Human Brawler 7 | AC 21 T 16 FF 18 | HP 60/60 | F +7 R +8 W +5 | Init + 2 | Perception +10
Kress shakes her head, "Saruna is quite gifted in the art of geography and knowledge, let's push on and seek out the sage for her as she asked!" The brawler keeps a looks out
The next door reveals a square room ([ooc]A8{/ooc]) that seems to be a neatly kept office space. A basin is filled with water, and a decanter stands next to it. On the side is an ancient cot stands nearby. Magical illumination provides bright light. A tidy desk and workbench hold ancient quills and dried-up ink.
The desk's drawers are locked, but under the cot, a loose stone reveals a secret cache of supplies and a journal.
DC 20 Heal:
These are well-preserved mummification paraphernalia from a past age.
Ancient Osiriani:
The journal records the memoirs of the Amethyst sage, his archiving of lost treasures, his recording of history. He describes wrestling with maintaining his own identity when accessing the memories of the sage jewels.
Several letters sandwiched between later pages describe, in brutal detail, multiple Qadiran raids in which the invaders killed or captured sages or sympathizers.
The final year of entries is encoded. Linguistics may help
Female Human Cleric 7 | HP 33/59 | AC 19:11:19 | Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +10 | Perception +4
Heal:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31
"These are the kind of materials an ancient people would have used in mummification rituals," Kyra notes.
How much time has passed with all our searching? Kyra had 70min of Comprehend Languages from when we entered the level. If it's been longer than that she'll just hand the journal to Hagnar.
The last room (You can always go back to investigate the locked drawers in A8) is a long hall. The smell of burnt flesh still permeates the chamber, and now- indecipherable runes drawn in blood long since reduced to powder line the floor. The walls are slightly cracked and in several places even seem to bow outward as though pushed apart by a powerful force.
There is no evil in this room, and no magic save for the aura that permeates this entire floor. It seems Shandor draws a blank on what this might be.
That's all the rooms in this level. There's the cobweb-filled stairs down. Saruna is still lurking in the chapel. The small office still has a desk with locked drawers.
Hagnar reads the journal, and even spends a few moments to decipher the encoded section in the back. In the burnt room, he again sketches the scene and takes several notes in his book, observing the details, lightly touching the residue, examining the cracked walls.
Back in the small office, Hagnar attempts to pick the locks, easily bypassing the ancient devices and revealing the contents.
"We should seek the counsel of Saruna before we head further down into the structure, don't you think?" he says to the group once they are done investigating everything on this level.
Human Brawler 7 | AC 21 T 16 FF 18 | HP 60/60 | F +7 R +8 W +5 | Init + 2 | Perception +10
Kress smiles "While it would be nice to chat with Saruna again, we don't need to bother her with details we can figure out. Let's just head down the stairs and take care of any problems for her."
Hagnar tries to decipher the coded portion, but finds that inspiration and knowledge get him nowhere - the code is just too complicated. It would take several hours to break this code, and then only by someone more skilled than him.
Luckily, he fares better with the locked drawer: they unlock, and inside Hagnar finds a lost list of books acquisitions, that will should prove to be very interesting to Tahonikepsu.
The strange implements in the ritual don't ring a bell to Hagnar.
The stairs descend to an area of complete darkness. There a large hall - which must have once been a workshop, given that there's a barricade made out of derelict workbenches and that there's broken tools scattered around. There's a door on the west end - which also elicits proof that the guards and wards spell doesn't penetrate here. A large hole is carved into the granite of the west wall, and is discordant with the rest of the structure, that - although carved from the same granite - is much smoother.
Apart from the hole in the west wall, and the door, two hallways lead out of this large hall: one south, and one eastward.
Male Half-Orc Warpriest of Gorum 7 [ HP 60/60 | AC 21/T11/FF20 | Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +9 | Init +3 | Perception +4 (Darkvision) ]
Oloch grunts (again). "You say that getting rid of Badru will please her, but it sounded to me like she was wishing for death to take her, after all this time in this state."
Heading down the stairs, he sees the tunnel and draws his greatsword. "I think that whatever made that tunnel is likely what's destroying the collection. Let's find it quickly."
There a large tunnel complex, that looks like it's simply been dug out, by some force of extreme strength. By the looks of it, it has been around for a while. The tunnels extend quite far, and may eventually lead up to the surface. The adventurers quickly conclude this may be a problem - since Tahonikepsu unsealed the complex, anything can move in now through these tunnels. This is a breach, and it should be reported eventually.
The tunnels also connect to a large circular room in the south.
The procedure that Saruna described, involved obtaining the jewel from the body of Badru that serves as his soul focus. The next step is to purify the jewel by performing a ritual that involves praying for an hour in the chapel of Toth (Saruna's hideout).
The gem then has to be infused with the blessing of Isis - Saruna wasn't exactly clear on how this could be achieved, but riddled 'stand in front of the bright servant of Isis and present it as a gift'
Let's just assume a default marching order, and have anyone shout where they want to go. We really need to start moving this game forward. We've been at it for over a month, and still are a long way off from finishing. Ar you guys still interested in this?
I'll Assume Tak and Kress in the lead, Oloch and Kyra behind, Shandor and Hagnar in the back
The door opens to a workshop, one that is in much better shape than the scattered workbenches and tools in the previous hall. Badru is inside, working on his own constructs - humanoid shapes carved out of wood - as well as having a mummy lying in the corner. There's a gargoyle-like creature aiding him in this room.
Ah, you have returned! Have you reconsidered my proposal?
Still keen as mustard, but the adventure doesn't seem to really leave itself with a way forwards very often - it seems to have been a series of 'make a will save' and followed by a series of 'make a linguistics check', which is a bit of a slog for those not with Linguistics. At least now we are tipped towards picking a side through the grace of a series of failed saves :) If we get to a point of needing Linguistics or other information soft skills, perhaps GM roll on our behalf? Digging this, but agreed its slow going - seems to be the design of it though...
"Yes we have"
/detect evil on Badru - Paladin style, precursor to simply engaging and smiting him into the unlife.
Badru is definitely evil, and so is the creature beside him. There is nothing about this room that would survive the scrutiny of a paladin.
Point taken about the checks. I'll post bit more spoiler fallbacks to speed things up, and make the rolls myself if they would be blocking progress. Let's get to the bottom of this!
Seeing the hostile intent, Badru Damn you and that mummy crone! Your betrayal was inevitable!
Badru casts a spell on himself, and many illusory doubles appear around him. The gargoyle-like creature flies out through the back, and activates a magical ability.
Shandor Arvandru, Male Human (Varisian) Sorcerer (Tattooed Sorcerer) 11 | HP 93/93 | AC:18 T:12 FF:16 CMD: 15 | F+14 R+10 W+11 | Init +13 | Perception +17 (+2 dim light, +2 haunts) | Darkvision 60 ft.
Shandor enrages, conjuring the powers of wrath to cast a massive ball of fire exploding in the northern cavern, where he doesn't risk burning precious scrolls or tools.
Using Veil of Acrimony to cast an empowered fireball at the gargoyle-like creature. Fireball:10d6 + 10 ⇒ (6, 4, 4, 2, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 6) + 10 = 41x 1.5 = 61 fire damage, Ref DC 21 halves.
Human Brawler 7 | AC 21 T 16 FF 18 | HP 60/60 | F +7 R +8 W +5 | Init + 2 | Perception +10
Kress moves forward and attempts to grapple Badru within his many images.
has improved grapple so no AoO
grapple:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (7) + 22 = 29if successful her Shirt of Immolation when in a grapple, automatically bursts into flames and deals 1d6+10 damage fire damage if successful:1d6 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
Number of mirror images:1d4 ⇒ 3 Will save for Kress:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
A cold void shimmers around one of the constructed mannequins in the workshop, and tries to wrap its way around Kress, who manages to shake off the effect. He then proceeds to grapple Badru, but only manages to wink a illusory double out of existence.
Female Human Cleric 7 | HP 33/59 | AC 19:11:19 | Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +10 | Perception +4
Kress wrote:
our fiend Saruna!"
Appropriate Freudian slip is appropriate
Hearing Takahiro confirm that Badru is, in fact, evil, Kyra is reassured that she chose correctly when she said nothing to her companions' rapid turn to Saruna's side. "The betrayal is yours, with your continued loyalty to the sage that abandoned both of you."
She moves up and attacks one of the Badrus with her scimitar.
Cleric 7 | AC 19 T 11 FF 19 | HP 59/59 | F +7 R +4 W +10 | Init +0 | Perc +4
Hagnar uses his expertise to help his comrades, giving them a +4 insight bonus to attacks against Badru for 1 round. (Inspirational Expertise-swift action) Hagnar then pulls out an extract and drinks it. (Heroism: Quinn’s potion grants the drinker a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for 50 minutes.) Then he moves past Badru to take up a position behind him! Acrobatics:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27
Male Half-Orc Warpriest of Gorum 7 [ HP 60/60 | AC 21/T11/FF20 | Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +9 | Init +3 | Perception +4 (Darkvision) ]
Ditto being interested, but as the others have said - without a definite goal/bad guy/whatever, and without combat driving action, things do seem to slow down considerably in PbP
Seeing his comrades' intent, and likely unable to dissuade them at this point, Oloch quickly casts a spell and moves into combat, swinging his greatsword at Badru.
Swift action: Cast grace Move action: As indicated on map Standard action: Attack Badru Attack (+2 Greatsword, Power Attack):1d20 + 13 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 13 - 2 = 24 Damage (+2 Greatsword, Power Attack):2d6 + 11 + 6 ⇒ (6, 1) + 11 + 6 = 24
Badru then attack his most serious assailant, Oloch. His claws rake at the war priest, and manage to grab a hold of him.
Attack:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 321d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 Attack:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 251d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
