Hisao cracks his knuckles and says Chest trapped. I shall disable and will kneel down to work on it with his tools
Iommi-Tyr Magnusson takes the necessary amount of time to assure he has precisely copied down all the information he can -- and even checks the remains of the Necromancer's Mistress for any scrolls or letters she may have had on her person.
My friends, this is quite disturbing -- we are nine months away from some ineffable astrological portent that this necromancer has been researching,... and perhaps planning for.
.
.
.
NOTE:
Hisao succeeds in disarming the poisoned needle trap in the complex chest lock!
Can he also unlock the lock?
Hisao twirls the poisoned needle from the trap around his fingers and uses it to pick the lock.
With a deft display of manual dexterity, the ninja swiftly unlocks the complex lock!
Within the chest are 2,000 golden King Charles V Francs, forming a glittering bed for a collection of gemstones: a topaz, an agate, an amethyst, a tourmaline, a tiger eye, a carnelian, a garnet, a moonstone, a white pearl, an opal, a small sapphire, a small diamond, a small emerald, a small ruby, a small fire opal, an onyx, a beryl, a sardonyx, a turquoise, and a jet!
The ninja's eyes are momentarily dazzled by the treasure as it reflects the Lusty Fools' nearby lights!
Our tale begins in the grand city of Paris in the Kingdom of France, on the evening (about 7:00 PM) of June 1st, in the Year of Our Lord, 1430.
The cobbled streets of Paris are beginning to host a different sort of traffic as street vendors, laborers, and common folk going finishing their day's duties give way to evening strollers, thieves, gendarmes and lamplighters.
In a lamp lit tavern called La Caveau des Oubliettes, on the isle in the River Seine where Notre Dame cathedral towers above all the other buildings, a crowd of travelers mingles with locals, enjoying supper, drinks, tavern tales, jests, and the music of a lute and pipes played by a pair of halfling troubadours. Many are talking about the fearful rumors of gremlins bedeviling the good priests and acolytes of Notre Dame, undead feeding on the flesh and bones of the recently interred at the Cemetery of the Holy Innocents, or crawling forth by night from the catacombs to spirit away victims dragged from their beds or off the streets, and of course, the dire news of the caravan of gold, jewels, and the poor maiden Yvette Constance, chosen by lot to be a sacrifice to the evil fire dragon, Conflagratius, in the distant Italian volcano, Mt Vesuvius....
Several travelers, adventurers new to Paris, or longtime residents, have gathered by chance at a long wooden table near the hearth fire to share supper time conversation....
Halfway to the End of the World As We Know It! ;)
Hisao holds up a large fist of coins and lets them slip through his fingers.
We enjoy ourselves for the next six months then, yes?
"Certainly not. Besides, wouldn't you rather enjoy your treasures for the rest of your natural lifespan instead of a mere six months? No, we need to act to stop it."
"This proposes a bit of a problem, though. Being able to interrogate the Necromancer would be very helpful in this goal, but I'm not certain we can defeat him without killing him."
With more research I may be able to determine what is going on. When we get back to the surface I will seek out libraries and collections of knowledge. And who's to say we won't learn more as we continue through the bowels of this horrid demesne?
I know of a few places in England where I can do further research when we leave Paris.
Well, I don't know about you lads, but I like living, and the longer I can do that, the better. If there is a wee chance that we can stop this catastrophe, we should do it. Besides, we would be rich and famous....isn't that a nice benefit? I think so....
As the Lusty Fools ponder the significance of what Iommi-Tyr has transcribed from the concave plaster walls of this domed stronghold of the Necromancer, a dark, vaguely anthropomorphic shape appears in the watery doorway, and through the doorway, out of the magically arrested water that now fills the cistern, steps a monstrosity not fully human and not fully shark, but something horribly inbetween!
Initiative
A strange coat of glittering mail like fish scales clings to the man-shark's muscled torso, arms, and a pair of vestigial lateral fins below its arms....
In its rough gray claws it clutches a deadly-looking trident!
Paddy dashes at the new threat, his shortsword flashing as he stabs
[dice=initiative] 1d20+10
Paddy dashes at the new threat, his shortsword flashing as he stabs
[dice=attack]1d20+7; 1d6+1; 2d6
Paddy's blade slides into the creature's flesh! It is strangely silent, only sighing at the stab!
The shark-like monstrosity jabs at Paddy with its trident.... piercing the young rogue's leather jerkin and drawing blood from three puncture wounds, dealing piercing.... It opens its great maw, filled with a double row of serrated shark teeth, and tries to chomp down on the rogue's sword arm.... and succeeding, dealing bite damage! Paddy must attempt a Fortitude save to resist the taint of Dagon....
My poor cloak! You nasty beastie....go back to where you belong...
Hisao loops around the back of the creature and stabs it from a flanking position with his blade.
My poor cloak! You nasty beastie....go back to where you belong...
[dice=Fort save] 1d20+2
Hisao loops around the back of the creature and stabs it from a flanking position with his blade.
[dice=blade flank]1d20+8;1d6+1+1d6
The ninja's speedy strike doesn't seem to hurt this shark-thing as much as it should....
Alphonse steps up and strikes.
Nacht similarly moves up to flank the creature tilts his head before a loud skitter seems to come from him and arms bulge with strength. He swings the Greatsword down.
[dice=Knowledge Nature (for Monstrous Humanoid)]1d20+10 +1d6
Iommi-Tyr knows this beast for what it truly is: the accursed spawn of Dagon himself, piscine demon of the Abyssal depths.... This creature is a Deep One, a human-shark hybrid born of abominable practices among the barbarians of the Pacific Islands and other coastal realms.... Silver weapons can fully harm it....
Alphonse steps up and strikes.
[dice=Earthbreaker]1d20+6
[dice=Damage]2d6+8
The monster grunts in pain finally as a substantial blow is dealt by Alphonse's earth breaker!
We must use Silver weapons; it is a Spawn of Dagon!
()
Rd 1
"I don't have any! Do you?"
Nope!
Well, unless I smash him with me bag of silver coins, I got nothing. My sword will have to do...
Round 2 action Paddy stabs at thecreature, trying to fend it off with his sword...
Nacht's blade rips a bloody rift in the Deep One's rough gray hide, and it roars in agony!
We must use Silver weapons; it is a Spawn of Dagon!
()Rd 1
[dice=Load & fire Crossbow]1d20-1
[dice=Damage]1d4+1
TWANG--SPLISH!! Iommi-Tyr's bolt misses the beast and disappears in the murky, green-lit water beyond the doorway!
Well, unless I smash him with me bag of silver coins, I got nothing. My sword will have to do...
Round 2 action Paddy stabs at thecreature, trying to fend it off with his sword...
[dice=attack] 1d20+7; 1d6+1; 2d6
The beast barely seems to notice Paddy's stab....
The Deep One hisses and thrusts its trident at Nacht , but the Beetle Man dodges the sharp tines! It bites at Nacht , missing! The Beetle Man's insect-fast reflexes save him from harm!
Alphonse takes another whack at the beast.
Round 2
=======
Nacht looks at his weapon then back at the being. It was quite odd to find a specimen a resilient as himself. He was sure he hit it quite hard or maybe not hard at all. Nacht quirked his head to the side as his hidden mandibles moved and then pulled his arms up going for the limb holding the weapon, it was practical to do.
Alphonse hammers the thing's shark-like snout, releasing a spray of dark blood! It roars in rage and pain!
Nacht follows up with another deep hack into the beast's torso! It roars again in agonized fury!
Round 2
=======Nacht looks at his weapon then back at the being. It was quite odd to find a specimen a resilient as himself. He was sure he hit it quite hard or maybe not hard at all. Nacht quirked his head to the side as his hidden mandibles moved and then pulled his arms up going for the limb holding the weapon, it was practical to do.
[dice=Ant Flanking Greatsword Slash]1d20+8; 2d6+5
[dice=Confirm Ant Flanking Greatsword Slash]1d20+8; 2d6+5
Rd 2
Iommi-Tyr Magnusson loads and fires his Crossbow:
Rd 2
Iommi-Tyr Magnusson loads and fires his Crossbow:
[dice=Attack]1d20
[dice=Damage]1d4+1
TWANG WHIZZZ SPLISH!!!
Look here, Mr. Ugly, would ye just die already? We have more important things to do you know....
As he says that, Paddy slashes at the creature with his sword.