The Sorcerer's Island (Inactive)

Game Master Michael Riter

Okay, here's the short answer for Bolest. Not only do the obelisks appear to be radiating with magic, but there seems to be an almost blinding wall of heavy magics and dweomers that are coming from just past the point of the separation between the two different kinds of grounds. All schools of magic are represented here, most particularly illusion and conjuration.

Also, Andross will confirm your sketching Marcum, and still seems to be looking around nervously.. Nothing bad happens to anyone who crosses the border.

The most prominent feature that the rest of you could see is a large sandy hill that seems to be in the center of this face like formation.

"Remain close and keep your eyes open, Sir Wolfric...there are dark things afoot judging by the agitation of our guide." Marcum motions for Rick to follow. All those years with Olivia...there had been something about her presence that had bolstered my courage...

He motions for the party to press forward but gives the vampire a nudge to get his attention. "Unless Master Andross or Bolest wish to advise otherwise, might I suggest we head towards the mound there? It could very well be our keyhole." Marcum nods to Wolfric again as he continues drawing in his journal. "Point of fact, my good servant of the Veiled Lady, perhaps your intuition - (Detect Evil) - regarding the varying natures of evil might grant us enlightenment regarding yon mound? Be cautious, I've seen some of your calling overwhelmed by a region's level of animosity."

Doombringer: Any insights into the possibility or logical location of traps or the access point based on my Disable Device check?

Rick follows Marcum closely, and detects evil on the central mound.

"Be carefull, this could hide quicksand"
Following the two boldest, Kheti slowly moves towards the sandy hill. Standing at it's foot, she looks closely at the surface of the sand to see if she can see any ripple indicative of the presence of quicksand.

Perception for quicksand: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (16) + 18 = 34

No quicksand. Just normal old sand.

As for any of the obelisks. They definitely detect as evil.

And I would ask for a knowledge engineering check instead of a disable device check.

Knowledge (engineering): 1d20 + 4 + 1d8 ⇒ (11) + 4 + (2) = 17 ugh, not very pretty...

It's good enough.

The sandy area actually appears to be made up of decomposed sandstone, almost as if a building once stood here, but has fallen into complete ruin, and nature took back what was hers. In short, the sandy area was once an ancient building.

Marcum toes at some of the dust. "I don't know if it's a boon or a bane, but this appears to have been a structure at some point. A boon if it means things here can be destroyed, a bane if this is an ancient temple of good overcome by the evil of this place."

He points to the crushed and powdered ruins. "But I'm willing to guess that our point of ingress is somewhere here."

Funny you should mention that! Are you ready to finally have a map?

That's borderline heretical thinking...but why not...

I AM a Pit Fiend... The map is in the description, and I will have your tokens up shortly. You may search ANYWHERE on that black line you will see, just mark an S near the area you want to search and give me a perception check here... Good luck guys, this is where the module officially starts. You are now searching the sand for the Tomb.

Just to be clear, as I've just been on the site and read you instructions, we can each search an area corresponding to our movement by marking it on the map and post a single perception roll here?

Edit, tried it on the site with the yellow color. I can't put my S on the black line (they get framed under the black overlay), so I've put them just on top of them).

"Thanks Macrum, let's see what's under that rubble.", says Kheti taking out a short metal cylinder from her pack. With a flick of her wrist, she releases the catch and let it extend into a long pole.

Then, moving to the west of the building, she probes through the sand with the pole.

I couldn't resist the 10 foot pole trick. It very first edition and should go well with the module :)

perception check: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (20) + 18 = 38, Edit: result is now 48 with the +10 rule

[ooc]Sorry for the wording confusion. You search one square, and that represents also having searched ten feet on each side. (this rule only applies to the outside or you will be searching forever. When you put an S on something INSIDE the Tomb, that means that you search THAT SPECIFIC square.

The thing about movement also applies for inside the Tomb.You move up to your speeed so that A) If you run down a hallway, I don't have to describe you jumping into multiple traps. B) You'll appreciate the slower experience more. Trust me, I want there to be thinking and character interaction.

Bolest scratches the back of his head as he stares at the magical auras. "Unless I'm much mistaken, there is a little magic here. By which I mean that my eyes hurt from looking at the wall of magic. But if we're not too worried about it..." He steps up, following the group.

Watching Lady Kheti probe through the ground, Bolest scratches the back of his head. "This work is somewhat beyond me... I'd be happy to assist though."

Bolest wants to aid another in the search, his +2 is more likely to be useful than his mediocre perception...
Aid Perception 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

.
.
.
.
.

------------

Action/Skill List
》Perception: 1d20 + 13 + 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 13 + (7) + 5 = 29 (Lens of Detection) - (Trap Sense +3)

------------

Marcum mulls over Bolest's observations as he reaches into his satchel and withdraws a shovel, the spade chipped along the right hand edge where it looks to have been broken off by a significant impact. He steps forward, adjusting the lens over his right eye by its brass armature, and stabs at the sand in front of him as begins probing along.

When he sees Kheti elongate her collapsible rod, he grins and then grips the battered shovel in his hands. "My my, Mistress Kheti, don't I feel suddenly provincial." He chuckles and goes back to the search. "But I shan't become jealous of your implement, for old Halsey and I have been through many an adventure together..." He spins the shovel once and pats the damaged spade. "...don't worry, dear Halsey, I'd not give you up for all the collapsible batons in Golarion."

He gives the shovel a doting look and goes back to work. As he does, Marcum sings softly, the beat of the tune in time to his digging and searching, lyrics becoming mumbles when he spots anything of interest.

"Take a little walk to the edge of town
Across the horse tracks
Where the viaduct looms,
like a bird of doom
As it shifts and cracks
Where secrets lie in the border fires,
in the strumming lyres
Hey man, you know
you're never coming back
Past the square, past the bridge,
past the mills, past the stacks
On a gathering storm comes
a tall handsome man
In a dusty black coat with
a red right hand...(*)

-----------
.

.

.
(*) Lyrics by Nick Cave

"I wouldn't have pegged you for the singing kind. " Wolfric says to Marcum. "You sing well. I wonder you did not end up in Oppara."

Aid Marcum's search 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

"My thanks, Sir," Marcum responds, his initial tone actually sheepish before waxing nostalgic. "I've the unfortunate label of 'excluded' when it comes to attendance at the fair Kitharodian Academy. I aided a good friend once to reclaim a set of magicked guitar strings..." He sighs and smiles with the memory. "The strings and the heart of a teacher's daughter. Brave Agidor lay claim to string and heart, I was rewarded with anathema."

Marcum shakes off the memory and goes back to work probing. "So back to Absalom I went, pride perturbed but having acquired a taste for the theater in the course of my time in Oppara. I called in a favor or two and enrolled at the White Grotto for a time, in the School of Scripts headed by Tia Yi Gan. Now the stories told..." He pauses and smiles, realizing he'd over explained. "Long tale snipped, I developed a love of storytelling music. Hence the habit of singing while I search and cogitate."

"You mention such a prestigious school in Oppara," Marcum redirects to Wolfric. "In my short time in your homeland, I recall the cultural plight lending itself to a wonderfully developed and deeply skilled theater scene. Have you any experience?"

Wolfric chuckles. "I did play Demetrius in Howls from Shudderwood once, but that's before I got married."

The big man's wistful tone dives into despair at the mention of his wife. "I don't think I could handle that play now..."

"For Pharasma's sake, you never stop don't you." comments Kheti, trying hard not to laugh as she still checks if there's anything under that rubble.

"We're making as much noise as a herd of camels. Not that I think out future host has not set up means to be warned of anyone poking at his door, but I'd like to hear the noise my pole makes to check if the sand structure changes behind."

Alright, let's see here...

Marcum, as you dig around, you actually find that the sand around you is a bit more easily moved than the rest of it, and seems to be forming... the faint outline of a crater, almost like an entrance may be underneath there. [You'll see it on the map]

Andross looks to it curiously and whips out a shovel from his bag of holding. "Sir Marcum, it looks like you may have found an entrance."

"Well done" says Kheti, folding down her pole and taking out another tube from her pack. "Spade", she commands in Osiriani as the tube molds itself into a spade.

"Let's clear this out and see what is down there." She joins the group and starts digging with them.

When he sees Kheti elongate her collapsible rod, he grins and then grips the battered shovel in his hands. "My my, Mistress Kheti, don't I feel suddenly provincial." He chuckles and goes back to the search. "But I shan't become jealous of your implement

Bromen cannot help but chuckle at the exchange. They took em out t'measure, and it sounds like he lost.

The dwarf stays on the periphery as the group searches, pacing back and forth as if trying to cover every single one of them at once. As an entrance starts to take shape he moves over to Marcums side. He lets out a few feet of chain, ready to strike out with his dorn before anything even has a chance to get too close.

Well, Andross isn't going to let you work alone, so he helps you dig out the second entrance, working beside you until you have a decent sized walkway.

The corridor revealed beneath the sand is made from plain flagstones, roughly hewn and fitted together. The ceiling is about 20 feet above your head and thickly strewn with cobwebs. The passage is about 30 feet long and at the far end is a pair of large, wooden double doors with great iron pull-rings.

(Area revealed)

.
.
.
.
.

------------

Action/Skill List
》Perception: 1d20 + 13 + 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 13 + (1) + 5 = 34
>>>(Lens of Detection / Trap Sense +3 AC / Trapfinding +4)
》Disable Device: 1d20 + 16 + 1d8 ⇒ (14) + 16 + (8) = 38
>>>(if needed)

------------

At Andross' announcement, Marcum plants his shovel, looking all the theatrical part of a conquering hero. "See Lady Kheti, music is good for the soul, and the mind." He smiles warmly in the ranger's direction. "حتى البحر لا نهاية لها من الرمل يقدم أغنية لرياح"

"Master Bolest, or perhaps others with the ability...more eyes are always better...could you sense the area of the doorway for magical wards?"

After getting the all clear, Marcum stows Halsey in his satchel after kicking some of the sand loose. Then he leans in to view the doorway, his hands already pulling his second hip pouch forward and pulling the cord that secures its opening. The worn leather pouch unrolls in his hands to reveal a set of lockpicks and probes of exceptional quality. "Now let's see what's what, shall we?"

He pauses and glances over his shoulder, a lopsided grin on the right side of his face. One of his then probes is in his fingers, waving astonishment to the others. "I fully expect that if I burst into flames, you'll respond smartly with handfuls of holy sand..." He turns back to the door. "Failing that, regular sand will do in a pinch."

Cane under his arm, probe and brush at the ready, Marcum sets to work.

------------

Tell me where you are searching.

This may seem like a nitpick, but a lot of the time, it really does matter, AND I might add, there is a time difference between, "I search the square" and "I search the thing in the square"

Which might be important if there is a time limit put on you...

Forgot to mark the map, doh. I'm looking at the square in jus below me & diagonal left; what I'm assuming are the doors. Sorry, pc shut down for the night. I can clarify tomorrow if needed.

Kheti stands at the entrance of the tunnel (position adjusted on the map) and she looks at the tunnel and it ceiling.
"Cobwebs? Here? Just on the ceiling and not anywhere else. And where are the spiders?"

Taking out her ioun torch, she looks at the cobwebs, trying to find if she can see past them and find anything hiding behind.

perception: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (1) + 22 = 23 Edit total is 13.

You notice nothing interesting about the doors, as they do not appear to be trapped.

Kheti, you don't see anything wrong with the cobwebs. Indeed, there are tiny spiders inside of them, however they appear to be perfectly ordinary in nature In essence, there isn't going to be any giant spiders dropping from the ceiling any time soon.

Bolest moves forward, his eyes glowing again as he searches for magical auras. "I'm used to immersing myself in magic, but this place is... impressive." He shrugs and furrows his brow, focusing in on the task at hand.

Bolest is detecting magic in the marked arc. Depending on what he finds, he will basically swivel like a radar to locate which square a particular aura is emanating from, and then point them out to Marcus, moving closed to inspect them as well. Probably about 1-2 minutes of searching that way from farther out at most, I expect.

Perception (for the farther away search) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Man. I'm so good at searching.

Satisfied with his initial observation and the confirmation from Kheti regarding the spiders, Marcum returns his lock picks and brush to his hip pouch and retrieves pry bar from his satchel. "Remind me to tell you a funny story about this old bit of iron," He says as he searches for a good spot into which the tool can fit. "...it involves a Varisian dancer and two Halfling brothers from Cassomir..."

Seeing the Fetchling continuing his search, Marcum adds. "Let me know if I'm about to trigger a Fireball plate or something, Master Bolest. Same admonishment goes to the rest of you regarding my bursting into flames. Sand and more sand, as it were." He looks back to the doors and squints theatrically. "Now if I were a pry bar, where would I want to go..."

He pauses a moment. Hmmm, I wonder, am I bringing a ballista to an archery competition? Marcum chuckles to himself and tests the door to see if it just simply opens.

Knowledge (engineering): 1d20 + 4 + 1d8 ⇒ (7) + 4 + (7) = 18 (let's get dyin...I mean cracking)

Bolest, you find yourself completely blinded for about three rounds as overwhelming magical auras surround you. If you remember my previous comment about the magic being everywhere inside the border of the 'dead zone' well... Now you're in the dead zone.

So, now that you all encountered the problem with detect magic, let me explain how it will work here. If you want to use it properly, and detect specific auras, you must burn a spell slot, basically spontaneously converting one of your slots into one for detect magic. I am doing this for two reasons. The first is that when this adventure was first published, detect magic was a first level spell and required you to use resources. The second reason is because you really ARE surrounded by hundreds of magical auras, and I realize you may want to detect magic at some points. This just makes it so that you have to plan it out and not just detect everything in sight.

As for the door, you are pretty sure it opensby looking at it. Does that mean you actually DO open it? :3

.
.
.
.
.

------------

Action/Skill List
》Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 16 + 1d8 ⇒ (7) + 16 + (6) = 29

------------

"Hmmm, well goodie gumdrops," Marcum slips his pry bar back into the satchel, opting to stand back and look to the others. "It would seem that the doorway is as welcoming as a portal to potential terrors beyond all imagining can be..." He comes up short when he spies Bolest's reaction to a magical surveillance of the area. "Oh dear...I was afraid of this..." He taps at his chin for a moment. "My concern started at the reaction of our guide to this place...then your first reaction to magical observation, master Bolest."

He raises his cane as though he were a conductor. "Like big in the privileged front row of the San Sebastinos theatre in Magnimar...listening closely as the orchestra tunes ever so softly...only to have them blast their instruments at top volume all at once. Quite a cacophony I should imagine."

If Bolest proves to ok, he gestures towards the door. "Now I don't mind being the first one through. Point of fact it would be quite thrilling. But I'm also a prudent sort from time to time..." He nods to the warriors in the party. "If you think it best, perhaps we should position ourselves in such a way as to deal with an enemy at the outset?" He draws his rapier with a flourish, in the midst motion his cane disappearing into his satchel. "Otherwise, shall we?"

Marcum will be perfectly willing to go first if no one steps forward.

"Well Marcus, If you're worried with opening that door because something could just jump out and attack, just tie some rope to the iron hoops and come back out. Then we can pull it together and still have some maneuvering space.", proposes Kheti.

You all hear a faint murmur coming seemingly from no place in particular.

Hah. Like Acererak would propose something as crude as that.

.
.
.
.
.

------------

Action/Skill List
》Perception: 1d20 + 13 + 1d8 ⇒ (1) + 13 + (2) = 16 - (-10)

------------

"Marcum, my dear, not Marcus..." He says with a smile and chuckle as he begins searching for his rope within the satchel. "Especially when you are presenting such auspicious suggestions."

His left hand closes over the rope as he waves the tip of his rapier in a lazy circle of memory. "Of course there was dear, sweet Isabella of Brevoy who took to calling me...what, what is it?"

Of course it's during one of his inane stories he rolls a one...

Sorry guys, crazy weekend.

Robotic in his efforts and movements over the past several minutes, Rick continues his stiff, resigned assistance: something heavy clearly on his mind.

No problem. Weekends are rough for me too. So, how would you all like to continue?

"Might not be the quietest, but takin' point is fine by me."

Bromen scans the corridor and adjusts the length of his dorn for maximum coverage. "But this here's the only key I've ever used, so if ye want a little more finesse with the lock, that's not me."

As Marcum moves forward to examine the door Bromen moves along the opposite wall, trying his best to scan the stonework for anything unusual as he goes. With a few slow breaths he steadies himself to prepare for whatever lies ahead.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26 That's a 28 with Stonecunning, checking the places he walks for 'trouble'.

Moved my token in Roll20. Once he gets to that position he has the dorn dergar ready for Reach and goes into Combat Patrol to cover the doorway with an effective 15' threatened area.

Wolfric casts his judging eye over the uncovered entrance. Detect Evil

Nothing detected and no evil.

"I sense no evil hereabouts. We are safe unless some trap evades my notice."

Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Once again, nothing.

"Well, wherever that murmuring is coming from, it's not exactly comforting..." Marcum nods to the others and steps forward to glance into the doorway. "...but fortune favors the bold."

Perception: 1d20 + 13 + 1d8 ⇒ (5) + 13 + (5) = 23 ... (looking inside)

I want you to all position yourself in the exact way you were standing EXACTLY when the door was opened.

I think I'm in place...ouch

that sounds too ominous and scary.......Bromen is positioned where he will die be when the door opens.

Hehehe. I'll tell you exactly what happens when everyone tells me they are in position. Let's just say the blame can squarely fall on one party member for what happens next...

Kethi is where her token is on the map, right at the entrance of the tunnel.... And that's where the door opens on a big rock ball gaining speed :)

"If I were you, I'd use the rope", says Kheti too late as the investigator opens the door.

If Kheti was right, you'll never hear the end of it :)