To save time... Shilyn finds no traps along the door. Just an eerie feeling as her gear seems to weigh her down more as she stands on the dais while inspecting the large iron doors.
"Maybe someone who is very weak might feel empowered on the dais... it did say something about strength was weakness and weakness was strength..."
anyone have str as their dump stat? lol... also.. did anyone actually take that wand from the statue? I was thinking Maelchar might step up and try the door, but not if he might be the target of the wand...
Varian takes the wand and hands it to Mahasi since he can probably use it, where Varian can't. Then he steps up on the dais and despite whatever might happen to his strength as a result, he tries to open the door.
Oh yeah... Varian is quite injured... and needs some healing love! Shilyn, too :)
Varian Strength check:1d20 - 2 ⇒ (6) - 2 = 4
As soon as he steps on the dais, the weight of his armor almost seems to double. So encumbered, he still tries to open the door, but feels his muscles far too inferior to open the door.
Varian steps back off the dais and tries to shake off the weakness... "Perhaps the weakest of us needs to do this... Mahasi, you are likely to be the weakest... but either way, I yield this task to another."
Mahasi puts all of his effort, his strength unchanged by the dais. Mylvwara, not used to such brute efforts, fails to aid, although Shilyn isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Nonetheless, the combined effort isn't enough to open the door.
"Could we use the wand to weaken ourselves further? Maybe we should keep trying first?"
The wand seems like a stitch up. We're not against the clock so maybe we can chop down a tree and have the whole group use it as a ram with Mahasi and me at the front?
@Mahasi: After using the wand on yourself, standing on the dais, you feel a strength unlike that you're familiar with. While you got lucky the first time around, it seems far easier to put similar effort.
Note, the DC to open the door is more than 20 as noted above.
Human Sorcerer 9 | HP 59/59 | AC:14/12/12| F:+7 R:+7 W:+9 | Init:+3 | Perception: +10
The wand cannot be used in such a fashion, and as I said before, it only lasts a few seconds. Your aid combined with my transient strength is the best option.
So I'm a bit confused; it's only 1rd for a 1st level wand of ray of enfeeblement. One person can hit themselves, but it will wear off before a second person can use it. Unless I'm misinterpreting what you're saying. Is there a bit of Deus Ex Machina going on here I'm not quite up on?
You are correct Mahasi, it only lasts for one round, so you should probably let someone else hit you with it for optimal effect. Incidentally... Mahasi is not the weakest person in the party :) Mylvwara should have an idea who it is.
"I guess what we need is our four weakest members on the dais, all working together, with one of them hit with the wand by someone who can use it... Unfortunately, it's not a spell I can complete, so I'm not a candidate there for using the wand. I think Mahasi and Mylv are the only ones who can do so without difficulty, yes?"
Human Sorcerer 9 | HP 59/59 | AC:14/12/12| F:+7 R:+7 W:+9 | Init:+3 | Perception: +10
Mahasi repeatedly throws his shoulder into the door for several minutes, asking Mylvwara to hit him with the wand multiple times. On the 12th time his efforts bear some fruit 13 charges used on the wand. He asks Orion, Varian and Shi to aid him.
Female Half-Elf HP 36/36 AC 16 CMB +5 CMD 18 Touch 13 Flat 11 (Melee Weapon: +1 Rapier)+10;1d6+6 (Ranged: Short bow) +7;1d6+0 F +2 R +7 W +5 INIT +3 Perc +15 Rogue 4 - Sorc 2
Rubbing a hand over her sore shoulders, after a burst of energy slammed into her on the dais, Shilyn turns to Varian and scowls. "A little warning next time? That hurt," she grumbles before throwing a light-hearted punch at his shoulder.
Stepping away from the dais, she mutters. "Ok, let's get this door open and see what's inside."
Between the temporary weakening and the effort from 3 others, even if Orion's wasn't quite enough, the door finally creaks open!
A wide hallways continues from the heavy doors, leading to a walled section that seems to drop off below. Suspended by thick chains, a massive metal cage shaped like a demon's head hangs over the dark shaft, no bottom in sight. The cage's door, by all appearances a menacing maw filled with incisor-like fangs, hangs open to invite entry. A narrow bridge spans the short distance between the ledge and the cage, and a small console on the north edge of the bridge bears a single lever.
Human Sorcerer 9 | HP 59/59 | AC:14/12/12| F:+7 R:+7 W:+9 | Init:+3 | Perception: +10
"Save your magic in case it is needed for the return journey, wizard. I propose those with skill at arms descend first, while we operate the mechanism and follow with a feather fall. One casting should be more then adequate for the two of us."
The party moves as planned; Shilyn, Amnur, Kalkamedes, and Varian hop into the cage. Oddly, the sleepwalker calmly waits in the cage. Trepidaciously, Mahasi works the lever. Without a hitch, the cage starts lowering down into the darkness. It moves steadily (20 ft a round), so it takes a minute to reach the bottom of the shaft. There, another console with a level awaits the party in the cave, still lit by the sorcerer's lit rock.
Amnur, not missing a beat, raises the lever and the cage rises up topside.
Orion, Mylvwara, and Mahasi, you can reach the level console from the cage. Do you trust taking it down or simply use feather fall?
Palm-sized shards of jagged steel jut from halfway up the walls of this large cavern, bathing the cavern with a dark green light. A set of natural rock columns support the chamber's ceiling, which rises to a height of twenty feet. A small tunnel leads to the northeast, and several rounded alcoves branch off from the main cavern.
Amnur has to then pull hard as Kalkamedes immediately tries to head into the narrow passageway.
Varian walks down the passage ahead of Kalkamedes, letting Amnur hold the fellow back. Expecting trouble though, he does make a weapon and cast lead blades on it before moving forward. Seeing that the passageway is narrow and an attack could happen at any time, limiting fighting space, he makes an earthbreaker instead of his usual lucerne hammer.
@Varian: Leading the way, you see a circular alcove that buds off the larger cavern. An elaborate set of concentric circles inscribed in dull metal of different colors occupies much of the space in the room.
In the center of the circle is a gnome in threadbare clothes and with nearly pink hair. Upon seeing he calls out, "At last, someone who can save me from my prison!"
Female Half-Elf HP 36/36 AC 16 CMB +5 CMD 18 Touch 13 Flat 11 (Melee Weapon: +1 Rapier)+10;1d6+6 (Ranged: Short bow) +7;1d6+0 F +2 R +7 W +5 INIT +3 Perc +15 Rogue 4 - Sorc 2
Looking at the circles Shilyn taps her finger against her lips. "Hrm. A very interesting concept. Haven't seen the likes before. How do you think it works?"
She begins scanning the area around them looking for some means of disabling the device.
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