PBP Gameday VII - GM Iestuna's Library of the Lion (Inactive)

Game Master Ietsuna

Is the caretaker ignoring my question or is it not information available in the scenario?

Also I wrote out what you'd get if we applied the cyphers we've found to the handout.. So far I don't see it hahaha though there could be something to Number two. I wrote it out in the speakers notes

Rayan seems lost in thought, examining the three Cyphers they've located thus far and comparing them against the encoded message. "I don't yet see it." he mumbles to himself as the search of the room continues.

Noticing the movement around the central cabinet he approaches. "What have you found?

Maybe use the card catalogue on this room and one of the next one or previous one?

I forgot to give you an answer, sorry.

In my time as caretaker I have not known anyone to have opened the cabinet.

I would not use the card catalog on this room. It has been picked clean. There are no more clues to be found in this room

With a satisfied grunt, Yangrit heads for the door. She addresses the caretaker: "Thank you, ma'am. This has been very helpful."

To the others, she says: "Come on, guys. We shouldn't spend all day in one room; we could miss valuable information elsewhere."

Far above you think you hear the music of the performance going on. It seems like it is roughly half way through the evening as the music dies down for an intermission.

Taking a queue from Yangrit the caretaker moves to the next room. This is the administrator's office.

Two rows of tall bookshelves flank the imposing yet beautiful wooden desk that presides over this room. Over the door hangs a portrait of Grand Prince Stavian III, portrayed wearing an especially smug grin. On the lower part of the frame brass plaque reads, A cunning lie is never told twice.

Snert continues to follow the group just thinking and searching for anything.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

The book related professions can be used here to search

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

Admiring the portrait Rayan remarks to anyone who's listening I imagine this fellow would have gotten on rather well with the Guardian?"

Turning back to the room Rayan decides to see if he can find any scribes records that would direct him toward books of note, while still keeping in the back of his mind the need for a way to transport their leonine friend.

Profession: Scribe: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

At the sight of the portrait, Yangrit sniffs in mild derision, then gets down to business searching for texts.

Profession: Clerk: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Going to assume Khellek will take 20 again

The group finds two more texts in the room.

Bibliographic References and Failed Prophesies

"Caretaker, my friends seem somewhat absorbed with the texts contained herein but I find myself feeling our time could perhaps be better spent were we to divide ourselves. Would you mind taking me to the next room so that we might split our efforts?" Rayan says politely, thinking that perhaps this would give his companions an opportunity to search the strange cabinet in the previous room.

Also for what it's worth in the speakers notes on the first page of the presentation I've applied all the ciphers we've gotten so far to the handout but none of them make sense to me..Well maybe #2, I didn't try and suss out a message there it was late hahaha. See what you think.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

As Kirrote enters the room he can't help but notice the portrait. The smug look on the subject's face heats Kirrote's blood. He knows the look all too well. It was leaders like that that caused him to lose his family. He grunts in disgust and then continues to search the room for books.

With a curt nod at the last book she scans, Yangrit arches her back and rolls her shoulders to loosen them from the cramped position she had taken to examine the bottom shelves. With a grunt, she states: "Eh, well, I've found all I can in this room. I'm ready to move on."

Botting Khellek.

Perception: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (16) - 2 = 14

Ok so you have searched this room. Where to now my merry band of adventurers?

So it looks like we have the room(s) on the other side of the original hall from which we entered, the spiral staircase on the south end of this hall, and some more stuff on the left of the map to which we haven't found any door. All the other areas are checked, right? And about how much time do we have left?

Your list of rooms is correct. There is about 45 minutes left.

"I feel like we're running short on time. We should finish searching the rooms on this level before we move to another. Let's go to the other side." Kirrote doesn't wait for the rest of the group and walks back through the library to the hallway on the other side.

Grumbling, Yangrit immediately follows Kirrote. "When you're right, you're right. Let's go, everyone."

She suddenly stops and turns to address the caretaker. "Ma'am, are there more areas that we can only search with your help?"

I am giving a nudge here. As players I think you know that there is a secret door somewhere that leads to those areas on the left. You simply have not met the DC to find it. Perhaps searching again might get you there. I will even allow a take 20 on the search if it comes to it.

No, you you are deep in the library and I have opened all of the rooms to which I have keys. If you don't need my services any longer I would return to my chambers.

"Certainly mistress, you've done us a great service lending your aid to our efforts." Rayan once again offers his hand to escort the caretaker back to her chambers.

"I can't help but feel like we missed something. I just can't put my finger on it."

Yangrit darts back into the room and scans it again, tense anticipation evident in the set of her shoulders.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Same result as last time. Anyone want to aid me? Or try again themselves?

"Gah! I can't see it. Can any of you?" Her shoulders thrust downward, almost like they're stomping in frustration.

Kirrote notices that no one has followed him across to the other side of the library. A low growl escapes his mouth. "What is taking everyone so long?" He waits for just another moment then stomps back across the library to where everyone is still searching. "Are we going to search the other rooms or not?" he asks in a grumpy voice.

Aid Another(Perception): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

(Aid Another)Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
"See anything?"
Not very helpful due to the fact my roll is the same as adding two to Yangrits.

Khellek assists Yangrit in her search of the office also.

Going to have Khellek take his time to search meticulously, taking 20 (2 minutes) to accomplish the task. for an 18 to assist.

Rayan moves into the room with his companions, having been once again ignored by the caretaker and attempts to aid in their search.

Perception (Aid Another): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 Not so much helping.

Your search of the office again fails to turn up anything of interest.

Would you like to use Khellek's 18 and Yangrit and Snert aid for 22?

Yes!

You notice both a secret door behind the desk and the lever under the desk that opens it.

Snert walks to the lever and says "Look over here guys"

Yangrit snaps her fingers with a satisfied "Aha! Good! I was starting to think there was something the matter with my senses. Let's take a look."

Your search also turns up in the top drawer of the desk a potion of gaseous form and an elixir of vision

"What? A secret door? Why would they have a secret door in a library?" Kirrote goes to stand by the door and awaits someone pulling the lever to open it. His hand rests on the haft of his greataxe.

"More importantly why have a secret door inside an already extremely secret portion of a library? We should take care when we proceed." Rayan remarks, calling a spell to mind as his companions open the door.

Ok, is anyone going to pull the lever?

I thought we already had

Seeing his other friends wracked with indecision Rayan moves forward and pulls the lever.

As Rayan pulls the lever the secret door swings open and a dart flies out at the party. It is headed straight for Kirrote.

Dart: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25 Damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

Kirrote, please make a fort save for me?

Cabinets with two tall drawers each line the east and west walls of this room. A relief carving of a lion’s head dominates the south wall, hanging imperiously over a low stone step. Six freestanding statuettes of lions in various poses stand atop the furniture.

Each miniature lion is portrayed in a different way to symbolize a particular virtue.

One crouches as if preparing to ambush its prey.

The second is roaring as it leaps at prey.

The third wears a yoke that is chained to a large block that the lion strains to pull.

The fourth wears a tiny pair of spectacles and reads from an ornate scroll.

The fifth is draped in the flag of Taldor.

The sixth sits erect and wears a crown.

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Kirrote barely flinches as the dart pierces his bicep. He looks down at the dart stuck in his muscle and then flicks his arm with a sudden jerk. The dart flips out and falls onto the floor.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

He walks over to the lion's head and quickly discovers another secret door. "Hey you all. Come look at this."

He points out the stuff that is in the spoiler.

Poison: 1d2 ⇒ 2 Dex damage to Kirotte.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Yangrit leans in to examine the new finds, nodding curtly as Kirrote points out everything that she can see just fine on her own. As soon as he finishes speaking, she blurts out:

"But the questions are: What is the proper combination, and will we spring another trap if we get it wrong?"

Rayan approaches the cabinets and quickly examines the contents of each while he speaks. "It is not likely coincidence that this is another lion. Perhaps our friend outside the restricted section has some answers? Would someone care to ask him while the rest of us continue our search here?"

If there are texts in the cabinets I'd like to suggest we have Khellek-Bot search using the "exciting read" clue.

Yangrit looks around at her companions, expecting (and hoping) that one of them will volunteer to go talk to the creepy lion. She just really doesn't trust that thing, which is why she tried to escape its notice earlier.

A little study of the statues and you seem to determine which virtue each represents.

One crouches as if preparing to ambush its prey. (Cunning)

The second is roaring as it leaps at prey. (Bravery)

The third wears a yoke that is chained to a large block that the lion strains to pull. (Perseverance)

The fourth wears a tiny pair of spectacles and reads from an ornate scroll. (History)

The fifth is draped in the flag of Taldor. (Loyalty)

The sixth sits erect and wears a crown. (Nobility)

Yangrit's brow furrows in thought, and you can almost see her brain heating up as she overthinks this. "Hmmm... The statues upstairs listed virtues: Innovation, Respect, Knowledge, Courage, Integrity, Honor, Excellence, and Glory... So that's probably not it. The wall at the end of that first hall said 'Our monarch's virtues are our own,' or something like that. I get the feeling that we may be searching these rooms in an inefficient order, like the piece of the puzzle we need may be elsewhere..." She continues muttering in this manner, mostly to herself.

Anything in those Cabinets I searched?

The cabinets do not contain any texts, they do however house dossiers on
Lion Blade agents past and present. Examining the documents in their entirety would take weeks, but even a cursory search of the papers shows that Taldor’s most infamous spies maintain a presence in nearly every nation of the Inner Sea region and in numerous nations that lie beyond.

Barely glancing up from the puzzle before her, Yangrit inquires: "So who's going to talk to that lion out there?"

"I will." Kirrote heads back out to the main room with the lion and approaches it. "Hey." he says in greeting. "We found another lion head in there." He shrugs back in the direction of the secret room. "What do you know about it?"

I know nothing about another of my like. There is only one of such magnificence, I am sure

You have found clues to this combinations already.

Coming through the door Rayan frames the question differently "You are most certainly more impressive than any other lion I have met, but there is another in this place bearing your likeness. Perhaps a tribute to you? Have you any knowledge of the virtues of the lion and how best to order them? I know from my investigations here that lions posses Cunning, Bravery, Perseverance, History, Loyalty, and Nobility but am unaware of how they rank against one another." Rayan says, carefully considering his words against the magic surrounding the lion.

I did review the clues/handouts but didn't see on that jumped out at me as relevant to this room. Also I know Kirrote examined the second lion, did we find anything unusual/noteworthy there?