If there are no other clear entrances, Xien approaches Quiella "I guess there are no more cultists to receive us. We might have been on time. Let's explore this ancient ruin and retrieve the idol before anyone finds it."
The nagaji places his hands at the doors and makes them open.
Female LG Gnome Paladin of Erastil/Life Oracle 7/4 | HP 88 | AC 28 T 13 FF 27 | CMB +14, CMD 26 | F: +16, R: +12, W: +15; +2 vs. illusions, death, and haunts | Init: +1, addtl. +2 vs haunts | Perc: +0, SM: -2, Low-Light Vision, Darkvision, blind past 60 feet, +2 on skill checks to notice a haunt | Speed 15ft | Active conditions: Life Link on 4 of the party. Probably wand of shield for +4 AC.
Xien and Quiella work together to push open the heavy brass door to reveal a entry hall clearly meant to impress visitors. 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 fire light throughout the room. The walls are covered with the same written script as before carved in gold filigree as well as stylized efreeti faces spaced every 5 feet. Massive obsidian benches line the walls, and a thick layer of desert sand covers the floor and stairs, especially near the entryway. A set of footprints in the sand lead up the spiral staircase.
The interior of the building is also very hot, much warmer than the outside and would probably become unbearable if one spends too much time inside.
Feel free to move your icons around the map as you explore
Female LG Gnome Paladin of Erastil/Life Oracle 7/4 | HP 88 | AC 28 T 13 FF 27 | CMB +14, CMD 26 | F: +16, R: +12, W: +15; +2 vs. illusions, death, and haunts | Init: +1, addtl. +2 vs haunts | Perc: +0, SM: -2, Low-Light Vision, Darkvision, blind past 60 feet, +2 on skill checks to notice a haunt | Speed 15ft | Active conditions: Life Link on 4 of the party. Probably wand of shield for +4 AC.
Looks like someone was here recently. Quiella makes her way to the back of the room.
Are those white things on the walls, doors? Windows? I didn't see them in your description?
Muirdarcaien calmly follows the footprints to the stairwell placing his feet in the same spots as the person whose path he mimics. He stands on the bottom step watching the others.
Quiella, those white rectangles represent doors. The scenario does not say what they are composed of, so we'll go with brass on all the doors unless I say otherwise.
Muirdarcaien's big feet completely cover the smaller prints he steps into, but otherwise nothing appears to happen. The prints continue up the spiral to a room on the higher level.
Female LG Gnome Paladin of Erastil/Life Oracle 7/4 | HP 88 | AC 28 T 13 FF 27 | CMB +14, CMD 26 | F: +16, R: +12, W: +15; +2 vs. illusions, death, and haunts | Init: +1, addtl. +2 vs haunts | Perc: +0, SM: -2, Low-Light Vision, Darkvision, blind past 60 feet, +2 on skill checks to notice a haunt | Speed 15ft | Active conditions: Life Link on 4 of the party. Probably wand of shield for +4 AC.
Quiella steps back from the door and raps on it with the butt of her hammer.
A few moments after stepping into the footprints leading up, you begin to realize that something was wrong about them. Looking them over again, you begin to realize that they are in fact an illusion.
Nothing responds to Quiella's not so polite knock.
Alexandria tries to recall some useful information from her mental store of knowledge about history, religion, and arcana. The only realization she comes up with at this time is that the writing on the walls are probably some type of prayers, based on other Kelish temples she's familiar with. Since the prayers differ with the temple, it's difficult to narrow down what the script might say without the ability to read the language they're written in.
She does not hear or see anything obscured or hidden, however.
Female LG Gnome Paladin of Erastil/Life Oracle 7/4 | HP 88 | AC 28 T 13 FF 27 | CMB +14, CMD 26 | F: +16, R: +12, W: +15; +2 vs. illusions, death, and haunts | Init: +1, addtl. +2 vs haunts | Perc: +0, SM: -2, Low-Light Vision, Darkvision, blind past 60 feet, +2 on skill checks to notice a haunt | Speed 15ft | Active conditions: Life Link on 4 of the party. Probably wand of shield for +4 AC.
Quiella joins Xien in pushing the door open; throwing her shoulder into it if necessary.
The doors easily give when Xien and Quiella push in on them. Inside they see that the walls of this room are lined with weapons: crossed halberds, spears, and longswords, all decorated with flame motifs. Two shields with portraits of a devil towering over the Citadel of Flame sit near the ceiling. You can safely assume that devil is a representation of Moloch. A DC 10 Craft (weaponsmithing or armorsmithing) or DC 20 Perception check can be made here in regards to the weapons/armor.
A plain obsidian bench also sits on the floor, with a skeleton splayed across it. The skeleton’s armor is bedecked in stylized flames, and its scimitar’s hilt is shaped like an idol of Moloch. The room is lit by two torches. Two additional brass doors stand at the east end of the room.
Seeing the skeleton, Xien instantly switches from his cold iron trident to his silver flail.
"A dead cultist of Moloch. It seems it has been a lot of time since no one enters here."
If the skeleton doesn't represent any threat, he carefully appreciates the shields and weapons in the walls.
Craft weapons (untrained):1d20 - 3 ⇒ (11) - 3 = 8 Perception:1d20 + 0 ⇒ (20) + 0 = 20
If nothing interesting is found in the room, Xien opens the next doors.
Even with a cursory examination of the weapons in this room, Xien can tell they were all recently crafted.
As the paladin and Muirdacaien make their way into the room, the skeleton suddenly animates, stands up quickly and brandishes its scimitar in a threatening manner.
Taken aback by the suddenly animated skeleton, Muirdarcaien's slash goes off target, hitting the obsidian bench instead of its target.
Both Xien and Ib strike the skeleton with their attacks, but the creature appears to take no damage whatsoever from their weapons!
Muirdarcaien:
Although you missed the skeleton, you quickly realize that something is artificial. You surmise that much like the footprints leading up the stairs, this skeleton is an illusion.
Growler also hits the skeleton with his Greataxe, and yet again the creature of bone appears to completely shrug off any injury.
The skeleton then swings his scimitar at Muirdarcaien, but fails to connect.
Everyone is up, you can all make Will saves with a +4 modifier on top of your normal modifier if you want to try to do disbelieve in the skeleton. Muir doesn't need to make a save here.
Female LG Gnome Paladin of Erastil/Life Oracle 7/4 | HP 88 | AC 28 T 13 FF 27 | CMB +14, CMD 26 | F: +16, R: +12, W: +15; +2 vs. illusions, death, and haunts | Init: +1, addtl. +2 vs haunts | Perc: +0, SM: -2, Low-Light Vision, Darkvision, blind past 60 feet, +2 on skill checks to notice a haunt | Speed 15ft | Active conditions: Life Link on 4 of the party. Probably wand of shield for +4 AC.
Female LG Gnome Paladin of Erastil/Life Oracle 7/4 | HP 88 | AC 28 T 13 FF 27 | CMB +14, CMD 26 | F: +16, R: +12, W: +15; +2 vs. illusions, death, and haunts | Init: +1, addtl. +2 vs haunts | Perc: +0, SM: -2, Low-Light Vision, Darkvision, blind past 60 feet, +2 on skill checks to notice a haunt | Speed 15ft | Active conditions: Life Link on 4 of the party. Probably wand of shield for +4 AC.
"Wait a moment! That's true! It is just some kind of image over there." Xien finally sees it clearly and moves over the skeleton placing himself in front of it without doing any effort to defend himself.
"What kind of sorcery is causing that!? Is it there any magic playing around this temple? Do you detect it?"
Although it's not immediately clear, eventually everyone sees through the skeleton illusion for what it is. Shortly thereafter, the illusion disappears leaving only the real inanimate skeleton resting on the bench.
Out of Combat rounds
Based on Xien's earlier examination of the room before the illusion appeared, there's about 200 gold pieces worth of new weapons in the room.
I don't have any interest of keeping all the action of the thread, but just to keep this moving...
The nagaji greets Muirdarcaien for his great eye. He then helps taking all the useful weapons. Finally he moves to push open the next door going over the following chamber.
"Ok. So it seems we face undead cultists and their ancient illusions... There are worse things definitely." he readies his trident again, coupled with his shield.
All business, Xien quickly picks up the most valuable weapons and proceeds into the next room. Inside this richly-decorated chamber he first sees an ornate brass throne sitting against the east wall, sculpted to resemble an enormous hand of flame. Wood painted to resemble tendrils of smoke rising from behind the throne merge into a detailed mural of an idol of Moloch on the wall.
Beautiful tapestries line the other walls, depicting a grand battle between soldiers of flame and the dervishes of Sarenrae. A Knowledge (history) check can be made here.
The only doors are on the southwest side of the room. Shortly after entering this room, Xien hears what appears to be the clatter and clang of people moving in armor emanating from behind those doors.
Female LG Gnome Paladin of Erastil/Life Oracle 7/4 | HP 88 | AC 28 T 13 FF 27 | CMB +14, CMD 26 | F: +16, R: +12, W: +15; +2 vs. illusions, death, and haunts | Init: +1, addtl. +2 vs haunts | Perc: +0, SM: -2, Low-Light Vision, Darkvision, blind past 60 feet, +2 on skill checks to notice a haunt | Speed 15ft | Active conditions: Life Link on 4 of the party. Probably wand of shield for +4 AC.
Quiella grins at the barbarian's impulsiveness for a moment. She pauses to admire the tapestries for a few moments, then makes her way to the door and puts her ear to it, trying to figure out what is on the other side.
Muirdarcaien sits on the throne and feels very regal, but also slightly discomforted from the metal composing the chair, uncomfortably warm like all the other metallic surfaces inside this building.
Behind the door, Quiella and everyone else in the room can hear the following exchange:
A male voice says, "Ok, men. You all remember the plan? We'll wait until the horde of fire elementals have assembled in the Inferno Heart, then flank these interlopers with their assistance. Be sure to leave a few of them alive, we need sacrifices to immolate in Moloch's glory!"
A chorus of voices replies with various affirmative statements.
Alexandria, Quiella, Xien:
Something seems artificial about what the man says, like whoever is speaking is actively trying to be deceptive.
Female LG Gnome Paladin of Erastil/Life Oracle 7/4 | HP 88 | AC 28 T 13 FF 27 | CMB +14, CMD 26 | F: +16, R: +12, W: +15; +2 vs. illusions, death, and haunts | Init: +1, addtl. +2 vs haunts | Perc: +0, SM: -2, Low-Light Vision, Darkvision, blind past 60 feet, +2 on skill checks to notice a haunt | Speed 15ft | Active conditions: Life Link on 4 of the party. Probably wand of shield for +4 AC.
Quiella moves away from the door and gestures to the party to huddle up in the next room. She whispers "Muird and Howler, go back to the anteroom and burst through the other door when you hear us come through this one. Xien, I'll help you kick our door down once I get this right..." She pulls out a wand and taps herself with it a few times before nodding to Xien and returning to the "throne" room to help Xien kick the door in.
Xien nods silently to Quiella and kicks open the door yelling "Aaaaaaaaaah!"
He steps in and throws his trident at the first enemy he finds there.
Throw mwk cold iron trident:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19 Cold iron/Piercing damage:1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Ib rushes in following Xien and swings his glaive at the nearest enemy.
Use his luck ability
To hit 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 1 = 12 dmg 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
