The Ghenett Manor Gauntlet T2 (Inactive)

Game Master Baerlie

What can you tell us about the other group then? Who are they? How many are in their group? How long ago did you see them?

Hinrik shifts his feet before talking.

"There's no magic here."

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The woman frowns. "I don't remember their name, something with snakes. They are rude and reckless. There were six of them, they arrived about one hour before you."

"Aspis Consortium. Let's hurry up, we don't want them to find the manual first" Xien rears back to the living room and rushes to a new room, opening the Eastern door.

Fredrik nods and follows the paladin.

Not sure which door you mean Xien, but the last door unopened is the double door from the dining hall to the west (up on the map).

Xien opens the big double door. Light dances on the water of the reflecting pool in this large atrium, the ten-foot-high roof above the pool open to the desert sky. A decorative coral formation sits at the pool’s center, its rocky branches reaching out in all directions, moving slowly to create a mesmerizing animated abstract sculpture. On the western wall, three painted statues stand as vigilant guards, each holding two broad blades. In addition to the double doors to the east, eight sturdy doors of oak open into the skylit chamber from rooms along the north and south walls of the atrium. The marble walkway around the shallow pool features a meandering pattern created by inlaid multicolored stone chips. The statues to north and south have an oval-cut blue sapphire in their foreheads. The central one, which is missing its gem, has broken stone from its scarred forehead scattered at its feet.

Note: west is up

Jory examines the other doors quickly.
take 10 for 25 per

Then opens each set going clockwise from the doors they entered until something of interest is found.

As Jory steps on the marble walkway in the artrium he suddenly sees the coral formation in the center of the pool moving, lashing out with its tentacles.

Knowledge planes

Round 1
Jory
Fredrik
Lucian
----------
Guardian
----------
Todric
Xien
Hinrik

K. nobility: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

K. Planes: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Oh Pharasma, lady of graves, bless us at this time...

Starts sermonic performance, +2 to atk, dmg rolls and saves vs fear.

Kn Nobility: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Kn Planes: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

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Lucian draws a scroll of bless and casts it to empower his allies.

+1 Attack stacks with Fredriks performance

Jory waits for his sermon and bless, and begins to fire arrows at the creature.

He uses his internal power to fire fast and true and deadly aim to hit the flatfooted creature hard.
Full round attack, Ki for extra arrow, perfect shot on arrow #4 - Deadly aim for -2/+4

Effects = sermon (+2/+2) and bless (+1/0) mage armor +4 ac

arrow1: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 241d8 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15
arrow2: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 221d8 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14
arrow3: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (13) + 15 = 281d8 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14
arrow4/reroll perfect strike: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 151d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 181d8 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17

Sorry about the delay over the holiday weekend

[spoier=Fredrik, Todric]The creature is an outside, neutral, not evil. It attacks with four claws and a injury from a claw causes the injured creature to become corporeal instable (curse).[/spoiler]

Fredrik starts his sermonic performance while Lucian casts bless at the group. Jori shoots four arrows at the guardian in the pool and hits four times.

Round 1
Fredrik
Lucian
Jory
----------
Guardian -60HP
----------
Todric
Xien
Hinrik

Arw there any checks required to approach the creature? Acrobatics? Swim? Maybe just wait for Jory to shoot it. No point in risking a curse, but I'd try to bring it down if I can get there.

Tod calls out:

"Beware the tentacles, they carry a curse!"

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Xien moves over the fountain border on a spot where he hampers the less possible his companions attacks as he draws his battleaxe into his shield hand. He then throws his trident at the creature and changes the battleaxe from his shield to his now empty hand.
mwk cold iron trident+Bless+IC: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 9 + 1 + 2 = 22
Cold iron/piercing damage+IC: 1d8 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 5 + 2 = 12

Move: move to the fountain plus drawing battleaxe
Standard: throw trident
Free: change battleaxe to main hand

The pool is shallow and you can step over the border. No checks required.

Tod dashes forward, rapier out in a flash. He ends up just "SE" of the creaure.

"I'll try to keep it busy!"

His sword flashes in a powerful thrust.

Power Attack, bless, inspire: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 2 = 15
Damage?: 1d6 + 7 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 4 + 1 = 14

Darn dice... Since I'm on my.phone, can someone move my token just one square below and to the right of the creature? Hoping Xien killed it though.

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Xien throws his trident at the guardian. The weapon gets stuck in the creature's body, but the creature is still alive. Todric moves closer and attacks it bravely. Unfortunately the attack goes between the creature's tentacles and does not hit.

I just found out that I forgot the guardian's attack. I'll handle it as a delay and do it now.

The creature growls and tries to hit Todric with its claws, but misses.
Claw 1: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16
Claw 1: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

Round 1
Fredrik
Lucian
Jory
Todric
Xien
----------
Guardian -72HP
----------
Hinrik

Jory continues to pepper the creature with arrows and fires three this time.
Full attack
arrow1: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (2) + 15 = 171d8 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20
arrow2: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 351d8 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19
arrow3: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 181d8 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19
arrow2 crit?/extra damage: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 222d8 + 26 ⇒ (7, 1) + 26 = 34

I hope it's ok for Hinrik to do it this way...

Before Hinrik can act Jory shoots another four arrows and hits the beast twice. crit confirms With a loud houl and a lot of splashing the creature drops into the shallow pool and finally disappears to the plane where it came from.

combat over

Haha, dammit. No go for me.

I don't mind at all.

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Party wins, that's all that matters :)

Xien recovers his trident from the fountain then approaches the first door in the west and checks it for traps and sounds.
Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15

If the way seems clear, the nagaji opens the door and goes in.
I would usually wait for the rogue, but PbP gets very slow and thus uninteresting if you start to do those things

If the rogue says he will check every door before somebody opens it I'm fine with that. He can take 20 on every door and I will warn you in case of a trap if you want to open a door.

Xien opens the door. The ceiling of this luxuriously appointed bedchamber is twenty feet high. The room is furnished with a four-poster bed, two large wardrobes of ebony inlaid with rosewood and camphor, a silk upholstered chaise longue, and two leather chairs with a carved table before them. A great rug, the pelt of some exotic beast, lies at the center of the cool stone floor. In one corner, an opaque silk curtain partially hides an ornate tub for bathing and a marble chamber pot.

You are a usefull fellow to have around master Redcap. The Lady of Graves has blessed you with great skill. Fredrik says impressed before slowly entering the room.
Perc: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 5 + 1 = 19

Jory doffs his cap and smiles as he replies:
"I once drove a sled for a mage who exploded masses of bad guys in balls of exploding acid. There are uses for all our talents. Turns out shooting arrows is somewhat useful one at the moment."

Jory takes out a pungent sandwich with Varisian spices on a lean meat and begins to eat as some of the juices almost flow down his hand.

"Too bad making and eating sandwiches isn't more useful to the Society."

Fredrik moves into the room and looks around for anything odd. The room is very clean, it seems to be a guest room, currently unoccupied. Fredrik does not find anything useful for the mission.

Where next?

Seeing the spot is empty, Xien continues with the next room to the North.
Perception: 20 + 0 = 20

The nagaji opens the door if not dangerous and explores the next room too.
Perception: 20 + 0 = 20

Jory starts opening doors too. He moves on and he will keep the paladin within visual range, but he will do his checking out of the doors. His searching is quick, so he will be opening doors typically earlier, but he doesn't want to deprive the paladin the surprise of opening a door to a new room. It is much more fun than just following behind others. Jory will always take the rightmost door so he searches in a regular pattern.

Take 10 for 25 perception

Lucian follows closely behind Jory as he opens the various doors, keeping an eye open for anything important.

Take 10 perception for 25

Hinrik remains quiet, following at the back.

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I will do a shortcut here, otherwise in PbP this will take ages. I hope it's fine for you.

Jory checks the doors for traps or noise. After Jory confirms they are secure Xien opens them. The next two rooms have the same pattern and nothing interesting to find. They are just empty guest rooms.

And Jory keeps checking doors rooms, a beehive of activity as he always moves to open the rightmost door, like a rat in a maze looking for the cheese.

Did I get it right that you continue to check the doors clockwise around the artrium? Meaning you are checking the one at the upper left next?

Yes. I wanted to give you a way to move things along. Jory goes to the rightmost door or passage no matter what. As soon as he goes in and reaches a dead end, he retraced and goes to the rightmost branch.

Ok :)

The door to the next room is untrapped und unlocked, Jory opens it.

A thick rug with interlocking geometric designs covers the marble floor of this lushly appointed office. Two fatly stuffed leather sofas, an enormous desk of red-tinged wood carved with ancient Osirian motifs, and a large high backed chair fitted with colorful silk cushions dominate the northern half of the room. The focus of the southern half is a tall iron safe, black and imposing, angular runic designs painted in gold about its heavy surface. Four statues of roughly worked marble — winged dwarven forms holding lanterns — flank the safe, two to a side. A wood panel at the center of the western wall stands strangely askew, and a whiff of sulphur lingers in the air.

"It smells to fireball" the nagaji states as he feels the sulphur "I don't like that wooden panel in the center of the wall"

Xien quietly approaches the wall and helps inspecting the panel.
Perception (aid another): 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15

Hinrik hangs back at the entrance, casting another Detect Magic into the room.

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Hinrik scans the room for magic and detects magic aura is coming from the iron safe.

waiting for another perception roll for Xien's aid

That seems to be one of Jory's specialties. My own Perception mod is quite a bit lower, but I'll roll an Aid if that's OK.

Todric moves near the front of the group and nods at Xien's comments about the smell and the panel he scans the room, body tense.

Perception Aid: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

That is also the smell of the creatures of the lower planes. Be carefull.
Fredrik follows behind Xien drawing his wand of bless.
AA Perc: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Examination of the wooden panel reveals that it is a secret door, apparently left open.

DC22/DC25 to unlock the two heavy locks on the safe

Jory examines the secret door and the room behind it, but he does not find any traps. This once lush room looks as though it served as the lounge of a wealthy man, with long couches and comfortable chairs. The west wall is lined by a large cupboard and bookcase, and a lavish green rug covers most of the floor. The source of the sulphur stench wafting through the manor is lying on the floor: a battered, vaguely humanoid figure of gears and metal, with malodorous yellow-gray fumes seeping from cracks in its motionless form.

West of this thing lies a body, bruised and battered. A large hole about eight feet in diameter mars the north wall, as though something exploded out into the room. Sharp bits of metal are embedded in the walls and furniture. The bookcase has also been rummaged through roughly, and a dozen books lie scattered on the floor.

Hinrik detects a magic aura coming from the cupboard. It is filled with all manner of stored food and rink and dradiates a strong auroa of abjuration and transmutation magic.

The bookcases are lined with distracting novels, illustrated art books, and other entertaining works. The fallen man, a blond-haired human thief named Corlis Maubry, still wears his +2 studded leather armor. A broken, now worthless scimitar and a shortbow and quiver containing 20 black-feathered arrows lie beside him.

Besai follows you all the time

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Todric searches the body an recovers several gems.

"We'd better return these at the end of our search, but I'm glad we found them before their theft could be blamed on us."

Perc: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

I think we found our first member of the Aspis Consortium. Fredrik says checking to see if the man is still alive. Take 10 on heal for 20
Can any of you open the safe?

"I'm not sure, but I may be able to break the lock. My sword is adamantine, perhaps a sharp jab or two would do it."

Not sure how you feel about that idea, GM. Some have allowed slashing adamantine weapons to destroy locks, but maybe the nature of a rapier makes it untenable.

Together with a hammer we could use the adamantine rapier as a giant "nail" to break the locks. Fredrik has said hammer...

Hmmm, you gave me an idea... Fredrik says looking at his earthbreaker.

"This cupboard is radiating alot of magic, a combination of abjuration and transmutation."

Hinrik cautiously approaches the cupboard and begins to look for anything noteworthy.

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Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (13) + 0 = 13

"Not a good day for that one..." Xien comments as he helps with the corpse.

The rapier and the hammer can do the job.

Hinrik finds out that the cupboard itself radiates the magic aura. Everything placed within it is permanently preserved from rotting or spoiling.

Not sure if there is a misunderstanding, the locks are on the iron safe in the study room. The magic cupboard containing food is in the hidden room and does not have any locks.

The aspis agent is dead, no chance to help him.

The combination of an adamantine rapier, a hammer and Xien's strength finally breaks both locks on the iron safe in the study room. Behind the iron door is another door, a delicate mesh door of stylized interwofen brass filigree. It does not have a lock.