Mottied's Rappan Athuk

Game Master Mottied

At the mention of possible enemies, Erigga draws her shield and positions herself ahead of the group.

"Go ahead and call them, but any talk will be held behind my shield..."

Malazzesh narrows his eyes and checks his bandolier and pouches. "Tindertwigs, alchemist's fire, guano, saltpeter, potash... Yes! Ready to talk!"

This post assumes that there is enough undergrowth (such as tall grass, bushes, scrub, and so on) to provide concealment in the area.

The creatures run inside the forest upon seeing Morthak circling them. Morthak was able to view one and described it as a human with a head of a hyena.

Would everyone want to continue to the number marked 10?

There was enough shrubbery to hide in but they got lucky on the roll.

Red Feather notices the movement in the distance, but his position keeps him from getting a good look at what it is. He freezes his eyes scanning the terrain for any advantages. After a bit he relaxes as the beasts run into the forest.

"We should keep a watch out for them. They might not be through with us. Perhaps someone with sharp senses should take up the rear watch".

Red Feather continues towards their destination, his spear out, and his guard up.

Let so it

Igneous shrugs, "Hyena head eh? Gnolls mos' probably. They're not fer talkin' unless they be more enlightened than tha' ones i've run into in the past, or should I say me axe n hammer have run into".

Agreed to area 11 we will go.

There was enough shrubbery to hide in but they got lucky on the roll.

If the rolls in the spoiler tag were their rolls then even a natural 20 was not enough to spot me. A 20 is not an automatic success for a skill check (neither is a 1 an automatic failure) unless you have instituted a house rule.

Igneous shrugs, "Hyena head eh? Gnolls mos' probably. They're not fer talkin' unless they be more enlightened than tha' ones i've run into in the past, or should I say me axe n hammer have run into".

Not sure if gnolls are considered "common" in your game but if so the DC to identify them would be 6...

[ooc]Agreed to area 11 we will go.

"Let us get to the foot of the hill before we decide whether to enter the Mouth of Doom or visit the summit of the hill. On our way there we should pass some kind of structure on the right. There is no indication on the map what it is but it looks large."

huh, I thought automatic success worked for everything. Thanks for letting me now.

You all have the choice of going back to where Morthak was hidden or continue on to the next area.

I also hope everyone is okay with me rolling for perception in obvious area's so we can speed it up.

You all have the choice of going back to where Morthak was hidden or continue on to the next area.

I'm cool with going with the general party will, but I wouldn't mind a bit of a "warm-up" fight if that what's going to happen here.

BTW, is my roll good enough to confirm that they are (or are not) gnolls?

You can tell that they are gnolls.

Harnet watches in confusion as Morthak scrambles into the long grass and bushes, quickly loosing sight of him. He raises his eyebrows at the strange behavior and lets what sun there is warm his face.

When in a few moments he returns with news of dog faced humaniods, the transmuter looks unconcerned, with Erigga's shield and Igneous' strength Harnet is sure they can deal with such trivial matters.

As the shoanti man moves off again, Harnet gets up and walks behind the two fighters, "It seems we are on our way again, you sure he knows where he's going?"

Erigga sighs as the humanoids vanish into the forest.

"Well... a good brawl wound be fun..."

She lowers her shield and follows Red Feather.

"Gnoll fur burns," the goblin muses, "But it does smell bad. Let's go see the building."

Well it seems to me the party is pressing onward.

After the small encounter everybody is vigilant while walking to the building marked 10 and finally reached what looks like a cottage.

This is a stone cottage that has been abandoned and fallen into disrepair. The thatched roof is gone, and grass grows from the dirt floor of the building.

Other then the deer fleeing as you all approach nothing is unusual about this area or it's surroundings. You all realize this is where your actual journey begins this very well could be last time you are seen sane let alone alive. You press forward to the final destination ending one stage of your life and starting another.

Adrenaline is flowing through some of you as you all begin to walk in a faster pace. The forest is getting thicker the deeper you go until you finally find the high noon sun hit the open hill and there you see it. The Mouth Of Doom.

The Mouth of Doom is a huge, stone demon face carved into the side of the hill. Its open mouth is ten feet tall; within the gaping stone maw, stairs of black stone lead downward into the darkness.

Morthak can tell that the stone demon is modeled after Orcus.

The gnolls have been nowhere to be seen since the encounter.

Black stone stairs lead down to this room from the ruined tower above in a staircase that the characters estimates has taken them about forty feet underground. The room at the bottom of the staircase has six doors leading out, each one set into the far end of a ten-foot-by-ten-foot alcove in the wall. There is a faint smell of old rot in the air, like a graveyard, and any torches carried by the characters gutter slightly in the stale air.

You all are free to roleplay as if you were in the previous areas I.e. the mouth of doom/stone cottage

I forgot to mention this but one of the guards warns you about noise. Loud noises can attract random deadly creatures from the surrounding areas even when inside the cave. The loud noises have to be excessive to count for example fighting won't trigger anything but walls being destroyed can.

Map and the description of the doors will be shortly.

A.In the stone over the top of this alcove, there is a carving of a goat’s face, with curling horns, narrowed eyes and small fangs visible at the corners of its mouth.

B. There is a skull carved into the stone over the top of this alcove.

C.There is a pentacle carved in the stone over the top of this alcove.

D.There is a carving of a hand over the top of this alcove.

E.There is a wolf’s head carved into the stone above this alcove.

F.Nothing is carved into the stone above this alcove.

Welcome everybody to Rappan Athuk, I wish everyone luck and I hope all will enjoy this campaign with me. May the Rng gods bless your rolls and smite your opponents.

The map doesn't look the best since I blew it up so everyone can see easier. Each square represents 10 feet and during combat I will make a new map to fight in.

You all are free to roleplay as if you were in the previous areas I.e. the mouth of doom/stone cottage

Morthak looks at the ruined cottage. He looks back at the others. "Give me a moment. Or join me if you wish." Morthak goes to the cottage, and gives it a quick search.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Black stone stairs lead down to this room from the ruined tower ...

@ GM Mottied: I'm a bit lost here. What tower? Where was the tower?

Upon arriving at the chamber, Morthak eyes the carvings and doorways carefully.

Generally looking for traps. If I need to roll more than once you can make rolls for me. Guys - I don't have trapfinding so it probably wouldn't be a bad idea for everyone to be looking for traps.
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Malazzesh narrows his eyes in the first chamber. "I not trust dog head."

He examines it carefully for traps, or for ways it could be removed from the wall.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

That was worded poorly in the book, I should have double checked.

The mouth of doom that leads to a spiraling staircase was at one point a tower.

Morthak finds a small fire pit that has seen some use in the recent past.

Behind the cottage are a couple of illegible tombstones marking the grave of some unknown individual.

Malazzesh approaches alcove A trying to get a better look at the carving then stops in his tracks before stepping in front of the door. There is something wrong with this floor he thinks to himself.

In case something happens would everyone want me to roll saves or would you like to do that yourself?

@ GM Mottied: BTW, are there doors in the "alcoves?" Or are they just alcoves that lead nowhere? And the passage to the north, that is just a open passage, right? How far can we see down it?

FYI I'm fine with the GM rolling saves vs things like traps.

There are doors in every single alcove and the doors are no farther then 10 feet inside the alcove. Just imagine that there is one square between the number and the physical door. Sorry I couldn't crop it better I don't want to give any hints out.

If you want a free dungeon mapping utility you could try http://www.dungeonographer.com/. The software has a free version that is pretty useful. I actually have the pay version now but I used the free version for quite a while.

That's awesome! I can start making some edits too. I'll experiment right now since I have a bunch of free time.

Okay the new map is now up on top. A little crude but I think it's more then enough for our purposes.

Red Feather would investigate carefully the deserted cabin before entering the tower.

Is it a good place to camp? Do we see a lot of signs of habitation? Is there a cellar or structurally sound area of the cabin?

1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24 Perception

After a careful inspection, he would investigate the Orcus head for any hidden niches, or runes/text.

1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 Perception

After entering the Alcove rune, he lights his everburning torch, and using twine attaches it to his backpack to keep his hands free.

... he lights his everburning torch....

FYI you don't need to light an everburning torch. They remain lit from the time they are made until they are dispelled (hopefully never), and they do not actually burn.

They are basically just an ordinary stick with continual flame cast on them.

That's why everburning torches offend Malazzesh, but he's not going to stop other people from having or using them. And feel free to roll for saves as necessary, Mottied.

Malazzesh gets down on his knees. "Something wrong with this floor..." He carefully rolls out a collection of lockpicks and probing tools--quite well made, actually--and examines the floor more closely.

What kind of trap is it? Disable Device +10.

"Something wrong with this floor..." He carefully rolls out a collection of lockpicks and probing tools--quite well made, actually--and examines the floor more closely.

What kind of trap is it? Disable Device +10.

Morthak smiles at the sight of Malazzesh's tools. He produces a similar set, and nods, joining Malazzesh in the work.

Aid Another: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
Too bad I wasn't allowed to take the helpful trait. ;)

Erigga had not paid any attention to the cottage, trusting her new companions would inform here if anything went wrong. She focused herself on the wilds, still worried that the gnolls could appear at any moment.

With her shield always ready, Erigga moved into the Mouth of Doom, taking care where she stepped.

Please... do not kill me with a poisoned needle, or falling stones, or spears from the ground...

It would be nice for us to determine our marching order before something horrible happens... if possible, lets make two orders, one for a single line and other for a wider corridor... I suggest, in order, Malazzesh, Morthak, Erigga, Harnet, Red Feather and Igneous. This way the small ones can look for traps and light the way, Erigga can jump in and fight if needed, Harnet will be protected and the other two will guard the rear, with Igenous' darkvision.

I assume that the rumors we heard are known to us all...

As they reach the stone building, Harnet stops to look at the ruins. "Do you think this belonged to anyone, to the wizard or the crones?" he asks. He shows great interest in the stone cabin, "It would be helpful to search this place, to get any evidence who might have lived here. If it belonged to the wizard, who knows if there are mysteries to be discovered." Harnet joins any other searching for any secret nooks or crannies that might hold arcane or divine wonders.

Later at the mouth of doom....
Harnet smiles as Malazzesh rolls around on the floor, watching the goblin with some amusement. "Make whatever you find safe, we don't want any mishaps before you have had a chance to show your mettle against our foes." Laughing he waits patiently, "Perhaps you ought to check all the doors, so we can choose the right one to pluck the mouths teeth."

Happy for GM to roll to speed the adventure.

Happy with Erriga's marching order

@ redfeather

This looks like a safe place to camp. This area is void of any tall plants so hiding is next to impossible unless they are inside the forest. The back of the house is safe due to having a river next to it.

Other then the deer and small fire pit there are no signs of life.

There is no cellar and while in disrepair it's not unsalvageable. The repairs are not difficult and would take no longer then a day to return it to it's former glory.

You don't find anything of the sort on Orcus's head.

Nice idea on the hands-free torch.

Malazzesh can tell it's a pitfall trap

Thanks for establishing a marching order. I'll put that on the campaign description to remember.

This building has no indication of who lived here and the graves are too worn to see.

I'll only roll saves when it surprises you. In combat I'll let you all roll that yourselves.

Upon observing the runes, Redfeather notes some observations.

From looking at the glyphs four are from formerly or currently living things, one is a shape, and one has nothing. Does anybody else have any other ideas that might give us a clue"?

I'm assuming no is is going inside the alcoves after seeing Malazzesh work on the trap inside of one.

Malazzesh starts by opening the trap to view the bottom of the pit, then sets about to rig it shut.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

"If Orcus is the great god of the undead, then he is a god of the nothingness of life. Maybe the unmarked alcove, it is of nothingness, unless you ere to the obvious skull." Harnet says somewhat dismissively. Yet he looks at the carving, but makes no move to any of the doors. Letting those whose desire to enter quickly with either skill or impatience find the way forward.

Click The floor in front of the doors opens up showing a 10 foot drop. Malazzesh with the help of Morthak managed to seal the trap making it safe for standing upon.

Everybody forms marching order and Malazzesh begins opening the door carefully ready for whatever is on the other side. A silent creak begins when the door is opening and everybody is met with nothing. There is only unworked stone behind this wall.

Igneous searches the stone up and down before giving it a couple of good slaps with his hand. He could tell that this is just normal stone. Somebody took the time to place a door and trap for nothing.

I suggest, in order, Malazzesh, Morthak, Erigga, Harnet, Red Feather and Igneous. This way the small ones can look for traps and light the way, Erigga can jump in and fight if needed, Harnet will be protected and the other two will guard the rear, with Igenous' darkvision.

Overall I am fine with this, but do we want Igneous at the back? His movement is only 20' so if there is a fight at the front he will take at least 2 rounds to get to it.

Morthak looks over the symbols above the doors. Hmmm... are these symbols of Orcus? A goat with fangs, a skull, a pentacle, a hand a wolf. Are they a part of the lore of his church? Morthak tries to recall if he has heard of these symbols in association with Orcus, and if they have any meaning.

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Yeah not likely.

"So... which door next? No point in trying to solve the riddle of the doors without clues. The symbols could mean anything."

Erigga nods to the Halfling. I agree with you... any door is as good as anyone... well, if there is actually a passage on the other side, and not just traps...

Igneous in the back means that he can see any threat and defend against it properly... If Erigga takes his place, she will need a torch with her. Also, despite his speed is 20 ft, he can always double move, or, if any of the other act before him, they can withdraw or even open a charge path for him.

"I vote for the Pentacle or the blank one".

I'll probably roll a two sided dice tonight between the pentacle and the blank one unless someone wants to go to a different door.

None of you detect any immediate traps in the alcove with the skull carved on top. [ b]

None of you detect any immediate traps in the alcove with the pentacle carved on top.[c]

Morthak manages to view some similarities between the pitfall trap in alcove A and the floor in area D.

None of you detect any immediate traps in the alcove with the wolf's head carved in.[E]

Finally upon standing in front of the alcove with nothing carved in you see a small mouth appear. "You stand at the threshold of the Rappan Athuk, the Dungeon of Graves. Turn back, trespassers, for you will find nothing but your death in these dark halls!" The mouth then disappears from sight.

It's up to everyone to decide where they want to go now.

Morthak doesn't know anything about the symbols.

I will start rolling perception for everyone in front of unexplored doors regardless if it's trapped or not.

Following his first instinct RF walks slowly towards the door with the pentacle carved on it. "Well we must make a choice. Speak now before I open this portal".

Malazzesh starts pacing. "Hmm, goat bad, hand bad. Nothing is mouth, saying this way to dungeon. Is Mouth of Doom?"

He looks around. "Try pentacle. Mouth is liar."

Harnet smiles at the appearance of the mouth, "Such magic has lasted this long, heed it's words my friends."

He stands back and watches as Red Feather strides towards the alcove with a pentacle. Pleased the Shoanti is 'wisely' stepping forward.

Upon opening the door with the pentacle you are met with a crumbling hallway.

None of you notice anything hazardous in front of the doors.

Map has been updated. There is two doors on the bottom not a set of double doors.

"We did no come all this way te' turn back now. I'll step where the rest of ye' say but leave th' splittin' o' heads ta me".

I am fine with Igneous wherever you all want him. First is not the best option though as trap spotting and disarming are not his thing.

Sorry for the delay bad work week and family time weekend.

That's fine Cobalt, nothing too important happened.

Morthak takes some chalk and makes marks on the floor near alcove D. "Beware that spot. Another pit, maybe."

Once the pentacle door is open, Morthak says quietly, "Hmmm... many choices await us. Shall we go forwards?"

If the party is willing Morthak will creep slowly into the hall, moving quietly and examining the floor closely as he moves. Once just through the door, he takes a piece of chalk and puts a small mark low down on the wall near the door, pointing back the way he came. He looks carefully east and west to see what he can see, hopefully without being spotted.

stealth take 10: 10 + 13 = 23
I think GM already rolled perception.

Guys: if you want we could move so slowly that we could take 20 on every perception check to find traps. We will basically move at a snails' pace though; 5 feet every 2 minutes. If Malazzesh and I are in front, we could each check the 5' area in front of us and we'd roll 29's all the way. But it would take ages. Kind of like how fast you moved in 1e. :)

Harnet looks at the ceiling of the hallway, rather than the floor, after all there are those more used to finding things than the wizard. He follows the others close to the back, treading in the footsteps of the one in front. "I suppose that age must take its toll, even on the mountain."

Know(Eng) 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 how safe is the crumbling tunnel.

Happy to go at pretty normal speed, as we have 2 trap spotters in front, if taking 10s is better than happy with that, taking 20s is a bit meta gamey.... however, should you want to take your time, then Harnet waits, he is in no rush .... to meet his fate!!!

Erigga watched as the Halfling marked his way across the tunnels.

He is wise... I think we are in good hands after all...

Once more, Erigga prepares her shield and gets ready to jump into acting if needed.

"Careful Morthak... I'd not like to lose you this early."

Red Feather stays towards the middle of the group, his eyes peeled and his spear at ready.

"It is wise to proceed with caution, however the longer we delay the more time the evil has to strengthen and improve it's position. I would say to take care as we travel, and maybe take extra precaution at the normal places that traps would be laid. I'm sure you know that better than I. Does the light of my torch bother your night vision?