Luke's Runelords Thread (Inactive)

Game Master Luke

I totally agree that we need to regroup. However, I'm not certain there is a place in the near area that will serve our purposes. As for the orc being "back or normal"...normal is a relative term, don't you think?

Thats Half-Orc thank you very much. And I wouldn't refer to any of my relatives as normal, the're mostly dead actually.
Why not check the other door anyway, now that we're all back and not trying to decide if we are running away or staying to fight!!
First I'll get my morningstar back then I'll take 20 checking the statue and see if the weapons are accessable I can't use them right now but someone else might be able to.
Then I'll take 20 on the door to the other room, everyone keep back just in case I die again.

[magic crap:
wand (from the witch) - magic missile 1st lvl (1 missile) with 34 charges remaining.
cloak (from the Shaman) - cloak of resistance +1
cloak (from Lyrie) - cloak of resistance + 1 (a second one)
2 potions of tree shape
2 vials of yellow liquid
1 vial of brown liquid
1 stoppered vial (from Lyrie) - cure light wounds
5 scrolls (again from Lyrie)
cloak (from Lyrie) - cloak of resistance + 1 (a second one)

bunch of non-magical stuff from the goblin chest:
a pouch with 34 small rough gems
a chain shirt
a masterwork scimitar
a pair of masterwork manacles
a small golden idol of the sun-goddess Saranrae
a jade necklace
a fine blue silk gown with silver trim

Afore he opens that door, I take the time to cast Produce Flame from my wand. I'd like to wait until after he tries to touch one of them swords however. Thanks for the clarification on the items. I had an extra wand in my inventory. Way I see it no one is wearing Lyrie's cloak. Sari, last chance or we give it to Shal.

I've still got a CLW potion, so I'm thinking Lyrie's can go to Yod or Orik. Is anyone else carrying healing potions?

Sorry about the wand - you're right. It's the one that Yod was waving around when Lyrie and Orik and their host of released mutts came on the scene. You got it from the goblin chanter hag. It's unidentified.

Working together, Yod and Shal are able to retrieve the kukris. They are indeed real weapons and they continue to flicker (the orange one) and glow softly (the blue one). They give off no heat or cold, though. No one in the group is proficient with this weapon as far as I know.

The sculpture itself is obscene and needs desperately to be pulled down some day. The low altar before it is made of black marble and is covered in dark ash and bits of bone.

You see no traps or locks on the door.

I'll give Sari a chance to comment before opening the door.

Hey whats Shal? I thought she was a ranger, she could use the blades I believe. I think Eberk could use martial weapons yes?

If'n nobody else wants the cloak, I'll take it as long as it's not covered in boogers. Also, I'd like to look at the scrolls Lyrie was carrying (spellcraft check for each of the five scrolls: scroll 1 - +11, scroll 2 -- +9, scroll 3 +15, scroll 4 -- +25, and scroll 5 +15) The light is kind of bad in this dungeon, so if anyone has read magic, that would be great.

While Yod and Shal screw around with the statue thing, Sari takes a look at the scrolls Lyrie had. She can tell one is a scroll of Whispering Wind; the others need some more light to decipher what they are.

As Sari looks up from perusing the scrolls, she realizes with horror that Yod is about to open yet another door. "Yod, you are NOT going to open yet another door! I am almost out of magic, I still need healing from the last door you opened, and I am getting sick of wandering around down here!" Her morale is obviously low, and she is drained magically and in pain from the dog bite from upstairs.

If you guys want to continue on in the state the party is in, so be it, however, we are not well-equipped to deal with much more, and we have some serious scary lady waiting for us.

Ok I'll just stand here and examine the lovely blades we just got.
Orange and blue very interesting, "Blades of Gator bite" maybe??

If we're not opening door number two, I'll take a look at the blades. To trade a kukri for a shortsword (Shal's weapon) wouldn't be much of a trade unless the kukri's got something special about it. Spellcraft on the orange is 14+4=18. Blue roll is 13+4=17.

How is Orik doing? Heal check if necessary is 17+9=26.

I've still got Lyrie's CLW if he needs it as well as another from before.

"Orik, what can you tell us about the rest of this level? I think Nualia's down the stairs we saw with the door propped open. Maybe we can finish exploring this area, slay the last of the demon dogs and get out of here...maybe block that door shut while we're at it. I think we stay clear of the tunnel leading to the bunyip."

Cha is down 3hp, Ishah is down 2. What say the rest of ye?

Hey whats Shal? I thought she was a ranger, she could use the blades I believe. I think Eberk could use martial weapons yes?

Don't know what I was thinking. You're right, both Shal and Eberk can use the kukris if they want. Eberk takes one of the blades and takes several experimental swings.

"Meh - balance is just so-so. They're nice, but they don't seem to impart any enchantment, as such. I'll stick with my axe."

He hands the blades back to Yod. Shal is also not interested in them.

"Maybe someone will buy them back in town."

The cloaks are not covered in boogers, which is part of the evidence that convinced you they were magical in the first place. There are still 4 unidentified scrolls, and as Sari mentions a read magic would do that. Cha might need to meditate for a different spell for that - which is something he's supposed to do right around sunrise (Not certain what you have prepared). Upstairs it's mid-morning right now.

"Orik, what can you tell us about the rest of this level? I think Nualia's down the stairs we saw with the door propped open. Maybe we can finish exploring this area, slay the last of the demon dogs and get out of here...maybe block that door shut while we're at it. I think we stay clear of the tunnel leading to the bunyip."

Orik is down to 14 out of 27 hit points.

"Since the third mutt is not here she must have taken it downstairs with her."

"That door," pointing at the door Yod searched, "leads to a little jail with some devices to aid in questionings."

"And that other door doesn't lead to a bunyip. It's actually too far above sea level, even at high tide, for something like that to get in there. It's some tentacled thing that Lyrie thought was really interesting. She convinced Nualia to send some goblins in there once so she could watch how it killed and ate them. It's cave opens to the outside about half-way up the cliff face. I guess it normally snags sea-gulls out of the air for food."

Well hey you know me I'll be happy to keep the blades with me at least for now. I'm sure they don't just glow blue and orange for no reason,
although they might be for some ritual or something and not enhanced weapons. They probably have some activation word or something.
I guess we would need someone to identify them before we know whether they are worth keeping for the long run.
We probably need to save what potions we have left, so I guess we are going to need another rest period.

DM, I still have the same spells prepared as always. I'm making a change at the next rest period. Midmorning...it's too early in the day to take a siesta even if we are all out of spell points.

"Orik, take this," and I give him one of the CLW potions. "Yod, why don't you take Eberk and check out the jail cells. (I'm assuming this is the door at 5,12). We'll hold down this area. Once we're sure this area is clear we'll decide what to do next."

"Very much obliged my friend." Orik drains the potion to the dregs and looks much restored by it. "You folks lead on. Leave or continue after Nualia, I've cast my lot with you."

The room beyond the door is very much as Orik described. There's a rack and a spiked cage suspended over a cold fire-pit. Brands, blades and all manner of painful looking implements hang from hooks in the wall.

The six cells are empty. Their floors are covered with random trash which is in turn covered by a fine layer of dust.

There is a another door that leads back to chambers you've seen, as well as yet another in the north-east corner of the torture chamber.

Next the doors at 13,7 and 15,7 then 16,9 if those doors are uneventfull. I'll take 20 on the doors.

Hold up there...try the one at 8,10 first. Looks like it goes nowhere hopefully.

Oh yeh didn't see that one. Ok 8,10 then the others, check it then open it taking 20 on the search or d-device if I find anything.
Also it might be worth taking 20 to search the room around the alter or statue thing maybe we could all search to speed it up. Might be some secret door or panel or trap door or something.

Whats at 5,11 looks like 2 doors a wall but the one side doesn't look like a wall, is it a door or a wall??

The first door leads to a small, lightless chamber. One wall is covered by a crude workbench with a set of the finest goblin excuses-for-tools available. It looks like no one's been here for awhile. There's a rotted pile of rags in one corner that might be a disused bed.

The room beyond the second door is by far the scarier. Here, the normal stench of the goblin hovel is sweetened by a musky incense-reek. The chamber floor is covered by thick furs and bits of colorful rug. There's large soiled pillows scattered throughout, with piles of rough furs in the corners to dress the place out. Squatting behind pathetic walls of heaped pillows are what passes for goblin harem girls. They cower there on the floor, trusting their safety to the darkness of the room.

The last of the doors (15,7) opens onto a small room that contains two cages, both of which are empty.

Goblin harem girl? Talk about your worlds dirtiest jobs, definately a bad career move.
Yeh I can see you back there.. hmmm anyone speak goblin? Tell them to get up and line up. What should we do with them anyway?
What about the door at 16,9 I had said I would check that one as well

What should we do with them anyway?

You were the one toting a mattress around earlier. You want us to give you a few minutes? Just leave them alone. I don't think we'll have need of fighting them.

Yes well, do you have cure disease memorized? If not then maybe I'll collect them later on the way back to town. I could use a posse of Goblin girls to tidy up around the house. They don't eat much or take up much space.

"Okay....moving right along now. Since it's early in the day and we can't really do anything about renewing our magic we need to come up with a game plan. Are we going down into the depths? Can someone help me out with my points I'm down? I'm not sure I have any potions. If we are going down into the depths, I can use the heck out of the wand. Let's make a decision and get moving."

"Should I stay or should I go now..."

I'm not real big on decision making...somebody choose.

Well I'm good to head down, but there is one more door to check.
I'm out of potions, what about any of the stuff we found any chance to ID the liquids or scrolls?
Maybe a more stealth and a little less charging into battle until after the next rest period.
I'm tempted to go check out the predator and see what it is, maybe Cha could make freinds with it or at least tell what it is.

The goblin girls make no sound as Yod stands there considering. They remain silent as he shuts the door.

Sorry, I did not see the reference to the door at (16,9).

As Yod opens the door, Orik tells you that he believes that this door may also lead to the cave with the tentacled thing. Beyond the door is a short hall with another door. This one leads to a cavern of natural rock that echoes with the sounds of crashing surf. The room before you is littered with junk. There's twisted iron from a ruined fence, broken barrels, old furniture, pretty much a trash heap.

The cavern continues down a tunnel to the left. The white light of morning shines on the cave wall at the end of the tunnel.

Yod, skill check rolls are appropriate if you're trying to be quiet. Is anyone with you?

Hide 14+9=23 Move-S 4+9=13
Hopefully the sound of the surf will cover any noise I make
No one with me, I'll check it out and report back
Move to 19,12 and see what I can see
Morning star in hands, crossbow loaded.

Yod

For DM

Yod

DM

For ABY

For ABY

I hate these things.

Ya, they weren't very useful this time. Dispel spoilers.

Yod returns from his scouting mission and tells you what he saw. You can read the spoilered text above.

The additional searching yields nothing, save that you notice that the altar is covered with ash and tiny fragments of charred bone.

All righty then sounds like down the stairs at 3,19 then.
I'll take 20 if there is a door.
Hide 20+9=29 Move-S 16+0=25
That's more like it!
What do I see when I get to 2,18?
Listen 19+0=19 Spot 19+4=23
Holy schmoly too bad we aren't in a combat now!

"We'll need some light while we venture further into the belly of the earth." Sari picks up a loose bit of rock/bone/mineral/etc. and casts light upon it. "If I have to go down there, at least I want to see what's going to eat me."

I have 2 spell points left, and remember I have mage armor on. And my asbestos panties.

Same marching order as earlier. I'm readying my wand...I'm down to one spell point still.

I'm readying my wand...

Is this a euphemism for something? Should I be readying something as well?

Hey have a wand also I do!
I might ready it as well if I had a clue what it was!
Let me go ahead a bit so whom ever or what ever might be down here doesn't see the light coming.

The stairs are rough cut and bear to the left twice before ending in a landing. The floor of the landing slopes down to the west (left on the map). The door is closed and is apparently without any kind of lock.

Map updated. Once again, thanks to Watcher (of these boards) for the maps of Thistletop, which I have modified pretty heavily.

I open the door

Ya, I know. Sorry folks, preparation for the long-expected party has prevented me from attending properly to my thread.

As Yod approaches the stone door he notices places along the frame where someone used hammer and chisel to force their way in at some point in the past. There's bas-relief work on the door of a jeweled crown.

The chamber beyond is canted just like the hall and is dimly lit by a lantern sitting on the floor. Two pillars stand in the center of the room (uphill) supporting the ceiling. The walls bear old bas-relief carvings, but practically all these have been rendered illegible by vandalism or erosion. There are alcoves to either hand that contain statues that have tipped off their pedestals and now either lean against the alcove's west wall or lie in pieces. Each statue depicts a gaunt male in flowing robes with a staff and a book.

The walls show signs of the sesimic strain that must have tilted this whole place. Fine cracks run through the walls and the floor is covered in a lair of crumbled masonry and the dust of ages. There's another door directly opposite the one you entered.

I'll check the other door and then open it

The new door leads to another short hall that continues to slope up. A couple feet from the threshold where you stand the otherwise dusty and littered floor is polished clean. To the right and left of the polished flagstone stand two statues nearly identical to the statues in the previous room. Like the last chamber, this one is lit by a flickering lamp that sits on the floor. There are doors to the left and right near the end of the hall, and at the very end is another of the statues, this one broken off at the waist.

As Yod stands there taking in the details of the new hall, the rest of the party enters the chamber behind him one at a time.

"Careful there! The hall beyond that door is where Jagen died. Bars dropped from the ceiling, trapping him there while the statues ran him through with those pole-arms. Then the floor dropped out and his body dropped down a chute."

"Tsuto jumped the trigger stone and found a disarming mechanism somewhere ahead I think. We should have waited for him before we ever came down here."

"Now you tell us that...great, just great. This might be the last time I let a man talk me into coming down into a dark room. Well, probably not."

Sari continues to follow the men-folk with her light. She's all for letting others trigger or disarm traps, whichever works.

"Orik, how much further down here have you been? Yod, easy does it here on in."