. "Maybe something powerful enough that the cultists decided to use it. Or something so holy that they couldn't touch it and had to dispose of it."
She frowns sadly at the damaged map of Mendev. "A shame... I suppose that will give some cartographer work once this is all sorted out. Strange that someone would make a curtain rod of silver. Usually it's too soft to hold the weight of a tapestry, and why would you want to hide beautiful polished silver under a curtain anyway?"
There are enough supplies here to make just about any item you want with Alchemy.
Terry looks the sword case over for a while before deeming it not trapped.
Inside is a pristine looking Long Sword. It identifies as magical, DC 23 spell craft to ID
The now slashed map will help with rebuilding the city if that ever happens as the cultists have marked where they attacked
”Nice looking blade. Wonder if it is like Radiance?” Khaz mused.
"That armour looks better than mine." Firinn says, "Give me a moment or two." He easily slides out of his own worn armour and settles the new suit on, before whirling his arms to check if it fits properly.
"I should work on magical items one day." He adds, when Khaz finds the sword.
"All the armor's too heavy and the weapons too big. If one of you can use that sword, great. We've only got the one barred door left down here. If it is a simple bar, a thin, but strong, piece of metal should get us in by just lifting the bar. If it is planned strong room, that won't work, because the bar will need to slide to one side or the other, and might even have a latch securing it in place."
Khaz picks up the blade, feeling the magical power course through it after holding it aloft for what feels like forever the blade remains a blade.
Everyone finally equipped agian, Terry leads the party back to the door.
”It appears that they sought to corrupt this blade. They tried to do the same to Radiance. Logic says that this is another holy weapon. Who here would use it? It will most likely come in handy.”
The thief shrugs putting his hands in front of him, palms together, before spreading them further apart and shaking his head. "Depending on how well that barred door fits the frame, the sword might work to try to lift the bar?" He feels kind of bad for the lack of positive response to Khaz, and tries to find something that might satisfy the dwarf's need, but realizes after he says it just how bad a choice it really was.
Jocasta takes the note and reads it, then says, "Huh. Irabeth's old sword? We should certainly bring this back to her."
Narrowing her eyes, she murmurs another incantation and once more checks for any other magical auras, whether of the sword, the equipment in the room, the map, or anything else, with a slow turn in a circle to check everything.
Jocasta detects nothing new that is magical that the group hasn't ready explored. Terry tries the door again, feeling confident in his theory that the door is bared from the other side.
When everyone seems ready to move on, Terry will try using something, maybe the point of one of the spears, to slide between the doorway and frame to see if simply lifting the bar will work.
You will have to make a disable device check, this place is a Museum now but it was a small fort before so everything is fit to keep people out.
You could always try to bust the door down. Break DC of 25.
You also have that Adamantine morning star
Khaz picked up the morning star, ready to break the door down if more subtle methods failed.
Khaz put a hand on Terry’s shoulder. ”Take yer time. Rushing one’s craft rarely turns out well.”
As Khaz gives him the advice, Terry takes a deep breath, and visibly tries to relax, getting SOME of the tension out of his shoulders. He starts again, going carefully, step-by-step through the procedures he's learned over the years . . ..
After about Minutes Terry finally gets the door open, inside is a small room, a Stairwell runs up the right hand side of this room. There are no lights inside this room like the other rooms, a musty smell of rotten eggs and sweat stick to the stones in this room.
The stairs appear to be coated in oil making them slick and hard to traverse. Acrobatics DC 14 to walk up the stairs, 2 rolls
Khaz was completely unaware of the peril regarding the stairs. Carefully he went in, shield first. Once everyone was ready, he would ascend the stairs.
"Woah. Hang on. The barred door. The oil they've covered these steps with . . .. See the glisten in the torch light?" He stops talking long enough to point it out to those with about his perspective on the stairs. "Maybe there's good guys holed up upstairs. As easy as it would be to light that oil, we probably ought to say something before we try to climb the slick stairs. Hate to get burned like that by the people we should be rescuing."
"So what's the plan then? Call out to whoever's up there, like Terry suggests? Or try to burn away the oil? Or find some other way to climb up?"
”Nay way I’m making it up there. So let’s call first and be ready to burn if it’s more cultists. Oh, and everyone get out of sight. Don’t want archers filling everyone with holes. Ye all ready? Aye. OI! WHO’SE UP THERE?”
Able to see in the dark, Lorena prepares her spear near the doorway as Khaz calls out, ready to stab if anyone hostile comes down.
Firinn, likewise able to see, fades into the shadows with his bow drawn.