GM Rat Sass's Legacy of Fire (Inactive)

Game Master GM Rat Sass

Ami races to collect and mount the guarded Yeen, leaping into the saddle...

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 Quick mount vs. DC15

...landing gracefully.

Too bad no one was around to see that... Ami looks around before returning to the sphinxes and moving on.

"They are burnt brother with holy flame. They will not return. Do not worry, have faith in the Sun's fire," Ami whispers to his brother as they pass by and on.

Ami is ready to move to the next new area on the map, but isn't finding it while working on his iphone rendition of the RollD20 map. Let's move on.

Pent spit-shines then tucks away his gong, content that the work finished that much more quickly.

Nosing through the choker chamber, Pent continues ever closer to the mists, taking deep, practice breaths. "Ooboyooboyooboyooboy..."

Area 7 is now revealed on the map.
Three spacious tubs dominate this room, with large terra cotta braziers placed between them. Narrow vents lead into the ceiling above each brazier, evidently the source of the sand and grit
covering the floor. Though the room is a bit less pungent then what you recall, the smell is strongly familiar.

Yeen and Ami move in (to Area 7), wondering if this is the right way to go.

Pent continues to push on, bent on accessing the corridors.

"Ooboyooboyooboyooboy..."

Mahdi stands in the doorway between the two chambers as people move back to the areas they have explored before.

"...did anyone hear that I found the hidden doorway?" he says plaintively. "Illusory wall? Doorway? There's a room up here we haven't been in before, where the elemental came from?"

It's hard to be a dramatically superior wizard when one's amazing discoveries are not properly lauded, he thinks grumpily. Mahdi moves back to the illusory-wall-and-its-hidden-door.

"I can try this secret door again," he says loudly and pointedly, "now that we've dispatched those sphinx guardians for the second time. Doors with magically reanimating guardians likely have valuable things beyond them..."

Like fire elementals! Joyous day, etc.

The room seems familiar. You can see signs of struggle, which you now recall are from a fight with some dangerous chokers that were encountered previously. At the south corner of the room there is another opening that leads to a corridor. The room seem devoid of any elemental presence.

Upon entering area 8. Now revealed on Roll20.

Reeking of dust, this ransacked room appears to have been some sort of scriptorium. Slate-topped tables and cedar-wood stools lie overturned and broken amid the cracked remains of scroll cases and rolls. Three wings lead to the east. In them, decrepit scroll racks of dry-rotted cedar lean haphazardly against the walls, their contents dumped out. Flecks of papyrus carpet the floor, a library of ancient lore laid to waste. A massive basalt plaque dominates the southern wall of the chamber, surrounded by images of the god-king Nethys on the deck of a river barque.

Aldebert moves into the room, checking briefly for trouble before relaxing a little.

"Won't take long to check all this through Mahdi, then we can go back and dig out that other doorway too. It's not a large complex - at least the bits we've found so far."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Not seeing anything of note, Aldebert prepares to go back with Mahdi.

Secret door? How did I miss that?

Ami spurs Yeen around to wait by Mahdi's door.

"Mahdi, what time is it? We have done much this day. I think the sun is near setting. Maybe we should save this door for the morrow?"

GM Lareg, what time is it?

It is nearing late evening. If you continue to work on the rubble it can be cleared before nightfall. Just let me know the plan.

The grumbling of at least a few stomachs can be heard. You don't recall having an afternoon meal and it's really beginning to feel like dinner is needed soon.

Ami feels his own tummy grumble before he feels the same from Yeen.

I should have given him more flind to eat. They are hearty in nutrients, I bet.

"After the rubble is cleared, we might return to the surface for dinner the day. We have done much this day."

Assuming here that everyone agrees to continue clearing the rubble. Still time for changes and objections. Still need a rough idea of where the rubble is being moved to.

As the rubble stops rolling from above, the clearing seems to speed. With a clear passage visible, though still blocked by rubble glimpses of fire light can be seen occasionally showing in the gaps at the very top of the rubble pile. Sounds that are fire like can also be heard in sequence with the growing and fading fire light.

(Sorry to cause changes, but OOCly I think it's actually better for the group to finish exploring what they know before they clear the rubble and potentially open things up to more enemies-- Mahdi was just whining in character because nobody had praised his awesomeness. And I have no objections to resting for the night before we deal with potential elementals. Much as I am tempted by that mysterious spoiler of Ignan *twitch*. In short, I'm okay with us finishing the rooms we know, then resting, before we clear out the rubble. AKA, on board with Ami there.)

"Oh, I suppose so," Mahdi grouses to Ami's words. As long as he gets to rest near the pillars!

Fine by me. We'll leave things where they are as far as the rubble goes as that fits fine with what you have in mind. Just give me a rough idea of what rooms / route you take to wherever you all go next.

Pent starts to fixate on the way the words come out, watching the others work back and forth, rubble, grumbles, and rubble grumbles.

"Oo-boy-o-obo-yo-o-boyo-ob-oy-oo..."

Eventually, the gnome tires, and he waits for a chance to sit down and rest his feet. Thinking about it, he starts to lift one foot, then the other, alternating his standing on one foot at a time.

His initial vocalizations begin to solidify into a mantra.

Aldebert moves further in (to room 8) and checks for any who may have moved in since our last visit a few days ago.

"I wonder if there's some wizard trying to make this his, or her, home. Might not even be evil you know. I don't think that last elemental was, but I'll check next time to be sure."

Pent bounds to the end of the longer room. "Library, right? What a mess..." He returns to where he believes the Guard Duck Door once was and still is. If the door is once again closed, he recasts an Arcane Mark, bringing the glory of the Guard Duck to once again adorn the door, but, this time, he subtitles his existing picture with the words 'Guard Duck'.

Should the door allow passage, Pent makes his way recklessly into the corridor beyond, and the mists that await.

Aldebert calls out to Pent, "No, Pent, we weren't going to open any more doors - I just wanted to check this hall. Come on back and have some supper!"

If Pent should return unharmed, Aldebert un-shoulders his pack, shares out some simple food and water, and digs in.

Totally fine with spending the night here now.

Pent looks over his shoulder. "But... but... the mists... they're like, right there... just a little further..." Pent nods his head, hoping Aldebert starts to copy his body language, thus convincing the halfling that another door and another lungful is easily preferable to a full belly at the moment. When Aldebert fails to nod, Pent slumps, and returns to join the others.

"Alright, fine. Food, rest. Renew, sleep. Begin anew. Fine, alright."

Okay, I keep losing track of what the plan is. I thought a big part of why we were coming back to the shrine was to rest in the hall of the pillars (I mean, I know nobody but Mahdi can use them, but that's what HE was wanting to come back here for, anyway :P ), and I thought we'd agreed to go back through all of the areas we had already explored here just to make sure they were still clear, and then that we would rest, and then after resting, explore the 'new' area, like whatever is beyond the secret door. In the big picture of things, it really doesn't matter, but it's going to take Mahdi multiple hours to copy down whatever spells are on the pillars, and I'd ideally want to do it at a time when it didn't force the other PCs to just stand around uselessly waiting for him.

If there's a reason we're resting right here, I'm fine with that, but I still have spells enough to advocate for going through all of the areas of the shrine that we previously explored (in other words, all of the shrine except for the new, past-the-secret-door area).

This is what the gnome was up to, before lazy halflings called him off of further exploration ;) We knew where the pillar room was, and could have just as easily strode into its quarters instead of cat-legging in our current direction. Even if Pent doesn't get his huff on, we can back pedal through the statue room, and re-enter the pillars. Let's do that, so lazy halflings can have their second and third suppers...

With the spell cast, the massive basalt plaque that dominates the southern wall of the chamber moves away, revealing a passage.

Upon entering area 9 (which has been revealed on the map).

A winding corridor stretches ahead, clouded with phosphorescent gray mist. Statues stand rigidly along the meandering hallway, each clad in the trappings of a powerful mage or priest. Thick tendrils of pearlescent vapor hiss forth from their open mouths, weaving through the air like translucent alien vines before reluctantly dispersing. A susurrus of whispers can faintly be heard from the statues, the sounds of forgotten tongues trapped in time.

Upon entering area 10 (which has been revealed on the map).

A vast cavern looms ahead, its outlines obscured by eerie vapors. Foul with the scent of ancient decay, these noisome mists crawl unnaturally along the chamber’s irregular floor. Unnerving outlines rise among the strange miasma, then fade back into nothingness as quickly as they appeared.

At this point the only danger that remains exposed is the breath, which you all know about. So I'm going to reveal the remaining room. Rubble still blocks the newly discovered passage so we can assume you all are able to rest / eat. -- Should we flash forward to the next morning? --

My only objection to fast-forwarding is just that I'm unclear on whether we're doing the pillared room with the altar or not. To be clear, it's the room discussed here-- a room that had pillars, and an altar out of which snakes appeared, which we fought and defeated. DM Are told Mahdi that the pillars would require spellcraft checks to decipher, one hour per pillar, and that then he could copy the spells on the pillars to his spellbook. At this point, I have never had a chance to make the spellcraft checks, nor do I know how many pillars there are, nor what spells are upon them. I would like the opportunity to do that, unless the party as a whole does not want to take the time, but I don't know how much "time" it is, because I don't know how many pillars there are.

Aldebert burps and quickly gathers his things for further exploration, if only a little, before having a proper supper and rest.

Totally fine guarding Mahdi that evening and a bit of the next morning while he does his thing with the pillars. By lunch though, Aldebert will get fidgety.

I have no idea what we are doing -- exploring or resting. Kul would move with the group, trying to stay toward the front in order to open doors and interpose himself between the party and any threat.

Pillar room is area 5, which I've revealed on the map. Feel free to make rolls and what have you concerning the inscriptions.

A foul, metallic miasma assails the nostrils here. This vast chamber is clearly some sort of ominous worship hall. Frescos upon the walls and dozens of columns depict the terrifying power of magic, as radiant figures destroy entire worlds. Massive pillars support the chamber’s lofty ceiling, each covered with complex glyphs and designs. Between each column, glass lamps hang from chains of green copper, radiating pallid, bluish lights that pulse and flicker in unison. At the room’s southern end, the temple’s alabaster altar gleams in the erratic blue light, its pedestal carved in the shape of winged, scale-covered bulls.

Pent looks back on the others, gleeful that they are not sitting down, but pushing onwards. "Alright, so if I have this all right, we can reach the pillar room for our evening encampment by two paths- the boring/trodding/plodding way, back the way we came, or the plucky/ducky/lucky way, right through this passage!! Who's with me?!" Pent doesn't wait for an answer, bolting through the snake way, past the barge, to the pivot in the door that brings them full circle, and a little too close to the snake altar.

Fortitude Save vs. Mists: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Once he's sure he has the mists, not the other way around, Pent begins to sing praise to Sarah, while dancing with his crossbow. He contents himself with resting within the mists, excited to wake the next morning and meditate in such heightened senses.

Totally, totally cool with time off for good behavior, while Mahdi researches. Totally.

The gnome feels suddenly more powerful.

There are also the spellcraft checks for the bits of wood from the sphinxes: (here)

Mahdi scarfs down a handful of dried meat, barely paying attention to the demands of his belly in the interests of satisfying his curiosity instead.

Spellbook open on one knee, he moves from pillar to pillar in the room, deciphering the inscriptions, recording spells as he goes. His little scorpion tail-waves on his shoulder.

Is every square block on the map a 'spellbook' pillar? If so, well, definitely not going to do all of them now. If taking 10 on these checks is permitted, I will take 10 for a 21 each hour. If not:

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

...bleh. Anyway, that represents 3 hours of checks, and I still need to sleep eight hours upon resting, so that would take us to near Alde's antsy mid-morning.

"But there's so many left," Mahdi grouses. "Oh, very well, I suppose I'll have to make a trip here later on my own..."

He packs up his book, then snaps his fingers. "Ah yes, meant to look over that fragment of wood, too--"

Mahdi gives the piece of wood an intrigued examination. "...hmm..."

Unable to read the inscription, he draws a scroll out of his pack and quickly casts the spell it contains. Comprehend Languages With the divination spell in effect, he attempts a second time to read the writing on the fragment of charred wood.

Ami feed Yeen before feeding himself...a custom he learned early if he wanted a meal free of stolen food, head butts, and mournful looks of starvation from his companion.

He sits and relaxes, occasionally getting up to pace and check corridors while he waits and relaxes.

He deigns to sit next to Kul after one of his pacings.

"You have been quiet, Kul. It is because you worry for our time away from the Sun? Do not worry...we shall run in the winds soon enough."

Yeenoghu pads quietly from place to place after The One but the weight of his meal soon brings a wide yawn. He stretches out, only to be disturbed again as his friend moves once more. Finally, in a huff, he saunters in the opposite direction and curls up once more. His tail flicks in irritation for a time before he gets distracted with by a bath.

Though he has only really added one spell to his spellbook-- and not even one he can cast, yet-- Mahdi still continues the night a qualified success. MOAR FIRE

"This is interesting on the wood fragment too," he murmurs. "A spell to bring a construct back to 'life'... after a fashion. Quite an ambitious arcane undertaking-- oh why am I bothering to explain," he huffs. "Right. Let's be off. And please, at least give me the chance to speak to the fire elementals!"

@ Mahdi, are the spells in your spellbook listed on your profile? I tried to pick something you might not know already. @ All time for 'watches' - whose up first?

As Mahdi diligently studies the pillars, the shrine seems to settle into a rhythmic strangeness.

I suggest the brothers on second watch, Kul and Mahdi on first, and Pent bringing in third. Is Pent OK on his own? If not, Aldebert could take third and Pent could take first with Amiamble.

Ami is quite happy to take a shift at watch with Yeen. Pent/Kul second shift. Mahdi/Aldebert third.

Ami stretches out after his shift, ready for bed...even while Mahdi works and pours over arcane hieroglyphs. He sleeps well, trusting his brother to keep him safe. His brother always keeps him safe.

* * *
In the morning, Ami wakes to help cook breakfast...and for Yeen it means raiding the saddle for dried meats for the cat before he even thinks about preparing food for others. Ami is not a sure chef, but knows how to drop eggs (shells and all) into a skillet...and how to burn bread on hot rocks.

After fooding, Ami packs and is ready to explore further, anxious to explore what Mahdi found yesterday.

"Brother...what do you think is beyond Mahdi's door? And beyond that? And beyond that? Do you think there will be more gnolls to give the 'whatfor'?

Perception:
Mahdi: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 (normal)
Aldebert: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Pent: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25 (low-light)
Amiamble: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17 (normal)
Yeenoghu: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19 (low-light)
Kul: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16 (normal)

Kul & Mahdi on first, brothers on second watch, and Pent in third.

The first watch passes uneventfully, with Mahdi absorbed in the pillars and Kul watching the doorways. As the watches change little in the temple does as the brothers chat among themselves. When Pent finally takes his turn he seems well rested and attentive, though his focus might be questionable.

Feel free to fill in evening details as you like and let me know the morning activities when ready.

"Brother...what do you think is beyond Mahdi's door? And beyond that? And beyond that? Do you think there will be more gnolls to give the 'whatfor'?

"I don't think there are any gnolls down here brother. There is something else though, that's for sure. New sphinxes and elementals. Odd. We'd best be careful."

Aldebert is fine guarding Mahdi for a few hours the following morning while he continues to examine the pillars. After that, he'll join the others at the secret wall I think - unless we missed something in our haste to eat last night.

In true sweat lodge fashion, Pent finds the best way to enjoy the mists, while the others sleep, is un-attired. His true self, not concealed by wereleopard fur. The only accoutrement, his prayer beads, resting on the convex surface of his lower belly, like a casual belt. He wanders through the shrine, fondling his beads, and contemplating his new, more powerful, spell preparations. Deep breaths, deep knee bends, deep moans. Deep, really deep. He shushes himself when the sounds reveal themselves to him on his watch.

He gains a sightline on the rubble, then returns to the others, intent on making known his revelations. A light, repetitive slap accompanies his jogging on his back to wake the party.

"Ooooo, Mahdi!!! There's firelight!!! Behind the rubble, I both heard and saw the crackle where the spackle should go!!! When you get a chance, you should totally grab a lungful, and ready yourself for a fiery debate. I, myself, intend on completing my conversation with Sarah, so I can empower myself with certain strains of spells that should serve us for this grand, grand day!!!"

The night in the shrine passes uneventfully, unless of course a naked gnome is considered an event. In which case the night passes like the smallest of turds, smelly and not worth the work.

To the rubble? Further studies for Mahdi?

In the morning, Ami wakes to help cook breakfast...and for Yeen it means raiding the saddle for dried meats for the cat before he even thinks about preparing food for others. Ami is not a sure chef, but knows how to drop eggs (shells and all) into a skillet...and how to burn bread on hot rocks.

After fooding, Ami packs and is ready to explore further, anxious to explore what Mahdi found yesterday.

When Pent jogs in and yammers at him, Mahdi growls and pulls his bedroll more firmly over his head. "It'll wait until morning!" he says with his usual charm and grace. In his desire to shut out the sound of Pent, he is inadvertently but mercifully spared the sight of him as well.

Come the actual waking-up, Mahdi rubs at his face and eyes and yawns his way through a breakfast of trail food and the impromptu eggs. When one's a fire wizard, one gets fairly accustomed to eating charcoal. It's hard to gauge the accuracy of a fire jet on toast, okay.

Brushing his robes off and collecting his staff, Mahdi attempts to greet the day in a suitably dramatic and collected fashion. A muttered charm to clean himself up, a wiggling of the fingers to limber them up for spellcasting, and a grandiose throat-clearing later...

"Shall we, my friends? I am eager to see the elementals for myself. Though I shall try to talk with them, fire elementals are known to be capricious, proud, and impatient--" (the irony of any similarities to himself is quite lost on Mahdi) "--so be prepared to defend yourself if my greeting is not welcomed."

Mahdi gives Yeen a skritch behind the ears and under the jaw, murmuring words of protection over him as he does so. (Mage armor on Yeen, mage armor on Mahdi himself, duration 4 hours) When everyone is ready to continue, Mahdi will lead to the place of the rubble and the secret door.

"સુંદર શુભેચ્છાઓ, અને આગ ભવ્ય જીવો! હું જ્યોત એક નોકર છું, અને હું તમને વાત કરવા માંગો છો!"

Aldebert rises slowly, still not quite comfortable with his thin bedroll on the hard ground.

This adventuring is more profitable, but I like the comfort of the merchant. Maybe when I retire...

His leg cramps up a little as he's stretching out and he swears as he rubs out the knot.

Retire soon!

He gathers his things, manages his way through breakfast, and sticks close to Mahdi as he approaches the secret door. He remains quiet and ready for combat.

After breakfast, Yeen circles then curls up, enjoying a quick post food napping while the others eat. Once The Other is ready to go, He stretches, indulging Fiery Destroyer of Food by allowing a scritch or two, then pads towards the door.

Roll20 updated. Couple of things. Where was all the rubble placed? We'll do a bit of chatting before entering, I'm just going to assume that rubble is or will be cleared. @Mahdi, thanks for the spell update. Will keep that in mind if/when you do further study of the pillars.

As the last of the rubble is cleared what you see before you seems to be a hallway of sorts leading to what seems to be a lab of some sort. The remains of burnt books, shelves, and class seems to indicate that the area may have been used for magical research of some kind. Before some of the smaller rubble beyond the hallway stands two small fire elementals. They stand poised for action, but do not advance. Sounds of fire simmering emits from one of them.

Pent finishes his meditations with Sarah, dressing and messing with his equipment. "If there were only a way to..." The gnome considers his backpack, rummaging through various items. He brightens, as he produces an empty bottle of tepache. Uncorking it, he runs through the misty hall, hoping he is fast enough to capture enough of the mists for later. Corking it quickly, he pats the bottle with satisfaction. "That's sure to do it!!"

Joining the others, Pent sucks down a raw egg or two, before heading back to the crackles and the rubbles. Hoping to get in on the chisping chit-chat, the gnome brings his gnomic magic to bear once more. Cast Comprehend Languages As he watches Mahdi approach, he holds his tongue, although not literally.

Ami has no preference on where the rubble goes...if we're needing a large empty space to store, may I suggest the gnome's head?

Ami hugs Mahdi (or his leg if the man refuses to bend down) as thanks for protecting Yeen.

"You are a good pack member, Mahdi! We will slay gnolls for you!"

Ami, from upon Yeen's back, watches Mahdi speak, wondering what is being communicated.

Class* should be glass in that last descriptive text. Looks like I worked us into a corner where we need Mahdi. Side investigations are welcome if you all like.

(Sorry to hold us up)

Mahdi stifles an excited little giggle. He's actually talking to fire elementals! Ah, if only his dried-up prune of an old master could see him now.

Clearing his throat, Mahdi responds in the curious pops-and-hisses of the flame-tongue.

"પૃથ્વી પ્રાણી? નમ્રતાપૂર્વક પૃથ્વી માટે ફિટિંગ છે અમે તે નાશ કર્યો. પણ અમે પાણી એક બીભત્સ ભીનું પ્રાણી નાશ છે. મને, કેટલો સમય તમે આ વિમાન પર કરવામાં આવી છે કહો? અમે શાંતિ માં તમે દ્વારા પસાર કરી શકે છે?"

No worries. Just felt bad I hadn't worked in things for others to do right off.

The elementals seem to shift a bit. One might even say they are dancing for a moment. As their fire light intensifies, the sounds of hissing flame and waves of heat emanate from the for most elemental.