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

Game Master noral

Zzorn looks at the notes that Lynn found and can glimpse a couple of letters that he puts together in his head ... it is the name of the author. Kendrin Isle, a scholar and politican that died 40 years ago.

But Zzorn knows from talks and rumors in Taldor that Kendrin was a poor scholar but a popular noble with political ambitions in the senate.

If these notes about theories involving Aroden are here and Kendrin is the author then Zzorn would rather believe that the lion blades wanted to find out if the text reveals something about Kendrin's strategic agenda than any scientific or religious truths.

Zzorn relates this to the group, then says, "Ok... everybody out! we need these notes on battle tactics. I'll take the hit from the trap. Hopefully it doesn't set the library on fire, but we need this. Dear Illyana: could I please get the key to these shelves, if you have it?"

Uups, maybe I was not so clear. The not is irrelvant to your mission Zzorn believes. ;-)

Got it... poor scholar means nothing of value, and strategic agenda did not refer to military strategy but political maneuvering instead yes?

"Oh, nevermind... I just remembered that this Kendrin fellow was a twit..."

Yes. :-)

If you got harmed, I'll heal you, of course. That's the least I could do

"If need be, I can also help with the healing, but it isn't going to feel as nice as Baied's."

"Nah... we're not opening this for some pathetic Kendrin self-aggrandizing propaganda. Let's carry on to the next room ladies and gentleman."

"Ah, so it doesn't sound too historical, and more like drivel. Let us go then, and make haste. Time is of the essence!" Heria will follow Zzorn to the next area.

"Well, I have the key to the administrator’s room. But that is really very dangerous. Please be careful." Iliyana says with a very nervous voice.

Where are you going next?

Room B10 - please provide the searching stats of that room. Thanks!

B10. The Administrator’s Room - Small Room

Iliyana walks with you to the room that she identified as the administrator’s room.

Two rows of tall bookshelves flank the imposing yet beautiful wooden desk that presides over this room. Over the door hangs a portrait of Grand Prince Stavian III, portrayed wearing an especially smug grin.

"This room is the part-time office for the administrator of this facility, responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the collections and the training of the students." Iliyana tells you.

A brass plaque on the frame of the portrait reads, “A cunning lie is never told twice.”

Normal research rules apply

"Never told twice huh. That sentence itself is a lie.
One could carefully rephrase the lie, tell it to a different person, and it is told twice."

Alice is standing behind the desk and is looking at the room and the frame and her eyes wander. Suddenly she sees something below the desk that looks odd - a lever under the desk.

Though the room appears to have no other exits, Alice looks behind her and suddenly sees that behind the desk is a secret door.

The slayer looks around as he enters the room.
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

The slayer looks around as he enters the room.

1d20+6

Now that Criscius looks at the wall behind the desk again he also sees the secret door.

He walks over to it and says There is something here, it looks like a secret door. I think we should see where it goes.

"Criscius and I will guard the exits while you fine ladies proceed to your scholarly activities," says Zzorn, sword at the ready.

Baied, Lynn, Heria, Alice: Small Room B10, 30/4 = 7.5 min
Calculation: 17 + ESOTERIC ALPHABETIZATION 2 + three additional assists from party members 6 + 5 BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: 17 + 2 + 6 + 5 = 30 for B10
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 + 5 Illiyana RP + 7.5 B8 + 12 B9 + 7.5 B10 = 77 min

Nicely done, Criscius. We can keep our heads buried into the books while you keep us safe

There could be something in the secret door that might aid or even be our search he says.

"Or there could be a fire elemental," replies Zzorn.

"I might be able to speak to it if there was. I do know a bit of Ignan. Let us hope it's just more books." Shivering slightly at the thought of more books, the wizard continues searching for clues and evidence.

guess there wasnt anything that the people who got into the last room said often.
"We may want to check for more spells and traps. Otherwise we may end up alerting the higher ups to our presence. And if the previous room had traps i'm sure this one will too."
Lynn jotted down the phrase and then focused and looked around the room scanning for magic.

i'll cast detect magic but pretty sure you cant use it untrained do not gonna roll

Lynn casts detect magic and sees that in the top drawer of the desk a potion and an elixir case are magical but nothing else is visible.

B10. The Administrator’s Room - Small Room - 7.5 min

CLUE 1. Encarthan Maps
These maps depict Lake Encarthan, the Isle of Terror, and the nations that surround it. Of particular interest are the hundreds of hand-drawn notes and lines showing troop movements, preserving the changing plans of the brilliant generals who orchestrated the Shining Crusade.

CLUE 2. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
Several relevant books have extensive indices and bibliographies that might point to even greater discoveries.

Clue: You may use this clue to gain a +5 bonus on a single skill check made to find texts.

Sweet! we got BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES again! the best boost available so far! :)

"Ok Criscius: would you please do us the honor to pull on that lever? let's see what other room lies beyond!" says Zzorn, readying his sword for whatever is on the other side.

He pulls the lever.

(observes at a safe distance)

LOL, chicken :)

Poisoned dart trap: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Poisoned dart trap damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3
Fortitude DC 18 if hit or dex damage; Frequency 1/round for 6 rounds, Cure 1 save: 1d2 ⇒ 2

A dart suddenly flies from below the desk and hits Criscius Hispaninus but cannot penetrate his armor.

"What? that makes no sense! Are you ok Criscius?" says Zzorn, wondering how to open the door.

Baied comes closer, now that the trap has done its job, and inspect Criscius, in case he needs some healing

And after Zzorn started shouting at the door he sees the secret door open and move the side.

A dart, probably from a trap, missed me he says.

"...ah, and the door opened. Mighty impractical if you ask me! they must have had some kind of tool on hand to bypass that trap, at the time... otherwise I think they're crazy!"

Zzorn proceeds to B11. What? another Lion head?? whattizzit???? whattizzit?!?! :)

"It's quite possible there's a button to push before-hand. I've read plenty of tales of such dastardly devices. Though it does look like the trap is spent, would you do the honors of leading us Zzorn?"

B11. The Vault of Knowledge - medium room

Cabinets with two tall drawers each line the east and west walls of this room.

A relief carving of a lion’s head dominates the south wall, hanging imperiously over a low stone step. The large lion carving is stylistically similar to the Guardian.

Six freestanding statuettes of lions in various poses stand atop the furniture. Each miniature lion is portrayed in a different way to symbolize a particular virtue. One crouches as if preparing to ambush its prey. The second is roaring as it leaps at prey. The third wears a yoke that is chained to a large block that the lion strains to pull. The fourth wears a tiny pair of spectacles and reads from an ornate scroll. The fifth is draped in the flag of Taldor. The sixth sits erect and wears a crown.

A first glance reveals that the filing cabinets in this room house dossiers on Lion Blade agents past and present. Examining the documents in their entirety would take weeks you would assume.

Interesting he states

LOL, chicken :)

*shrug*

"Decent work on the statues."

Perception, guidance: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 6 + 1 = 21

Zzorn consult his notes, and looks at the lions:

One crouches as if preparing to ambush its prey. The second is roaring as it leaps at prey. The third wears a yoke that is chained to a large block that the lion strains to pull. The fourth wears a tiny pair of spectacles and reads from an ornate scroll. The fifth is draped in the flag of Taldor. The sixth sits erect and wears a crown.

"One must first learn history... let's see if that fourth statue with the spectacles can rotate or something..." says Zzorn, trying to turn the statue gently or feeling for a knob or button over its surface, as he continues to address the group. "The 'persevere!' lion is probably the one pulling on the chain; the cunning lion is the one crouching, I'd guess; and in the end, the 'loyal' lion is probably the one draped in the Taldor flag... what say you all?"

Zzorn still tries to carefully turn, prod and poke the spectacled lion...

Not sure if the GM meant we can't investigate this room because it would take too much time; however if he meant we can still quickly scan the main documents present, here are the results for B11:

Baied, Lynn, Heria, Alice, Zzorn: Medium Room B11, 60/5 = 12 min
Calculation: 17 + ESOTERIC ALPHABETIZATION 2 + four additional assists from party members 8 + 5 BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 17 + 2 + 8 + 5 = 32 for B11
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 + 5 Illiyana RP + 7.5 B8 + 12 B9 + 7.5 B10 + 12 B11 = 89 min

oh crap i forgot to check the elixar case in the previous room
Before journeying further with the party Lynn decides to pilfer the small container of magical elixars. Surely such a case would have them labeled, but if not she'd consult with Alice to figure out their qualities.
"I'm sure they won't find themselves too harmed if we liberate these."

She'd be happy to help ID those.

Looking at the Lion Statues, Zzorn is puzzled.

"So we know that we should start with the fourth lion as he studies history; we know the last lion is the fifth lion draped in Taldor's flag; what I'm not sure of is if whether the perseverance lion comes before the cunning lion. Lynn: when, or should I say where, did you find the message 'our monarch virtues are our own'? was it before or after we found the inscription with 'a cunning lie is never told twice?'"

Looking around for false bottoms or other things that might help
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Before, as the lies one was our final clue. Remember the message, even the keenest eyes don't see all, look for the bigger picture. That's when i found that message. I am also not so sure that we are looking at a certain order to have the lions in."

"I don't know what to do with the statues either... turn them? move them? re-order them? based on what you just said, however, it seems this riddle only involves four of the lions, and that whatever we have to do with them must be done in the following order:
First, the lion with a tiny pair of spectacles;
Second, the lion who crouches as if preparing to ambush its prey;
Third, the lion who wears a yoke that is chained to a large block; and
Last, the lion draped in the flag of Taldor."

Zzorn still tries to carefully turn, prod and poke the spectacled lion and looks around the room for clues.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Zzorn's final notes:
1. “Innovation, respect, knowledge, courage, integrity, honor, excellence, glory”
2. “To serve Taldor, I must first learn the history of Taldor” = bookish lion
3. “Our monarch virtues are our own” = Stavian's picture = cunning = crouching lion
3. “Persevere, persevere, persevere!” = chained lion
4. “In the end, loyalty is its own reward” = flag lion
5. “A cunning lie is never told twice” = likely means the end of the sequence

Lets check theses statues. This might be the last riddle

Baied helps Zzorn to the worst of her abilities

perception, Aid: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Heria, watching the two, attempts to aid as well.

"You do have a point. Let me try and help!"

Perception Aid: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6

Perception, guidance: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 6 + 1 = 23