GM Nowruz's #5-11 'Library of The Lion' (Tier 1-5) (Inactive)

Game Master noral

You detect abjuration magic.

(cast guidance on self)

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 9 + 1 = 24

"There's a lot of book here..... I want to read them all!"

Heria's voice squeaks a little as the number of book that appear in front of him grow in number until Assistant Snufflebottoms nudges at the wizard's chest to keep him on track.

"Oh, right, right! We need to find evidence!"

Heria's Knowledge Arcana/Dungeoneering/Local or Linguistics: 10 + 7 = 17
Assistant Snufflebottoms' Linguistics Aid: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3 FAIL

(cast guidance on self)

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 9 + 1 = 24

You believe that this could be a magical trap that releases something if the center shelf on the east wall is opened.

We won't have time to read everything. We need to find the informations relevant to our missions, and nothing else.

"Trap? I agree with Baied: let's avoid the center shelf then. We can come back to it later if absolutely necessary."

Is B9 a small or medium room, and is there a special skill use for this one?

B9. Ancient Books Room - Medium room

You may use Appraise in addition to the other skills to look for texts here.

B8. The Study Chamber - Small Room - Baied, Lynn, Heria, Alice: 7.5 min

CLUE 1. Taldan Cipher
This text describes a cipher in which one must read the message backward, reading only every third letter; all other letters are ignored. The example the book provides is “RMNEB SISWD IILPL OTRSES,” which means “soldier.”

CLUE 2. Taldan Cipher
This text contains an example of an encoded message that uses a common substitution cipher (in which each letter represents a different letter). It claims that “DQFIZ KPIED WZYWS QIVKO ZKXFW ZIMVT DQFXW CFPAF PDFZ VFTJF” translates to “The orcs of Tar-Baphon circle around the lake’s western edge.

Avoiding the center shelf, the group search the Ancient Books Room (B9):

Baied, Lynn, Heria, Alice, Zzorn, Criscius, Snufflebottoms, Compsognathus/Scorpion: Medium Room B9, 60/8 = 7.5 min
[Alice or Baied highest skill with Craft Alchemy or Profession Merchant both at +9]
Snufflebottoms assist: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (18) - 1 = 17
Alice's Undefined Familiar assist: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2
Calculation: 19 + ESOTERIC ALPHABETIZATION 2 + six additional assists from party members 12 + 3 PROLIFIC AUTHOR: 19 + 2 + 12 + 3 = 36 for B8
Total Time Spent by Party so far: 7.5 B3 + 15 B4 + 10 Lion RP + 15 B5 - 2.5 for Team 2's early B5 contribution + 7.5 B8 + 7.5 B9 + Illiyana RP = 45min + 7.5min + 7.5min + Illiyana RP = 60min + Illiyana RP time.

Afterwards, the party would like to use the following clue:
CLUE 3. HIDDEN GEM
Right next to one great discovery, you make another incredible find!

Clue: Use this clue when you or another PC discovers a clue or text to find one additional clue or text, if any remain in the room. (If attempting ot use this in a room that doesn’t have any more clues, it doesn’t count; this clue can be used again.)

I'm stumped with the 2nd Taldan Cipher as some letters do not match... OOPS! forgot first 5 letters... let's try this again; ok it works now! :)

"Trap? I agree with Baied: let's avoid the center shelf then. We can come back to it later if absolutely necessary."

Why, Alice does indeed mention she sensed a trap. ;)

I assumed you did! lol

Work, work. :P

Avoiding the center shelf, the group search the Ancient Books Room (B9):

Baied, Lynn, Heria, Alice, Zzorn, Criscius, Snufflebottoms, Compsognathus/Scorpion: Medium Room B9, 60/8 = 7.5 min

Not more than 5 characters can search a medium room. Can you please recalculate.

---

[Alice or Baied highest skill with Craft Alchemy or Profession Merchant both at +9]

Only the relevant skills can be used, i.e. text-based craft or profession, so not any craft or profession skill. Here the list again: Linguistics, Knowledge (history), or text-based Craft or Profession check (such as Profession [librarian] or Craft [bookbinding]) to find texts.

Can please Baied, Lynn, Heria, Alice make a DC 13 Intelligence check or a DC 18 Perception check. Please choose which check you want to make.

I figured Craft Alchemy and Profession Merchant is text based due to the writing of alchemical formulas and the constant use of ledgers, respectively; if not the base skill is 2 lower as the highest skill becomes Linguistics at +7 (I think)

Baied, Lynn, Heria, Alice, Zzorn: Medium Room B9, 60/5 = 12 min
Calculation: 17 + ESOTERIC ALPHABETIZATION 2 + four additional assists from party members 8 + 3 PROLIFIC AUTHOR: 17 + 2 + 8 + 3 = 30 for B8
Total Time Spent by Party so far: 7.5 B3 + 15 B4 + 10 Lion RP + 15 B5 - 2.5 for Team 2's early B5 contribution + 7.5 B8 + 12 B9 + Illiyana RP = 64.5 min + Illiyana RP time.

Perception?: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Thank you Zzorn! Illiyana RP time was about 5 minutes.

B9. Ancient Books Room - Medium Room - Baied, Lynn, Heria, Alice, Zzorn - 12 min

CLUE 1. A SILVER HORN
This text describes in detail an enchanted silver horn capable of granting courage in times of need, which Taldor used for the fifth Army of Exploration and much later during the Shining Crusade, when it was shattered into several pieces. A priest of Aroden prophesied that even if re-forged, the instrument would never sound again, and it was given a hero’s burial. The text mentioned nothing of the horn’s present location.

CLUE 2. GENERAL's LOGBOOKS
These journals record the perspectives of Taldan generals that led various phases of the Shining Crusade. Collectively, they provide valuable insight into challenges the crusaders has to overcome.

CLUE 3. TALDAN CIPHER
According to this text, one common cipher involves changing each consonant into the letter that comes three places after it in the alphabet and changing each vowel into the letter that comes two places before. For example, D would become G, U would become S, and Z would become C. (Since the vowels rotate backward and the consonants rotate forward, it’s a particularly puzzling cipher to break).

Are you all agreeing to use HIDDEN GEM?

int: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Lynn tries her hand at deciphering some of the example phrases and writes them down creating a small codex of each cipher. In the end she has a direct translation from one letter to another for the cycling cipher as well as the substitution cipher. Once the group was done in the study room she moved with Zzorn and the others to the secret stash.

[dice=int]1d20+2

Lynn tries her hand at deciphering some of the example phrases and writes them down creating a small codex of each cipher. In the end she has a direct translation from one letter to another for the cycling cipher as well as the substitution cipher. Once the group was done in the study room she moved with Zzorn and the others to the secret stash.

The Int or perception check is not related to the code. ;-) If you want to use the code - you as players can try and if you do not succeed then we can roll to see if your characters succeed.

Uh the int check was for when you called for one. I just didn't want to put an empty post that was just a roll.

;-) Thanks - I will provide explanation after the adventure on this check.

On which phrases should we try these cyphers? the ones on the brass plaques or just the ones you gave as examples?

Grand Lodge should know! ;-)

You mean Lynn? :) Oh, I see! you're reminding me to be more in character! well done! :)

"Bah! what are these blasted spy codes for? I understand how they work, but which messages need be analyzed?"

Was it something that he over heard?

I tried to use the reverse 3rd letter and it doesn't work on any individual one. And since oocly we don't actually have a full cipher for either of the others they are impossible to use oocly.

Lynn would look around, "Perhaps the book in the center there has some clues?" She'd move over to it but not touch it, since it was contained in a glass case like many others in this room she figured it was too important to leave out in the open.

Was it something that he over heard?

Yes, you Criscius overheard and shared that knowledge with Alice as far as I remember. But only Lynn has the actual letter that shows the unknown message.

Oh yeah i was the only one who got something earlier *checks* I think this is the right one. Also the consonant/vowel cipher breaks, the 5th consonant above each vowel is the same as what the vowel itself turns into, probably what it's meant to do but idk.
Lynn pulls out all her notes and summons another pale blue orb to hover just above her as she plops onto the ground in the room with the glass cases. "Let's see... Innovation, respect, knowledge, courage, integrity, honor, excellence, glory. To serve Taldor, I must first learn the history of Taldor. Persevere, persevere, persevere! In the end, loyalty is its own reward. and lastly our monarch’s virtues are our own.
She begins to look through each of the ciphers using letter swapping, she begins writing each line they've encountered including her own using each cipher's system. No messages found she'd begin combining ciphers and keep working along until she'd weeded out any possible messages in these particular phrases. Eventually leaving her to sit there biting at the back of her ink pen. This whole process would consume her for the time being until someone added more information to her work or found something else.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Baied looks around, but doesnt manage to find something helpful

So much posts while I sleep! ^^

Hello everybody, I still need at least two further players agreeing to use HIDDEN GEM. Can you please comment, Thanks

Can please Baied, Heria and Alice make the DC 13 Intelligence check or a DC 18 Perception check mentioned above. Please choose which check you want to make. Thanks

@GM: it's perfectly acceptable to bot people's roll with their own skill modifiers when they are not responsive or when you need the game moving forward

Ack, I missed the message! Sorry about that. I'll agree to the use the hidden gem as well.

Intelligence: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

Ack, I missed the message! Sorry about that. I'll agree to the use the hidden gem as well.

[Dice=Intelligence]d20+3

Thanks Heria, no further checks needed by Alice and Baied - these three checks are enough. :-)

Heria, Alice and Lynn suddenly realize that in the The Study Chamber everything needs to be put at the right spot to avoid detection later. Because each desk’s contents represents the ongoing research of a dedicated agent, you have to take extra care to put everything back just where it was located.

As Heria, Alice and Lynn remember how the books were ordered on the desks they are able to place the books back just as they found them.

Only one further person needed to agree on HIDDEN GEM.

EDIT: Included Alice! ;-)

Can please Baied, Heria and Alice make the DC 13 Intelligence check or a DC 18 Perception check mentioned above. Please choose which check you want to make. Thanks

I did, result 22. :)

did i already agree i forget

OK, thanks! :-)

Lynn would look around, "Perhaps the book in the center there has some clues?" She'd move over to it but not touch it, since it was contained in a glass case like many others in this room she figured it was too important to leave out in the open.

Lynn is in the Ancient Books Room after you all searched everything and is looking at the center shelf again without touching anything.

Suddenly, she sees a letter that is partially looking out of a book. It is hard to read the text but after some seconds Lynn realizes that this could be a HIDDEN GEM.

Alice would cast Daze on Lynn if she'd decide to trigger the trap.
DC 15 will, btw.

Or in the least, stay waaayyyy clear of the center, and let Lynn experience stuff 1st hand.

Interesting he says

"Uh.. there does seem to be something in the book here." The tanned woman pointed at the book within the center case.

Did Alice actually relay that there was a possible trap on the book and what kind it is?

Zzorn beat me to mentioning it, and said something along the line of: 'let's leave the central one be'.
But yes, i did mention it. :)

Edit: i could use mage hand to pick off the book if Lynn points out which one.

"I don't like the fact that it is most likely trapped, but we may not have a choice. Hmm..." Rubbing his chin, Heria ponders as what to do.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

I tried the perception roll earlier, but missed

Isn't it a spell that can allow a mage to displace things from afar?

"Yes. Although it's highly likely the trap is set off by touch, suggesting even a magic touch of force moving something in there would trigger it."

Knowledge Local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Heria studies the gem to no avail.

Nooooooooooo.

know:Local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 Well so much for that hollow victory of skill lol
"Well does anyone here know a dispelling incantation? If not i believe we're just going to have to go for it. In which case i'll go ahead and open it. But we should make sure we've got everything we've come for, you said it was a spell under the abjuration school? It's most likely some sort of magical alarm if i had to guess." Lynn was about to move towards the case but then it hit her. "Iliyana the ones who lead you into here don't happen to say anything in particular while here do they?"

Can anyone see if there is a trap? Just becomes something appears to obvious does not mean that we should just assume that there is something obvious there he states

Knowledge Nobility, inspecting Hidden Gem, not taking 10: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

Great roll