DM Talomyr's Council of Thieves (Inactive)

Game Master Talomyr

Addie casts Detect Magic and studies the various items.

The wand, the Crux, and the locked spellbook each glow. You also see a faint glow from inside the ivory box.

Kev will push himself up from the floor to help inspect the items.

Taking 20 for a 27 to search the ivory box and spellbook for traps.
Disable Device for box (if needed): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Disable Device for spell book (at least to open the lock): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

Kev warns everybody to stand well back, takes a deep breath, then works on the lock on the spell book.

Guidance on Kevorin before he works on it.

Kevorin nervously works away at the magical trap, just a split second before breaking the rune he sees a spark, but still manages to disable the glyph on the book.

A bit less nervously he deftly works away at the lock, picking it easily.

Anyone examining the spell book can make a Perception check.

"Thank you for disabling the trap, Kev. And for unlocking the spellbook. I'd like to examine it when we get back home."

Addie didn't prepare Read Magic today.

Assuming we have gone through all the chests thoroughly and searched this room completely...

"Well, we have the puzzle box, which was what we needed to possibly get into this Delvehaven. Are we done in this infernal Knot, or do we have any more unfinished business here? I never thought I'd be this happy to see Westcrown again as it was...."

"Yes, let's get out of here," Addie agrees with Valeron. "We can use those magic doorways to take us back to the Shrine of Aroden and avoid having to explain our presence in the Lord Mayor's mansion."

Once through the portal and back in Westcrown, Valeron gathers up any unwanted items they uncovered and hunts out an appropriate merchant to negotiate their sale.

He'll pray for Eagle's Splendor that morning and use it prior to entry into the shop, along with Guidance.

Diplomacy (to barter prices on sold items): 1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 15 + 2 + 1 = 25

(I figure we can flag things that aren't wanted in the OOC thread. Depending on the other longsword, the +1 defending longsword could be part of this transaction)

Dressed in her finest courtier's outfit, Addie accompanies Valeron and assists him with the negotiations.

DC 10 Aid Another Diplomacy check (w/Guidance): 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 1 = 17

Hold that thought on the Diplomacy checks, you can certainly keep the results for when it is appropriate.

You know how to activate the doors, which one do you choose and how do you choose to go through?

Suggest we choose one that leads back to the Shrine of Aroden (unless you all want to go to what's left of Addie's hovel in Rego Cader), with whover is holding the corresponding item going through last.

Suggest we choose one that leads back to the Shrine of Aroden (unless you all want to go to what's left of Addie's hovel in Rego Cader), with whover is holding the corresponding item going through last.

The doors will not allow anyone pass until the object has gone through.

Valeron grips the unholy symbol of Asmodeus and imagines his quarters at the shrine of Aroden, waiting for the doorway to show the room he is envisioning.

He will then gesture, you first to Addie, Morghrim and Kevorin.

If noone is able to pass through, Valeron will shrug, press the unholy symbol against the doorway and suggest they try again.

Valeron's first attempt is unsuccessful. Upon pressing the unholy symbol against its matched door, the others are able to travel through. Finally, Valeron is the last through the doorway as you all find yourselves back at the Shrine of Aroden.

"Whew! I am so glad we're out of that hell-hole!" Addie exclaims with a sigh of relief.

"First, I'm going to get the last of that muck cleaned off of me. Then I want to eat a real meal - something other than rations. After that I'm going to sleep for a day and then check out that spellbook we found."

Once he has returned to "normal" life in Westcrown, and after having negotiated a "fair" price for the party's unwanted items, Valeron seeks to bolster the martial training of the stronger men of the Westcrown Defenders - notably Ermolos, Rizzardo, Scalvo and Vitti.

Rising early as he always does, he kneels at dawn in reverence to The Inheritor as the sunlight touches the old altar at Aroden's Shrine before moving outside to the dew-laced grass for sparring practice with any takers.

Morghrim gets settled back into the Shrine and idly wondered what happened to the goblin he took prisoner in his early days in the city.

Hearing rumblings from the quarters that have sat empty since your departure, Arael and Janiven bust through the door, weapons drawn.

Seeing the four of you, they both lower their weapons. Arael blurts out, "You're..you're back! We did not see you return, how did you get back in here?" he asks genuinely surprised.

Janiven looks at the four of you and the look of pleased surprise leaves her face. "Where is Wart?" she asks, obviously concerned for the halfling.

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After your answers...

Arael asks, "Did you find the Crux? Did it have the key to Delvehaven? If you have the crux I must send word to Ailyn at once."

Janiven looks at the four of you and the look of pleased surprise leaves her face. "Where is Wart?" she asks, obviously concerned for the halfling.

The look of relief on Addie's face at being free of the Asmodean Knot falls away as she remembers poor Wart. "Wart was killed by undead shadows within the Asmodean Knot. We had to destroy his shade when it arose and attacked us. I'm afraid we weren't able to recover his body," she replies to Janiven's question, grief evident in her voice.

Arael asks, "Did you find the Crux? Did it have the key to Delvehaven? If you have the crux I must send word to Ailyn at once."

"We found the Chelish Crux," Addie says, retrieving the rune-covered wood and metal dodecahedron from her haversack. "Although we don't know whether it has the key to Delvehaven. We can't seem to get it open."

Sorry, all, hadn't realized we restarted. Lost my dot.

Kev is equally relieved to be home, even more so once he has cleaned himself of the muck of the Knot. He helps answer questions, and looks saddened as the subject of Wart comes up. "We will need a memorial of some sort. Maybe a service. His sacrifice deserves honoring."

"We can have a small service for Wart in the morning, that way we are likely to have more our little group here to honor his sacrifice." Arael says.

"I must go for now." the priest continues, "With any luck I can get word to Ailyn and we can see about getting the Crux open."

Val, you will be able to sell the goods in the morning (perhaps after Wart's memorial service?)

Morghrim checks in on his goblin captive, finding the creature to be behaiving well enough, for a goblin anyway as a couple of the other Defenders watch over him.

Morghrim, give me a Sense Motive.

After getting cleaned up, you have about an hour of daylight left, is there anything you would like to do with that time?

SLEEP!!

Areal, inform the Pathfinders I also have an item i'd like to arrange to be smuggled out of Westcrown for the Shelynite church he informed the man gruffly, filling him in on the glaive and its intelligence, showing it if requested.

1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32 Sense Motive

Nothing further except the above.

Valeron wears a look of somber remembrance as they discuss plans for Wart's service.

"We have much work to do beginning tomorrow. We will be certain that Wart's sacrifice was not in vain."

With an hour of sunlight left, Valeron will head to the east gardens outside the old shrine, so that he can feel the warmth of the sun on his face for the first time in what seems like months.

Gritting his teeth, the Iomedean makes a promise to himself, and Wart - that Westcrown will be freed from the yoke of the shadows and delivered a brighter future.

Addie thoroughly cleans herself of the last of the muck and grime from the Asmodean Knot and enjoys a hot meal with her companions and the rest of the Westcrown Municipal Defenders. Afterwards she takes her leave and returns to her quarters to teach His Lordship a couple of the spells from the scrolls discovered during the latest adventure.

Addie attempts to teach Chill Touch and Detect Secret Doors to His Lordship - 1 hour ritual per spell, Spellcraft DC 15 + spell level = 16, skill check augmented by Guidance.

Using a piece of chalk the young witch inscribes a circle on the stone floor, and places eight candles around the perimeter of the circle - one at each of the cardinal directions, and one at each of the mid-points between the cardinal directions. The large black cat steps within the circle and sits before the western candle, his tail twitching slightly. Addie steps within the circle and sits before the eastern candle. She carefully lights the candles, starting with the northernmost candle and ending with the southernmost candle. With the circle complete, the candle flames flare with a golden radiance - the same radiance emanating from His Lordship's eyes.

Sitting before His Lordship, Addie takes out the scroll bearing the spell that allows the caster to inflict an unearthly, strength-sapping chill on a touched victim, and tears the scroll into eight pieces. With each piece of the scroll, she picks up one of the candles and uses it to light the strip of parchment on fire, letting the ash fall into a small ritual bowl placed between herself and her familiar. Once all of the strips are burned, she takes out a small knife and - whispering a brief but heartfelt prayer to The Gentleman - cuts her palm, letting a few drops of blood mix with the ash in the bowl. His Lordship laps up the blood and ash mixture, his eyes glowing ever brighter.

(Addie prays to The Gentleman to cast Guidance on herself. DC 16 Spellcraft check to teach Chill Touch to His Lordship: 1d20 + 13 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 13 + 1 = 23)

Addie repeats the same ritual with the scroll bearing the spell that reveals hidden portals. (Addie prays to The Gentleman to cast Guidance on herself. DC 16 Spellcraft check to teach Detect Secret Doors to His Lordship: 1d20 + 13 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 13 + 1 = 18)

Once the rituals are complete, Addie extinguishes the candles - starting with the southernmost candle and ending with the northernmost candle - and wipes away the chalk circle. Exhausted by the two-hour ritual and the recent days' exertions, the young witch climbs into her bed and immediately falls into a deep slumber.

The next morning Addie awakens feeling mostly refreshed. She joins the others for the memorial service for Wart, and then accompanies Valeron to sell the treasures recovered from the Asmodean Knot.

Morghrim sighed and sat down with the goblin, speaking to it in Common.

I know ye want freedom and I can tell yer ready to kill for it. Let me promise you, the only way your leaving this building is with my express permission- I refuse to believe there is not some shred of good in you that could be coaxed out.

Morghrim made sure he had the goblin's attention before continuing.

I'm going to teach you several meaningful mantras of the Shelynite religion later this evening and in a day or two, i'll come back with food and potentially, looser bonds. Until then, your going to be tightly bound within my own chambers with no opportunity to freely roam or speak to anyone else. You are to think on these mantras and then we shall discuss them and what you think they mean. If I am satisfied with your answers, perhaps you can begin to secure some more freedoms for yourself. Know that I can sense the lies on your tongue even as you speak, so I would not dare to try and fool me, were I you.

As promised, Morghrim returned later that evening and filled the goblin's head with several Shelynite poems and mantras. The goblin himself was tightly bound and gagged by this point- the Dwarf would not have the Defender's blood on his hands.

All done unless Arael isn't satisfied with Morghrim's answers re: Glaive.

Prior to leaving, Arael tells Morghrim, "I will be sure to relay your request to Ailyn, but I suspect that you will have to make arrangements for the glaive with her."

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Later in Morghrim's quarters...

The goblin stares back at the inquistor with equal parts fear and hatered as he listens to Morghrim's liturgy.

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The next morning arrives, finding the four of you better rested than you have been in days. Following breakfast Arael leads short service in honor of your fallen companion, Wart. Many of your fellow Westcrown Municipal Defenders are obviously saddened by the young halfling's loss, but none seem to be taking the loss of Wart harder than Fiosa.

Following the ceremony, Arael leaves the shrine to meet up with Ailyn.

Now is when your shopping/selling spree can happen. Please adjust your character profiles accordingly. I'm waiting to hear back from your new fifth member (Tanner) as he will be introduced in your meeting with Ailyn.

Dotting. Discussing character details with DM Talomyr...

During her shopping spree with Valeron, Addie purchases a magical headband that boosts her intellect, a finely crafted silver sickle, and additional supplies for scribing scrolls. Upon returning to the shrine, Addie secludes herself in her quarters and spends the rest of the day teaching His Lordship three more spells from the scrolls discovered in Aberian's Folly and the Asmodean Knot.

Teaching His Lordship Dispel Magic, Ray of Exhaustion, and Vampiric Touch. Spellcraft DC 15 + spell level = 18 for each spell. Taking 10 on each of the checks yields results of 24 for each spell.

Anything the rest of would like to do prior to meeting with Ailyn again? If not, I will proceed onto the meeting with my next post.

Valeron paces back and forth within Aroden's shrine, his impatience clearly apparent as he waits for the meeting arranged with Ailyn.

An abandoned Pathfinder lodge? Surely that will be safer than the Knot, but then again - who knows what the Pathfinders left behind? I must remember to ask Ailyn what she knows about any defenses, magical or mundane.

Ready for scene advance...

Quick note: Is Sejanus a 25pt buy instead of 20?

Quick note: Is Sejanus a 25pt buy instead of 20?

Good catch. It does appear that he is built with too many points. Tanner, please adjust the build to 20 pts.

Oops! Adjusted to 20pt.

Some borderline dodgy equipment there IMHO... Masterwork tool for perception? Is that permitted?

If so, need to amend my shopping list. Morghrim would look rather distinguished with a monocle :P.

Some borderline dodgy equipment there IMHO... Masterwork tool for perception? Is that permitted?

While I do not have a problem with a tool to help with Perception checks, it would certainly have to be a situational +2. (i.e. distance, magnicfication for small detail, etc.

I could add a second masterwork tool and note that one is for distance and the other for magnification. And yes, Morghrim would look rather distinguished with a monocle. :)

Ooooh! How about some kind of funky goggles with special lenses that rotate in and out depending on what you need them for? They could have ear-cones attached to boost sound-based Perception checks as well.

Also, I could totally see Morghrim rocking a monocle.

In afternoon following Wart's memorial service, you are brought into the small library in the basement of the Shrine by Janiven. Waiting for you in the library are Arael, Ailyn, and a lanky, huddled figure shrouded in a ragged cloak and hood.

Ailyn is the first to speak up. "Do you have the Crux? Have you tried to open it yet?" she says obviously excited. "As I said before, the Crux is the key to safely entering Delvehaven, but I do not know exactly for sure what lies with the Crux."

"While waiting for you to come back with Crux, I did a bit more research. I think my findings will be of interest to you, especially if my hypothesis is correct."

"In late 4605 AR, a Pathfinder named Dontalus Bisby returned to Westcrown from a mission in the Mwangi Expanse - a mission previously believed to have been lost. Bisby's unexpected return brought much celebration, despite the fact that of the dozens who traveled with him to the southern jungles, only he and his chronicler returned. Word soon spread the Brisby's journals would revolutionize what was known about certain lost tribes of the Mwangi, and that he brought back with him a potent artifact. Yet before his journals could be published, Aroden died."

"Upon Aroden's death, panic seize Cheliax. Details of what happened to Delvehaven are sparse, but it seems that the majority of the Pathfinders stationed in Westcrown - Brisby included - perished in the riots and mayhem. Worse, his journal and all of Delvehaven's artifacts were cut off from the Society for over thirty years. In 4674 AR, many years after the House of Thrune seized control of Cheliax, they made a great show of reopening Delvehaven and inviting a select few Pathfinders back to run the lodge - but those choices were not the Grand Lodge's to make. The House of Thrune only agreed to Delvehaven's reopening if Chelish Pathfinders of their choosing were to manage the site, and the Society reluctantly agreed to the conditions. Securing an accurate list of what had and hadn't survived in Delvehaven's vaults was a political nightmare - the House of Thrune and their pet Pathfinders reported that nothing of value remained, but they were resistant to letting anyone from outside make their own inventory or explore the ruins. To the public, the lodge seemed to be run by the Society, but in truth we have very little idea exactly was going on in Delvehaven during those years. The whole situation seemed to be coming to a head, with a full-on clash between the House of Thrune and the Society imminent, but as things worked out, Delvehaven didn't remain active under Thrune's control for long."

"In 4676 AR, something happened in Delvehaven that caused the deaths of all of the Thrune Pathfinders and its subsequent sealing by the government itself. The House of Thrune has to this date refused to open Delvehaven or allow the Society access to the lodge, and various conflicts with the Aspis Consortium and the House of Thrune in other parts of Cheliax since then have successfully distracted us from Delvehaven's legacy. General concensus in the Society today is that Thrune looted Delvehaven to the root and that nothing of value remains within."

"But that is where the Society and I disagree. Over the past several months, I've grown more and more intrigued by the unexplained mysteries of what exactly happened in Delvehaven. Of perhaps more interest to you as Westcrown natives, I've learned a bit about the artifact Brisby returned with, an artifact that was in Delvehaven at the time of Aroden's death and that hasn't been seen since. Notes on this artifact are vague, alas, but from an initial report sent from Delvehaven just before Aroden's death, it would appear that artifact had ties to a dualistic religion of light and shadow. The fact that it was only a few weeks of after the House of Thrune closed up Delvehaven that the shadowbeasts first appeared in Westcrown can't be a coincidence. I suspect that they found this artifact in Delvehaven, but in doing so triggered the lodge's defenses and caused something. I'm not saying that the source of the shadowbeasts is hidden in Delvehaven, or even that the artifact is involved - but in my experience, there are no coincidences."

I could add a second masterwork tool and note that one is for distance and the other for magnification. And yes, Morghrim would look rather distinguished with a monocle. :)

That would work. It will cost you a standard action to switch between the two. A move action if you are willing to risk breaking the lenses.

Ooooh! How about some kind of funky goggles with special lenses that rotate in and out depending on what you need them for? They could have ear-cones attached to boost sound-based Perception checks as well.

A little too steam punk for me. Perhaps in Numeria, but not here.

"Either way, whatever Thrune opposes, we support, and if Thrune opposes Pathfinders re-entering Delvehaven..." Kev let's the thought trail off to its obvious conclusion.

"As Kev said, if the Pathfinders oppose the devil-worshippers then we would be more than happy to aid you - particularly if doing so will put an end to the shadowbeasts," Addie replies to Ailyn. "You said that the key lies within the Chelish Crux. Do you know how to open it?" the veiled witch asks, holding forth the oddly-shaped box.

"You said that the key lies within the Chelish Crux. Do you know how to open it?" the veiled witch asks, holding forth the oddly-shaped box.

"Key may be bit of a strong word. I am using key in more of a metaphysical sense rather than suggesting there is an actual, physical key within. Now that being said, Chelish Cruxes are a bit like puzzle boxes, each with their own unique combination. It requires activating each of the twelve carvings in a specific order. Unfortunately there are usually adverse side effects for getting the combination wrong."

Valeron's face brightens at the mention of the link between the crux and the shadowbeasts that plague Westcrown.

"Well if even there's a water mephit's chance in Hell that this artifact may actually be in Delvehaven, and might be spawning these shadows, we'd have our reason to get inside."

Valeron's eyes pass over Addie, Kev and Morghrim.

"I'm sure I speak for us all when I say the Westcrown Defenders are united in their purpose to rid Westcrown of shadow."

Clearing his throat a bit at the mention of puzzles, he arches an eyebrow and regards Addie.

"Perhaps something within your area of expertise?"

Once again he returns his attention to the three who are gathered. "So I know you're Ailyn," he begins - clearly turning to indicate the huddled figure in the motley cloak - "and this is your... assistant.. or an expert in puzzle boxes.. or?"

Once again he returns his attention to the three who are gathered. "So I know you're Ailyn," he begins - clearly turning to indicate the huddled figure in the motley cloak - "and this is your... assistant.. or an expert in puzzle boxes.. or?"

"He is an associate of mine, Sejanus Corvus. I intend for him to accompany you into Delvehaven, but I will let him speak to his own expertise."