GM Dak - Shattered Star 2

Game Master Dakcenturi

Amelexis Dusk Knowledge (nature) Check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

Although it's very difficult for her, Lexi keeps in what she knows about the creatures until it's obvious they're attracted to Davor. Then she spews out her wisdom: "Oh dear! These are reefclaws. Semi-intelligent aberrations. Beware their claws--the can both crush and poison you!"

Bardic performance (naturalist--reefclaws) initiated! (10/11 rounds remaining.)

Davor 'dancing' about in the water definitely draws their attention and the group of sea creatures swims toward him, two close enough to get off an attack.

Davor is ready though and he jabs his trident through the first one about to attack killing it outright, but not expecting what happens next. As it dies it thrashes around violently.

1-Davor, 2/3-Reefclaw: 1d3 ⇒ 1

DF: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1
DF: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Luckily the death throws of the one, nor the attack of the other manage to connect with Davor.

Group is up!

Assuming I've got the nearest reefclaw studied.

Temmer stands up on the bottom, with his companions, to give himself a better base, then stabs at the nearest reefclaw, drawing on his own observations and Lexi's commentary.

Mithral shortsword (power attack): 1d20 + 7 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 7 - 1 + 2 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 2 + 1 = 10

With his daggers ready, Gurk attempts to stab at one from underneath. "These be real tasty!"

Dogslicer: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 1 = 15
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Dogslicer: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 6 + 1 = 24
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Combat Notes: hp 21/21, bardic performance (naturalist; lingering, round 1 of 2), total defense AC 20).

Seeing the others faring well against the reefclaws, Lexi decides not to do something brave (or stupid), like trying to swim out and give Davor a flanking advantage against one of the beasties. Knowing her own poor track record against poisonous creatures, the aasimar makes herself small, going total defense.

"Also...reefclaws tend to spaz out when mortally wounded. And Gurk's right--they are considered a delicacy."

The young woman seems distracted, perhaps by a large chunk of stone sitting on the ocean floor to the party's northwest.

Davor 5-ft steps to provide flank to Gurk, but attacks the one to the left (I drew a green square on that one).

MW trident, Divine Favor, Ready Player One GO!!!: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23
piercing dmg: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

AC 22 with Lexi's good stuff!

Verris fires her bow at the closest enemy, using it underwater a strange experience for her. The arrow flies straight towards the enemy but moves slower than she's used to and doesn't hit as hard as a result.

Attack(Longbow): 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 9 + 1 = 29

Damage(Longbow): 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Sorry thought I'd posted an attack roll in the last post!

Bixby recoils as the massive crab-like creatures approach. Hiding behind his illusion, he sticks a hand out and a spray of color bubbles into the water.

concentration to cast underwater: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

color spray, DC 17 Will, I think I can hit all three of them from my position.

Davor keeps fighting. Lobster: that's what's for dinner!

MW trident, Divine Favor, Ready Player One GO!!!: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
piercing dmg: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

AC 22 with Lexi's good stuff! let's go gang!

The group works quick, being out of their element not really hampering them much. Adistan and Gurk finish off one as Gurk then steps up to land his second attack on another. Davor follows up with a well placed blow finishing that one off as well.

Adjusting Bixby's action since I wouldn't imagine he would waste the spell on just one left

Bixby lobs some acid at the one remaining as Verris plants an arrow in it. It attampts attacking Bixby's illusion but quickly finds it isn't real. The group works together putting down the last one without further issue.

Out of combat!

Luckily after Lexi's warnings the group avoids the creatures spasms as they die. Shortly after the dirt settles and tranquility resumes in their watery environment.

With no further threats you go to work searching the wreckage of the ship. Lexi is the first to reach the captains quarters and finds a gold and pearl brooch inscribed with the letters “L. B.” worth 150 gold, a mithral masterwork rapier, and a magical +1 buckler.

With nothing else of particular interest on the ship, the group heads back to the relative safety of the Crow. Knowing where the hidden entrance is they get back with no more difficulties.

Where to next?

"A mithral rapier! Just what I always wanted! Oh--and a magical buckler!! I can use that, too! And the brooch...L.B.? L.B.? What can that stand for?" With a sheepish smile, the young bard suggests, "Lexi's Bounty?" before pinning the brooch to her armor.

"Don't worry--I won't keep it all," she tells the others. "Maybe." She asks Davor and/or Adistan if they could carry her old rapier and buckler so she'll still be able to keep up with them.

"Um...not to press my luck, but.... Any chance we could scour the bottom for a while to see if there's any more Irespan stone down here? You know--there are folks in the city who actually make their living dredging the bay for crumbled chunks of Irespan stone; most gets sold to the folks at the Golemworks."

Can anyone else use either the rapier or buckler? If so, Lexi will reluctantly share. Her old rapier is masterwork; the buckler is basic.

Verris could potentially use the buckler, but she currently has a MW one and loses the AC bonus when firing her bow, which is most of the time. I think it makes more sense for Lexi to have it.

Verris offers to help Lexi carry her old gear. She shrugs when Lexi asks for help finding Irespan stone, looking around the seafloor as they make their way back to the Crow piling.

Mithral Rapier: 1,020gp; +1 buckler: 1,155gp; Brooch: 150gp --> all added to Lexi's name in loot spreadsheet; Davor/Strong Guy will carry the MW Rapier until we sell it - sale already resolved on spreadsheet divided between Davor, Adistan and Verris (54/53/53 gp respectively)

Temmer mutters a quick sailor's prayer on the ship, hoping the sailors managed to escape its sinking, but nonetheless feeling for the vessel itself. A ship should always come in to port, and it's a sad day when that doesn't happen.

"We have a job we must keep focused on, Lady Dusk," Temmer says repressively at her suggestion of searching the ocean floor. Fine with others taking the gear. That said, in terms of the loot sheet, I've pretty much appropriated the mithral shortsword from Lexi, so perhaps that should be moved from her column to mine? She's got a mithral rapier now to replace it.

Done

Gurk does his best to pull as many of the strange fish back while the others search the water hut in water. All good loot be here, Gurk thinks as his mind drifts to the fish meat he now had.

Once the longshanks finish, Gurk heads on to the next path.

To the nearest unexplored area! Good with the loot allotment. Being small makes things a bit easier to split for Gurk, especially with food to distract him. XD

I don't need those magic items--take them!

Bixby wonders how much more extensive this place could be. "Perhaps we have entered into some other plane of existence, one with hallway, room and corridor one after another, with no end," he muses as he scribbles some maps in his journal.

Searching the sea floor near the entrance Lexi sadly does not find anymore souvenir stone. Gurk manages to drag at least two of the reefclaws back with him their lifeless bodies not difficult to move in the water.

After sorting out the loot Gurk takes the lead to the next unexplored hallway to the west and then south. He sees that there are two paths ahead of him. The hall splits to the west into a small room where a pillar stands at either end of this wide room. The northern pillar is carved with the image of a beautiful woman wielding a ranseur, much like the statue you saw before. The southern pillar depicts seven robed men and women, their features eroded with the years. Each of them holds one segment of the seven pointed star. Strange runes are carved into the floor. Past this the hall continues to the west.

To the south Gurk sees stairs descend a short way into another room. This oddly shaped room retains some of the trappings of its former glory. Remarkably well-preserved tapestries hang at the back of alcoves above stone benches. Both depict a mountain with a woman’s face carved into the peak above an immense bridge that crosses the ocean below, while at the mountain’s base rises a strange city. A single stone pillar stands in the middle of the room, the image of a seven-pointed star with a hole in its center carved into its north face. A brass portcullis stands to the west, barring entry into a hallway leading beyond.

Map updated. You guys are almost done with this level of the dungeon!

Temmer assumes Lady Dusk will be able to make more sense of what's happening than he will. As she puzzles it out, he looks around, to see if there are any hidden enemies or other secrets to be found here.

Perception (first room): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Perception (second room): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Any check to make sense of the runes?

Bixby can't read the runes or make any sense of the artwork, pillars, or tapestry.

"All of this leads to more questions than answers. Perhaps it is almost time to return and report our findings. With some additional guidance, we may be able to make sense of these conspiracies."

arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Davor translates the Thassilonian runes for the party. "These are the words folks, but I don't know the history behind it..."

Lexi's a bit quiet and pouty that she didn't find any more Irespan stone...despite her otherwise awesome haul from the shipwreck. That all changes when the party enters the large chamber: Her eyes widen, her jaw drops, and the skinny scholar starts taking in all the historic majesty around her.

"The runes read: 'Does true power lie within the one or the many?' Hmm...well, I can only do what I myself am capable of, and hopefully contribute my personal knowledge to the many. So...I guess I'd try to have my reefclaw and eat it, too!"

The Sihedron pillar seems to capture most of the young archivist's attention. "Hey now.... Why is the Sihedron's point aimed down instead of up? That doesn't make any sense, unless.... I bet with the right tool the symbol can be rotated into the proper position! Unfortunately, I haven't a clue what that will do."

Amelexis Dusk Knowledge (history; general {First Room--Pillar Art}) Check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

Amelexis Dusk Knowledge (history; general,lore master (take 20) {Second Room--Sihedron Pillar}) Check: 20 + 10 = 30

Amelexis Dusk Knowledge (history; general {Second Room--Tapestry}) Check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

Finally using Lexi's lore master (take 20 1/day) ability. The Sihedron pillar seems most important and something that Lady Heidmarch will want a complete report on.

Maybe Davor can cast guidance before each check? (DC 25's a tall task, even for Lexi.)

EDIT: Yep--there's a 24...1 short of the DC needed!

Davor provides the divine guidance of Hanspur before each of Lexi's attempts.

+1 to each roll

"Those tapestries depict the ancient Thassilonian city of Xin-Bakrakhan at the height of its grandeur," Lexi adds belatedly. "If memory serves, it was the capital of the realm of wrath, ruled by the Runelord...um, Miss Grumpypants, whose real name continues to elude me!"

"Alastic! No...."

Verris lets the other, more knowledgeable, people discuss their new findings, not having much exposure to Thassilon or that time period. She tries to keep an eye out for anything hostile while the others investigate the point of the statues.

Temmer grinds his teeth, thinking he might know what tool could work, but not sure he should suggest it. Finally, he decides duty compels him to.

"Perhaps the shard we have, Copperpot," he says. "It might fit in there and let us rotate that section."

He keeps an eye on Lady Dusk. He would hardly like to think ill of the young woman, but he's not 100 percent sure she'll be able to contain herself should Copperpot produce the artifact.

Bixby raises an eyebrow at Adistan's suggestion.

"Perhaps! Perhaps, indeed!" he exclaims, retrieving the shard and forgetting to be reluctant to show it to Lexi.

After pulling it out of his pack, he tries to see if it will fit. His dwarven illusion looks over his shoulder curiously.

The shard does not appear to be the right tool. While the point of it it fits into the hole, it quickly becomes aparent you are looking for a cube shaped item rather than a flat item like the shard.

Anything else you plan to do in these rooms or are you continuing on to the west?

With nothing to take or eat, Gurk continues on down the hall to the rest of the tower.

Didn't we find some sort of handle in the secret closet with the non-functional clockwork servant? Does that fit/work?

Otherwise...lead on, Gurk!

We did. I don't know that we did ever actually try it on the clockwork creature, though it was implied it *wasn't* the key. That said, it doesn't sound like a cube.

Temmer prepares to follow Gurk again.

Verris keeps watch until the others are ready to continue, at which point she moves to her usual position in their travelling formation.

Davor takes point after getting Gurk's nod that there isn't any traps. "Gurk, buddy: downstairs or west?"

Gurk shrugs. "That way," he proclaims, pointing down the hall toward the west.

Bixby grunts in agreement that the west passage looks less likely to be an ambush than downstairs.

Less likely be the key, and maybe final, words there. XD

Gurk shrugs. "That way," he proclaims, pointing down the hall toward the west.

Davor nods, raises his shield, and heads to the west.

Total Defense: AC 25; then move west as shown.

Remembering the key the handle the group found before they find that it does indeed fit the hole here and when used to turn the sigil, the gate to the west opens. Leaving that for now though, Gurk leads the group further west. There is another short set of stairs leading to the north, which based on your approximation of the dungeon you surmise connect back to the entrance. Checking them you find they do indeed connect there. The hall continues west then turns south for a short distance before opening into a room to the east.

A curving balcony wraps around the east side of the room. A stair descends ten feet to the floor below. Heading up the stairs three doors open off of this small anteroom. A fountain made of green stone on the north wall still provides a constant flow of fresh water. Looking in the fountain you find a long, thin key made of what appears to be pale green crystal. It looks like a perfect fit for the clockwork you found before. All three of the doors are standing wide open. The northern of the three doors is an empty room but you note that there are claw marks on the inside of the door indicating something was trying to get out. It seems likely that whatever it was must have been released at some point. The southern door leads into a slightly larger room. A low table sits in the center of the room. Two low benches sit on either side of the table, and a wooden stringed instrument of archaic design leans against one of them. Lexi and her wealth of knowledge identifies the instrument as an ancient zither that is a work of art and a true treasure of Thassilon worth 500 gp. The middle doorway leads to a hallway that connects back to the gate you opened earlier.

With nothing further left to explore in this part of the dungeon the group heads all the way back to the south side of the dungeon to the room with water and tentacle pillars, the only other area they have yet to fully explore.

Temmer pockets the key, not sure some of the other group members should have it -- though he of course would never impugn their reputation by saying so. "We can bring this out when we leave, but I think it best to leave alone for now," he explains.

In the unexplored area, he tenses up slightly again, ready in case something comes out after them, but gestures for Gurk to take the lead, as usual.

"Carry on."

Lexi is silent, wide-eyed, and visibly anxious. It's a safe bet she's already cycling through the list of tentacled monsters catalogued inside her mind.

Verris keeps alert as they enter the unexplored area, trying to spot any potential dangers for the party.

For reference: the tentacle room, which we almost avoided for nearly 200 posts! We must now cross a 30ft pool with tentacle columns to reach the other side. Does anyone know Elvish?

Hissing a bit at the water, Gurk slowly steps down into the pool, testing to see if it comes past chin height for him.

I do not. And nice reference, Gurk.

Lexi repositions and points her crossbow out into pool, ostensibly to cover Gurk. She quietly promises to try not to accidentally shoot the goblin in the back of the head, but there's an uncertain tone in her voice.

"Wait! I'll go first... if anything pokes out of the water you can then join in the fun, tentacled or not..." says Davor to Gurk, as he casts bless on everyone, catches his breath for a few moments, then heads into the pool, readying a trident strike if anything pokes out of the water in adjacent squares next to him.

Readied attack, Bless: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 1 = 27
piercing dmg: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

@GM Dak: Water Breathing is still up right?

Bixby refers to a note in his journal.

Speak friend and enter--

The gnome nods as Davor says he will go first. "I will always agree for someone else to go first. Unless we're in a burning building, in which case I would prefer to go first."

"Gurk be needing to set hut on fire?" Gurk asks, his attention drawn away from the water.

Bumping, just to make sure the campaign doesn't go inactive while Dak recovers.

Bumping to prevent the game from becoming inactive