The Pyramid of Shadows (Inactive)

Game Master PathlessBeth

sweet, i guess hope we can make it back through all the dickheads to get to the starter pit for some mundane gear. and yeah i have made the mistake of posting gameplay in the discussion in other threads before, sometimes when i am tired.

Normally when I create and equip a character I will specify that they have a mundane dagger or two hidden on their person just because. But I didn't do that with Mundarion because he is a relatively low strength character and prone to encumbrance problems. Besides, I asked myself, how often has one of my characters actually been taken prisoner? Boy do I feel stupid now.

Yessai awakes groggily, and to the unfortunate realisation that all her gear is gone.

Now divested of her baroque gith armour and grim raiments of dark design, the female githyanki looks....diminished.

"Alive? Captured, not killed? Yes, why indeed. Another version of the Tiefling whispered strange notions to me that the... thing that overcame us might be some kind of....programmed essence without true sentience. Like words on paper that can only read a certain way, and always hold the same meaning..."

Yessai's philosophical ramble ends as she comes back to the here-and-now. She sniffs, her retroussé nose wrinkling as she flexes her shoulders.

"Evidently we yet live. Let us re-equip, and re-examine our path."

To Hozela:

"You fought bravely, and well. You are a true ally."

Hozela drudgingly rubs her eyes as she awakes. Once De'arv'ki unbinds her, she stands up and turns towards Yessai.
"Thank me not, I am stuck here the same as you sods. I was just following Gharash Vren's commands, I'm in the dark as to what he wants this book for. Really, the way we were overwhelmed by that...thing, I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted us to get killed."
The dragonborn has a distinctly Sigilian accent, though it is not as thick as Gharash Vren's is.
"But it doesn't matter now. We've got to find a way out of this kip of a closet. Alive, preferably. That door doth seem breakable..."
she gestures to the knob-less door at one end of the room.

De'Arv'Ki takes stock of her hidden objects listlessly, letting them drop to the floor in a small pile through her fingers.

Gear: 4 pitons, adamantine wiresaw, 2x antitoxin, Campfire bead, Ioun torch

Excellent Dee! With just those items I'm sure we could jury-rig a hand cannon...!

"There's a trapdoor on the ceiling. Maybe De'Arv'Ki can try that?" didnt get a reply on my engineering check on that

"There's a trapdoor on the ceiling. Maybe De'Arv'Ki can try that?" didnt get a reply on my engineering check on that

Actually, you did get a response.

woops, totally missed that

"I think it leads to a crawlspace between floor 1 and 2, possibly."

De'Arv'Ki nods slowly and quietly climbs up a wall towards it, looking over the hatch careful despite her lack of enthusiasm at the current moment.
Without any gear, my climb bonus is high enough that unless the roof is solid ice, i can climb it >_<
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

The trap door creaks open slowly. A gust of ancient, dust-filled air spreads out from the opening. A damp, dank space about two and a half feet high lies above the trap door, and it spreads in all directions except north. No other exits are visible from the room where you are now.

De'Arv'Ki climbs back down and quietly describes what she saw up there, before waiting for the others to decide which method of exit they'd rather use.

As De'arv'ki climbs down, the (non-trap) door to the room's side rattles and creaks. You can make out the sound of a knob turning and the door unlatching.

"Thinking of leaving without a word, thou shan't"
The hissing, mentally projected voice from the previous day sounds through the door.

Yes approaches the knobs door as Dee checks the trapdoor, only to recoil as the portal creaks, followed by the mental discourse. Yes grimaces and speaks aloud.

"A word is it you want? Tell us this, then a bibliotic lord. If thou are indeed what they say thou art, riddle me this - why can you not remember your childhood? Or when you came to be here. Tell me true, who was your first true love...?"

Not really sure what roll is appropriate here - I'm attempting to confuse and fool the programmed "thing" by making it reach into a void it cannot have, though it might retroactively create memories it does not possess...

good idea, i wanna see how that plays out

Nice idea, i'll be interested if it does something cool

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

"Thou assume much. Of course I remember my childhood.
Long ago, there was..."
he stammers for a moment before continuing
"An elvish girl. My only love. I gave everything unto her, yet she didst betrayed me and hast destroyed all I worked for. "

The door clicks open, and light floods into the room. The splinter stands at the entrance, glaring towards Yessai.

"But mine own past is of little matter to thee now. I took care to maintain thy lives in spite of thy violent assaults on me and mine home. Hencefore thou art indebted to me. What matters now is what thou wilt do for me, if thou wishes to earn back thine freedom. "

The creature's eyes narrow, his mouth still unmoving as he speaks without sound. As his mental voice trails off, a sudden chill enters the room.

Hmm. Might need more exploring, that avenue. But not now.

Yessai blinks not as the thing continues, and stands alert.

"Pitiable one, we stand corrected, and as you say - in your debt - what is thy bidding? How must we serve thee to repay your...hospitality?"

The githyanki then bows low, the smallest trace of a smile on her lips.

Gemheart stands, stoic and silent.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

OK, who has the CLW wand, and does it have any charges? Also, Dee, can you place the skull Vyrellis is in in Mundarion's sleepy hands? It grants fast healing 1 does it not?

@DMB - How much non-lethal damage do I suffer from currently?

All of our gear was taken. So unless Karavakos coughs those items back up all we've got is natural healing.

"Thy first task,"
he hisses, concerns the Blizzard Caverns, and its reptilian ruler Thoraska. [/b]"

Interrupting himself, "Karavakos" turns to Mundarion.
"Thy elven companion is unmoving. Give this potion unto him.[/b]"
Karavakos' splinter (or whatever he is) reaches into a pocket and retrieves a swirling, bright potion, and hands it to De'arv'ki. "It shall heal him."

Several weeks ago, her servitors raided mine library, whenceforth they scurried valuables back to their Queen. Three things of note didst they relieve me of:
The first was a gnomish book of dry information, called On the interruption and reduplication of power supplies for autonomous agent in nonlinear universal environments.

The second item stolen was an ancient book from many eons ago. It is knows as the Tome of Vecna's Breath. It is written in a language no living mortal knows, and is sealed shut. If you findeth it, it is of critical importance that you do not open the Tome of Vecna's Breath.

The third item taken from hither to the Blizzard Cavarns is not a book at all. Doubtless you hast seen the statue of an Eladrin in the chamber below this one. When they invaded my library, a handmaid of Thoraska removed the statues head, and took from within it a unique orb of energy. I believe what was stolen was a piece of someone's spirit. Whose, I cannot say.[/b]"

"If I desired so, I could retrieve all three items for mineself. However, you must do more. Thou art to discover to what purpose Thoraska and her servants desired each of the three items they hath taken. Why, with hundreds upon thousands of books in the Library of Whispers, didst they take but two? They must have a purpose in mind specifically for those two books. And to what purpose would they take a fragment of an old eladrin's spirit? A spirit they must have sought specifically to have obtained that one before any other."

"Once thou hast secured knowledge of Thoraska's intended plots, then, and only then, return at least two of the three items here, from whence they came."

When he finishes outlining the task pushed onto you, his face breaks into a smile. (Is it a real smile?)
"Thou art permitted additional questions of me before thy departure."

Out of character reminder!
You first heard of the Blizzard Caves when speaking to the arboreans. One of the three things they asked you to do was to get a spike from Thoraska's tail.
You later found out that the Blizzard Caverns were somewhere on the second floor of the Pyramid.

Other OoC reminder! You learned about the Tome of Vecna's Breath much more recently. It was the reason Garash Vren sent you to the library in the first place.

@DMB - How much non-lethal damage do I suffer from currently?

De'Arv'Ki nods slowly and feeds Mundarion the potion slowly and carefully, sighing quietly.

Mundarion, as he imbibes the potion, immediately recovers healing: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (5, 6, 1) + 5 = 17. He does not notice any immediate side-effects. Yet?

Thanks. I thought it would have been 3d8+3, so I'll take 3d8+5. :-)

Mundarion regains consciousness and looks around. He makes sure that Nightwing is ok. Then he says to the Karavakos splinter or whatever it is:

"And just how do you expect us to be able to do anything other than bleed a lot without our gear?"

Diplomacy Check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Sense Motive check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Yessai notices nothing untoward or interesting about the splinter's commentary, save that perhaps the very head and soul it seeks is in this very closet. She nods support to Mundarion's pertinent query, then asks a question of her own.

"The arborlings were interested in the Blizzard Caves also. Who do you count friend and who do you count foe in this place o' mighty Karavakoss?"

Also reminding folks of THIS exchange with the elf and dragonborn on the giant stairs who relayed knowledge of Thoraska as a possibly neutral force herein...

"The Arboreans are a barbaric, disgusting lot. But Enemy I call none save those who would interfere with my studies. There is a necromancer on the third floor who calls himself Karavakos, though he is an imposter. Yet he, and now Thoraska, are my clearest enemies now. Others in the past who have made enemies with me, well, they are no longer living."

Turning to the newly awakened elf, he says
"Thy gear I wilt return to thee."

He removes an unusually large bag of holding from his cloak, from which he takes out all of your gear.

"There is one more thing of which thou must be informed. It has come to my attention that thou hast been using and communicating with the Head of Vyrelis. Mayhaps you thought it could guide you through the Pyramid. "

"I regret I must inform thee that the Head of Vyrelis is a vicous, soulless entity which seeks nothing more than to corrupt and destroy all those who hear its voice. Its power is great, but must be kept in the proper hands. Henceforth, while thou art in my service, I shall hold on to the Head."

'Karavakos' steps back, allowing you to collect all of the items who had, except the Head of Vyrellis.

Yess' eyes do not widen a fraction as the splinter returns to them their gear. She sights along her overlarge blade to check it is still straight, and takes great care caparisoning herself with her ornate and baroque raiments. She speaks to the splinter as she does so.

"So this Head of Vyrellis is not the statue's head that contains the soul of an Eladrin of which you spoke?"

Mundarion retrieves his gear, checks it out and puts it on. He says:

"Many of the books we examined in the library were blank. Unless one needed to start fires they would be worthless. So the question is how many books here could actually be read in the first place?"

"So this Head of Vyrellis is not the statue's head that contains the soul of an Eladrin of which you spoke?"

Possible reminder:

Karavakos turns to Mundarion:
"The Eaters of Knowledge, spawn of Vecna, devour knowledge and deliver it to their creator. The Library attracts such Eaters, as thee surely noticed when you fought them. They eat not the paper of books, but the knowledge contained within, leaving books filled with blank pages. All could be read at some point, but now many of their stories are lost to the god of secrets."

Gemheart grabs his weapons, affixing them in their place along his summoned armor. He also puts on the rest of his gear, clearly exasperated with the recent developments.

Karavakos, if it really is him, hisses
"If thou lack further inquiries, it is time for thee to be on your way. Thou knowest where the Grand Stairway is. Once thou hast ascended the Stairway, head east to find the Blizzard Caverns. Do not fail in thy task."

Thanks for the reminders DMB...

"Nothing else springs to this dusty mind. We shall return what is due to you..." the githyanki trails off...

Mundarion nods in agreement with Yessai.

GAHHH FREAKING FORUM EATS MY POST!

Getting back to the Grand Stairway is not difficult. The remains of the golems you fought last time you were here lie strewn around the stairwell in pieces. The second floor lies beyond the huge, creaky door at the top. Strange whispers emanate from the door.

For back when we were getting our gear
De'Arv'Ki picks up her crossbow with shaking hands and makes a sound akin to the mewling of a small kitten quietly when she thinks no one else can hear, as she polishes out another scuff mark and replaces it happily in strapping web, gathering the rest of her gear as she does.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

Perception check: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22

Linguistics check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

Mundarion says, "That was a mess. And it was mostly my fault. I thought we could just avoid the area that triggered the trap. But that did not happen. I also did not expect the trap to keep going as long as it did. But for that we should have been able to wipe the floor with Karavakos or whatever it was."

"As things stand we actually have a fighting chance of making just about everybody happy except Thoraska. Though I really would like to make the Karavakos whatever dead."

Yessai smiles ruefully.

"You were not to know good "Darion. I am with you, I would see the splinter slain, only if for overcoming us. And some part of me is arrogant enough to think we would be doing it a service of some kind...but...perhaps it really is it's own free moral agent..."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Mundarion looks thoughtful for a moment. Then he says, "Regardless of whatever the truth of that is, I need to study my spell book."

Mundarion breaks out his spell book and studies it. He puts it up when he is finished.

"The battlefield was not of our choosing. Were that water not an issue, we would be victorious."

perception: 1d20 ⇒ 6

Ahead, a 20-foot wide corridor stretches to the south. It ends in a set of double doors. Just past the entrance to this floor, a second corridor leads to the east. Seven leering, aberrant faces hang on the walls here. Two flank each door, and another three are evenly spaced along the western wall, across from the door to the east. The idols are vaguely humanoid, with long horns and mouths that gape open, revealing darkness beyond. Each face is 4 feet tall, with the mouth accounting for 3 feet of that length.

The floor is carved of marble, but has jagged cracks running throughout it, and shards of sharp rock just up from various places on the floor.
If you aren't looking carefully, your foot falls on a sharp piece of marble.
If your perception check was lower than 15, you take two damage.
The eary, gibberish whispers fill the corridor, but you can't make out their source....

oh god, i'm already having ToH flashbacks from those faces... yessai, you can stick your arm in them :P. and taking damage then

So we're now on the second floor?

Mundarion says, "Let's head east."

If your perception check was lower than 15, you take two damage.

DR 3/-

Gemheart kicks the protrusions to break their points, if possible and if the group isn't trying to be sneaky.