GM Sloth's Carrion Crown (Inactive)

Game Master ThreeEyedSloth

Galadan looks over at Kevin as he aims through the doorway.

"I actually agree with Wren on this one. Another explosion would be devastating to the whole building. I'm not even sure we would survive such a fall."

Kevin shakes his head and throws his torch down at his feet and begins to unbuckle his sword belt. "Son of ma batching monsters! First burning skulls, then a dog that is more stitches than dog, then undead little girls that try to suck the life out of you, and now an overgrown cockroach that wants to eat my weapons!"

The swordlord hands his weapons over to Wren as he begins to shimmy out of his chain shirt."Here hold this."

Now, standing in just his boots and breeches, Kevin picks the torch stub back up and moves into the room. "Fargin Ustalav. Whats next? Do I have to fight a leprous dragon in just my small clothes?"

Wren wishes the man wouldn't harm the poor innocent 'monsters', but does little to stop him.

"Don't look, Plumie. Cover your lovely eyes." Whether Wren is referring to Kevin's nakedness or the carnage of the monsters is uncertain.

The Rustmonsters seem to shy away from the torch wielded by Kevin and the onslaught by Hastur. Used to easy supply of iron and more precious metal from the lab they seem not intend on fighting back.

You think it is save enough to scare them away if all you want is passing to the bridge. But long term they need a solution as another week of them weakening the iron beams will likely cause a collapse of the entire building.

"Wren, they may be 'harmless' to you, but if we leave them here, they will eventually cause the entire platform to collapse. They need to be dealt with..."

"If the crates are wooden, I suppose you could try putting them in the crates. But I think the creatures would be able to break out eventually. Most crates aren't made for the permanent storage of metal eating monsters." Galadan says from behind the door, still pointing the crossbow at the cowering monsters.

Wren nods, happy to go back in there and help corral the 'monsters'.

Is there a way to get them outside the complex...back into the wild?

"They would eat the nails..."

Andrea puts her ward onto Kevin and cant help a certain spark of interest as the fighter shows of his manly chest.She pulls out her wand of Magic Missiles and hopes that she can manage to make the thing work.

Not on the witch spell list so I need to make a UMD check for each use with a DC of 20

"All things considered, I think it is most merciful to kill them. They are innocent creatures, in that they intend no harm, but they are destructive and dangerous even without intending to be. And they are blocking our path. Stitches is somewhere within, along with his... 'creator', supposedly, who might be able to shed some light on the situation with the undead and the Whispering Way."

"Oh, now that I am half naked we become pacifists? Kill them or shove their arses in a fargin box for all I care, just tell me what we are doing quick, It is turning cold and I could cut glass here."

Galadan shrugs. "I yield to Aldous' decision. I prefer to remain neutral."

Scanning the workshop you notice some transport crates. They seem sturdy and should contain them safe for long enough while you explore the museum on the other side of the makeshift bridge.

That would be a grapple please - volunteers forward.

Grapple: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

After leaving her few metals outside, Wren nods at Kevin, rolls up her sleeves, and goes to help.

1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14 CMB to Grapple (provokes)

Andrea hands Galadan her crossbow and moves over to the crates ready to slam each one shut as they are filled with Rust Monster.

The possibilities for comedy in this scene have not been lost to me

AoO Bite on Kevin 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 Damage 1d3 ⇒ 1

Kevin takes a few minor scratches - but with Wrens help he manages to wrestle the first Rustmonster into a crate held open by Andrea.

Galadan enters the room carefully, with his metallic possessions still present, and keeps his own crossbow trained on the remaining rustmonsters.

Wren heaves and huffs and puffs and wrassles the 'monsters' into crates.

*huff*
*puff*

"There you go, Kevin, just put their left feeler into that crevasse there...and blah blah blah...stick it in the ear." Wren grunts. *huff**huff* "Come on, you little bugger, get in there!"

'Aldous' shrugs, and attempts to wrestle one of the remaining creatures into a crate.

CMB: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22.

After the 'monsters' are caged, Wren will cast Detect Magic and take her time in exploring the place.

Take 20 Perception: 29

"Come along Mr. Hastur, let's see what's around here. You too, Andrea. Let's see if we can find some answers around."

Wren prattles as she searches.

Andrea slams the crate shut

"Next!!"

Sorry about the delay PC died on thursday and it took Friday and most of yesterday to get all my files, sites etc reset on the new machine..I really must look into cloud storage

Searching the laboratory yields a wand of flame extinguishing. Sadly - it seems still fully charged - so nobody seemed to use it in time when an explosion from an alchemical experiment gone awry ripped apart part of this building.

No signs of anyone still here and both Stiches and the master of the castle seem missing.

You feel like a rescue troop - heading out with big hopes - but with every hour passing you feel the chances to find Count Caromac alive are diminishing.

You only have a single building left to explore - the museum.

Rope Bridge

Beyond the scaffolding, a slender rope bridge swings out across the gorge. It leads towards a two story building with a tower.

The rope bridge looks stable - but it isn't secured properly and swings in the wind. The lack of a proper rail makes it even less secure.

Acrobatics checks to cross. Please let me know who goes (which order) and anything else I should know.

I'll post after work tonight, Things have gone crazy here.

'Aldous' eyes the swaying, guard-rail-less rope bridge dubiously.

"Would anyone object if I flew us all to the other side? I would hate for anyone to fall off..."

Galadan - no problem. It was me who hardly posted lately.

Hastur - spell / potion ? Sounds like a good idea but I need to have details how / what you do.

Well, the intent was to use Evolution Surge, Lesser to grow wings, and then ferry people across to the other side, avoiding the bridge entirely... Is there somewhere on the other side to deposit people, or does the bridge connect directly with the front door?

Wren wrinkles her nose over the rope bridge, still looking for dangers.

She is happy to be flown over by Mr. Hastur, anything with wings and happy feathers is just fine with her.

I will take a fly over if he can do it.

Alternately, does the tower have a top with a probable door into the building? That might be a good alternate entrance.

"Perhaps one person can be flown over with some ropes, and we can tie up some handrails, as it were." Galadan suggests, uncertain if Aldous' wings would be able to carry all that weight.

There is a ledge on the other side. Enough space to stand for a few people - worst case you sqeeze - but no risk of falling.
There is a tower but you don't know if you can enter that way need to check myself if you can get in there or not - evolution surge sounds fine to me. Sorry for crypted questions - the rope bridge has a skill and DC - other approaches need GM improvisation and minor bits can lead to different outcomes. So to abjucate it fairly I try to know as much details as possible.

Alright then...

'Aldous' frowns, and then with a shrug, casts a spell...

Evolution Surge, Lesser.

...causing a pair of white-feathered wings to sprout from his back. With a great sweep of his wings, which raises a small cloud of dust, he launches himself into the abyss, and then goes to explore the tower-top of the building, to see if there is an ingress point.

If there is, I will ferry people up there. If there is not, I will take Galadan, who is our resident 'Guard'/lock-smith, across to the front door of the building to deal with it.

Since you are belaboring the bridge, I will be careful to steer clear of it entirely :-)

Hastur avoids the bridge and examines the balcony across first.

Broken Abutment

One end of the demolished bridge clings to the cliff beneath a large building. A statue of a beautiful nymph stands next to a pair of double doors. Above the doors is a stained glass window depicting a unicorn.

This space is roughly 10by15 feet and seems save.

Your interest gets sparked by an outer staircase that you discover below the building.

The Hanging Stair
A spiral iron stair literally hangs above the valley beneath the museum, connecting to a small stone terrace and a wooden door. Although the view is dizzying, the stair and terrace seem stable and safe.

Flying higher up you investigate the tower. There are no windows in this 15 by 15 large level and no obvious entrance can be seen to enter from above.

But your flight up is rewarded by a different discovery. A windswept winding path winds his way further up the cliff to the east of the museum. Further up on top of the cliff - hidden from side from below are 5 more round interconnected towers.

Four of these towers - all approx. 30 feet in diameter, form a square. They are connected via a long iron walkway to a fifth tower atop a different cliff.

This fifth tower is higher as the four other ones and topped by a strange contraption looking like a gigantic lightning rod.

It,s approx. 400 feet one way from below to the upper tower, 75 across the bridge, 125 avoiding the bridge, 100 to the iron stair well and 125 to get to the roof of the museum. Just to keep timing add 20% extra time to pure flight speed for loading / unloading people.

'Aldous' casts Detect Magic, and focuses on the nymph.

The last thing I want is to ferry people to a cramped area, and then have the statue animate...

He then relays what he has discovered.

"It would appear that this complex is substantially larger than we had anticipated..."

Assuming there are no objections (and the statue does not radiate magic), he will then start ferrying people across, starting with Galadan, so that he can take a look at the door.

Wren delights in her flight over, encouraging Mr. Hastur to take her higher or further and is very disappointed when she is put down.

However, you can tell she enjoyed her flight as she even flapped her arms in concert with Mr. Hastur's wings.

"JOY!"

* * *

Once again sadly upon firm ground, Wren will also take a look around.

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 Perception

You safely arrive on the other side.

Perception anyone else ? (no - not sure if there is a trap or not but posting on breakfast table without adventure)

For a casual glance whilst ferrying...
Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19.

Once we are safely across, though, I see no reason *not* to 'take 20' searching the door = 34.

Galadan takes 20 to search the balcony for anything suspicious (DC 34), and also detects alignments on the statue, attempting to determine if it is enchanted in some way.

He will then turn to the door to see if it is locked, after Aldous has searched it.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

The door isn't locked.

Aldous - I reckon you ferry people over and Galadan is doing the T20 while you are busy.

"The door isn't locked, but opening it will surely announce our presence. It's been alarmed." Galadan informs the others sagely.

Throwing in a detect magic and detect poison spell there for you too, Thod.

"Good work, Galadan. I remember this one time...blahblahblah...bloody walls and writing....blahblahblah..."

Wren casts Detect Magic to confirm Galadan's alarmed alarming over the alarm.

"I don't have the right feathers to bypass this spell today, but I'm not against just setting it off and seeing what comes to greet us. We are not here as enemies, but friends unmet."

"So long as Kevin still has the surcoat we found, I concur. Most of the occupants of this place have ended up being... 'friendly'."

"Still we must be on our guard..we still do not know what happened here."

Let me know (soon) if anyone doesn't want to open the door - otherwise I will proceed.

Wren nods while hugging Plumie.

"Open it."

Wren stands back as far as she reasonably can.