GM Rednal's Rise of the Runelords: AE (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

Either of those two would be workable. Or, of course, you could just enter the area. It doesn't seem actively dangerous, though you could certainly try testing it first just to be sure.

I completelty forgot that Mage Hand didn't work on magical objects. Can I instead try to grab a non-magical object, and scoop a magical one along with it? I'm vaguely nervous about the energy barrier...

If the mundane object is sufficiently long and has some reasonably obvious way of grabbing it - say, a hook or hook-like component - then yes.

Cursing slightly in Infernal - a good tongue for cursing - as he finally remembered the limits of Mage Hand, not a common spell for a divine caster to posses, Shalluk refocused his aim to the book. With a little luck he could open it, and then use that to coral and pull in the scroll as well.

Need I roll anything?

Nah.

With a bit of creativity, Shalluk was able to pull both book and scroll out of the chamber, where they dropped into his hands... and the book felt warm and comfortable, almost inviting his touch.

Shalluk glanced down at the book in suspicion. His life experiences had taught him that when something warm and inviting it was usually a trap. Instead of reading the tome, he made sure it was firmly shut, and studied the cover instead for any ideas as to what it may be.

"The book feels...inviting. I am suspicious of it. Do either of you know much of arcane lore?" The Tiefling had the worrying feeling if he opened the book it would try and eat his soul, or some such. It hadn't been put in the strange chamber for no reason, after all.

"I possess some knowledge of the arcane." Tanwen responds as she finishes removing her armor. "Here, let me see that."

Knowledge: Arcana: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28 What a waste of a nat 20 -.-

There's no inviting feeling for Tanwen - it simply goes inert in her hands. However, opening and reading the book makes it quite clear that it's a prayer tome dedicated to Lamashtu, penned in Abyssal and filled with countless horrible images. ...That probably explained why it responded favorably to the touch of a tiefling.

The scroll holds a spell of burning hands (CL 3rd).

"Well, there is nothing arcane in nature about this book, in fact it's religious, and very twisted, I feel violated just by looking at it." Tanwen says, wanting to get rid of the book. "I'm not sure anyone who would purchase this is someone we would want to deal with, I say we destroy it."

Shalluk shuddered, repulsed that the thing had welcomed him. His tainted blood was being called to by a being he had no wish to comprehend. He felt shame burn at his cheeks, and was once again glad of the crimson skin that at least hit that. "Burn it," he whispered harshly, eyes down and away from the thing...and his companions.

"Very well." Tanwen spoke softly, whispering onto the book as it started to ignite in her hand, tiny ashes falling from the book as it starts to burn and yet Tanwen does not release the book from her grasp. The furthest point from her fingertips had been the first to catch fire as the infernal book began to be licked by the hungry flame which seemed to ignore Tanwen's own flesh.

Before long, the entire prayer tome was turned to ash, and Tanwen spoke once more. "In fire all things are equal and everything is purified. Let this accursed book never again burn the eyes or hands of those that might see it for it has burned upon itself." And then as she finishes speaking she spreads the ashes on the ground.

"It has been done, now what about the rest of this room?" She asks, casting detect magic once more now that she is unencumbered by her armor.

Knowledge: Arcana: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24 That should be enough to determine the aura of the magic field, and if it's considered a spell of 4-th level or lower identify it. Tanwen is trying to determine if her knowledge of things arcane tells her that the field is safe to transgress through.

Also just to note, Tanwen used spark to light the book aflame, in case that wasn't clear.

Cale'anon begins using his own magical hand spell to grab the other items to free them from the vortex, starting with the raven because it was weird.

The spell powering the chamber seems to be some kind of modified, permanent levitate, simulating an area where there's no gravity. It doesn't seem especially dangerous to enter - and the raven seems to be just a dead bird, with nothing inherently special about it.

"The room seems to be subject to a sort of permanent levitate spell, it should be safe to enter." Tanwen informs the others, beginning to put her armor back on. A minute later, with her armor back on, she will walk into the chamber's field to demonstrate it's harmlessness.

With a wary glance Shalluk stepped in as well. He wasn't going to be shown as a coward as well tainted. He glared at the ashes of the book for a moment as he entered, trying to re-gain his balance in the sudden lack of gravity. "I don't think I am well suited to flight," the tiefling muttered.

Nothing unfortunate happens as Tanwen and Shalluk step inside - they simply began slowly rising into the air, unable to control their ascent until they bumped into the ceiling and slowly started to move back down again.

Reflex DC 10 to go anywhere in particular, DC 15 to grab something out of the air.

Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Shalluk attempted to grab the wand, but ended up spinning himself head over heels, the long robe he wore conceal his red skin tangling around his legs as he flailed wild to right himself. "I am definitely not suited to flying!" he muttered as he span.

Cale, seeing them have difficulty navigating, decides to work around the problem instead of against it, and takes out the pole-arm and a strip of cloth, he wraps the cloth around the blade and asks if those within the field could use some help
if they ask for help
Cale takes the weapon and use ing the cloth wrapped blunt end, slowly and softly pushes them outside the field on the other side.

Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Tanwen too will attempt to grab at the wand, but she too only ends up spinning over herself. "It certainly isn't as easy as one would imagine, then again, I suppose wings would make things simpler." She mutters before trying again.

Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

And on her second attempt, she manages to recover the wand.

After a fair bit of bouncing around, it's finally possible to grab the wand out of the air - and the extended staff offers another point of reference that you can use to maneuver... assuming you don't manage to smack yourselves in the face with it, anyway. Levitating isn't easy to control.

DC's for maneuvering go down by 2.

Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

Finally kicking the robes out from between his legs, Shalluk kicked off one wall and swung out of the room with surprising grace after the flailing earlier. Since Tanwen had gotten the wand, he didn't especially feel a need to be there any further.

Once out, he glanced over the scroll he had retrieved, attempting to work out what it did.

Cale'anon ties a rope to his familiar, intending to bring her across with it once he got through. When he finishes he notes only one item left, and finding it interesting, Cale'anon goes into the field and goes to grab the wine, using the pole to help him maneuver can I take ten? If I can I pass

To the best of my knowledge, you can never Take 10 on saving throws - and since critical failures are still possible, you must roll.

Though on second thought, I probably should've made the DC's Dexterity instead... eh, oh well. XD Not a major challenge here either way - it's mainly just to emphasize that moving around in there is difficult.

The scroll contained a casting of burning hands (CL 3rd), and setting things on fire was always helpful - just ask Tanwen. The wine is of decent quality and partially consumed - and it looks fairly fresh, too.

Shalluk offered the scroll to Tanwen. "Another fire spell. I feel as though we may be getting a theme."

"Well, I have no issues with this theme. Here maybe you can't find out what this wand does." She says taking the scroll and handing Shalluk the wand.

"I can try." Shalluk took the wand and looked it over, trying to see if there was any obvious clues. He rather hoped it would be something to aid in healing - having mostly his own spells to rely on was slightly worrying.

The only clue to the wand's function was a small jagged line near one end of it - it would take a more serious appraisal to understand exactly what it was and what it might do if used. Or you could just try and activate it blindly to see what happened, of course - it probably wouldn't blow up in your faces.

Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Tanwen will move to the other side of the room, hoping to find the end of the field.

The field encompassed the entirety of the chamber, which seemed limited to just the one entrance - for all intents and purposes, this was a dead end.

Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

"There's no end to the field in this room at least, we should go back to one of the other rooms after we've gotten everything necessary out of the field." Tanwen advised, as she moves back to the entrance of the room.

"Shame, it's weird though that it's even here. I mean, I wonder what even caused it, bah. We should move on" he throws a stray rock into the field just to see what would happen, throwing it hard enough that it would easily smash against the wall without the field

The stone hit the far wall, but curved upwards as it went bouncing off and quickly losing momentum until it simply began drifting around like the other items had been.

Shalluk glanced at the rock as it acted so oddly. "It is...strange...that such a potent magic would be simply left here, holding such...things." He once again glanced at the pile of ashes. "For now, let us check out the rest of these tunnels. One more things to look into once they are safe."

Remember to actually GO places, not just talk about it! ^^ We can't advance until you actually move.

We're in the room directly south of B9 right? I think that means we have to go all the way back to B6 and then back into the room south of there before we can go anywhere we haven't yet been.

Seeing as they were in agreement, Tanwen led the others back out of the room, backtracking their steps until they found a path they had not already taken.

Map updated!

There were two passages you hadn't yet gone through, both of which headed east from much closer to the entrance of the area. The northern one looked like it headed up a flight of stairs, while the southern passage quickly turned a corner - and didn't allow you to see past it without heading down that way.

Cale takes his dagger and marks te wall next to the door to indicate that it had already been checked and also makes a swirly sign to indicate the weird gravity
He then takes out a coin and flips it1d2 ⇒ 2 "let's go south then"

Nodding, Shalluk turned to the more southern corridor. Better to finish searching this level before heading onto yet another.

The tunnel widens here into what appears to have once been a small shrine, for to the northeast, steps lead up to a platform of gray stone. Sitting atop the platform is an ancient altar, little more than a jagged block of black marble with a shallow concavity on top of it. This basin is filled with what appears to be filthy water.

"It's possible this shrine is related to the prayer book we found earlier. If it is, I advise destroying it." Tanwen comments upon noticing the filthy water. "I get the feeling that we're dealing with some sort of religious sicko."

"I am more concerned that water is not what is meant to go in there," Shalluk added. "Do we dare violate a God's shrine, though? I have now wish to make an enemy of Zon-Kuthon, for example."

"perhaps one of you more religious types could take a closer look at this and make sure it's a shrine to an evil god, it might be a good or neutral shrine that was defiled by the goblins and their allies"

Knowledge Religion (untrained): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

"If it is in fact a shrine to an evil deity, if we don't destroy it, someone else will, perhaps you don't wish to make an enemy of a god, but would you rather someone else be the one to destroy it?" Tanwen questioned, but truth be told, she was not studied enough to determine for whom the shrine was built.

Without knowledge - or perhaps judicious use of the scientific method, anyway - it didn't seem like there was much that could be done with the shrine and the water. On the bright side, there were the double-doors to the southeast, and they were both large and ornate - obviously more important than anything else you'd seen in this place.

Glancing at the shrine, Shalluk shook his head. "I was never able to receive religious training." Given the other things they had found in this place, it didn't seem likely that the shrine was a good one...but for now it could be left untouched. Maybe they could bring the good father in to reconsecrate the area.

Instead, he turned towards the large, intimidating doors. "Hopefully there will be more clues within." He glanced back at the shrine, a concern passing through his mind - what if it was for a cleansing ritual before passing through the doors? But there was only one way to find out.

Shalluk moved up to the big doors and, after listening, opened one.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

"wait, seriously? But you do all that mystic mumbo jumbo, with ghosts and healing and stuff"

The magic-using elf is calling magic 'mystic mumbo jumbo'?

This huge room looks like nothing more than an immense underground cathedral. Stone doors stand to either side of the main entrance, but beyond this, the walls are carved with strange, spiky runes. In the center of the room is a large pool, with a ring of polished human skulls balanced on stone spikes arranged in a circle around the deeper midsection. At the far end of the room, a pair of stone stairways leads up to a pulpit on which sits a second pool, this one triangular and filled with churning, bubbling water that looks almost like translucent lava. Yet while wisps of what look like heat and steam rise from the strange orange liquid, the room itself is deathly cold.

As you entered, a tiny, flying, foul-looking creature shrieked in rage. "You! How DARE you intrude on the Mother's sanctum!" she cried, grabbing a dagger and slashing at her hand. Blood dropped down from it, into the pool at the far end, which noticeably dimmed - just as one of the strange creatures you'd seen at the entrance lurched out of it.

Init (Enemy): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Init (Cale): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Init (Shalluk): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Init (Tanwen): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Cale and Shalluk, then the enemy, then the party's up again!

no He's calling talking to getting favors from your giant friend in the sky (eg divine magic) "mystic mumbo jumbo" arcane magic makes sense to him
it seems we will have to continue this discussion at a later date.. I don't suppose you could surrender peacefully? No? Worth a shot" he says as he nocks an arrow and fires it at the enemy
do any of them have the goblinoid subtype? If so he shoots at the strongest looking of the ones that fit that category
to hit with bow: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
bow damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
+2 if there are any goblinoids

Shalluk's reply was in Aklo, his curse triggering as soon as he felt he was in danger. With a sigh he raised his crossbow and took aim at the flying creature. Hopefully destroying the caller of the monsters would send her pets back.

Crossbow Bolt: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Damage: 1d10 ⇒ 2

Still a weird perspective in a world where deities are real, obvious, and tend to grant power in predictable ways. XD No goblinoids. Also, do try to specify which target you're shooting at if it's not just by type, Cale - otherwise I get to pick. =D

Cale's arrow sunk into the larger creature and sunk into its hide. Shalluk's bolt was likewise a hit, but bounced off instead of dealing damage - apparently low-powered ranged attacks wouldn't be enough to get through her hide, and she let out a hissing curse as she turned invisible. That left just the strange aberration, which moved forward somewhat and crouched down behind the walls in front of the pool to gain some rather good cover from ranged attacks.

It's currently just to the right of the lower yellow arrow on the map. You guys are by the entrance.