GM Erich's Salvation Of The Sages (Subtier 10-11) (Inactive)

Game Master Thereus, Silver Crusader

"In Taldor, we probably have over 43 tales on how bad mirrors can ruin your kingdom or at least, seriously cramp your style. And there are these cursed mirrors that can create one's own butt double to come mess you up... a fellow actor told me once... as he apparently found out the bad way when he ventured a bit too far backstage... Leave this be. No good can possibly come out of this. I, for one, don't feel like fighting myself today..."

Rok sits and waits to hear more about the magic aura.

"If we decide to look, everyone step back and I'll do it"

"My vote is no. I'll have no part in this." Theodric steps out of the room.

"Go ahead but be careful is my vote"

Agreed, the fact that it's the Doorway to Oblivion gives me pause to engage it at all. Evad offers.

Magor can get an aura through the silk but cannot determine what the item might be without thoroughly examining it. Knowledge(arcana) to identify the aura using detect magic.

"Rogar, can you identify its aura"

"There's this expression as well... hmm... how did it go again?
ah! yes: 'Curiosity killed the cat' I believe... ahem..." says Theodric as he rounds the bend in the hallway.

I'll assume one of them checks the aura - It is strong divination

arcana: 1d20 ⇒ 15

I'd try to identify it without hesitation, but I was under the impression it was somewhere I couldn't see/reach.

Spellcraft if that's not the case: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (17) + 32 = 49

Yes, the cloth must be removed to spellcraft the object

Pondering the key, "Let's return later" After searching the archives.

"Off to the next wing?"

Does the cloth look suspicious?

It looks like it was purposefully draped over what Magor thinks is a mirror of some type

Apologies for posting as Chaosorbit - seems like I do that at least once a game.

Evad listens to the assessment about the mirror. If a cloth was draped over it, my guess is its not safe to look at. Vladek, Rogar use care if you do.

Evad will join Theodric outside and ready to move onto the next area.

It looks like it was purposefully draped over what Magor thinks is a mirror of some type

Oh, is that all? I thought I heard something about a stone barrier that only Magor could make his way past or something....

Vladek faces the covered mirror and rattles the walls of time itself, that he may better maneuver through the labyrinth of his own immediate future...

...while Qadathra flutters off his shoulder, grabs the hem of the cloth, and moves a few feet to the side of the mysterious mirror before pulling it off.

Once it's revealed, Vladek will use his Spellcraft roll above to identify it.

As the cover is whipped away, Vladek beholds the unnaturally smooth surface of the ancient mirror. It shows Vladek's own reflection slowly sinking into an inky void. Alien eyes open and look upon him, and he can instantly sense the attention of an extraordinarily evil force.

Will save from Vladek, please

Outside, Theodric asks Evad, "Why is it that spellcasters, who are supposed to be smart, often fall to the most obvious of traps? it's like they can't help themselves, like a cat pulling at a thread..."

Will save, Fortune: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29 +2 vs Enchantment/death/gaze, +1 vs Transmutation/fear/confusion, all cumulative
Will save, Fortune: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

Vladek looks back at...whatever it is...with a raised eyebrow and a faint, knowing smile.

Theodric hears a familiar voice in his head:

Surely you know how it is: Intelligence leads to folly, as it is through embracing the Unknown without fear that one learns. Wisdom leads to stupidity, as one ceases to learn. Balance leads to oblivion, as there is ultimately no such thing. Pick thy poison.

The eyes persist for as long as Vladek remains, increasing in intensity but failing to shake his concentration.

Vladek concludes that the item is but a powerful scrying device to some unknown location, but was likely unnerving enough to spook even the great Aryana Tahari, causing her to simply cover it up, thus foiling its use.

--------------------

The group moves to the west. The corridor splits almost immediately.

To the south it abruptly ends in an observation window. Beyond the hazy etched glass, you can make out a large chamber. Three tables laden with alchemical equipment, glassware, and other arcane tools occupy this chamber. A thick liquid drips from a broken glass jar that, as you watch, never empties. Numerous marked vials that appear intact are enclosed within glass-fronted cabinets along the southern wall. A sealed metal canister sits in the southwest corner. There is a door along the far northern wall.

Following the corridor to the north instead, a soupy, viscous fluid covers the floor of this pillared chamber. Arcane runes form three distinct horizontal bands on each pillar, the first third glowing green, the second blue, and the top third red. Tattered, dusty remnants of clothing fill niches in the walls. Another corridor exits the room on the western wall.

While Evad wouldn't know of what Qadathra said to Theodric, he replies to the warrior. Yes, I've noticed that intelligence is often at odd with wisdom. The thirst for knowledge can often lead to poor choices. When Vladek returns apparently unscathed Evad breathes a sigh of relief before moving on.

At the northern corridor Evad studies the scene before calling to the arcane experts. Vladek, Rogar you need to get a look at this.

Perception: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (19) + 21 = 40

Evad looks to see if the floor fluid moves at all and whether the pillar change at all.

Evad realizes something doesn't look quite right about the columned room. Caution must be observed here. The room is obviously magically trapped, in multiple ways.

Rogar casts detect magic and looks around the room.

perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Nodding at Evad, Theodric does not make one more step and stays outside the room. Looking back at the casters, he says, "This room has multiple magical traps. Can any of you dispel this harmful magic?"

"I could but is anyone else good with traps?"

"If you take care of the magic traps, me and me old armor here can take care of the mechanical ones..." says Theodric, pointing to many a dent in his old set of mithral fullplate...

After learning what's under it, Qadathra covers the mirror back up before continuing on.

"I've got an idea," Says Vladek as he reaches for an ancient shark's jaw with long, wicked teeth. He throws it at the floor, and it loudly cracks into fragments that twist and grow in the blink of an eye into [dice=Khain's army:]1d4+1[/dice] twisted ghouls and a single frightful ghast.

Vladek bids one of the ghouls venture into and explore the room.

"Oh my..." says Theodric, raising his minted handkerchief to his noise once more, this time in complaint of the ghouls' stench.

Detecting magic, Rogar gets several moderate auras in the room. He can discern one is an evocation aura, two are conjuration auras, and another is an active spell on the entire room... diagnose disease. Sinuhotep smiles knowingly.

Knowledge(arcana): 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (15) + 18 = 33
Knowledge(arcana): 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (11) + 18 = 29
Knowledge(arcana): 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (9) + 18 = 27
Knowledge(arcana): 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (3) + 18 = 21

Let me know if you still want to do the Ghoul trick. :)

"Hmmmm...what's that creature?!? No one's good with traps?" Rogar rubs his mustache.

Still here, just not much to say--possibly because the player is brain dead.

....and another is an active spell on the entire room... diagnose disease. Sinuhotep smiles knowingly.

Weeeeiiiiirrrrd.

Let me know if you still want to do the Ghoul trick. :)

Unless somebody can come up with something better, yes. I can already see what's coming...:

Dr. Room: "Mr. Ghoul, I've run a diagnostic, and I have some bad news...."

Mr. Ghoul: "*Hhhssssttttthhh*....Whaaaaaat???"

Dr. Room: "You...have advanced ghoul fever. It's well beyond hope of treatment."

Mr. Ghoul: "*Hrrghtht*...no ssshhhhhiiiiiit, Shhhherloccckkk. Hhhooowww long hhhhave I got?"

Dr. Room: "Oh, about 3 sec-*KABOOM!* Next patient, please!"

Oh that’s good stuff!

The ghouls march in proudly, per Vladek's orders. Immediately, the arch of the doorway fills with an illuminating glow that seals off all sound inside with a whoosh. The resulting wall is clear enough to view the procedure inside. Wall of Force

In the eerie silence, you see the undead scouts confusedly react to unheard sounds or actions. A few seconds later the room fills completely with flame and the undead incinerate within a torrent of fire. You are luckily protected by the "observation wall" in the doorway.

Still silenced, but evidenced by vibrations in the walls, you can tell that some sort of vents open and the remaining ghoul dust is unceremoniously sucked from the room. The walls disappear soon after and an audible clicking of the vents suggests that the "room" may be resetting.

Rok hustles through the room while it is resetting.

Theodric runs after Rok, hot on his tail.

Evad joins in the race across the room, hopeful not to get incinerated.

Seeing the first few scurry across the room prompts the rest to do the same. Even Sinuhotep picks up his pace to a meandering scuttle, lifting his robes quickly up off the floor. You find yourself in the corridor beyond, with a closed door to the south (possibly the laboratory you viewed from the window earlier) and a larger chamber opening up to the north.

With a look of remembrance Sinuhotep stands in the center of the corridor, pointing southward. "Ah yes, the plague laboratory is that way."

He then slowly turns to the northern chamber. "And that room, well, that is a long story."

Looking back at the fire trap behind you, he smiles. "If you want to disable Tahari's Cleansing Room, I would be more than happy to help."

"Cleansing room?!? what does the lich have soap and water in there?!?" Rogar grins "Was that the cleansing room? Its best probably to disable it so no one gets hurt later on?"

"That seems to be a reasonable course of action, master dwarf. Tahari used this room often to "cleanse" her patients of the variant diseases she constructed. If they were not "cleansed" by the healing spells, they were certainly "cleansed" by the fire. Ahem. Shall I locate the important arcane focuses for you?" Sinuhotep queries nonchalantly.

Sinuhotep can provide a +8 aid prior to your disable device roll in this room if you want him to access Tahari's memories of the place.

Feel free to try and disable the trap room (with the sage's aid or not). Otherwise, I just need a direction to go, the closed door or the open chamber.

Rok waits patiently for anyone to disarm the trap before following the hallway to the north, sniffing the air and sensing for spirits as he goes.

I have no skill with traps, but anyone that can; have at it.

Not sure anyone does

Evad follows Rok...keeping a close eye out.

Perception: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (4) + 21 = 25

I have Disable device but I'm not a rogue. I'm a wizard dammit Jim

"Let's forget about this damned room and move to the Secret Inner Sanctum! let's go!" says Theodric, worried that his magical enhancements will expire needlessly...

No Disabling here either. I might be able to get everybody around the room though, by traveling through the stone.

I already tried disabling them 'the Vladek way'.

"Hmm..to the inner sanctum then"