"What!? Tell us!" Florr says excitedly and nervously.
"My old master, Karl Vaidur, he was protective of much of the information he had gathered in the pursuit of mastering the arcane. He did not want such power to fall into the wrong hands. He developed a cipher- a secret way to change his writing to nonsense unless you knew the key. The most important writings he had me study were written in this cipher. I read it so much I can read and write it as if it were its own language which I can speak fluently.
The cover of this book. It's his cipher!"
"He went missing some time ago. I received a letter written in this cipher which brought me to Haven's Cross to investigate. I now know he has suffered a terrible fate. Are any of you familiar with Slaadi?
He writes that he was afflicted with the Chaos Phage. This is a condition which over time will turn one into a Slaad. A powerful, magic wielding, telepathic brute. A purely chaotic abomination. A scratch from its giant claws can implant an egg inside of you which will eventually devour you from the inside. We would stand no chance against him before this transformation but now, if he is still here, he would be more powerful than I can imagine.
This is the message on the cover of his book:
IVE BEEN AFFLICTED CHAOSPHAGE NOT LONG ACOLYTE DEMOGORGON MET ME HERE COULDNT STOP THE FLOOD DIDNT HAVE ENOUGH TIME RITUAL TOO LONG TABLET IS A PORTAL REALM QUEEN OF DEPTHS UNHOLY ALLIANCE DROPPED CRYSTAL TRUST BILL IM IN LIBRARY
If the last room in here is this library he speaks of I am very hesitant to find out if he is inside..."
"Who the hell is Bill? Also, Demogorgon? That sounds bad... Actually, I think I might have heard of this creature in my travels."
"Bill may be referring to the scholar in town. I haven't met him yet but I hear he maintains a library in Haven's Cross."
Florr's jaw drops open at the mention of "Queen of Depths." She holds up a hand. "By Valkur, this is not good news. This message is implying that the Queen of the Depths is involved in this mess. Her true name is Umberlee, and she is a goddess who uses the sea to enact cruel and malicious fates on sailors. She hates the sight of land, which she thinks is inferior to the sea, and she covers it with raging waters whenever she can." Florr motions around the house. "The twisted, freakish sea creatures, the death and destruction due to the water - this is certainly done in her name!"
Florr looks at Oleksandr seriously. "Is there a way you could find out if your mentor, now seemingly a Slaad, is inside this last room?"
"Is there a way you could find out if your mentor, now seemingly a Slaad, is inside this last room?"
"Hmmm, if I had the time and materials I could try summoning Myra again as some sort of fish. Given her state of being before I dismissed her even that might prove troublesome.
Do any of you know the incantation for detecting evil? I'm not sure if it would work but that might give us an idea.
Honestly, he was obviously under extreme duress when he wrote this message and it is difficult to determine where one thought ends and the next begins. I'm hoping he meant 'Trust Bill in the library', rather than 'Trust Bill, I'm in the library.' It is very possible still that he was killed the last time this place flooded. I pray that is the case for his sake as well as ours."
"Hey, remember those potions earlier? There was one of gaseous form.
Could that allow us to get in the room undetected? Or what about some of the others?"
You slide open a heavy drawer that's a rack of potions categorized and labeled. Most are broken, you find one row ,however, that has a few that aren't.Drawer of Labeled potions:
Name ◇
Potion of Climbing
Potion of Healing
Oil of Slipperiness
Philter of Love
(Broken)Potion of Animal Friendship
(Broken)Potion of Fire Breath
Potion of Greater Healing
Potion of Growth
Potion of Hill Giant Strength
Potion of Poison
Potion of Resistance
(Broken)Potion of Speak with Dead
Elixir of Health
Oil of Etherealness
(Broken)Potion of Clairvoyance
(Broken)Potion of Diminution
Potion of Fire Giant Strength
(Broken)Potion of Frost Giant Strength
(Broken)Potion of Gaseous Form
Potion of Heroism
Potion of Invulnerability
Broken (ironically)Potion of Mind Reading
Potion of Stone Giant Strength
(Broken)Potion of Superior Healing
(Broken)Oil of Sharpness
"Hey, remember those potions earlier? There was one of gaseous form.
Could that allow us to get in the room undetected? Or what about some of the others?"
Oleksandr looks over to Olias with a smirk on his face.
"I think that could work! One of us could seep through the crack between the door and the wall and get a look at what is in the room. It of course would not be without some danger but the risk may be worth it."
"It of course would not be without some danger but the risk may be worth it."
"I mean, there is certainly enough water flowing through here that even an intelligent creature wouldn't question the presence of some mist...unless it were actively detecting magic...or the mist looked like an unhappy dwarf..."
"Who the hell is Bill? Also, Demogorgon? That sounds bad... Actually, I think I might have heard of this creature in my travels."
[dice=history]d20+4
You know enough to know that Demogorgon was worshipped in a few more Ancient Cultures of the past. Jungle hunter gatherers. They built intricate geometric mazelike structures very tall. like They weren't nice places and they tried to murder each other. Luckily they failed and didn't last long.
If you want me to go into the room, I'll do it. But I skulk about as well as a rock terror in a nug egg chamber. And if I turn into gas, I can't hit things with my axe, right? Kind of a problem.
"I heard of that demo-gorga-something back in the Grimhold. Battle Ragers used to say his name to get all worked up. Crazy bastards. Kids used to dare each other to say the name out loud. Thought you'd lose your mind or something."
"I'll do it," Olias says. He runs back to the room with the potions, and he grabs a few. (****This assumes no one grabbed them before -- I didn't see that anyone did, although Florr suggested it***).
"These healing potions could be useful. And of course that gaseous one. Oo, Mind Reading, definitely be good for a good con later. Who wouldn't enjoy a good fire show?"
Olias takes the following potions:
Potion of Healing
Potion of Greater Healing
Elixer of Health
Potion of Fire Breathing
Potion of Mind Reading
Potion of Gaseous Form
Olias returns to the room with the party. "Okay, here goes nothing." Olias drinks the Potion of Gaseous Form.
(This post should come before my most recent).
"Friends, we are tired. Let's take a rest, and I'll play a tune for us before we venture further into this manor."
Olias plays the Song of Rest.
Song of Rest: Beginning at 2nd level, you can use soothing music or oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.
While Olias is playing the Song of Rest Oleksandr studies his spellbook.
Florr uses the rest to think (though she tries not to think about Storm Surge outside. She wishes she could communicate with him somehow) about their situation.
As Olias turns into a gaseous form, she says a couple thoughts outloud.
"Olias, I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, listen. I think you should check out the last room and see what you can find out about what's in there. Then I think you should go up and see if you can find the tablet's location and check out that area. Then I think you should go back through the hole we went through and get as much detail about that creature down there. You could even try to get into the chest down there and see if the manor's treasure is indeed inside. And, if you have time, you could inspect the higher windows and the roof for any signs of leaks or cracks or ways to get out. Anyone else? Though I don't even know if he can hear me."
"I believe he can hear you and I agree he should investigate the last room and the tablet location. The water will likely stop him from returning to the basement while he is in this form though."
Olias attempts to nod at Florr in gas form but is baffled by what that would even entail. Giving his approximation of a shrug, he sets off to explore the various rooms remaining in the manor, working his way through keyholes and cracks, one room at a time before changing floors. He attempts to enter the basement water last (becoming a bubble?) to explore the creature and the chest.
(What rolls will I need to do to be successful in these rooms? My goal is to get a readout of the entire manor.)
(Clarifying last post - when I said changing floors, I meant the second floor and any additional floors (if there is a third or fourth) before attempting to return to the basement)
Olias attempts to nod at Florr in gas form but is baffled by what that would even entail. Giving his approximation of a shrug, he sets off to explore the various rooms remaining in the manor, working his way through keyholes and cracks, one room at a time before changing floors. He attempts to enter the basement water last (becoming a bubble?) to explore the creature and the chest.
(What rolls will I need to do to be successful in these rooms? My goal is to get a readout of the entire manor.)
I'll assume you're moving enough around to see corners and other things out of your immediate range of vision and I'll give you your passive perception (12 because of jack of all trades), if there's anything you want to spend more time studying or trying to get more information about you can roll. You float slowly (about 10ft a round) your trip takes about 15 minutes.
Kitchen (D)
The last room on the first floor looks to be a cooking and meal preparation area. Inside you see a corpse under the water line with a knife in it's ribs. The cabinets are filled with some rancid food and food packages, various smelly puddles and dead mice. It looks at though the occupants ate through the stores of food quickly. There's also a heavy oven, a large table and some rusted pots, pans and other silverware and tableware. In the southeast corner of the room is a pile of barrels and crates haphazardly
Storage (E)
This room looks to be a storage room for various cleaning supplies that servants used to keep things tidy. It also doubled as a place to store and pack crates of wine before being sent off to market. There are some half packed crates and packed crates. The straw being used to pack them is mostly goo.
Staircase
The grand staircase once had a regal rug, but most of it has grown moss, seaweed and barnacles. As you float up the staircase you can see it forks to the west and east from a central landing to the second floor. About 40 feet in the air above the landing is the tablet. As you continue up the staircase you can see the tablet is bubbling water over it's top like a spring as it floats suspended in air, slowly rotation. Occasionally you'll see some sort of fish or smaller sea creature tumble out. The tablet seems to be making a noise. It's very subtle from a distance but the closer you get the more unpleasant it becomes. It has a deep, powerful...pulsating sound that ebbs with a very low tone. At the same time it also seems to be giving off a very high pitched tone that makes you feel like you're being vibrated at a high frequency. It's very unpleasant. I'll assume you don't float closer than 20 feet to the tablet. Any closer is painful. You're assuming it would be more unpleasant if you weren't a cloud.
Second Floor (updated on battle mat)
The second floor is two large rooms separated by a large hallway. Railings separate the hall from the staircase creating a large opening that overlooks the first floor and the staircase landing. The tablet floats about 20 feet from the tops of the railings.
East of the staircase is an open hatch in the ceiling leading to an attic.
In the attic
In the attic you find a space that surprisingly doesn't look like it's sustained any water damage and is quite dry. Inside is a corpse laying down in the late stages of decay. By it's side are packages of rations, mostly unopened, sheets of parchment, a quill and a dried up bottle of ink. Leaning against the walls are various decorative items like tapestry, shields, banners and many paintings.
Grand Hall/Library
This room is relatively empty. The center has a large dancefloor, some couches around the edges and a piano. The walls are lined with shelves but only have the occasional book. Many are on the ground and severely water damaged. It would seem many of books washed off the shelves when the 2nd floor was flooded. Nothing else remarkable.
Bedroom
The massive master bedroom has a grand bed in the center, on which rests two intertwined skeletons and a wine bottle. The rest of the room is various waterlogged books, some knocked over furniture and rotting linens. You float through the drawers of a desk and find a small pendant
In your vaporous state you're unable to penetrate water to go into the basement.
About 5 minutes into Olias' scouting
Thravum, you feel a sharp bite on your calf. Looking down you see some splashing and a glowing red eye that starts swimming away. You seem to be attached to it's tail.
Now that it's closer to you you discern what it looks like (though unlike this picture it has a large central red eye and no discernible mouth.) It's body has a span of about 6 feet.
We can keep the same initiative for the sake of efficiency.
Florr hears splashing and looks down to see the dark shape in the water. She automatically raises a hand and a bolt of electricity flies at the creature from her fingertips.
[ooc]It should make a Dex save DC12 to take half this damage. No cover bonuses.[/occ]
After this, she nocks an arrow in her bow.
Oleksandr suppresses a gag at the sight of the blood sucking muck shark feasting on Thravrum's calf and calmly raises his hands in preparation for a spell.
"Somnus, sopor, dormio, nox..."
Oleksandr suppresses a gag at the sight of the blood sucking muck shark feasting on Thravrum's calf and calmly raises his hands in preparation for a spell.
"Somnus, sopor, dormio, nox..."
[dice=sleep spell on leechy thing]5d8
Unaffected, the Ray tries to drag Thravum east.
Thravum curses loudly as he feels the tugging at his calf. "Elf Loving... Worm Ridden Filth...Pig Iron"
He frantically stabs at the thing with his spear as he tries to maintain his footing while being dragged away.
Thravum curses loudly as he feels the tugging at his calf. "Elf Loving... Worm Ridden Filth...Pig Iron"
He frantically stabs at the thing with his spear as he tries to maintain his footing while being dragged away.
Your first strike impales the ray cleanly and deeply, striking through to the stone floor below, the ray spasms and writhes in pain. Withdrawing the spear you strike again, but you barley miss as you misjudge the angle you need to enter the water. A dark inky liquid starts spilling into the water, obscuring the exact location of the creature.
Thravum, make a Strength Check (DC 13) if you resist it dragging you into the basement. And take another
[dice=strenth check]1d20+4
(check being 13) You feel the beast strain in vain to drag you, but your stance is too strong.
Florr takes a hand off her blue, deciding against shooting into the inky mess. And send off another spark of electricity.
As the ink obscures the creature Oleksandr's unease increases. He quickly checks around his legs to make sure the creature is not sneaking up on him and hurriedly lobs a firebolt into the darkness where he believes the creature to be.
As the ink obscures the creature Oleksandr's unease increases. He quickly checks around his legs to make sure the creature is not sneaking up on him and hurriedly lobs a firebolt into the darkness where he believes the creature to be.
[dice=firebolt to hit (disadvantage)]1d20+5
[dice=firebolt to hit (disadvantage)]1d20+5[dice=firebolt damage (hopefully)]1d10
Your firebolt strikes the water, a jet of steam rises from where you struck but it's hard to tell if your struck the creature.
Florr takes a hand off her blue, deciding against shooting into the inky mess. And send off another spark of electricity.
1d8
It's hard to tell if you made contact, but Florr, Oleksander and Thravum each take 1 point of lightning damage from the conductivity of the water.
"Rusted...Warthog faced...(something unintelligible)...Get off my sodding leg..."
As it thrashes to pull Thravum, the ink cloud it's shrouded in thins and dissipates.
It rears itself and continues to tug you towards the basement.
DC 13 Strength check.
Thravum looks to be fading.
Olias returns from his foray around the mansion. "Hey guys, I got something to repor... what the hell happened to you, Thrav?" Olias notices that Thravum is in terrible shape. "Dammit, man. Keep it together! We need you!" Olias hands Thravum a Greater Healing Potion and taps him on the shoulder, casting Heroism:
A willing creature you touch is imbued with bravery. Until the spell ends, the creature is immune to being frightened and gains temporary hit points equal to your spellcasting ability modifier (+3) at the start of each of its turns. When the spell ends, the target loses any remaining temporary hit points from this spell.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Florr touches her amulet, fervently whispers, "Valkur protect me!", and jumps. She kicks her legs and lands several feet under the water, taking a breath easily. She channels her divinity and sends a wave of thunderous force out from her open palms, aiming it at the creature.
At disadvantage due to currently being attached to/grappled due to it's connection to Thravum's leg.
A thunderclap explodes as Florr dives into the water. The Creature flies through the air, being ripped loose from Thravum and slams into the south wall with a loud wet smack followed by a wave of water.
The creature wriggled weakly to get it's bearings and begins to flee by diving deeper into the basement.
"That was useful, girl. Thanks"
Thravum quickly slams back the potion, and grimaces.
"*mumbling* like a mushroom farm..."
Oleksandr takes a step to the side to try to get a better view of the fleeing creature and attempts to hit it again with a firebolt.
The ray snatches a large fish with its tail and quickly disappears into the darkness of the basement.
Oleksandr curses at the ray as it escapes into the basement. "Wriggling abomination..."
He turns to Olias.
"What did you see in the rest of the house?"
Olias reports what he found, particularly The pendant and the location of the cursed tablet.
"I might be able to help us reach it physically, but I don't know know what to make of that pain I felt when I got close to it. I wonder if the pendant in the bedroom might be significant?"
Florr swims up and put to the edge, then come very carefully out of the deeper water. She listens intently to Olias report his findings. "I say let's check out the pendant! Before we leave we should deal with that creature. It could sneak up on us again."
"I say let's check out the pendant! Before we leave we should deal with that creature. It could sneak up on us again."
Yes, I am also curious if this pendant has any properties which would assist us. Perhaps we can close this door and secure it with the immovable rod. That way that creature would not follow us. Unless you want to swim after it Floor."
He pauses and rubs his hand through his beard while pondering...
"I believe I may have half a plan for dealing with the tablet. While I was going through my master's writings I have found several scrolls. One of them would allow us to trap the tablet in an impenetrable orb. No object, energy, or magic should be able to pass through the orb.
Unfortunately, I would only be able to sustain it for about a minute. It is also a spell beyond my normal ability, there is a chance I would fail in the casting. The scroll is destroyed in the process either way so I would only have one chance..."
"Worth a shot. Worst case scenario, we could put the tablet in the boot of levitation and let it fly to the heavens!"