The Emerald Spire (Inactive)

Game Master Zesdead

Is that the last of them?

With the final outlaw slain, a moment of quiet falls upon the temple...

That does appear to be all of them

Luther sends the earth elemental out to look for enemies to punch while he helps search for loot with the aid of detect magic.

He is sure to pick up the bell the leader rang. He converts a spell to heal Conner.
magic weapon to CLW: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Elemental has only two rounds left Luther has one Level one left, so it may be time to return to our eagles nest. Dru is low too.

Symon will begin to search the bodies of the fallen bandits.

sorry, might have mixed it with another game, but I thought it was a DC 16 not 12. My bad.
Conner rolls over and pops open his eyes, when he feels Luther's healing wave wash over him.
" Not dead. Yes!"
He says exuberantly, then looks abashed at Dezco's no noise comment.
" Heh. Sorry."
perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
"Err. sure thing Luther."
Conner gathers up his Greatsword and begins to search, also using detect magic.

"I'll let it pass... This time." he muses to Conner in a possibly jokey manner.

Conner is at 25/30 now

Once the valuables are packed up, Luther gets everyone ready to move up to their lofty perch at the top of the tower.

Searching the body of the fallen woman, you find:

• A vial of perfectly clear liquid...
  
• A fine chain shirt, (+1 chain shirt)
  
• A beautifully balanced rapier, (+1 rapier)
  
• A holy symbol of Norgorber

Strangely the bell that the woman used to trigger the cacophonous response from the statue is utterly benign...there is no magical aura coming from it at all...

Each of the robed initiates had a crossbow and short sword...

Symon, Conner and Luther search around the room and find, beneath the altar, four ceremonial candlesticks, (each worth 80 gp), as well as a masterwork silver dagger.

Searching the room for a bit Dezco will then go and claim the leader's rapier. Wiping the blood and whatever else might be coating it off onto the felled priestess' robes he will then present it to Druselia. "Thought you might like."

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30+2 if Stonecunning applies.

*Checks spoiler* Yep!

"Symon, if you wouldn't mind inspecting that hideaway." he says as he points at the crack running along the mural on the northern wall. Dezco was finding the fetchling invaluable in the depths, moreso now that they were in a chapel dedicated to the god of assassins and poisoners.

Luther examines the treasure found, giving Dezco the magic chain shirt.

Luther says to Dezco "This chain shirt should help you out on the front line. I think the rapier and dagger are more suited to Symon. We need to get him mixing it up and taking the enemy on the flanks more. The rapier suits his finesse style."

He adds: "We just need to find some good quality heavy armor. The more metal between and the bad guys the better."

That gives Dezco and Symon a magic weapon with Conner having the ability to imbue his sword with magic. I will probably stop memorizing magic weapon now.

When the secret door is discovered, Luther shrugs: "Better check this out while we can. Symon?"

Dezco merely shrugs as he begins taking off his outwear to switch armors. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

Drusellia shrugs, seemingly unaffected by the revocation of the rapier.

Luther hands Dru the highly polished master work dagger.

"This is a nice piece. And you can probably throw it. We'll leave Symon the silver one."

Clucking his tongue he'll take out the surveying papers and utensils to jot down the chapel as accurately as possible, leaving little footnotes for the hallways the used to get here to be more accurately determined when they went back.

Symon moves forward and examines the secret door.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Examining the door, you soon find the opening mechanism - a discrete button disguised in the pommel of a painted burglar's dagger. Before you press it, you listen carefully and hear, just over the volume of your own quieted breathing you hear something, a gentle and repetitive ticking noise...

Symon moves away from the door and speaks to the rest of the party.

"The catch to open this door is the button on the pommel of that painted burglar's dagger. Also, I could hear something on the other side...a ticking noise. I have no idea what it might be."

"Ticking is never a good thing." Dezco mutters while backstepping from the hidden door while keeping his eyes on it.

Luther steps back.

"Hopefully not an exploding robot."

Luther helps Symon, readying a channel the moment they get hurt and looking for traps.

"Let's open this carefully."

Take 10 for 24 Perception

Check for traps: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 1 = 20

Symon doesn't detect any traps and so, as quietly as he can, he depresses the disguised button and slides the door open. The secret room beyond is filled, floor to ceiling, with shelves and pigeonholes...the air holds the dusty aroma of ancient parchment.

At the rear of the room, the source of the ticking noise, a four-armed, human-sized clockwork construct balancing on three legs that rise into a central body. As the door slides open, the ticking increases in intensity and speed...cogs whirr as the clockwork springs to life.

Initiative for Party / Enemy

Symon, Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Luther, Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
Dezco, Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Conner, Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Drusellia, Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Clockwork Servant, Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Initiative Order
Symon, Luther, Conner, Drusellia then
Clockwork Servant then
Dezco

Symon, Luther, Conner and Drusellia may take their turn now

"Draw it into this room, where we can surround it. Symon get ready to hit it in the back with your new rapier. Dru, knock it down right as it attacks!"
Luther steps back ten feet to allow the creature to come out and prepares to aid whoever it attacks.
aid: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Ready aid defensively FAIL

Symon does as he is asked and attempts to draw the clockwork horror into the other room, then moves out of the way so the others have room to attack.

He will try to get the things attention, then retreat leaving the space at the door open for the creature to move into. He will hold his attack until the monster is within range.

Drusellia nods, readying an action to tremor the thing as it moves to attack.

Tremor: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Spells Remaining: 1
Tremors Remaining: 3

GMPC for Conner

Conner takes Luther's lead and waits to see what the clockwork does...

Conner Delays

As Symon withdraws from the room, the whirring of the clockwork slows...instead of charging out of the room as anticipated, instead it moves to a bookshelf and starts to straighten the manuscripts stored there...whilst it does this though, it's head is very much facing the entrance to the room...it's impassive bronze face watching for movement...

Everyone may take their turn now

Dezco merely scratches his head at the moment. "Thou shall not kill fellow librarian applies here I believe... Or something."

Symon peeks around the corner and watcher the machine.

"Ummm..now what? Maybe it will not attack if we do not go in to the room?"

Sorry for slow posting, computer crashed in a final way. Posting from Zeki tablet. Not so good.
Conner looks into the room and shrugs....
"Maybe its friendly?

"Dru, tremor his a$$ and I will run in and we all pound him. Symon, don't use that crossbow, get in there with the rapier. We smash him quick. Conner, zap him if you can."

Luther waits until Dru tries to get him on the ground with the tremors. (I can wait for all three of them--if one works I'm going in).

Drusellia looks doubtful, but does as she is bidden.

Tremor: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18 (unless you would rather I used my previous roll, GM)

Spells Remaining: 1
Tremors Remaining: 3

Drusellia reaches out once more and wrenches at the seismic rhythms that run through the earth...the floor suddenly undulates wildly beneath the clockwork machine...but, with three legs for stability, it remains upright - and merely returns to picking up the manuscripts that fell to the floor during the tremor.

Luther waits and points to the creature again.

Symon puts his crossbow away and draws the new rapier he was given.

"Ok, here I go...not really great at this sort of thing!"

The Fetchling rushes in and strikes at the mechanical creature.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Sorry the map is not opening for me right now, but Symon will move up to the creature and off to one side to allow someone else to come in and set up flanking attacks

Luther was going to wait for Dru to try and tremor the creature first, but when Symon rushes in, he quickly follows.

I was hoping we would see if Dru could topple it first--I think she has two left

As Symon rushes in, the clockwork accelerates again - and, the very moment that Symon crosses the threshold, a hatch opens in the torso of the machine and fires a net at the impulsive rogue.

Clockwork Servant, Net vs Symon (Ranged Touch): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21, hitting - Symon is now Entangled

An entangled creature takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty on Dexterity, can move at only half speed, and cannot charge or run. If the entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make a concentration check with a DC of 15 + the spell's level or be unable to cast the spell.

An entangled creature can escape with a DC 20 Escape Artist check (a full-round action). The net has 5 hit points and can be burst with a DC 25 Strength check (also a full-round action).

Tangled up within the net, Symon's attack barely misses the clockwork machine...

Luther, Drusellia, Conner and Dezco may act now

Luther realizes that there is only room for three to attack, and Conner and Dezco will do better. Luther charges to Symon and swings at the net with his flail to smash the bindings.
attack vs net: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 211d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
I don't know how hard it is to hit

With three legs to stabilize it, I get the impression that Dru won't be able to topple it.

It is a relative high CMD but it certainly isn't immune to trip attempts...depends what your character thinks though!!!

Yeah, that's Dru's line of thought is that toppling it will be difficult, if not impossible.

Drusellia instead intones the words to her final magic missile, sending two missiles streaking towards the clockwork device.

Magic missile: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (4, 4) + 2 = 10

Spells Remaining: 0
Tremors Remaining: 3

Drusellia releases the final arcane energy in her reserves...iridescent bolts of energy flash through the room and crash into the Clockwork...which jolts and shudders as the internal gearing starts to misfire...

Waiting on actions from Conner and Dezco

My apologies, meant to post but got distracted then I forgot, really, really sorry.

Forgoing the unspoken librarian vow of not attacking a fellow librarian, if there even was such a thing, Dezco moves up alongside the the clockwork caretaker and strikes at it.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (10) + 6 - 1 = 15
Damage: 1d10 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Zap it? Ahh shocking grasp.
Conner will cast the spell, then move forward to touch the thing.
touch attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
shock damage: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 4, 3) = 14

Somehow Dezco and Conner both contrive to miss the surprisingly spritely clockwork...and, even as it moves to attack the still entangled Symon (for Luther's assistance has only weakened the net), you can hear the grinding of cogs reduce as the device self-repairs...

Clockwork Servant, Slam vs Symon:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9, missing

Everyone may take their turn now

Apparently this Librarian code was proving more than real as the dwarf was still having a hard time striking the automaton.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (7) + 6 - 1 = 12
Damage: 1d10 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Luther tries again to break the net.
damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
if hit roll needed: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
"Move around so I can whack it Symon. Dru knock it down."

Wiggling and squirming, Symon attempts to escape the bonds of the net while staying out of the way of Luther's flail.

Escape Artist: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Sill believing her attacks to be ineffectual, Drusellia does as she is bidden.

Tremor: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Spells Remaining: 0
Tremors Remaining: 2

Between Luther's continual smashing of the net and Symon's wriggling, the Fetchling finally breaks free from the net... Just as Drusellia's manipulation of the ground knocks the Clockwork device to the floor... The Clockwork falls over just as Dezco is swinging for it - turning a dreadful miss into a fortuitous hit...

Conner may take his turn now

Still holding the charge from his spell, Conner again attempts to touch the machine.
touch attack with bonus for prone target: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 5 + 4 = 23
shock damage: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 2, 5) = 14

Sorry, busy couple of days – started to get a GM post up yesterday but got distracted with other things

Conner reaches forward and touches the Clockwork Device as it struggles on the floor…legs waving and arms scrabbling for purchase until, with an electric blue flash, Conner shocks it into submission. Cogs and gears rapidly slow until, with a crunch of metal on metal, it ceases moving entirely…

Taking the time now to examine your surroundings, this room is full of parchments, scrolls and tomes – most are stored tidily on the shelves that line the room although several books are open on the table in the corner. Next to these books is a black leather ledger…with a number of quills and an inkpot nearby, it is clear that the ledger is being used…but, as it is locked shut, you can’t tell what for.

The outline of a secret door is obvious in the southern wall of this room…there are no attempts to conceal / disguise the door and you conclude that it isn’t meant to be a secret from this side of the door.