Ser Calder's stands a bit straighter when Rylan comments on his posting with the Teyrn.
"Aye, I served the great Teyrn Loghain himself. Proudest day of my life when he put me in the bann guard. But I figured it's tough makin' a name for yourself standing in a man's shadow, right? I found the box in this old manor house- just now got the key and found the necklace. The shop owner said it was from the Old Days and it looked old enough for me, right, so I payed his asking price..."
Calder looks around in the cave when they meet up with Legnar.
"Maker bless me. You remember those rumors about green-skinned things seen by the road, aye? Nothin' proper and civilized lives in a cave like this. Even Dalish got those wagons..."
"Aye, I'll tak'm."
"Nothin' proper and civilized lives in a cave like this. Even Dalish got those wagons..."
"Pfft. Hahahar! That be why I left da dwarves for the sky land."
"Aye, I'll tak'm."
"Nothin' proper and civilized lives in a cave like this. Even Dalish got those wagons...""Pfft. Hahahar! That be why I left da dwarves for the sky land."
Calder looks a bit perplexed.
"That so? I always heard the dwarves down in Orzammar prided themselves on bein' real civilized, everyone knowin' their place and such. Can't imagine it, myself, a whole city under the mountains with roads an' everything.""Say, Rylan. What's in that box we found in that poor sod's bag? Maybe it's more o' these, uh, healing potions... or something just as useful but less magicked."
Nodding to Ser Calder, Rylan replies with "I'd be more than happy to take a look at that necklace for you- of course, it being old might not necessarily be anything magical, mind you- but I'm certain I'll be able to tell you if that's the case"
Rummaging through his pack, Rylan finds and pulls out the old box. Glancing down at it, the mage casually turns it over to exam the outside of the box and giving it a slight shake every now and then.
"This was also in the bag that the spider's previous victim had present on him", Rylan remarks to Legnar. "Luckily, the key was with the box. We've not opened it yet- but now seems to be as good a time as any to take a gander inside of it". Holding it up for the benefit of his two companions, the mage turns the key on the box and opens it up.
Ser Calder pulls an old box from his pack, opening it to reveal on onyx pendant in a silver setting that gleams with a life of its own.
"Here it is- a necklace from the Olde Days. Maybe it'll be useful wherever we have to get Nicholas out of."
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When the box is opened, a bright light escapes from it, lighting the caverns even moreso than Regnar's lantern. You can see the stairwell even better now. It winds down into an underground dwelling carved from the rock, or perhaps a natural cavern that has been shaped by magic. It looks as though stones or large grey bricks have been used to craft both the stairwell and the floor beneath it.
"Thar can be too civilized. That be tha dwarves o' Orzammar. I liked tha Outdoors up 'ere alot more than tha way o' life in Orzammar."
"Tha thar be 'n intrest'n box..."
"Magic all around it seems. Best we get back on the trail- I can take the lead if you stay close with the light."
Ser Calder advances toward the stairs.
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As you descend down the stairs, you find yourself in a large room, walled, floored, and roofed in grey square stones. Torches in iron sconces in the far corner of the room shed their light on a crude-looking torture rack.
Stunt breaks away from the group, sniffing at the torture rack, raising up on his hind legs as though trying to get a better scent, and wimpers with a little bark.
Along the wall opposite the stairwell is a wooden door.
"Maker's breath..", Calder curses. He walks over to the rack, looking for signs of recent use.
Perception:
"The Arl is not going to be happy with us. Better find him fast!"
Calder draws his sword and pushes open the wooden door opposite the stairs.
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The bright light cast by the box floods into a hallway that seems to wrap around the room you just departed, the same grey stones and bricks making up the walls. A single sconce in the far corner sheds light on a wider space and a small green creature barely chest high for most humans. It carries a wicked looking short sword and screeches at the bright light flooding the hallway.
???
Ser Calder
Ragnar
Rylan
"Wha is it Stunt? Wha in tha Maker's name would make tha boy run off ta 'ere?"
Round 1
"Great..! Whar is tha boy?!" Legnar yells as he pulls both his weapons and charges. If the creature starts to actual answer Legnar's question he stops.
Melee: Ancient Dwarven Axe |Damage { +2 Stunt Points, +1 Dual Technique, +1 Charge.
Stunts: Mighty Blow and Piece Armor
When his eyes finally adjust normally at the increased illumination emanating from the box, Rylan comments. "Seems I won't have to ready a light source from my pack then."
At the torture chamber, Rylan peers down at the fresh blood and offers no comment. With the growing frown showing on the mage's face however, it is clear that Rylan isn't any happier by this turn of event. Wordlessly, the mage follows the others into the adjacent room.
Round 1
Rylan's hands reaches for the wand that his Tranquil Friend made for him; in the next instance, the mage raises that wand to let loose an arcane bolt at the small green creature that the group encounters.
, ,
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The creature grins a mouthful of sharp teeth and raises its sword to defend itself, but Rylan's arcane lance burns him into a black sooty creature and Legnar's double strike cleaves it in two rapidly. A screech from behind Rylan reveals a second creature of the same type however, who apparently came from around the other side of the hallway.
However, Rylan's defensive stance prevents the new creature from hitting him.
Calder runs for the green skinned freak attacking Rylan.
"Try that with me, you ugly little runt!", he bellows.
Longsword:
Legnar turns and charges at the green creature.
Melee: Ancient Dwarven Axe |Damage { +2 Stunt Points, +1 Charge, +1 Dual style
Round 2:
Watching Legnar cleave the first green creature in twain, Rylan very nearly gets skewered himself by another green creature showing up behind him. Almost jumping back from this latest attack, the mage is glad for Ser Calder's quick thinking and even quicker movement.
Having enough room to allow for Legnar to rush into the fray, Rylan mentally collects himself and aims his wand at just the precise point for a more effective way to attack this second foe.
Calder takes a more considered approach with the second attack, taking the time to line up a good shot after Legnar's attack.
Longsword w/Aim bonus:
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Rylan steps back to allow Regnar and Ser Calder room to maneuver, taking up his wand and aiming it well for the next round.
Regnar charges the creature that had attacked Rylan, nearly cleaving the creature in two, though it somehow manages to hold onto life and attack Regnar with the wicked shortsword it carries.
for damage.
Ser Calder moves forward to attack the same creature, but it manages to barely dodge out of the weapon's path.
Another creature appears behind the group, coming from the opposite direction. It screeches and charges at Ser Calder.
for damage.
Legnar finishes off the thing and turns, ready to assault the new one.
Melee: Ancient Dwarven Axe |Damage { +2 Stunt Points, +1 Dual Style
Calder turns and retaliates after the newest goblin's close scrape.
Longsword:
Calder turns and retaliates after the newest goblin's close scrape.
Longsword: 3d6+2;2d6+2
Calder's mighty attack shears through the little beast's armor even as the Fereldan assumes a better position behind his large shield.
Mighty Blow:
Immediately after Ser Calder hands the onyx pendant to Rylan, the mage finds himself nearly reeling back from the onrush of impressions that the pendant emanates. Soon after the sensation ceases, Rylan takes a short pause to gather his thoughts; the mage returns the pendant to Ser Calder and explains, "It is magical- I'd venture that it might even go as far back as to when the Alamarri tribes first ventured into Ferelden itself, though an antiquties expert would be able to tell for certain- but this pendant seems to strengthen one's ability at physical activities such as climbing, perhaps even jumping"
Round 3
Noticing that the group has now attracted the unwanted attentions of these greenskinned "goblynkinde", Rylan edges back towards where the torture rack is at and launches a mindblast towards the back of the hallway where the third greenskin appeared, making certain to catch this newcomer into the fray within the radius of his spell.
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The greenskin targetted by Rylan's spell attempts to resist the force of the sparkling blue light. While he is not mentally stunned by the light, it does knock him prone.
Regnar attacks the creature that had recently struck him, and puts it out of its frail misery.
The third goblin stands back on its feet and defends itself from Ser Calder readying the wicked looking shortsword for a sneaky attack.
Ser Calder strikes the creature with force, but it manages to twist its body mostly out of the way. The sword slices a deep gash in the creature's chest, but it continues to fight.
A fourth screeching goblin rushes out of the darkness and attacks Legnar.
for damage. But Legnar wards off the creature with his free hand just in time to prevent the dagger-sword from breaching his defenses.
Ser Calder lines up his next sword blow as carefully as he can.
"Little bastards just keep comin'..."
Longsword w/aim:
Legnar silently continues his work, attacking the new goblin that attacked him.
Melee: Ancient Dwarven Axe |Damage { +2 Stunt Points, +1 dual style, +1 aim
Round 4
Seeing that Legnar has his hands full with yet another of these "goblynkinde", Rylan launches a second mindblast () at Legnar's foe and targeting it in such a way that if there were more goblins behind it, they too would be targeted by the spell if within the spell's radius...
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The greenskin makes a little shriek (unlike its savage attack cries) and attempts to dodge the sparkling blue light. The creature is knocked prone.
Legnar's axe cleaves the creature in two and the creatures grisly remains slide to the floor along the others of its kind.
Ser Calder's attack removes the head neatly from the creature in front of him.
For the moment, things are strangely still.
Don't forget to take your breathers and regain hitpoints.
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The bright light from the metal box reveals that the hallway goes in three directions. The larger space mentioned earlier is actually a wider hallway that moves off for some distance, lit by flickering torches set in sconces along the wall. There is one wooden door by one of these torches, but you are too far away to tell anything more about it. (One of the goblins that attacked you came from this direction.)
The remaining goblins came from the other two hallways, which wrap around the room you just emerged from.
Legnar cleans off his blades on the clothes of the dead goblins. "This does't bode well fer tha lad... Which way?"
Immediately after Ser Calder hands the onyx pendant to Rylan, the mage finds himself nearly reeling back from the onrush of impressions that the pendant emanates. Soon after the sensation ceases, Rylan takes a short pause to gather his thoughts; the mage returns the pendant to Ser Calder and explains, "It is magical- I'd venture that it might even go as far back as to when the Alamarri tribes first ventured into Ferelden itself, though an antiquties expert would be able to tell for certain- but this pendant seems to strengthen one's ability at physical activities such as climbing, perhaps even jumping"
Ser Calder flinches back reflexively when Rylan enters the "trance" gathering impressions from the pendant. He takes it back carefully, like it were a sleeping snake instead of a piece of jewelry.
"So... you're sure it's safe, then? Sounds pretty useful."
Calder swallows, staring at the pendant.
"Yes. I'll put it on."
He pulls the chain around his thick neck, dropping it the last second. When he isn't turned into a toad or a rat or set aflame or any other awful thing, he exhales.
"Yeah. Nothin' to it. So, you could tell all that just by holding it? No consulting familiar spirits or speaking magical phrases or anything?"
Ser Calder looks over the goblynkynde and makes a face, then surveys the halls for any signs of Ser Nicholas.
"Unless you've got a better idea, maybe we oughtta check that door first."
Perception:
Perception
Ser Calder flinches back reflexively when Rylan enters the "trance" gathering impressions from the pendant. He takes it back carefully, like it were a sleeping snake instead of a piece of jewelry.
"So... you're sure it's safe, then? Sounds pretty useful."
Calder swallows, staring at the pendant.
"Yes. I'll put it on."
He pulls the chain around his thick neck, dropping it the last second. When he isn't turned into a toad or a rat or set aflame or any other awful thing, he exhales.
"Yeah. Nothin' to it. So, you could tell all that just by holding it? No consulting familiar spirits or speaking magical phrases or anything?"
Rylan smiles at Ser Calder, taking a slight bit of good natured amusement at his friend's obvious discomfort with magic."Nothing quite as elaborate as all of that- well, in most cases at least". The mage then peers off into the distance- his face in deep thought as he continues on, "This isn't to say that discerning all magic would be as simple that- there have been cases where more, ah, pro-active measures of determining whether an object is magical has happened."
Glancing back over to Ser Calder, Rylan decides that it might be better to leave some of the messier, more wilder stories of item detection gone wrong- most of them involving demonic activity, with such examples usually ending with the detector's impairment or death, unsaid. Instead, the mage ends with, "At any rate, that was the impression that I got from your necklace- pretty straightfoward at that."
For the moment, things are strangely still.
After the last goblynkinde is silenced, Rylan lowers his wand and moves over to the closest of the goblin bodies. Taking a few moments to look it over, the mage gently turns over the goblin body that he was examining with the bottom of his staff and says to Legnar, "Were these the same as the greenskinned "darkspawn" that you've said you've encountered earlier to the Arl?"
After the last goblynkinde is silenced, Rylan lowers his wand and moves over to the closest of the goblin bodies. Taking a few moments to look it over, the mage gently turns over the goblin body that he was examining with the bottom of his staff and says to Legnar, "Were these the same as the greenskinned "darkspawn" that you've said you've encountered earlier to the Arl?"
Lowering his wand but still making sure to keep it close at hand, Rylan follows Ser Calder and Legnar out in the hallway. Glancing about for any signs of other goblins, Rylan asks Legnar, "Were those greenskinned creatures that we fought the same as the ones you mentioned to the Arl about?"
Ser Calder steps back to the wall opposite the door- when his comrades nod their assent, he throws the door open with a kick and steps in, leading with his shield.
"No, they were normal darkspawn. I have no idea 'bout these things."
Round 1
Melee Charge: Ancient Dwarven Axe |Damage { +2 Stunt Points, +1 charge, +1 Dual
Stunts: Knock prone, Disarm, and mighty Blow (already added in).
Legnar charges the Monstrosity, swinging his maul at it's axe, knocking it clean out of the creatures hands. In the same motion, he cleaves his axe into the beast's unquestionable's causing the thing to fall over in shocked pain!
Ser Calder lays into the beast with his sword, presumably once it stands up again.
Longsword:
Pressing his shield against his opponent, Ser Calder attempts to drive his sword through a gap in its defenses.
"No, they were normal darkspawn. I have no idea 'bout these things."
Giving a slight nod in response to Legnar, Rylan says, "I suppose it would be for the best- we still might be able to find Lord Nicholas then". Left unspoken was the rumored penchant for the Darkspawn on making their victims' remains disappear without a trace.
Round 1
Rylan raises his wand once more in response to this new threat and lets loose another arcane bolt after aiming for his target.