Thornkeep: Enigma Vaults Table II (Inactive)

Game Master Awenydd83

Getting set up

Checking in for great profits!

You all receive a letter requesting your participation in a meeting at the Grand Lodge. When you all arrive to the meeting, you are met with a dour looking little man sitting behind a large desk. "Glad you could all make it here. We have found some ruins that need some exploring, and you are just the people to explore them. We are going to send you off to Thornkeep, so pick up anything that you need along the way."

After several days travel, you arrive at the keep, and venture through to the second level, coming out in a hallway wrapping around an octagonal chamber whose floor is painted like the night sky. There are bars between you and the chamber, but can see an entrance across from you.
Once you all check in, I will put your pics on the bottom left hand of the map.

You all receive a letter requesting your participation in a meeting at the Grand Lodge. When you all arrive to the meeting, you are met with a dour looking little man sitting behind a large desk. "Glad you could all make it here. We have found some ruins that need some exploring, and you are just the people to explore them. We are going to send you off to Thornkeep, so pick up anything that you need along the way."

After several days travel, you arrive at the keep, and venture through to the second level, coming out in a hallway wrapping around an octagonal chamber whose floor is painted like the night sky. There are bars between you and the chamber, but can see an entrance across from you.
Once you all check in, I will put your pics on the bottom left hand of the map.

Picking up two potions of Darkvision en route

.

.

I should tell you that when I first wake up every morning I study my Tome of Epics for an hour.

I'm here

Jirelle smiles. It's not friendly as such, but hints of cunning and pranks and oneupmanship.

"Let's do this thing. On to victory!"

Looking at everyone while clutching her stuffed owlbear, Yoon smiles. Bringing Gom Gom to her ear, the child grins as she starts to pack him away in her bag, "Gom Gom says that we will have fun! At least more fun than traveling without sightseeing."

checked!

"Let's just keep this somewhat 'on even keel'. Did an expedition on behalf of the Society to a place called Harrowstone not too long ago, and it was kind of a near thing."

Every morning around dawn Karasuma is up swinging around an elven curve blade in various blade-forms. No game effect, but stylistic fluff to indicate what the tengu's favorite weapon might be... Also, thinking about it... Add morningstar to the list of things he's getting...

"Glad you could all make it here. We have found some ruins that need some exploring, and you are just the people to explore them. We are going to send you off to Thornkeep, so pick up anything that you need along the way."

Amiri looks excited about the new mission that the Society gives to her.

"Well, I think it will be interesting. Explore some lost ruins, get some treasures, expand the knowledge of the Society, smash some asses. I believe I can say that I'm really happy with this!"

Before they go, the barbarian asks the "little man sitting behind a large desk":

"Has something about that place that we must know? And by the way, what is your name? Hah, hi to every one, I'm Amiri."

Jirelle looks around at her companions, then looks skyward, as if to address fate.

"It seems we are all here. Shall we press on to adventure?"

She move over, and examines the entrance.

I'm having trouble visualizing what was described, and the revealed portion of the map isn't helping. Can we get a fuller description of the "entry"?

The southern part of the octagon is bars, so we can see into it but can't access it. The northern doors are visible through the bars. If we go down the eastern stairs and around, we can enter through the northern double doors.

GM, is Thornkeep on Kortos then, or somewhere else?

Of course, but first, a few precautions, the Taldan says, handing out a few items as he walks up to different members of the group.

Here, you never know when you'll need these. I'm not sure how I feel about arming children, but if the Venture Captain saw the merits of your abilities, who am I to judge?

Spring-Loaded Wrist Sheath containing a Cold Iron Dagger, handing one to Amiri and one to Yoon. Yoon is a child, right?

Rolando then produces a wand and casts a spell. Follow me unless I say otherwise, he says to no one in particular.

Casting
Unseen Servant from a wand, duration 1 hour.

I can have my friend here open any doors from a safe distance, he says simply, before casting a couple more spells.

Heroism on myself, duration 40 minutes. Heightened Awareness on myself, duration 40 minutes. Flagbearer grants +1 morale bonus to attacks, weapon damage, and saves vs fear and charm/compulsion for everyone.

Alright.. lets get going.
As you descend the stairs, you come to a hallway wrapping around a central chamber, with bars separating all but the northern side of the room. Bookshelves line the walls of the hallway around the central chamber, but the books are moldy and fall into dust at the first touch.
What you can see of the floor in the central area is a very detailed and well preserved mural of the night sky of Golarian. Circling the top of the room just below the 20 ft ceiling

Thornkeep is in the Echo Wood of the River Kingdoms.

Take 10 History: 10 + 9 + 2 + 2 = 23

Rolando shares what he knows with the others.

Read the spoiler

Yes, Yoon is a child. Eight years old, iirc. Human, but size small.

Thanks for the extra description. Having our icons on the map helped significantly, too.

It seems Rolando has been busy since The Throaty Mermaid. Good to see you again.

Karasuma will blink at the translated words...

"It's almost like a carnival barker..."

He'll move to the first door and start looking at it...

Perception(+1for Trapfinding): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

Yoon looks at the knife and grins from ear to ear. "Thank you!" she says as the child begins strapping the spring loaded sheath on her forearm. Bringing one hand up, a small flame sparks to life seeming to not hurt the child.

Yoon is an eight year old human child that's had a somewhat horrible fast few years. Also, Yoon has cast "Light" in the form of a burning flame in her hand.

Yes, Yoon is a child. Eight years old, iirc. Human, but size small.

Thanks for the extra description. Having our icons on the map helped significantly, too.

It seems Rolando has been busy since The Throaty Mermaid. Good to see you again.

Sorry about that. I was trying to get both thornkeep tables up and running, as well as close out, report, and get chronicles for two other games all over the last two days. It got a little hairy. We should be good now.

If the party is all set, you can move around and begin to explore. Please move your tokens to reflect your location on the map. I will roll initiative when needed, and will post the turns etc during rounds of combat. Most all other rolls I will ask you to do as your turn dictates.

I will assume that Karasuma has entered the star chamber and is looking at the door.. you find no traps.

It seems Rolando has been busy since The Throaty Mermaid. Good to see you again.

Yep, though it's mostly GM credit. He's definitely learned a few tricks since then. ;-) And good to see you too!

Seeing Karasuma's efforts, Rolando shrugs: I have no doubt your skills are up to the task, but just for safety's sake, I can open the door from a distance, if you'd like.

If no one objects, I'll order the Unseen Servant to open the door when Karasuma gets clear.

Unseen servant opening all doors sounds like a good SOP.

So far as marching order goes, put me at or near the front.

There's a chortling bit of mirth from the tengu as he glances to Roland.

"Hey, opening the door from the distance works if it's not locked. The less I have to work, the better off I'll be for the points where I do have to poke at something, so please, by all means, have at."

We had a bard in the R20 Karasuma came from that would do that for every door first using 'open door', and if it got stuck, then Karasuma's number would come up. Was a lot less stressful.

Open that door Rolando commands his servant.

"Thank you, Rolando. Now you all get out of the way and let me go ahead. Keep your eyes on the back" says Amiri while cross those rooms and wait for the Rolando's unseen servant open the door.

Yoon nods, and tries to keep an eye out for anything unusual. "Be careful Gom gom, there may be scary things here," whispered the child. Looking about carefully, the child's eyes seem to have a fire behind her irises, as her body starts to radiate heat.

Defensive Talant - Searing Flesh, has been activated. Anything using a natural or unarmed attack takes 1 point of fire damage when they hit her.

Rolando commands his servant to open the door, and it reveals a thirty-foot-diameter room that seems something like a silo—the domed ceiling rises twenty feet above, and the floor drops away into darkness below. A ten-foot-wide stone bridge with no railings crosses the shaft to a hall and door in the opposite side, yet a one foot- wide gap separates the bridge from either hall. Below, two additional archways lie in the north and south walls of the shaft, thirty feet below the level of the upper entrances.

The tengu peers at the bridge and squats down to look at the underside of it as best he can, using a mirror to try and make out any additional details as he tries to make sure it isn't rigged to fall apart or explode or anything crazy like that. He's seen stuff like that before.

Perception(+1 for traps): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

And he's also ROLLED like that before, too.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

Jirelle also searches for traps along the bridge, and under it, as best she can.

She peers over the edge. Is there a bottom visible?

Yoon takes a few steps forward looking at everyone. "Why are we stopping? Can't we easily jump across? I can hop it, and even make it! Isn't that right Gom gom?" The child giggles slightly, while understanding that stopping and checking for traps is a good thing, why someone would trap a bridge was beyond her.

"Maybe, maybe there's treasure on the other side!"

With a flickering of the light in her hand, it seems that Yoon is smiling about something. Almost giddy as eager to get to the other side.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

No one finds any hint of any traps. As you begin to move about searching, you can see that there is a lever standing up from the floor on the far side of the bridge, and beneath the bridge, a cross tunnel exits from the cavern to the north. While you are moving about and searching, a spectral and demonic figure wavers into view at the far edge of the bridge. The horrible sight before you appears to have some sort of deformed, fanged bird for a head and coiling serpents for legs. The specter speaks out to you "Kinek a szabadság akartok a rejtély boltívek"

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16

I don't know what that thing is, or what language it speaks. Can any of you understand it?

The tengu rogue pulls up short and tries to figure out what the thing is saying. He gives Rolando a brief shake of the head.

"Um, hello?"

I'm Jirelle. Who are you?

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

"This thing is scary...." mutters Yoon, slightly shifting away from the specter. "I, I don't like this. What is it saying?"

SM tells you he is asking a question and awaiting an answer. not really too much more because you can't understand the language.

The demonic specter pauses expectantly, awaiting an answer. With none forthcoming, he speaks again in a different language. "Bu who palikti jums ieškoti Enigma skliautus?"

[spoiler=Elven]By whose leave do you seek the Enigma Vaults?[/spoiler

Elven, huh? That I can do. ... Although our intro is a little short on who sent us, or even any history of the Enigma Vaults.

Jirelle steps forward and responds in a similar language.

If Jirelle translates the message for the rest of us...

Rolando holds up his flag and points to the Glyph of the Open Road.

Under her breath to the party, "He wants to know who gave us permission to be here."

"But isn't this a ruin? I thought we didn't need permission to enter ruins," Yoon whispered back.

The specter cackles at the groups answer and vanishes.. leaving behind two very real snakes in his stead.

Bold May Post
Karasuma
Constrictors
Rolando
Jirelle
Yoon
Amiri

"Amiri, Jirelle, give me a hand, I'll break them up a bit but I'm not a meatshield!" He approaches the serpents while drawing a long curved thin blade (but does not charge them) and takes a swipe at the 'top' one.

MWK Cold Iron Elven Curve Blade(Crit on natural 18-20 if hits): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 181d10 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 122d6 ⇒ (4, 6) = 10

Don't forget +1 morale to attack and damage from Rolando's Flagbearer

Had completely forgotten that, thanks. So above has totals of 19 to hit flat-footed, and 23 damage.

Amiri crosses the bridge with her bastard sword in both hands, swinging it in the constrictor in front of her.

Atk bastard swd + power atk: 1d20 + 7 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 7 - 2 + 1 = 112d8 + 7 + 1 + 6 ⇒ (6, 7) + 7 + 1 + 6 = 27

Yoon moves in, behind Karasuma staring at the snakes. Lifting her free hand high, a ball of flame bursts into existence, just before she tosses into the serpent in front of Amiri, yet misses the snake!

Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 4 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 - 4 = 5

Jirelle is poised an ready for combat, but it makes for a better story around the hearth if she gives the constrictors a sporting chance.

Waiting to see what they do before trying to decide tactical movement.

It's the snakes' turn, right? I'm waiting for them first before I take my turn. I also recommend that when our initiatives are clumped together that the melee types at least wait for my turn first, as I'm in the business of buffing. ;-)

Yep, the snake's turn. Hence the null post and malarky about waiting for them.

Sorry guys, I just wanted to accelerate my part in the game. =(

My bad! Saw Amiri go, so I went! Nix my last action please!