The Hunt for a Coward (Inactive)

Game Master TheIronGiant6

Ruh Roh!

Figuring that scouting was a bad idea, he heads back to the rest swiftly.

Grookle stirs back awake about when Omar rushes back into the room. "Eh? Oh, hey. Why're you in a rush?"

"I think I just saw the Wizard again, and he saw me. I don't know how he saw me. We might have incoming. "

Wilhaim drew his dagger, and glanced at the group.

"This is going to be an interesting day, isn't it?"

"Wouldn't expect anything else." He stands up, and slings Treefeller over his shoulders. "Let's go say hi, shall we?"

"Indeed, let's."

"Wilhaim, do you have the ability to pierce illusions and see things as they truly are without magic? I can't help but think that this place is just designed to make us interact with things that aren't real."

"It would be instructive to know what is really going on when we meet our next enemy."

"But aside from that, let's all see what Omar has found."

"The wizard is also going to be on the lookout for intruders, it might be time to start using those non-detection spells you were telling us about.

Nastarok moves to peak down the tunnel that Omar explored and retreated from.

perception: 1d20 + 32 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 32 + 4 + 2 = 42 (+7 for traps)

stealth: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (9) + 32 = 41

Nastrarok, you see the same figure as Omar, maybe fifteen feet away, its piercing eyes snapping to meet yours. To its left is a very small hole, like an arrow trap of some kind. The figure whispers quickly to you, as if talking to itself. It sounds deep, like most dragons would sound.

"At least the last group had the decency to talk to me directly, are you all just going to sneak in here one by one to make sure I'm still here?"

Its voice becomes louder, just loud enough to be heard by the rest of the group.

"Is your barbarian scared of a little 'wizzer' like me?"

Before you can do anything, the figure whispers quickly to you again.

"Do not think this is anything but a game to me, if I wasn't bored out of my mind you would have been dead long before you even entered this cavern."

"Oi oi, what did that bastard just say? He thinks I'm scared? Me? I'm about ta give him a piece of my mind!" Grookle stomps out, and drags Treefeller along the ground behind him in a shower of sparks.

To the gnome "Easy Grooklepoop .... he's just baiting you into a trap."

"Look at that opening to the left, I'll bet you a shot of Old Timey Rotgut that something will blast you from there if you charge."

To Omar: "How about an arrow into whatevers talking to us to prove if it is real or just a figment."

"Sure thing"

to hit: 1d20 + 33 ⇒ (16) + 33 = 49 damage: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

He grumbles, but complies. "Fine, fine..."

While watching the arrow flash into the "wizard" Nast says over his shoulder to the gnome "Hey, charge on in if you want. The only way you get that rotgut is if I'm wrong."

I believe you may be right, Nastarok. I shall comply henceforth."

Wilhaim casts True Seeing.

"And perhaps he is baiting us, but that doesn't mean he doesn't bear the curtesy of a conversation."

He addressed the hooded figure.

"You there! Yes, you! What do you want, exactly?"

The arrow flies straight through the figure, and you realize it is an illusion right away. Wilhaim, you can tell he is an illusion as well, but you see the figure as a shadowy form rather than the detailed figure before. You do not know the spell, but it appears to be a shadow illusion.

The figure speaks up, just loud enough to hear.

"You four are very rude, what if I wasn't an illusion?" the figure asks in a sarcastic tone.

"Anyway, I want to welcome you. I've been looking for a challenge, so I set up several trials to test your might. But you already knew that. What you do not know is that I have added a fallback system, since the last group failed so hilariously. That campfire behind you is a mix of arcane and divine magic, something I hired a few angels to help me with. It will resurrect you if all four of you die, with no consequences. It also heals and resurrects any of my creations that you have injured and/or killed. Keep in mind, I have designed the trials around these, and you must rest for a full eight hours to gain its effects. Do the more moronic members of your group understand?"

"Not sure, you might have to speak slower for Omar."

Omar glares at the gnome.

The gnome grins back, and elbows him in the side. "You're too easy." After though, he looks to the illusion with a frown. "What's the point of these trials anyway huh? Just some sick game of yours?" 'Although, it's a fun sounding one.'

"Exactly. And it is fun, trust me. Oh, and I've changed up the trials a bit, for surprise's sake."

Wilhaim shakes his head.

"Sir, I respect your power, but you do a disservice to the profession.

He mentally runs through a few prepared spells, and makes mental adjustments as to what he will prepare moving forward.

The figure moves it shoulders, as if laughing, but does not make a sound.

"You contradict yourself. Being a wizard is all about power, is it not?"

"Eh? No, no. Power is about having big muscles." He slaps his armored bicep, making a clang as metal hits metal.

"No, you are mistaken, little one. Power is being able to snap the necks of annoying gnomes without lifting a finger."

"Ne, but that's pretty boring. Feels much more satisfying when you use your own two hands, trust me."

"Power is about being powerful. But TRUE power lies in the selflessness of one's actions. Something I see you will never grasp."

Nastarok slips forward a little bit to scan the room for the trigger to the trap that he suspects is there.

perception: 1d20 + 32 + 4 + 2 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 32 + 4 + 2 + 7 = 47

The figure begins laughing loudly, nearer to a cackle, before he speaks in a slightly louder voice.

"Even that elf wizard was ballsier than you, and he was a conjurer! That was the funniest thing I have ever heard, thank you for that."

Nastarok, you find no triggers along the floor or any of the walls, it is possible it could be under the illusion, or behind it, but from what you can see, there is no trigger.

Wilhaim shakes his head in disappointment. He sees Nastarok looking around, and does a quick glance of his own.

I'm mostly just looking around since I have the True Seeing up, in case something is hidden behind the illusion.

Perception: 1d20 + 33 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 33 + 3 = 53

"We don't have time for this." Grookle hefts his weapon, and his teeth suddenly grit in anger as he swings it at the mage's image.

Spell Sunder, Strength Surge: 1d20 + 24 + 3 + 4 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 24 + 3 + 4 + 18 = 62

DC is 15 plus caster level.

The illusion laughs as it is torn in half by the treefeller. The figure is gone, and there appear to be no triggers for the trap anywhere along the hallway.

Treefeller hits the ground after dispelling the illusion with a solid CLACK. Grookle proceeds to slowly drag it back to him, standing upright to lean against the long handle. A frown mars his face, as he gazes down the hallway. "Well... what next then. Did you two see any triggers for what's most certainly a trap?"

"No, I certainly did not. I imagine this is going to be a problem. We will be quite paranoid of traps when they aren't there. Then, of course, they will be."

He pulled the hood up from his robes, and reached into the lining of his robes, pulling out a few odds and ends. He put them into his component pouch.

"Wilhaim, if you have the ability to shield us from his scrying with your spells, I think it would be wise to start."

"I don't like being watched either."

"Certainly. I will get right on that."

He waves his arms around, moving his hands in intricate arcane symbols, while chanting softly in Draconic.

Wilhaim casts Communal Nondetection, which is 5 hours of Nondetection for the other 3, and 4 hours for Wilhaim.

"There we go... I feel safer already. Don't be wantin' some craze wizzer watching my every move. Plan of action?"

"I say we move forward, maintain as much care as possible. Eyes open, but don't go too slow either. Surely he has set up several traps, but we don't want to let him fortify his position any further either. We must tread the line between haste and caution."

Wilhaim glances through his spellbook.

"Yeah, we keep moving. "

If you choose to pass by the hole in the wall, you find that it doesn't seem to do anything. The hallway continues for a while, with no traps anywhere along it. There is a metal door, and the scrawl above states:

آپ سوچ رہے تھے کیس
TRIAL 1

"Ah... here we are then."

Check the door for traps as usual. perception: 1d20 + 51 ⇒ (4) + 51 = 55

There do not appear to be any traps on the door or around it.

Grrokle presses an ear against the door to hear what's on the other side.

perception: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (15) + 24 = 39

Sounds like a small room, maybe another hallway? Nothing seems to be making any noise inside.

Put back on the gloves of recon, take a peek, and pot back on my normal gloves.

You see a small, empty stone room, smaller than the one with the trinkets.

"Open?"

"Let's open it up, I'll take a look with my True Seeing spell."

Wilhaim, opening the door, you see two walls, one ahead of you and one to your left. To your right is an illusion of a stone wall, just like the other two. You have a few minutes of true seeing left, so you do not feel the need to rush just yet. Behind this illusion in a long, dark hallway that you cannot see the end of yet.

"The room is bare, however, the wall to the right is an illusion. I can't see much past it, but it is false."