[Homebrew] Ashtun Slumbers [Closed]

Game Master Shadowsaint

Homebrew game for friends. Already closed just posting for reference.

The city of Farport sits to the north west of the Clench. An isolated encampment, it is the home of the grand archive, an elaborate and secretive gathering of Clerics of Siscep. It is rumored they keep and study a great many items of immense power and ancient tomes only the wisest and most revered have access too.

Just outside the walls of the archive, which is heavily guarded, lie the refuse of the archive. A small patch of humanoids has gathered living outside. Many wisemen come and beg at the gates for entrance, or theives attempt entrance through other means. In so far as is known, none have succeeded in entering.

Due to the short stay of most visitors, strangers are far and in between. A few nights at the Dusty Flagon and they are on their way. The interior of the Dust Flagon is wooded and musty. It appears to be a repurposed barn, or storage shed, barely accommodating the two dozen customers. A recent shipment of grain from Jubal has brought with it stowaways and voyagers who will likely be gone within the week.

You find yourself here, among the rabble. A ground of incredibly tanned and muscular men and woman sit in the corner, common customers. The spades are loud and rowdy, but town folks have come to ignore their escapades.

Two couples sit at the bar, and on one end a lonely grizzled man sits alone, drooping over his cup.

Small groups of people sit at table keys scattered around talking lightly and keeping to themselves.

Kyle, tired of Day-drinking at the bar has decided to gather information on one of these magical items to decide which one would be perfect for Wen. He asks some of the groups at the bar and maybe around the street.
diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (20) + 18 = 38

After his arrival a few days earlier Kyle had set immediately to work. Getting the inhabitants of Farport to open up to him had been an uphill battle, they all seemed busy, worn down, and distrusting of strangers. Finally the moment Kyle had been waiting for arrived, a pair of Scribes from the archive entered the bar. An unusual sight, but after a few mutters and a moment of hush the tavern blared back to life.

The two appeared to be celebrating something, and after a short time the older of the two walked off, leaving a singular young man, robed in the customary purple and wearing four chain links about his neck on a copper necklace. As Kyle approached he seems welcoming, a welcome sight. With no inhibitions he talks openly about his knowledge of the Archive. stopping only to take antoher drink, belch loudly, or find the correct word.

"M'names timothy", he slurs, just coherently enough to be intelligible. After some small talk and some carefully questioning he lets on more. "I've jus' got a... pr'motion. I got me fourth sh'ckle." He points clumsily to the necklace he is wearing with a thin finger.

"The'ave in there stuff so old, I dunno, its probably... old. From before the shackling. But before Siscep left, he left us his great big book. The... Bindless Book, got a page for everything, never ends. I ain't seen it, only sixth shackled even really get to know it exists".

They got some other stuff from around then too, I think they got Pin's sword, though I'm just guessin'. I don't know much about Wen, religion and history aren't mah strong suit. I'm a onte.. orni.. ornithological metamagologist".

As he finished his sentence, another Scribe walks in with two guardsmen, and points to Timothy.

You have the chance for one more question.

"Tell me about the blindness book! What does it do and where is it held?" is what Kyle desperately tries to squeeze out of him before the guardsmen approach the table. Kyle's wheels are turning in his head and this sounds like it might be good for Wen.

He looks at you confusedly at first, then he seems to sober up and leans in close.

" The boundless book gives unlimited knowledge to those who study from it. Scribes have been transferring all known history, arcane information, and so on for centuries. Though you risk going mad from the transfer. It is held at the bottom. All the way down. The archive goes all the way down.

With that he his grabbed by the guards and dragged out of the tavern.

Kyle, now more intrigued than ever walks to the archive and casts disguise self and tries to impersonate the mans 4 ringed copper necklace while it is still fresh in his mind and tries to look like he belongs in the archive disguise: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (3) + 19 = 22
After the disguise is finished Kyle enters the archive.

hold up there buddy ;)

Out from the tavern the path to the center of the town is well worn, as the other end leads to the docks. Out in the open, with not much else around, there is a large spike of black stone that cuts into the sky. Another lighter path breaks off to the north

The archive itself sits to the north east of the city. Around it stands a large white stone wall with guard towers interspersed in such a way to allow one within view at every point along the wall. Upon the top of each sits a small glowing blue orb.

In the middle of the wall there is a steel gate that sits set into the wall. Two guardsmen stand at attention outside it.

Through the gate you can see a large circular building of carved black stone, resembling the spike in the center of the city.

Kyle is pretty sure this is the Archive but will see what the spike is anyway, Knowledge Local: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

I just included that in the post because you would have passed it.

In his time in the city gathering information he has found that no one knows what the spike it is. It has been there for as long as anyone can remember and seems very old. The townsfolk just leave it be.

Kyle, still confused is going up to ask the two guardsmen what the spire is. "Excuse me gents, but could you inform me of what this spire in the middle of town is?" Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36

The guards look at each other as you approach and one steps forward and shouts.
"Stay back and go on your way. The archive is off limits to strangers and is not permitting guests. Trespassing will be met with extreme hostility."

When questioned about the spire they soften slightly.
"Look, it's been there for as long as anyone can remember, and any attempts to dig around it, or anywhere around here end up filling back in during the next storm. Now please be on your way before a scribe comes by and sees you."

Dang you got mad skills, adding 18, thats higher than most rolls!

Kyle thanks the man for his time and carries on to ask the low life's of the town, or a crowd that would know if there has been a tunnel built since the last storm Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (10) + 18 = 28

Yogart Chomp is among those low life's reading an intro to law book. She overhears Kyle talking and takes an interest in what he has to say. Knowing that She is not to good at talking to people yogort goes to introduce herself. "hello, my name is Yogort chomp, and I was interested in why you are looking for a tunnel".
Diplomacy 1d20 - 6 (13) - 6 = 7

Kyle, willing to overlook Yogort's inability to talk for her surprisingly good looks (for an Orc) says "To get to the Archive so I can Fulfill my Religious duties for Wen, will you join me, brave one?"
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (15) + 18 = 33

Well with that Diplomacy check, how could a girl say no! I would love to come with you on your quest!

"Awesome! With a powerful yet beautiful women like you we can break all social norms in our epic quest!" Now we just need Collin to hurry the front door...

With their intimate knowledge of the area, either asking around or having been here a while, Yogort and Kyle know that the civilians of Farport subsist off of a farming complex built into a cavern system to the south of the city. A local plant called chillweed grows underground in the damp and dark of the cave. It is a small dandelion looking plant that grows dimly blue and water condenses in the bulb of the plant. This allows the farm animals to graze in the cavern.

The entrance to the caves are blocked by a set of wooden doors. A large barn sits outside. It looks well kept, but there is no sign of anyone. Lots of footsteps and hoove prints lead up to the doors.

Kyle will look around for the most likely place in the fields to find a tunnel. Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

The most likely place for a tunnel would be in the already existing cave structure into which the farm is built.

Then yogort Says we should go that way!

Let's do it!

As described above there is a barn outside and wooden doors blocking the entrance to the cave. Inlaid in the larger wooden doors is a smaller medium sized creature sized door.

Kyle, the pessimist as always is going to stealth his way into the barn leading to the entrance. Stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Kyle peaks through a window and sees that the barn appears empty of people. Although sand beaten the paint is relatively fresh and it appears well kept.

Inside there are a dozen shovels lining one of the side walls, a bunch of wheelbarrows and farming supplies rest against another. In the center of the room there is a section of the wooden floor that is slick with blood, and hooks hang from the ceiling down there. Raised near the ceiling there is some meat drying on other hooks, and in a loft on one side lie shelves of meat.

Perception checks please

Caliban is sitting up in the loft of the barn, packing up his lab after making his bombs and extracts for the day, and packages the Chillweed samples he had gathered from the caverns below. Hopefully, he thought,"he'd be able to figure out some way to make a buck with these and keep moving before he was discovered.

(Obviously, that's not whats about to happen)

So uh... how do I roll perception?

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

The clattering of Caliban's lab equipment cover the quiet squeak of the door as Kyle enters.

Kyle looks around and listens before he signals to Yogort, Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

Kyle hears the soft clanking of glassware from the opposite loft upstairs, where he can see Caliban cleaning up his potion supplies. He can also see that in the corner of the room the floorboards appear loose.

Kyle, goes out and informs yogort of the obvious person on the second floor and the potential tunnel under the floorboards. "How do you want us to do this Yogort? Talk to the man, sneak past the man, or anything else you can think of?"

Craft (Alchemy): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

You know that chillweed coalesces moisture from the air into its bulb, and that it secretes a dimly bioluminescent fluid. Enoigh with some study could be used to make either a light potion or the thick fluid can help make the alchemical item liquid blade.

Yogort being the pacifist that she is never wants to get into a fight unless see has to. Yogort says to enter the house we should probably get a search warrant, because in chapter two of her book "the law is your friend" that is what it suggest.

Kyle is going to tell Yogort that he already got the search warrant and that was why Kyle was headed there in the first place. Bluff: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30 "The reason I didn't start with that was because I find bureaucracy to be a waste of time, more often than not, but since I respect your values, let's go in and if need be I'll bring it out". After saying this, Kyle enters the building (not stealthily) and is going to get the man's attention.

Well Since i am a very trusting girl I will believes Kyle and walk in with him to see whats going on.

Caliban jerks around at the sound of the voice calling up to him, and pulls out a pair of different-color vials and quickly lashes them together with adhesive paper. "Who's there?"

Yogort with her amazing diplomacy says "don't be scared we have a warrant" diplomacy: 1d20 - 5 ⇒ (8) - 5 = 3

Caliban immediately suspects that the voice below did not, in fact, have a warrant for anything. Caliban began strapping his bomb thrower to his off hand, and pressed himself even tighter behind cover.

"A warrant? Really? Your stories are getting weaker by the day, boys. You've got about ten seconds to run before I burn this whole place down on your heads like I did to your buddies in Alizar!"

I am a girl thank you!

Caliban opens the mouth flap of his mask, and starts to pull out his Mutagen.

"Coulda fooled me! Ha!"

Kyle, sensing some serious tension partially due to his own lies is going to calm the man down. "I don't know anything about anyone from Alizar, we mean you no harm, sir. We've come to use the tunnel beneath this fair barn. You may stay up there if you just want us to pass through, but if you come down I'm confident three civilized folk such as ourselves can work something out". Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (6) + 18 = 24

Still thinking we have a warrant, yogort starts walking around to look for the tunnel and lets kyle deal with this person.

Caliban stopped, cork in his teeth and ready to drink. He decided to try and make sure these guys weren't shady hitmen or bloodlusted pirates. He took the bottle out of his teeth and started speaking in Thieves Cant very calmly, to make sure his voice didn't give away his meaning;

"It's not a fair barn, it's s&%#ty, like you. That's why I picked it. Unless you want to end up as stains on the ground like your buddies there under your feet, you'd better run like the sniveling f~**ers you are."

Kyle, confused because he does NOT know thieves cant responds in Celestial, the most majestic of languages. In song form:
"I'm sorry we've intruded,
We want you included,
In our journey to the Archive,
we just want to leave here with our lives"

Caliban sighs with relief, and starts undoing his bomb thrower and pocketing his vials. He replies back in Celestial.

"I'm sorry to act so distraught,
I thought by my foes I'd been caught.
I'll pack up my bottles,
And no longer dawdle.
Let's team up; show me what you've got!"

Kyle, in common to include Yogort again, says "sounds like a plan, my friend," and puts out his hand to shake, "We want to use the tunnel that is likely underneath the floorboards under there".

Caliban buckles his mask back into place, hikes his pack into his shoulders and climbed down from the loft. Reaching the grounground, they can fully appreciate his hight; he has to physically avoid several of the meat hooks that come to meet his 6' 8" height.

"Yes, the cave system is under there. I've been gathering these," he says, holding up a sprig of Chillweed. "... but I didn't go very far into the tunnels, so whatever is beyond the doorway fown there is a mystery to us all."

"I have it on good intel that this leads right into the archive. I have something very dear to my divine path in there, but I can't help but think that there might be a larger reason why all of us might want to go there." *Looks up at the sky ***MAX***