Mortika's "Citadel of Flame" (Inactive)

Game Master Chris Mortika

i'll take a look Moulini states talking walk towards them while putting away her crossbow still empty and takes out her rapier....

Well done friends.
Gryne approaches the mummified corpses;

The bodies do not detect as evil. They have some magic on them.

The corpses are long, long dead, and brittle. Turning them over, however gently, breaks the delicate remains, sending puffs of ash out of their armor. They both wear brass holy symbols of Sarenrae on fine chains around their necks, and one of them has prayers embroidered around the hems of her tunic and skirts.

They are dressed in warlike raiment, with the remnants of ancient chainmail and scimitars; one has an old bow, long broken under the tension of its string. They do not carry any hints of personal gear, like waterskins or rations.

There are still four arrows left in the archer's hip quiver. They are fletched in gold and red, and they don't look old at all. Also untouched by the centuries are four vials, two on each body. The vials hold a clear, oily liquid that glows when the bottle is unstoppered.

The arrows and vials all radiate as faint transmutation magic.

"May I?" asks Hadassah as she picks up a single arrow. She examines the arrow, muttering quietly as she turns the arrow this way and that.
Casting Detect Magic, attempting to identify the arrow.

well that an't some thing you see everyday mounlini states looking the corpse...

"Hold on, Azatoth. Looks like the others are a bit distracted back there. Let's wait until they are ready before proceeding."

Hadassah casts detect magic and examines the dwoemer on the arrow. (10) + 9 = 19. It's a +1 holy arrow.

The vials all hold oil of bless weapon.

Please let me know who's holding onto what.

chunk of one corpse maybe maybe one of the items, i know i'm by the corpses

Hadassah explains what the arrow is, picks up the other three from the quiver, and hands them to the paladin. "It would not be unreasonable to assume the other three from the quiver are the same. I have no use for these things, but I am pretty sure some of you can do well with them. Here Maximo, I will trust you to do what is best."

James seems intrigued by Hadassah's ability to identify the items. He thinks to himself"did the devil girl really give the gear to the man that was carrying on a rather lengthy dialouge with his camel the entire way here?"

Weapons blessed with holy magic? Maximo examines them for a moment before looking around. Spotting Gryne, he flashes white teeth and hands them over. Best you take these. I believe they would be most effective fired from a bow, not thrown by hand.

Smelling one of the vials, and frowning at the lack of alcohol, Maximo decides to keep one of them, offering one to James, another to Azatoth, and holding the last up for grabs.

"As you wish Shel.." Azatoth mumbles something about the interest of old corpses when the party can create some new instead, since someone or somebody has to pay for the rude assault...

...that mumble quickly stops when Maximo presents Azatoth with the vial. "You surely know how to get a grumpy orc bastard into better mood! This oil will surely help out to polish the scimitar and THAT makes me happy."

He then puts the potion into his backpack.

Thank you Maximo, I believe I will use them sooner rather than later. Gryne takes the arrows and puts them in his quiver.

James takes the vial from Maximo. Thank you Maximo, shall we proceed?

One moment... Maximo hangs his hammer in a ring on his belt, then draws forth a wand from a leather sheath with a flourish. Chanting an arcane word, he waves it over his roasted and battered skin, healing the wound completely.

Cure Light Wounds 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Sheathing the wand and readying his warhammer, he raises the weapon and marches to the second position among the party.

Onward ho, my friends! He sings. In we go, until the end!

When the group is ready, Shel gets help from the half orc and goes to work moving that door.

Shel (assist: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17) and Azatoth (strength check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8) put their shoulders into lifting one of the doors. It groans against the lintel and scrapes half-an-inch across the ground, but it does not budge any more than that.

"Gryne, Max, James, we need your strong arms up here for some lifting duties," the little rogue calls out.

James quips "Ha me strong, I will try to help you though"

Of course, my lady! If you don't mind, perhaps I can take the key position? Maximo stows his weapon and shield and puts forth his best effort.

Lift with the LEGS!

Shel (assist:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3)
Azatoth (assist: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10)
James (assist: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13)
all follow Maximo's lead (Strength check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19).
With an enormous effort, you pull the door free of the jamb and set / drop it to the side with a resounding crash.

As for what lies behind:

You might be expecting the interior of the citadel to be dark, but instead you hear the roar of a bonfire and a wave of heat crashes into you. Looking inside, you see a room thirty feet deep. The doors are centered on the western wall, and the room is 40 feet from side-to-side. All along the walls, there are darkwood benches facing the center of the room. Many rows of stout pillars, carved to resemble writhing flames, surround the center of the room where a spiral staircase, devoid of rails or walls, leads up to the minaret above. A large bonfire burns in the middle of the staircase, casting normal illumination throughout the room. The walls are covered with written prayers carved in gold filigree, as well as stylized efreeti faces spaced every five feet.

Among the two dozen pillars, shadows from the bonfire constantly shift. Standing outside, none of you see anyone in the room, but there are countless places to hide.

I must admit, the staircase leading up makes me feel a little better. If it lead down I might be uneasy. As if we were descending into hell.

Gryne peruses the room for any stonework that may be out of place or unique(Stonecunning-+2 to perception).

Gryne draws his bow and an arrow to serve as cover for the rogue if necessary. Looking at Shel;

Shel, when you are ready I have you covered.

James keeps his pistol drawn and takes up the rear position.

Hadassah nods politely at Shel, Gryne, and James, taking up position in the center of the group as they enter the chamber ahead. "Arshea be with us, I have to admit this place gives me the willies."

A little dark in there. Says Maximo with a frown. Readying his shield, digs in his pouch, takes out the glowing pebble given to him earlier by Hadassah, and tosses it off to illuminate the closest area of darkness, then draws and readies his warhammer.

My dear, I don't suppose you can create more of those? He asks politely.

i'm here if you need me Moulini states, making read with her rapier...

"Here, I made a handful," answers Hadassah, handing Maximo another stone. "However, it appears light in here. Or is it just me?"

Azatoth draws his scimitar and shield. Azatoth will use his ability to see in the dark to see if he can see anything suspicious in the dark areas

"Everyone else ok with going up the stairs? That's fine with me, I suppose," the halfling says as she looks around the room.

Assuming we can get by the fire on the stairs...if not she will look around the room carefully.

"Would it have killed them to add some hand rails?"

Shel enters the room, immediately breaking into a sweat. Spending a length of time in here will be oppressive. The floor is covered in fine desert sand, perhaps a half-inch deep in places. The sand near the door looks like it was swept in by the wind, but there is sand everywhere in here: on the floor, on the stairs, on the massive obsidian benches lining the walls.
(Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22) (Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16) (Stealth:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23)

The halfling notices some fresh footprints in the sand, leading around the pillars towards the bottom of the stairs.

When she approaches the stairs, she sees that a single set of the footprints continues up. There are none coming back down.

Nobody else sees anything else moving in the room.

"Something has left a trail leading upstairs," she whispers. She continues up the stairs, moving as slowly and carefully as possible, checking for signs of trouble.

"Only one set? Seems like good odds to me."

I fallow her being as quiet as possible..

Moulini follows her comrade into the room. (Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20), taking care not to step too loudy on the crunching sand.

As Shel rises along the staircase, her shadow gyres around the walls of the room.

Shel, the staircase winds around the bonfire, rising 20 feet above the floor. You hear the soft "click" of a latch closing further up ahead, right before you move far enough to see staircase ends at a darkwood door, presumably leading to areas in the minaret above the main room. You are right now half-way up the stairs. Moving silently to the door would be a move action.

Shel will silently motion for Moulini to follow her. She continues to slink up the staircase, trying to not rush, making sure to look for traps that might be waiting to be sprung. Don't rush girl...slow and steady wins the race.

DM, I'll be in and out the next couple hours, so if necessary, you can let Moulini take over the perceptions and trap springing for the next little bit.

"Whenever you think they are at a safe distance, I will follow you," whispers Hadassah to Maximo. "I like the idea of all of your armor between whoever left those footprints and me."

James softly tells the pathfinders that are not climbing the stairs "I'll guard the base of the stairs. Would you be kind enough to signal me when the time comes for me to follow?"

i slowly ascend the stars try not to make a sound.

Azatoth follows silently after Hadassah

Of course, my dear. Maximo bows to Hadassah. Stay close, I wish to make certain no surprises are hidden among the shadows. Hold one of your light stones high, for I must confess to a certain impairment to my vision in the dark.

Maximo slowly circles the chamber, examining the walls and looking under benches and behind pillars.

Hadassah reaches in to her pack producing a fist full of lighted stones, each about the size of her thumb, and hands the half dozen stones to Maximo, "Well,then, throw these ahead of you."

I will follow the rest of the party up the stairs....slowly.
Looking at James...I'll come get you when we know it is safe or clear.

Once we get to the door I will move back down the staircase to inform James that there is a door leading off the staircase if he'd like to regroup to that location and take another cover position.

Hadassah, according to the spell description, you can have only one light spell active at any one time. Who has the light spell?

--+--

Shel reaches to top of the staircase, where she finds a door, with the hinges not showing on this side.

(Trapfinding: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 ) You do not detect any traps on the door.

Ten feet behind her is Moulini, and halfway down is Gryne. James is positioned at the bottom of the stairs.

(Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19; 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11)

Maximo, Hadassah, and Azatoth circle the room slowly.

(Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8; 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21; 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10)

Since the door is clean, Shel will open it as quietly as possible.

Azatoth feels restless at this place and complains to himself "This place place gives me bad feelings"

Shel, you push the door gently. It doesn't move more than a half-inch before a sheet of fire roars to life from its face as if it were an pool of oil suddenly ignited. Both you and Moulini are caught in the blast.

I'll roll a Reflex save for each of you to avoid the worst of the fire. But you both will also need to make an Acrobatics check, to remain on the stairs. You can volunteer to take a bonus to the save (up to +5) if you take an equal penalty to the skill check. (For example, you could decide to leap free of the fire, giving yourself a +3 to avoid the full brunt of the trap, but then you'd take a -3 to your Acrobatics check to avoid falling.) You're at 20', and Moulini is at 10'.

take plus one on the save minus one on the check, DM..

Shel flinger herself away from the diery door, arching back and hoping her hands touch stairs instead of empty air.
Reflex save: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 1 = 13
Acrobatics check:1d20 + 9 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 9 - 1 = 10

Shel manages to avoid the worst of the magical flame, taking (Damage 2d4 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5, halved) 3 points of damage. But she tumbles off the stairs to the ground below.

Acrobatics check to avoid the first 10 feet of falling damage: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27; easily accomplished. Shel takes1d6 ⇒ 4 points of damage from the fall, and ends up prone next to James.

We'll see how Moulini does once she posts her preferences.

--+--

Hadassah, you're pretty sure you saw that you think you saw, but moving over to that efreet mask on the eastern wall, it seems normal.
(Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14) However, there are two brass sheets on either side of that mask, in the shape of gouts of flame, and those have hinges on the sides. There are two subtle doors in the eastern wall, leading further into the Citadel.