Heralding the Coming of the Age of Worms (Inactive)

Game Master Fanguar

Dot for fun and profit.

Duly dotted :)

Dotting.

"." <---Dottage

Dot

Here is my dot.

Let's get the thing started. Magic users please post your memorized spells in a spoiler please. Also, if everyone could put their defensive info next to their race/class like Ramos has, it would make my life easier. So, AC, saves, CMD etc please.

You spend a long day marching in the hot sun and though it's been several years since he's last seen it, Sverrir manages to guide you faithfully to the entrance to the Whispering cairn. Pushing your way through the heavy undergrowth mostly obscures the grand stone block bounded entrance, you make your final preparations and enter the ancient tomb.

Light from outside dimly illuminates a long hallway extending north, off into darkness. A faint breeze brings along its sibilant whispers that sound almost like a sighing breath. It must be trick of the wind, you hope.

Bands of geometric patterns run along the walls at waist hight, surprisingly well perserved in some places. Above it, flakes of still vibrant pigment give the impression of what must have been an impressive fresco, though the ravages of time have nearly erased it completely.

A thick layer of dust covers the floor, though it is disturbed in several places. Survival check for more info

Passageways are 20ft wide and 20ft high, unless I indicate otherwise. Marching order please, as well as, sources of illumination.

Need to get back to bed, but am excited!

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Orisons: DC 14 Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light,
1st Level Spells: DC 15 Bless, Protection from Evil, Lesser Confusion,

Assuming that Markus is in front Ramos will be behind him, casting light as needed on his weapon.

"Right, time to roll the dice!"

Stepping into the cave, Pavo draws a dagger as he looks around. "Doesn't look like anyone has been here fer a while. Doesn't mean their ain't any dangers around though."

Relying on Ramos' light and walking to Markus' left.

Am on a course today and tomorrow guys - time will be limited, so DMPC if necessary - will try and get a post or two done tonight... apologies... party looks great

Lucid gestures in an arcane maner and 4 torch sized balls of light appear and begin to dance around the entrance staying in a 10 radius of each other. With a nod of his head they move quickly 30 down the hall and hover at about the height a man would hold a torch.

I got the light. he comments. And I'll hang in the back if that is ok?

Ramos, unless you have a good spellcraft you can let me handle Detect Magic. You can grab guidance or stabilize, or something else good to have instead if you want.

@Sverrir thanks for the heads up.
Someone's probably going to want stabilize....

Sounds good lucid

Lupine tracks... Wolves seem to be using this area as a den. Look alive. Tightening his grip on the haft of his polearm, Markus cautiously advances.

Lucid keeps the trailing light source dancing 10 feet ahead of Markus. That means the lead "torch" is 30 feet ahead of him, and the last two torches skim the walls of the 20 foot wide hall 20 feet ahead of our line.

Wolf tracks are enough for me to take some precaution. he says as he begins to cast another arcane spell. Producing a piece of cured leather Lucid waves it across his body in a protective manner, touching his skin at key points. As he finishes he speaks a single work of power and his body glows for an instant in a faint blue light.

Khyrn takes up position in the rear beside Lucid.

At the mention of wolves, Khyrn draws his battleaxe and readies his shield.

Khyrn, since you can cast your zeros as often as you like you only need to memorize Stabilize once. I highly recommend we have someone with guidance in the group. Mending often comes in handy too.

At the centre of the group Sverrïr winces at the light from Lucid's magicks sting his eyes. Listening to the others he nods;

"Wolves are pests best culled. Ready thysel..."

The dwur hefts his pickaxe from his shoulder and waits for keener eyes and ears than his mead dulled senses to locate the predators.

Oops, you're right, of course. Mark that up to my excitement to get into the game resulting in some extremely poor editing; DM, if it's okay, I'll replace one of those erroneous stabilize spells with guidance.

Hearing that wolves might be around, Pavo grips the hilt of his slim dagger, falling back a little so that he is a step or two back from Markus' left side. His eyes keep alert for trouble.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

@Khyrn: Yup that's fine.

Pavo does a quick scan of the area and his keen eyes pick up an irregularity in the geometric patterns running along the wall. A closer inspection reveals a series of cunningly hidden holes built into the pattern. These holes appear to be the source of the cairns whispers.

He also notices a dim sickly green light, flickering ominously deep within the darkness ahead. (The light is readily apparent to all, once pointed out.)

Sverrïr eyes the distant light warily;

Knowledge: Dungeoneering (to establish if its a phenomena or sight familar to miners/spelunkers...: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Mmmm mayhap the mead is still strong with this one...

Markus advances 30 feet.
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Lucid double moves to keep up, advancing the lights as he does so.

To clarify, Markus isn't a rude SOB. He's moving @ 20 (dwarf/halfling natural speed), but advancing 30 feet.

He is likely used to waiting for his halfling friend. :)

So order is Markus and Pavo, then Sverrir and Ramos, with Khyrn and Lucid bringing up the rear?

As you creep slowly deeper into the passageway, your path is bisected by openings to the east and west.

East: 15ft in, it ends abruptly in a tumble of stones.

West:The path extends 40ft before ending in a raised platform topped by a strange broken apparatus.

North: The passage extends another 60 or so feet before opening up into a larger chamber. The green light is coming from this direction

Shouldn't leave the unknown behind us. Markus moves to investigate the tumble of stones.

Perception, movement: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Survival, tracks: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

"Towards the light? Or what ever is that broken thing?"

If the green light is not coming closer Lucid will send his lights dancing first into the East passage to illuminate the assumed cave in. Then he will dance them down the West passage to dance in that area around the raised platform and broken device. He can move them 100 feet in a round.

Khyrn moves toward the northeast corner of the intersection, attempting to watch the northern and western areas while Markus moves toward the collapsed area.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

GM Fanguar: Will you be posting maps during combat, or is AoW not made with maps in mind? Also if your ok with it, I will switch out my Orision Light for Guidance?

"Right, Light or the Broken thing... head's its the light, tails its the broke thing. Digging into his pouch Ramos digs out a copper piece and flips it into the air letting it fall to the ground.

Heads 1-50 / Tails 51-100 1d100 ⇒ 78

"Right, I say we go check out that broken thing, what ever it is.

Lucid's lights dance enticingly over the broken artifact.

Pavo follows Markus.

@Ramos: Yes I'm using maps, via google drive. The orison switch is fine.
@Markus: That survival roll was terrible, but it's hard to miss tracks in dust. They lead to the north.

Approaching the rock fall reveals the complete collapse of that part fo the cairn.

Closer investigation of the broken object in the western passage reveals the remains of a curved oval frame, not unlike that of a dressing mirror, jutting out of a support base. Only about a third of frame remains upright, the remainder of it and what appears to be a large ceiling stone lay on the floor nearby amongst shards of glittering black "glass'. An unusual arcane glyph is carved into the baseplate of the support platform

Glancing around, Pavo shrugs and says, "Nothing interesting here I guess." With that, he heads back to join the others in the room with the broken object.

Kn Arcana, type of glyph: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Who is The Librarian? LOL, just having fun. Also, how do we handle assists/aid anothers?

Lucid also examines the arcane glyph, discussing it with Markus. He will also pick up a shard of the black glass and look closely at it. As he does so the 4 globes of light move in to provide the best lighting possible on the subject of our study.

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

What is the size of the frame/arch. Can we estimate its height before it was broken? How large is the room? Is there anything else in the room.

As part of his investigation of the room Lucid casts Detect Magic and scans then entire area.

Sverrïr wryly smiles at Ramos' selection process for their journey;

"Good a way as any friend..."

The stocky dwur also picks up some shards of the black glass

"Vat is thiss I wonder?"

Knowledge (Dungeoneering) DC10 to identify material: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

The glyph is not magical in nature. Perception and Linguistics checks if you got em, please. Lucid, whatever magic might have been in this object has long since faded.

The frame would have stood as high as a human(or other medium sized creature) before its breaking and the 'room' is more a deep alcove, with the same dimensions as the rest of the passageway (20ft high, 20ft wide).

@Sverrir: You don't recognize the glossy back material, but realize that it might generate some interest from either Allustan or Tidwoad the jeweler.

How much of it scattered around GM Fanguar?

"Huh. Might be worth kollecting det stuff... coin fyr mead at the very least nei?"

The dwur shrugs his shoulders and begins to pocket some of the shards.

Seeing nothing down the other corridors, Khyrn wanders over toward the rest of the group. He examines the frame, and concentrates on the strange glyph for a few moments before noticing Sverrïr reaching down to collect the black shards. Khryn pulls an empty sack out of his backpack and offers it to the dwur. "Might be able to fit more pieces in there."

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

Sverrïr nods in agreement at Khyrn's wisdom;

"Aye, that we will priestur o' the archpaladin"

Lucid finishes his examination and then helps to collect the rest of the class shards.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Linguistics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Then speculates wildly The size is right. Maybe this was some sort of magical portal.

Thought Kn Arcana could I'D the symbol/mark.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Linguistics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

The size is right. Maybe this was some sort of magical portal.

"I'm afraid that's well beyond my area of expertise. It might have been a portal, or something else entirely. Perhaps we will find something deep in the Cairn that will tell us more. Towards the green light then?"

Lucid and Markus both recognize that glyph is actually a personal seal, the name being, Icosiol. They recognize the language was being Vaati, which some scholars believe to be an ancient for of the Auran language.

Lucid's keen eyes pick up a series of delicate runes tracing the inside of the frame where the 'glass' would have sat, which he readily identifies as arcane symbols associated with transportation magic. Whatever it's original function, it is now broken beyond repair.

@Sverrir: Let's just say there's about a pound's worth of 'glass' chunks or enough to fill a decent sized pouch.

I'll just move us along, but if you want to continue this investigation, let me know.

Continuing on, the central hallway opens into a large chamber with wings to the east and west. Across the chamber to the north is a 20ft wide open arch draped from to to bottom in translucent cobwebs. The eerie green light flickers from beyond the webs casting strange shadows about this room. The sibilant, almost human whispers present in the passage become a chorus in this massive chamber, eerily echoing off the walls. The whole place reeks of animal spoor and wet fur.

To the west, three stairs lead to a wide marble dais, that extends into darkness.

A glance to the east reveals huge slabs of cracked masonry and irregular piles of scattered debris seem to choke the passage way. Yellow eyes reflect the light as four shaggy forms slink out into the open. Three of the wolves are lean and slavering, while the fourth is a larger, healthier specimen with a line of scar tissue running from forehead to muzzle. Growing menacingly, they advance.

MAP

Round 1:
16:Alpha Wolf
15:Markus
14+:Lucid
14:Wolf A
10:Sverrir
8:Khyrn
7:Ramos
6:Pavo
3:Wolf B
3:Wolf C

Round 1:Init 16

The Alpha wolf lopes forwad and attacks Pavo:
Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20 tearing viciously at his leg Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Trip: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9, but fails to pull him from his feet.

Round 1 initiative 6

The wolf moving faster than Pavo anticipated, the man yelps as blood gushes down his leg. In response, he lashes out with his dagger in desperation, grazing the wolf as he does.

Attack:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3