Palace of the Vampire Queen (Inactive)

Game Master Terquem

Wouldn't the demon be dangling upside down from the chain around his feet? Sort of like a side of meat at the butcher shop?

That's the mental image I had too - if the pit is created where he is, then he would be depending from the chain into the cavity made below him, by his leg where it is chain'd and thus, initially, upside down...

Or a turkey leg on a rope. I was unsure so I left the description up to Terquem plus I have no idea if this demon succeeds on his save either. He would also likely hit the opposing wall with a delightful thud as he is standing at the far edge of his chain. this seems like a much more amusing solution than fighting him.

I can envision Mae using the chain like rope and swinging around the pit each time with a delightful thud of the demon hitting the wall.

In a flash the floor disappears below the demon.

In a flash the floor disappears below the demon.

The demon is startled, and leaps forward only to be immediately yanked backward by the short chain around his ankle. As he falls into the pit his wings unfold, and then strike the walls of the pit before they reach their full extent.

He continues to fall until he reaches the end of the chain and he screams as his weight is caught and the cold iron digs savagely into his ankle drawing blood. With his wing partially unfolded he pivots in the air until his head is pointing downward. He spins a full time scraping his wings against the pit, screaming his frustration.

You have something like 30 seconds to rush the door, which can be opened by standing next to the pit. No roll is required to get through the door once it is opened.

Moralane and Atharessa run toward the door.

"Move it, Move it!" Rownig rusn to the door to get it opened.

Windel follows bringing up the rear. "He offer'd you his cigar...he gave you a chance."

Hal ushers everyone past, taking up the rear position, hoping they could all get through in time.

Miagnik hadn't been sure what to expect when Stephanie began speaking again to the Demon. The informatuon that his fire would be ineffective left him feeling lost as to what to do. The finality in her "Goodbye" before a hole sprung into being beneath the Demon surprised him and made him grin at her before Rownig began shouting at everyone to get out of the room. "Nice job, Stephanie." he then moved with the rest of the group.

Mae's lips curl in disdain.

"Oldest trick in the book..." she murmurs as she flies past after the others...

"Good ruse Princess Stephi,"

"Mel, when was the last time you read a book?" Hal asked dryly.

"One does not read oneself. One is read to!" the princess returns just as easily...

"Not all of us were so lucky." Miagnik mused. "Some of us had to learn."

"Mae did the book have pictures?" He smiles.

Looks like the postmonster stopped by for a snack. Lucky me.

Stephanie looks down at her shoes and smiles a bit at the compliment It wasn't like I did all that much. However I think.. just this once it would be better to not bother to correct them.

the princess looking over to her sister smiling at the interactions. " I'm sure Mae has a tome or two. If I remember correctly last time you informed me they were excellent for crushing nuts and other shelled things with. Perhaps we can have her be a storyteller next time we camp." The gnome suggests as she recalls the story in question with a small smile. She certainly hadn't been pleased at the time, but such was the wonder of time softening things.

*scritch*
A ghost and an owl sat in a room.
*scritch scritch*

"dumb mistress leaving me alone with a door and a whimpy goblin Librarar.. Librivia.. book slave. I'll show them! I'll show them all!"
The owl appeared to be scratching a rather complicated plan involving bacon, projectile poop, heavy books and a lidded pit trap while hooting in a rather humanoid approximation of an evil laugh.

Rushing quickly, but taking care to avoid the pit, the party crossed the room, through the door and into the next chamber.

The room was exactly the same size as the previous chamber and empty of any furnishings. Once everyone was crowded in safely, the next door was approached with trepidation.

With a gentle shove the door swung open silently.

And finally something different was encountered.

Although the room was the same size as before, there was no door leaving this room at the other end.

There was a simple, small bed against the west wall, a desk and a chair next to that. A young dwarven girl lay sleeping on the bed. She was dressed in peasant garb, and she wore a blindfold over her eyes. She was sleeping, and looked peaceful, though her form looked a bit lean, she did not appear to be malnourished or mistreated. On the desk was a bowl, filled with small loaves of bread and some dried fruit, nuts, and cheese.

You can see a chain, with a pad lock, around the girls left ankle and it is attached to the foot of the bed.

Against the east wall of this room is a strange, short, stone object. It could be an altar, but is shaped more like a small pillar. The top is only two to maybe three feet high. It is about one foot square and the top is indented and has an image of a open hand carved into it.

Hal knew he wasn't the right person to wake the sleeping girl. He looked to Altheressa, Moralane and Stephanie.

Rownig gets a sinking feeling in his belly. No way out. Trapped! He quickly studies the walls. "Ummm, Princess..." He gulps. "...how long is that pit going to be there?"

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
+2 traps

Windel approaches the "altar" looking area. He studies it. Biting his lower lip.

know religion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

He is careful not to touch anything.

Mae smacks her morningstar meaningfully into her palm.

"This one a demon too? Should I "wake" her up?"

"No, Mae!" Miagnik nearly leaped to get in front of Marlodakh. "I'll wake her up, you might... startle her." Miagnik said, walking over to the bed.

He looked at the Dwarven girl before reaching out to gently shake her arm.

"Hello there. Wake up little one. My name is Miagnik. Don't be afraid, we aren't here to harm you." he spoke gently with a soothing voice.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Mae does a double take and thenscoots in close to give her best approximation of a friendly smile over Miagnik's shoulder...

Aid Another: Diplomacy: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (16) - 1 = 15

Well its entirely possible shes another demon. I mean they said she was a seer but I don't know if there is anything else to that. She could be insane from having been down here or cursed to help her master with magic like the demons. Oh and what if she lies? do.. do I have to shoot her with a acid bubble to test if she's demonic? what if she's just naturally resistant to acid? I'd hate to falsely con-"
Stephanie who had been considering how best to approach the sleeping woman blinks seeing the job already done.
Damn.
The gnome giving Hallister a sheepish expression and a silent prayer to the pair that her more grim possibilities did not turn out to be correct.

When Miagnik wakes the young girl, she yawns mightily, gets up into a sitting positin, slowly, easing her leg over the edge of the bed so as to not pull sharply on the chain, and folds he hands in her lap, before saying softly

I know

Miagnik blinked. "Oh. Well then, what's your name? How long have you been here?"

Stephaine jerks slightly toward their newest and demonic companion before suppressing her scholastic zeal. She can say it. Outing him for forgetting what Luelleschia just said would be rude. I know Maelodahk was asleep for most of that. It was nice to have someone I could talk to and use big words though.

The girl smiles, and says,

My name is Gabrielle, Gabrielle Guisse

"We're here to get you out of here." Hal said softly. "Sorry 'bout this."

Then he splashed her with Holy Water.

"Gabrielle Guisse? How is it you are here?

"So, your a follow'r of Goddess Porineylla? How'd that happen?" The cleric eyes the youngling critically.

Stephanie shoots Hallister an offended look before noticing the sigil on the vial. Oh.. he was testing if she was.. Oh. Why didn't I think of that for the last one?

If there is no smoking or other signs of Gabrielle reacting to the blessed water
The gnome moves a few steps closer to the girl and with a quick arcane gesture the liquid Hallister had splashed the young woman with evaporated and leaving her cleaner than she was before.
"Sorry about my companions caution."

When Rownig asks the girl how she came to be here, Hallister dowses her with holy water.

The girl is startled by the water thrown on her, and reaches up with her hands to wipe the water off of her face, but even as she does, the water is whisked away magically by a simple wave of Stephanie’s hand.

Well, the girl says softly that I did not see.

What was that for? she asks, and then when Stephanie apologizes Oh, thank you, I understand I think

And then Windel mentions an obscure dwarven goddess.

Keeping her head tilted down the girl answers both questions

I was brought here by Omara, a long time ago, or maybe it was only yesterday. I cannot tell. My father was afraid of me. As a small girl I developed a habit of seeing things that were not there, even though I was blind from birth. Some people in my father’s house believed I had the gift of prophecy. They said it was because of the nature of my conception. I never knew that anything that I could see was a vision of things to come. I couldn’t tell what it was I was seeing. As a child, who was blind, what I saw was in my head and I thought that that was how everyone saw things and that what I was seeing was what was happening around me. I told people what I saw, and they wrote down what I told them and then went away. Eventually people would come and tell my father what my visions meant, and I was told this frightened him.

I was given to Omara, and she brought me here. She dressed me in these cloths and put this blindfold on me, which I cannot remove. I do not know who Porineylle is. I’ve never heard that name before.

I knew you would come, she says

and then points to each of you in turn as she says your name

Hallister, Stephanie, Miagnik, Windel, Maelodakh, Rownig, Atharessa, and Moralane. she says

I saw all of you before, when I was very young. I saw you fighting spiders, and giants, and creatures that would not stay dead, and heard you all call each other by name. I saw you come to recue me from a dark room, a long time ago.

When Omara brought me to this place, at first, she had me telling her all the things I would see. One day I told her I saw a great celebration, a wedding had been about to reach the point when the vows would be spoken and then a great wind blew through the wedding hall and people began to panic and run all around. The wedding was ruined, and the maid of honor fell down and wept so pitifully that nothing could console her. I told her many other things, and she also grew to be afraid of me. She locked me in this room. She comes to me and asks me questions about the things I used to see.

Hal rubbed his brows. Prophesy hurt his head.

"Well, you're right, we're rescuing you. Don't suppose you can choose what kinds of future visions you see?"

"Or maybe how we are gonna get you out?" Rownig adds to Hals quesiton.

"Ooh, you can see the future?!" Miagnik said in excited amazement. "Did you see anything else about us? Like what we may become later?!"

The girl answers Hallister first

Well I see things all the time, just like everyone. I don’t know if what I’m seeing is happening now, or happening in the past or, if it hasn’t happened at all. Sometimes I see things and, I guess, I would say that what I see is a vision of things, whereas sometimes I see things and it is what is around me. I don’t see with my eyes, but there are images in my head, right now I see each of you. I know I am seeing you right here, right now, because the image isn’t changing. Before I was brought here, the things I saw in my head were always changing. It was like watching a story being told by someone who didn’t know what story they were supposed to be telling. In here, where I am now, this prison, things are different. I never see anything except what is here. It is like something is blocking my sight.

She then answers Rownig, by turning her head toward him, I’ve never seen myself in any of my visions, so I don’t know how you get me out. I understand that that object over there is a magical teleportation device. You put your hand on it, and it teleports you back to the beginning. I’ve heard Omara explain that to others who she has brought to visit me. I cannot reach it.

She then shifts her position and brings her face around toward Miagnik, I don’t know if what I am seeing is the future or the past, or even right now, except that I cannot see anything at all right now. I once saw Hallister and Windel when they were very old, at a ceremony, everyone was solemn and quiet. I once saw Stephanie standing next to a throne. I once saw Miagnik and Maelodakh on a ship sailing across the sea. But I don’t know what any of this means.

"So, if you were to touch that thing, it would get you out of here?" Hal said, incredulously.

It seemed too easy.

That is what was said, people have come and they go, but as I am blind, I don't expect you to take my word for it.

After listening to such dire predictions, Mae is somewhat nervous...or sheepish. Hard to tell. Whatever the mood, she is distinctly uncomfortable. She holds her hand in front of the woman's face, and moves it to and fro.

"Alright, Miss pressy-ents - what did I just do, and will I ever do it again?"

Just to be extra tricky, Mae remembers herself and waves the hand a second time, to be sure reality and control have not been wrested from her royal self.

You waved a hand in front of my face. hehe, I'm almost certain that you will do it again in the future, but I don't need any special sight to see that. You see, I am blind, that is, my eyes do not see, but I see in my mind. I see you as shapes, that change and waver from moment to moment. I sense your presence and it is like a flame. Each of you has a unique presence, and I can tell that it is the same as the images I have seen in the past. While I have been detained here I cannot see the visions in my mind, but as soon as you came into the room I sensed your presence.

"A ship? Hmmm." miagnik mused momentarily to himself.

With my hero, Maelodakh?! That would be... amazing! ... but what does that mean? Also.... what about becoming King? Can I do that while Their parents are still alve? Would they recognize me as King? Would Gabrielle know? No, no she said not in here, maybe she could tell me more if she were free though.

Miagnik's internal monologue largely overrode what the others were saying. He only caught the end of what Gabrielle was saying.

"Well in that case let's get you out of here! Rownig get that lock open and then we can all leave."

"She can leave. You can leave if you want. I still have a job t' do."

Atharessa tugs hard on Hallister's sleeve and leans her head next to his ear and whispers I think he meant, you know, out of "here", not out of here.

Hal seems confused a moment then his brows raise. "Ah. Yeah, alright."

"Wait..." he turned to the blind dwarf. "You do want to get outta here, right? Not come with us deeper into this place?"

Miagnik turned back to Hallister, momentarily baffled and then outraged.

"Hey, I'm just as interested in seeing this done as you are Hallister! I'm not about to-... Oh thanks, Atharessa. I'm glad she got what I meant."

I understand that that object over there is a magical teleportation device. You put your hand on it, and it teleports you back to the beginning. I’ve heard Omara explain that to others who she has brought to visit me. I cannot reach it.[/b]

"Well there's a demon beyond that door." He thinks then turns ot the dwarf girl, "So that's some sort of magical teleporter?" he looks to the others. "Should we try it? Maybe send Mae and me through first to clear the way" He then goes and works on any chain or lock that binds the girl.

dd: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

"It goes back to the beginning, right? Would the weird puzzle doors even let us come back through again? Aren't they shut from that side until someone goes back through them from this direction?"

"I'm a little fuzzy on how all that worked."

Deeper, the girl answers Hallister’s question with a startled answer. Just exactly where am I? I don’t want to go anywhere deep underground. I’ve heard that that is where monsters live