First Steps PbP (Inactive)

Game Master Pirate Rob

Lecky enters the room behind his companions. He knows that he is not that gifted in regards to his communication skills, so he left it best to his companions.

He walks along calmly, always looking at Stonewall for his instincts are great at sensing other people's motives.

Morgrim: The Sapphire knows of the challenges you will face, and thinks it will be amusing. He is however not ensorceled.

As you enter the vault the servant shuts the door behind you followed by a dull click.

Ahead of you a plain stone room contains three chests: a copper-banded chest of smooth, dark wood; a red lacquered chest; and what looks to be a cube of solid steel. Behind the chests sits a low table holding a clear glass jar half full of liquid and a covered wicker basket.

Spending a bit looking around you notice written on the back of the door is: “Within these cases lies your quest and your way out.”

Detect Magic reveals a faint aura present on the steel cube.

Containers:

Copper-banded smooth, dark wooden chest
Red lacquered chest
Cube of Sold Steel (Magic)
Clear glass jar, half full of liquid
Covered wicket basket

Each container may be examined further, as well as the low table

Does the T20 for 28 perception reveal anything? I'm thinking smell, mostly, but also if there are any hidden doors.

Nothing other than what I've described really. The room is a little musty but not excessively so, the containers in front of you and the writing on the inside of the door are the primary pieces of interest in the room, and no distinctive smells come from any of them. If you want to know more about the containers you will have to examine them individually.

Talathel will take every chest/basket, shake it lightly while making sure nothing can fall out.

Talathel: Any particular order?
Also is anybody else doing anything?

The order you gave, except keeping the magical chest for last.

What color is the liquid in the jar?

Morgrim: Clear liquid, on closer examination there is a dull brass key resting on the bottom of said jar.

Talathel: As you attempt to pick up the copper banded chest you find yourself unable to get a grip on it as your hands pass through it and you realize it is illusory. You now see only the translucent outline of the chest, and nothing on the inside.

note, it's not entirely clear how detect magic works with illusions, in this case I chose to use the will save for the illusion when you detected magic and did not reveal the magic with a failed save. I'll continue with more box shaking later tonight assuming nothing too horrible happens.

It's Salhar's own vault, you'd think the man could get a map out himself.

Lia lifts the edge of the covering off the basket (or partially opens the lid, or whatever) and peers inside.

Morgrim turns toward Lia. "Could I see that once you are done examining it? I want to pull out a twig to fish the key out of this jar." It's probably full of water, but I do not trust this 'Sapphire Sage'. He means to have a laugh at our expense, does he.

Lia: The Basket is about half full of wadded up cloth.

Talathel: This smooth, red lacquered chest looks devious. As you approach it, the solid metal plate surrounding the gaping keyhole pulses with glowing amber runes. It may worry you that detect magic did not register this previously. Do you still wish to pick it up and shake?

"Ok, I'll check this low table,"

No, i'll skip to the next one.

Lia hands the basket to Stonewall, then turns back to take a closer look at the table.

Sir Lecky/Lia Emriss: It is finely crafted out of a hard, dark, wood. Other than clearly Osirian work carved into the joints the low table is unadorned. It appears sturdy, and well maintained.

Copper-banded smooth, dark wooden chest (Illusion)
Red lacquered chest (Pulsing Runes)
Cube of Sold Steel (Magic)
Clear glass jar, half full of liquid (acid, bronze key at the bottom)
Covered wicker basket

Talathel: Picking up and shaking the glass jar is pretty easy, the key in the bottom even rattles around a bit. As you shake it however a few drops come loose onto your arm. They feel strangely warm and then quite painful as you smell the acrid sent of burning flesh. Take 1 point of acid damage

Morgrim: The basket appears to be reasonably well made but with a small sharp blade you could easily remove a long reed or two.

"God, that hurts! Watch out everyone, this thing contains some acid. It's quite painful to the touch, I can assure you. I would suggest fishing it out, if someone has a line, or..."

Talathel goes to the corner, and dumps it slowly on the floor.

(Assuming it's stonework we're on, and it won't hurt it. People can still stop me, if posted in their first post following this one!)

"Be careful. I had planned to fish it out with a piece of the wicker basket, but your method should work just fine."

"Well this table looks normal to me, I guess that key will lead us to our objective."

"It must open that red chest."

That is the only thing in here with a keyhole, right?

Pouring out the jar is pretty easy, you only get a little bit of acid on yourself 1 point of acid damage as the bronze key clatters to the floor.

Casting detect magic again, the red lacquered chest still fails to radiate magic despite the now glowing runes. The steel chest appears to be enchanted with a very faint trap. You think it'll go off if anybody touches the chest, but will not have serious or lasting consequences Prestidigitation.

Wicker Basket - No Keyhole
Glass Jar - No Keyhole
Copper-Banded Chest - Illusion
Red Laquered Chest - Keyhole
Magic Steel Box - Not yet carefully examined

Do I need a certain skill to use that key?

"Let me open the chest, just in case something funny comes out.

Nothing special required

The bronze key fits into the red lacquered chest's keyhole but when you turn it in either direction it just spins, not clicking with anything. The amber runes on it continue to glow.

Does either the Steel Box or the illusionary chest have a visible keyhole?

The illusionary chest does, and the magic steel box has a very thin crack where the lid meets the rest of the box, and a small hole you think the key might just fit into.

"Hmm, I guess I was wrong." While Lecky tries the key, Lia will empty out the basket to see if anything is hidden under the cloth.

MAP
It's not the prettiest map in the world but it'll do just fine for our purposes. The gray bit is the low table and the viper is currently in Lia's square.

Dumping the basket out, Lia is greeted with a satisfactory clink as a blue key with runes hits the ground. She is also greeted by the bite of a tiny viper that was also in the wadded cloth. Lia: take 1 point of damage.

Reacting quickly the viper lashes out at Lia a second time, finding another bite of exposed flesh. Lia: take 1 point of damage Unlike the first bite Lia feels the snake's venom begin to course through her veins. Lia: take 2 points of constitution damage and make another fort save on your turn.

Initiative: (Note I normally like running in groups but because we're only 4 and due to potentially peculiar circumstances I'll keep us in order)

Talathel
Lia
Morgrim
Sir Lecky
Viper

Talathel it is currently your turn.

I hope you don't mind that I'm posting out of turn.

Biting back a curse, Morgrim draws his battleaxe and strikes at the snake. I need to have a little talk with the Sapphire Sage. One of his age should certainly act better. ... lethal joke ...

Atk, Damg: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 181d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Talathel curses, and his eyes darken as his hands release a swirling orb at the snake

1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

As Lecky was about to open the chest, a viper comes out, "I knew something funny is going to come out!. He draws out his flail and tried to smash the viper.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Talathel's orb rips into the snake, almost obliterating it, but somehow after the dust clears it's still there, threatening Lia.

Initiative:

Lia
Morgrim - Chopping Snake
Sir Lecky - Smashing Snake
Viper
Talathel

Lia, it is currently your turn, don't forget about your poison save.

Lia yelps in surprise as the snake bites into her hand. When it drops to the ground she draws her sword and attempts to cut its head off.

Attack roll: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 6) + 4 = 12
Fort save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Lia's blade easily shops the snake in half, and she is easily able to shake off any further effects from the poison.

Combat over.

Following which, Morgrim and Lecky re-kill the snake.

"How do you feel, Lia?"

"Perhaps this blue key fits the red chest," says Morgrim, picking it up after detecting magic on it.

The key does not detect as magical.

"Why don't we try it?

Lecky turns to the group before opening it, "Here it goes,"

Sir Lecky puts the blue key into the red lacquered chest. Turning it gives a satisfying click and the chest easily opens revealing a key forged into the end of a jeweled scepter.

Meanwhile Morgrim hears a faint click from the ceiling and sees a small golden hey descend about 6 inches from a crack in the 15ft high ceiling.

"Damned acid.. It hurts, and I have no magical ways of healing!"

"Stings a bit, but it should be fine."

As Lia replies to Stonewall, she climbs onto the table to get a slightly closer look at the key in the ceiling.

Assuming Stonewall mentions it. How is the key suspended?

It appears to be attached to a small string. As a note the low table will only give you about an extra food and a half.

"I think I can try to poke it with this," says Lecky holding on to his guisarme.

With a polearm the string holding up the key is easily broken, causing the small golden key to fall right into Lia's hands.

Lia holds the key up into the light and examines it.

Is there any indication to what it fits?
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

It's small enough that you think it may fit nicely into the Steel chest.

Don't forget about the jeweled key from inside the red lacquered chest as well.

Wicker Basket - Contained blue key and viper
Glass Jar - Contained bronze key
Copper-Banded Chest - Illusion
Red Laquered Chest - Opened with blue key, contains jeweled key, released gold key from ceiling
Magic Steel Box

Is this correct? So we've got one thing left to open (the Steel Box) and three unused keys to try on it (Bronze, Jeweled, Gold), right?

Correct, and any of the three keys looks like they could possibly fit in the steel box.

"Hmm, too many keys," Lia mumbles to herself. "Well, " she says cheerfully, "I guess we'll just have to try them all." She steps off the table, approaches the steel box, and tries the gold key.

As soon as Lia touches the steel chest it sprays a cloud of cobalt mist.
Will saves from everybody please, consequences to be revealed after all have rolled :)

The key does open the chest revealing the map of the Salhar burial vaults and 6inch long wooden rod painted gold and topped with a tiny fist.

Oh goody.
Will save:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

Will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

How did he guess Cobalt was my weakness? :)