GM Tarondor's Dragon's Demand (Inactive)

Game Master Tarondor

No sounds come back to Eliastra's ears. That door looks as though it has not moved in decades, perhaps centuries.

Thorny leans into the door with his ear.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 18

Nope. Silent as a tomb.

"Go ahead open the door." Val does a shooing motion to Thorny.

Thorny opens the door and peers in.

The heavy iron door is locked. Do you have a key?

Thorny looks back to Eli. "Maybe that old iron key we found that opened the cell doors?" he says with thin hope.

"Yah, it's worth a try."

Eli tries the key from the iron maiden.

Sadly, that key doesn't fit the door.

"Well, I have these cell keys too..."

She tries all of them, and if none of them work, then she tries the old fashion approach of just picking the lock.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20 Will take 20 if allowed

All of them?

Eliastra toys with the lock for several frustrating minutes and then gives up, acknowledging that the lock is beyond her skill. You'll need the key.

"Well, maybe we can still find a key around here somewhere."

Giving up, she turns to the others and shrugs. "Which way?"

"I don't know. I don't remember seeing any doors we missed in the other hallways or a place for a key we missed." Val will detect magic around the room just in case there's something interesting.

So I've run this game twice before and the other groups found the key more or less by searching every room they entered. However, this is a bit of a time-consuming annoyance, ain't it?

Two hours later, you've searched your way all the way back to the entrance. Maybe there is no key. Maybe you just don't have what it takes to be real adventurers. Maybe a team of men with mattocks can come down here and hammer down that door. Something that well protected must be import... wait. What's that?

All the way back in the very first room, where the skeleton fell out of the iron maiden and you found the rusty key... there's a pile of rubble where the western wall collapsed. It's literally the first place you could have searched in this catacomb and now literally the last place you could have searched on your way out.

There in the rubble you find not keys exactly, but a pair of matched shiny daggers made of some silvery material. They're notched along the back in a curious manner...like keys.

"I believe we found the keys or what might be the key. Val holds up the daggers. "Eli you take them I'm not very good with daggers or keys." she laughs.

Bump!

Sorry - asleep at the wheel here!

Eli nods and takes the daggers from Valena. "Sure, these could be of use. And I am much intrigued by these notches."

Eli plays with the daggers, as if trying to sort out some kind of puzzle.

Not sure what to roll here, or if the daggers fit together in some way, but the idea is to try to make a key and go back and open that door.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Will take 10, then 20 if either helps figure it out eventually.

First of all, those are really nice daggers. The silvery material they're made of is as beautiful as silver, light as tin and strong as steel.

Second, it looks to Eliastra as if they're not meant to be combined. They are in fact, two identical keys as well as being functional daggers.

"Anyone want one?" If not, Eli will keep them both on her.

Eliastra leads the way back to the locked door, doing her best to avoid the traps. again.

After some amusing incidents involving repeated mistakes, the team arrives back at the locked door.

Eli wastes no time trying the daggers to unlock the door.

A single one of the paired dagger-keys opens the door. Inside, an area along the south wall is enclosed in a cage of thick iron bars that extend from floor to ceiling. Within the enclosure sit seven black iron chests. To the north, the stone wall has collapsed, revealing a rough-hewn tunnel.

Val will carefully enter the room and start casting Detect Magic. "Seven chests. Probably too much to hope they are full of good stuff and not a trap."

Out of curiosity she will include the daggers in her spell.

Valena detects no magic.

Everyone give me two sets of Perception checks, please!

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 9

Thorny circles around the rubble and gingerly steps toward the tunnel to peer down the opening.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Val looks around the best she can with her limited sight distance. She examines things closely.

Eliastra and Valena notice that there are two key-holes set into the ground on opposite ends of the caged area. They have no time to investigate, however, because Thorny and Valena notice movement coming out of the tunnel. Out the darkness slithers a dead man, its sallow skin stretched tight over protruding ribs, its sunken eyes the only lively thing in its appearance. Quick and bright, those rapacious orbs take in your appearance and sparkle madly.

"Oh! Nothing for two centuries and now two meals in as many days! Gods below be praised!" It slinks over the fallen stones and moves into your dim torchlight, revealing sharp fangs and claws and a long red tongue.

Despite its bravado, the dead man looks as though it's been through a recent fight, still torn and tattered.

INITIATIVE ROLLS
Valena Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Eliastra Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Thorny Initiative: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25 +10? Who are you? Doc Holliday?
Zatial Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Undead Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

STATUS
Thorny
Undead
Zatial (surprised)(3 damage -2 Dex)
Eliastra (surprised)
Valena

Thorny, go!

I'm your huckleberry!

Finally, something almost familiar! Thorny thinks. "For Belhaim!" he bellows ferociously as he firmly inserts his shield between him and danger while setting his massive glaive into a notch on top of his shield. His footwork advancing, Thorny strikes out from behind his cover.

Attack!: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Accurate and powerful, Thorny's glaive slices into the monster's shoulder, nearly severing its head from its body. Any normal man would be dying on the ground, but the vile thing only howls in pain and recoils for a moment before throwing itself at its attacker!

"Flesh!" it cries as it springs forward and attacks. The ranger's skill and armor protect him.

Bite v. Thorny: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 81d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

STATUS
Thorny (2 damage)
Undead (12 damage)
Zatial (surprised)(3 damage -2 Dex)
Eliastra (surprised)
Valena

Valena, one move or standard action, please!

Val moves closer to the action. "What an ugly creature. I feel almost sorry for such a creature. To be so hungry and locked in this place for years and years."

"Who was his last meal? Someone was just here ahead of us??"

Thorny, go again! Full round this time.

Thorny recoils at his wound, then strikes right back.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

He considers altering his fighting position, then decides to remain between the creature and his comrades.

This time Thorny's mighty glaive is not enough and the wiry monster dodges under the ranger's swing, slashing at him again! One claw slashes across his chest and Thorny feels a curious lassitude.

Claw v. Thorny: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 231d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Claw v. Thorny: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 131d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Bite v. Thorny: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 71d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Critical hit confirmation: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 121d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

STATUS
Thorny (6 damage; paralyzed?)
Undead (12 damage)
Zatial (surprised)(3 damage -2 Dex)
Eliastra (surprised)
Valena

Thorny, give me a DC 13 Fortitude save, please!

Fortitude: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Thorny collapses to the ground, like a wet towel.

Attitude: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
He scowls furiously.

Zatial blasts the thing with arcane force! It crumples helplessly to the ground. "Flessssssh..." it moans, then stops moving altogether.

Magic Missile: 1d4 ⇒ 3

STATUS
Thorny (2 damage, paralyzed)
Zatial (3 damage -2 Dex)
Eliastra
Valena

COMBAT OVER!

Val decides to channel energy to harm undead.

Channel: 1d6 ⇒ 6

The creature is merely dead at this point. And you're in a locked vault with several chests! Yay!

Val takes a looks at the chests. She tries to find if the are trapped.

Sorry I missed combat was over. I'll switch that to a healing channel if that's alright with you GM.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

The chests are behind bars. You can't get to them.

Val channels to heal! Slowly, Thorny becomes capable of movement again.

STATUS
Thorny
Zatial (-2 Dex)
Eliastra
Valena

Eli examines the two key-holes, and hands one dagger to Val. "Maybe these, inserted and turned at the same time?"

"Let's give it a try." She takes the dagger and puts it in the keyhole. "Ready? One, Two, Three, Turn." Val will turn at the same time Eli does.

The keys turn! With a squeal, a deep rumble and a long groan, the bars rise into the ceiling, allowing access to the four chests. Those four chests are stout iron, bound to the floor with chains and padlocks.

"Wee!"

Eliastra is like a kid in a candy store. She immediately sets to work checking each for traps, and then tries to open them (assuming no traps found). (She will try the daggers and the other key first, though.)

Perception, Chest #1: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Perception, Chest #2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Perception, Chest #3: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Perception, Chest #4: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Disable Device, Chest #1: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Disable Device, Chest #2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Disable Device, Chest #3: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Disable Device, Chest #4: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Eliastra opens the chests. The first on gives her some trouble, but the others are simple old spring-locks like the ones she trained on her first day.

Inside the chests glitters the ancient treasure of the Canteclures, a hoard of tens of thousands of coins of all denominations as well as a teak box containing several dozen small gems!

Eli whistles low. "This might be enough to buy a town."

Val runs her hands trough the coins. She grabs the teak box, and tucks several gems just in case. "What a treasure! I doubt we're going to get to keep all this. I'm sure someone will come up with a prior family claim or some stupid thing like that. We could always just grab it and run." she only looks like she's half joking. "We should hold out for a really big reward."

Ping!

"Well, let's take it for now, and maybe get some better equipment for dealing with little imps.."

After gathering the treasure together, Eli starts to head back for the surface.