Aster Cobblestone |
Aster leans in as Ederion searches and takes a deep sniff.
perception to see if scent tells her anything: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
Also I think our gamemaster is hinting the locked yellow panels are somewhat still important.
DM Hell's Fox |
Ederion does not find any traps, nor any auditory cues of movement. Aster can tell that the blood is very old and dry. There's a strong scent of sea water, as well as the lingering odor of Ghoul flesh. That being said, this scent is nowhere near as fresh as when Aster fought the ghouls a few days ago.
Aster Cobblestone |
While Aster quite often dislikes her origins, she has never disliked her ability to smell. Having had to hide the beauty (and occasional horrors) of the odiferous world to those around her, she realizes with these people she doesn't.
And explains in detail all that she just smelled.
Aster Cobblestone |
"Hmmm... so you think it might be like a prison? Maybe. Each lock would then unshackle another creature. Why was it guarding the door then? A guard wouldn't be a prisoner. Maybe we could look at the first lock you opened to see if there are any traces of magic, or a mechanism under it that would have triggered such a thing?"
"Or we could leave it for now, and come back later if we get stuck."
DM Hell's Fox |
"Sure. Let's do this." Replies Tarnagius. He puts on his shield and opens the double doors.
An intense battle occurred here, as indicated by gouges and old bloodstains on the walls and floor, scorched patches from old fires, and the mouldering skeletons of several men and women sprawled on the floor. The middle of the room features a ten-foot-diameter iron capstone over what appears to be a well, next to which stands a winch made of wood and rusted iron. A large carving of a strange, tall, lanky man in a cloak adorns the capstone. The man's four eyes are softly glowing gemstones.
Bazzle Blast-hazard |
Bazzle mouth agape drops to his knees. He facepalms. When the others turn to regard his distress he without looking up from his palm mutters, "It's not even locked."
Just an aside. This room was far more trap for players than our characters. LOL. Completely avoidable shenanigans because players will be freaked out by tiled floor."
Bazzle stands checks his gear and straightens himself out. He moves into the room with the others. "Oh look glowing gemstones . . . sure that's safe."
He looks around thoroughly for traps.
perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Aster Cobblestone |
"I wonder if that is magic, has to be I guess." Aster will cast detect magic on the statue. Then generally around the room itself.
I could see that. Colored tiles on a dungeon floor screams GM will kill you now.
DM Hell's Fox |
At some point I'll tell you guys about the tiled room. Remind me if I forget.
Ederion can't get a view of the well, since the massive capstone blocks access to the well. He does notice however that the strange four-eyed man with gemstone eyes does not quite look like a man. In fact, on closer inspection, it is no man at all, but a strange insect that stands like a man, its wings folded against its body like a cloak. Ederion isn't sure what it is... some sort of fiendish... insect.
Bazzle seems puzzled. There doesn't seem to be any contraption designed to open the well. The winch is strong, capable of lifting several hundred pounds, but this capstone must weigh in the thousands.
Aster manages to solve the problem: Magic. Each eye contains magical power, while the capstone radiates magic as well. The eyes are a faint transmutation magic, while the capstone has faint trasmutation and a moderate conjuration effect on it.
Religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
Aster Cobblestone |
"Um..." Aster studies and thinks, resting against something to relieve the ache in her foot.
spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
DM Hell's Fox |
There is a gemstone with alternating lines of various shades of green. A gemstone that is mostly white, save for a small piece in the middle that looks like a light blue. A gemstone that is dark red with little squares and triangles of brighter red. The last gemstone is mostly sea-green, with little squiggly lines of navy blue.
Ederion figures that the gemstones must be pressed for the magic to activate. It's likely that certain stones must be pressed before the others, a combination lock if you will.
Aster Cobblestone |
"Hmm.... well there are tiles before this place that were colored, were they not? Red, blue, green, and yellow. But while the white gem has a tiny dash of blue, there isn't a yellow up there. Look around the room?" Aster suggests, pushing off from the wall where she was resting. "This bodies might hold a clue, even if this statue looks far older... Also anything else about the statue, an insect man, but what kind. Does anything happen if we shine lights on the gems?"
"We could think about what this place is supposed to belong to... isn't it from the order of the torrent? Could that give us any clues? Otherwise we could just go from light to dark, sunrise to sunset so to say."
Aster is grasping at straws at the moment, but starts looking at the bodies as she herself suggested.
Just musing.
Aster Cobblestone |
"Ah! That's brilliant, Rexi." Aster compliments the witch. "Any idea what order that would mean us to press them in?"
Rexandi Vatia |
"Well... the creature we just fought was an earth creature. But I don't know if that's because we did something wrong - stepped on the wrong color tile, so it summoned something from earth - or if it's because it's supposed to be the start of the sequence," says the witch. She idly wrings her hands briefly, trying to think it through.
DM Hell's Fox |
DM wriggles with glee
Most of these bodies are little more than bones and hair, suggesting that they've been here undisturbed for a long time. Many of them have shattered skulls, broken ribs, and slashed shoulder blades. Some of them wear old, decomposing suits of leather armour, as well as rusted swords and daggers. They still have coin purses and other things on their person, though age has tarnished them. Other bodies look like they were nobles, due to the torn silk clothes and bits of jewelry. Their skeletons have smaller scratch marks on them, and some of their bones are missing entirely.
Aster Cobblestone |
Does Aster smell old ghoul in the air at all?
DM Hell's Fox |
Yes. Aster still smells that sickly sweet scent of rotting flesh. There are little bits of rotting flesh on the ground, but none of these corpses could possibly be ghouls. Their meat is long gone.
Aster Cobblestone |
Is was more of a thought maybe that is why some of bones are missing and nicks are in others. That or rats? Knowledge check?
knowledge nature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
knowledge religion: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
DM Hell's Fox |
That will actually fall under a Heal check, but for a nat20 I'll give a hint.
These scratch marks look to be done by a creature with claws or fangs, and would be much bigger than rats, probably even bigger than a dire rat.
Aster Cobblestone |
"Well that's worrisome." Aster relates her findings to the others. "Instead of randomly pressing, we could go check the other room first. It might provide a clue."
DM Hell's Fox |
This door used to be locked, but was forced open at some point. A layer of dust indicates that it was a long time ago, and that this door hasn't been touched since.
Tarnagius opens it cautiously.
Thick layers of dust lie over the long central table and shelves of this room. Several large parchment maps sit on the table, along with a curved dagger and a few stacks of dusty coins. Numerous moldy and dusty ledgers and scrolls sit on the shelf to the south. To the west hang three faded portraits.
Ederion |
Ederion steps in carefully, going clockwise around the table, observing as much as he can without touching anything.
Stopping to look closely at the maps on the table (what areas do they depict, etc?), the dagger (what does it seem to be made of? any Geographical references? Any markings or engravings?), the coins (are they local?), the ledgers (Can I see what they refer to?), and the scrolls (likewise). The portraits - do they have names? Do I recognize anyone?
Bazzle Blast-hazard |
Bazzle looks back into the tile room where Xorn was. "We unlocked one how many locks where there?" He goes to look.
There are 3 on the map is that total (including the one I opened) or how many left?
DM Hell's Fox |
Six locks total, Bazzle. I updated the map to show them all.
Though the paintings are mouldering and faded, they still show the likeness of three individuals. The first portrait is of a tall, fat man with a jovial personality. A plate at the bottom of the painting names him Guildmaster Baccus. The next portrait is of a curvy woman with blond hair that has been intricately braided and done up, who is twisted in such a position as to feature both her buttocks and breasts. Her slightly pointed ears reveal that she is likely a half-elf. Her name is Guildmistress Rosalia. The final portrait is of a Tien woman with a narrow face and short hair. She is sitting in a chair with silks all around her, and she is smoking a long pipe. Her name is Guildmistress Hei-Fen.
The dagger is a long, very thin blade designed specifically for stabbing. It is made of steel, but Ederion notices that there's a clear liquid dripping down it from the hilt, which is wrapped in black leather.
The maps are weighted down by coins of all denominations, likely serving as paperweights and strategic markers. The maps are mostly of the city of Kintargo, and focus on now out of date information about where patrons, allies, and enemies of the 'Grey Spiders' lived. However, there are many notes on these maps about good routes along rooftops and within sewers, which could be quite valuable for teams looking for a quick escape or a silent entry. The non-Kintargo map is actually a map of the Lucky Bones, along with all their secret doors and stashes. Coins placed here represent a long battle between the Grey Spiders and the Order of the Torrent, and contains notes about their plan. It says that Baccus will lead the defense of the tiled treasure room, since he's the master of the Xorn, while Hei-Fen and Rosalia secure the guild vault on the level below. After the vault is secured, Hei-Fen will use the back door to travel to Vyre to bring news of the attack to her allies.
The coins are a mix of Chelish mint, and Vyre mint.
A lot of the ledgers have suffered water damage due to the unchecked humidity in this complex. A cursory flipping through those that survive reveal records of thievery, abduction and trafficking, and drug trades. There's also a set of deeds to warehouses waterfront buildings in Vyre that belong to a 'Molly Mayapple'. More study of these ledgers and deeds are needed for further information (takes several hours). There are three magic scrolls among the ledgers, all written in arcane magic.
A crumpled paper stuffed into one of the ledgers turns out to be a poem, written by someone called Boswyth. The poem is called Hell's Coda.
"Contract terms are by the book!"
Crooned the Devil to the Crook
"If you change them I declare
I must know you're playing fair!"
"In yon vault your papers lie,"
Crowed the Crook in swift reply
"Door's locked tight by magic word
Speak the phrase so it is heard!"
"Moonstone, Moonstone, Ruby bright
Open Turquoise, Malachite!"
As the Devil voiced the phrase
To the vault he cast his gaze
When his back was full displayed
Canny Crook plied silver blade!
"None shall mourn your foolish death"
Voiced the Crook with victor's breath
"Devils' single greatest flaw:
Doubtful wits entrenched in Law!"
Ederion |
So I recognize Baccus :P Does Ederion remember having come across any other entities in here who might resemble the other portraits?
"There is a LOT of information here" - Ederion smiles at the others, clearly curious about all they have found - "We will need time to go over all this" - he adds.
Plan is to store everything carefully organized, for later perusal, but only after everyone has had a chance to look the stuff over.
Once that is done:
"Any ideas about that well?"
So we did not open all the locks in the tiled room, is that it?
DM Hell's Fox |
Ederion doesn't remember anyone that fits those descriptions. The succubus could potentially shape-change to fit them, but that's far from solid proof. More likely, they either escaped or defended the lower level, where they say the guild vault is. The locks in the tiled room relock when pressure is no longer put on the appropriate tile. Bazzle figured out that if he stands on the tile adjacent to the lock, then the lock opens.
Aster Cobblestone |
"Nice little work there." Aster says about the poem. "Shall we try it?" the middle aged woman shuffles back into the room, leaving plenty of time for people to object, since she is simply slow.
She'll try just speaking it while looking at first, since that is what they did in the poem, and then press the moonstone twice, red once, turquise(sea green), and then malachite(green layered)
DM Hell's Fox |
When Aster says the 'passcode', nothing happens. However, when she goes and presses the stones in the order said in the open, they each beam their colours onto the giant capstone, which glimmers. After that, the capstone opens up from the middle, creating a donut shape. The hole gets bigger and bigger until the capstone is no more than a ring around the edge of the well.
Now the group can access the level below, going through this entrance. About 30 feet down the well reveals a large room, flooded quite high with slightly murky water. Nothing stirs beneath the surface, and the water's surface only has a slight ebb and flow. Part way down the well is a little nook, which holds a case made of velvet about 4 inches long.
DM Hell's Fox |
Ederion slowly eases himself down the rope to see more of the area. He stops part way down to take a look at the velvet case, which he opens to find a piece of parchment that has managed to stay preserved. It reads To anyone who dares take this wand, I will whip you until you scream for more, then feed you to the succubus. Understand? -Guildmistress Rosalia
Under the parchment is a simple wand that looks like it was made out of driftwood.
This is a wand of water breathing, CL5. It has 50 charges. I don't know why witches don't have access to it, but oracles do.
Aster Cobblestone |
"See anything?" Aster calls down to Ederion while leaning over the lip of the lip of the well.
DM Hell's Fox |
Ederion relays what he's found and passes the wand up for the others to see.
Aster Cobblestone |
"The succubus..." Aster reddens just at the mention, but manages to push that aside and study the wand.
spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
"I have no ideas... anyone else?"
Then I assume the rest of us will follow him down?
Ederion |
Sorry for the delay guys.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 ⇒ (9) + 12 + (2) = 23
"It is a wand of Water Breathing" - Ederion smiles, looking down at the water filled room - "Amazing magic"
UMD to zap me: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15
UMD to zap me: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26
He then passes the wand up, and slides down, rapier in hand.
Want to test the depths first, probably with the rapier :P
Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27
DM Hell's Fox |
No worries. I'm just trying to beline it to Tasha. TASHA! Hold on we're coming!
Ederion can tell just by looking at the water that it's flooded at least 10 feet high. It's larger than expected, with rough stone pillars crusted with algae holding up the vaulted ceiling. Ederion can see three of the four walls, but the fourth is further than 30 feet, which is as far as Ederion's low light vision enables him. The floor below him is riddled with rubble and rotten wood, which Ederion figures was the platform for the winch above, creating an elevator. To his left (east) is a wall that was stacked with barrels and crates, now all destroyed by the flood. To his right (west) is a closed wooden door that is clearly waterlogged and swollen, but there's a rusty ventilation grate cut in the wall above it. It's just above the waves, and it could provide an alternative route through the complex.
I'll have a map up in the very near future.
Opening the door requires a successful strength check, while opening the rusty grate requires disable device. Medium folk who go through the ventilation shaft will require an escape artist check, which you can take 10 on, otherwise you'll have to remove some of your gear to fit through. Note that opening the door is the opposite of subtle.