GM 101: JAFO's Monolith (Inactive)

Game Master JAF0

Gulch eyes the creature, ready to pounce on a moment's notice. Just about ready to rip it's throat out, what are we waiting for? A fair fight?

A small voice, even smaller due to the distance, can be heard around the corner. "What's going on? I can't see anything!"

____________
Gulch will delay until after a hostile action is taken or reinforcements show up and appear to be menacing.

Mathos moves foward. He does not make any overtly offensive moves, instead seeing how this will go.

Sense Motive (on creature): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 Nope.

A morlock? What's that? Undercommon?

Elena looks at the creature and uses detect evil. Her longsword and shield are still drawn.

"I don't want to fight it unless it's done something wrong. Has it committed any crimes?" Elena asks her companions.

ELena: *ding ding ding* (ie it detects as evil)

Uzziah leaps at Elena, attacking her in mid-leap, screaming all the while... but the attack doesn't come close to hitting the holy warrior...But before she (yes Uzziah is a 'she', but it's hard to tell by looking at her) can even attack, Herald steps forward the minute she shows her hand, and thumps her soundly. When her leap is finished, she ends hanging from the wall, almost like a tree frog, she seems to have the ability to hang from the vertical surface by one hand and her toes, even with one hand holding her club.

After her attack, Gulch steps forward and barely hits her, leaving a nasty wound. She shakes her head as if almost stunned.

round 2
Init order: bold may act

Herald
---
Uzziah -17
---
Gulch
Fran
Rhasuel
Erasmus
Elena
Mathos
wormling

Well, it looked at me funny.

As the resident legal expert Mathos offers his opinion on the creatures legal status.

It is not camping so it is not loitering within tent. There are an awful lot of bones there. Do they look human to anyone?

Round 2:

With Mathos' suggestion that the bones may be human and the evil aura, Elena thinks: EVIL!

Elena moves North one square, ”You would attack me?” Elena ask/yells, enraged. (How are the acoustics in this room?) I guess this thing isn’t interested in diplomacy… or maybe it’s mad The Herold attacked.

”For Iomedae!” Elena shouts, attempting to smite her enemy. (With Gulch there, does Elena get a flanking bonus?

To hit: 1d20 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 3 = 13
+4 BAB, +3 Smite (Char)

Damage (Longsword, Slashing): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
+1 Smite (Pally level)

nope, not technically flanking, so no flank bonus

Hearing the sounds of combat, Wormling comes running in and tucks into a corner. "What's going on?"

______________
Double move

"Did you say it has friends?"

round 2
Init order: bold may act

Herald
---
Uzziah -17
---
Gulch
Fran
Rhasuel
Erasmus
Elena
Mathos
wormling

Spurred into action by the threat of more Morlocks Mathos steps up to the enemy. He moves around to the rear of the enemy hoping that Elena and Gulch have its attention.

I'll wear the AoO if it is coming

IBT Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 4 + 2 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

As Mathos maneuvers into position, Uzziah takes a swipe at him with her club.

the club connects but does minimal damage, leaving Mathos with little more than a bruise... 3 points of dmg, Mathos

Mathos follows this up with a powerful strike that renders Uzziah stunned for a moment, then her eyes roll back in her head and she drops off the wall, falling in a heap at Mathos and Elena and Gulch's feet..

----
COMBAT OVER.
----

You can all hear what sounds like stirring down the well and a voice muttering in a strange language.

Reminders: You have a pile of bones around the well opening, a large stone lid leaning against the eastern wall, and something moving below.

"Oh...oh wow..." Fran gasps. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't expecting it to attack us and...I'm sorry I wasn't any help," she says, hanging her head. But then she looks up at the sound of stirring from somewhere within the well.

"I think that one has friends! Come on, let's put the lid back so they can't come out!" she says as she hurries over to the lid and attempts to move it.

Str: 1d20 ⇒ 13

The lid doesn't budge when Fran tries to move it... She thinks it will take someone far stronger... or maybe multiple people working together.

Herald sets down his shield (so you know it's serious) and moves to help with the lid.

Strength: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

I'll let the GM have fun with what happens here. :-)

Herald tries to move the lid, and his back twinges in pain as he makes the attempt... it doesn't budge.

Anyone standing near the well can look down and see a carpet of bodies down below,... more, many more morlocks with clawed hands and fanged mouths sleep below, but one is just stirring and beginning the climb up the well...

str check Elena: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

Elena makes her way over to the lid, and with all her strength is still unable to lift it, but she does get it to roll away from the roll, and with some wobbly movements, directs it over toward the well.

*****

str check Elena: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Elena rolls the lid another 5' toward the well... and the morlock climbs higher, babbling softly in undercommon.

*****

str check Elena: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

It sounds like it might be doing itself some harm, but the lid doesn't budge.

*****

You have a covered well, a pile of bones and news for Dr. Quolorum. What do you do now?

Just as the morlock reaches the top of the well, Elena arrives with the heavy lid, which she drops into place over the well opening with a deafening thud as it covers the hole completely. There is a scream of outrage and pain from the morlock, whose clawed, grasping hands had just reached the lip of the well...

*****

The morlock slams itself against the lid, trying to dislodge it.

str check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

The morlock's efforts seem to have no affect.

You have a pile of bones remaining, a heavy lid that may or may not hold and news to report to dr. Quolorum. What do you do now?

Are the bones human?

Mathos, the bones are a mix of types, but most of them look large enough to be human...

Heal DC12: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Herald pokes through the bones.

Most of these are human or similar. Gruesome business. We should make sure these loathsome creatures stay trapped in their well.

As Herald pokes through the bones, he spots a few items... A satchel, a heavy leather belt with some tools hanging from loops in it(a hammer, some tongs) and underneath that, a gilded breatplate with a canine heraldic symbol.

The lid shudders a bit as if something below were trying to move it.

Knowledge(local): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

"That breastplate bears the crest of a lesser Ustalavic family. Kellids built this place to contain evil this evil. Perhaps these fools let it out."

How can we invoke that selfsame power?

Herald stands on the lid to prevent a Morlock explosion.

Is there anything heavy to place here to keep these vile creatures contained? Perhaps rocks from outside?

Erasmus moves over to the bones and casts grave words on a skull.

"Maybe he can tell us what he was doing here. He might have some nails in that satchel." as he opens the satchel.

Herald, from his perch atop the well lid, casts Detect Magic and scans the pile of bones and the items found within.

If he finds nothing, he casts his attention about the room just in case.

Gulch merely watches as Elena does all the work regarding the stone lid. Heh, now that's what real work looks like! Once it is in place, he gleefully sits upon it. "I' ain't goin' 'nyw'e'e no'!" he chuckles.

Wormling joins the search of the room for more permanent options.

Perception, Wormling: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

________________

Sorry guys, I should read better.

Mathos steps forward, pulls out his dagger and inscribes the warding glyph from outside onto the stone lid being careful not to stab or scratch Gulch.

Ow! I notice you didn't mention not being careful to not stab the Cleric!

He's scarier than you

"What are you doing, Mathos? Is that some sort of ward? Do you need any help?" Fran asks from the sidelines, eager to do something besides stand around.

It is Gorum's Eye. It will keep them down there away from me... I mean us, and the town

"Oh, well that's lovely!" Fran smiles. "I guess they were eating whoever happened to wander down here, then? What a horrible way to go!"

Herald stands on the lid of the well, and though it shudders from time to time, his weight combined with the lid itself seems to be enough to prevent any more morlocks from exiting the well... so far.

Erasmus casts grave words on a skull...

The skull babbles for about a minute, but fails to say anything relevant that you don't already know... 'monsters in the deep, claws, fangs, death'...

Erasmus listens to the skull babble on while rifling through the satchel found under the bones... inside he finds a few spent tindertwigs, some metal shavings, a pair of hammers, one heavy and small and light, some tongs, and a pot labeled 'glue' in common, with a simple alchemical sign for glue stamped in the wax seal.

Herald casts detect magic and sees nothing show up glowing to his enhance vision.

wormling aids in the searching and finds a few more bones in a corner, but nothing new or exciting.

Mathos inscribes the symbol of Gorum's eye into the lid of the well. The lid flares with light as he finishes the last line of the glyph and seems to seal itself to the well... There are a few screams from below and a bit more banging on the underside of the lid, but it no longer shakes or wobbles... it seems quite fully sealed to the well.

******

Having completely searched the final chamber under the monolith, the party returns to Dunhob. Meeting with Dr. Q, the party notices that he seems a bit distracted, not unusual for him, but he IS excited about what you've learned... "Perhaps this eye symbol will prove useful to you in further investigations... Keep that in mind, please, as you explore more strange doings in the Hungry Mountains... it might protect you. Now, best you get some food and sleep... and we can speak again after you are well-rested."

*****

Back at the Sage and Mug, folks are devastated to learn the probably fate of their old smith and ask if you've brought his remains for proper burial. Mindl is so happy to see you all, she almost drops a whole tray of drinks as she rushes them to your table... "I'm so glad you came back! I was so worried... That monolith is a dangerous place... folks who go there usually don't come back. Now what can I get you to eat?" she asks this last as she sets out a couple of pitchers of ale and mugs for all.

"Oh dear...no, I'm afraid we didn't," Fran responds sadly once they're all safe and sound back at the now-familiar tavern. "But we took care of the nasty creatures living there; they won't be a bother to anyone again. It should be safe to go back and collect what your smith left behind," she adds.

"Um, anyway...just some stew for me and maybe some cream for my kitty if you have any!" As Mindl takes their orders Fran can't help but wonder what Dr. Quolorum has in mind for them next...

Thayer notes gotten the exact specifications for the Eye of Gorum symbol before heading back. Useful as it may be, it is also something worthy of recording in and of itself.

In the tavern he orders a light meal. These missions were so far 100% guaranteed to be life threatening. He wondered if that's all adventuring was.

"A warm meal please - whatever you all are serving tonight is fine... and some ale," Elena requests to Mindl. Elena joins Rhasuel at a table and quietly cleans her longsword after ordering a meal. "I've never seen a creature like what we faced today," Elena comments to her companions. "Have you all seen anything like it before?" Foul, evil creature it was.

Elena sheaths her sword and looks up to see what everyone else is doing. Elena reaches for her mug of ale - the only cup she'd allow herself tonight because of tomorrow's mission. "I wonder if Estra found out anything while we were out in the field today," Elena continues conversationally.

Sorry for the MIA everyone - I've been really sick.

Mathos orders his meal with ale. He eats it in silence, excuses himself and heads to his room. Today was far too much excitement for me. I shall retire to my rooms. I am having a local tailor make me some fresh garments, however I must spend several days overseeing his work to ensure that my clothing is of a quality befitting one such as myself. I shall rejoin you in a few days.