Hel_Blackfist |
Hel is remembering also other words -- drowned men that walk, a thing in a dark room that screams at motion or light, waking the drowned men. "We're only at six of nine," she says thoughtfully, moving into the room to search as well. "There has to be three more rooms. I think this room's lesson is a warning to not be stupid and foolish; this place is a trap, whether that's the pillar, the amulet, or the stairs. Willow," she adds, "can you check to see if that amulet is a fake?"
KS: Religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
For what it's worth, I've sent Willow a PM here; she hasn't posted in more than a month, so ... :/
Aaand a perception check:
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Wesh Meloi |
Wesh stays at the base of the stairs and says, "We should probably clear this room before moving on. Search the secret room then continue. No sense in touching the amulet if we're uncertain of its safety."
Sir Gallen |
Gallen carefully checks the secret door for traps and if he finds none attempts to open it.
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
Lutor Messa |
"I see no magical auras, bar those we bear. I *could* seize one or both amulets with a hand of magic from a distance, should that reduced risk be acceptable."
Cole Hale, Servant of Asmodeus |
"I agree, we have done only 6 lessons assuming we pass this one and don't be stupid. I say we leave the room and go through the secret door. If we don't find another amulet or way out we know this one is here."
GM Phntm888 |
A dragon is not one of the symbols of the Mitran faith. Of course, you also remember you were told to find an amulet of silver and sapphire - nothing about it being a symbol of the Mitran faith. He also said it was somewhere in the rooms below - not that you had to go through all 9.
Gallen finds no traps and opens the secret door. It reveals a hallway leading to the left before it turns to the left again.
Appraise: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Willow studies the amulet and says, "Well, it's definitely made of silver, but the sapphire eyes aren't actually sapphire - they're blue cut glass. I don't think this is the pendant."
Sir Gallen |
"Abandoning the fools gold in search of progress could be our goal here, leaving by this secret exit could be intended." Gallen starts checking the passage for traps.
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18
Hel_Blackfist |
"Oh, silver is silver; I'm sure we could sell that to some rube or another for something more than its value, just for saying the glass is sapphire." The archer aristocrat considers the stairs for a few moments more, then nods. "Do a search for anything on the other wall, but we'll scoot out of here through the secret door. Lutor, you can lift the amulet when you duck out, we'll see if that does anything."
Her line of action settled, she proceeds to examine the wall opposite the entrance.
Wesh Meloi |
Wesh leads the way once again through the secret door, but stays close to the entrance in case Lutor's removal of the amulet has an unexpected effect. The room is too easy for the fighter's tastes. His gut tells him there's more going on here than they realize.
Lutor Messa |
"I will wait until we are all out of the room before making the attempt. Even so, prepare to fight or flee."
GM Phntm888 |
Hel finds nothing on the south wall, and Gallen finds no traps in the passage. Once everyone has moved through the room, Lutor reaches out and grabs the amulet with his cantrip. the amulet floats off the pedestal to his outstretched hand...and nothing else happens.
The L-shaped hallway moves down, ending in another door with the inscription, "Secrecy is our greatest ally. Exposure brings death."
Cole Hale, Servant of Asmodeus |
"Interesting. I would suggest we have no secrets among our group, but exposure brings death? Perhaps we need to remain quiet or hidden. Willow or myself should check it out."
I have a +7 stealth not sure of other capabilities in that area
Hel_Blackfist |
Reading the inscription, Hel gives a thin, self-contemptuous smile. "Everyone has secrets, even if it's just something about themselves of which they're uncomfortable speaking. This? Think!!" she says with intensity. "A creature that screams at light or sound, which wakes the drowned men that walk. Exposure -- being seen or heard -- brings death, the drowned men that walk.
"We have only three lessons left, and while Cardinal Thorn never said that we were to go through all nine, I cannot imagine an Asmodean, for whom nine is a number of great import, would not mean for us to experience all of them." She stares at the inscription while her mind works. "I suggest those of us who need light pull back, and those of you who can see in darkness open the door. If it's something you recognize that screams at light or sound -- or perhaps, if it isn't drowned men that walk, and if anyone has any idea as to what those might be, please let us know -- then I propose there's a way around this room: the secrecy that is our greatest ally, which would definitely be greater than our own ability to be stealthy."
Cole Hale, Servant of Asmodeus |
"I can see, I will go forward. A good assessment Hel. If we are lucky I can lead you through the room in the darkness to the next door, which I suspect has the drowned men that walk. Undead I would surmise, but facing them alone and passing whatever thing can call them is probably a better course and one meant for us to follow by the inscription on this room."
Once the light backs off from the door Cole will open and look into the next room.
Lutor Messa |
Lutor seems amused at the anticlimactic result of his snatching.
He leaves the amulet on the ground.
"Just in case it is a trap of another kind. We can pick it up later once we are victorious."
****
"While I am quite agile, I am untrained in the arts of the scout - or burglar. I will remain here."
Hel_Blackfist |
"As I can't see in the dark," says Hel, "I'll step back as well." She follows her own direction, moving back along the corridor, idly looking for indicators of a hidden passage off this hidden passage.
Wesh Meloi |
Wesh considers protesting but decides it would be more trouble than its worth. He takes a step back along with those who can't see in the dark, but keeps his sword at the ready should his services be needed.
GM Phntm888 |
You do not find any secret passages.
Willow steps back as well, leaving Cole alone to face whatever lies behind the door. Taking a deep breath, he opens the door, revealing a room of darkness - not magical darkness, but normal darkness with no light sources.
In the center of this stone chamber is a patch of bare earth surrounded by a two inch tall brick circle. From the soil grows a mansized purple mushroom with a strange bulbous cap.
This mushroom is a shrieker if any light touches it or if there is any movement within 10 feet of it, it emits an ear-piercing shriek that is audible from quite a long distance away. They are quite fragile, however, but the shriek persists even after destruction.
If Cole relays the information in his first spoiler to the rest of the party, anyone can make the check for the second spoiler, but the DC increases by 3 since you are getting a second-hand account of the room.
Cole Hale, Servant of Asmodeus |
Cole does indeed relay the information.
"Well nothing happened from just peeking in but I have no idea what that thing is. We could probably attack it from range. If it does do something to summon the drowned men we can force the encounter here on our terms and bottle neck this door."
Lutor Messa |
Knowledge Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17
Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16
Lutor listens to Cole's description intently.
"A shrieker. Should any light touch it, it will emit an ear-piercing shriek that would surely lure in anything that isn't deaf. They are fragile, but if it has begun shrieking, destruction won't immediately silence it. I concur that we should destroy it from range, preferably with weapons that do not require or emit light."
Cole Hale, Servant of Asmodeus |
"Will it shriek if I damage it? Or does it only do that if light touches it? If it is only light, I can start blasting it with my acid cantrip. It will take a minute or two but should work."
With study target I can blast it for 2-4 acid a round assuming I keep hitting it's touch ac from 30' away in the dark.
Wesh Meloi |
With news of the shrieker, Wesh approaches again till he gets to the edge of the darkness.
"Seems like keeping it in darkness is the best plan. Trying to kill it with your cantrip sounds like a good idea, Cole. I'll wait here in case it decides to come out."
Hel_Blackfist |
"Is it a mobile species?" Hel wonders, but then gives a soft, self-contemptuous snort. "Not that it matters. Go ahead, but I do hope it doesn't scream when you kill it." She continues to wander down the hall, idly looking but not closely examining the walls for hints of any sort of secret passage. If a shriek does come, though, she'll hustle back. "If it does, though, I suggest we draw back into the next room, so that we can be four to their two, instead of two-on-two. These passages are too wide for only one at a time, too narrow for a good mobbing as they come through a door."
Lutor Messa |
Apologies. But same modifier.
"Movement of creatures close to it would also trigger the shriek. I do not know if attacking it will."
Cole Hale, Servant of Asmodeus |
"Let's set up a welcome party then as Hel suggest. I will blast it. If it shrieks I will just fall back and we can wait on the drowned men. If it just withers and dies in silence then we can head to the next room after. Everyone get into position."
When we are set Cole will go back and study the thing and begin to shoot it with acid.
Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17 vs Touch
Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Cole Hale, Servant of Asmodeus |
Cole waits a moment ready to blast again.
Wait really...
"So it seems dead. I'm going to go to the next door and check the inscription before we take light in just to be safe. If it is drowned walkers do we wish to try and make enough noise of our own to attract them? Well let me check the inscription first then we can decide."
Cole approaches the next door.
Hel_Blackfist |
"I ... um. Hm. No, not -- check the inscription, yes," Hel agrees, momentarily flummoxed at the idea that the thing simply collapsed at one acid splash. "And hit it a couple more times," she calls after Cole. "Just to be sure," she adds to the others.
Lutor Messa |
"The potency of some foes lies not in themselves, but in the allies they can call upon. Even without knowing it. Let us not tarry here."
Cole Hale, Servant of Asmodeus |
Cole returns with the information on the door.
"Seems as we expected. So do we want to go through or try and make enough noise to have them come to us?"
Sir Gallen |
"Set ourselves up at a good choke point we can easily cut them down. I don't want to expend valuable resources on unnecessary injuries. Holding the line is where my support lies." Gallen chimes in with his opinion.
Hel_Blackfist |
Before she answers, Hel tries to think of what sort of undead might fit the 'drowned men that walk' description -- which might need to be 'woken up', and their, well ... current 'resting' states.
KS: Religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
... well, suck!! Man, I am just not having the great dice lately.
Lutor Messa |
"I can grease the ground just in front of the choke point, and enlarge one of ye. "
Cole Hale, Servant of Asmodeus |
We are going with the make noise plan. To start.
"Go ahead and set up. I will go open the other door and make my way back. When we are ready we can all make our best "shriek" noise and hope it will summon the dead. If not we will have to move and investigate the room. Sound good?"
GM if there is no objection feel free to move forward with this plan.
Hel_Blackfist |
That's the plan, presuming the roll is too low for Hel to think of what the thing(s) might be.
Lutor Messa |
Agreed! Lutor can enlarge someone, don't forget.
Lutor keeps his mouth closed, being not gifted at oratory.
Cole proves his silence justified.
Wesh Meloi |
If Wesh is able to hear Cole's performance before his own is necessitated, then he'll stay silent as he isn't exactly skilled in Perform (oratory) or Bluff. Otherwise...
Wesh does his best to make the sound that he guesses a shrieker makes. He keeps his sword at the ready should one of their foes appear.
Bluff: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (15) - 1 = 14
Wesh Meloi |
Probably the next hidden room on the map, assuming that's the one Cole investigated already. Otherwise, probably back to the room where we found the amulet so three of us can hopefully attack at once while drawing them in single file.