Krystallos: Blue Quartz

Game Master JGray

Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
That is including Leiko's inspire courage.

Including inspire courage

attack 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23 for 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Telthes' crit confirm: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Telthes' crit damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

By the time Dawna has lashed out at the cube and Telthes shoots the cube is in pieces, slime dripping down onto the floor. That doesn't stop it to surge forward in hunger.

Cube attack on Dawna: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Dawna leaps backwards, out of the way of the cube as it enters the corridor, though it is obstructed from going forward thanks to the narrowness of the corridor.

And y'all are up!

Taking another step back, the halfling chef once more fires a small arrow at the unappetizing cube of jello.

I can understand why chefs stay on the surface. I do not think that there is anything I could do to make something like this taste good.

5' step back
Move: reload crossbow
Attack-crossbow: 1d20 + 6 - 4 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 6 - 4 + 1 = 16 <-- -4 for cover, +1 inspire courage
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 <-- +1 inspire courage

This shot appears to take out a nice chunk of the creature.

"Its faltering!" Milo half shouted, nervousness now fully replaced by excitement. Adding to the fusillade of projectiles, he once more let loose a hissing blob of vitriol.

Acid Splash Touch Attack: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 1 = 6

Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

"For the love of the giants make a little room behind me!"

I hope you guys did realize that the is absolutely no space to manoeuvre anymore. Dawna can't fall back.

Telthes keeps shooting.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 Including the song for 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 dmg

Lobbing another blob of acid, Milo answered Dawnas request by beginning to ascend, opening up an extra few feet of precious space.

Acid Splash Touch Attack: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 3 + 1 = 24

Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Milo needs to climb up with his move action, then all the rest of us can make a 5' step after we next fire.

The last few attacks do the job. The Gelatinous Cube literally falls apart and melts, turning into a pile of sludge and bones and other materials, some sparkling in the light of your torch and sunrod.

Beyond the cube, the room seems empty. There are no signs that this particular room was used as anything but a waystation to get to whatever lies beyond the four sphincter doors.

Where the cube ate into the walls of the chamber and the corridor fresh wounds are opened. The inner flesh of the giant once more bleeds, rivers of the dark red substance flowing down towards the floors below. There is no danger now but if that blood does not clot within the next few minutes this chamber will very likely begin to flood.

COMBAT ENDED

Kintal looks at the wounds:
I don't know how these giants heal, but someone might want to try some healing to at least staunch the bleeding.

His sharp halfling eyes then begin to carefully examine what was previously contained within the cube.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Examining the contents of the former monster's body reveals the remains of a man's bones. Human most likely. In addition there's a heavy crossbow, plain and sleek. Twenty bolts, carefully crafted and uniform, are in a simple leather carrying case. Beside them is a white, leather container about the width and length of a man's finger. Inside there are fourteen metal hatpins. All except one have normal heads - the one has a head with a polished agate mounted on the end. There is also a silver goblet, tall and covered with raised decorations of wrestlers. Finally, you find 17 gp, 34 sp and 7 cp in loose coins.

Kintal picks up the items.
Looks like someone else didn't escape from the jello fast enough. Looks like he will not need this stuff anymore. Anyone have a clue what these are?

Kintal holds out the pins and other items which were found.

Dawna looks in discomfort at the bleeding walls, but takes a moment to examine the remains found inside the gelatinous mass. "Pretty wealthy for someone just getting caught in something like this. No melee weapon, but a heavy crossbow." She looked a little closer at the hatpins and everything else in hopes a finding anything that may give an allegiance away.

She tries to look into the darkness beyond in the room from which the cube came to figure out whether there might be anything else that was hostile.

"And this blue guy came from down here?" If this detestable tunnel system was frequented by the greyscale masks and creatures like that blue thing above, they must have a way to get past this cube without having to smash it to bits or be eaten.

Looking at the items with curiosity, Milo stepped up, a hand outstretched. "Let me have a look at these objects." He gave an apologetic look. "I have a spell that might determine if any of it is magical, but I do not have it prepared." He perked up a little as he added. "But there are other ways of finding out, namely, a thorough inspection."

He started turning each object in his hands in turn, inspecting them for any signs of potency.

Spellcraft(Hatpins): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Spellcraft(Goblet): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Spellcraft(Crossbow): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Spellcraft(Leather container, just in case): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

"Hmmm, nothing much, most of it is mundane." He mumbled, neatly stacking the objects except for the leather bag. "This one however functions much like a magical quiver, except, it sorts pins instead of arrows." He shrugged. "Not sure how much use that will be, although it might be worth money to the right person."

Getting up, he looked around at the 4 as of yet untested exits. "So? How do you propose we proceed?"

"start with the one on the left and work clockwise?"

The chamber is still filling with blood, isn't it?

Slowly, yes.

Kintal looks with concern at the bleeding wall.
Would one of you capable of healing magic be able to staunch the flow of blood? If we do not, we may end up trapped and unable to return this way.

"I'll try, but I'm not sure what healing means in this case... It may work.. counter-intuitively."

Leiko will cast her last CLW of the day.

Kintal shrugs:
I don't know. The giant is a living creature, albeit a rather large one. This is but a small injury for him. Undoubtedly something that it has not even noticed. However, if we do not stop it, as I said before, unless you are skilled at swimming in blood, this return route may well be blocked.

We could also cauterize the wound as was done in much of the tunnel, but I do not know how, or if, this would work.

"I fear cauterization may be beyond our means at present." Milo said, inspecting the gushing wound. "I dont suppose any of you possess the necessary medical skill to determine if it is likely to clot of its own accord?"

[dice=Another "biology test" using Knowledge (Nature)]1d20 + 8[/dice]

Turning to Telthes, Milo nodded. "Seems as good a course of action as any, given our lack of information." He eyed the bleeding once more. "If we cannot stop it we can at least buy ourselves some time. Let us refrain from closing these doors behind us, the extra space should give us more time.

As the blood flew in small streams onto the floor Dawna the conversation of this others mixed with the blood streaming behind her ears and she felt somewhat numb as she got a torch out of her backpack and lightened it at the burning one.

"I don't see a way around it; a simple heal spell might not be enough and we might depend on it later on. Blue Quartz forgive us."

She started to seal the wounds with her mouth closed tight and her teeth grinding. She did not like this one but if these tunnels, comparable to a fistula, would fill with blood that would not make it better, they might even spark. To heal this tunnel system would take some very sever effort.

Dawna takes a 20 for a 19 on heal to stop the bleeding.

Time is spent to seal the wounds. The walls quiver when subjected to fire and magic but they do not collapse. The wounds seal and the blood stops flowing. The smell of burning flesh is thick in the air.

The wound sealed, Telthes presses on. Opening the leftmost "door" axe ready.

Dawna tries to keep her composure, even though it takes some will not to choke as she treats the wounds of a giant with flame. Then she extinguishes the torch and puts it back and follows Telthes.

Kintal helps the others staunch the giant's wounds. He then grips his small rapier and waits behind Telthes as the next doorway is examined.

If you are picking up the items left behind by the cube, I recommend picking someone to be "quartermaster". They can keep track of the loot and then you can decide what to do with it later.

Opening the door is a simple matter now that the party knows how it is done. Telthes massages the nerve cluster and the sphincter opens, revealing a long corridor leading south before turning.

"Kintal, you are light on your feet, yes?" Milo asked, his slight smirk indicating he was all to aware of the underlying stereotyping of his question. "Maybe you should have a head start and sneak a look around the corner. You know, before the less subtle amongst us inevitably give away our approach to any ears that may be listening from around the corner."

Kintal looks up at Milo and nods before turning to head up the passage:
I'm a chef damit, not a sneak.

Nonetheless, he proceeds to stealthily examine the passage.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

In paying attention, he does not notice the strange floor as his tiny feet squeak along.

Kintal sneaks forward, down the corridor. His feet aren't as stealthy as they could be, stepping along the wooden platforms that make up the floor, but there seems to be no alarm. He travels forward roughly thirty feet and peers around the bend only to see the corridor travels to the east another twenty feet or so and turns again. He can faintly hear some sort of singing or chanting coming from far away.

Kintal not-so-stealthily returns to the group.

The passage continues on, turning several times. It sounds like some type of singing or chanting ahead. I will investigate, but you all should move up, staying perhaps 50' or so behind me.

With that, Kintal will again head up the tunnel to see what is around the next corner.

Not sure if you want me to keep making stealth/perception checks. It always seems a little cheesy as eventually you are guaranteed to succeed and fail.

Dawna makes a grim face for all the stench and the somewhat unreal situation around her as she waits for Kintal at the edge of the hallway through which he disappeared. "I wander what this all means."

A locksmith coerced to provide locks with a second key and strange markings on the inside. A blue creature. Greyscale masks; a shapeless organization that sounded mostly harmless and no discernable power structure... was it yet another mask for something worse?

When she did not notice Kintal anymore, the chef who was surprisingly subtle for someone who took offence in the notion that he might sneak, she followed him slowly and carefully, though she was fully aware that anyone would hear from a distance with all her heavy armour.

"Very well." Milo said with a nod, following behind Dawna when she deemed the distance sufficient to follow their sneaky cook.

Telthes stays with the main group, axe in hand.

"I hate cultists"

Grrr. Roll20 seems offline. Sorry, guys. I'll update as soon as I can. I need the map I stored there.

Kintal moves forward, turning the corner. He continues on until the corner turns again. He peeks around and sees... darkness. A darkness unlike any he has ever seen before. It is not just the absence of light. It swallows light. It is not natural. He is sure of it.

Kintal moves back to the others:
It is dark in there. Insanely dark, as though all light were being swallowed by something. I cannot see what is in or beyond the darkness. Would any of you have the ability to create light or somehow see through such darkness?

"I am afraid not." Milo said, shaking his head vigorously. "Perhaps we should try each door before deciding on a course of action?" He gestured at the open door. "Seeing as we have very little in the way of options with the darkness."

"I might be able to see through it." Telthes says as he heads to the front of the party.

When Telthes peeks around the corner he finds the darkness defeats even his dwarven senses. He can make out nothing beyond where the darkness begins.

"I don't have any means to deal with that either..." Dawna ponders for a moment. "If there is magical darkness someone wants to hide something. But exploring it blindly would be too risky. Let's try another way." Hopefully there is another way.

Which door would you like to open?

The one directly opposed to the hallway through which we came. It would be the next option if we go through them in clockwise order.

Agreed

Dawna tickles the nerve cluster and the sphincter door opens to reveal a roundish chamber that pulsates as blood flows through the walls. Wooden racks have been stacked on either side, each holding a dozen of those strange, two bladed swords the Corrupted up in the kobold's lock shop was carrying. There's also a chest with a very obvious padlock on the far side of the room.

"An armory." Milo noted, stating the obvious. He walked along the racks, touching the hilt of each weapon in turn with a disinterested look. "Assuming the enemy would muster here to collect their arms, it might be useful for us to take them with us or break them." He turned to look at the chest. "As for that, anyone here proficient with locks? Or do we simply break it?"

Kintal shakes his head at Milo's inquiry.
I have never needed to pick a lock, as I usually perform on the streets, my show is open and does not need subterfuge.

He looks about to see if anyone else might have any skill opening locks such as this.