"On the right track? Of course! The dragon is always on the right track! It's that sometimes the right track leads to the wrong place."
Unless I'm missing something, it seems to me that Rayquaza has a higher Perception modifier than Kegdrainer, so I would like to make the check if possible.
Even this entropic maze has yet to prove a match for the team's superior senses! The tunnel makes four hard lefts before coming to an intersection. The remains of a bronze mechanism, recently destroyed, lies on the floor.
Another check. This could get a bit tiresome for all involved, sorry.
"It's a good sign, unless the maze try breaking itself..." Thundering Bull continues to keep a vigilant eye on Kegdrainer, offering tidbits of information to Rayquaza as they press ever onward.
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Male Human (Shoanti) AC 17/FF15/T12, +4/+4/11 (+1 Will vs Enchantment) 48/48 BAB +3 Shaman (Speaker of the past) 5, Perception+9, Init+2
"Strange layout, I would have thought we would have returned to the place we started at. Oh well, lets see if we can find anything else." Kegdrainer said, as he looked around the area.
Male Human (Shoanti) AC 17/FF15/T12, +4/+4/11 (+1 Will vs Enchantment) 48/48 BAB +3 Shaman (Speaker of the past) 5, Perception+9, Init+2
Perception:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
"Patching him is not going to be a problem, it's the keeping him alive part might be a problem if he ran into trouble or something down here" Kegdrainer said.
Multiple rolls is a good idea, Dolamite. We'll start doing that, but first...
???:
Ah ha! So, you decided to look. Well, to no avail! Already, a destructive virus spreads through your device, accessing your information and exploiting it for my nefarious ends. Your inquisitive folly shall be your downfall and my rise to world domination!
...Or maybe not. Up to you whether to believe it.
???:1d20 ⇒ 11 ???:1d6 ⇒ 6
The team continues their trek through the maze, but after a quarter-hour or so notices they may have taken a wrong turn. One easy mark of the right path was the swath of triggered traps, but none are evident here. Just before turning back, Rayquaza uncovers one, in a bad way: A scythe slashes out of a wall into the nagaji's offending hand!
It has been four hours, so Rgulbux's Mage Armor is off. Everyone can now make four checks to lead or aid; Dolamite, you can reuse yours. I will take a roll from each person (say, everyone's first on the first check) and calculate the results.
"Rayquaza! Are you ok? Eat so you can regain your strength," Thundering Bull insists as he shoves more food into your good hand. In addition to the chicken, you find a quarter loaf of bread and some cheese.
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Male Human (Shoanti) AC 17/FF15/T12, +4/+4/11 (+1 Will vs Enchantment) 48/48 BAB +3 Shaman (Speaker of the past) 5, Perception+9, Init+2
"But you could also say that you are fated to survive Rayquaza. An injury like that to most other people would be fatal" Kegdrainer said, as he looked around.
Through meticulous investigation of the maze around them, the party makes their way through! The constant, curving sides of the passage close in with every step. What was once a concealed door is broken and left ajar with a tuft of white hair caught in the latch. Further on, six passageways flow together like a river in this chamber and seem to sublty shift and move. A large, bloody handprint is the only landmark that remains constant.
Shortly after, the path marked as correct by all evidence ends in a smooth white wall! It is only through the team's expertise that said obstruction is found to be a clever fake. Behind it, a skeleton lies against the wall of a new way ahead, a message crudely sketched in charcoal next to it: “Left is back but back is clockwise and right is too hot. I’m sorry, Garanel.” From there on out, a low, rhythmic hum buzzes through the stones of the floor, causing a jaw-rattling vibration.
After an hour or two (how long have you been here? Already it becomes hard to tell), the humming stops, as you round a bend and come face-to-face with another giant bronze door!
As such a door was the entrance to the Tangle, so one is likely the exit, making it all the more of a welcome sight. But as the team approaches, the comforting embrace of the portal ahead slips further away. The world spins as colors and sounds blend together into a sickening maelstrom. The chaos passes just as quickly, but the passage is suddenly gone and instead there is now only a scrap of rock, surrounded by inky blackness dotted with distant points of light. Fractured sounds, like whispered curses, float across the darkness.
The party find themselves a bit scattered and disoriented, but alive, at various points on the rock and smaller ones tethered to it. At the slab's center lie a multitude of strange runes drawn onto it, and atop those is a...being. It appears as a writhing mass of body parts from many species, mostly mouths and teeth. It projects a voice that murmurs to the ears and minds of all present. Most of what is said is unintelligible, but "Surrender your thoughts to the Void Whisperer" can be distinctly heard, multiple times. As if on cue, the creature rears up and gnashes its many fangs!
All terrain is normal. The gaps can be jumped. for those on the "islands," though the bottom (should one exist) cannot be seen.
Knowledge (dungeoneering) DC 20:
This thing is a gibbering mouther, a strange shapeless beast that feeds on those who succumb to its mad ramblings or toxic spittle.
For every 5 by which you beat the DC, have a question.
HP 36/36; Reroll (@+3) 1/1; Wand Infernal Healing: 50/50; Sylph Fighter 4; AC 20; Touch 15; FF 15; Fort +5; Ref +5; Will +2; init +4; perc +0
Vagantem jumps from her island, drawing her knife as she does so. Quickly she rushes forward, plunging it into the horrible creature.
attack:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22 damage(pointed,silver,magic):1d8 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
"We need to get out of here.."
And what do you know, I am actually trained in dungeoneering! dungeoneering:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14Nope
Male Human (Shoanti) AC 17/FF15/T12, +4/+4/11 (+1 Will vs Enchantment) 48/48 BAB +3 Shaman (Speaker of the past) 5, Perception+9, Init+2
"I have no idea what you are but it is time to sleep. You are getting very sleepy!"Kegdrainer said as he looked at the odd mess.
Slumber hex, DC 15 Will.
Vagantem slices right through the creature, but to not as much effect as anticipated. Its gelatinous flesh flows back together to close the wound as best it can with a bit missing. Rgulbux's conjured fire then scorches it to great effect!
The Void Whisperer sways ever so slightly as Kegdrainer's magic rolls over it, but it stands (...lies? Are there any legs in that mass?) firm. "There will be time to sleep when your thoughts are mine!" With a fine target right next to it, many mouths lash out hungrily, tearing at body and mind.
"Thundering Bull give blob axe instead!" he roars, bringing his axe down in an overhand chop. Thundering Bull not have many thoughts to give...
________
Do we have any idea what would happen if the almighty Void Whisperer was ejected from the island? Move to flank, swift action Armored Vigor, standard action strike.
Male Oread Sacred Fist Warpriest 7/Monk 2 | AC: 30/23/27| HP: 73/73| Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +15 | CMB +13, CMD 36/40 vs trip | Init +6 | Perc +21 & Darkvision
Dolamite, unsure what the abomination is, but sure it needs to be put down, charges in a pummeling charge, activating Diving Favor as a swift action as he moves.
I got some "splaining" to do: Dragon Style adds +2 damage to the first hit of the round. Pummeling Style allows a full attack at the end of the charge. Divine Favor, cast with Mettle as a swift, adds +2 to hit and damage.
Dwarf Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer/4 | Init +5 | Per +8 | HP 30/30| AC 12, 11flat, 11touch | Fort +3 | Reflex +2 | Will +4 | BAB +2 | CMB +1 | CMD 12
Rgulblux moves the flaming sphere back on top of the vile creature attempting to burn it once again. As the fight gets close to him, the dwarf moves towards the center of the platform trying his best to avoid getting caught in melee.
A good question, Bull, and one as old as time. But first, one must figure out whether you exist. *Cues up spooky music*
Through a series of blows and Rg's fire, the battered Void Whisperer loses its physical form and collapses into translucent shards. It trills at your minds as the island implodes and you fall down, down, into the nothingness. "You have accomplished nothing!" For such a pronouncement, though, it seems quite angry. Deeper you go, and who can know for long the fall goes, when -
Thunk.
The team finds themselves scattered back in front of the bronze door, sitting or lying down. Everything feels the faintest bit lighter, as if the destruction of the Void Whisperer (or whatever fragment thereof that was, who knows?) lifted a previously unknown mental weight.
This one won't hold you for long, but it keeps things from going right to next part too fast. How's about a good old-fashioned Strength check to open the door?
Thundering Bull remains in a daze on the floor while the others form up on the door. Seeing that he should be doing something, all his swimming mind can command is a lazy kick form an off angle. "Is door open yet?" he mumbles, trying to refocus himself.
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Strength Check (Aid Another) vs Vagantem:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5Lol
Male Human (Shoanti) AC 17/FF15/T12, +4/+4/11 (+1 Will vs Enchantment) 48/48 BAB +3 Shaman (Speaker of the past) 5, Perception+9, Init+2
Shaking the cobwebs out of his mind, Keghdraienr stood up and got his bearings. "Lets us make sure that everyone is alright before we go running off to cause more mayhem now, shall we?" he said to the others. "Now, does anyone need to get patched up?" he asked as he looked around.
As the massive portal creaks open before the team's strength, it seems no door can hold them back! This new chamber is pearly white and lined with symbols like those near the entryway. There are obvious signs of a recent struggle, including blood and the corpse of a morlock. Drag marks slide through a pool of blood formed around the head of the morlock, indicating a large creature was pulled through the sealed door on the east side of the room. The door in the east wall is intricately formed from bronze. Four interconnected, circular windows reveal a confusing series of cogs and sprockets within. Levers, dials, and knobs protrude from the frames surrounding the window, but nothing appears to be an obvious latch.
Perhaps this will be the door to best the party?
I'll take Knowledge (engineering) and Perception checks. If you have both, go for it. Besides the usual stuff on the walls, there seems to be no magic in this room.
HP 36/36; Reroll (@+3) 1/1; Wand Infernal Healing: 50/50; Sylph Fighter 4; AC 20; Touch 15; FF 15; Fort +5; Ref +5; Will +2; init +4; perc +0
Vagantem scratches her head as she looks at the mechanism.
Aid-anothers if allowed perception:1d20 + 0 ⇒ (17) + 0 = 17 engineering:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Slowly getting up, Thundering Bull surveys the room. "Looks like we missed out on a fun time..." he complains. Thundering Bull gazes longingly at the morlocks bleeding skull, he pulls his focus away and tries to see what the room has in store for him. Unfortunately, he can't move past the evidence of the carnage he missed out on and keeps getting distracted by the numerous signs of conflict he finds throughout the room.
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Dwarf Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer/4 | Init +5 | Per +8 | HP 30/30| AC 12, 11flat, 11touch | Fort +3 | Reflex +2 | Will +4 | BAB +2 | CMB +1 | CMD 12
Rgulbux peaks around Thundering Bull at the carnage of morlocks left to bleed about the floor. "Nasty!" Sauntering over to the bronze door and stares intently for a couple of minutes before offering some advice as to his astute observations.
After a quick search of the room, several chutes can be seen in the floor and ceiling. They are slightly less wide than a halfling.
Inspecting the strange new door and its inner mechanisms, Vagantem can tell a few things about it. Firstly, if touched, it will...activate. What that will bring remains a mystery. Second, it seems to have parts capable of shutting it down once online, if manipulated properly. There are five of these in total, and each appear capable of altering something outside the door. Should all five be shut down, the door will follow suit and then open.
Somehow I forgot to add the most relevant part to that post.
Thirdly, Vagantem sees that the door will try to resist being deactivated, remodulating itself as necessary. But from what she can tell about the machinery (and lack of magic), the machine is not conscious. It is merely a clever logic puzzle, the actions of which simulate intelligence.
