You guys are in the north west hall, in the large room with shelves on the north and south wall. This is the Primarch's room.
Ryor is still trying to learn the secrets of the statue in the main chamber.
Two doors remain to be opened in the north south leg of the hall. They have some kind of dialing combination lock.
Jon is hallucinating voices and appears convinced that everyone's eyeballs have been ripped out.
Aref has just observed that the armor is magical, and more odd, that the piles of sand in the hallway are also magical.
Does nobody find this odd?...The sand is magical....
I must see vhat is going on with this sand......
You find quite a few sand worn body parts, pieces of clothing, leather and weapon as you poke through the sand.
If you are thinking that this sand ripped someone, or some people to pieces, it is a solid theory.
"What the bleedin' 'eck 'appened 'ere?" Syd asks in puzzlement. "'s a rum do and no mistake."
Does nobody find this odd?...The sand is magical....
Pulsifer points out some marks on the wall beside the south bookshelf: Cordoba takes them as clues that the shelf can be moved to the side, that perhaps there is something behind it.
Interested?
I've given you aid from three guys, you rolled a 24 earlier. That's 30.
All you have to do is look for traps and move the shelf. Take 20 looking for traps, you find nothing.
The shelf slides to the side and reveals a locked door with the same combination locks you saw in the hallway. You may want Ryor's help, as he can aid you with the skills the rest of the guys don't have.
"Ryor, I am in need of your skills." The Deceiver flashes his best cheshire cat grin.
You shout it out the door. He's trying to figure out a way to steal the speartip off the statue.
"Ryor! Diamonds!"
He comes running. "Diamonds?"
Two theft, two disable device. Add +2 to all your rolls for Ryor's aid another. Or take 20 and give me the totals.
There are two doors one inside the other. Opening them is quite the effort, involving chipping away stone around the hinges for almost an hour and then using Bohdan and Jon's strength to pull the door right out.
Jon continues hallucinating throughout the cracking of this vault.
Everyone sits around reading books while Ryor and Cordoba tinker and hammer away at the doors trying to get in. They never actually pick the locks, and it's over an hour before they drop the inner door. Dust swirls up into the air as the door slams to the ground in some kind of vault.
It's a 40' by 40' room. In the center is a mithral and glass cylinder which must be staggeringly valuable. Some kind of brown streaked liquid swirls inside. The cylinder is capped with a lid that is locked down by 2 heavy straps shaped like wings - from a brief glance there's no clear indication of how these straps can be opened. The wings sprout from a huge glowing emerald orb on top of the cap. The room is washed in the strange green light emanating from the emerald.
You don't have long to look around the room. As soon as the inner door falls to the floor of this strange chamber what appears to be some kind of defense mechanism comes to life.
Three lensing mechanisms, all attached to the roof, rotate, aim, and focus beams of blinding light at the fallen door, cutting it to pieces and even melting it in several places. The destruction takes several seconds.
Aref:
Jon:
"Gods, it's full of stars..."
"The Eye of Aroden.......I never really believed.....By the sand's subtle caress, here it is..." looks at the party.
"I have heard no legends of this cylinder, although the Emerald leaves little doubt to me that it is the Eye.
Beware of the spell-turrets, they seem to target anything that enters the vault."
"That was a good read too, pity."
A beam of light turns the book to ash before it hits the floor. The ray is the color of sunlight. Don't worry, you've still got the translation of Drow erotic poetry.
Primarchs of Aroden were well educated and read widely. This one was literate in many languages and his collection shows it - but of course he also had some rather peculiar interests.
What is also peculiar is that he has odd volumes that seem to be picked from an extended series... kind of like having only E-F of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
"Perhaps a mirror could deflect the rays."
A big mirror.
Once you get to the center of the room you would need three mirrors - the 'lasers' would be surrounding you.
"Cor, bit of alright, innit?"
You all feel uneasy looking at this thing. It feels somehow wrong, or possibly even evil.
"Wiv a bit of unsettlin' frone in..." Syd adds as the strange feeling settle over the group.
Hmmm. So even if we floated above the floor we vould be targeted. That is good to know.....perhaps there is a vay to disarm this trap? Is someone versed in trap removal here? Those talents could be useful. I vill scan the area for magical emanations. DO NOT BREAK THE PLANE OF THE DOORWAY!!!
The magical aura is quite strong around the lenses.
Ryor: "It actually looks like the same construction as in the spear tip of the statue. They're emitting sun light. And the lens on top of the tower."
"What's inside. Chocolate milk?"
Jon:
Rackham is annoyed by the difficulty of the situation.
"Quiang, my friend, you've taken a rather inopportune moment to lose sight of reality. Stay where you are, or I will have to stun you."
He sets down his book, dusting off his hands.
"Now, for the doorway. Let's see..."
Pulsifer:
"There seems to be some sort of arcane illumination system that doesn't just generate light, but collects it through the big lens on top and channels it."
Rackham stares at the cylinder for a moment.
"As for what we're seeing in the cylinder, it seems sensible to operate on the assumption that it is behind Jon's hallucinations and strange behavior. Something was begging him for release. Perhaps this object is a prison."
Jon thinks that people around him want to kill him. He tries his best to control himself and want to attack them.
"As for what we're seeing in the cylinder, it seems sensible to operate on the assumption that it is behind Jon's hallucinations and strange behavior. Something was begging him for release. Perhaps this object is a prison."
"Liar! You try to fool me."
Jon points his sword toward Pulsifer.
"I did warn you."
Rackham makes a sweeping motion with his staff. A jet of red light flares out towards Quiang, hitting him square in the eyes.
Is there a problem guys? I do not understand, is he bewitched?
The Deceiver moves away and to the back of Jon.
"I did warn you."
Rackham makes a sweeping motion with his staff. A jet of red light flares out towards Quiang, hitting him square in the eyes.
Jon.... will save. I think it's DC 13.
Kruelaid
"Oy, oy! Woss goin' on?!" Syd shouts in a confused, angry manner.
"Oy, oy! Woss goin' on?!" Syd shouts in a confused, angry manner.
"We seem to have a problem."
Kruelaid-
"Please friend, there is no need for dis craziness. You are ensorcelled and we are just trying to help."
Jon stands dazed, holding his head.
Will: (1d20 2=9)
Jon recovers from the daze after a while.
Okay guys, roll initiative.
Hehe.
Ian:
1d20=19 unmodified initiative. I go on 22.
Lubriv'itik!
Jon's possession, initiative.
Except Jon, go in any order guys. I'm sure the fighters don't want to hit him, so maybe you can get the spells off first and see if what's left of him needs any beating.
=)
26 The Deceiver: Init +7 (DEX 16)
23 Ryor Saar'Narlok: Init +4 (DEX 18)
22 Aref Sami Sharokh: Init +3 (DEX 16)
21 Sydley Hentooth: Init +2 (DEX 14)
20 Rackham Pulsifer: Init +1 (DEX 13)
19 Bohdan: Init +0 (DEX 10)
8 Jon Qiang: Init +1 (DEX 12)