As tactically sound as an AOO might be, BG cannot find it within himself to end the gombie's ridiculous dance early--it is just too entertaining. Once the fire is out, though, he will be ready to swing away and move back to let Gansu have a turn.
BG lets out a lusty guffaw as his new friend, "Slappy", performs for the crowd. Moments later, when the fire is out, he gets back to business, saying "Gansu, I'll take one more swing and back out so you can come up and finish off Slappy, our flame dancing gombie."
BG hopes Boudacia will be able to move back to give him room to do his strike and move--the rough terrain limits how much BG can retreat after attacking.
I gather this means your delaying? You do understand that the yellow one - which is the only one left alive - was successful putting out his fires so he is no longer burning?
THE CURRENT INITIATIVE HASN'T CHANGED, AND CONTINUES BEING:
Block 1:
Tamlara, Sama (Who is losing her actions this round due to the laughter.), Boudacia (anything? nothing?)
Followed by:
Block 2
Green Goblin ZombieDEAD
Block 3
Aldhranhald(delaying)
Block 4
Pink Goblin ZombieDEAD
Block 5
Brother Guiness, Gansu
Block 6
Blue Goblin ZombieDEAD, Yellow Goblin Zombie
Guiness moves back down the steps, effectively trading places with Gansu as he moves up. BG moves back to that small corner square adjacent to Boudacia.
If the blow killed the gombie.
"Looks like Slappy has done his last flame dance."
After Tamlara and Boudacia both delay, then BG's attack finally comes into play, and it will be all that matters currently.
Brother Guiness swings his battleaxe square into the torso of the last gombie and it drops, going back to its rest of the dead.
BG and Gansu easily put out the fires using the flat of their blades and some water from their packs.
The party proceeds to check out the rest of this room and finds nothing special, and nothing other than the Spire itself detects as magical.
Through the archway on the other side you find more steps descending in the same manner. If you decide to continue on you will find that after what the party consensus estimates (though there would have been much debate over this! And no one is absolutely positive of this answer!) to be two continuous 'circlings' (?-going completely around the Spire, while descending the stairs.) of the Spire, those who don't have Darkvision can finally start to see in the normal spectrum of light! The continuous darkness has finally gone away! The group now must provide their own lights, or rely solely on the darkvision, but those that were under the communal darkvision spell, realize that has worn off. Which for simplicity sake, unless the party had chosen to do something ridiculously time consuming, this is exactly how long that spell was going to last! Trying to keep track of actual time-based things in this game is going to be an impossibility! Or at the very least a task that I don't see myself taking on. The rubble on the stairs also finally starts to clear up enough that it is no longer difficult to move through.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
The stairs continue downward.
Everything appears the same.
It is becoming impossible to tell the passage of time, or the distance you have traveled.
Please remind me to update the XP chart if I don't! And does anyone happen to remember when I did do it last? Have I given new XP since the new group joined us? I think so? I'll check the chart in a lil bit here. EDIT: Never mind. I checked the chart and I have the date on there. And yes I have given a lil XP since the new group joined, but I am behind, so I'll get that all up to date and then work on updating the 'Battle Grid' for what you find next. I'll need to read up on it myself to refresh since it has been quite a while!
[u]CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST LEVEL OF THE EMERALD SPIRE!!![/u]
"Well, that was a trick," says Sama after she regains her composure. "I don't think I've ever seen a zombie flail around like that."
Yeah, I figured, I try to give you all something special if you roll a nat 20 right? So it's only fair to give the monsters something as well! :D And with only the one gombie left, it wasn't going to hurt the party so ...
I hope my post about the descent down the stairs conveys the feeling. There is enough difference in the steps and the wall that you know you are moving through different sections, not just stuck in a repeating loop somehow, but with no natural light, no sounds of nature, other than some dripping ... it becomes very difficult to judge the passing of time or the actual distance traveled.
Brother Guiness is the least affected by this strange disorientation, but even underground tunnels change directions or go back up or ... SOMETHING!
Does the party want to stop and camp before heading down those long stairs? Or maybe even go back into town risking another trip through the Echo Woods? Time is roughly 4pm. You're not making it to ANY civilization before dark!
"You are right, Sama, those gombies did give us a bit of entertainment at the end, after Boudacia set them on fire. Maybe it was the oil Tamlara threw that made that gombie react differently. In any case, they have been destroyed and it appears that we have completed the above-ground portion of the Spire. I, for one, am grateful to not be trudging my way through all that rubble any more."
Looking around at the rest of the group after we have gone down a few flights of stairs, BG adds, "does anyone need to take a rest, or should we push on?"
The time-trickery of the descent down the spiral stair begins to give Aldhranhald an almost nauseous feeling, but he quickly feels a great deal of relief as the magical darkness fades, just as does the magic from their communal darkvision spell. Aldhranhald immediately casts light on his quarterstaff to provide some light for himself and those around him that don't have darkvision. Speaking, if for no other reason than to break up the monotonous descent below the surface, Aldhranhald remarks, "This stairwell feels like descending in the twisting colon of some titanic beast... very s@!#ty.
"I don't need a rest but I wasn't involved in most of the fighting. I am quite happy to stop if anyone is fatigued. Brother Guiness this stairway seems ... very odd. Do you have any idea how far below ground we are?"
Brother Guiness turns to answer Boudacia's question, saying "As soon as we came out of the darkness two flights down, it seemed to be replaced by some kind of disorienting effect. I cannot tell how far we have descended--perhaps you can use some arcane talent to...uh..."
BG Diplomacy:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6]
Brother Guiness stumbles and nearly falls as he obviously is distracted by something on the stairway.
Now that I see her in normal light, I am sure--the blue eyes, red hair, pale skin--she is the same person who saved my life nearly a decade ago! But she has not aged at all? How can that be? Why would she deny...oops--I was saying something, wasn't I?
"...uh...figure it out?" he finishes, rather awkwardly.
It sounds like we have a majority consensus to move on here (if anybody comes up with some need we can ret-con if need be), so here goes:
The steep stair descends through solid bedrock for fifty feet before ending in a stone-lined room. A large stone door stands directly south of the stair, a small alcove lies to the east, and another door to the southeast is slightly ajar.
General info about this level, this applies unless stated differently: The rooms and passages of the Cellars are stone-lined. Illumination: The area is dimly lit by irregular, luminescent patches of greenish-white, furry mold that feeds on a dust-like substance scattered about. Doors: Regular doors are featureless stone slabs. Ceilings in the hallways are 10 feet high; ceilings in rooms are 20 feet high.
FOR THIS LEVEL this is going to complicate things, but I will require that all movement be indicated with lines on the battlegrid. HINT: This is the level where Aldy & Tammy should get to either shine or suck! :D Please feel free to place your icons on any of the 6 light blue squares I've drawn on the map. I am going to guess Boudacia is in bat form?
Perception Rolls:
Aldhranhald Perception:1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 10 + 1 = 27+1 if the check is for a trap Boudacia Perception:1d20 + 0 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 0 + 2 + 4 = 24+2 if Wayne w/in reach, +2 at night and +4 in bat-shape. Wayne Perception:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26Blindsense 20 feet Brother Guiness Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27 Gansu Perception:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 Sama Perception:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23 Tamlara Perception:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22+½ level in dim light or darkness
WHAT THE FREAK JUST HAPPENED?!?! - DAMN!!!
EVERYBODY - except Gansu (sorry!) - notices first of all a burnt out torch lying on the ground in the alcove, and beyond that a secret door in the wall! Sama will even speak up to say she can see clearly all the way around the edges and the mechanism to open the door and she is positive that there are no traps somehow or other. Somehow, everyone other than Gansu agrees with her about there being no traps on the secret door.
Seeing the secret door just adjacent to the stairs, Aldhranhald warns caution. "In my experience, doors made to be secretive that lie just adjacent to a threshold are usually used as murder holes. Whomever is to open the door, do so at full ready, for what lies beyond the door may be a threat waiting to strike. of course," the elf continues, fully aware that his long diatribes are not always welcomed, but feeling the necessity of sharing his expertise on such situations, " also in my experience, a secret door so close to a threshold of egress and ingress also usually leads to swift passage to the master of the dwelling's chambers..."
Stormstrider, do those perception rolls cover everything we can see? All doorways, walls, floor? By which I mean, we can safely assume there are no traps within eyesight?
Boudacia's ears prick up at the prospect of learned discussion, and replies to Aldhranhald with "Where have you experienced secret doors located near more regular portals Aldhranhald? You raise interesting points, but I just wanted to verify that the sample size is sufficient and the percentage of such secret doors being used as murder holes is statistically significant? Further, can you expound upon the race and cultures involved in a) the construction of the structures in question and b) the perpetrators of the ambushes in question. I am interested to establish if the usage you describe is constant across races and cultures."
"Well, in addition to making an interesting conversation piece, it draws people to investigate it. Which is a perfect way to draw people into an ambush," adds Sama.
BG speaks up, saying "I will leave the investigation to those who are more talented at such tasks; feel free to choose the path and I will continue in the rear guard as we discussed before."
BG looks visibly more comfortable as he discusses tactics and once again grips his trusty warhammer, looking around alertly for threats.
"Hopefully, if I am needed up front I can move there more quickly than I could in the level above. I am a bit concerned leaving our rearguard exposed, though. Are you okay, Aldranhald, if I occasionally rush to the front and leave you to guard the rear?"
From what I have seen, he may be able to talk an enemy into a state of befuddlement, but not all creatures care to discourse before attacking...
... Stormstrider, do those perception rolls cover everything we can see? All doorways, walls, floor? By which I mean, we can safely assume there are no traps within eyesight?
Aldhranhald makes a good point, which Tamlara also raises. Those awesome, freakishly high checks managed to cover the entire room. This room is deemed free of traps to the best of you awareness. :D
And the description did say the SE door was ajar, but I forgot it as not drawn that way on the map, so I added a 'door-ajar' to the map.
The group also noticed with those perception checks, that the only sounds are the frequent drips of some liquid or other. Nothing else is to be heard.
In the meantime some of the party members engage in "learned" discussion as to reasons and tactics for the locations of secret doors. In the enclosed confines of the underground passageway their voices carry clearly throughout the room. If there are any creatures nearby they have now most likely been alerted to the party's presence. :D Thanks! Makes my 'job' easier! :P
Decisions, decisions. Three possible choices. Death could be lurking behind any one of these doors. Or maybe even behind all three? So who is going to approach, and shall it be door # 1 - the 'secret' door leading who knows where? or door # 2 - the SE door that stands ajar inviting you to enter? or door # 3 - currently closed, and completely unremarkable in its appearance? :D
Aaahh! (Like a sigh of pleasure!) These are the moments where I get to have the most fun! YAY! The suspense! What are you going to do? Is it time to mis-behave and do some thrillin' heroics? :D :D :D Thanks for letting me do this!
"I don't see any doors that are jars? I see three doors, but none of them resemble jars. I see one that is slightly open. Is that what you meant Boudacia?" Aldhranhald winks at the charismatic skinwalker, then says. "Also to address your previous questions about my experience with secret doors, while I'd love nothing more than to sit and draw you several maps of some of the dungeons and castles I've explored before coming here, I doubt that any of that would benefit us in our current situation. Perhaps, someday, over brandy and a medium-rare hunk of cow flesh, we can swap those stories." Then, as if as an afterthought, the piercingly-blue-eyed elf unshoulders his pack, takes out his mapmaking supplies and adds all the bits that they've encountered since his last update.
Craft Cartography Take 10:10 + 8 = 18
That done, he says to Brother Guiness, "Brother Guiness, I have zero problem with you rushing past me to attack the fore, and I to guard the rear. It seems to have worked well so far, and until that tactic proves futile, it seems as good as any to me."
Before transforming, Boudacia replies "If I recall the definition in the Oxford Common Dictionary, it is
'ajar, ADJECTIVE
predicative (of a door or other opening) slightly open.'
That is ajar, one word, not a jar, two words. And I think you are right, we can discuss matters raised concerning portals, tactics, cultures and tactics later, perhaps over a meal."
| Active Conditions: 1 CON damage.. | Current Buffs: none.
"If we hear nothing behind them, let us open all the doors and look beyond to see what there is to see. Then we can choose which direction to proceed."
Gansu approaches the door that is slightly ajar open. He peers in, and slowly pushes the door wider until he sees some sign of an enemy.
If no hostile creatures are visible, Gansu will do the same with the door to the south and then the secret door.
Gansu's perception behind the open door:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Gansu looks down a dimly lit hallway that has an opening to his left about halfway down, and ends in another ordinary looking door which is also standing partially open, but not enough to see beyond it from here.
When he tries the door to the south, he finds it is solidly locked.
He opens the secret door to find ... a room about the size of a broom closet? And he clearly sees another secret door directly opposite this one!
Please remember after this room, use lines to mark your movement. You can choose not to do so if you'd prefer, but then I get to choose if you encountered a trap or something else! I WILL abuse that power if it is given to me! :D
While BG is hanging out by the door to the south, he takes a listen at the door...
BG Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25]
Looks like a decent roll--If BG hears something, he will share with the group. It may affect a decision to investigate the door more for traps/unlocking/etc...
Boudacia flying into the hallway, sees the opening leads to another ordinary looking door which is closed. It does coincidentally(?) look like it may lead to the same area that the combination of secret doors leads to, perhaps? She does not notice anything else about the hallway.
In low tones, BG says, "It appears to me that the branch in the hallway ahead and the set of secret doors likely lead to the same room. If we use the secret door entrance, we may minimize the effect of any traps or ambushes set up in that room, as they are typically set for the main entrance."
Stormstrider, feel free to add if BG's roll got addition pertinent info...Thanks.
Aldhranhald steps next to Gansu and thoroughly examines both the secret doors and the area between, listening as well as scrutinizing for any other danger.
Perception Take 20:20 + 10 = 30Total equals 31 when looking for traps.
Boudacia and Wayne, move to first the closer door, then the farther and finally return to the party to report their findings. All the while they scrutinise the floor and ceilings for traps, secret doors and anything else of interest.
Aldhranhald is certain there are no traps. For just a split/instant he hears some sort of strange, slight shuffling or rattling sound? but it is too brief and slight to give him any clue. There is however one thing he notices. THE ALMOST OVERWHELMING STENCH OF BLOOD coming from the other side of that 2nd secret door! Clearly the room is used as some sort of butcher's shop, or a torture chamber, or something involving a LOT of blood!
**********************************************
Boudacia notices nothing worthy of mention. Wayne however, upon approaching the 'closer' door immediately shies away from it. When Boudacia looks at him, she sees he keeps 'scrunching-up' his nose. She is fairly certain he doesn't like the smell of something and then she notices as well the smell of blood coming from behind the door, though she just doesn't seem to notice it much.
As they start to proceed on down the hallway, Wayne suddenly flies down close to the floor and he starts circling around one area and he circles the area several times before moving on. Boudacia can only guess that he detected something about the floor in that area.
As you get close to the far door, it is obvious that Wayne reacts to something else, though he is not afraid of it, but what he is reacting to remains a mystery.
That lil Wayne bat finds EVERYTHING! He's gonna ruin all my fun! Guess i'm just gonna have to kill 'im! ;)
Please be sure to see my post about RL in discussion.
Boudacia returns to the rest of the party and returns to human form. Wayne then lands on her shoulder, whereupon Boudacia pets him in gratitude. Then she reports:-
"Fortunately we have Wayne here, who is much more observant than I am. That gap in the wall has a closed door in it, and the smell of blood comes from behind the door. You saw where Wayne was circling. He spotted something, probably a trap. There was something else Wayne noticed near the far door. I don't know what that was either, but Wayne did not seem afraid of it."
Brother Guiness moves into place where he can guard against attacks from the locked door or the hallway.
"Open the door when you are ready; I am in position," speaks the heavily armored dwarf, gripping his shield and Warhammer and looking expectantly at his companions.
Rubbing his nose with his hand, Aldhranhald says, "the tang of blood is coming from beyond this 'secret' door, overwhelmingly so. It's the kind of stench you'd smell in a butcher's shop, or... worse. Be ready all." After giving the warning he leans his quarterstaff in the crook of his arm, nocks an arrow to his bow, and steps back to let those more heavily armed and armored take the fore.
| Active Conditions: 1 CON damage.. | Current Buffs: none.
Are we going for the room with the blood?
"I am ready. If there are enemies in the room beyond, we may be able to form a bottleneck in the doorway. Or... we could come at the room from two directions, since it seems that these two doors lead to the same place."
I can take point, or BG and I could open the two entrances at the same time.
